Summertime when the cycling is easy...

Yes, we're here in 35 - 38 degree temperatures, enjoying a rest day in beautiful Timisoara, just south of the Romanian border which we crossed yesterday. It was a bit of a gruelling day - 120+ kms, heavy traffic for the last 60 or 70 kms and a head wind. Still, a good excuse to stop and eat icecream. Another couple of folks have fallen off, fortunately not suffering serious injuries, so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

The difference between Hungary and Romania is evident in the housing, the farm practices, the friendliness of the people, the roads and the drivers. Many houses are dated and bear the names of the original owners in relief plaster just below the eaves on the front. Most farm labour seems to be manual or else employs primitive machinery and old tractors, or, more commonly, horses and carts. It does seem to be a family affair, extending from the youngest to the oldest members of the community.

People are very helpful and friendly - today I got lost on the way to the laundromat, yes, it's that time again, and after enquiring with an elderly gent he summoned a younger man who led me through the streets to the laundry door. Another of our group dropped a considerable wad of money and a chap followed him and returned it. And George, a fellow cyclist who is a dentist in real life, was escorted to a dental surgery by a helpful pharmacist where he was able to obtain a small portion of filling material, which he and his able dental assistant, Monique, whose father was a dentist, used to plug the small hole in my recently chipped tooth, all with tweezers, a dessertspoon and a nail file as tools and the isopropyl alcohol that John Ross uses to clean his bike. I was able to provide the gloves and the tissues.

In Kecskemet we held a talent concert in our camping spot which was most amusing. Another is planned for the 10 July. There were nine or ten acts - songs, skits, comedy and more. It does feel a bit like a school at times, and this was one of the better aspects of camp life. However, unlike boarding school, we are allowed to drink beer.

We're about to start climbing again, with some considerable daily distances, no more bike paths, rutted roads, traffic and high temperatures. The wild dogs are much feared by us so we are armed with capsicum spray, water pistols, electronic dog scarers and waddies of various thickness and length. The wild dogs are a result of the Ceausescu era when people were forced to leave their dogs and move into the awful apartment blocks and state-run farm communes. As a result there are some 30,000 street dogs in Bucharest alone, so maybe more out in the countryside. Brigitte Bardot has financed a sterilisation program but it would seem that this is only a small step towards solving the problem. We have seen, and smelt, dead dogs along the roadside, as well as ferrets, foxes and a huge number of birds. This could be because Romanians seem to drive with total faith in higher beings.

Some more stats... and you can check out our route on the Google map - link on top left side of blog...
June 28: Budapest to Kecskemet, 105 kms, about four and three quarter hours
June 29: Kecskemet to Szeged, 106 Kms, four and a quarter hours
June 30: Szeged to Timisoara, 121 kms, six and a quarter hours