9.45 Local Time, Just Entered Austria.

I Spent a whole night sleeping leaning up against the bike. I was not able to find a safe keep area for the bike in any of the hotels in Austria (or at least of which I felt safe to leave it).
I woke up to wonderful sunshine, started my ride at 6am. I hit Budapest by 1pm spent some time in the town centre. Rather old and reasonably well maintained. It was the warmest, I was sweltering. I was not impressed with road signs of old rule still there, but people seemed to be having fun along the wonderful river flowing through Budapest. I had no time to spend as I was anxious to ride through Romania in same day if possible.

Anyway, I entered Romania from Nadlac. Looks like they have not given up their usual tricks, a young man came up to me offering money exchange and another one approached me offering Romanian road tax as apparently I require one in accordance of country’s law. Then one more approached offering autobahn Ticket, of course I ignored and went on, I have seen these things a few times in my life time. People try anything, in general Romanians are one of the more reliable and trusting compared with that of the other Balkan country natives. Oh dear oh dear, The roads - what roads there are none!! heading for Bucharest, hoping to hit Bulgaria today. No way is this possible to have one road with on coming traffic! I was constantly behind lorries. Romania has some nice churches same as Hungary but the country has not broken out of it’s shell yet. You can still see the Chauseskou’s old Romania, some nice buildings left for ruins and still relatively poor. It’s in need of roads desperately!

Met a Turkish truck driver and went with him to a truck drivers camp, put my tent up and uploading now. I arrived here in ILLIA/Romania at about 6pm. Took lots of pictures and enjoyed Romania’s beautiful country, roads Just for the scenery - no driving.

I should be in Turkey tomorrow some time

My sleeping arrangements in the Wien/Austria near the Hungarian border.

Riding / entering Budapest.


Bucharest Sign Post / An Old Church in Budapest.

Entering Romania at Nadlac /
Romania, heading for Bucharest. After eating a big juicy insect, I started to cover my mouth.

Typical Road conditions in Romania and Bulgaria.


Hotel Hilton Romania LLia/Romania (my tent at a Truck Camp ;))

Romanian Sun Flowers

I got up at around 8am had a breakfast with hopes that this was going to be the last day in foreign soil. Looking at the size of the country (Bulgaria) it looked manageable in a day but I never took into calculation the state of theroads. After receiving route directions from the truck drivers I set off for Bucharest, this is to be a easy to find route as it was used by all international track drivers, I just have to follow the tracks who were mainly Turkish companies, I did this for a while but the route was so busy with trucks I could not follow the stationary trucks so I decided to hit the road,
Any one who wishes to travel by car through Romania I suggest think carefully and never do the route I did, I m sure there must be better routes.

My day didn’t really begin well in Romania, along the way I was stopped by a police officer with whom I could not communicate, I eventually understood that he was asking me where my helmet was, because the heat I wanted to have a bit of fresh air blowing by my face, I said to Officer I thought the wearing of helmet was not compulsory in Romanism, he then replied saying Romania is in Europe, or at least that’s what I thought he said, I then placed my helmet and started to ride, these roads are not going to finish at average 40 mph speed, I was really getting tired by this now. An hour later I came to a town with loads of junctions and turnings where I lost concentration, apparently drove through pedestrian crossing while red light was on, some of these countries have strange lights where you can not even see them, specially in harsh sunshine,
After crossing the light I was stopped by two young police officers luckily one of the spoked good English, so there were no complications. He asked for my drivers licence and the documents, I had no defence to make and simply told him the truth, it was not intentional.

The officer informed me that I have now lost my licence which will go to British embassy
And a month later it will be forwarded to me with a fine of 300 of their currency (I think I could tell it was in his mind just trying to scare me) I apologised for my unintentional mistake, he then replied saying that he Believed me, but to be alittle bit more careful. I thanked him and started the ride with my licence returned. At this stage I was really ready to leave Romania as it has taken a lot of my time of unpleasant driving in the heath. The effects of riding in the heath is not a pleasant one and has taken it’s toll, as soon as you pick up a little speed you must have face guards on, other wise the insects land on your face like a bullet, at one stage I remember well, picking up good speed, suddenly a big dollop of Double Decker insect/fly landed between my lips, it felt like asmall water balloon bursting with the impact, I’m not sure what it tasted like but I was thirsty any way, Drove through some brilliant sunflower fields, took some pictures, by now I has approaching borders of Romania/Bulgaria called Ruse, from Ruse I’m to head for svilengrad the Turkish Bulgarian border.

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