Donauradweg: Viziru - Danube Delta
Viziru - Brăila - Tulcea - Danube Delta
I got an early start today, heading towards Brăila, where I took a ferry across to the right bank of the Danube. The landscape on this side was a beautiful mix of marshland and rolling hills, perfect for cycling. The roads were great, and I could often use the momentum from downhill stretches to glide effortlessly. While doing a routine check on my bike, I noticed that, for the second time on this trip, the screw securing the rear brake had worked itself loose and was on the verge of falling off. After tightening it and giving the bike a quick oiling, I had another mechanical issue when the front derailleur cable snapped, forcing me to replace it.
Later in the day, a thunderstorm that had formed over Ukraine passed ahead of me. Thankfully, I only caught a few drops, but it must have rained hard as the roads were left wet and partly flooded with mud. At one point, while descending through the muddy patches, my narrow front tire (25mm) lost grip, and I had to rely on balance to avoid a fall. By evening, I camped once again near the road, pushing myself to cover as much distance as possible so I could reach Constanța, my final destination, the next day.
Donauradweg: Cozla - Bregovo
Cozla - Statue of Decebalus - Iron Gate (Border Romania/Serbia) - Border Serbia/Bulgaria - Bregovo
In the morning, I still felt some soreness in my legs but started the day cycling smoothly along the road toward the impressive statue of Decebalus. Today to prevent a potassium deficiency and to consume all my reserves until Constanta, I increased my electrolyte intake. The traffic became quite heavy as I approached the Iron Gate. After crossing into Serbia, I continued through the Cyrillic part of Serbia towards Bulgaria.
At a bakery stop, I missed out on sweet croissants, ending up with one croissant filled with a soft sausage and another with something that had the consistency of raw minced meat. Nevertheless, the Danube remained as large and beautiful as ever, and I enjoyed quieter roads with minimal traffic. In the last Serbian town before the border, I encountered the next two fellow cyclists on a tandem bike, also following the Danube Bike Path. That evening, I came across a charming local celebration, with children dressed in colorful costumes.
Crossing into Bulgaria, I faced another challenge with money exchange, as there was no possibility to exchange Serbian money. To avoid withdrawing cash in Bulgaria, I stocked up my supplies in Serbia before entering Bulgaria. After passing through the first Bulgarian town, I set up camp for the night. Unfortunately, it was near a thorn hedge and my air mattress developed a leak, and I also lost a tent peg, making it a bit of an uncomfortable night.
Passo San Jorio
Langer aber gut zu fahrender Anstieg zum Passo San Jorio (Teer, Schotter).
Danach wird der Trail schmaler und bietet entlang dem Grenzgebiet von Schweiz und Italien schöne Aussichten in die umgebende Landschaft.
Everest Basecamp Trek (EBC): Namche Bazar - Tengboche
The trek from Namche Bazar to Tengboche offered breathtaking views of the towering mountains that surrounded us.
In the evening, we watched a prayer ceremony of Buddhist monks at Tengboche Monastery, where we took a moment to appreciate its serene beauty and the spiritual atmosphere that enveloped the area.