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Baja - Border Hungary/Serbia - Novo Selo

I started in Hungary in the morning. At the EU's outer border soldiers were stationed every 100m to protect it. Unfortunately, I had to realize on my tour that my air pump, which I hadn't used for years, no longer fits tightly enough on the valve and at gas stations like 4 bar are rarely available. Therefore, I used the small traffic jam at the border post to borrow an air pump from Team Nankang-Dynatek, who were waiting behind me and had come home from a competition. I inflated my bike to be able to ride more easily again (front wheel: 9 bar, back wheel: 5 bar). After passing the border, they also offered me a drink from their service vehicle. But unfortunately, I declined because I still had enough.

Shortly after that, another welding seam of my front carrier broke and one bottle was damaged by it and got a leak. So, I had to cook lunch quickly to save as much water as possible. There, I also met a 60-year-old man who also goes on larger bicycle tours sometimes.

All in all, from Serbia onwards the streets were like rag rugs. However, the landscape was very beautiful and the people were also very nice and interested. In the evening while setting up my tent, I was bitten by lots of mosquitoes, whose aggressiveness increases from
Serbia onwards.

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.

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.

The trek to Namche Bazar featured numerous suspension bridges and a strenuous climb at the end. Upon reaching our destination, we took a well-deserved acclimatization day to adjust to the altitude and prepare for the journey ahead.