(Tramping == Hiking)
We met a couch surfer named Raluca in the square today. Despite having never met us she had agreed to lend us her cooker and help us with maps. We bought food for our trip and left the hostel. A drunk guy at the bus stop tried to have a lengthy conversation with me in Romanian. He asked if I was married to Sylvia in his best sign language and I pointed at Mark. He told me that she is beautiful. Something he said brought tears to his eyes but I couldn’t understand a word. He wished us a ‘good weekend’ when our bus arrived.
Above left: Mark is very proud of what he calls his doughy tube. These delicious little numbers are ‘spit roasted’ in the streets of Brasov probably for tourist types such as us. They are a bit like a roll of damper and are coated in sugar or cocoa. Raluca tells us that they’re actually Hungarian rather than Romanian. Very delicious regardless.
Above right: Sylvia, Mark, and Raluca walking through the streets of Brasov.
Below left: Brasov is probably the best city in the world as is often proclaimed. Below right: Brasov gives Hollywood a run for its money. I know where I’d rather be.
We took a bus crowded bus to Zarnesti near the mountains and then took a taxi for over an hour into the start of the track. The taxi driver was very friendly. He wanted to make sure that we had the right gear for the mountains, “I’m not your mum or your dad but it can be very cold in the mountains”. He likes camping in the mountains and hates the rubbish that is left by other people in the park. He likes club music but doesn’t like clubs.
It was already about 5pm when we started walking so we walked until we found the first likely camp spot about an hour later.
Above: Us by the fire at our first camp site. We didn’t realise until after the tramp that you are not supposed to light fires.
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