Cruising through the countries: We’re already in Bulgaria!

It’s hard to believe but we flew through Romania and are now into our second to last country, Bulgaria. Romania flew by so fast it seems like a blur, but it was far from forgettable. Romania may have been the most beautiful country we have visited so far. Our rides alongside the Danube were stunning and everyone moved a little slower as we all kept stopping to take pictures. I didn’t get quite as many as I wanted as I had an issue with some exploding cheese and my camera but I think everything is operational again.

Romania was also probably the most culture shock we have experienced on the trip thus far. The instant we crossed from Serbia to Romania it felt like we had stepped back in time. Romania was much poorer than most of us had expected and everything just seemed more run down. We also had many encounters with horse drawn buggies and cows on the road. One morning we even woke up to a herd of wandering horses standing outside of our tents!

It’s also been interesting to notice the group slide into a much more relaxed state about our travel. The first time we didn’t have accommodation in a town we all rushed ahead and had very specific meeting spots. The last time we didn’t have accommodation – we didn’t have it for four days in a row – we forget to even set a meeting place and didn’t leave our previous town until well into the afternoon. We have also become much more relaxed about things like showers. I think several group members – myself included – haven’t had a proper shower in over a week. I think it is fairly safe to say that whoever picks us all up from our respective airports may need to drive home with the windows open.

There have been many surreal experiences on this trip, but our entrance into Bulgaria may take the cake. After waiting an extra two hours for a 1pm ferry that didn’t leave until after 3pm we were greeted on the other side of the river by a police escort that took us right to our camping area which just happened to be a fortress from the 5 BCE. We then had 24 hour security by the local police who proceeded to tape off our camping area with caution tape. Once again I have nothing but wonderful things to say about all of our hosts who continue to blow away any expectations that we have about hospitality.

We now thankfully have a day off, and for once it isn’t in a capital city. As much fun as it is to get to explore a bustling city it never really feels like downtime. There are so many sights to see that we actually wind up sleeping less. Today we all can actually just take it easy and read.

Time marches on as the wheels keep spinning

Preconceptions are an interesting thing. While I know that most people in our group were very eager to visit Serbia many were also very wary of the "horror stories" that seem to be around. Even neighboring countries and past residents had given us tips and warnings about it, but almost none of them have been true. It seems like the further east we go the nicer, friendlier, and more welcoming people become; and Serbia thus far has been the nicest.

In North America if someone honks at you on the road it is probably to tell you to get off it, here almost all of the honks were followed by friendly smiles and waves. If we stopped at the side of the road for a break multiple cars would stop to make sure we were alright or to confirm our directions. On one occasion we stopped to change a tire and the owner of the house came out and offered us water and food, all without speaking a word of English. Really pretty much every country we've been through has made North Americans seem like uncaring arrogant asses. Many of us of course are not, and I'm sure smaller towns maybe can also claim to be just as welcoming but there is just a different feeling here when you interact with people and it can't just be because of the language barrier.

Croatia and Serbia certainly have a recent past and signs of it are everywhere. Gunshot holes in buildings, some craters in the ground, and even a pair buildings in downtown Belgrade that have been bombed by NATO. It certainly gives the expression "your tax dollars at work" a whole new meaning. It is a very humbling moment to visually see in person the kind of destruction you are linked to by the nature of your citizenship.

Another extreme reminder of where we are came in Croatia. In our bike map book one day it said, "Do not stray too far from the trail as there are undetonated landmines around". This is not to worry people back home, in fact there was a minor discussion as to whether to mention it or not, but I think it is an extremely important reminder to people about what went on. I also think it is important not to shy away from traveling to places with a past such as this. It helps everyone understand the world better and is nowhere near an indicator of what the people are actually like. Which, again, was extremely caring, open, and warm.

It seems hard to believe that it is already August and that even that is beginning to slip away from us. In many ways it feels that we are just hitting our riding stride and our group is really starting to figure out what it is. Last night for instance, we had a discussion about what it means to be an "Agent for Change" which quickly spun off into a 3 hour conversation. This group is so diverse in many ways and yet we are all united by the feeling that there is something wrong with the world that we are all determined to figure out and fix. That is a conversation that I never want to stop.

Serbia is now finished, up next is Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey. I'm sure it will all be too much too fast but in the mean time we will continue to ride, explore, and have our hearts touched and lives changed by everyone we meet.