9 August 2011
I pulled over in Bicaz to consult the Lonely Planet guidebook on nearby accommodation. Slim pickings and not much going on anyway in this small town unless you are a naturist. I set the GPS for my next destination hoping to find somewhere on the way. Sometimes you can just fluke a good place – like I had the night before.
It wasn’t long before the GPS was telling me to turn right down some obscure side road off the main highway. I must be going the wrong direction. I was.
This happens on occasions.
Just as I realised this I saw Pensiunea Fortuna – restaurant and guest house. A quick u-turn and I’m shortly pulling into the main gate. Looks OK from the outside. Not much else around and I can get a feed there also. It is all looking promising.
The evening goes well although a cold shower did not get things off to a good start. Refreshed I head downstairs to the restaurant. I’m connected, videos saved, photos saved, daily blog done and emails checked and replied to. The meal is acceptable and the wine better than I had expected.
Outside the rain is steady.
All of a sudden the lights go off. Must be some kind of power failure. Someone goes around to a few tables lighting candles. Power is back on. The off again. It’s like I’m in Africa.
The power comes back on and seems to have stabilised now. Internet connection is lost so I’ll retire for the evening as see what is on TV.
My room has a double and a bunk bed. The lock is designed to frustrate – I never got it on the first go. Stranger still is the frosted/coloured glass panels in the room door.
I watch Discovery channel for a while then turn the lights off ready for sleep.
The light from the hallway is beating in through the frosted/coloured glass in the door right into my eyes.
Rain is still falling.
The hallway light goes off – thank goodness for this. Maybe now I can get to sleep. But no – just another power failure. Before long the power returns and my night-light keeps me company all night.
I wake up at around 9 am. Rain is still falling – surely it will clear soon.
Let’s have some breakfast and check out the weather forecast. The water is hot this morning for my shower at least.
My laptop accompanies me to the breakfast table and I order a coffee and omelette. No internet connection still.
The rain continues to fall.
This provides a good opportunity to review my travel plans through Romania. Maybe I should go to Brasov. It wasn’t on my original itinerary but looks good in the Lonely Planet guidebook. Will only add another day before making it to Bucharest.
Hotels are researched (using the Lonely Planet guidebook), new routes programmed and uploaded into the GPS.
Time to pack.
It is still raining.
I carry my kit downstairs and hand back my dodgy room key. Can’t say I’ll be sorry to leave Pensiunea Fortuna – I won’t be recommending it. There could have been a cyclone passing through and I’d have still left.
I load the bike.
It is still raining – but fingers crossed it is clearing in the direction I am headed.
My wet weather kit is on for the second day running. I leave around 11am.
As I say farewell to the Pensiunea Fortuna the rain seems to get heavier.
Update: The rain over the last couple of days was starting to get to me. Luckily Kalahari George wasn’t around to constantly complain about it. At least I could please myself as to when and where I stopped and stayed. But I wasn’t completely free of his influence. Little did I know he was working hard behind the scenes to disrupt my Turkey motorcycle tour.
