Comms are down, but pushing on
Distance: 16,900 kms/10,550 miles
Weather: 55-29 Degrees F; A random day of 70+; Mostly cloudy with lots of snow and rain
Traffic infractions: None to add
Losses: Neck gaiter...boo. Had it for 15 years.
Countries visited: 24 - US, Canada, Portugal, Morocco, Spain, France, Andorra, Monaco, Italy, San Marino, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine
Day 66 - Câmpulung to Bucharest - 2.25 hours, 100 miles. Wanted to spend a bit of time in the capital and see the "Spotlight Festival." Was definitely worth the trip. Furthermore, my iPhone randomly died, so I needed to acquire a new one from the McKinsey office. No luck. Most of us have faced that moment of dread when our phone dies. Maybe some see it as a blessing. Those who have discipline to travel without an int'l SIM card swallow it in chunks. This was a bit more abrupt for me. I rely on my phone constantly for... navigation, booking lodging, converting currency (Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania all in one day), and photography. I feel like a newbie tourist when taking pictures with an iPad. Oh, yeah, and it would be good to be able to call someone if stuck in rural Eastern Europe.
Day 67 - Bucharest to Bran - 2.75 hours, 110 miles. Spent the morning trying to get Apple to fix the iPhone. No dice. Time to go old school without comms for a few days. The ride back up into the Carpathian mountains was great, aside from the rain. Serious terrain changes in these parts, from rural farmland to dense, dark pine forests.
Day 68 - Bran to Bârlad - 3.75 hours, 175 miles. I toured Bran Castle in the morning, only to find out that Count Dracula wasn't real...and neither are vampires. Ugh. I want my entrance fee back. Probably the most miserable day of riding thus far. Temps dropped to below freezing just as I was crossing a pass, and freezing rain turned to snow, which accumulated on the road. Numb fingers and toes while slugging along at 15-MPH. Good times. The hotel I booked that morning turned out to not be in existence, and all of the local restaurants were closed. A can of tuna and dried apricots for dinner. Yessss!!! Furthermore...I don't know how this happens EVERY TIME, but when I buy a dairy product that I think is milk...it's not. It's something sour, or curdled, or gooey. But I also fail to learn and I dive headlong into chugging the product EVERY TIME.
Hit the 10,000-mile mark for the trip.
Day 69 - Bârlad to Uman, Ukraine via Moldova - 6 hours, 275 miles. Moldova was the first in over 20 countries to ask for the original title to Green. Kudos on thoroughness. However, I was quite confused when I entered customs about 20-km short of the border with Ukraine. Then...that was followed by four more check points at the border depicted on the map. Later came to find out that the unrecognized republic of Transnistria owns the land between the two states, charging a sweet little fee to those who pass. Felt kinda like a little troll popped out from under the bridge and took my lunch money. Never even knew trolls existed, and losing lunch money is just annoying. I kept treating these customs agents like they were rough-and-tough Ukranian government agents. Had I known they only belonged to Transnistria, I probably would have...treated them the same.
Sorry to say it...but terribly boring terrain. Lotta flat farmland, all barren or covered by snow this time of year. And roads went to complete crap after crossing into the Ukraine. A Ukranian tour guide later described at as a "road where bombs just went off everywhere." Pretty close. Small bombs. The only entertainment was navigating on unmarked roads without a GPS working in conjunction with incorrect maps. Old school distance and direction, baby.
Day 70 - Uman to Kiev - 2.75 hours, 130 miles. The only fun part about driving in the Ukraine is dodging massive potholes while playing chicken with oncoming cars at 95-mph. I take potholes more seriously after bending a rim on one in Mexico, but swerving all over the road is perfectly acceptable here...and so much fun! Checking into my AirBnB in Kiev, the host warned, "Have you traveled many places before? You should be careful in the city. That motorcycle might get stolen." Sweet. Thanks, lady. Finally, I acquired a phone from the McKinsey Kiev office. A Blackberry. Why does the first smartphone make me feel stupid? Can someone show me how to use this thing...or give me the patience during the 20-minute boot-up period?
