Put away that... tire lever

I arrived early this afternoon in Bucharest, the capitol city of Romania. As this is the land with no traffic laws, I rode into the city on one the main highways. I did think about taking secondary streets into the center, but in my experience, that wouldn't have been any safer, and would have been much slower.

Bucharest conveniently put a circle in the center of there city, so that foreigners like me know when they have reached it. From the center I wandered about until I found this internet cafe, a rather nice one in an old library. I have found several hostels that are options for this evening; it will be my first hostel since I stayed in one with Karl in Budapest!

Om Monday I rode from Abasfalva to Brasov, a city with a beautiful old downtown. The ride itself was uneventful. In fact, most of the day I followed roads I had been on previously with the high school group. It was odd to be in the same places again, but without the group.

Here are some pictures of Brasov. Despite the beautiful downtown, the central fountain was awful. I have yet to see a good fountain in Romania.

Fountain in the square. I don't know what to say; like good art it speaks for itself. But it is not good art.

City Center. I don't know what the building is.
City Center.

Yesterday I rode over the Carpathians. Despite taking a wrong turn, and ending up on the main road over the mountains instead of a back way, it was a beautiful ride. I passed a couple of ski areas and maybe a hundred hotels.


Today I rode into Bucharest - one problem: one flat tire. Bigger problem: got flat tire outside of "restricted area." When I pulled off the main road onto an unmarked side road, with no traffic, I was greeted by two guard dogs who emerged from behind a gate. Then came a man in black, with a sidearm, and a more professional demeanor than a rent-a-cop. I have no idea who he was, but he told me that I was in a restricted area, that a very important person would be arriving, and I needed to leave. I took my lame bike, grabbed my tire lever and pump, and left.