5th and 6th of December, 2021.
Soon enough a man stops. He doesn’t speak English and at the beginning I feel a bit intimidate by him. He is going only to Ramnicu Valcea but because it is quite late already, I decide to move at least a little bit.
But when I explain to him I need to sleep in a monastery for the night, he suggest I try in a monastery in the way to R.V, Cozia Monastery. It is a very old and charming monastery, in a valley, surrounded by lovely hills. Even thought the outside is very impressive, nothing compares to the inside. It is extremely beautiful. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to take photographs inside.
I first talk with a priest. He appear to be very nice and kind. A group of young people do the translation for me. They are also very friendly. The young priest tells me everything it will be OK but he needs to talk with someone else. While I am outside waiting, together with the driver, an elderly priest arrives. For some reason, the driver decides to talk with him and explain what are my intentions. The priest immediately says it is not possible. I am shocked! But for some reason, I still believe in the kind smile and friendly features of the young priest, and I am sure he will manage to let me stay. And he does! Soon enough he asks me to follow him. I say many thanks to the driver and he leaves.
The friendly young priest brings me to one of the super nice rooms of the monastery. It is warm and cosy, plus there is a bathroom! All of sudden, he comes back with lots of food: bread, hummus, fruits, some fried fish cakes, black olives and mint sweets. I am so surprised and happy! I still have the food from Madalina and now even more!
Next morning when I leave I don’t see anybody. It is always like that in the monasteries. I have to leave as soon as the sun is up because of my hitchhiking, but I wish I could see the priests one more time to say one last “thank you”. I hope they don’t get mad at me.
A young man drives me in the direction of Curtea de Arges. A very simple man drives me outside of Curtea de Arges. An older man, very kind and simple, drives me to the last village before Transfăgărășan starts. A car pass by but comes back. He tells me to be going to Cabana Capri, what is also written in my sign. So I get in.
Half way to the Cabana Capri, a surprise: BEARS! And they are only a few metres from the car. There are three of them: two small ones, which look like babies, are playing around, walking over the stone walls; the biggest one, which I assume to be the mum, it is standing still, about two metres of the car, starring right at us. When I point my camera at her, she look at me, right into my eyes! Amazing! I wish we could stay there longer, just watching them. But the driver is quite used to them so he leaves right after, plus I believe the passenger is super scared of them because he does not move an barely look at them. They are so cute! Nothing scary at all. Not even big mummy! I am sad we have to leave but extremely happy that I saw wild bears! And even more happy that it was not while I was camping. Laugh.
The road to the Cabana Capri it is simply a wobbly road, nothing more. At some point, it gets full of snow. When we get there everything is covered in snow and I finally understand why the road is close from here on. Of course it is a shame because I cannot see the real reason why Transfăgărășan is famous because that part is still to come. But at least the view is nice.
The guys are coming back just now. The driver has a small business just here and he came only to check how it is looking. If it wasn’t for them, I have no idea what I would do up here, I mean, how I would come back down. The only people at the Cabana are probably workers and I don’t think they would come down any soon. So after taking some photographs we all go back.
On our way though, a few cars with tourists pass by us so I think I wouldn’t be that much in trouble after all.
Anyway, the guys drive me to one village before Curtea de Arges. It is raining and they don’t show any signs of trying to do something to help me.
I try to arrange the backpacks under the rain covers and I now have a umbrella! Yay! But the rain is so annoying! It is quite late already. Going up and down the Transfăgărășan it took more time than I thought. An elderly man from the house in front where I am standing come and try to understand what is going on. I think he says something that I could come to his house if I needed. A lady from the shop calls a friend who can speak English so she can tell me I should take the bus. Thank you! When I explain everything to her, she just say “Ahhhh” and leaves.
My sign it says Bucharest but it is obvious for me now that nobody is going there from here. But why nobody is offering to bring me to Curtea de Arges? Finally somebody does. Two laddies and a guy offer to drive me there. When I tell them about my travels they all get extremely surprise. I ask them to drive me to a monastery. They do. It is right in the middle of the town so is very popular and right now it is full of people.
The priest with whom I talk to ask me to come with so we can look for someone he can talk about it. It is the first time that the first priest with whom I talk to can speak English. We walk all around the place but he cannot find anyone. At least I get to see the old monastery itself, which is absolutely gorgeous! I regret I didn’t take a photograph by that time because next morning I wouldn’t be there for it. We go back to the new monastery, where I found him, and he tells me to wait. After talking with some other priests, he tells me I should wait until the end of the service (which I know it will take about 2 hours!) so then they can help me. I think that’s quite rude but anyway…
A elderly lady approaches me with one of the priests and she say I can stay with her for the night. Maria can speak a little English and I know already that she is… different. When we are leaving to her house, the nice priest with whom I first spoke, run after us so he could say goodbye. How cute! I am glad so I can say one last thank you to him.
In Maria’s apartment I figure that I was right about her. She is a quite eccentric lady. Nothing wrong about that but I am always surprised on how I can get people’s right just by looking at them. She is very kind and offer me some dinner and we eat together. We also drink tea and have some sweet Romanian bread.
Because is quite late, we arrange the couch where I will sleep. But before going to bed, Maria asks if it is OK for me to talk with her nephew who lives in London, in the UK. I say it is fine. His name is Stefan, he is nice, and we talk for some time before I go to bed.
In the morning, we have breakfast before I leave and again, Maria is very kind and sweet. She even invites me to stay another night, so she could show me around. But I tell her I need to leave because there are some people waiting for me in Bulgaria. She wants to give me some food but I tell her I cannot accept because I already have some.
It is raining again! Maria say I should wait until it stops but I want to arrive in Bucharest as soon as possible so I say I have to go anyway. I don’t even know where I am going to hitchhike from but at least I know the direction. Let’s go!
