Day 56 - Europe 2011

Day 56 - Tuesday, July 19, 2011 - Oltenita to Calarasi, Romania - Trip 73.76 kms Time 4:14:54

I was up quite early at 6:00. The manager and a few other "guests" were also up. I had a yogurt with cereal, a croissant (in a package), a Nestea with Limon that I had bought yesterday and a hard boiled egg that I had saved from an earlier b'fast. I packed my bags and went to the "office" to pay. Everyone else had left except for a housekeeper who was doing some ironing in the office. She took my 50 LEI and gave me a receipt. I carried my panniers down the very steep stairs and got my bike out from under the stairs with help from Madame. I had to pump up my rear tire again. I also pumped up the front one. I bought a 1.5L bottle of water and set off for Calarasi at 7:30. It was a paved road in good condition all the way. Just a couple of minor climbs and very busy. I kept hearing a rubbing sound coming from the rear. I stopped and couldn't find anything that would be causing a rubbing sound. I noticed my rear rim crack was looking much worse and the spoke had come a bit looser. I wrapped some black electrical tape around my tire and rim and spoke. That stopped the rubbing noise but now I had a thump-thump because of the tape. It started getting quite hot and so I had to slow down. I made a couple of stops for cold drinks one at a gas station where they had fresh sandwiches, a 1st for Romania. I arrived in Calarasi at 1:00. I checked in at the Hotel Calarasi at 150 LEI including b'fast, A/C (not working very well) and Wi-Fi in the lobby. I was able to secure my bike in the hotel conference room. Later the receptionist informed me she had to move it as the room was needed so my bike ended up in the lobby in a remote corner. Took my bags up to my room in another one of those scary elevators and after a quick shower lay down for a nap. I was able to connect to the Internet, check my e-mail, etc. I updated Day 55 of my blog after doing some laundry. I complained to the receptionist about the A/C. She went up to check it as there was no one else. Meanwhile I went out for to a pizza? place for dinner at 8:00. There was no one else eating! just drinks! I ordered a snitzel. That's all I got and a draught beer and some bread for 11 LEI. I walked back to the hotel and went to the hotel cafe for cake and ice cream (8 LEI). They had a really fantastic looking selection of pastries. I updated my journal. Then it was off to bed at 9:30. I couldn't sleep because of the noise from the A/C. I got up and turned it off and opened the window. The racket was much worse now and was coming from the A/C condensation dripping on the tin roof below. Before going up to my room the receptionist said she couldn't fix the A/C and offered to move me to a different room or I could have a fan. I took the floor fan. With the window open and the fan going full tilt I was able to get through the night.

This blog was posted at Champs Bar in Constanta, Romania, on Wednesday, July 20, 2011