private property   – Orsova 954

We get woken up by musica folkore. Turish-balkan-gipsy beats and singing puts an end to our sleeping in.

As we are short of essential supplies such as bread and there is no shop around, we decide to go to the Decebal restaurant next to our landing for coffee and french fries. This is un unusual combination also in Romania and maybe thats why we had to wait quite some time for our take away chips and instant coffee.

We untie our raft from the private property and start off. The weather is changing, a bit cold and gray, so soon everybody backs out reading a book, steering with headphones, staring into the sky or enjoying the impressive landscape of the Iron Gate.

Suddenly there´s screaming and waving on the left river side. We draw closer and make out four guys standing on some landing. Steffi recognizes her Romanian friend Ilie Popescu, we pull over and after a heartily greeting of Ilie, his father, his cousin and a friend of them we leave this place – now with Ilie on board – towards the Base Nautica of Orsova where we will leave the raft and go to Ilie´s place in Toplet, a little village about 10km up the river Cerna.

But having arrived at the marina we happen to meet the Romanian border police who want to trouble us. It turns out to be a waiting game which we win in the end thanks to our native friends.

Once we´re done with paperwork we drive off to Ilie´s house where homemade Rakija (local spirit) and a delicious hot meal from Mama Popescu are waiting for us.