Treibgut

We are arriving! At some point we start wondering if the widening up water on the horizon is already the sea and soon are convinced it is. It’s time for a cocktail on the roof and let the Keks taste the salt water! So we pass Sfantu Gheorghe and go for the beach to jump in the waves…

We made it. This raft has made all the way to the sea!

Shopping bread is easy, petrol however is more difficult as the gas pump of the local petrol station is broken (might be fixed in a couple of hours or days…)

Anyway we left happily floating on the main channel and its loops towards the big black ‘C’.

And it was in one of those loops that the engine suddenly stopped and we had a Jesus like experience as the water (in the middle of the stream!) was very shallow and we almost could walk on the water (at least it looked like). Everybody had a walk in the Danube before we pushed the Keks free again. Rene and Steffi walking aside as we continue downstream…

Lateron we find a little island with a beach, land there to find out if it is a beach-beach or like last night a muddy watery sink-in-trap. We decide to keep going (more sink in than beach) while Radu – on the other end of the island fishing – will be collected later… In lack of good landing spots and Steffi wanting to anchor with water all around anyway we opt against a deserted ruin and a ‘dry’ spot. Funnily enough we find an almost perfect place just before sunset. Steffi still wants to anchor, throws it and this is the end of a lovely, long and truthful relationship between the anchor, Steffi and the Keks because the rope broke and now the anchor will rest in pieace in 4m dept.

After are relaxing night we finally find two lakes and enjoy a panaramic breakfast in the middle of the lake on top of the roof. In this really beautiful scenery we are able to spot our first pelican flying across the lake as well as we encounter the most clear waters ever seen on the Danube. Duckdiving in those fresh an clear waters on the Lake Isaca was really amazing.

Leaving the lakes towards Sfantu Gheorghe we get back to the main Danube channel and its shortcuts. In the village of Murghiol, apparently the last village on our route accesible by road, we fill up water tanks and leave the boat-parking-loop to land acouple of hundred meters upstream (20 min) on a beach that looked nice but turned out to be a sink in adventutre. Standing in the watery sands (feet sinking in deeper the longer you stay) Ilie and Radu fry a lot of crap (ro.) eh carp (en.) and we enjoy a really nice meal inside our lil’ hut.

Awaken by some fishermen that helped us getting out of the trees and mud. An expereience we shall be lucky enough meke more often.

So then we turn left into the Sf. Gheorghe arm, the wildest of the three main arms in the Delta, keen on going zig-zag across the channels. We missed the first turn as it was missing resp. only existing on the map and take the Litcov channel instead. Even highly concentrated navigating did not save us from hugging trees and knocking sleepy pirates on the roof into the land of dreams again by softly stroking them with willow branches…Better wear your helmets.

Trying to find our way to a lake for the night we meet local swamp people with and without teeth asking them for directions. But the delta is big, the channels are longer than expected and our map is more of a general overview than really useful for orientation. It starts getting dark and so we take the next ‘almost landlike’ spot to stay for the night. It turns out to be another mosquito paradise and an area where fishermen like to drive highspeed without lights through dark and narrow channels.

Admin fee for the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve paid, internet updated, food for humans and Mercury on board. Wavy ‘n’ windy river patrol station. Captain Gheorghe waving good-bye. We feel like having his adventure spirits revived. Parking at a very busy intersection. Radu catches some decent size fish for dinner. Treasure hunting we find a beach chair, very useful supporting the BBQ roast. Cold and windy night. Cops and fisherman doing mad night driving and shinking us in the Keks.

The call of the Delta

When we woke up in the morning the weather turned out to be slightly better than the last two days. Having rescued Radus catfish we leave torwards Tulcea with one fishing road left in the gangs of the goblin, moby dick or somebody else. Playing chess and cardgames we enjoying the last seamiles to Tulcea the portal of the Delta.

After landing at the old austrian paddlesteamer “Republican” from WW I we opt for the traditional Restaurant. Rene and Steffi going for a night strall around town finding some nice security guy and a punky fruit and veg sales girl.

The Flossbusters park right next to us once again. The next morning Cpt. Georg, the former chef mechanic of the Republic gives us an impressive tour arround the old ship and helps us with all other business. At 2 am he puts on the last load of washing for us and jumps on the *keks* to enjoy a can of beer. He s been on this boat the last 40 years and became sort of part of it. Ilies enjoys the engine room part while Steffi s posing in the historic cpt. uniform.

We visited the Delta museum/aquarium and preped all up to leave for the delta.

Fashion Disco @ Moldavia

The heavy winds of the last evening became a little storm and when raindrops entered the scene at about 6 oclock in the morning even the strongest left teir sleeping positions on the roof top. Despite the droped temp and the blowing winds we decided to start the engine. Of course we had to get the raft out of the mud first. Finallz we took up some speed and startet a spontaneous party to keep us warm by crazy dancing. We put a lot of funny looking cloths and other pieces of cotton on to be dressed fancy and therefore leave a wiered impression to the moldavian fishermen. our almost brand new europe flag was dancing in the wind, leading our way with its energetic sound. After entering the waters of our little neighbour and waving to puzzled fishermen we took a a quick piss and left for the Ukrainian/Romanian-zone counting seamiles…

Although our lunch was rich of carbonhydrates (mammaligastuff for desert!) we all felt the cold was slowly stealing powers. So it got a very special operatian getting out of a fisingnet (great river-crabs in there, too! srz no pic possible). In the dark we landded next to a high river bank that had to be accessed via balancing our plank from the roof. But we have been rewarded with a big fire. Probably the most interesting and beautiful we have seen so far after dropping in a big piece of wood which was most likelz struk by a lightning (no pics either.. cant catch that mood without having five of them )… so this evening ended with some philosophical thoughts and a short storry by rafik schami.

ps: the “three strikes”-tactics works really well against mosquitos… means using three different kinds of chemical warfare! use it in the swamps and not in the internet (this one goes especially out for our frensh friends).

Mat left today on this hot n dusty day back home. Staying in Galati for the afternoon after a theatrelike landing we find ourselfs in the center of attention, in this industrie concrete city. “Walls of steel and concrete create apathee and hate” is written on one of those grey cubes. Though it seems people fall in love here very easylie. There are about 25 weddings on this saturday and little partys at every corner. Besides that the university town of Galati is pretty deserted. We refuled the at the Benzinska Pumpa and the raft spirit with some positive energy from a local yogamagician that joins us during our special watermelon ceremony.

Flyingkeks

We take off back to the other side of the danube, landing at a little beach. Strong winds rolling in and shake us all night. Temperature drops about 25 C and for the first time its actually *bad weather*. Since Galati we are officially on the ocean. Well at least the signs changed from km to sea miles. We notice as the ships are getting a lot bigger and the strong wind from last night developed into a little strom.