Not normal is normal

Today marks the day when our trip turns 21 and is no longer a child. This morning we drove north and east right to the top right corner of Hungary

Romania and Ukraine to our east and Slovakia to the north wrapping around the village we are staying in. As with much of our journey so far we’ve tended to stay off the beaten track as much as possible. 

This afternoon walking along the river Bodroc we crossed the border on foot into Slovakia and our 21st country. Something like 15,000km on the clock. As the journey heads into the final third it feels as if it’s matured and now has its own identity.  Ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the flow stronger as was the case on Monday when we crossed the Danube. 

Before crossing we stopped in the early afternoon at a campsite right on the bank in a lovely town. Offering good shade and with only a couple of other tents and a Hungarian van it looked like the perfect place to avoid the worst of the 36C heat. 

A short while after pitching camp a person came up and asked “is that a Bedford van by any chance?” The words surprising as we haven’t encountered that many British travellers. It took us a few minutes to in fact work out that we were talking to someone British and we could talk more naturally. We are so fortunate that so many people now talk English and are truly amazed by the number of people we encounter that have learnt from watching TV. Much of the time though when we talk in English we end up using more simplified vocabulary.

Tom was the name of the person talking. Born in Fulham and just turned 50. Travelling down the Danube in a blow up Kayak, he was camping in the same site and staying for a few days while he took time out to write about his journey and other travels. Interesting, amusing and challenging he was good company and we ended up drinking a few beers together and cooking him supper.

Later while we were eating an Australian couple arrived on bikes. Somewhat shaken, by the rough tracks they had been on that day and in need of rehydration after 90KM under the hot sun. We got talking and found out more about their journey – they were cycling down Euro Velo 6 They had started on the Atlantic, but probably will not make the Black Sea.

Then while we were eating a couple who were walking along the river, beside the campsite came over and said that they loved our van. We got talking. Emily and Julian from Vienna. She’s a teacher, he designs camping and cooking equipment for motorcycle tours. On the surface things seeming normal, until they explained that they are travelling down the Danube in a pedalo called Laura. Going from Vienna to Belgrade. Roughly a three week trip while they are on their summer holiday. Not something either of them have done before – I’m not sure any one has done it. Completely crazy, but at the same time inspiring.

The Danube is vast and some of the ships sailing up and down are huge. The flow where we were 6KM an hour. In places there are huge dams with locks so big it’s a wonder they can make gates that are strong enough to hold back the staggering quantity of water they hold. The same locks that Emily, Julian and Larua have already been through. They told us some of the details of how they had to wait for another motorised boat to tow them through. Or that they were fined by the police in Budapest for sailing a boat without a motor through the cities waterways. Ending up being towed again. The authorities see Laura as a toy. That’s she’s come so far down one of the biggest rivers in Europe seems to indicate that she’s not a toy and a rather remarkable boat.

So before we crossed the Danube the next morning we agreed to film them, pedalling down the river with our drone . Amazing when you see how tiny their boat is in relation to the size of the river.

We wish them and Tom well in the separate but epic journeys and hope that they all stay safe.

Our journey has mostly been through remote places that are not frequented by many tourists. Occasionally our route crosses or collides with others and often we meet interesting and remarkable people as we were so lucky to have done on Monday evening.

Now that we’ve been on the road for four months, it’s the not normal that feels normal. We’re 80% feral. The question is – will we get to 100% in the last third of our journey. Let’s hope so.