He really was an idiot. The bus steward who was supposed to help us with getting our bicycles on the night bus from Istanbul to Sofia (Bulgaria) was acting more like a franctic monkey...he wanted his cargo loaded on the bus at lightning speed even with two hours to spare. We hurridely put some bubble wrap around our new bicycles, had to take out the front wheels and brakes and crossed our fingers they would survive the journey. As we travelled from Istanbul into Bulgaria the bus was full of smuggled cheap cigarettes and booze. The custom officials, after receiving a bribe, just smiled and waved us goodbye. Things got easier when we got to Sofia at the unsociable hour of 4am. We found a train at 7:30 AM to Vidin in NW Bulgaria which required no bicycle dismantling. After a journey of 5 hrs then it was time to test out the bicycles! The route was a brilliant start to our cycle trip with lots of rolling green hills, villages lost in time and virtually no traffic.
Here is a summary of our cycle stats from Vidin, Bulgaria to Negotin in Serbia:
Total km travelled: 56.7 km in 3 hrs, 35 min (cycle time).
Avg speed 15.8 km/h.
Max speed 46.8 km/h.
Nice temperatures: 17-21 degrees.
Number of dog attacks: 0 ! Wildlife spotting: 1 fox !
We are no Armstrong or Indurain but we are having a great time! Stay tuned.
Photo 1 and 2: leaving the comfort of our hostel in Istanbul.
Photo 3: waiting time in Sofia for our train.
Photo 5: bicycles on train.
Other photos: the great cycle ride to Negotin via the Serbian border.
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