Taking the long path (Busteni to Sinaia)...

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Hi guys, long time no see!

Well what about last weekend? Did I ever said NO to a mountain trip invitation?
So let’s summarize: last Friday I resigned my current job!
After a quick gathering with some friends we all agreed I need to get out of the city and relax my mind after such stressful decision. Its end of May and the mountain area is best get away!
Saturday at 7 o’clock in the morning we all were in front of train line No 9 waiting the ride to Busteni. I havent slept all night but I hardly waited to get there.
After a 3 hours journey here we are!
The air is so fresh, people r soooo calm and the sun is shining! The weather forecast man said that it will be cloudy - my lucky day! After we found accommodation in a great vila (and cheap I must say - 45 RON for the night) we went to the funicular railway to get a ride the easy way. I didn’t expect to wait in a looong 1 hour line till I manage to ride one of that. In the end it was all worth it, the view was great, the ride exciting, took me back in my childhood on the summer camps era.
23,5 RON and 20 minutes later we are up on the Bucegi mountains at Babele (or the Old Ladies rocks - around 2000 m altitude). Words cant express how magical everything is up there, of course u feel the pressure on ur ears, the cold air and also the soft snow - forgot to mention I wasn’t event close to a proper mountaing trip equipment.
We take a few pics, we enjoy the May snow and we decide we will gonna walk till the next funicular railway that would take us to Sinaia (about 2-3 hours walk according to the guys).
As u probably know most plan don’t go as u hope so, and after 1 hour walk big storm clouds were coming our way. And it starts with scary thunders and lightnings and as much as we try to hurry to the next refuge, the soft snow doesn’t make it easy, especially for me. Step by step, I was up to my hips all in snow, wet and tired. When we were very close to Piatra Arsa we see bear footmarks and I am thinking “ I ll probably die out here!”. “We” decide to get to Sinaia walking but that means we have to hurry even more because by this time it was getting very late and darker.

I am sure I ll remember this journey for next 50 years if I ll still be around, being socking wet, hungry, tired and keeping my eyes and ears wide open for the bears. At one moment one of the guys heard it and I just remember I run down the road as a crazy person forgetting everything about the pain also.

We made it safe and sound in Sinaia, took the minibus and in 30 minutes I was in the bathroom taking the longest shower in my life. We ordered pizza and drank our brains out.
Next day, the weather was even better than Saturday and we planned to visit Caraiman monastery and then go to the Urlatoarea waterfall.
Well as soon as we arrived at the monastery, the storm started and on our way down we got stucked in the wood. Again got all socking wet, found a cafeteria near by and waited and waited for the rain to stop. But it didn’t and being drove by our hunger we went to a great restaurant in Busteni, where for the first time I saw bean soup served in a bread bowl. I was already eating but I ve promised next time I stop by I will order that dish.
Our train was arriving at 6 o’clock so we still had plenty of time to walk around Busteni. Its election year and just like in Bucharest people r very commited to win. Little souvenirs like plasti bags, lighters and pencils, I could have made a small collection . Still didn’t decide if its worth it going to vote.
Anyways when the train to Bucharest arrived we felt lucky we booked our tickets round trip. It was absolutely full, u couldn’t even get to ur compartiment and of course even if most people had a ticket they didn’t have a seat.

I slept all my way to Bucharest, woke up in this crazy, poluted city which I call home and of course I brought along with me lots of energy for the next mountain trip.
We plan to go to Caraiman Cross and Omu’s peak, this time with proper equipment and lots of training in advance!

So see u there guys!

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