Donji Milanovac-Drobeta Turnu Severin and the Iron Gate - 1st June 2010

The weather is so cold ! I had to put 2 sweaters. I'm still riding in the Danube Gorges, between nice hills and the same scary tunnels. And after an oily lunch break (I've never seen such fat french fries and steak...), I reached the famous Iron Gate, which is actually a big water damp built in the 70's by 2 guys, one was Tito and the other one Ceaucescu. Aside from producing power, it allows cars, bikes, dogs...to cross the border between Serbia and Romania.

After I escaped from 2 crazy dogs at the serbian customs, I crossed the damp. Here I am, Romania ! The heavy traffic road til Drobeta-Turnu-Severin is awful. In this city, I desesperatly tried to change my Serbian Dinars...Nobody wants this current (and nobody told me about that at the border, of course) and the stupid women behing counters are all destestable. And, quite surprising compared to Serbia (and it will be confirmed in the next days), nobody speak english, french or german...So, at the end (and after a few tears because of...), I decided to go back to the guy who had told me to try to change my money in the street, and played the "poor little girl with Serbian Dinars". And it worked out : he called a friend, who called a friend, who called a friend...and I got my Romanian Lei.

NB :

1/ 3 ways to win a fight against a dog which decided to chase you : scream as loud as you can at him, brake suddenly and stop your bike, wisthle with your bike brakes...

2/ Romania is a counter-country : bakery, bank, exchange office, groceries...!