China to the UK by bike: Bulgaria and Serbia

Finding the Danube

Bulgaria and Serbia. Far more beautiful than I ever imagined.

My first experience of Bulgaria was the same as many of the new countries along the route - overstretching myself to reach the border before dark, I staggered across late in the day, tired and shivering from intermittent rain, hoping I could make it to the first town and find a hotel without phone signal or local money. I was lucky, the hotel I found was one of the most comfortable of the trip, and I devoured what food I had left before having one of my best night’s sleep of the trip.

The next day when I woke up I found the town I was in, Elhovo, to be really pretty. A British couple I met in the phone shop extolled the virtues of the country, explaining how they had moved here for the affordable prices and quality of life. I was starting to enjoy it as I cycled north towards the Balkan Mountains, the mountain range dividing the country. They even kept guard dogs behind locked gates here! The mountains themselves reinforced this view. I stayed the next night in a beautiful holiday retreat, waking to a view of mist shimmering between the trees.

Not everywhere was as pretty. In Northern Bulgaria, signs of poverty were rife.

On descending the next day down to the northern side of the mountains however, it was clear that Bulgaria was a country of contrast. As I neared the Danube, the river I planned to follow all the way to Germany, there was no more affluence to be found. These were some of the poorest areas I have ever experienced. Farmers still drove horses and carts along potholed, poorly surfaced roads, and for the first time since leaving China I felt the need to lock my bike when going into shops. I am not normally one to feel uncomfortable at the sight of poverty - many of my best experiences travelling have been in the most remote areas, and I am used to living with hardship when necessary. But I also started to get really sick for the first time. One day I struggled through 60km, feeling worse than my average 160km days, and collapsed in bed wishing I was through and into Serbia. Luckily the extra rest did me good, and in another day of solid riding I was approaching the Serbian border.

Reaching the Danube made me feel closer to home.

Overstretching

The Danube in Serbia was beautiful. As soon as I crossed into the country, I remembered why I loved cycle touring again. The town square in Negotin, the site of my customary first stop to source a SIM card, was vibrant and colourful, with people sat outside at an array of restaurants, enjoying the sun and the company of others. I then did a day of some of the most beautiful riding of the trip, experiencing clear blue skies, shimmering, mirror-like water and one of the most impressive rainbows I have ever seen. By the time I reached the village Vinci, on a wide, sweeping bend of the Danube, I was fully inspired. I hatched a plan - the next morning I would leave at 5am to see the sunrise over the Danube, then ride two hours to catch the first ferry from Ram to Banatska, crossing a tributary. It was a clear morning meaning a beautiful sunset, a delightful ferry crossing, and then after a stop for an early lunch and the best borek I have ever tasted in Vrac (Sara Plus), I continued for a monster 210km day. I treated myself to a wonderful Italian meal in another picturesque town square in Kikinda, and happily settled in for the night. As elated as I was though, I was going to pay for my efforts over the coming days.