Nomad Earth

Day 57 Kranevo - Golden Sands (15 Km)

seal — Mon, 4 Aug 2008 04:13:00 GMT

Wind's died down. But I'm sick as a dog. Big swell is not helping me and I loose my breakfast at sea. After about two hours I just cannot continue and my trip comes to a sudden stop as I abandon my boat only ten Kilometres from Varna. I take the bus into the city for a little exploring and to talk to a girl at an internet cafe about auctioning my kayak off via TV or radio. She knows two journalists who turn out to be no help at all. She promises to keep looking.

Day 56 Black Sea Coast - Balchik - Kranevo (20 Km)

seal — Sun, 3 Aug 2008 03:56:00 GMT

Another night on a pebble beach. I paddle into the village harbour to be duly greeted by the Border Patrol, marched to the station and set free before breakfast. I paddle a couple of hours to the next public beach in front of typical tourist places. It's Sunday so there are a ton of people on the beach. By about half one it's just getting too hot and I steer back out into the surf. An hour later I'm hit by high winds and although I'm pretty far out I can just see the little red flags dancing in the wind which announce 'no swimming'. Literally washed up at Kranevo I get a room at a nice hotel and a parking space for my kayak. All for twenty Euro. Do I care? Nah, I'm at the Black Sea :)

Day 55 Arrival at Silistra and Black Sea !!! (44km & 120km) overland)

seal — Sat, 2 Aug 2008 03:46:00 GMT

Job's done. I made it! Arrived at Silistra three in the afternoon and had beer with some great peple. Same folks agreed to take me across to the coast.

Day 54 Lipnik - Dunavec (44 Km)

seal — Fri, 1 Aug 2008 03:32:00 GMT

Day 53 Prista - Russe - Lipnik (23 Km)

seal — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 02:50:00 GMT

Staying at the Yacht club for my walk round Russe. Very impressive (See pictures). Leaving Russe at five pm. Storm at eight. Trouble finding a spot to spend the night. Walking to the pub. Melon at the house. Holiday home.

Day 52 Svistov - Russe Prista (49 Km)

seal — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 02:41:00 GMT

Chalky cliffs. A free Budweiser from the owner of a petrol station. Food in a ceramic bowl. Camping wild.

Day 51 Corabia - Svistov (83 Km)

seal — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 02:33:00 GMT

Long day of paddling. Jailhouse rock. Against the flow. Sunset Camp.

Day 50 (Ostrojovo, Bulgaria) Km 631

seal — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:48:00 GMT

Dear All,

Just a quick note to let you all know that I'm absolutely fine.

I'm in Bulgaria now. To be precise I sleep in Romania and eat in Bulgaria. A Romanian policeman just paid one Lei at the PC Club here to get this message out. Long story!

Anyway, I'll have the more detailed updates for you when I can get to sit in front of a computer with a little more time. There just aren't any internet cafes on this route.

I'm only 250 km from the Black Sea now so this means another 4-5 days and I'll be there. Will have to be paddling a bit more though as I have to get to Varna for a flight home. Hope everyone and all is well.

See you soon,

Ralph

Day 49 Patrol Station - Ostrov (78 Km)

seal — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 02:27:00 GMT

Ideal paddling conditions. Hot and sunny, no wind. Steak, salad and a Fanta for a quid. Welcome to Bulgaria! Had an hours swim at a public beach in Lom.

Day 48 Calafat - Romanian Border Police (50Km)

seal — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 02:21:00 GMT

Day 47 Gruia - Calafat

seal — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 02:16:00 GMT

Day 46 Hinova - Gruia (66 Km)

seal — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:09:00 GMT

BnB Five Euro a night - Got a free Chorba!

Day 45 Hinova ( 0 Km )

seal — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:06:00 GMT

Day 44 Lake Orsava - Hinova (48Km)

seal — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:55:00 GMT

Dragged up the Kayak a steep wall by rope. Tried to cross border into Romania but was refused by Serb officials. Went on to Kladovo to leave country by water. All in heavy rain and rocky waters. Three hours of rowing at night. Slept? in the Kayak on a pebble beach. Wet, cold and awake for 24 hours.

day 43 Berzeska - Lower Kazan (The Iron Gate - 50 Km)

seal — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 01:51:00 GMT

Day 42 Bazjas - Berzaska (54.5 Km)

seal — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 01:49:00 GMT

Day 41 Smederevo - Bazjas (47.5 Km)

seal — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 01:47:00 GMT

Day 40 Belgrade - Smederevo (49.5Km)

seal — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:42:00 GMT

Day 39 Belgrade ( Second day of rest )

seal — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:26:00 GMT

Another bus ride into the city - I'm having to get provisions, chat with friends on the net, update the site to let you know what is going on etc.

I've been invited to do some training locally and look forward to doing something else but paddle the kayak. Thing is I have no gear at all. no spare t-shirt, gi bottoms or anything else. I'm sure we'll manage perfectly fine in Bermudas and loud Hawaiian shirt. After all tomorrow it will be back to this little routine I've found helpful in completing my task:

6:00 am Get up/breakfast/wash

7:00 am Packing / breaking camp

8:00 am Depart and paddle

10:30 am Break

11:00 am Second round of paddling

12:30 pm lunch

1:30 pm Paddling

3:30 pm On a good day I might already have arrive at my intended destination.

If I didn't get away on time in the morning (which happens more frequently then not), the weather is bad, or I'm doing more than fifty Ks I have a break and swim for half an hour and carry on after till I get to where I am supposed to be.

If you fancy any of the above please put your name down for next year when we'll have a look at the Nile. Only kidding, am I ;)?

Finally, I'd like to extent my best wishes to another great mate of mine who has been and is the best of friends and great inspiration for my training and who unfortunately will be undergoing surgery very soon:

Paul - Best wishes for a successful op and the speediest of recoveries!

Ganbatte kudasai!

Day 38 ( Belgrade - First of two rest days )

seal — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:07:00 GMT

Weather is back to normal, meaning hot. Belgrade will be the last vestige of civilisation before the final part of my trip. I'm well over half way there but still have another thirty days or so to go. My Samaritans have graciously agreed to meet me in the centre of town to show me around a little and we march to a restaurant where I am treated to the nicest lunch. The company is outstanding and I genuinely hope that we can repeat this experience in England or elsewhere at a later stage. There is, however, the small matter of a visa for international travel. A fact of which I have been largely unaware due to one of my Bujinkan brothers traveling the world quite freely. In fact we met about eight years ago at a Motty seminar in Fleetwood and today he comes to collect me from a very busy town centre to show me the impressive sights and meet some of his students and friends as well as the smaller members of his family who I haven't met yet.

He is off to the Shitenno which we have been attending together for quite a few years and I find myself tempted just to leave the kayak for a few days and travel to Paris and back. However, I feel I wouldn't be focused on my present task anymore and even just taking two days to relax after more than five weeks seems wrong. So when they leave me back in Zemun I paddle my kayak to a local bar and have a quiet Fanta. The evening is calm and the Danube mirrors the multi-coloured sunset like the quietest of lakes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgrade

http://www.beograd.org.yu/cms/view.php?id=220