DomsRTW: Serbian Surprise

In the small Serbian city of Zrejanin the guesthouse owner took me to an excellent traditional restaurant. The food was rich, the portions huge and the wine tasty. Next day I was suffering when I bumped into a hippy who asked me back to his commune to look at the work of some international wood artists. Over a late lunch they invited me to stay, but I was feeling queasy and just wanted a quiet hotel room. I got a suitable place near the border.
Romania is a land of contrast, half the population drive flash German cars and the other drive horse and carts. As I rode through central Romania there were lorry loads of old german cars being transported south, somehow these are recycled into top of the range BMWs, Audis and Mercedes. It felt sinister. Southern Romania is Roma territory, where shepherds tend meagre flocks, some farmers harvest with a scythe, some seem to live in straw hovels.
No campsites or hotels around and so began a tough 24 hours. I waited until darkness fell and pitched the tent in a hollow by an unused track. I had just accidently cleaned my teeth with savlon when a 4x4 came racing past, less then 6 feet from where I sat motionless like a scared rabbit. I had a fitful four hours sleep and was up early determined to sleep in hotel the next night. That meant a long 180km ride. But I still had plenty of cash to get rid of before I left Romania so I went to a good restaurant. When I went to pay with a 100 dinar note they refused it, dinar is Serbian currency. As I carry fake debit cards in my wallet it was a faf to sort out. Next day as I left to catch the 9 o'clock ferry I noted the hotel clock read 9 o'clock. Romania is on eastern European time, one hour ahead. Then it rained.
Normally their is little difference in the natural geography when you cross a border. Not so from Romania to Bulgaria. As soon as you cross the Danube you move away from the flat farmland to a hillier, varied verdant landscape that reminded me of rural Dorset. On my first night in Bulgaria I bumped into a family from Yorkshire; it was my first proper conversation for 3 days. So a big thank you to them, I had been going slightly mad.