Mircea Pirlog
Del 8 al 23 Agosto
Our friend Mircea, from Romania, tell us his look of our adventure in Transylvania.
Raid Transylvania 2009 is the holiday project of Mr. Eduardo Celdran Oteo for the spanish off-road club «Club Iberutas 4×4»
A big and active club, with members spread over all Spanish teritories, from the old Madrid to the exotic Canarias-Canary Islands…
Contacted by our old spanish friends Federico & Alberto, our club Motoraventura was organizing the full event…
So, on August 12th, Cristi and I were present at the Hungarian border in Bors to welcome the guests…
Day 1
After a night in the Continental Hotel in Oradea – a nice old city which we couldnt visit it – in a «lucky» morning of 13th, we started our convoy of 14 cars (included our 25 years old Isuzu Trooper) and 35 paritcipants, all greedy for off-road and curious on Dracula…
The first contact with the off-roading and the magnificent views of the Apuseni Mountains (the Western Carpathians of Transylvania) started after an 80km transfer to a local winter sports resort, Stina de Vale, and ended in our pension in the hearts of the mountains, in Albac. It was a big end for me, because the suspension of the Landcruiser of Eduardo did not enjoy too much the shocks of the tracks and it asked for a new rear pneumatic pillow…so I turned myself into a new RRR (rescue-recovery-repair) Team, dedicated to solve these «pleasant» unexpected problems…
Otherwise the weather was perfect, the itinerary much appreciated, the evening and the meal much enjoyed…
Day 2
The 2 second day was dedicated to cross the Metaliferi and Trascau Mountains, on old gold miners tracks, to Alba Iulia, ancient capital-city of Transylvania…
It is exactly what the group did, guided by Cristi, enjoying the first contact with the mud too…
But we, the RRR Team (me, the 4 Celdrans and the Landcruiser), spent a lot of time, energy and nerves to fix our problem… After unsuccesfull contacts of Toyota representatives in Romania (Sibiu, Oradea, Bucharest), Hungaria and Austria, we finally found the spare where?… home, in Madrid !!!… So, the car settled an apoiment to the workshop just in the last day in Romania, on August 19th…
Fortunately, the group size is big enough and they have enough spare places in the vehicles to absorb the unlucky Celdrans family… Exactly what hapened at the dinner, in hotel Cetate in Alba Iulia… of course, after the surprising and pleasant promotional event for the Canary Islands sustined by Jesus and Maria…
Day 3
In the 3th day we crossed the Sebes and Cindrel Mountains and arrived at hotel Silva in Sibiu. When I said «we», I ment, off course, the convoy who enjoyed lots of nice views and spicey off-road obstacles…
I, myself, the RRR Team, I just moved the limping Landcruiser from Alba to Sibiu… In the evening we had a special dinner, with folkloric and gipsy flavour…
Thanks to Mr. Iulian Preda, the owner of a pension in the gipsys vilage of Rusciori, closed to Sibiu, we enjoyed an authentical and hot atmosphere which kept us round the table long after midnight…
Day 4
In the 4th day we drove on Tarmac directly to Bran, to pay homages to Count of Dracula… As usual, the castle and the tourist area of Bran were very crowded, but the Count was not home, he was just leaving when we arrived… maybe we all pay a visit again next time… Anyway, we visit also the stronghold of Rasnov and made some off-road in Bran-Poarta and Sohodol…
Except me, of course, who succeded to have an accident in the bathroom and broke something – a rib maybe – so I couldnt enjoy the dinner at hotel La Dolce Vita…
Day 5
The 5th day, was a simple transfer back to Sibiu… or it supposed to be a simple transfer… First of all, after a long agony on Dealul Sasului, the old Trooper broke its clutch definitively… So, the RRR Team – that me! – leaved the group and drove 3 hrs to Bucharest, change the clutch in 3 hrs and drove back to Sibiu in 5 hrs… Just in time to arrive at dinner together with the group, which, damned probably by the vampires, succeded to loose half a day on a short portion of road in Salatrucu, damadged by an earth slide… So, we all together enjoyed a double anniversary : Ernest&Jordi for 52&18 yrs, Happy birthday !
Day 6
Was completely dedicated to ride the ridge of Bihor Mountains…
But it starts with the Nissan Patrol GR of Ignacio, who lost its clutch too (the car-not Ignacio)…Of course, the local means in Apold and Sibiu prove themselves helpless, so the «RRR» Team tooks extreme measures: transfer on trailer to Bucharest, new clutch, back on platform to Oradea… eficiency for over 2000 euro, not very funny for Ignacio… but we all together were delighted by the rafinated dinner in hotel 4 Seasons in Arieseni…
Day 7
The 7th day was the last off-road stage in the programm, but proved to be also the most adventurous…
It started with me, leaving the hotel at 7 oclock in the morning by ambulance, to the hospital in Beius for great pains and analysis…
Then Eduardo and the rest of Celdrans family, left early the hotel and drove to the Toyota workshop in Oradea…
Then the rest of the group went on the track and around noon, because of a short inattention, the Landcruiser of Jorge rolled down about 40 m in the valey… with 4 passengers on board, fortunately all of them with the seat-belts on!….
The same ambulance which brought me that morning took the persons to Oradea, to the main hospital… A tractor recovered the Landcruiser after about 4 hrs, put it on its wheels, engaged, and… miracle, the engine started on the first trial and Eduardo, helped by Igancio, drove it then directly to the recovery station in Oradea, to be send to Spain on a trailer…
To resume the final balance of the day: Jorge and Emilia injured, with 3 days in hospital and sure more after their flight home; Elena and Raul still shoched; I, myself healthy but with 60 days recovery leave; the Landcruiser traveling on platform to Spain, probably for total damage…
So the final banquet in Continental Hotel in Oradea was not very cheerfully…
Day 8
…Another splendid day… The group starts its 3000km / and 4 days back home trip…
The 4 most unlucky persons will leave in 3 days by plane…
So, was it a succes or not ?
I dont know, maybe the feedback on internet will decide…
Text: Mircea Pirlog