Lacul Rosu

I still eating my lunch when I put up my thumb - and it's incredible but the first car stops. It’s a Romanian man, a businessman on his way to work and he would like to pratice his English. I throw my bag in the trunk and he talks about his work, his travels, hobbies and his wife and of course he is very interested in my story.

What does a world traveler do in this part of Europe and Romania? Meanwhile we drive back into the mountains and see a lot parked cars - this must be the Bicaz gorge. It is a wild flowing stream that flows between the road and the cliff and sometimes becomes very narrow. The rock wall hangs over the road every now and then. I enjoy this scene to the fullest, even though I am glad that I did not make a stop here - it is nice to see but not really a highlight though many Romanians (to see the number of people here) will totally disagree with me.

After about an hour drive from the gorge we see again numerous souvenir shops, restaurants and cafes. Then we see the lake and I know I’m at my destination. I thank the man and got my bag from the trunk. I walk back along the road to where I have seen a number of hotels, boarding houses and a camping sign and I start my research. I walk up a gravelpath into the forest and see some little wooden shacks and ask information in the hotel next to it. I check in, in what they call the “cabanas”. 

Because it is starting to get late again, I put my stuff in my wooden shack and walk via a short route through a piece of forest and past a blow up cushion for children towards the lake. I pass a number of beer- and souvenirjoints and arrive at the crowded lake - half of it is used by boats and you can hardly see the water again, so many boats are on the lake.

Of course it is Sunday afternoon and according to me also national holiday but this is not normal. The other half of the lake, where I see the stumps of the trees above the surface of the water, for which I have come, has fortunately been restricted. For that reason I walk in that direction and here whole families lie on little carpets; they are sleeping, picnicking, lying around and drinking beer and have fun.  

When I walk a bit further, I leave the big mass behind me and I can finally enjoy the lake with the mysterious pieces of tree above the water surface. Frankly, I had expected a little more - a red-hot lake with shrubs and trees in the water, but "this is it". I remain standing for a while but I have to make room for couples who want to make dozens of photos of each other and I decide to walk back. After reading the story about the origin of the lake, I take a seat on the terrace and order a beer.

Drinking I feel the temperature drop and realize that I am in the mountains - hence those thick blankets on my bed. It will be cold tonight. I am glad that I have my beer, have a look at the plateau above where a large number of wooden lofts serving as a restaurant which are decorated and where dozens of souvenir shops can be found - especially with Hungarian traditional clothing and thick woolen bedspreads.