This paddle day happened on Monday the 24th of June, 2024. We kayaked from Svishtov to Ruse in northern Bulgaria. Nearby Svishtov is the southernmost point of the Danube River. In Bulgaria’s fifth-largest city Ruse, we’ll take more than a week to recover from all the paddling. Departing Svishtov for Ruse I felt like I’d slept pretty well when my alarm went off at 4:38. Getting dressed was a bit more of a hassle than anticipated, but I was almost ready when Jonas’ alarm went off at 5:00 and it was his turn to occupy the bathroom. I just hadContinue reading
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Kayak Trip Day 73: Nikopol to Svishtov – Headwind to Belene Island + Attempted Side Quest
The kayaking trip from Nikopol to Svishtov on the Bulgarian Danube happened on the 22nd of June, 2024. At roughly 40 kilometers, it’s one of our shorter paddle days in recent times. Departing Nikopol to Svishtov + Vending Machine Coffee My alarm went off at 5:00, even though I thought I’d set it for 5:15. Jonas was going to stay in bed till 5:30 as we’d discussed the evening before. A little angry because of the alarm, I started getting dressed for today’s kayaking. There’s about 40 kilometers on the schedule from Nikopol to Svishtov. When Jonas got up, theContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 71: Lom to Oryahovo – of Mouse and Man
This kayaking day happened on Tuesday the 18th of June, 2024. We paddled from Lom to Oryahovo in Bulgaria on the Bulgarian – Romanian border section of the Danube. We had a long lunch break in Kozloduy. Departing Lom I woke up with a headache. Our alarm went off at 5:45 and for most of the night, a group of old dudes had been chatting in front of the hotel. Though Jonas and I had both used earplugs, I didn’t sleep well because of the fear to not hear the alarm. Without coffee, we prepared to go out and kayak.Continue reading
Kayak Trip Day 70: Vidin to Lom – A Broken Kayak Sail
This paddle day happened on Saturday the 15th of June, 2024. We kayaked down the Bulgarian side of the Danube from Vidin to Lom, with Romania to our left. Leaving Vidin + Saying Goodbye to Nimi Our alarm went off at 5:30. That’s 30 minutes earlier than normal for a kayak day, but we’re anticipating to paddle a little less than 50 kilometers today. The sun rises at 5:45 in Vidin and we need about one hour and 15 minutes to drink coffee, finish packing, and walk out the door these days. But today is still a little special, becauseContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 68: Iron Gate II Dam to Wildcamping Calafat – 74 Kilometers by Kayak
This kayak day happened on Friday the 7th of June, 2024. We kayaked from Comoara Istrului on the Gogoșu Branch of the Danube past the Iron Gate II hydroelectric power plant to Calafat. The Iron Gate II (Romanian: Porțile de Fier II – Serbian: Đerdap II) dam is the last (mandatory) Dam on the Danube before the Delta. Though we intended to go camping for one night and then kayak to the Romanian city of Calafat the next day, we ended up doing the whole distance in one go. This was a whopping 74.4 kilometers. Our previous distance record wasContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 66: Drobeta-Turnu Severin to Crivina – Șimian Island + Strong Currents
On the 3rd of June, 2024, we kayaked down the Danube from Drobeta-Turnu Severin to Crivina on the Romanian side. We also made a quick stop on Șimian island. Departing Drobeta-Turnu Severin + Șimian Island Stopover Without our usual morning coffee, we departed the Airbnb in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. I’d hoped we’d be ready and out the door 35 minutes after the alarm, but it all took a bit longer. We were walking past the unvisited Severin Fortress a little before 7:00 and crossed the train tracks to the launch spot next to restaurant Marinaru. We didn’t see Mafia the cat,Continue reading
Kayak Trip Day 65: Orșova to Drobeta-Turnu Severin – Iron Gate I Locks Unlocked!
This kayak trip happened on Monday the 27th of May, 2024. We paddled from Orșova to Drobeta-Turnu Severin on the Romanian side of the Danube in the border area shared with Serbia. We also had to pass through the Iron Gates I dam (Romanian: Porțile de Fier I – Serbian: Đerdap I). Portaging is not feasible, so we had to go through the lock with the big ships! Kayaking Through Locks: Research + Stress The Iron Gate I Hydroelectric Power Station is the 53rd obstacle on the Danube for us since 2019, but it’s the first one in 2024. SoContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 64: Dubova to Orșova – Decebalus + Tabula Traiana
This kayak trip happened on the 24th of May, 2024. We paddled from Dubova to Orșova on the Romanian side of the Danube in the border area shared with Serbia. The Dog That Wouldn’t Let Go I woke up still carrying the stress from the previous bunch of days. Fixing the boat, deciding the route, waiting out the weather, full phone storage, and packing. It’s not nice to not trust our boat anymore. Whether the patch will hold. Whether there will be a new leak. Or some new unforeseen fuckery. It’s exhausting. After getting ready, we walked downstairs and outContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 63: Svinița to Dubova – Entering Romania + Great Kazan Gorge
We paddled this stretch on Saturday the 18th of May, 2024. In the morning, we departed Golubac and took the ferry from Usije in Serbia to Moldova Veche in Romania, going through immigration. From there, we made a quick stop in Moldova Nouă and Berzasca before we started paddling from Svinița to Dubova. That stretch has a lot of things to sightsee: the Tri Kule ruined fortress, the Great Kazan Gorge, and several caves. Ferry from Usije to Moldova Veche: Border Crossing Horror Paddling Out of Svinița: Cetatea Tricule We started kayaking away from Svinița at 12:34 Serbian time, soContinue reading