Category: My life

How to come out of a water trap in Romania.

Bjørn Heidenstrøm

Iv published a youtube video where it looks like Im arrested. (youtube / beerbearbar is my nick ) Im not, Iv been helped and got super service ala Romania. Last evening by fishermen. To day by the boarder police. Again.. I got trapped, again, by waves and a wind we call “stiv kuling” in Norway. That means that it is hard to walk in that mess. It takes five minutes from bad to worst.On Donau it creates a bigger mess. You cant move. If you have a smal boat, you dont go out. After 30 minutes as a mouse in that storm, I head for a bay. Not the mud wall where I cant come up. Not the fishing net where Ill get stucked forever, but the bay. Calling Norway. Yes it will be worse. Change to dry clothes. Think solutions.. It takes, again, 4 minutes before the boarder police turn up. Passport okay… I ask the English speaking. Could that fisherman with big car get some money to transport me in to a Pensione ? “Iv already asked him, he’s been drinking and can not return by car” Could I make a camp here? “not smart” is new answer. Then the farmer turns up with his horse and suggest to ride me and my pack to pensione. The farmer has been sharing the same bottle as the fisherman. The farmer most, and I think; “not smart to do Bjorn„ Then I ask “maybe try to paddle close to land?” “not good, dangerous now, say policeman” But they dont leave, they make calls. After a while the police boss turns up and Im escorted to pensione.

So, Im not arrested, Iv got super help.

I love Romania !

And farmer with horse, thank you for asking!!! Next time, its you and me and your very nice horse!

Bjorn, 811 mark, Donau, Romania, soon dry..

Some that need more help than me.. ; www.rodekors.no From my Nokia. Im @heidenstrom on Twitter and @Rhine @Main or @Donau 😉

The night with the fishermen #donau #backpacking

Bjørn Heidenstrøm

THANK YOU FISHERMEN AT 680 DONAU ! You gave me the best spot around the fire place, the meter with less smoke. You gave the biggest pieces of your own, fish, the rally over to Serbia for supplies, and, you gave me the most dry tent wen the rain went bad… Again, super Romanian hospiltality. Came in to mark 680 km on Donau. Started to be dark, I said I dont have more food. You said; we fix. I said Im all wet. You said; we fix. I said Iv had a hard day, a Ursus beer woul be nice, and yes, you fixed that too.. Im sorry that I can not speak Romanian, and I know that fisherman that came in the morning with cap will translate this. We did great with pantomime language, and 680 Donau will for me, always be “Hotel California” sing it this evening when you grill your fish again. The lyrics is “what a lovely place.. ” Noroc… Im at 811 😉 africa cycling for refugees in 2010 is on www.theshirt2010.net – look on Fisherman when I was in Ethiopia. Uses boat made of gras…

From my Nokia. Im @heidenstrom on Twitter and @Rhine @Main or @Donau 😉

Marianne, Costin, Ingar (Intern )

Bjørn Heidenstrøm

Marianne, jeg er trygg. Fått telt og sover hos fiskere på 860. Må spare batteri, kjører denne meldingen via mob. Er gjennom Iron Gate 2. Meld Ingar jeg ikke kan ringe. Meld Costin jeg ringer i morg. Haster ikke… Full stop fordi mørket kom og melding fra Costin nr 1

Bjorn, I hope you ge this! The wind will start to intensify in the following hours. You better take coverage.It will reach 35km/h with gusts of 59 at 8pm. – blowing from W. Also the rain will intensify up to 7.2mm/h. From my Nokia. Im @heidenstrom on Twitter and @Rhine @Main or @Donau 😉

Then he said; I have a gun and can shoot you now! #paddling #backpacking

Bjørn Heidenstrøm 5 Comments

It happend some hours ago and I hope some of my new friends in Orsovo can share this with Iron Gate, and discuss this. I want. You want happy people on your Donau..

Iv been crossing 40 boarders with a cycle or kayak alone. Im not a rookie. Tell me What I did wrong, I have no clue, so I can pas it on to the next man who want to see this part of Europa from a kayak. What you can do different next time. I believe you can; 1. I have taken initiative to get good information of how to act on Donau. Last time yesterday by the boarder police in Orsova. 2. I got the exact point of how to enter Iron Gate nr 1 ( He Derdap 1 ) and I paddled in to that point. 3. A person with no uniform and one with uniform speak no english, but I understand I can not reach the ladder because to much garbage in water. They point west. 4. Iv learned of your police that Im now in your water and can not change to Serbian side ( that takes a lot of paper work ) so I paddle out to the pier they are pointing at. Drags my board and backpack out of the water and goes towards south. This is what Iv done ca 40 times in Germany. 5. Again the man with no uniform points to Serbia, I say that I only have papers for Romania, have checked out of Serbia. He points south say red light. So I go for the red light. And by the way,what a bad weather, I was cold as a snowball… 😉 6. Im visual for the new man in uniform on 30 meter. I carry my paddling board and my backpack. I have a Norwegian flag on my cap and on my back. 7. Interesting move from your Iron Gate man, that you need to discuss. On 10 meter he say something in Romanian, I respond with “sorry only speak english unt kleine German. On 8 meter he takes right hand on his pistol and say “I have a gun and can shoot you now!” 8. I stop and he release the strap around the pistol and point at my diving knife and say “you have a weapon, remove it” and I want bore you with every detail, but when the strap is removed the situation is sharp and Im waiting for the next Rambo move that he think my paddling board maybe is a bomb… I unstrap, and say,as you know, its if I get hooked by the fishing nets in the river. The visual one or the hidden….. 9. It takes 3 minutes and i have 7 people around me. I show al my papers, passport, and ask if they could call the police in Orsova. Im one hour in the rain. Thats okay. Im Norwegian. 10. Im helped to the south end and paddle on…

So, thank you for the attention Iron Gate one. My suggestions; put up a sign if no paddler can go on the pier. Put up a sign that lead the way where you want us. Do not push hand to gun and/or use words as “have gun can shot”. Do that if you believe you have a sharp situation, and if a paddler looks dangerous to you, tell us how to behave, dress, or use signs.

Im used with guns, but the next man could be a Swedish advocate, and will die on the spot. And hart attacks on the Iron Gate will make bad times for your touris director. It could be messy.

So, and now, give me your punches. Ill learn and pas the to the next paddler. They will come to visit your beautiful country, history, culture and people. Thats a good income..

To the hot head with the gun. You turned great after 30 minutes. Its water under the bridge. You can have a BBQ In my garden. Come without guns 😉 You can test the ones I have. You can even hunt a Moose, but Ill tell you when to hold the trigger, and when to push to go for 400 kg of meat 😉

And please tell Iron Gate two that Im coming…

Romania, more tourists, thats the goal.

And all on Iron Gate have to donate to my Red Cross, Missing children project. One Euro each. If you dont, my Norwegian Viking mates will come with their ships down Donau 🙂

Noroc !

From my Nokia. Im @heidenstrom on Twitter and @Rhine @Main or @Donau 😉