Ames and Jo in the Ro: Lake Balea

We left Sibiu in a bit of a daze and ready to get back to Bucharest but we needed to make one last stop. I took the ladies up the Transfagaras Highway.  With blue sky stretching over both sides of the mountain I ignored my whiny stomach that protested every curve of the road by rolling the windows down in the refreshing 45 degree air. I mean really, who gets car sick when they drive themselves? It's just ridiculous.

Below Lake Balea: Transfagaras Highway.

At any rate, we parked at Lake Balea and my wimpy, lethargic self wanted no part in this thing called "exercise" especially at a mind blowing 6,670 feet. However following Jo's initiative, she singlehandedly whipped my attitude into shape. Before I knew it, all three of us were hauling ass up the trail and we didn't even need a stinkin' key-chain flashlight to do it.

Above Lake Balea from the top-ish part of our hike,
right after a marmot screeched at our intrusion.

Baures bringing it ON.
Forget bear watching...

Spunem cascaval! 

True to random Romanian fashion, there was a blue bendy-bus from Germany creeping along the two lane mountain road on the way home. We got stuck behind it for several looooong painful miles before I felt ballsy enough to pass. Where did this thing come from?! 

We cracked ourselves up pretending to be the driver of that bus, making multiple 90 degree turns all along Lake Vidraru with his three foot steering wheel and air suspension chair. Ok maybe you had to be there, but Google Map that freakin' lake and see what we went through...

It maxed out at 10mph had to make complete stops around the curves. 

"High Altitude" Training

Typical Traffic Jam. BAAA.

With the pending Colorado departure, Mark, Deets, Jim and I spent Labor Day up in the mountains checking out Lake Balea and the Transfăgărășan Highway. A whopping 6,561 feet above sea level, I thought nothing of the elevation. After all, I'm from Colorado. But I found that a 3 1/2 year absence really kicked my ass as I grunted my way up the trail. It was hilarious, scrambling after the boys like a chimp. In my skirt and sneakers no less. Hey now. If I had pants that would fit, I'd wear them...

Deets dragging mom.

Deets ditching mom.

Dad and Deets laughing at mom.

Now Lake Balea has glacial reputation seeing as how the water originates from a glacier. Check out my friend's winter pics for a cooler taste of gorgeous. If you can't get enough of Romania's stoic winter snows there's an ice hotel built there every year too.


I consider this highway a rite of passage for those prone to motion sickness. Combine that with the ridiculous "high altitude" sickness I experienced, I think I deserved a freakin' medal after I successfully avoided barfing. My cure all solution? Doing it on my bike. No ifs, ands, or buts, I want need to master that road on two wheels. So stuff me into some spandex and grease me up with sunscreen, it will be done.

The road just feels so naked without its bike.

Curvy, eh?