Camping trip

On Thursday I took Mikey, Rebecca and Buni and we went downtown for a last walk and visit to the reptiles exhibit; then I sent them home and I sat quietly by myself at a café for a last cup of coffee in my favorite spot. In the evening I went out one last time with Mirela for beer and stories. On Friday we did last minute things, packed up and waited for Camelia to come pick us up for the last event of this trip. By 5:30 we were on the road, Camelia, Mikey and I, with all our luggage. It took us a bit over 2 hours to meet with Adi and Anca at the starting point of the valley where my brother wanted to take us camping. It is called Valea Frumoasei, roughly translated as the Valley of the Beauty, but I think it should be called the Beautiful Valley, because it is beautiful. A little river flows gently through steep hills covered in tall grasses, flowers and fir trees. The riverbanks are bordered by little meadows, sometimes wide as a football field, sometimes so narrow you barely know they're there. The dirt road follows the course of the river, and sometimes is muddy and hard to navigate, but between Camelia's experience and the Land Rover she's driving we are fine.

We finally meet Marius, who had gone ahead to find a good camping spot for us. And he did find the perfect little spot. A little meadow between the road and the river, large enough to allow room for the tents, the firepit and sitting; fir trees border it on both sides to give it shade and a buffer for the wind. A few logs in the river make it easy for Mikey to play in a quiet puddle and for us to set the coolers in. It is far enough from where other campers have stopped, so we are sure to have privacy and quiet. We start the set up, put up the tents, get firewood, start the fire, figure out what's for dinner. Mikey is an eager helper. He helps me out with the tent, then attaches himself to Adi and together they climb like mountain goats on the steep hill looking for firewood.

He fetches water from the river for his uncle and breaks twigs for the fire. He eats a can of beans and nothing else, but he seems content. By now it's night, dark and cold (unless you're roasting by the fire), and the sky is so clear you can see the Milky Way. At a point Mikey gets tired/bored of our stories, so he goes to the tent with my phone as a flashlight and busies himself reading, then falls asleep. The tent has a magic, eerie glow in the night, shining brightly in the dark, and to me it is precious because that's where a little boy fell asleep, with his favorite book in his hand.

Saturday goes by nice and slow. We sleep in late, enjoying the warmth in the tent after the really chill night; in the morning we share the stories of the night, the chill, the snoring, the noises, the bear that never was. Mikey helps me clean up the trash left over by previous campers (unfortunately still a common and nasty habit); coffee and breakfast last 2 hours, then Mikey insists that I accompany him climbing. We cross the dirt road and venture up the hill. The day before I spotted a clearing with tall, purple flowers, so we want to make it there.

The climb up is slow and painful, but we manage it. Mikey is very worried about me, if I can handle it, and stops frequently to check on me, to make sure that my knee and my ankle are OK. He declares that he is very proud of me for handling it so well, and little does he know, I am very proud of him too for handling it just as well as a little boy can, plus the doze of sweetness. When we stop at the beginning of the clearing we are both wiped out, so we take a break. It is beautiful, and a nice place to breathe and relax. Looking down we realize how far we've come; the river and the road are small at our feet, and we just now realize how steep the whole thing really is.

I expect the way down will be a bit slower than the way up, but we manage just fine.
Late afternoon Camelia takes Mikey and I on a joy ride; we continue up the valley for a few kilometers, then start going up the mountain. The road is curvy and goes slowly uphill, but it offers gorgeous views of the valley and the river below. Once we make it to the top of the mountain, we stop at a crossroad; in the distance there is a bare tree, half burned, so we decide to take a little walk there;

the boy is stubborn and he prefers to sit by the car, so Camelia and I go. I walk half heartedly since Mikey is behind, and every time I turn around and look back he looks smaller and smaller, until he's just a little spot moving around the car.

We take in the view, take some pictures then head back. Mikey decides to join us after all, so meets us at the burned tree for a few minutes. Camelia gives him a botany lesson and shows him the lichens growing on the tree, called "the shepherd's beard", while I chill in the tall grass.

Then we head back to the camp site, where the fire has already been started. Although it was not a real hike, it was a nice outing and walk with tremendous views and peace.

Another night grilling, another evening spent by the fire, the same stars in the sky, the little boy keeping himself busy with the river, the sticks, the fire, his book. My brother, my child and friends. I am really enjoying it.
On Sunday morning Mikey is running a bit of a fever and is listless. Early afternoon we head back to Timisoara, and make it there towards the evening. Drinks, and a dinner with bean soup to wrap up the camping trip.

The heat and bareness of the city contrasts so much with the coolness and scenery of the mountains. I feel sad, because there are only a few more days, and at the same time lucky because we did have these two days away. Marius had insisted that we go there, and I am glad we did. All in all, it was a commonplace camping trip, but to me it was special because I had the opportunity to take Mikey there and for him to experience camping in the wilderness. He had no issues, and although he seemed bored at times, he made the most of it. The fresh air and the exercise left him tired, as he slept like a log both nights. He did not complain about the lack of bathrooms, showers or even table or chairs, and ate his peas and beans sitting on my shawl on the ground. He climbed the top of the hill, played in the river, experienced with sticks in the fire, and ate wild raspberries and strawberries.

We even kept an eye out for bears at night, so for him it was an adventure. An adventure on the Beautiful Valley.

August 3-5, 2018.