Although I was advised that the forester would collect the camping fee in the morning, there was no sign of them before I left, admittedly at what might be regarded as early, a little after 8 am. Feeling guilty I had not paid my dues I wandered around the "Cabana" and nearby buildings. No one was about, so I metaphorically shrugged my shoulders and started today's trek.
For much of the morning it was a gentle uphill, following a wooded valley. A river or stream sometimes ran down the valley, and other times the river bed was dry. The rock beneath the soil was limestone where water's dissolving action had created cracks and caves into which water could disappear only to reappear later when the cavities were full. Stones laid neatly on the trail suggested that, like many paths the E3 followed, an old, possibly ancient, route was being utilised.
The main attraction on this first section was Lake Ochiul Bei, a pool of an unnatural blue colour. There was a waterfall nearby, where the water had deposited calcium carbonate as travertine, a rock which gave the falls a rounded appearance.
After that point the track deteriorated for a while with multiple fallen trees. Occasional bits of pipe, coated in moss, suggested work was started on a project here that never progressed to completion. I then joined a much improved track, it even had crash barriers and multiple, triangular signs warning of "Z" bends. Overkill for a gravel, forest track. Maybe they were once planning for it to become a more major road, only for the project to stall. Fallen tree trunks had bent the crash barriers in places, I doubted they would ever need to stop a car. There were posts with numbers every hundred metres or so. I counted down from 42 to 1, hoping something would reveal itself at zero, but it was just a junction with another track. Not too many flowers today, maybe hiding due to overcast skies, however the blue bells of campanula were nodding their heads.
After a brief walk on a tarmac road a sign indicated that "Ponor Plopa" was along my route. Curious as to what this Plopa was I delayed my lunch for a while. After several hundred metres I gave up, thinking I had missed whatever it was and had a desultory snack of biscuits, nuts and raisins beside the track, only to discover when I restarted that the path to the natural feature was around the corner. Ponor Plopa revealed itself as a cave from which a river appeared. The natural appearance was a little spoilt by the metalwork placed over the cave to stop people entering. However there were benches that would have been a more pleasant lunch stop.
I seemed to be on an old railway bed, at least there was a tunnel which would not be justified for a forest track. Later as I climbed up a section of busy road a van stopped to offer me a lift. Tempting, as it was now raining, not heavy but steady, however I declined. Soon afterwards I climbed up a steep, overgrown track. Wet foliage thoroughly soaked my boots, and my socks began squidging in the water inside them. I was glad to join better tracks that led to Lake Buhui (actually a reservoir with a dam). Signs around the edge told you about birds, plants and animals you might see; helpful if you could read Romanian.
Notices told me I was now in Semenic - Cheile Carasului National Park, a different National Park to the one I was in yesterday. Signs even had rules in English to tell me I must only camp in designated places, so I had no excuse. There was an official spot by the lake, beside the Forest Office and Cabana. The man at the office was surprised I wanted to camp in the rain, but could offer no alternative accommodation. (I had thought Cabanas offered beds for the night but it appears you must fill in a form and apply in advance). The camping spot has chemical toilets and a spring down the road for water, so pretty basic, but I will manage.
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