8:47am

We hiked about 20 km yesterday...longer than we ever anticipated. And I'm feeling it! I need to stop underestimating distances of travel :-).

Our couchsurfing hosts, Andros and his wife Annikur, are great people - a little busy perhaps, with a guest house full, but they are certainly going out of their way to make sure we know we're not clients, but more like family. This started off yesterday with an amazing breakfast, which included sheep's cheese (took a little getting used). of course we're getting a first hand historical account of the area as well, which sits along the former Hungary/Romanian border, until after WW2 where it's all Romania now.

Andras is an inspiring guy. His love of the mountains would bring him to this area often until one day he decided to build a house here. He tells stories of searching for a fresh water spring on the mountain for 1 1/2 years before finally discovering a trickle th now sourcing the cabana, or running into a hearding wild boar, where the "chief" boar nearly took him out. He asks a ton of questions about Canada and all of us are enjoying relaying hunting/quading/hiking stories, but the enquiries go deeper into the First Nations people, and evening how tithing works in church life (got a kick out of that one)!

Our hike took us about 1000 meters up. At the halfway point we consume some bread, cheese and meat we acquired a few days ago :-). After ascending close to the treeline, we cross the mountains to an ancient cave church (still active). The people there invite us in for a cup of tea and a unique cinnamon-type bread. After hiking for six hours, we devoured whatever they put in front us! As we descended back into the valley for the walk back to Andras' cabana, every bend in the road is a postcard waiting to happen - shepherds hearding sheep in mountain meadows, a family using skythes to cut hay (which must be a grueling task!), sheepfolds scattered here and there, people passing us with horse and cart, and the occasional religious relic in the most random of places.

After a long walk home, we arrive at the cabana starving. But it's late (like 9pm) and asking for something to eat is a little humbling. Sara and I don't mind going to bed on an empty stomach (occasionally), but the kids are another story! So after fumbling around a bit in that beat-around-the-bush Canadian way, our host clues into the fact that we're famished and...I get a kind of friendly rebuke. He says, "I told you to ask if you needed ANYTHING!" Oh ya, but as I often experience in my Canadian culture, we wait and wait...and wait...for something to be offered. That's not how it works over here. Ask, and you shall receive.

And we received, an authentically prepared Romanian dish unlike anything we've ever tasted before and go to bed very full and completely satisfied. Spiritual lesson here?