Today's walk on the Alfoldi Kektura took me close to the Romanian border at a number of points. It started along the embankment of the Sebes-Koros river, then passed through grassland and by lakes which are part of the Koros-Maros National park plus a number of villages.
I debated whether to take a shorter route along the road to avoid approaching the border on account of previous difficulties near Kismarja (see blog for Day 30). I decided to go as far as the first village, Korosnagyharsany, as this section was not too close to the border, and then consider my next step. Soon after I turned onto the embankment of the river which was the first part of the route, I was addressed by a man at the bottom of the slope. Wanting no trouble I went down to see what he wanted. Although difficult as he had no more English than I had Hungarian, I understood he did not want me to proceed along the embankment as it went to Romania. He showed me his ID which indicated he was in the Polgárőrség, or civil guard organisation. I showed him the card that Bela Horvath helped me make up and indicated I was going to Biharugra and Geszt. This seemed to work and he allowed me to proceed along the Kektura after telling me how he had been in London in 1999.....or maybe that was when he tried to learn English and that I should learn Hungarian. Anyway, I was glad to proceed.
A kilometres or so later I was again called down from the embankment by some men by what I took to be an army jeep. It wasn't, instead they were offering me a welcome cup of coffee...even better they spoke English. They explained among other things that I was on a direct refugee route from the Romanian border. The refugees were told by the people smugglers to just follow the river into Hungary and it would lead them to Budapest (in fact the waters eventually flow into Serbia). The coffee and the friendly attitude gave me a boost and they reassured me that with my British passport I should be able to safely follow the Kektura through the border zone.
I soon after left the river and followed an abandoned railway line to Korosnagyharsany. The station sign was still there although the line is much overgrown. Then it was out of the village on an empty two lane road, then a right turn across grassland on another embankment for a long stretch with Romania just a few hundred metres to the south. I was again waylaid by a man on a motor bike checking I was not going to Romania. Otherwise I successfully reached the road for Biharugra after edging passed a flock of sheep. According to the map the road passed next to lakes known for their birds, but they were well hidden by tall reeds and trees. However at one point there was a side road to a raised observation platform with a sign describing the birds you could see. I could not see any of them. Possibly the wrong time of day as this evening I can hear hundreds of geese on a nearby lake.
By a smaller lake at the edge of Biharugra the border police stopped me half way through a peach and checked my passport. All was present and correct and they left me to finish my lunch. Then it was a long walk on open grassland followed by a large lake invisible behind the reeds. The map implies that you walk across the lake but it is misleading, the path, although overgrown for a short section, is largely dry and you are surrounded by reeds. Reeds were being harvested at one point, one man on the top of a lorry piled high with a mountain of reeds and the other passing bundles of reeds up.
On reaching Geszt after a large field of maize and sunflowers I visited Tisza Kastely, home to two rather important Hungarian prime ministers. As I entered the grounds a security guard stopped me and told me it was private. He then explained it's history, dating from 300 years ago. It is currently being restored and was covered with scaffolding. Leaving town the Kektura passes through and a cemetery, somewhat overgrown. At the edge was the Tisza family crypt.
After walking across grassland with lots of purple flowers (which I now know to be Hungarian statice), distant flocks of sheep and herds of cows, I have now set up camp in some woods, far away from anyone so I thought with only the sound of geese on the nearby, but invisible, lake. But now I am hearing barking dogs and the sound of some engine. The immigrant issue and the hunting season is making me jumpy!
I debated whether to take a shorter route along the road to avoid approaching the border on account of previous difficulties near Kismarja (see blog for Day 30). I decided to go as far as the first village, Korosnagyharsany, as this section was not too close to the border, and then consider my next step. Soon after I turned onto the embankment of the river which was the first part of the route, I was addressed by a man at the bottom of the slope. Wanting no trouble I went down to see what he wanted. Although difficult as he had no more English than I had Hungarian, I understood he did not want me to proceed along the embankment as it went to Romania. He showed me his ID which indicated he was in the Polgárőrség, or civil guard organisation. I showed him the card that Bela Horvath helped me make up and indicated I was going to Biharugra and Geszt. This seemed to work and he allowed me to proceed along the Kektura after telling me how he had been in London in 1999.....or maybe that was when he tried to learn English and that I should learn Hungarian. Anyway, I was glad to proceed.
A kilometres or so later I was again called down from the embankment by some men by what I took to be an army jeep. It wasn't, instead they were offering me a welcome cup of coffee...even better they spoke English. They explained among other things that I was on a direct refugee route from the Romanian border. The refugees were told by the people smugglers to just follow the river into Hungary and it would lead them to Budapest (in fact the waters eventually flow into Serbia). The coffee and the friendly attitude gave me a boost and they reassured me that with my British passport I should be able to safely follow the Kektura through the border zone.
I soon after left the river and followed an abandoned railway line to Korosnagyharsany. The station sign was still there although the line is much overgrown. Then it was out of the village on an empty two lane road, then a right turn across grassland on another embankment for a long stretch with Romania just a few hundred metres to the south. I was again waylaid by a man on a motor bike checking I was not going to Romania. Otherwise I successfully reached the road for Biharugra after edging passed a flock of sheep. According to the map the road passed next to lakes known for their birds, but they were well hidden by tall reeds and trees. However at one point there was a side road to a raised observation platform with a sign describing the birds you could see. I could not see any of them. Possibly the wrong time of day as this evening I can hear hundreds of geese on a nearby lake.
By a smaller lake at the edge of Biharugra the border police stopped me half way through a peach and checked my passport. All was present and correct and they left me to finish my lunch. Then it was a long walk on open grassland followed by a large lake invisible behind the reeds. The map implies that you walk across the lake but it is misleading, the path, although overgrown for a short section, is largely dry and you are surrounded by reeds. Reeds were being harvested at one point, one man on the top of a lorry piled high with a mountain of reeds and the other passing bundles of reeds up.
On reaching Geszt after a large field of maize and sunflowers I visited Tisza Kastely, home to two rather important Hungarian prime ministers. As I entered the grounds a security guard stopped me and told me it was private. He then explained it's history, dating from 300 years ago. It is currently being restored and was covered with scaffolding. Leaving town the Kektura passes through and a cemetery, somewhat overgrown. At the edge was the Tisza family crypt.
After walking across grassland with lots of purple flowers (which I now know to be Hungarian statice), distant flocks of sheep and herds of cows, I have now set up camp in some woods, far away from anyone so I thought with only the sound of geese on the nearby, but invisible, lake. But now I am hearing barking dogs and the sound of some engine. The immigrant issue and the hunting season is making me jumpy!
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| Path along embankment close to Romania |
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| Hungarian Statice |
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