Searching for Istan the Bull
Hurtling as fast as Catharine could carry them towards the mountainous grasslands of Transylvania in Romania, the startlingly dashing Yaks were optimistic about their chances of finding some of their European cousins to bond with soon - the rare and elusive ‘cow’.
So great was this excitement, that their journey carried our heroes deep into the night, with the only accommodation available at that time being the wagon herself, parked up in a rundown Romanian border-town petrol station. After a rather unpleasant night’s sleep (as the car had no hay in which to nuzzle), the yaks awoke in a rather bleak and completely cow-less 'hood'.
Introducing the Four Season's latest hotel
Slightly low spirits were however quickly uplifted when they spotted 'Istanbul' on their map. The yaks excitedly decided to surge towards this great city, which was surely named after its most famous resident - a bull (aka a Yak Bro) named Istan.
The proposed journey was however a long one, and Catharine needed her rest. The team therefore wound their way up the stunning mountains of Transylvania, towards the town of Sibiu - an area Dracula was said to have terrorised. Having been haunted by ‘The Little Vampire’ in their childhood (see image below), they were understandably worried as this prospect.
Scary Mooooovie
As the yaks nervously approached, expecting to find a mixture of bats, coffins and werewolves, they were surprised to instead gallop into an idyllic town, complete with an affordable hotel to catch up on some lost slumber in. Having arrived in the early afternoon, Elliott and James trotted into the centre of the town for some pizza and BEER.
While munching, the yaks noticed a beach volleyball tournament in the very same square. After touring around the town, the yaks returned to observe the sport. Despite being inhibited from playing volleyball due to their hooves, inability to stand on their hind legs for long, and ball-popping horns, yaks are keen observers of such a technical sport, and proceeded to watch many games unfurl on a lazy afternoon.
That evening, our four-legged legends attended a party organised by some veterans who had previously travelled to Mongolia (though oddly not in search for yaks), and happened to own a bar in Sibiu. The hairy cows proceeded to enjoy the free bar.
Late the next morning, Elliott and James set off in search of the world famous (as seen on Top Gear - #BringBackJeremy) Transfăgărășan Road, deep in the Carpathian Mountains. The pass was truly breath-taking, and Catharine welcomed the chance to demonstrate her rally pedigree by expertly navigating the tightest of corners to absolute perfection. With a long way still to go, the trio then thundered towards Vama Veche on the coast of Romania, by way of a traffic-laden Bucharest.
Yaks have great field of vision
Vama Veche offered a vibrant spot for the yaks to eat, sleep, and dabble in a beach party with some other Mongolia-bound travellers that evening. The next day presented a chance for the hooved herbivores to relax by the sea before a short drive to Sunny Beach. While resting, James went off to help another team whose car had fallen ill (#GoodGuyLamming), leaving Elliott to valiantly guard the valuables and expand upon his knowledge of Genghis Khan.
The track to Sunny Beach in Bulgaria offered more glorious driving (a near collision excluded), as Catharine thrived on roads that offered more diversity than the straight speedways of Western Europe - there was not an Audi in sight.
From the Horsepower of the West, to the Horse Power of the East
Arriving in the town after sunset however, the Yaks instead found themselves spending the night in a hostel in… Moony Beach! The area resembled a mixture of Kavos/Magaluf/Malia (depending on your end of school summer destination), and Brighton - with deals for 10 shots for 10 lev offered alongside ‘throw the hoop over the pole and win a teddy’ stands. The Yaks obviously chose to throw some hoops before retiring to bed after a monstrously sized meal on the beach.
The Yaks awoke with glee the next morning, as they realised today was the day they would finally meet Istan. A long drive down the coast, including a tenuous border crossing, saw Elliott and James hurtle into Istanbul at sunset.
Despite Catharine pumping smoke and spraying the yaks with dirty coolant, the yaks quickly patched her up, and the trio eventually found their hostel up some incredibly steep roads. By the time they arrived, it was too late to find Istan, so, after a pleasant fish-dinner at a local restaurant, our furry friends headed to bed, excited to finally meet such a famous Yak the next day.
