Day 12:

Miles: 300 (yesterday, I think I forgot to include it) + 160 (today)
Countries: Hungary -> almost Serbia -> Romania
Stops: Budapest -> Mako -> Timisoara
Playlist: Epic Songs, Disney, #ThrowbackThursday (all Spotify)

We started the day by wandering around the food market and then drove over to the highest point in the city. It felt so unreal, it actually felt like we were walking around Disney world. It was also bloody hot (clearly we've been amongst Aussies). It was 37 degrees and the shower we had this morning.... quickly forgotten. We were sweating just from breathing and the ice water we bought was air temperature in less than 10 minutes. We found a fountain and were able to cool off with our feet in it (everyone else was doing it ¯\(°_O)/¯).

Steve, Gary, Sammie and I sat in the shade while the boys went off to stealthily fly the drone around the city. Got some wicked shots! City is seriously unreal.

By the time we got to the cars, we found another Mongol Rally car parked behind us. Also, the Aussies (Team "Here's Good") had a flat tire so justin, the shining knight in armour that he is, grabbed his not-so-handy new air compressor he got in the UK for a pretty penny and started pumping their tire before quickly learning it doesn't work. So that sucks. So much for well prepared.

While the boys were working hard, I walked over to the little shop across the road that had a hose over the front door that sprayed mist. So I spent the next 10 minutes just standing in it trying not to melt. We are so screwed for the desert.

We drove across the city to the Turkish baths and Hero's Square where set the drone over the city again and got some more cool shots while some of us just lay on the ground enjoying the beautiful park and fountains.

It was just after 5 when we set sail for Romania convoying with our shiny new walkie talkies.

It was a fun ride of wailing to Disney songs and walkie talking with the other car until we missed the highway into Romania and almost ended up at the Serbian doorstep. We did a U-turn and found ourselves at a little town where we had an incredible dinner.

Getting back on the road, we hit the Romanian border well after dark (11?) and it was the first country we had to stop at the border. Not sure why they get a pass from the EU (which makes more sense than just crossing borders continuously as we have been). But they took our passports, checked our car (it's illegal to drive with faulty lights and ours died at some point today). So we were nervous but they didn't say anything. Yes pulled over at a gas station to change it but it was too hot, and we all know how Justin likes to touch hot bulbs ಠ_ಠ after his incident this morning. We also had to buy another vignette and we didn't question it for a second. Let's not break every rule! Also, I already posted this, but fun fact: it's illegal to drive dirty cars in Romania.

The drive in Romania was not very lit and there were stray dogs everywhere. One dog went apeshit and attacked our car as we were driving 80-100km - I think I pulled a muscle in my right butt cheek from spazzing. Not sure if rabid or not, but we avoided that dog and are now in a hotel. No bed bugs and fairly clean looking. Had a shower before bed and feel so much better.

So far, Romania is a 180 from all the other countries we've been to, so this will be interesting and curious to see where it goes. On to visit Dracula tomorrow! Too bad we didn't make it in the dark - would've been neat to see the castles lit up (assuming they are).

Time change is annoying and is messing with us. It's now 2:48am and we're tired as all hell and have an early morning. Not going to lie, it's taking a toll on all of us and we're exhausted - sorry if this post is a little lame but I don't have it in me to be sassy/funny. So we're going to have to figure out a system - we expected this early on since we were mostly racing across Europe to get into the other countries