May 3, 2011: Transylvania Day 5: Lacu Rosu, Bekas szoros, Gernyeszeg

May 3, 2011: Before we left  Zetelaka, my host showed me the animals that he was raising in his shed behind his house. Inside were four sheep and a number of chickens.

We set out for a day of extremely scenic sightseeing. First on the agenda was Lacu Rosu (Killer Lake). This lake got its name from one of two myths:

1. There was an avalanche of the nearby mountains and the falling rocks pushed and killed grazing sheep into the lake.
2. There was a beautiful maiden who was engaged to be married by a young man who entered the army. When he left, there was another aggressive man who wanted to marry her and was so forceful, that the maiden prayed to the gods to protect her. Her wish came true by the gods who created an avalanche that killed everyone, forcing their deaths in the lake.

Both tales are gruesome, but that's what myths are made of. 

Lacu Rosu (Killer Lake)

Lacu Rosu (Killer Lake)

From Lacu Rosu, we went to Bekas canyon which rivals Yosemite and Zion Canyons in beauty. The mountains climb to the sky while the road meanders among them. Waterfalls, rivers, and springs pour down from the mountains. The scenery was breathtaking.

Bekas Canyon

Bekas Canyon

Bekas Canyon

Bekas Canyon

Bekas Canyon

Bekas Canyon - note collapsed road

Bekas Canyon

Bekas Canyon

On the way to our hotel from Bekas, we passed a number of other interesting sites. The Romanian countryside has a number of telephone poles on top of which are metal frames where storks build their nest. Storks return to their nests each year to lay eggs and then they hibernate south.

Stork in its nest

We also got more pictures of the decorated tree branches that boys leave for their secret girlfriends on May 1st:

Here are some other interesting pictures as we drove to our hotel.

After some time we eventually reached Marosvasarhely and visited a church and the Cultural Palace there. When we visited the cultural palace, the orchestra was rehearsing for a concert and was playing a Brahms Symphony. The sound of the orchestra was rich and full. Since we had to buy a ticket to take pictures in the Cultural Palace, I let Ruth do the photography so I've used her pictures here.

stained glass window of Franz Liszt

Orchestra rehearsing for Brahms

 The Cultural Palace is famous for its Hall of Windows.

On the top floor was a wonderful art gallery with the paintings of some very famous Romanian and Hungarian artists.

When we reached our hotel, guess what! We were greeted by the hotel people with a tray of glasses of palinka. We had a nice meal, and while Hajni (who is single) was having a drink in the hotel bar that evening, several of the people in our group went outside to cut some branches of trees to decorate and put in front of Hajni's room. Ruth and I could hear tremendous laughter when Hajni discovered these branches later in the night since her room was next to ours in the hotel.

Branches at the hotel room door of Hajni