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Oxen are disappearing fast in Romania. In the western
part of the Apuseni Mountains only a few are left. In
the village Risca is one man that prefers his oxen above
any horse. They are beautiful animals and he is very
proud of them. Oxen are very powerful animals.
They can pull heavy loads over long distances at a
steady rhythm. They can pull a lot more then horses.
That's why the migrating people during and before the
middle ages used oxen to pull the heavy wagons. Here in
the mountains they are used to pull heavy wagons to and
from the fields. Oxen are not very easy to handle.
They are not aggressive, but because of their huge mass,
their heavy head and horns, you have to be careful to
handle them. The farmer goes with on the trip, he takes care of the oxen. He
drives them, feeds them. The trip: The
trip has a calm and relaxing character because of the
slow but steady step of the oxen. It is a roundtrip that
brings you a bit back in time. Daily you make about
15-20km. Day 1: arrival,
depending the time of arrival or in the evening or the
next morning the farmer puts the "horse shoes"
at the oxen. Eventually short round trip. Day
2: trip to Risca Onicesti. Trip along wagon tracks,
farm and hay land, patches of scattered forest. Day
3: trip to Rusesti: Risca lies at 1000m altitude,
Rusesti 400m lower along the Somesu Canyon. First part
of the trip to Lapustesti goes along the Somesu Cald
Canyon on the edge of the plateau. Then it descends to
Rusesti where you stay for teh night. A trip with lots
of beautiful views. In Rusesti is a working watermill. Day 4: trip to Marisel:
Marisel lies at 1200m and is one of the highest
settlements in the mountains. Beautiful panorama's Day
5: trip to Belis. Belis lies at the border of hydro
lake Fintinele. A trip through the village Marisel,
through the forest and along the lake. Day 6:
trip to Manastireni. Along small villages, over hughe
pastures to the village Manastireni, an ethnic Hungarian
village. Day 7: trip to Risca Cristesti Back
again over the village Dingau to Risca Cristesti. Day
8: end of trip
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You
can watch a short video clip by clicking the link:
We've
included a special page about the Apuseni
Mountains: click
here
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