I was collected from home by my friend Neil at 6.30am on Friday 18th May to begin the long journey to our remote destination in Romania. A Ryanair flight from London Stansted was the first step after parking the car. In had visions of baggage problems as photographic gear is rather weighty. Not to woory. By pre-booking the seats we were able to take a cabin bag up to 10 kilos and an underseat second cabin bag. 20 kilos of hold luggage was just enough, especially since there were no heavy clothes to take.

With a two hour time difference, we arrived in Bucharest early afternoon, collected from the airport by the free hotel transport and messed around for the rest of the day, with a very reasonable dinner.

We were collected from the hotel by our guide for the week, Zoltan, at around mid-day Saturday. We had booked the week via Sakertours, a company that I was familiar with from my trips to Hungary. After a delay at the airport, waiting for two photographers from Denmark, we started the 3 and 1/2 hour drive to Tulcea before embarking on a river taxi for the 1 and 1/2 hour trip to our destination, Ultima Frontiera in the Danube Delta. It is very remote, only accessible by boat, and on the northern border of Romania. Ukraine was the other side of the river.

I have wanted to visit this reserve for several years since I first found out about it so was quite excited to arrive - well 9.00pm arrival, dinner and then to unpack, set up the gear and ready for the first session at 5.00am. That was a shock to this aging body system!!!

The hotel is small, only 18 rooms and a maximum of 12 photographers allowed on the reserve at any one time. Our party totalled 6 and there was a another party of 6 from France. There are nearly 40 hides on the reserve but not all operational at the same time due to light direction and differing water levels.

That completes days 1 and 2 - the real start in the next blog.