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This is a wonderful adventure! As I read through, I felt like I was moving with you. I could only imagine the fun, the scenery, the smell, the look on the faces of other tourists, and so on. Your pictures tell a lot about this, and I must say those are amazing shots. I guess I should add Mocanita to my list of places to be.

The price. The price you pay for the ride isn't worth it in my opinion. Only if you're too curious to resist. Like we were. The valley isn't particularly spectacular to be worth the ride and the donuts and tea they give you on the way don't justify it either.

Tourism gives value to little things, not because they are comfortable, but because it brings back history like this train did to you and all others.

I have recently happened to share about the 600mm narrow gauge railway in Ventspils, Latvia. Obviously, a tourist site now and the train is somewhat like a toy train, but the Mocanita impresses with the size and the number of wagons. I imagine it to go faster and a little more spacious. Would be a great ride to take, the girls made the right call getting you out and bringing you to this spectacular place!

Wow! I'm impressed place like this exists. Love the RailVans ;)

Yeah, the rail vans were amazing. I'd love to drive them one day. I spotted two of them on the tracks, and there was another one - and old classic car in the initial train station, but it was not functional anymore.

Thanks for stopping by, man. ;)

The Google joke happened to us too for one of our company outreaches with my previous employer. We were supposed to go to an elementary school but we ended up at a foot of a mountain with no school around and very few houses. When a colleague searched Google, he got a totally different route than the other one who navigated while we travelled. Note that they both searched for exactly the same destination. Indeed, a big joke! It was good that you somehow managed to find your way even when it was late.

You got great shots in there especially the two shots in motion, tenth and eleventh photos above. I really like the motion effect. You captured it perfectly! The B&W photos also have very good nostalgic effect.

I share your sentiments regarding pesky people blocking the view for photoshoot. It is either I just back off or settle for less appealing photos with so many people in them.

Well, I guess that invitation was worth all of the adventures you had. To your point, you can never get enough of vacation time!

Hey there, thanks a lot for stopping by and for the feedback. I appreciate it. ;)

You're welcome!

By the way, what is the last trip of the train going back to Viseu de Sus? I suppose you did not have to wait again for the next trip... 😊

It's the same train. You don't need to wait for another one. You get back with the same one. It's like a round trip.

I see. So the train waits for the passengers. How long does it stay before turning back?

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Thanks a lot guys.

What an adventure! Your photos are amazing, I especially like the black and white ones.

Thank you. I was thinking to put everything in BW, but some looked a lot better in color. ;)

Hi @vladcraciun

We took the next available exit, carefully following the Google Maps directions to the road we wanted to and ended up on the first highway heading right back where we had come from.

I knew how you guys felt. This always happen to me when I used Waze. After that, now I always studied google map first before I start my journey :p

I love how you took the photos, it seems like I virtually travel with you guys. I never experience ride steam train before. It would be a good experience if you plan to appreciate the scenery along the journey. Which you did it in this trip. And thank you with all the scenery you have shared with us. The black and white photo, it has classical and oldies feel. Nice job ;)

I am sure it would be a good and fantastic experience.

The thing I forgot to mention with the highway incident was that all three of us were drivers, two had the gps and google maps on, and I'm particularly good with navigation (skill learned in the army) - and we still didn't understand what happened there. :)))))

Thanks a lot for the feedback. I appreciate it. This gives me a good feeling, since I'm almost never happy with what I post, like it's never good enough. :)

I totally opposite of you @vladcraciun:p, i was a bad navigator, even with google map or gps well prepared. I always navigate it to another direction. I guess because of my judgement, i always cannot figure out when gps mentioned 200m then left turn. If it happen have 2 junction in 200m, i would panic and cannot decide which junction should I turn, and always I would went in a wrong way

You guys had mad fun, it seem... Well, with a bit of disappointments. Lol!

Its funny how google maps played of you guys, lol! I never use that stuff probably because I hardly travel around but whenever I travel to a new city, I do well to call up someone I know for direction. I guess that is somewhat better but well, you don't always have people you know in all towns. Lol

I think its amazing that even though time have changed, there is still those little bits of history (maybe more than bits?)lying around to be experinced and enjoyed by people. People still use the Mocanita for the same purpose it was made?

You probably should go get that permit someday,may e it will make the experience even much better

So glad you honored the invitation,it sure made you travel back in time. Lol!well,except for the tourist disrupting your journey back in time...😀

Haha, yeah, we had a little bit of fun. I don't usually use google maps, as I noticed I don't pay attention to the surroundings anymore, which I don't like. So, lesson learned. :D

Yeah, Mocanita is still used to get wood from the forest back down into the village. And yes, I asked some people if it's possible to get a special permit and they said you can rent the whole train for photo tours and do whatever you want. They were a bunch of photographers and paid the equivalent of $500 for a day. It's a lot, but if there's enough of them, the price per person might be worth it.

And about tourists, well... I was also one of them. :)

Hahahah! Yeah, true... It does help disconnect one to the surrounding, and it isn't always the best...

$500 is quite much but maybe the experience will be worth it and as you said,if they are a number of them coming over then it will be a bit cheap... You have plans of hooking up with them (or maybe renting it yourself) anytime soon?

Hahahah! Yes yes, you were.... But we could have excused you since you are to bring cool photos along. Lol! You wanna say you are part of the "problem"? Lol!

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Cool... I would like to take pictures of the mountains and the train... they look very cool... And this photo where is this cool warm color on the mountain wall and train fume .... it let me think in my head it can look very cool there :)
Hi from Estonia ... here start also winter :)
soon it is back -20 here :)))


Hey there. Thanks for stopping by and for your feedback. Come and visit one day. ;)

Here it's still warm enough so far. Almost +20 during the day. :D

Cool... I like warm days :)
Here winter go -20 ... so I can just dream warm :)))

A story which not only takes you back in time but also ignites the desire in you to visit the places described so eloquently. Effortless story-telling!

Oh boy!
That's an awesome trip!
Is that a one week trip?
I guess its only a day lol
I guess I'm mixed up lol

Anyways, your blog is fantastic and congratulations on @curie upvote!
You made it!

Thanks a lot @ronel. Well, the whole vacation lasted for a week, but I only described one day - the one with the train, plus some bits of the first day - the one on the road. ;)

Oh I see!
Thank you so much for the reply, spending your precious time with me.
I'd seen your profile says, 'Living life upside down.'
Why is that?
Sorry for asking you that.

Haha. There are a lot of people - friends, family - who live what they say 'normal lives', meaning a regular 9 to 5 job, steady income, a family, normal dreams, a house, a car, a TV and no other hobbies or passions, while I'm most of the times the opposite of that. My mom always asks me when will I get back to a normal life? From her point of view, I never had one. :D

And I don't really want one. My biggest dream right now is to buy a motorbike and ride around South America for a few months while working remote. So, yeah, my life is kind of upside down if you see it from a classic point of view. But the world and its views about life are changing.

Oh yeah!
Thanks for that wonderful explanation man, you're awesome!

Making a difference in life is done by a few like you.
And its not really that everybody is working then I should work. Everybody is enjoying then I will enjoy too, Everybody is eating breakfast then I should eat too.
I myself no longer eat breakfast for more than 2 years now lol

We drove one of those bus on tracks in Bolivia! It was crazy!

Oh, Bolivia. I'll get there at some point.
Have you written about that ride? I'd love to check it out. ;)

Yes, this is our Bolovia Blog:

http://bolivia.for91days.com/

And this is the article about the bus on tracks:

http://bolivia.for91days.com/from-sucre-to-potosi-by-train/

If you like, I can give you our Bolivia eBook. If you do .. find me on discord and I give you the download instruction.

Oh, wonderful, thank you very much. I will. :)

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Dear @vladcraciun,

Your story attracted our attention and we would like to introduce our tag #archisteem that could provide you with some extra support. For your information, we are currently running the project – 1001 Places to Remember. Your content is a fit for the project and could be qualified for the 10 Steem reward biweekly contest.

It would be great if we can have this story of yours included in the project. If you agree, please reply to us.

Do drop by and take a look :) Hope to see you around soon.

Stay tuned and Steem on!

Sincerely from,

@archisteem and team

Sure, you can include it. ;)

I see that you were not that happy about your ride. I also hate too many people around me and that's why I try to avoid touristy areas as they're driving me mad. I hate people in my photos :D Sometimes I have to wait for about 5 minutes to get a good photo. And you know what is the worst? When someone with a smartphone go in front of you while seeing that you trying to get photos with your camera. So ignorant!

Anyway, even though it was not worth the money that you paid for the ticket I like your photos a lot. The combination of Mocanita and forest in autumn is great. This train fits perfectly in the nature.

And I'm sorry to hear about your issues with google maps. It happened to us a few times as well and it's very annoying. It doesn't even recalculate but always sends you to the same road. Grrrr :D

Thank you for sharing and have a nice evening!

Hey, thanks for stopping by.

It's not like it was something very bad, it was just amusing. We had a lot of fun. Especially with the highway and google maps part. We didn't even care about the situation, we were just puzzled because all three of us were drivers, two had the gps on, I'm particularly good at land navigation (army style), but we still managed to go the wrong way. Somehow. :)))

And people like that are everywhere, even more in touristic areas, so I was expecting it.

Thanks a lot again for your feedback and have a lovely evening as well. ;)

Howdy from Texas vladcracium! wow you are such a good writer, you made this post such a delite to read because of your sense of humor! This was very fun and of course the photos are all gorgeous so congratulations on a well deserved curie vote! Great job.

Is there a way that you can just ride the train with the lumber workers next time?

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