Hi, we had a wonderfull time on the houseboat Anastasia. I could not imagine that we we saw such a different kind of birds.
I hope we dont have frightend the goose ,pelicans and comorans too much. We will come back certainly .
Thank you so much
Elena +Jens
April 2009
My memories of the Danube Delta are deeply buried in time... One first experience was in the '60s, when I was only 15, I believe. At that time I was busy "mastering" a FED2, a Russian copy of the Leica... I started coming to Sfintu Gheorghe, Portita or Sulina every summer, as a high school and then as a undergrad student. Later in my career, I had the chance to capture two research contracts around here for extracting guanin (the pearly pigment) from the fish scales and skin. That, in particular, was indeed some interesting and valued time I spent here... I left Romania in the late '80s and I didn't come back to this heaven ever since.
As everything happens for a reason, I had the random chance to meet shurub (Ilie Goean) on a relatively decent Romanian photo site and I decided to risk my precious, far-and-away, heavily-earned, 2009 vacation time and to pay him a visit. He didn't say much and accepted me, on a very quiet note, modestly presenting me bed-and-breakfast alternatives and not blindsided advertising his (marvelous) enterprise in any words at all. Nevertheless, he told me two details, which deterred all the hesitation in my mind: 1. as insects don't develop yet, April-May is a very good time for wandering the channels and 2. Delta is one of the most serious environments for taking shots... Well these things I certainly knew from my own experience... Then he added: "six years ago, I deserted my place in Bucharest and I decided to dedicate my whole life and well being to trying to become a wildlife photographer here". Well, I thought to myself, if this is not serious matter, then what is? I think I'll be in some of the best hands this zone may have to offer... a connoisseur and a photographer... happy me!
And indeed, I don't regret any second of my time spent with him, here at the pontoons he manages, in Uzlina, as well as on his boats. Starting with the spacious, clean and cozy rooms, going on with his care for every detail of the food he offered, including the preparation of the delicious sandwiches for the trips and day-overs and ending up with copious dinners and suppers... Later, in the evenings, photographic analyses, big screen TV slide shows were presented for the ones interested... Other guests could watch anything on TV on the second platform. But the day trips on his motorboats conquered my heart forever. It's not the fact that you would feel the crispy clean air of the morning hours, or you were able to smell the freshness of the flooding waters. This you could do with any boat and any boatman... The most important fact for me was that he knows his waterways, his shortcuts through the jungle-like vegetation, his lakes and ponds... he knows the nesting places, the bird colonies, their age and condition, their names and habits. And, maybe the most important thing of all, is that he is interested in taking pictures... he, himself! He stops, he returns and he turns around, he uses camouflage nets and easily provides safety and hiding equipment for all of us... He is always prepared and he is never in a hurry. This gives us, the guests, the pleasure of plentiful time for photo shooting the birds and the landscape (as opposed of trying to literally steal images form the other, more expensive, speedboats, operated by other ventures).
All those practical aspects brought me, personally, the gift of about 200GB of good pictures, definitely some of the best I ever shot in the Delta... and the envy for the other happy Romanian photographers, who definitely have the privilege to live in Romania and to be able to dedicate way more time than I had... My thoughts are to come back as soon as possible, because "the price is right", as they say in the New World about a very well done business!
I'll see you next time in good health, shurub! Thank you!
I spent two days at the end of april 2009 with Iliuta, taking so many pictures... I warmly recommend to work with him for those who want take their time to observe and photography birds and nature. His knowledges of the Delta and places to find birds are high. Leaving very early and coming back very late is not a problem, what I really appreciated! Last word, Iliuta is very sympathic, as all the people who work on the boat. Olivier
Hi people from "FotoDelta",
This is a well made and informative website !
I've been in the Delta in June 2008 and I really liked it,
the hotelship Anastasia and its crew are worth a strong recommandation
for all who really want to explore the Delta.
Peter from Bavaria
