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Published: March 27th 2006
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Air Moldova
Fly Air Moldova..its cool.. My Journey to Moldova started at Manchester Airport on a Tuesday afternoon, i sat in the Bar and phone up friend Chaddy who i knew would be working in his shitty Factory Job: "Hi Chad just supping a nice cold beer waiting for my flight to Moldova" I knew he would be jealous of me, i was a bit smug i guess. After hanging up i checked the flight screen to my dismay it was delayed. shit i hope i dont miss my contacting to Romania, first i had to fly to Amsterdam.
Fucking French bastard Air traffic controllers had gone on strike. I had a 2 hour delay in Manchester. We eventually bored the plane and all the way to Amsterdam i was hoping that my flight to Romania had been delayed and i would make my connection.
Just before landing a voice of the intercom said the following connexting flights have all left Amsterdam Airport..Austria, Paris, Brussels it mentioned a few more than last but not least Bucharest...Fucking hell..I still hope that maybe they got it wrong and it was still there waiting for me.
Touch down, exit the plane and running to my gate..If you have never had
Best place for an English Breakie
Best place for an English Breakie. I love this place.. the pleasure of Amsterdam Airport, well i i will tell you now its fucking Huge..It only has one Terminal but man is it a fucking big one. My flight had gone and me and Romania guy er... oh we will call him Vlad walked around the Airport looking for the KLM helpdesk. Vlad had been in Manchester on Business (Software or something). He was a lost soul, i help guide him to the helpdesk and they put us up in a Ibis hotel close to the Airport as the next flight was in the morning at 9.30..I had to ring Bucharest Hostel (Butterfly) and tell them to not send someone to Airport but for them to pick me at 1pm tomorrow. My plan was to stay overnight in Bucharest and then a early morning to Chisinau but all the best of mice and men hey?...
I enjoyed staying at Ibis hotel, with its nice clean rooms with bath and TV its was luxury for me. After a late meal and a couple of beers with Vlad and i lovely hot bath and watched the end of Chelsea European campain to bitter rivals Barcalona. I phoned Marina ( My wife in
Jame Dean
James Dean's sprit is alive and well in Chisinau Chisinau, its a long story will try and do a blog about our wedding in Moldova when i get time) She thought it was amusing. Next morning I awoke very early and dashed down for my breakfast, I ate what i could and then made some ham and cheese sandwiches and wrapped them in a couple of napkins. As i was leaving the restaurant the waiter told me that i could not take them outside, i just ignored him and carried on. I took another bath and got on the bus to the airport.
I Whizzed though Romanian Customs and I am waiting for my lift to the Filaret Bus Station. I have a couple of taxi drivers hassling me but I brush them aside.
Great drive through downtown Bucharest all my memories come flooding back of the last summer of fun and romance spent with Marina. I saw the Minerva hotel where we spent our last night in Bucharest together.
We arrive at Filaret bus station which is about 1mile from the city centre. The German driver who speaks very bad Romanian finds me a Mini bus that is going to Moldova. I tell him to make sure
outside Marina's Flat
It was cold and snowy but worth it.. that bordering crossing is the 24 hour one so I can buy my Visa. I pay him 20 Euros for his services then I pay my 15 euros to the driver and take my seat on the bus, and I wait and I wait and I wait…I speak to a young guy who tells it wont go until if feels up or at 5pm. I look at my watch.. shit I have been sitting for one hour and it was only 3pm. Eventually it feels up and we set off at 4.10pm
So we set off and crawled though the rush hour traffic of Bucharest ( when is it not rush hour) Then up the long road to the Airport pass the the many Labourers in there bright yellow jackets. I had bought the Adult comic "Viz" with me. I read this for awhile but it became so dark in the bus i had to stop. I got speaking to a young student girl called Anna who sat in front of me and i told all about mission to Moldova to see my wife. She was amazed and interested about my story. I dozed for awhile but it was
Welcome to Chisinau
Cool place to have your picture taken... so hard to sleep. For most of the time i just sat and stared into the darkness that is Romania and i mean it was dark. We travelled for hours and hours in near total darkness. Eventually we reached the border ( 12pm) clearing the Romania border was not a problem but at the Moldovan side. I was ordered off the bus and took into a little where they was examing my passport intently. "What is the perpose of visit to Moldova?" "To see my wife" i answered honestly. I was sent across the road to the consulate. My new fried Anna came with me to translate. We had to bang on the window of his office to wake up the guard and then fill out application form and then go to another counter and pay my sixty US dollars for my Visa. ( I now have 4 visas in my Passport). Then back on the bus and we was off into Moldova then after another 2 hours we finnally arrived in Chisinau.We arrived in the Center of Chisinau and i had to get a taxi to her house, i was worried that i would get ripped off but the
Me and the Wife
Near the Airport.. driver of the Mini bus took me to her flat. I pay 50 lei and i dashed up three flights of stairs and knocked on her door. Marina opened the door with a big smile and a kiss for me. I felt like Steve Martin at the end of "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" when he finnally makes it home for thanks giving, pity that John Candy was not with me.The next day i told Marina to get me booked on a flight to Bucharest..I enjoyed the travelling expierance but once was enough.
The days passed by so quick, its like be in the Twilight zone where times seems to go faster maybe it because they are 2 hours forward to Uk time.
One evening we went to the Cinama to see "Steve Coogan's" new Movie "Alibi" it seemed a bit rubbish but it was had to tell as it was all dubbed into Russian. Marina said she enjoyed it very much. Then later we went downstairs to play Ten Pin Bowling, it was great fun but Marina got a little upset because i am the greatest and she does not like being beaten. The next evening we went to see
The Big house
The Greatest building in the world bar none... a Jazz band at a newly opened Cafe bar, the band was excellent especially their version of the Austin Power's theme tune. We sat with her cousin and her friend Virginia, we had a great night. They had a special offer on: Two Beers for the price of one, i was more than a little drunk when we finally came out into the pouring rain, i splashed in the puddles as we made our way to the Mini bus stop.
At 6pm each evening Svetlana would come around to Marina's flat and give me Russian lessons. She is a really nice lady and she only charged $5 per hour, i would have 3 hours each evening. I learned very much in these intense lessons.
I took over some classic movies for Marina to and i to watch in the evenings as she only has one TV channel that shows english movies the rest are all in Russian or Moldovan.
We watch such classic as Carry on Girls, Carry on Abroad, Groundhog day, The Great Escape, Catch me if you can and the classic tv series Faulty Towers. I love watching these Videos with Marina.
These week passed by far too
new cafe bar
Jazz Club............ quick and then it was time for me to get three flights back home. I had a very early morning flight to Bucharest, so i had a bit a time to kill before my flight to Amsterdam so i took a bus to the Downtown. I walked down to the big house ( The Palace of Parliament) i love this palace it is my favorite building in the whole world.
I had a quick coffee in the Irish bar near the bus stop and then it was back to the Airport.
Back to Rainy old Manchester. So ends my Travelogue.
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Marisha
non-member comment
to be continued...
It's so nice to reading your story and seeing the photos of us on this page xxxx Honey, write about your Russian lessons and places you like the most in Chisinau xxxx Marisha www.marisha.net