Miruna Again Because there were a few sites Miruna wanted to show me, we were off again. HOWEVER, I had to meet Miruna in the middle of the city so I jumped on BUS 301 and made it to my destination. I will not be defeated by a bus! Our first stop was a tour of the palace where past kings and queens lived when Romania was ruled by such. It was beautiful but nothing compared to the gold and size of the housing for the Sultans in Istanbul. As Miruna eloquently put it (and properly learned in school), "But the [View Full Entry]

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I Almost Died and NOT From BUS 301! Remember I said you could get ANYTHING from that Spice Bazaar in Istanbul? Well, Turkey is known for its dates and figs...they are to die for! Literally! OK, Denise, read the travel guide. Be careful in Turkey...don't drink the water, beware of fruits and vegetables, and don't drink excessively. I obeyed 2 out of 3. I did purchase some dried fruit and enjoyed them once we returned to Bucharest. They WERE to die for...24 hours later, I thought I was going to die. Doug and I think that's what we can trace the [View Full Entry]

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Hi everyone we are pleased to report that Bert, our 30 year old Bedford camper van has now made it past Istanbul :-) Since our last post in Greece, we did a big push east, and including one last day on the med, we rolled into Istanbul to look for a camping ground. The Turkish driving skills were similar to the Greeks, except a lot more angry and aggressive. In particular, Sandra had both a driver and a passenger honking, shouting, gesturing and eventually throwing an empty water bottle at us, all for driving in the fast lane at only 20 [View Full Entry]

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todo todo todo todo [View Full Entry]

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LIFE WAS MUCH BETTER TODAY No bus today--I was blessed by my Big Brother (he felt guilty for my Bus Fiasco) with a guide and "escort driver" to take me to special Bucharest sites. We had a great time--it was so neat to see sites and hear the views of native Romanians on what we were seeing. Catalin was our driver and did a WONDERFUL job navigating/going to battle in the Bucharest traffic. You really have to be able to drive a tank to make it here! Catalin is a brave soul. Miruna, a high school student, would like to be [View Full Entry]

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Majorly Duped! So last night we went out and enjoyed a nice dinner. On the way, Big Brother wanted to stop by a grocery store by the mall to pick up needed items. It took us about 3 minutes to get there!! Seems as though I could have walked to the mall yesterday at least 1.34 million times in the time I spent riding the Bucharest Bus To Hell and Back! Duped by Big Bro. Today is a Not Riding The Bus day. Doug needs some of his Mother's American Food so I'm cooking chicken and dumplings--he will learn to make [View Full Entry]

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Well, Almost Everyone! Day 2 in Bucharest: I must be out of my mind! Doug's housekeeper is a sweet lady named Ms. Elana. Our first acquaintance was during my visit last year. One day when Doug was at work and Matt and I were still in the apartment before our day's excursion, Ms. Elana unlocked the door to find me standing in the living area. She was startled, apparently not knowing I was there and surely not knowing who I was. (She and Doug rarely see each other.) When she opened the door last year, I noticed that she started to [View Full Entry]

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Day 3 Late waking, due to a heavy international poker session the previous night involving locals of the hostel and assorted others. Valiant attempts from all, most notably Mr McGregor's four hour marathon and the Mopsy/Puddleduck contingent who came a respectable 3rd. Unfortunately, Flopsey pulled out after 15 minutes because he was wilting. In the morning we visited the Museum of the Romanian Peasant, in which we were stalked by strangely intimidating middle-aged women, who were ready to pounce at the slightest hint of an exposed camera. Nevertheless, we overcame the unsettling tension to enjoy the incredibly uninformative pile of old [View Full Entry]

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Whew! Finally landed for good for a few days. My flight from Tulsa was at 8:10 a.m.; 26 hours later, I found the smiling, familiar face of my brother Doug. It was so good to speak to someone who could understand me! Of course, to pass the time in the air, I always desire to be seated by someone whom I can make casual conversation with. The Tulsa to Houston trip was very enjoyable in that I sat next to a young lady from Broken Arrow who had been living in Los Angeles for the past three years. Matt, you would [View Full Entry]

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Day 1: Terminal 5 = magic, especially B Gates? B gates gut yes, well. We left Mopsy's at 2 am for a 6 20 flight, the taxi only took an hour. Wayne if you're out there, you're a real hero. but, unbeknown to us, check-in didn't open till 5 15 so we were forced into socialising with DJ Shadow and his 20 plus entourage, striking up a particularly close bond with the mental nuts Australian sound engineer/drug supplier. even weirder was that they were on the same flight as us. turns out UNKLE were playing a festival in Bucharest. anyway back [View Full Entry]

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