OK, I have a confession to make. I took candy from a stranger. An old, European, male stranger. I figured it was safe because he was eating it too, but, in hindsight, I should probably be more careful. He may have laced it with some deadly poisonous yet completely undetectable poison that he has spent years building up an immunity to, like Wesley's cunning plot to overthrow Vizzini. This guy doesn't look devious, but he might be Sicilian, and I should know better than to engage in a battle of wits with a Sicilian when death is on the line.
Anyone who hasn't seen or read the Princess Bride should still stay with me, I may start making more sense. The guy I took candy from sat across from me on the train, and murmured "ahhhhhhhhhhh romania" as we crossed the border. Any reference to this country reminds me of the Count on Sesame Street, so I have spent the last day and a half thinking "one... ah ah ah.... two... ah ah ah". Thank God I'm leaving tomorrow!
In typical Chani fashion, I missed the stop at Brasov and ended up in Predeal, which is a little ski
resort town. Its really pretty, surrounded by snow topped mountains with some pretty mean looking slopes (and I should know, because I've watched skiing a couple of times on TV... I even know people who've done it). I toyed with the idea of staying there for a night, but it was quite expensive. So onto Brasov...
Which is the most beautiful town! I mean like stupid pretty, its absolutely amazing. Quite expensive (for Romania, which is like being quite tall, for Chani), but a very very very easy place to spend time in. I spent the better part of yesterday afternoon just strolling around, and would've been quite happy to do that today, but luckily one of the girls at the hostel dragged me to see Bran Castle this morning, and its now raining, so will have to venture out again when it clears up. Bran Castle is itself completely devoid of any reference to Dracula and/or Vlad the Impaler... but as soon as you walk outside you are bombarded with Dracula merchandise. The displays within the Castle focus on the last royal family to live there, King Ferdinand and Co, early last century. And it was kind of
boring, to be honest. But I'm glad I went, just because it would be a little silly to go to Transylvania and not go to Bran Castle.
So tomorrow morning I will get on a train to Bucharest, then on another one to Istanbul... I'll arrive just after 9:00 in the morning on Friday. Got myself a hostel booked in Sultanahmet and they will come and get me from the train station, so its all quite ridiculously easy... the whole trip has been, really. People are very helpful! I'm half worried that I'm kind of rushing this part so I can get to the beach, but, there are worst things in life I could be doing. I'm just so tired! 24 hours on a train may or may help with that.
anyway, love and good stuff xx
Romania's Flag
Map of Romania