http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/Centre/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Europe , Moldova , Centre en-us Tue, 29 Dec 2009 06:17:21 +0000 Tue, 29 Dec 2009 06:17:21 +0000 Since we have done very little in the last two days of our trip to Moldova what with the first two being eventful enough this posting will probably be more observational about Moldova....Anyway picking up where we left offAfter a team doctor Vicky and nurse Fiona effort on the dutch boys due to the shoddy quality of Chisinau hospital care we dropped them off at the station late in the http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/Centre/Chisinau/blog-427393.html You are planning to visit or need to be in Chisinau in Moldova Still haven't found place to stay It's not too late We offer you cosy and clean modern private accommodation in the centre of Chisinau 1 0r 2 bedrooms Al have everything you need for a comfortable stay fully equipped kitchen spacious bedroom bathroom Wifi internet satelite tv and air conditioner washmachine .....see all on http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/Centre/blog-415230.html As I pulled up to Moldovan passport control my fellow passengers a 7525 mix of Moldovans and Romanians were in hour 7 of having the giggles. I am sure I have never been on a bus that laughed that hard. The girl behind me spoke very good English and gave very honest opinions on my travels. We have been talking we have decided that it would have been better if you had traveled with a tour gro http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/Centre/Chisinau/blog-358526.html Moldova was a destination we had decided on more out of curiosity than a desire to see anything specific. It's skipped over by most visitors to the region because the small nation of about 4.5million people has little to boast about historically or culturally compared with neighbouring Romania or Ukraine.We'd heard and read a few things about its celebrated wine industry as well as corruption and http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/Centre/Chisinau/blog-325707.html We slept in pretty late on the first day in Romania. Then again so did everyone else in our dorm they ended up getting in at 6 am or something. Steve and I walked around for a bit but we happened to be in Bucharest during a rare September heat wave 95 Fahrenheit so we didn't do much sightseeing. However we were both tired of sightseeing anyway. We did eat at this really nice Romanian pla http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/Centre/Chisinau/blog-321859.html After much delay the driver having to go to the police station for some traffic misdemeanor we finally got to the border around 1 am straight forward procedure and we bought some Moldovan lei so we have money for taxi when we get to Chisinau. 6am we are in Chisinau and we negotiated taxi fare to the homestay we booked Jarmo and Tuuka our Finnish friends we met on the bus wanted to come with u http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/Centre/Chisinau/blog-318925.html Groeten uit Chisinau in Moldavi OK wie had er al van dit land gehoord Geef maar toe Het land ligt ingeklemd tussen Oekrane en Roemeni en is een van de armste en corruptste landen van Europa... Omdat ik weer eens geen bereik heb met mijn mobiel nu alweer een berichtje om te laten weten dat ik nog leef Eerst even terug naar Oekrane. Ik had nog niet gemeld dat ik in het restaurant van http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/Centre/Chisinau/blog-301767.html As I travelled a few times to Moldova Chisinau or Kishinev to meet my friend I find out the following and would like t share it with the international travellerPrivate rentals apartments are more popular than staying in hotels here in Chisinau.Why1. More personal and more freedom all home comfort.2. Hotels are very expensive and mostly with old 'Soviet' equipment curtains carpets beds and http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/Centre/Chisinau/blog-243170.html MORNING GLORY Friday 345 in the AM and my Mobile plays the tune ldquothe Entertainerrdquo itrsquos my wake up call for our epic Journey to Moldova. I wake up Marina and Lisa our little 15 month old bundle of joy and we start to get dress and wait for our Taxi. So it beginshelliphellipThe Plan like all good plans are worked out well in advance and are flexible if anything goes wron http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/Centre/Chisinau/blog-239389.html Arriving in Chisinau Airport. Daniel was waiting to pick me up and he drove me through the Botanica district boulevard Dacia as I remember over the bridge directly into the Center district. Turning left and we arrive already at the street Stefan Cel Mare.Only 10 minutes after leaving the airport we stopped in front of tyhe apartment.What a great positif suprise a colorfull very clean and cozy http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/Centre/Chisinau/blog-215841.html HiWant or need to travel to Chisinau or Kishinev capital of Republic of Moldova ex Sovjet Republic and you need lodgingRenting an apartment is very popular here in Chisinau and much cheaper than quality hotels easely 36 times. You are more flexible possibility to invite friends be closer to way of life in Chisinau.A lot of 1 or 2 bedrooms apartments have been the last years redesigned r http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/Centre/Chisinau/blog-213608.html Our bus to Brasov was due to leave at eight in the evening so we decided to spend one last day enjoying the sights of Chisinau. We said out goodbyes to Marco as he was leaving on a different bus later on in the day. Despite having seen most of the sights in Chisinau we still had some museums and points of interest to see. First stop was the local supermarket for breakfast which we ate sitting on http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/Centre/Chisinau/blog-212843.html We had decided to go to the cave monasteries today rather than risk being shot in transdnistr. We got up early with Chris and set off towards the central bus station. Lonely Planet suggested that getting to Orhei cave monasteries would be rather easy so we left Chisinau with minimal research. It took us a while to find the right minibus to Orhei and when we did the only three seats were right at http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/Centre/Chisinau/blog-212837.html Half eight in the morning we dragged ourselves out of bed and got ready as best as possible in that tiny room. A Scottish guy called Chris had arrived in the middle of the night and this morning we found out that he had no money because his cards had been rejected like ours. He had tried so many ATM's that his card had been cancelled. We didn't have much time to chat but we gave him the equivalent http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/Centre/Chisinau/blog-212836.html Due to the room being full of guys and the fact we were awake most of the night we stayed in bed till everyone else had got up. We got up and sorted out some mundane necessities and left the hostel around twelve.We bought breakfast from the local supermarket which consisted of a danish pastry fruit and juice. We sat and ate it on the steps of the cathedral watching people pass. At one point a Rom http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/Centre/Chisinau/blog-211300.html We woke up rather early and left the room as discretely as possible. The girl on the desk rang and ordered us a taxi and we thought told them where we were going. The driver was lovely but it was only when he gave us a map as a gift that we realised we were heading to the wrong bus station. When we did get to the right station he asked around till he found the right bus for us.The driver of the b http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/Centre/Chisinau/blog-211297.html I LOVE YOUTH HOSTELS.. it might be small stuffy hot no internet. BUT it saves me from my problems at least some.... So having a very difficult time getting around and actually travel within Moldova..the microbus system is kinda....all over the place..like Mini vans in HK but its hard to find the terminus.... Anyways LUCKILY there were these Estonians in my hostel one of them spoke Russian http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/Centre/Chisinau/blog-188508.html I LOVE YOUTH HOSTELS..it might be small stuffy hot no internet.BUT it saves me from my problems at least some....So having a very difficult time getting around and actually travel within Moldova..the microbus system is kinda....all over the place..like Mini vans in HK but its hard to find the terminus....Anyways LUCKILY there were these Estonians in my hostel one of them spoke Russian so http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/Centre/Chisinau/blog-184748.html OkSo from Romania on to Moldova...Took the train to Iasi and then the bus to Chisinau....besides hot...nothing much.Met this Moldovian woman on the bus and she couldn't speak much English..very interesting still able to kinda communicate.She was trying to help me to my hostel but I guess she got it wrong...we got off way far from the city centre and no ATM around worksShe then paid for the ta http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/Centre/Chisinau/blog-183913.html Getting to Moldova from Manchester is not easy or cheap as I was soon going to find out. I had 2 options to get there. Plan A was take a flight via Stanstead Airport near London to Chisinau easy eh But expensive 400 plus for a return flight. Plan B Take a flight to Romania via Frankfurt and then take an over night train to Chisinau. Flight would cost 188 and price of the Train Journey was http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/Centre/Chisinau/blog-163136.html