http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Europe , Moldova en-us Wed, 02 Dec 09 00:22:58 +0000 Wed, 02 Dec 09 00:22:58 +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 Transnistria Wikipedia Transnistria Having met our new dutch friends Vicky no longer felt obliged to go to a territory where she might never come back from so I Fiona headed off for the adventureObviously given the night before it was rather a later start than planned... but we made it to the central bus station around midday and headed off to Transnistria in a negotiated private car with s http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/Transnistria/Tiraspol/blog-426427.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 Moldova once part of Romania has the unhappy distinction of being Europe's poorest country. Historically due to its strategic location on a route between Asia and Europe Moldova was repeatedly invaded Bastarns Sarmatians Goths Huns Avars Magyars and the Mongols all fought over this small country. Recently the 1998 financial crisis in Russia Moldova's main economic partner at the time http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/blog-410805.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 1994 This blog is not filled with the historical events that have made Moldova what it is today. Because the past is not important the struggle of daily life is all that matters to its people now.How the country got into the situation it now finds itself in is not important because it cannot be changed. The fight for a better future is all that matters to its people. To ha http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/North/Balti/blog-352454.html my first month in Moldova http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/North/Balti/blog-333555.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 Early morning we got ready to do a day trip to Tiraspol capital of the self proclaimed republic of Transnistria perhaps only Russia recognizes it anyway you cant stay for longer than 68 hours in the area if you try to spend the night will be lots of hassle there is a border we need to cross and we heard bad things about the way customs deal with foreigners says our homestay host but we reall http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/Transnistria/Tiraspol/blog-318917.html Hellohere are some pix from my first days in Balti Moldova. Hope you get the same nice first impression that I had. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Moldova/North/Balti/blog-318225.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