Blogs from Moldova, Europe - page 8

Ok, So, 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 works!! She then paid for the taxi to the city centre and finally found an ATM that I can get money and pay her for the taxi ride.... Anyways, she brought me close enough to my hostel and I managed to walk there. Got there and guess what!? The owner of the hostel took a day off!!!!..i did book a bed....but there was no bed available!!! ahhh..gonna have ... read more

That is where the real adventure started. day3/Easter monday arrived at 9am in Chisinau (or Kisinew in Russian) - first challenge: to find a working cash machine - couldn't find one (tried 2 different cards at approx. 6 cash machines) - walked with luggage towards city centre - finally were lucky and found an open bank branch which gave us a cash advance (really lucky!) - first destination: McDonald's (still the very best adress for clean toilets) - had a cup of coffee and then started exploring ithe sights of Chisinau (theatre, government building, presidential palace, asf.) - around 2 o'clock we started to become hungry and were thinking about a place where to have lunch - our first choice (jewish restaurant) was unfortunately closed - went to another place (not far) - had very ... read more

Hello, Friends and Family -- Wendy and Adrienne here. We thought we would take advantage of our last evening here in Istanbul to upload a few photos of the orphans -- despite the very slow wireless network. Hope you enjoy the pics. The only thing we miss about Moldova are these children.... read more

Here are some of the photos of where we lived in Chisenau, Moldova.... read more

Hello Again, Friends and Family -- Adrienne and Wendy here. It's our last day, and time to describe all the tidbits of cultural differences we have experienced here. We hope you will be amused by them. Walking in Chisenau Sidewalks as we know them in the U.S. do not exist in Chisenau. At best they are blobs of pavement, but never are they without cracks, holes, and ever-present mud and dirt. Often there are deep holes that have no cover or warning. How people keep from falling into them is a mystery to us. And, how women can walk on them at all in their spike heels is also a mystery. The downtown streets are crowded like Times Square on New Year's Eve -- every day. Walkers crash into one another regularly, and we've become experts ... read more