Blogs from Bucharest, Muntenia, Romania, Europe - page 16

10:45 was the planned time for leaving the hostel, however once we had found Justine and accumulated another member of our traveling party it was after eleven. We opted to forgo breakfast for an extra half an hour in bed, it sounds like nothing, but when you're living in dorm rooms half an hour is a lot of time. Justine and Dan, both Americans were both heading to Bucharest so we all decided to go together. They are both catching flights out of Bucharest this evening so they stored their bags in our hostel until they left. We had to catch a bus to the train station which left us very short of time. When the train arrived we sat in a second class carriage that was unoccupied and settled down for a nice journey. We ... read more

It was a straightforward drive from Pitesti to Bucharest, down a non-crowded motorway. On the outskirts of the city we met up with a young local man called Florin to whom we had been introduced through one of Eddie Priscott”s friends. Florin was a charming man who spoke excellent English and was delighted to show us around his city. He was driving an old Toyota Landcruiser (sporting Frogsisland4x4 logos!) which made our cars look pristine. We had a spare walkie-talkie which Florin used to keep us together as we drove into the city. The traffic was by now ghastly and it took us ages to reach the heritage museum he wanted us to see. The city lacked much charm. It was peppered with high-rise flats built of bland concrete to a typical design from the communist ... read more

Redeeming Bucharest Just as our first day in Budapest was not a fair means of judging the city, neither was our first in Bucharest arriving exhausted from a noisy, cold, smoky train only to be greeted by intransigent taxis plying their rip-off tactics. Romania, like China, seems to be a place where the only way to thoroughly enjoy it is to have at least a fundamental understanding of the culture and the way things work. Being a polite tourist doesn’t work, you’ll get treated like garbage and get overcharged, walking away wondering what you did wrong. Better equipped from the first day (but clearly needing a few more day’s practice), we walked the streets of Bucharest starting with Ceausescu’s Palace of Parliament. Well, don’t forget that Romania is like China, so when we arrived at the ... read more

The trip took a total of 13 flight hours with an hour layover at JFK but the hours flew by quickly. First class to Europe is definitely the way to go and I can see why some people (you know who you are) refuse to travel unless they get first class. Too many upgrades to mention, but the biggest advantage was a fully reclining leather seat in which I actually was able to sleep for several hours with a mask over my eyes and a noise cancelling headset playing ocean waves over my ears. I feel already adjusted to the time change, which is odd considering it's a 9 hour time difference from Utah but I guess it helps that I didn't sleep much before I left. Once at the airport I boarded a public bus ... read more

I posted a comment, but in case some of you are having trouble (hopefully not at this point...and if you are, don't be shy - let me know!) I THANKED ALL OF YOU for your feedback, comments, emails, messages...it means a lot! This "live time journal sharing" is a kick...and because I've been having my moments lately, missin' you all, your feedback helps a lot! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! 41? C'mon..wake me up, will ya? I'm in Bucharest...and I have to say, I'm laying low. Andre drove Jerry and Cynthia to the airport this morning (arrived 8:30ish, left Brasov at 5:30am). He then dropped me off at my hotel. He also stuck around to help me send a box of my crap homeat the P.O., and I'm glad he did - what a process! And I've ... read more