I am currently in the Cluj Napoca International Airport...just finished the one week audit in Bistrita and we're just waiting for the plane.
Of course there is already a 30 minutes delay announced and I thought I can take advantage and write a little post about my week in Bistrita.
It's not my first time in Bistrita, but the thing that impressed me the most and which I haven't noticed before was the huge amount of storks living on the way from Cluj Napoca to Bistrita, about 120 km.
In each village, on most of the electricity poles there were one, two or even three storks...younger, older...they were just staying, relaxing in their own nest. Some places the local authorities even helped them a little bit by installing a metal stand on the pole so that they won't build the nest right on the electricity wires. There were also couples flying, almost floating on air with their large wings spread. Wonderfull birds, respected and loved by the locals.
Have to go!
Love you. Take care.
Friday 29 July 2011
Friday 22 July 2011
New plans...new adventure...
It all started from a legal day off...the 15th of August was declared last year day off by the Romanian state, so ever since spring I have began thinking which was the best way to take advantage of it and spend an extended weekend.
The road trip is schedule to start on the 12 of august, Friday evening with the return in Bucharest on the 21st.
We still are looking for volunteers...so if it arises your curiosity you know where to find me.
Love u. Take care.
A friend came on night with the idea to visit Chisinau, the capital city of our neighbour country Moldova...and that's when I thought a little farther and propose Kiev.
Since then, me and my travelling best friend researched for a possible road trip to Ukraine. We've read blogs and travel guides, we've talked to people and ended up with a plan of 9 days :)...if we leave we might as well do it with style...and here is the final result:
The road trip is schedule to start on the 12 of august, Friday evening with the return in Bucharest on the 21st.
We still are looking for volunteers...so if it arises your curiosity you know where to find me.
Love u. Take care.
Monday 18 July 2011
Sunday story
So yesterday evening was Monumental ... I do not even know where to start
It all began around 8 am when I went to the trains station to pick up a french girl coming from sofia and staying with me for some days. The first surprise was the incredible delay of the train (205 min)...but she finally get there around 10 am. She came out of the train together with a dutch couple and I felt the need to helped them out so I took them to the location of their accommodation.
It all began around 8 am when I went to the trains station to pick up a french girl coming from sofia and staying with me for some days. The first surprise was the incredible delay of the train (205 min)...but she finally get there around 10 am. She came out of the train together with a dutch couple and I felt the need to helped them out so I took them to the location of their accommodation.
The middle of the day was uneventful...we had lunch, a walk in the park, a nap and the fun started at 6 pm when we went to meet up with a guide who offered "Walking Free" tours of the city (the first time I've heard of such a thing)...and the guy organizing the tour was quite good with the stories
We met him, the dutch couple from the train station and some other foreign people in the Unirii square and from there, with a group of about 20 persons we left for the old city center.
Inevitably I got to talk to some of the other people in the group - as I was talking in English with my french couchsurfer everyone else thought I was foreign too
All well and good until one of the other five came to me and showed me a calendar with some of the most known sites in Romania (thinking I was foreign and all of that was new to me) ... and I just wanted to make small talk and tried to ask him about their plans in Romania, but he didn't understand I word I was saying so we called one of the guys that did know English.
The guy comes and we began to talk in English about their future plans - he tells me that they have to spend 11 days in Romania , two in Bucharest, go 2 days in the Danube's Delta, then Brasov, Cluj and so on until Maramures, because one of them is from Romania ... and guess who exactly the one I was tormenting to understand myself with... the I just looked at the guy and told him in Romanian:"then we can talk in Romanian" and then he just burst in laugh and "You're romanian...why didn't you say so?" ... and all hell broke loose...I was talking in Romanian with the Romanian guy...he was translating in Spanish to the rest of the guys and the ones knowing English were talking to me in English
As we were going alone our tour, the storm brakes loose... things start falling from buildings, trees and branches flying and soon enough rain started to pour by the bucket and that's when we started running (it was about 10 min) towards the Old Town and we all got in the basement of a restaurant
We began talking again, just to settle what each one of us was doing in Bucharest and the plans for the future and I just heard my french friend she would like to accompany the 7 spanish guys in their trip up north:))
that was all ... I'll keep you posted on the spanish-french adventure of my 8 new friends:))
Love u. Take care.
We met him, the dutch couple from the train station and some other foreign people in the Unirii square and from there, with a group of about 20 persons we left for the old city center.
Inevitably I got to talk to some of the other people in the group - as I was talking in English with my french couchsurfer everyone else thought I was foreign too
There was this group of seven individuals from Spain ... yeah, my favorite people ... of which only two understood and spoke English ... so you can imagine how the other five kept trying to know what the hell was going on :))
All well and good until one of the other five came to me and showed me a calendar with some of the most known sites in Romania (thinking I was foreign and all of that was new to me) ... and I just wanted to make small talk and tried to ask him about their plans in Romania, but he didn't understand I word I was saying so we called one of the guys that did know English.
The guy comes and we began to talk in English about their future plans - he tells me that they have to spend 11 days in Romania , two in Bucharest, go 2 days in the Danube's Delta, then Brasov, Cluj and so on until Maramures, because one of them is from Romania ... and guess who exactly the one I was tormenting to understand myself with... the I just looked at the guy and told him in Romanian:"then we can talk in Romanian" and then he just burst in laugh and "You're romanian...why didn't you say so?" ... and all hell broke loose...I was talking in Romanian with the Romanian guy...he was translating in Spanish to the rest of the guys and the ones knowing English were talking to me in English
As we were going alone our tour, the storm brakes loose... things start falling from buildings, trees and branches flying and soon enough rain started to pour by the bucket and that's when we started running (it was about 10 min) towards the Old Town and we all got in the basement of a restaurant
We began talking again, just to settle what each one of us was doing in Bucharest and the plans for the future and I just heard my french friend she would like to accompany the 7 spanish guys in their trip up north:))
Around 9.30pm ... we moved to Caru cu Bere ... they had "sarmalute" and "mititei" until 12pm, keep on talking all the way through the dinner:) and it was getting crazy as every time I attempt to explain something and I couldn't make myself understood in English, I talked with the romanian guy and he translated into Spanish...or the other way around:))
Around 12 we said our goodbyes, wishing everyone a great romanian adventure. I left Caru cu Bere with my french friend and the guide ... I was tried to walk home so we wanted to try to take the famous night buses and I don't know how exactly we found exactly the one with a control on it. I saw them from the beginning but it was to late to leave the bus so I just told the guide we should pretend we are foreigners and we don't understand anything. And then was when the show began. We started arguing with them (a guy and a woman), but they kept on asking for money, we kept on playing dumb...until the bus stopped in front of a police car:))...and the circus continued with the cops too...until my french friend gave up and paid them the fine(50 ron for all three)
that was all ... I'll keep you posted on the spanish-french adventure of my 8 new friends:))
Love u. Take care.
Tuesday 12 July 2011
The crater
Summer has finally kicked in...36 degrees in the shade and un-breathable air...that's what we got this weekend.
And if that was not enough I don't know if it's only me but I think this city is becoming a huge crater. Everywhere I went this weekend and even on my way to work there are everywhere digging sites...and we all know how good they are at making holes and leaving them like that.
Let's take alone the old city center, which has been a construction site for the past years and no real progress can be noticed. Even the works done last years are being repaired over and over again. The streets are full of sand, sewer holes and all kinds of traps.
This is Romania...like it or not we live in it so we have to accept it.
Love u. Take care.
Friday 1 July 2011
The first step towards a new adventure
Ever since I came back from India I was thinking of the next great adventure. It's easy to dream and to think that someday you may get the opportunity to visit the places you go when you are sleeping...but if you don't take some chances and trust yourself you will never make it.
Yesterday I made the first step, the most important one - buy the plane ticket - to a new and wonderfull adventure: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil...more exactly the Rio Carnival.
The Crnival of Brazil is an annual festival held forty-six days before Easter. Carnival celebrations are believed to have roots in the pagan festival of Saturnalia, which, adapted to Christianity, became a farewell to bad things in a season of religious discipline to practice repentance and prepare for Christ's death and resurrection.
Rhythm, participation, and costumes vary from one region of Brazil to another. This carnival is heavily influenced by African-Brazilian culture. Crowds follow the trio electricos floats through the city streets.
The carnival is the most famous holiday in Brazil and has become an event of huge proportions. The country stops completely for almost a week and festivities are intense, day and night, mainly in coastal cities. The consumption of beer accounts for 80% of annual consumption and tourism receives 70% of annual visitors.
Yesterday I made the first step, the most important one - buy the plane ticket - to a new and wonderfull adventure: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil...more exactly the Rio Carnival.
The Crnival of Brazil is an annual festival held forty-six days before Easter. Carnival celebrations are believed to have roots in the pagan festival of Saturnalia, which, adapted to Christianity, became a farewell to bad things in a season of religious discipline to practice repentance and prepare for Christ's death and resurrection.
Rhythm, participation, and costumes vary from one region of Brazil to another. This carnival is heavily influenced by African-Brazilian culture. Crowds follow the trio electricos floats through the city streets.
The carnival is the most famous holiday in Brazil and has become an event of huge proportions. The country stops completely for almost a week and festivities are intense, day and night, mainly in coastal cities. The consumption of beer accounts for 80% of annual consumption and tourism receives 70% of annual visitors.
7 months and 12 days to go:))
Love u. Take care.
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