16th-17th September 2014
Packed, unpacked and re-packed, ready for my month's volunteer experience in Transylvania, Romania. Case topping 20kg, full of specialist tape, therabands, books and DVDs for the physiotherapists, and more books, games, coloured pencils, pens and other paraphernalia for the children. Not much room left for clothes, but I've hopefully got the essentials.
'The one who is never sick' has inconveniently developed a sore throat this last couple of days - normally the sign of my 'once-in-3-years' cold, which is about a year overdue: great timing, Angela! Still, with the glut of tomatoes that have ripened this past week, I've been eating them like sweets, and they are supposed to be full of infection-fighting vitamin C, so here's hoping.
At last on the train to Birmingham International Airport, and arrived by 11:30 pm. Sat down in one of the comfortable chairs on the Arrivals floor to sort out my stuff, and was swiftly moved on by an airport official, who told me that the empty rows of comfortable seats were reserved for people requiring special assistance - but that if I went upstairs to Departures, there would be 'plenty of seats, if you want to take a nap'. Wearily dragged my heavy case up the stairs, to find precisely three easy chairs - all occupied. Is this the best Birmingham Airport can do? Tried a sandwich area where there appeared to be some cushioned benches, but was told it was closed.
Nothing for it but to bed down on the floor: hard, uncomfortable and cold. Sleep impossible, and just as I was giving up, a friendly policewoman patrolling the area suggested going downstairs to Costa Coffee, which she said would be open. and more comfortable.
The night finally passed, and the flights were uneventful; and after one violent sneeze and just five minutes of a runny nose, my 'cold' appeared to be more or less over. (Perhaps the tomato therapy really worked!) Spent a bit of time flicking through my Hungarian phrase book (70% of the population around Gheorgheni, where I'll be based for most of the time, apparently speak Hungarian). Unlike Romanian, which bears some resemblance to Italian and other Roman languages, Hungarian is closely related to no other language, except possibly Finnish (I'm told). A glance at the 'Transport and Travel'' pages was not encouraging, the key words being shown as 'cancelled', 'strike', 'delayed'' and 'late'. The word order was also going to be a challenge. Lonely Planet example:
I buy apples in the shop not bananas.
Apple buy-I the shop-in not banana!
(Oh my Lord . . . . )!
It was only then that I remembered that although Hungarian was the primary language in the area I would be based, in Brasov and in Sibiu, where I would be spending the first couple of days, it was Romanian that I would need - and I had none!
We arrived at Bucharest Otopeni airport on time, just after 3 pm, Romanian time. Leaving the plane, I walked through to the baggage re-claim, and already there in front of me was my case - amazing! A quick lesson at the information desk taught me (phonetically) my first word of Romanian: 'Motor Messy'' (thank you) would surely be used extensively over the next few days.
I was directed to the area where the maxitaxis (minibuses) were assembled, and asked the nearest driver about one to Brasov. He made a quick call, and within five minutes, the Brasov driver had appeared. ('Motor messy') Had I got a reservation? Never mind, he could take me anyway: we just had to wait a little while for some more passengers. Did I want wifi? (After 16 hours'travelling and no sleep, no thanks.) His vehicle had wifi and air conditioning, he told me proudly, as he puffed on his cigarette. (Too bad the seat belts were broken.) Ten minutes later, we had another passenger: a Bulgarian man, who was rather twitched about having to wait. To pass the time, our driver helped me to add to my Romanian emergency vocabulary list (hello, good morning, how much is a ticket, where is the bank, etc.) He was a diligent teacher - there was even a test!
An hour later, a young Romanian woman joined us, so now, nearly two hours after my flight had arrived, our driver decided it was time to go: with his mobile phone held permanently to his ear, we made it as far as a petrol station and filled up - at which point we had to turn back, because now there were three more passengers to pick up, due to the wonders of the mobile phone. (Bulgarian passenger nearly flips!)
Shortly before 5:30, we were finally on our way for the 150-km journey, speeding our way along a major road - the mobile phone still permanently glued to our driver's ear, now for an extended conversation with a female friend. We continued on our way for nearly an hour, at which point we stopped: 'for a pee or some tea, whatever you want,' explained the young Romanian woman. (Clearly a 'fag and coffee' break for the driver.)
We made it to Brasov just before 8pm, and I soon found my way to Çentrum House hostel, in a small alleyway off a wide, cobbled, pedestrianised street called 'Republicii'. Up a lot of steps, it was nevertheless clean and modern, having recently been refurbished. Some of the walls were attractively adorned with paintings, and in the kitchen ('real' coffee and tea provided free-of-charge), a large whiteboard had been divided into columns, with lots of useful words written in any number of languages, including Russian, Romanian, Hungarian, Spanish, Gaelic, Italian and French.
Thursday, Sep 18th
Sunny, but freezing cold morning. Had a pre-breakfast stroll around the old part of the town including the 'Black church', just a few minutes' walk from the hostel.
According to the receptionist, just because the internet showed there was an 11:30 bus to Sibiu, it didn't mean it 'existed'. Nevertheless, she phoned the bus station, and was assured that it did, and that all I need do was to turn up 30 minutes before departure - which I duly did, only to find both the ticket office and the information desk closed. Popular opinion was that the bus was due at 11:40, and I was shown where to wait - soon to be joined by two local girls. By 11:45 there were more passengers, but still no bus. An 18-seater finally materialised just before noon, and the bus left with 17 of us on board, for the journey which took a little under 2.5 hours.
Sibiu was delightful: a mixture of wide cobbled streets, narrow alleyways, old town walls, historic buildings, many of which were being restored, and modern shops.
By the afternoon, the temperatures were almost tropical. Today was a day of media music competitions/festivities - all at maximum decibels. The 'Smart Hostel' where I was staying was newly opened, and situated in a historic building in the old town walls. The rooms were clean and bright, and there is a tablet laptop available for use by clients. Breakfast is included in the 8 GBP overnight fee.
Ate at 'Mamma's': busy, cheap and cheerful, with plenty of choice - mine being meat balls and fried/roasted potatoes, which were served with a bread roll and shredded cabbage. (I've yet to brave the typical çabbage pie.) Together, it came to the princely sum of 11 lei (about 2GBP). Rounded off the meal with a dark chocolate ice cream, being served from a stall outside.
Spent the remainder of the evening sitting around the kitchen table with the owner and some of his young friends: friendly, sociable and easily able to communicate in English.
Packed, unpacked and re-packed, ready for my month's volunteer experience in Transylvania, Romania. Case topping 20kg, full of specialist tape, therabands, books and DVDs for the physiotherapists, and more books, games, coloured pencils, pens and other paraphernalia for the children. Not much room left for clothes, but I've hopefully got the essentials.
'The one who is never sick' has inconveniently developed a sore throat this last couple of days - normally the sign of my 'once-in-3-years' cold, which is about a year overdue: great timing, Angela! Still, with the glut of tomatoes that have ripened this past week, I've been eating them like sweets, and they are supposed to be full of infection-fighting vitamin C, so here's hoping.
At last on the train to Birmingham International Airport, and arrived by 11:30 pm. Sat down in one of the comfortable chairs on the Arrivals floor to sort out my stuff, and was swiftly moved on by an airport official, who told me that the empty rows of comfortable seats were reserved for people requiring special assistance - but that if I went upstairs to Departures, there would be 'plenty of seats, if you want to take a nap'. Wearily dragged my heavy case up the stairs, to find precisely three easy chairs - all occupied. Is this the best Birmingham Airport can do? Tried a sandwich area where there appeared to be some cushioned benches, but was told it was closed.
Nothing for it but to bed down on the floor: hard, uncomfortable and cold. Sleep impossible, and just as I was giving up, a friendly policewoman patrolling the area suggested going downstairs to Costa Coffee, which she said would be open. and more comfortable.
The night finally passed, and the flights were uneventful; and after one violent sneeze and just five minutes of a runny nose, my 'cold' appeared to be more or less over. (Perhaps the tomato therapy really worked!) Spent a bit of time flicking through my Hungarian phrase book (70% of the population around Gheorgheni, where I'll be based for most of the time, apparently speak Hungarian). Unlike Romanian, which bears some resemblance to Italian and other Roman languages, Hungarian is closely related to no other language, except possibly Finnish (I'm told). A glance at the 'Transport and Travel'' pages was not encouraging, the key words being shown as 'cancelled', 'strike', 'delayed'' and 'late'. The word order was also going to be a challenge. Lonely Planet example:
I buy apples in the shop not bananas.
Apple buy-I the shop-in not banana!
(Oh my Lord . . . . )!
It was only then that I remembered that although Hungarian was the primary language in the area I would be based, in Brasov and in Sibiu, where I would be spending the first couple of days, it was Romanian that I would need - and I had none!
 |
| Brasov |
We arrived at Bucharest Otopeni airport on time, just after 3 pm, Romanian time. Leaving the plane, I walked through to the baggage re-claim, and already there in front of me was my case - amazing! A quick lesson at the information desk taught me (phonetically) my first word of Romanian: 'Motor Messy'' (thank you) would surely be used extensively over the next few days.
I was directed to the area where the maxitaxis (minibuses) were assembled, and asked the nearest driver about one to Brasov. He made a quick call, and within five minutes, the Brasov driver had appeared. ('Motor messy') Had I got a reservation? Never mind, he could take me anyway: we just had to wait a little while for some more passengers. Did I want wifi? (After 16 hours'travelling and no sleep, no thanks.) His vehicle had wifi and air conditioning, he told me proudly, as he puffed on his cigarette. (Too bad the seat belts were broken.) Ten minutes later, we had another passenger: a Bulgarian man, who was rather twitched about having to wait. To pass the time, our driver helped me to add to my Romanian emergency vocabulary list (hello, good morning, how much is a ticket, where is the bank, etc.) He was a diligent teacher - there was even a test!
 |
| Language lesson on Centrum House hostel's kitchen wall |
Shortly before 5:30, we were finally on our way for the 150-km journey, speeding our way along a major road - the mobile phone still permanently glued to our driver's ear, now for an extended conversation with a female friend. We continued on our way for nearly an hour, at which point we stopped: 'for a pee or some tea, whatever you want,' explained the young Romanian woman. (Clearly a 'fag and coffee' break for the driver.)
We made it to Brasov just before 8pm, and I soon found my way to Çentrum House hostel, in a small alleyway off a wide, cobbled, pedestrianised street called 'Republicii'. Up a lot of steps, it was nevertheless clean and modern, having recently been refurbished. Some of the walls were attractively adorned with paintings, and in the kitchen ('real' coffee and tea provided free-of-charge), a large whiteboard had been divided into columns, with lots of useful words written in any number of languages, including Russian, Romanian, Hungarian, Spanish, Gaelic, Italian and French.
I was in an 8-bedded room which I was sharing only with two other younger women: one from Turkey, the other, who introduced herself as 'Bona', from S Korea. I reminded her of her aunt, she told me: hence being bombarded with offers of chocolate and pastry (most of which I resisted), over the next 12 hours! The room came with a small day area, with a table for eating or reading, a set of lockers, and a shower room. Had a stroll along the main street to a large square, bought a snack from the supermarket, had a shower, and crashed out - quite proud that I'd made it through to nearly 10:30.
Thursday, Sep 18th
Sunny, but freezing cold morning. Had a pre-breakfast stroll around the old part of the town including the 'Black church', just a few minutes' walk from the hostel.
According to the receptionist, just because the internet showed there was an 11:30 bus to Sibiu, it didn't mean it 'existed'. Nevertheless, she phoned the bus station, and was assured that it did, and that all I need do was to turn up 30 minutes before departure - which I duly did, only to find both the ticket office and the information desk closed. Popular opinion was that the bus was due at 11:40, and I was shown where to wait - soon to be joined by two local girls. By 11:45 there were more passengers, but still no bus. An 18-seater finally materialised just before noon, and the bus left with 17 of us on board, for the journey which took a little under 2.5 hours.
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| Rope Walk, Brasov |
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| 'Black Church', Brasov |
 |
| Black Church clock |
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Ate at 'Mamma's': busy, cheap and cheerful, with plenty of choice - mine being meat balls and fried/roasted potatoes, which were served with a bread roll and shredded cabbage. (I've yet to brave the typical çabbage pie.) Together, it came to the princely sum of 11 lei (about 2GBP). Rounded off the meal with a dark chocolate ice cream, being served from a stall outside.
Spent the remainder of the evening sitting around the kitchen table with the owner and some of his young friends: friendly, sociable and easily able to communicate in English.
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