Recollections of Romania March 28 th April 14 th Part 1... Page 1 of 10

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1 Part 1... Page 1 of 10 The thoughts lingered in my mind for months... should we, and can we, embark on another adventure... revisiting ancestral homelands of Eastern Europe... our favorite destinations of Romania, Poland and Ukraine. The cost of travel is becoming excessive... and the tiredness and associated travel burdens of long flights and time zone changes are both becoming difficult to manage as we age. Still, that siren call could not be ignored. Somehow, someway such a trip had to be made. It has been 2½ years since our last visitation and the family ties are as strong as ever. Who knows... perhaps this trip would be the last one we could manage. The die was cast as soon as the pros and cons were weighted... the positives were compelling enough that cost aside the negatives were rendered insignificant. Planning commenced in November 2006 and contact with all families and friends in Europe were completed by mid- January. All were willing to receive us as guests... in fact, rejoiced at the prospect of seeing each other again. Although our trip was at Easter time and nearly all were busy with their full time employment, everyone was willing to re-arrange their schedules to accommodate our arrival and host our stay. In Europe, hospitality is so strongly engrained in the cultures that small inconveniencies are easily overlooked when the bigger issue of receiving foreign guests is taken into account. By mid-february tickets were purchased on line... a bargain at ~$950 each, round trip El Paso to Europe and return. Additional tickets had to be purchased for flights within Europe (Romania to Poland) and the cost was moderate at ~$200 each. We spent an additional month arranging and scheduling the various points and destinations of visitations within each country. This trip will consume a total of 6½ weeks... a lengthy proposition at best and our longest sojourn to date. We had great expectations and longed for success but the strongest appeal was being able to see family and friends again. Tuesday, March 27 th... Flight (Canadair CRJ passengers) leaves El Paso at 12:30 in the afternoon... friend, and fellow gym-rat, Bob drives us to the airport. The convenience (and cost saving) is of immense benefit. United flight departs nearly on time to Denver where we have a 3-hour layover before our Lufthansa (Airbus A passengers) flight leaves for Frankfurt, Germany. The flight includes a horde of young adults who create bedlam with their non-stop noise and obnoxiousness. Civility is a rare ingredient in young travelers and their chaperones were no better. Luckily no turban-heads or screaming infants were on board. The overnight flight should be tolerable. We depart at 17:30. Wednesday, March 28 th... We land in Frankfurt at 11:00 AM and make ready to catch a connecting Lufthansa flight to Bucharest. With a 3-hour layover we explore the airport, mingle in the shops and people-watch. The United States is rapidly becoming a smoke-free country but in Europe the smoking habit is pervasive... the entire airport stinks from cigarette and cigar smoke. Garbage is everywhere... noise is deafening from the constant flow of humanity... and the numerous languages heard make for a surrealistic environment. Duty free shops offer myriad of tempting assortments... most notable being caviar from Russia priced at a moderate 1,800 euros (~$2,400) for 250 grams (approx. ½ pound). We pass on this delicacy and opt for Glennfidich Scotch Whisky at 27 euros. Since anything over 100 ml carry-ons is banned on virtually all world-wide flights the purchase is bagged in a semi-secure clear bag with the receipt. Only then is it allowed as a carry-on. This option is only valid in EU countries... to the US it is not allowed as a carry-on. (This implies no duty-free alcohol purchases for our return). At 15:10 our flight leaves Frankfurt (an hour late)... destination Bucharest. Fellow Romanian passengers are a happy lot... a few even make the sign of the cross in anticipation of a successful take-off. A semi-digestible meal with soft drinks and beer is the in-flight fare. Weather is clear, no turbulence on route. Romania is situated in Southeastern Europe. The country has an area of 237,750 sq. km, being the twelfth largest country in Europe, and a population of over 22,000,000, composed of Romanians, Hungarians and smaller minorities, German, Roma, Ukrainian, Russian, Turkish and many others. Romania is bordered to the North and East by Moldavia and Ukraine, to the Southeast by the Black Sea, to the South by Bulgaria, to the Southwest by Serbia and Montenegro and to the West by Hungary. The People - Romania has 22 million people, 89.5% of whom are Romanian, 6.6% Hungarian, 2.5% Roma or Gypsy,.3% Germans,.3% Ukrainians,.3% Turks,.2% Russians and.3% all others. Religions represented here are: Eastern Orthodox 87%, Protestant 6.8%, Catholic 5.6%, other (mostly Muslim) 0.4%. The country has a very high 98.4% literacy rate. The Romanians - Romanians are descendants of two ancient peoples: the Dacians and the Romans. The Dacians were the original inhabitants of this rich land, but in A.D.106, the Emperor Traianus crossed the Danube river and conquered the territory for Rome. Many Roman soldiers remained there and intermarried with the Dacians, creating a new mix of peoples who were called Romanians. The Romans Latin language was adopted and evolved into today s Romanian. (Traianus's Column in Rome was built by the emperor to commemorate his great victory over the Dacians). Note: In our recollections, at times the tone of the write-up may come across as being critical or judgmental. That is not the intent. We are observers first and foremost and only desire to convey what we have experienced first hand. We have the highest respect for different cultures and only wish to convey our observations good, bad or indifferent. We land at 18:00... Bucharest s Otopeni Airport has undergone some major renovations and passport control and customs was nearly transparent. Cousin Laurentiu greeted us with his usual delight and escorted us to the waiting taxi. Baggage loaded we made every effort to catch up on the happenings in Romania on our way to the city and our rental apartment. The road to town was choked with traffic... it was rushhour (time was 18:30). We measured our progress in inches not miles. A decision was made to take the ring road, a tad longer but hopefully faster. No way... ring road equally choked with cars and especially longhaul trucks. It took us over 45 minutes to travel about 3 miles before we were able to access another road into the city. In the meantime Laurentiu made a call to the rental people that the important foreign guests have arrived and will be at the flat shortly. Taxi fare from airport to city was 80- ron (~$30 USD), that included time from city to airport to meet us. Taxis are still a bargain.

2 Part 1... Page 2 of 10 Rental apartment was with a different firm this time. Previous rentals from another agency resulted in poor locations (noisy) and inadequate accommodations (old and worn furnishings.) The apartment we have selected was in a building that included an elevator and looked old and tired... but the outside belied the condition of the apartments inside. Our flat was clean and furnished to our satisfaction (left, top). Located on the 9 th floor, it overlooked Victoria Street (Calea Victoriei) (left, bottom). Calea Victoriei is Bucharest's oldest and arguably, most charming street. Built in 1692 to link the Old Princely Court to Mogosoaia Palace, it was initially paved with oak beams. The street became Calea Victoriei in 1878, after the Romanian War of Independence victory. Between the two world wars, Calea Victoriei developed into one of the most fashionable streets in the city. The price was 60 euros a night but discounted to 55 euros because of our extended stay (9 nights over two separate stays.) Apartment consisted of 2½ rooms... good-sized bedroom... kitchen was tiny but adequate and well equipped... bathroom was modern and acceptable and promised hot water. We paid for the stay in advance and, with the hour being late, said goodnight to Laurentiu and prepared ourselves for a quiet night s sleep. We made arrangements to meet early the next day and to begin our Bucharest wanderings. No sooner did Laurentiu leave than the loudest rap music emanated from the upstairs apartment. The ceiling shook... pictures danced on the walls... and the piercing thumping sound had us wandering... what are we in for? The noise lasted for a good 45 minutes... and then it stopped. Luckily... this did not reoccur during our entire stay for which we are thankful. Sleep was hard to come by... jet-lag and the time-warp made it nearly impossible... as least to me... Dolores started to snore as soon as her head hit the pillow. We have arrived and our adventure begins. Thursday, March 29 th... Bucharest... known for its wide, tree-lined boulevards, glorious Belle Époque buildings and a reputation for the high life (which in the 1900s earned its nickname of Little Paris ), is Romania's largest city and capital, a bustling metropolis. Romanian legend has it that the city of Bucharest was founded on the banks of the Dambovita River by a shepherd named Bucur, whose name literarily means joy. His flute playing reportedly dazzled the people and his hearty wine from nearby vineyards endeared him to the local traders, who gave his name to the place. In the 15th century, the princely court of Vlad Tepes (thought to have been the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula) was established here and by the end of the 17th century, the city had become the capital of the province of Walachia. In 1862, Bucharest became the capital of Romania. Remodeled in the late 19th century by French and Frenchtrained architects, the city features large neoclassical buildings, fashionable parks, and even its very own Arc de Triomphe on the elegant Soseaua Kiseleff, an avenue longer than the famed Champs-Elysees and home to the city's mansion district. Bucharest is laden with historical charm from the streets of the Old City Center, which are slowly being restored, to the grand architecture of the Royal Palace and the lush green of Cismigiu Park. The city also claims a large number of museums, art galleries, exquisite Orthodox churches and unique architectural sites. Nicolae Ceausescu s legacy, including the Parliament Palace (formerly called the People s Palace), which at 3.76 million square feet stands as the world s second largest building after the U.S. Pentagon, provides an interesting introduction to the dictator s megalomaniac vision. Bucharest's is a buzzing cultural city 37 museums, 22 theaters, concert halls, opera house, 18 art galleries, jazz clubs and hip nightclubs. Every two years, Bucharest is host to the George Enescu International Festival, a prestigious cultural event named after the famous Romanian musician and composer. Renowned orchestras, conductors and soloists perform at the Romanian Athenaeum, a hall with acoustics comparable to Milan s La Scala. We rise early and make a light breakfast of items Dolores brought along... coffee and oatmeal. We had no time to shop... just as well we have no funny money (our name for any foreign currency.) We clean up... hot water is ample but the provided towels are as rough as sand paper. The day looks promising... weather is cooperating with temperatures in the 50s and slightly overcast skies. Laurentiu has a commitment this morning so arrangements have been made for Marius to meet us at the flat at 10:00 AM and re-introduce us to Bucharest. Marius is Laurentiu s colleague at the University of Bucharest (and a fellow PhD)... we attended his wedding in 2005 at Mamaia, on Romania s Black Sea coast. Marius is a bachelor for a few months as his new bride is in Germany taking advanced classes for her PhD. We are pleased to meet an old friend and quickly get reacquainted. Marius is a budding rock-star as well as a scientist... he sings regularly at a local pub and promised to send us a CD of his typical performance. Marius is an engaging young man with a strong command of the English language. Our trip is starting on a good note (no pun intended.) We leave the flat by 11:00 and look forward to converting some USD for RON s (Romanian currency, also called leis.) We are startled to discover that the present conversion rate is 2.5 RONs to 1 USD, a 35% drop in the value of a USD from our first trip to Romania in 2001, when the conversion rate was 3.4 to 1. Since joining the European Union, Romania has undergone a significant shift in its economic fortunes with the value of the lei declining and the cost of goods and commodities rising. This economic hardship is felt throughout the country, especially in the countryside where income disparity is the highest. As we will learn soon enough, this escalated cost of living will have an impact on our trip as our budgeted expenditures will be tested and we will have to dip into our reserves to complete this Romanian portion of the trip.

3 Part 1... Page 3 of 10 Anyway... we seek and find an exchange and do the conversion. We visit familiar stores looking for CDs, books and items of interest. As is so typical of me I make it a point of people-watching. Little has changed since our last visit. Oh yes... there is new construction, new hotels, new shopping venues and such. But the people... they remain virtually the same. In our parade down Balcescu Blvd. we note that people do not appear content as they proceed to their destinations... beggars are everywhere but not incessant in their pleas... boys as young as 8 or 10 smoking cigarettes... young men walking along with a beer in one hand and a cell phone in the other. But the Romanian young ladies... they are as beautiful as ever. Those Latin features are captivating... with their modern dress of tight fitting jeans, high heels, Gucci purses and fashionable sunglasses. Ah... delightful to be back in Bucharest. By noon our time with Marius ends as he has to return to the University. University of Bucharest (Universitatea Bucuresti)... Bucharest remains first and foremost a hub of higher education. The University of Bucharest was founded in 1864 by Alexandru Ioan Cuza, ruler of the newly united principalities of Walachia and Moldova. Work on the neoclassical building began in 1857 and finished in Between the two World Wars, the libraries and corridors of the University hosted an impressive number of Romanian personalities, including Mircea Eliade, Emil Cioran, Eugène Ionesco, Sergiu Celibidache. Year-round, you can find book merchants near the University building selling anything from antique books, records, discontinued newspapers and illustrated broadsheets from another age to secondhand books. We will meet up again in the coming days. Laurentiu joins us... in time for lunch. We head to Café Aroma... just across the street from the University. Too cold to eat outside: we order chicken with fries and fresh salad (left, top) accompanied by coffee. Cost is moderate... meal is quite good. The afternoon being free the three of us elect to re-visit the Museul National Al Satului (Village Museum) (left) an ethnographic park we first toured in 2001 that features peasant structures from the various regions of Romania. Village Museum (Muzeul Satului)... Founded by royal decree in 1936, this fascinating outdoor museum, the largest in Europe, covers some 30 acres on the shores of Lake Herastrau in Herestrau Park. It features a collection of 50 buildings representing the history and design of Romania s rural architecture. Steep-roofed peasant homes, thatched barns, log cabins, churches and watermills from all regions of the country were carefully taken apart, shipped to the museum and rebuilt in order to recreate the village setting. We take the underground (cost is about 10 cents) to Piata Victoriei (Victory Plaza) and decide to walk to the park by way of Şoseaua Kiseleff (a major road in Bucharest that runs as a northward continuation of Calea Victoriei. The road was created in 1832 by Pavel Kisseleff, the commander of the Russian occupation troops in Wallachia and Moldavia). This avenue is also Embassy Row that did cause us some trepidation as we traversed its length. The embassies of Belarus, Peru and Russia and the residence of the United States ambassador are situated on this road. Encountering Museul Geologic (Geology Museum) we pay the small fee and explore its interior. Nothing of major importance (to us) but the geologic displays is noteworthy for students of Romanian geology and the lands formation during primeval times. Next we enter Kiseleff Park and find it nearly deserted. Spring flowers were in bloom and the workers were cleaning up and sprucing the walkways. A Soviet era monument (right) impressed us but its significance was unclear. We returned to the main road and continued on our walk and chanced upon the Russian Embassy. In my hand I carried my rather large digital camera and the security men manning the embassy perimeter (almost all Romanian and fully armed) gave me the most serious and intimidating glances as if to say No pictures allowed! Common sense told me not to even try to photograph this or any other embassy as this is a delicate matter treated most seriously. We passed the embassy, Russian security eyes still glued to our backs, and chanced upon the residence of the US Ambassador to Romania across the street (left). Hey... I m a US citizen... this is my embassy... why not! Raising my camera... mind you from across the street... a deep-toned voice yelled No pictures. I ignored this order and continued to shoot... in the meantime Laurentiu is telling these security goons that I m an American and do not like to be told not to photograph my embassy (actually a residence... embassy is in City Center). The security men were serious and unmoved but I smiled, waved and continued to shoot. Needless to say I pressed the button on these men but I felt I was in my right... this is a public road. In retrospect... a dumb move. I m in a foreign country... have to respect their rules. Passing the other embassies we walked on to the notable architectural feature on this Boulevard... Arcul De Triumf (a reproduction of the Arc De Triumph in Paris, France).

4 Part 1... Page 4 of 10 The Arch of Triumph (Arcul de Triumf)... Initially built of wood in 1922 to honor the bravery of Romanian soldiers who fought in World War I, Bucharest s very own Arc de Triomphe was finished in Deva granite in Designed by the architect, Petre Antonescu, the Arc stands 85 feet high. An interior staircase allows visitors to climb to the top for a panoramic view of the city. The sculptures decorating the structure were created by leading Romanian artists, including Ion Jalea, Constantin Medrea and Constantin Baraschi. Posing for a few compulsory photos we cross this busy roundabout and enter Parcul Herăstrău where the Village Museum is located. Nothing more to say about this park because we explored its various architectural houses in 2001 and this visit did not add much to our knowledge (see our web pages). After an hour we took a local bus back to the University... spent time with Laurentiu s fellow staff members, including his PhD mentor and department head. Our reception included a gift of a book entitled Romania... Space, Society, Environment. On our way out Laurentiu pointed out the lack of cigarette butts on the floors. A new policy prohibits smoking in the building which was received with mixed feelings but a delight to the non-smokers. Laurentiu likewise pointed out that Bucharest itself is becoming cleaner with no smoking in restaurants and public buildings... however, this rule is basically ignored as there are no penalties for violations and the rule is not enforced. Progress is sometimes painfully slow. We leave to locate a place for an early supper and Steluta (meaning little star given name is Anna) joined us. Steluta (a PhD candidate) is a young lady we met in 2005 at Marius wedding. She will host our trip to the mountains tomorrow as Laurentiu is again tied up. Interestingly, Steluta, at 30 years of age, met a young man from UAE (United Arab Emirates) and will fly next week to meet his family. Steluta is not certain how to carry this relationship further as the cultural differences are immense and she is not willing to give up her independence. We gave no advice and offered no opinion as we listened to her pro- and conarguments about this young man. For her sake we hope she elects the correct path. The four of us make futile attempts to locate a restaurant that offers good fare and has open tables. Teresa Doamnei, our favorite Romanian restaurant has no open tables, even though the restaurant is empty presumably tables are reserved. This is Easter week and parties are hosted all over town. We move on to Buribesta restaurant across from the US Embassy... again no open tables. Desperate by now, we call Marius for advice... he recommends an Italian restaurant, Tratoria il Calcio. By now we walked 8-10 city blocks, and nearly an hour, and our feet were getting tired. We could not locate the restaurant... it was located on some obscure side street. After a frantic search the place was finally located, we were given a table near the front door (place packed) and perused the menu. Pizza, ravioli and beer were the chosen entrees. Service was lousy, food order was slow in coming and we finished our meal. Time to discuss tomorrow s plans... but because this was a busy night our table was in demand. We terminated our discussion, were given the check. Wanted to pay by credit card. That was OK... but waitress asked if we wanted to include the tip on the charge. How s that for a change... a tip is expected and not earned. We said No as we will leave it separate. We paid and were rapidly ushered out the door. This place is not recommended. How times are changing... Romania is becoming too familiar in how to treat rich foreign tourist. The hour was getting late; we walked to our apartment and made arrangements to meet Steluta tomorrow morning at the University. We will take the train to the mountains so we were advised to dress warmly. Great... we brought our summer light clothes and jackets. We ll have the make the best of the situation. Friday, March 30 th... Buşteni (Romanian pronunciation: /bush.'teni/; Hungarian: Bustény) is a small mountain town in the north of the county Prahova, in the center of Romania. It is located in the Prahova Valley, at the bottom of the Bucegi Mountains that have a maximum altitude of 2505 m. Its name literally means tree-logs in Romanian. Buşteni's average altitude is 900 m. It is one of the most popular mountain resorts, offering spectacular views, with lots of year-round tourism opportunities, ranging from skiing to mountain climbing. The town and the surrounding mountains were the site of military confrontations during the World War I (1916). A large commemorative monument (about 25 m high), Heroes' Cross (Crucea Eroilor) (right) lies atop nearby Caraiman Peak, at nearly 2260 m. The monument is lit at night and is visible from virtually everywhere in Buşteni. The average population is 15,000 inhabitants. A cable car climbs from Hotel Silva to Cabana Babele, on the top of the mountains. This area features unusual rock formations like Sfinxul and Babele. Omu Peak is the tallest in the Bucegi Mountains, 2504 meters. We meet up with Steluta at 10 AM and immediately take the underground (two stops, two trains) to Gara De Nord Railroad Station. Tickets are 87 RONs for the three of us, one way (~$ 32 USD), to Buşteni. It is a 2-hour ride. The train is relatively modern and clean... no smoking allowed on board. We find our reserved seats and settle in for the ride. Train departs at exactly 10:30 AM. In short order we are leaving the city limits and the countryside greets us... with a shocking surprise. Garbage... everywhere (right). It is truly amazing at the sight that flows past our window... the garbage along the railroad right-of-way is unbelievable. Plastic bags and plastic bottles everywhere... along the tracks, piled high in gullies and any depression, along

5 Part 1... Page 5 of 10 riverbanks, in treetops and buried deep in the branches of low bushes. Since the introduction of this convenience ten years ago the disposal of these two items has been problematic and without a thought as to its impact on the environment. This disposal issue is most severe in small villages and hamlets where the populace is the least concerned about the environment and simple dispose of their garbage behind any convenient obstacle. Out of sight... problem solved. Throughout our 2- hour travel to Buşteni the garbage was unabated. As I later learned the entire country is awash in this problem, not just near Bucharest. Addressing this problem is unpopular for it costs money which the country does not have and it creates jobs for gypsies who collect the bottles and sell them to recycling centers (which are few and only near big cities.) A big problem with no solution in hand. It is past 12:30 when we arrive in Buşteni. The train station is rather small and uncelebrated. We are the only disembarking passengers. We trudge down the main street towards the tram station which will take us up Babele Peak. Having only a few hours in this uncomfortable weather, it is overcast and cold; we make our way past Hotel Silva, some early-season tourist kiosks and find the tram ticket office. Tickets are 21 RONs for each person, each way (that s ~$ 8 USD). Since we do not wish to walk down from the mountain (this is summertime hiking country) we purchase round trip tickets. Within 10 minutes the tram is ready to depart. The ride up is spectacular in one respect... the view directly down from the gondola is awesome... the view towards the town and the peaks beyond is clear. The mountainside is festooned in ice and snow pack and the glare is intense from the snow. It takes 15 minutes to reach the top tram station. The weather is unpromising as we depart the tram station. Ice makes walking treacherous. What is there to do here and now... views are hidden behind clouds... no people... restaurant is some distance requiring a slippery walk uphill. There is no wind but with light clothing the chill runs deep. Carefully we make our way to the restaurant (right) and hope to enjoy a promised hot light lunch. Out of luck... restaurant is open but the kitchen has no hot food... refrigerator is broken (huh?) Only options are hot wine and beer... so that s what we order. We are the only patrons... who would be dumb enough to come up here at this time of year? Besides... the restaurant is unheated and it s colder than an Eskimo s butt. We finish our drinks and elect to return to the tram station for a return ride to the bottom. Tram will not be here for another 30 minutes so we just sit around, twirl our thumbs, and stare at the mountaintop. Absolutely nothing to do here. There is some heat in the waiting room and the gift shop employees are watching TV and playing a card game... other than that it s DEAD! In time the gondola arrives and off we go to the bottom. The car is ice cold... the view uninspiring and 15 minutes later we are at the bottom. A disappointing time and a waste of a day. Hunger unsatisfied we elect to stop at Hotel Silva for a late lunch. Dining room is open and we find a table near the window with the sun hitting us. Settled in we order Ursus beer for me and wine for the ladies, ciorba de perisoare (sour soup with mince meatballs) and papanasi cu smetana (fried cheese dumplings with sour cream). A most unusual meal combo. We rated the beer 3*, papanasi 5*, soup 1* and the service 3*... not the best of experiences but at least the beer was cold and the soup hot. Lunch finished we made our way back to the train station bypassing many more open tourist kiosks... but their offerings were meager and uninviting. The train tickets for the return leg were 70 RONs (< $ 28 USD) for the three of us. Tickets are cheaper because the train is old and tired and, in my opinion, dirtier. The return trip takes two hours... the garbage along the right-of-way bewildering and unpleasant to look at. The highlight of this trip was our time with Steluta who regaled us with her uncertainties about living in UAE (Abu Dhabi). We returned to Bucharest in time for supper... Steluta had to make preparations for her upcoming trip so it was Laurentiu, Dolores and myself. Again, it was a chore to find a restaurant that had an open table. Our default dining for the evening was at Villa Veverita. Close to the University it was small with limited seating but an open table. Our unwinding began with Tzuicas (the national drink), Ursus beer and red wine for Dolores. As we were all pretty hungry we ordered an antipasto tray which consisted of sausages (Buzon), ham, salami, 3 cheeses, fresh cucumbers, peppers, onions and tomatoes. If this was not enough it was followed by entrees of stuffed pork with polenta... accompanied by a three-man band performing traditional Romanian peasant melodies. The evening was jovial as we chatted about the upcoming drive to Maramures and northern Romania. Meal cost was 150 RONs, $ 60 USD. Meal was worth it but remains an example of the escalating cost of visiting Romania. It s 8 PM, dining over and wishing to warm up after the cold experience in Buşteni we headed back to the apartment after seeing Laurentiu off. As we enter the apartment we note that power is OFF... as in, we cannot turn the lights ON. All power is OFF: TV, phone and water heater is OFF. We cannot call Laurentiu to have him call the apartment manager because the phone is cordless and, with power OFF, is useless. So there we were... powerless, to use the pun. With no other option, we just prepared for bed, stared out the window to take in the street action below (right) and hit the pillows hard. Sleep came fast but with no hot water, breakfast would have to pass and hygiene in the morning would be iffy. Welcome to modern Bucharest.

6 Part 1... Page 6 of 10 Saturday, March 31 st... Still no power which means no breakfast as coffee maker is useless and no matches for the gas stove. At 10 AM Laurentiu arrives and we advise him of our plight. He calls the manager who promises to reset the circuit breaker to the apartment... seems this is a common problem with this unit. We go out for breakfast. Currency conversion is in order as we go through money like sand through fingers. Find a French bakery... order espresso coffee, two pastries and a sandwich for the three of us. Cost is 33 RONS ($ 13 USD). Next we walk to the major shopping center at Unirii Square. Not sure what we re looking for but the price of electronics in Romania is extremely high in the event we were looking to buy anything. Next we take a tram to the CORA HiperMarket (a supermarket) (left) to make some triprelated purchases. The tram is a bizarre experience as it s cheap but wall-to-wall with people requiring one hand on the bar for support and the other hand firmly on one s wallet. At our destination it is perplexing to this traveler to see traffic control non-existent for it s virtually impossible to cross the street to CORA. Dodging cars, taxis and the ever-present tram we manage to survive the crossing and enter CORA for a unique shopping experience. Large it is... with every imaginable commodity available. We make the necessary selections, including wine and flowers for tonight s dinner at cousin Aurelia s house, and make our way to the check-out counters. I said this store was large... we counted 70 check-out registers. And every register had a long line queued. Selecting a register we thought was short we waited nearly 30 minutes before we got to the register. Efficiency is an unknown commodity here. Check-out is a laborious process... price checks common with a call to that department... bar code scanning problematic as bar codes are almost unreadable requiring a manual keying-in... and credit card transactions slow and tedious. But in time it was our turn and the final tally was 221 RONs (~$ 90 USD). Handing over my VISA card I assumed it was a no-brainer as the people before us charged to VISA effortlessly. WRONG... in Romania credit cards are uncommon but debit cards are the cards of choice. So what happens next... the manager is summoned, a manual credit card imprint machine is located, my photo ID card perused and a mandatory call made to the bank. WOW... what an elaborate procedure to charge a purchase. The entire process was slow in completion; requiring 15 minutes of waiting. Glancing back at the queue we noted unhappy shoppers waiting their turn but it was amusing to experience this inefficiency in action. Purchase completed we left CORA and took a taxi to cousin Aurelia s house where the entire family was waiting to host a welcoming dinner for us. Taxi fare is 15 RONs ($6). As in the past the welcoming dinner at cousin Aurelia and Nicu s apartment is joyous and satisfying. The best the house has to offer is placed before us with traditional Romanian food and home-made wine. Tzuica flowed freely... the conversation spirited with Laurentiu doing the best he could in translating for us. The dinner was a three-course event with fresh and pickled vegetables, pork filets, sarmale, delicious sausages, polenta and fried chicken. Of course no dinner is complete without the traditional papanasi, this time started from scratch in the kitchen with us taking copious notes (so that we could attempt to make it back home if the proper ingredients may be found.) The dinner lasted late into the evening (4 images to left) with somber good-byes as we left for the apartment by way of a taxi. Returning to our apartment we were delighted to have the power restored but without an explanations as to why it was cut off. An hour catching up on world news on TV (Romanian language only) we were off to bed with a slight Tzuica buzz in our heads. Sunday, April 1 st... With power restored we were able to make coffee and the required hot water for instant oatmeal. Breakfast was sufficient as we waited for the time when we would meet Laurentiu for today s touring. Having a few hours to spare we headed out the door to find a Roman Catholic Church... today is Palm Sunday. Remembering a cathedral nearby we headed in that direction hoping my memory served me well. Church Sfantul Iosif (St. Joseph) was a church visited by Pope John Paul II in May, 1999 (below). We were in time to attend the 11:30 mass. Finding an empty pew in the back we settled in for the service. Interestingly, Romanians do not use palms in their service. Rather worshippers bring forsythia, pussy willow and assorted unknown flowering branches to church for a blessing. Noting that we came without anything to bless a lady worshipper handed us a branch... how

7 Part 1... Page 7 of 10 pleasant to be accorded such an innocuous and simple token. But... we had to meet Laurentiu in 20 minutes so we made a quick and silent exit from the church (with a few elderly worshippers hurrying up to occupy the now-empty seats.) We meet up with Laurentiu at the rear of the University where the Nissan is parked (our transport for the next two weeks). He explains that there are two problems with the Nissan that may preclude us from using it for our trip. Problem #1 is a small oil-leak that is not serious but requires attention. He plans to have it fixed upon our return (but unbeknownst to us it will create a major havoc for us during the trip). Problem #2 is a blown-out side window; happened during a field trip. It had now in its place a piece of dark plastic. Adequate as a temporary; but perhaps not for two weeks. So what to do? We elected to cover the outside of this plastic with black electrical tape (above) to mask the fact that the glass is missing and to make it watertight. This I did in a matter of 20 minutes and considered both problems not that critical; allowing the use of the Nissan for our exploration. It was 13:00 by now and Laurentiu invited us to visit a monastery not far from Bucharest... Manastirea Snagov. Snagov Monastery & Lake (Manastirea & Lacul Snagov) miles north of Bucharest... One hundred years after the church was built (1364), Vlad Tepes (Vlad Dracula) added the fortress walls and a dungeon. A plaque on the floor of the church marks the grave with the presumed remains of the count. The monastery, located on an island on the far side of the lake, can only be accessed by boat. the only way to gain access to the monastery proper is by means of a boat (right). Sure enough... enterprising men have such a boat for hire. Cost to transport the three of us across and back is 60 RONs ($ 22 USD). A steep price for sure, but no other option exists if one is to visit this shrine. We hop in the Nissan and make our way out of the city. The E60 road is virtually ours, although there is construction on the highway by the airport (left). We head north and, after taking the wrong side roads once or twice, manage to find the monastery. As noted above, We pay the fare and wait a short time for the boat s return from the other side of the lake. It is a small rowboat... no motor. Two sturdy young men paddle it back and forth... a tedious proposition at best. We get in, with two other people, and start our float across. OSHA would have a field day on this... a small unsafe boat. It takes but 6 minutes to cross the small body of water. The monastery is old and noted for its dubious distinction of having Vlad (presumably) buried there. We walk the grounds and immediately I m struck with the notion that this visitation is not worth the time and effort. Nothing pretty about this monastery, the bell tower (left, top) or the church itself (left, bottom). In dire need of a major renovation the church is clean in appearance. Surprise... cost to enter is 8 RONs ($3)... taking of photographs is prohibited unless one is willing to pay 20 euros ($25). As Laurentiu states... this monastery is close to Bucharest and is the only venue for viewing old churches and as such charges what the market bears. It is a rip-off and a moneymaker... although by the looks of the church the funds collected are not used to spruce up the interior. We spent a monotonous one hour here, walked the grounds and awaited the boat for a return to the other side. In one additional hour we were back in Bucharest... a day that could have been spent better but what the hey... this is a trip with unexpected experiences. Being a Sunday evening and we are off tomorrow morning for our extended tour it was time to find a good restaurant for a last meal in Bucharest. We opted to return to Buribesta Restaurantele (across from the US Embassy). Oh yes... No Pictures prominently posted on embassy property... and they are serious about it, with the menacing look of the Romanian security (lots of them) surrounding the enclave. We find an empty table in the restaurant basement and sit down to what we hope is a pleasant meal. The waitresses, attired in skimpy period dress, take our order to Silva Dark beer, Heineken beer and red wine. The entrees are ordered next: ciorba de fasola cu costita (haricot bean & bacon sour soup) ciorba de vacuta taranesca (beef sour soup) ciolan de porc la cuptor, crozant, varza nova, fasole iahnie, salata de sfecia si hrean ceapa rosie (smoked pork knuckle, oven baked, w/ cabbage, white beans, red onions, beet root salad) pui cu smatana si mamaligata (chicken w/ sour cream and polenta) papanasi cu smatana si dulceata (cheese dumplings w/ sour cream and jam sauce)

8 Part 1... Page 8 of 10 Meal was OK, nothing spectacular except that the papanasi (3 pieces) were the largest and the tastiest I ever experienced in any previous visits. The service was fast, the total bill was 162 RONs + 20 RON tip ($70+). I was also asked if I wanted to add the tip to the credit card charge... I said NO, it will be left separately. I do not like this new trend of assuming that a tip will be included... in older (2001) days, tip was always included in base cost of meal. Not anymore. We returned to our apartment with Laurentiu to verify that power was still on. It was. The manager left a spare fuse in the event power went off again. Laurentiu, in all of his innocence, dropped it... broke into a dozen pieces. We hope that power would stay on until our departure the next morning. Lights out at 10:00 PM... we are due to leave at 8:30 the next morning... destination Sibiu. Monday, April 2 nd... At the appointed hour Laurentiu came by the apartment to pick us up. The manager arrived shortly to pick up the keys. We loaded the Nissan and off we went... northwards towards Maramures. Bucharest on a Monday morning is a beehive of activity. The start of the workweek and the roads are choked with traffic. It takes nearly an hour to leave the city proper. First stop... an auto supply store on the outskirts to purchase engine oil. This oil issue will be one that will stay with us throughout the trip. Details as they emerge. Suffice to say, Laurentiu wanted to purchase 2 4-liter containers of synthetic engine oil for the diesel engine in the Nissan. I offered to pay for the oil and was nearly blown out of my shoes when the charge amounted to $60 USD for a container... $120 in total. I know that Laurentiu wants the Nissan to have the best but at this price the purchase seemed excessive. Still, I demurred and followed through and paid for the oil. You will shake your head in disbelief as you follow our oil odyssey throughout the trip. None of us had breakfast this morning so we stop at a roadside gas station to fill up with diesel (at nearly $5.75 USD/gallon) and have something to eat. We each had a chicken schnitzel sandwich (6 RON) with coffee (4 RON). Sated we hit the road again. The day was promising with a bright early morning sun, no wind and the E 70 highway uncrowded. This E 70 is a four-lane super fast and basically new super-highway. (left, top) We make good time... destination Sibiu, some 250 km distant, by way of Pitesti (left, bottom) and Rāmnicu Vālcea. The drive was uneventful except that the heavy truck traffic was choking the air with their noxious exhaust and tailwe gaters. Romanian drivers are on par with drivers experienced in Guatemala and Mexico... at times reckless and indifferent to road conditions and speed limits that are posted at 110 km/hr (66 mph) but averaged 140 km/hr (85 mph). By mid-afternoon we pass Rāmnicu Vālcea and Laurentiu stops for a brief rest at a monastery. We elect to explore it as time allows for it. Cozia Monastery... Administered by about 30 monks, the Cozia Monastery lies 20 km north of Rāmnicu Vālcea. Named after a nearby mountain, Cozia Monastery was built by Mircea cel Bătrân, Dracula's grandfather, in 1388 and boasting his tomb. It is one of the most valuable monuments of national medieval art and architecture in Romania. The appearance of the compound was modified in 1517 when a veranda was added and in 1707, when a new fountain, a chapel and a watch tower was added to its architecture. Wall facets' decorations with original stone rosettes and frames display early Byzantine influence. Of great value is the hospital church, 'bolniţa' (1543), with original wellpreserved indoor frescoes like the votive portrait of ruler Mircea cel Bătrân and his sons. Cozia was painted between 1390 and Some of the original frescoes (1390) are still well preserved. Cozia features a museum of exhibiting old art: old manuscripts and prints, embroideries and objects of worship. As best as I recall we did not have to pay an entry fee to visit the interior or the grounds... which is rare considering that such fees are a staple of virtually all monasteries. We photograph the interior which displays an iconostasis of golden beauty... walls with frescoes... and a domed cupola emblazoned with art. It is refreshing to be able to record such religious beauty. We followed the church visitation by exploring the nearby monastic museum (again free of charge). A spirited hour was spent relaxing and exploring. Rested... we continued on our journey (right). We followed the Olt River taking in the ever-changing scenery... mountain peaks, hydro electric dams and the ever-present highway traffic filled with horse-drawn carts and trucks. In short order we enter Sibiu proper... but we do not linger nor stop here. We re on our way to locate our lodgings for the night... Pensiunea Mai. We skirt the city... drive by the Muzeul Astra (ethnographic park, last visited in 2002)... towards Rasinari and Paltinis. The road is a country road... harsh and rough.

9 Part 1... Page 9 of 10 We search and scan the roadsides... plenty of spas and pensiunes but not ours. The countryside is pretty... a valley with high peaks on both sides. This area is renowned for weekend relaxing... hiking and skiing. Sensing we drove too far we turn around and by golly, there is our hotel. Pensiunea Mai is situated by a river tributary to the Olt... with great views. We park and head for the reception desk where a jovial and English-speaking clerk checks us in. Danny, the clerk, is pleased to learn that we are from the USA and New Mexico specifically. He tells us that he won a visa lottery and now lives in Sacramento, CA... after spells in Cleveland and Detroit. Drives a truck for family, proud to be in America and is here (RO) only for a brief spell on his vacation; hopes to apply for US citizenship. We give him a couple of US pins we carry. Our tab for the night is 330 RONs ($130 USD) for a double and a single. Rooms are virtually new and modern by any standard (left). Elegance in the countryside. After securing the bags in our rooms we are off to re-visit Sibiu...a town we last visited in Sibiu... known in German as Hermannstadt, has always been the centre of Romania's German minority since medieval times. Even today, it contains Romania's largest German community, and, due to initiatives by the local government, the Germanic feel of the area has been maintained. Sibiu also has a significant Hungarian minority, remnants of Transylvania's past as part of the Hungarian Empire and, later, Austria- Hungary. Despite this, Sibiu is also distinctly Romanian (95% of the population is ethnic Romanians) and manages to fuse these three cultures, as well as smaller minorities of Roma, Slovaks and Ukrainians into a city that is as wonderful as it is vibrant. Sibiu may be the loveliest of the Transylvanian cities. Medieval buildings with gingerbread-house designs of carved wood and old houses painted blue, green, gold, turquoise and pink, tiny roof windows that look like sleepy eyes (left) peeking out at you. Doorways and gates have intricate ironwork figures. Sibiu was named the 2007 European Capital of Culture. Its most famous building is 200 year old Imparatul Romanilor Hotel, which housed Emperor Franz Joseph II of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Franz Liszt, Johann Strauss, Johannes Brahms Eminescu. and poet Mihail Piata Mare (square, larger) (left) is the focal point of Sibiu, surrounded by 16th & 17th century merchants' homes that now house small shops, cafes and businesses. Standing watch is the Council Tower, one of the city's original defenses. First erected in 1366, it was rebuilt in As in the other Saxon towns, Sibiu's craftsmen belonged to guilds. The Large Square being the historic center of Sibiu, first time mentioned in 1411 as corn market. The public executions and public meetings used to be held here. In 1538 documents mention here a fountain, and in the 1550 the infamy pillar is erected, to be removed only in In 1703 the county leader Johann Sachs von Harteneck is beheaded in this square. Between 1724 and 1757 a 'cage for crazy people' was put in the middle, where were barred, during the day, those who troubled the town during the night. Piata Mica (square, smaller) has the arcaded old market hall museum, built in 1789, and connects to the 1850 Iron Bridge, also called Liars Bridge (left). Legend says that no one can tell a lie while standing on it without the bridge collapsing. Alongside is Fingerling's Ladder, a steep staircase that leading from the lower town's artisan area up to Piata Mica. Old Town Hall, built , is now the History Museum. The Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral was built in 1906 to resemble Istanbul's Hagia Sofia. We return to Sibiu... find parking near the City Center... and begin our walking experience. This is not the Sibiu I remember... the City Center has been redone completely. It is closed to traffic... it is a walker s place. Cobblestone pavements... no kiosks... no garbage... a new groundlevel fountain... and repainted building facades. It is as if the city has been rebuilt from the ground up. It is a remarkable transformation... no wonder it was named Europe s Cultural Capital for 2007 (together with Copenhagen, Denmark). Being late in the afternoon... and having limited time here... we just amble along... from plaza to plaza... past Liar s bridge... the nearby Evangelical Cathedral (open, no pictures allowed)... the upper town... the lower town... another church, Roman Catholic... and finally back to the main square.

10 Part 1... Page 10 of 10 We try to locate a café with outdoor seating for a cool refresher but no empty tables anywhere. Sensing that our only option is to have a full supper instead of light refreshment we spot Mara s Steak House (left) and collectively choose to have our day s meal here. Ordering beer, alcohol-free beer for Laurentiu and wine we await the delivery of our main entrees... (my spelling may be off) salata de rosii si castraveti (tomatoe and cucumber salad) valdostana de pui (chicken breast w/ mushroom, cream potatoes) platou taverna (a meat platter steak sirloin, chicken breast, pork sirloin, bacon, ham, vegetables, hot sauce and polenta) papanasi cu smatana si dulceata (cheese dumplings w/ sour cream and jam sauce) The salad, chicken and some of the meat platter (left) were palatable and quite good. But some of the pork items were hard to chew and tasted like cardboard... a disappointment. Still... the papanasi made up for the shortfall and rounded out the meal quite nicely... a meal that cost 137 RONs ($ 53 USD). The sun was low on the horizon by now and we walked back to the car and, giving Sibiu a last look, left town. Still a little early to crash... Laurentiu decides to drive a short distance to a place called Paltinis... a ski resort high in the mountains. We pass our Mai hotel and continue up a twisting, winding paved road up the mountain. The air is very cold by now... the sun getting lower on the horizon. Fifteen minutes later we arrive at the ski gondola of the resort. Naturally it is closed... a few remnants of snow remain at the top. We walk about the area but find nothing even remotely open. It appears totally deserted. The sunset looks enchanting at this high altitude (about 1300 meters) (below). A quick check of the engine reveals a low level of oil. Laurentiu tops the oil with the expensive synthetic oil. Everything appears OK... time to head back down. In another 10 minutes we park at Mai Hotel and call it a day. Tomorrow we resume our trek north... to our final destination... Maramures.