Long report of brief Bucharest stay - WillTravel reporting from the road
Aug 15th, 2007, 09:04 AM
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Long report of brief Bucharest stay - WillTravel reporting from the road
From airport landing to airport takeoff, we had about a 20-hour layover in Bucharest from August 14-15. Because this is a city that is little visited compared to cities like London, Paris, or Rome, I thought I would give a brief trip report. Of course I can hardly qualify as an expert, given the short stay, but I will proceed anyway.
The flight from Amsterdam on KLM was fine. KLM provides more substantial breakfasts than I have had with any other airline, although most of it was not of particular interest to me.
We landed at Otopeni, and I noticed right away that much of the airport was not air-conditioned. Passport control seemed similar to any other country. I noticed three young men waiting for luggage wearing leather jackets - this despite the temperature somewhere in the 80s inside the airport. They looked like possible auditioners for West Side Story.
I would like to say I hit every city with a crisp, efficient manner with no missteps, but alas that was not the case. I had not gotten any lei before leaving, so both my daughter and I tried using the ATMs. However, I think that we got confused by the decimal places, as I first just got transactions that just abruptly quit and finally got an insufficient funds message. I then realized I had been asking for 240,000 Lei (in the range of 80,000 Euros). I then accepted the default choice of 200 Lei, and all went well.
I should say that the Arrivals area is simply packed with people. And half of them are men trying to get you into their unlicensed taxis, where the outcome is uncertain, but you are quite likely to be ripped off. You are supposed to get a FlyTaxi, if you want assurance of having a legitimate cab.
The queue looked long, though, so I decided to proceed with one of my other alternative plans, which was to take the 783 bus, which would go right past our hotel. So first I had to figure out where the bus went from (I had read this all in the guidebook and online, but it had escaped my brain). We had to get the bus at the lower level. I went to buy tickets, but the kiosk employee refused to change a 100 lei bill.
However, there was a Billa supermarket (likely familiar to people who have visited Italy) on this level, so I went and bought a few things. The prices are reasonable by western standards. Now I had change.
So I bought the tickets, which were very cheap. I took a look again at the legend, and noted I was to get off at Piata Universitati. So away we went, on this hot, crowded bus, in rush hour Bucharest traffic. Given it was not really rush hour, this is probably just standard traffic. Honk, honk, honk - a noise you had better get used to.
Along the way, I noticed Ikea, a Peugeot dealership, a Jaguar dealership, a Brico store (looks like it is like Home Depot), and various other familiar brands. What a change this must be from Communist days.
We also passed some beautiful green parks, a copy of the Paris Arch of Triumph (cannot quite remember the proper French or Romanian name), and many Belle Epoque style buildings.
I thought of Paris, but my daughter said it reminded her of Madrid, which is probably a more accurate comparison. Except that it is obvious that the buildings are in much worse repair. We passed some high-rise apartment blocks that literally looked like they were crumbling.
We passed Piata 21 Dec. de 1989, and I noticed the tall building on the left. But - still no Piata Universitati. Then I noticed we had come to the last stop! We walked back a couple blocks, quickly figured out the metro, and took the metro back one stop. This was more taxing than it sounds, because it was so hot and muggy. What had happened was that Piata Universitati had been renamed Piata 21 Dec. de 1989, and this must have happened after my Lonely Planet guidebook was published and the kiosk map had not been corrected either.
The name, of course, originates from the fact that the revolution in Romania did start on 21. Dec. de 1989, the year in which the Soviet Bloc collapsed (although Romania was not exactly Soviet Bloc).
I had gotten a special Priority Club points deal at the Intercontinental. This is a beautiful hotel - and with good air conditioning.
My daughter decided to simply recover from her ordeal, and I went out for a walk. I walked a fair bit within about a 10 block radius. I saw more poor-condition Belle Epoque buildings. I saw a group of strikers, who were half-lying on the pavement in front of the Agricultural building. I could tell it was a strike because their signs said Grevei, very similar to the French word.
If you know some French, Italian and Spanish, you should be able to figure out Romanian words.
If you cannot tolerate Paris or Rome, Bucharest is simply not the place for you, because whatever drives you crazy in those cities will be worse in Bucharest.
I saw about 5 of the reputed 100,000 stray dogs in Romania, but did not feel at all threatened, even though I tend to be scared of dogs.
The restaurant which I chose from Lonely Planet was very good.
I would write more, but running out of time at the Internet cafe. I will be back to Bucharest in about 9 days, and hope to go in some museums.
The flight from Amsterdam on KLM was fine. KLM provides more substantial breakfasts than I have had with any other airline, although most of it was not of particular interest to me.
We landed at Otopeni, and I noticed right away that much of the airport was not air-conditioned. Passport control seemed similar to any other country. I noticed three young men waiting for luggage wearing leather jackets - this despite the temperature somewhere in the 80s inside the airport. They looked like possible auditioners for West Side Story.
I would like to say I hit every city with a crisp, efficient manner with no missteps, but alas that was not the case. I had not gotten any lei before leaving, so both my daughter and I tried using the ATMs. However, I think that we got confused by the decimal places, as I first just got transactions that just abruptly quit and finally got an insufficient funds message. I then realized I had been asking for 240,000 Lei (in the range of 80,000 Euros). I then accepted the default choice of 200 Lei, and all went well.
I should say that the Arrivals area is simply packed with people. And half of them are men trying to get you into their unlicensed taxis, where the outcome is uncertain, but you are quite likely to be ripped off. You are supposed to get a FlyTaxi, if you want assurance of having a legitimate cab.
The queue looked long, though, so I decided to proceed with one of my other alternative plans, which was to take the 783 bus, which would go right past our hotel. So first I had to figure out where the bus went from (I had read this all in the guidebook and online, but it had escaped my brain). We had to get the bus at the lower level. I went to buy tickets, but the kiosk employee refused to change a 100 lei bill.
However, there was a Billa supermarket (likely familiar to people who have visited Italy) on this level, so I went and bought a few things. The prices are reasonable by western standards. Now I had change.
So I bought the tickets, which were very cheap. I took a look again at the legend, and noted I was to get off at Piata Universitati. So away we went, on this hot, crowded bus, in rush hour Bucharest traffic. Given it was not really rush hour, this is probably just standard traffic. Honk, honk, honk - a noise you had better get used to.
Along the way, I noticed Ikea, a Peugeot dealership, a Jaguar dealership, a Brico store (looks like it is like Home Depot), and various other familiar brands. What a change this must be from Communist days.
We also passed some beautiful green parks, a copy of the Paris Arch of Triumph (cannot quite remember the proper French or Romanian name), and many Belle Epoque style buildings.
I thought of Paris, but my daughter said it reminded her of Madrid, which is probably a more accurate comparison. Except that it is obvious that the buildings are in much worse repair. We passed some high-rise apartment blocks that literally looked like they were crumbling.
We passed Piata 21 Dec. de 1989, and I noticed the tall building on the left. But - still no Piata Universitati. Then I noticed we had come to the last stop! We walked back a couple blocks, quickly figured out the metro, and took the metro back one stop. This was more taxing than it sounds, because it was so hot and muggy. What had happened was that Piata Universitati had been renamed Piata 21 Dec. de 1989, and this must have happened after my Lonely Planet guidebook was published and the kiosk map had not been corrected either.
The name, of course, originates from the fact that the revolution in Romania did start on 21. Dec. de 1989, the year in which the Soviet Bloc collapsed (although Romania was not exactly Soviet Bloc).
I had gotten a special Priority Club points deal at the Intercontinental. This is a beautiful hotel - and with good air conditioning.
My daughter decided to simply recover from her ordeal, and I went out for a walk. I walked a fair bit within about a 10 block radius. I saw more poor-condition Belle Epoque buildings. I saw a group of strikers, who were half-lying on the pavement in front of the Agricultural building. I could tell it was a strike because their signs said Grevei, very similar to the French word.
If you know some French, Italian and Spanish, you should be able to figure out Romanian words.
If you cannot tolerate Paris or Rome, Bucharest is simply not the place for you, because whatever drives you crazy in those cities will be worse in Bucharest.
I saw about 5 of the reputed 100,000 stray dogs in Romania, but did not feel at all threatened, even though I tend to be scared of dogs.
The restaurant which I chose from Lonely Planet was very good.
I would write more, but running out of time at the Internet cafe. I will be back to Bucharest in about 9 days, and hope to go in some museums.
Aug 15th, 2007, 09:40 AM
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Hi WT, thanks for posting. Glad to hear your first Bucharest stay is off to an OK start. And glad to see you weren't chased by 100,000 stray dogs!
Your experience about the bus stop name change reminds me of my brief travel to Moscow over a decade ago. I was equipped with a 1970s version of Moscow map (courtesy of my dad) and tried to find my way around. Alas! Names of streets and subway stations have changed multiple times between 1970-1990s.
I wonder if you would have been able to ask fellow passengers which stop to get off. I suspect majority of them do not speak English?
I do hope you'll post trip reports on your other destinations.
Your experience about the bus stop name change reminds me of my brief travel to Moscow over a decade ago. I was equipped with a 1970s version of Moscow map (courtesy of my dad) and tried to find my way around. Alas! Names of streets and subway stations have changed multiple times between 1970-1990s.
I wonder if you would have been able to ask fellow passengers which stop to get off. I suspect majority of them do not speak English?
I do hope you'll post trip reports on your other destinations.
Aug 15th, 2007, 09:55 AM
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Were you in Business?
On this 3 hour flight, KLM usually serves the kind of apology for food (one sandwich if you're lucky) more common in North America than on longish (by European standards) flights on full-fare European airlines.
Either they've finally realised how hungry we're all getting (in which case terrific) or you've been travelling up in the pointy end.
On this 3 hour flight, KLM usually serves the kind of apology for food (one sandwich if you're lucky) more common in North America than on longish (by European standards) flights on full-fare European airlines.
Either they've finally realised how hungry we're all getting (in which case terrific) or you've been travelling up in the pointy end.
Aug 16th, 2007, 12:02 PM
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Thanks for posting! This reads as a definite off the beaten path destination, which perhaps someday will be on that beaten path. Got a good laugh from your ATM experience! Would be interested in reading another posting as you continue your Bucharest travels. Perhaps you could include costs for meals, museum entrance fees and the like.
Aug 16th, 2007, 12:36 PM
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willtravel:
I shall never forget my first visit to Bucharest and Romania three decades ago...I was doing research for one of two books, one I was preparing to write and another I envisioned for a leter date ..(both have since been published)and I remember reading in the library (there were no guide books of Romania until Lonely Planet came out with one years later) that Bucharest was once referred to as the "Paris of the East" during pre-WWII days..I drove into the country via Bulgaria and the main highways were badly torn up, potholed and dangerous...tractors and horsedrawn wagons everywhere, army road blocks particularly "interested" in western cars (I had rented a car in Munich..a German Ford Escort)...and the ubiquitous pedestrians walking down the middle of the roads.
Entering Bucharest in those days, the idea of "Paris" was quickly dispelled...maybe "Plaster of Paris" with so many inebriates all over the city. I asked about this during one of my interviews with an octogenarian gentleman and was told.."my dear sir, if you had to live here, you, too, would look for the nearest bottle!"
Many years and many visits later I was able to appreciate the vast changes made in Bucharest and indeed, all over the country, post-revolution...and I'm impressed. Now, with EU membership, these positive changes will undoubtedly accelerate. The country is promoting tourism in an aggressive manner...and will eventually succeed.
I'm sure that Clifton, Noe, Michael and the very few others who have taken the time to explore this fascinating part of the world, will attest to the color, upbeat spirit and hopeful future of the country, and Bucharest as its capital..
Give it a try someday, folks...I predict that you'll be very happy you did.
Stu T. (I have digitals from my most recent visit in 2005 and some old scanned pix of earlier visits, if anyone is interested).
I shall never forget my first visit to Bucharest and Romania three decades ago...I was doing research for one of two books, one I was preparing to write and another I envisioned for a leter date ..(both have since been published)and I remember reading in the library (there were no guide books of Romania until Lonely Planet came out with one years later) that Bucharest was once referred to as the "Paris of the East" during pre-WWII days..I drove into the country via Bulgaria and the main highways were badly torn up, potholed and dangerous...tractors and horsedrawn wagons everywhere, army road blocks particularly "interested" in western cars (I had rented a car in Munich..a German Ford Escort)...and the ubiquitous pedestrians walking down the middle of the roads.
Entering Bucharest in those days, the idea of "Paris" was quickly dispelled...maybe "Plaster of Paris" with so many inebriates all over the city. I asked about this during one of my interviews with an octogenarian gentleman and was told.."my dear sir, if you had to live here, you, too, would look for the nearest bottle!"
Many years and many visits later I was able to appreciate the vast changes made in Bucharest and indeed, all over the country, post-revolution...and I'm impressed. Now, with EU membership, these positive changes will undoubtedly accelerate. The country is promoting tourism in an aggressive manner...and will eventually succeed.
I'm sure that Clifton, Noe, Michael and the very few others who have taken the time to explore this fascinating part of the world, will attest to the color, upbeat spirit and hopeful future of the country, and Bucharest as its capital..
Give it a try someday, folks...I predict that you'll be very happy you did.
Stu T. (I have digitals from my most recent visit in 2005 and some old scanned pix of earlier visits, if anyone is interested).
Aug 17th, 2007, 09:12 AM
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Willtravel, I am born in Romania and go there once per year for a week, to visit my mother and sister. this year I was not yet there, and I did not know about the change of the name of Piata Universitatii. I spoke withe some friends in Bucharest and they told me that only the part of the place in the front of National Theatre is now named 'Piata 21 Dec. 1989'.
So, your guide book is still good, Piata Universitatii still exists under this name!
Yes, it is true that Bucharest and all Romania is changing from year to year, i could see at each visit there. It takes time, but the progress is visible.
There are many beautiful to visit in romania, it has beautifuls mountains, Danube Delta, some unique painted monastiries and wooden churches.
This year, Sighisoara is the cultural capital of Europe and there are many events there.
Don't go there wishing to find there Paris, london or new York, and you will not be disappointed!
So, your guide book is still good, Piata Universitatii still exists under this name!
Yes, it is true that Bucharest and all Romania is changing from year to year, i could see at each visit there. It takes time, but the progress is visible.
There are many beautiful to visit in romania, it has beautifuls mountains, Danube Delta, some unique painted monastiries and wooden churches.
This year, Sighisoara is the cultural capital of Europe and there are many events there.
Don't go there wishing to find there Paris, london or new York, and you will not be disappointed!
Aug 17th, 2007, 10:32 AM
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viv:
During the Ceaucescu regime, Romania wasn't a barrel of laughs...the Romanian Army roadblocks were unnerving, and the Securitate lurked about everywhere, as well.
On a visit to the US Embassy in the late 70's I had an illuminating chat with the Marine Sergeant at the desk who politely informed me that I was being tracked from the moment we crossed the Bulgarian-Romanian border near Constantsa. He explained in detail how this was done by the Securitate for any western auto (we had German plates, our American passports and a Romanian visa)...everywhere we stopped, it was the duty of the cafe, restaurant, gas station, hotel, private home, etc. to report our license number to a central securitate office...hence the tracking would continue until we crossed the Hungarian border at Oradea (and breathed a sigh of relief).
I only half believed, naively, that this could be the case...BUT, I began to check it out...first with people I was interviewing (those who had phones), one of whom readily admitted he would be calling the securitate number the moment I left..just as a matter of self defense (he was a very wary Romanian Jew)..then with a gas station employee who I spotted in the rear view mirror jotting down our license number. I joked with a rare English-speaking cafe owner about this, and he smiled, winked and did not deny it. At one hotel, the desk clerk went out to the small parking area after he checked us in and we had walked up the one flight of stairs...I looked out of our room window, and voila, he was jotting down the license number.
The incessant roadblocks(which I wrote about in one of my books of historical fiction)invariably stripped the car, looked into both pieces of luggage in the trunk, perused all of our reading material (carefully guarded my interview notes in a pocket-sized notebook...no tapes, no, no), always asked if I was a correspondent for a western journal, asked in Romanian why are we visiting Romania (while handng me a printe card with the same question in English. etc etc etc. ad nauseam.
Viv, you're right..This was a police state in every sense of the word. Travel within was a definite adventure every kilometer.
Post revolution...things have thankfully changed dramatically for the best...by the way, none of the other Soviet Bloc countries were nearly as totalitarian as Romania...Hungary by far was the most westernized..decidedly anti-Soviet after the '56 failed rebellion...Bulgaria, Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia were all fairly welcoming, to varying degrees. with less paranoia.
Stu T.
During the Ceaucescu regime, Romania wasn't a barrel of laughs...the Romanian Army roadblocks were unnerving, and the Securitate lurked about everywhere, as well.
On a visit to the US Embassy in the late 70's I had an illuminating chat with the Marine Sergeant at the desk who politely informed me that I was being tracked from the moment we crossed the Bulgarian-Romanian border near Constantsa. He explained in detail how this was done by the Securitate for any western auto (we had German plates, our American passports and a Romanian visa)...everywhere we stopped, it was the duty of the cafe, restaurant, gas station, hotel, private home, etc. to report our license number to a central securitate office...hence the tracking would continue until we crossed the Hungarian border at Oradea (and breathed a sigh of relief).
I only half believed, naively, that this could be the case...BUT, I began to check it out...first with people I was interviewing (those who had phones), one of whom readily admitted he would be calling the securitate number the moment I left..just as a matter of self defense (he was a very wary Romanian Jew)..then with a gas station employee who I spotted in the rear view mirror jotting down our license number. I joked with a rare English-speaking cafe owner about this, and he smiled, winked and did not deny it. At one hotel, the desk clerk went out to the small parking area after he checked us in and we had walked up the one flight of stairs...I looked out of our room window, and voila, he was jotting down the license number.
The incessant roadblocks(which I wrote about in one of my books of historical fiction)invariably stripped the car, looked into both pieces of luggage in the trunk, perused all of our reading material (carefully guarded my interview notes in a pocket-sized notebook...no tapes, no, no), always asked if I was a correspondent for a western journal, asked in Romanian why are we visiting Romania (while handng me a printe card with the same question in English. etc etc etc. ad nauseam.
Viv, you're right..This was a police state in every sense of the word. Travel within was a definite adventure every kilometer.
Post revolution...things have thankfully changed dramatically for the best...by the way, none of the other Soviet Bloc countries were nearly as totalitarian as Romania...Hungary by far was the most westernized..decidedly anti-Soviet after the '56 failed rebellion...Bulgaria, Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia were all fairly welcoming, to varying degrees. with less paranoia.
Stu T.
Aug 17th, 2007, 10:44 AM
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I've been travelling to Romania between several times a month and a few times a year since the early 90s. A couple of points on WillTravel's note:
- Romania in general can get horribly hot in August, and it's usually worst in Bucharest. This summer has been among the hottest on record, but it was almost as bad about 5 years ago. Little in the country (above all, cars and trains)is air-conditioned, and I do my damndest to avoid Romania from mid-July to the beginning of September.
-Otopeni airport was rebuilt to modern standards about 5 years ago. Usually, it's fine from a climate control point of view: I've certainly arrived there on a scorching day and only realised it when I got out of the airport. WillTravel must have hit it on a day the air conditioning had broken down
- but the hassling cab drivers in the area after you've got out of Customs are a permanent irritation. Use the buffer area after the Customs doors but before the barrier to orientate yourself so you can get straight to the bus stop - or the supermarket - without having to deal with them. The baggage claim area before Customs is usually fine
Don't be put off going to Bucharest - but avoid it in midsummer.
- Romania in general can get horribly hot in August, and it's usually worst in Bucharest. This summer has been among the hottest on record, but it was almost as bad about 5 years ago. Little in the country (above all, cars and trains)is air-conditioned, and I do my damndest to avoid Romania from mid-July to the beginning of September.
-Otopeni airport was rebuilt to modern standards about 5 years ago. Usually, it's fine from a climate control point of view: I've certainly arrived there on a scorching day and only realised it when I got out of the airport. WillTravel must have hit it on a day the air conditioning had broken down
- but the hassling cab drivers in the area after you've got out of Customs are a permanent irritation. Use the buffer area after the Customs doors but before the barrier to orientate yourself so you can get straight to the bus stop - or the supermarket - without having to deal with them. The baggage claim area before Customs is usually fine
Don't be put off going to Bucharest - but avoid it in midsummer.
Aug 17th, 2007, 11:28 AM
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IMO the cities/towns of Sibiu, Brasov and Sighisoara are the major jewels of Transylvania (of the original 7 medieval cities these have the best preserved old towns). Actually, it's Sibiu that's the European Cultural Capital for 2007. When we were there last September, the city was putting the finishing touches on it's sprucing up efforts.
There are also many fascinating villages throughout. We especially loved the ones in Transylvania with the fortified Saxon churches. The area up north in Maramures is also quite fascinating - many things the way they were 100 years ago, and in some places more horse carts than cars. I am eager to go back SOON, as Romania is transforming itself quite quickly, and this will only quicken now that it is in the EU.
There are also many fascinating villages throughout. We especially loved the ones in Transylvania with the fortified Saxon churches. The area up north in Maramures is also quite fascinating - many things the way they were 100 years ago, and in some places more horse carts than cars. I am eager to go back SOON, as Romania is transforming itself quite quickly, and this will only quicken now that it is in the EU.
Aug 18th, 2007, 06:44 AM
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Flanner:
>>>been travelling to Romania between several times a month and a few times a year since the early 90s...<<<
Just curious, what attracted you to Romania for so many visits? Business, history, adventure,?? Luckily it was all during post-revolution days.
You and I may have passed each other at one time...me mumbling "there goes a Brit"...you muttering "there goes a Yank" (how could we tell?)
Will, thanks for you report..
Stu T.
>>>been travelling to Romania between several times a month and a few times a year since the early 90s...<<<
Just curious, what attracted you to Romania for so many visits? Business, history, adventure,?? Luckily it was all during post-revolution days.
You and I may have passed each other at one time...me mumbling "there goes a Brit"...you muttering "there goes a Yank" (how could we tell?)
Will, thanks for you report..
Stu T.
Aug 19th, 2007, 01:26 PM
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Thanks for everyone's comments. I was very interested to read of others' travels to Romania.
Flanneruk, the KLM breakfast was as follows: very large serving of yogurt blended with fresh fruit and too much sugar, a chocolate cereal bar, a roll, butter, jam, cheese. This was definitely in coach class.
valtor, thanks for the clarification about the piatas. I guess the average Bucharest resident would not be fooled by the references, but I was.
Debs, the meal I had with wine and mineral water cost less than 10 Euros.
Noe847, I've enjoyed all your posts about Romania. I remember you are working on a trip report.
Yk, perhaps I could have asked a fellow passenger, but I didn't realize my mistake until we had passed the stop, so I'm not sure it would have helped.
Tower, what an interesting set of experiences.
I also visited an air-conditioned Internet cafe that was not too different than any other I've visited in Europe.
Before leaving on this trip, I saw the film Philanthropy (or something similar in Romanian) and enjoyed that a lot. Today (I'm in London right now), I took the opportunity to see the film 12:08 East of Bucharest. Anyone interested in contemporary Romania might like to see these films.
I would like to visit Romania again, and much more of it. It will have to be a solo trip, or possibly with a like-minded friend if available, because my daughter is totally uninterested in such an idea. So that will make it hard to schedule. I would also second the idea of avoiding serious travel here in August (it worked out okay because we had A/C, though).
============
Now I'm asking for suggestions from anyone experienced with Bucharest travel:
I'm arriving back in Bucharest Otopeni airport late at night on August 24 (probably after 23:00). The hotel car from Hotel Intercontinental is a nice Mercedes (this was the mode of travel we used early on August 15), but it costs 40 Euros. Safety, comfort, and lack of hassles are foremost in my mind. Should I reserve this hotel car again, or hope to get a legitimate taxi at that time of night?
Forty Euros seems a ripoff (but par for the course for a 5* hotel), but it's really important I not take any safety chances.
Flanneruk, the KLM breakfast was as follows: very large serving of yogurt blended with fresh fruit and too much sugar, a chocolate cereal bar, a roll, butter, jam, cheese. This was definitely in coach class.
valtor, thanks for the clarification about the piatas. I guess the average Bucharest resident would not be fooled by the references, but I was.
Debs, the meal I had with wine and mineral water cost less than 10 Euros.
Noe847, I've enjoyed all your posts about Romania. I remember you are working on a trip report.
Yk, perhaps I could have asked a fellow passenger, but I didn't realize my mistake until we had passed the stop, so I'm not sure it would have helped.
Tower, what an interesting set of experiences.
I also visited an air-conditioned Internet cafe that was not too different than any other I've visited in Europe.
Before leaving on this trip, I saw the film Philanthropy (or something similar in Romanian) and enjoyed that a lot. Today (I'm in London right now), I took the opportunity to see the film 12:08 East of Bucharest. Anyone interested in contemporary Romania might like to see these films.
I would like to visit Romania again, and much more of it. It will have to be a solo trip, or possibly with a like-minded friend if available, because my daughter is totally uninterested in such an idea. So that will make it hard to schedule. I would also second the idea of avoiding serious travel here in August (it worked out okay because we had A/C, though).
============
Now I'm asking for suggestions from anyone experienced with Bucharest travel:
I'm arriving back in Bucharest Otopeni airport late at night on August 24 (probably after 23:00). The hotel car from Hotel Intercontinental is a nice Mercedes (this was the mode of travel we used early on August 15), but it costs 40 Euros. Safety, comfort, and lack of hassles are foremost in my mind. Should I reserve this hotel car again, or hope to get a legitimate taxi at that time of night?
Forty Euros seems a ripoff (but par for the course for a 5* hotel), but it's really important I not take any safety chances.
Aug 19th, 2007, 01:35 PM
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A couple of other small vignettes (I haven't captured everything, even with that long post).
We were on the 12th floor with a great view over Bucharest, and we had a balcony too. Late at night, as I was lying in bed, even with the doors closed and that high up, I could hear faint strains of `Havah Nagilah`. I had previously read that this is a common song played by Roma bands in Romania and the Balkans - not particularly a Jewish song.
As I was sitting at an outdoor table eating my dinner, one of those flower foisters of the type so common in Rome tried to lay his flowers on the table, and went through an entire spiel in Romanian. I kept on gravely shaking my head no, and he never switched to any other language.
We were on the 12th floor with a great view over Bucharest, and we had a balcony too. Late at night, as I was lying in bed, even with the doors closed and that high up, I could hear faint strains of `Havah Nagilah`. I had previously read that this is a common song played by Roma bands in Romania and the Balkans - not particularly a Jewish song.
As I was sitting at an outdoor table eating my dinner, one of those flower foisters of the type so common in Rome tried to lay his flowers on the table, and went through an entire spiel in Romanian. I kept on gravely shaking my head no, and he never switched to any other language.
Aug 19th, 2007, 02:06 PM
#18
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Will:
- I'm not sure they're necessarily even Roma. Those small bands (there's long been an amazing one at Cara cu Bere, though I think they're tarting it up at present) just seem to be Romanian. My staff are very keen to hiss "gypsy" in my ear if they think they're Roma, and they never do with those small bands
- At that time of night (which is when afternoon flights from London arrive), I always have a driver waiting for me, and adding it all up he probably ends up costing me €40 for that pickup, though it gets lost in other charges. Actually, I don't think the rip off merchants hanging round arrivals are that dangerous. But I'd live with the €40 for the peace of mind
- tower: I own a business there. I have to say, I've hardly ever seen or heard an American in the country.
- I'm not sure they're necessarily even Roma. Those small bands (there's long been an amazing one at Cara cu Bere, though I think they're tarting it up at present) just seem to be Romanian. My staff are very keen to hiss "gypsy" in my ear if they think they're Roma, and they never do with those small bands
- At that time of night (which is when afternoon flights from London arrive), I always have a driver waiting for me, and adding it all up he probably ends up costing me €40 for that pickup, though it gets lost in other charges. Actually, I don't think the rip off merchants hanging round arrivals are that dangerous. But I'd live with the €40 for the peace of mind
- tower: I own a business there. I have to say, I've hardly ever seen or heard an American in the country.
Aug 19th, 2007, 02:37 PM
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One place I recall visiting in the grim world of 1969 Romania was Lake Snagov. This must have been some kind of state sponsored vacation "resort." It had little charm but the Romanians jammed the shore, the men were clad in the world's tiniest speedos. That is my basic recollection of holiday-ing in Romania, LOL.
We were in Bucharest on July 20, 1969...the day the US landed on the moon. We watched the live broadcast on a tiny black and white TV with intermittent , crackling reception. It was in the wee hours, later that day many Romanians (who knew we were Americans--we were an oddity at the time) greeted us on the street with big smiles and handshakes.
We were in Bucharest on July 20, 1969...the day the US landed on the moon. We watched the live broadcast on a tiny black and white TV with intermittent , crackling reception. It was in the wee hours, later that day many Romanians (who knew we were Americans--we were an oddity at the time) greeted us on the street with big smiles and handshakes.
Aug 19th, 2007, 02:41 PM
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WillTravel, thank you for posting! We were planning a trip to Romania for next year but decided to put it off in favor of another destination. Its still high on my list of "must visits" so its nice to see it getting some recognition on this board.
Tracy
Tracy
