Days there = 15
Distance driven – ~3000 km
passport stamps = 7
Americans seen = 1
stand-up toilets = 2
rolls of film = 21 digital stills = 521 video = 51 minutes
languages used = English, Romanian (2 words), Hungarian (1 word), German, French (3 words)
We arrived on Saturday into Bucharest in southern Romania. Headed out Sunday afternoon with a rented car (hope it stays together) to Transylvania. Region is in bloom with wildflowers. Visited several castles and fortresses and all were impressive. Lodging has been decent except for one night in a Soviet-stylehigh-rise. Food is very inexpensive with a nice meal w/ wine running about $5.In the middle of the mountains, Sean hit a bad pot-hold and bent the wheel rim (a bad flat). Rode ona spare for 50 miles before finding a hotel with a vulcanizer (tire shop) next door. They bent the wheelback for…$2. Heading for Hungarian border tomorrow and hope tohit Budapest before the weekend. – SeanAfter 5 days in Hungary we are back in Romania, land of horse-drawn carts, triangular haystacks, friendlypeople and massive potholes. (Also home of some of Europe’s worst environmental disasters! Cough! Cough!) Yesterday “we” drove (Sean drove, I provided commentary – “Watch out for the pothole, dog, chicken,horse cart, hedgehog, etc.”) 9 hours from Hungarian wine country to Romania’s painted monastery region,just outside of Transylvania. So, so tired by the time we reached Bistrita, Romania. We were rewardedfor “our” efforts with a great $20 hotel. Yes, I realize that in the U.S. $20 hotels are far fromgreat. In fact, I think you might only be able to get $20/hour hotels in the States but here they are clean,roomy and have cable TV, queen-size beds and MINI bars! Today we visited two 16th century painted monasteries and an abandoned salt mine (don’t ask). As publicrestrooms are hard to find (only 7% of Romania’s rural pop. has running H20), I had an “out standing”bathroom experience this afternoon. Sean still chuckles over this. Well, it’s about time for dessert and espresso. Boy, do I love holidays! – Kathy
Airline tickets well discounted from 1-800 335 9268 www.Tripmaker.com
Official (and pretty good) Romanian travel info at www.romaniatourism.com
General Romania info at www.roembus.org/english/travel/
More Romania travel info at www.enzia.com/Pages/menuf1.html
Dracula’s Castle (not really)
Bucharest’s Hotel Central and slightly better rates from notelnet.ro
Nice Romania travel log
Hungary info http://www.hungarytourism.hu/
Nice Budapest Hotel Victoria
