BUCHAREST

48 HOURS  IN BUCHARST

The first 48 minutes  was seeming like it might be enough of Bucharest. It started in the train station where I went to get tickets to Istanbul and Vicki went to the tourist info office. My adventure went fairly quickly and with out much challenge.  The agent spoke English and sincerely was trying to help her customers.  My only challenge was I had to do my business behind a gentleman's back who was filling out forms in triplicate without the benefit of carbon paper, and talking through a little tiny window.

Vic had not had as much luck.  The tourist girl, who spoke English, was more interested in looking good and talking on the phone.  We got a map and moved on.

The next challenge was outside the train station where we tried to secure a cab.  Fortunately my research had paid off.  Cabs can charge anything they want, unless you go on the meter. That is the gotcha. Most post the rate on the outside of the cab.  The rates went from 1.29 per km to 3.50 per km.  The key was finding the 1.29 and going on the meter.

The ride to the hotel was gray, drab and heavy traffic.  Parking obviously is a premium commodity

There was construction around the Z Executive Hotel and no access to the door.  We bailed out on he main street and walked the short distance.

this is a street and the hotel is 100 yards up the street

The hotel was excellent. It is small with about 30 rooms and security on the floors is great. You have to have a key to get through a hall door just to get to your door with only 3 rooms per floor.

 odd little window in the room to the bathroom

 our view

from the roof

We took showers and a break and then hit the road.  We are right in the “old” section.  After walking for a couple of hours we looked for food and found a nice restaurant. Food and drink, at least in this part of town, seems to be expensive.  Even the street food.  We had a great meal and headed home.

Our evening venture started to change my mind about Bucharest. We strolled around and watched people come and go.  There were no obviously looking tourist other than us.  English was only heard amongst people of different accents, indicating they were from different countries, using it as a mutual means of communication. And there was still very little of that. There were no tourist shops. There were no beggars. The later it got, the more active the area became with lots of young people. We chose a “location” and sat down for a drink and to watch the people go by. It was a good show.

It is the same all over the world.  The youngest do not talk any more.  They text and phone. There was a great example next to us. They were on the phone all the time. Never talking to the person they were with. If talking on the phone or texting got boring they watched videos.  No across the table talk. A scene I have seen repeated over and over on this trip and around the world.

At the next table. Two, ladies a little older, were talking and laughing and drinking. Seemed like a much better way to spend an evening than with a phone stuck in your ear or face while you are eating and drinking.

I woke up Thursday with a whole new outlook on Bucharest.  I discovered last night that the city has a pulse  and is alive.  This morning I also learned that the conversion rate is 3 rom to $1.  It had been 2 to 1 when I had gone to sleep last night...a least in my head. We were off to be tourists and spend money now, since I had made 33% over night on the money in my pocket.

My plan was to catch one of the Hop-on Hop-off buses.  These are double decker open top buses that make circuits around the city and you just get on and off at any of their stops. Every other country had  one every 10 feet trying to sell you a ticket and there were buses everywhere.  Not here.  The map on the internet of the bus stops was wrong.  In 6 hours walking we saw a total of 2 buses and they turned before they got to where we were. Buses, we don't need no stinkin' buses.

First stop was to find a new watch band for Vicki's watch as she is the keeper of the time. We entered a hugh building that is a mall but all chopped up like a bazaar. I approached security to ask where we could find a watchband.  He tried to explain and then gave up and said “follow me” and away we went.

That mission accomplished we were off to the second largest building in the world, the Parliament  Palace. Only the Pentagon is larger. There are many stories about this period in Romania's history.  They were extremely poor at this time, but the President, Nicolae Ceausescu, decided to build this grand edifice. It is 330,000 square meters, cost 3.3 billion euros, and still  is not finished. There is one chandelier with 7,000 bulbs. It cost 3,000,000 euros a year on energy. There are claims that 22,000 workers worked 24 hours a day and that 30,000 people, and 28 churches were displaced to build it.

I debated about this picture. I decided to put it in because I think we Americans are sheilded from the tragedies that happen in the world. Here, outside of the U.S., I see pictures of our troops bleeding in the streets of foreign countries for us. You would never see them in America because then we may realize what the cost of our decisions are. We just go about our lives never knowing or want to know what the consequences of our inaction will be.

 Ceausescu and his wife were shot by the military on Christmas day 1989 after being held and tried in 24 hours.

After walking around the Palace we just roamed the city.  Lots of small Orthodox chapels. They were quite beautiful and I noticed that they were all missing something. All them had people smiling and with halo's and stuff.  There was none of those good Christian paintings of  death, murder and mayhem. You know that stuff that they use to try to scare you into joining them and then telling you that it is a kind and forgiving religion while blood and guts are flowing in the pictures.

 parking here is next to impossible. these touring bikers had the right idea.

 horrible traffic

 this b&w shows  feathers on the ground.  Vicki said a comforter exploded. In front of the Ministry of Terrorism and Crime and for the next 4 blocks in any direction?

 anybody hear of fiber optics?

 public flower gardens are few and far between.

 carb overhaul

 hidden in that mess is a whistle blowing traffic cop.  he was fun to watch

 a very interesting building. yes, that old building is wrapped around the new

another old and new.  in the back ground is the Intercontiennal hotel

 if you see this guy, tell him his momma is looking for him

Wedding dresses are a big business. Not sure if people come here to buy or lots of people are getting married. On one block there were 5 stores, but they are everywhere.

We spent a lot of time at the little Stavropoleos Monastery  in the old town. It is very small and today houses nuns. It is in the process of being restored and 3 women artists were painstakingly restoring the entrance. I was amazed. www.stavropoleos.ro

Dinner was at a nice Italian restaurant with a wonderful staff.  They could havae not been more friendly. When we left the whole gang wanted their picture taken and I was glad to oblige.

Tomorrow, back on the train for the last leg of this part of the journey.