3RD LEG OF OUR ORIENTAL EXPRESS JOURNEY
Not much dialog on this trip, so since I am on this train until noon tomorrow I thought I would write a few words.
We arrived at the train station from the apartment in under 15 minutes in rush hour traffic and at half the cost of the taxi the other direction. Taxi's are a little dicey here and Norbert, our landlord, had arranged one for us to the station.Speaking of Norbert, he and his wife ZsuZsa, where wonderful host. Their apartment was perfect for Vicki and I and in an excellent location.
The station, as previously described, is half … 2/3rds decrepit. They have people some times checking for tickets to get on the platforms but most of the time not. We were entitled to the VIP lounge with the sleeper tickets. Other bloggers were unable to find it, but thanks to a helpful porter, who carried no bags and thought I was German, showed us the way. It is 1st class with free drinks and peanuts and pretzels.
The Princess settled in and I went out to be with my people. There where chess games going for money, various food vendors, people hurrying to catch their train and a few trains coming and going.
I was able to check out a Russian train from Moscow and returning to Kiev. It was old and dated, but looking in the windows it had more modern seats than the outside would lead you to believe and wood paneled sleeper cars.
Our train arrived and we made our way around the terminal to track 6, car 422, bunks 43 and 45. The car is very modern with a bath and a shower. Unlike our previous sleeper this one did not come with towels. It did come with a toilet and tooth brush. The cabin was clean and the sheets fresh, but the attention to detail was not there with trash in the trash can and a half used bottle of water.
The attendant quickly remedied these problems the train pulled away right on time at 19:10. For those of you who are not aware, the rest of the world works on a 24 hour clock. No AM or PM.
We settled in started our evening meal. Wine, cheese, meat, fruit. On a USAirways trash bag as a table cloth.
We have been under way for over an hour. After leaving Budapest, it has been dark. Real dark.
There is the occasional village but for the most part we can see nothing.
So far this journey has been a pure joy. Munich was just a stop and that was it. We have been there before. Budapest is virgin territory for us. It was interesting and the people very nice. We prefer to wander about the towns, do a few museums but talk to people and get the feel of the city and country. That was easy to do in Budapest as so many people spoke English. The government is thinking of making students take another language other than English first as they say English is too easy to learn. I compare all cities to Paris, which to me is the most vibrant city in the world. Budapest has a long way to go. We both commented on how we felt there is no vibrancy in Budapest. It still is working its way out of the communist mentality. Locals stand at the cross walk with no traffic coming for ages until the little man turns green. Meanwhile, we are jay walking up a storm with the other westerners. We saw no police to give you a ticket or even stop you. The younger generation seems to be working on the capitalist spirit. Like Norbert and ZsuZsa. They have restored one apartment and are working on the next. Living in the new one while they redo it totally.
We had just settled in for the evening. Vicki had climbed up in her bunk when someone knocked on the door. I was pretty sure it was not the neighbor looking for a cup of coffee. I opened the door and standing was a gentleman in full uniform with a big electric box of some kind who announced that he was border control and would like our passports. It has been so long since I had seen border control in Europe since most of them have been removed I was a little surprised but we were entering Romania.
Everybody was smiling and head nodding. Our passports were stamped and we settled in again for what little sleep is available on a sleeper train.
About 45 minutes later there was another more aggressive knock at the door. The Princess was very vocal in telling whoever it was “chill out” and wait a minute. I opened the door and there stood another official in a more drab uniform declaring he was border patrol. Evidently the last one checks us out of the EU and this gentleman was checking us into Romania. His personality matched his drab uniform.
Passports were checked and stamped, notes made on a scrap piece of paper. There was no smiling or nodding.
With all formalities settled we settled in for the night. We had now passed out from under the overcast skies and there was a visible horizon and a few stars. In the distance there were occasionally a light or two.
The night passed with some sleeping and it was light outside when I woke up with sun rays just peeking over the hills. It was a beautiful morning with golden colors everywhere. In one area the sky was full of gold and yellow colors from the rising sun and so was the ground with corn and leafs turning fall colors. There was an area of white low laying fog just like a pond in the middle of the vast field.
I gazed out the window watching the world go by. In some areas trees and bushes were actually scrapping the side of the train.
Coffee began to call and I headed off to the dining car with my 3 euro chit that was issued in exchange for a 120 euro ticket for two.
A very nice dinning car except for the smoking. There is no smoking in the regular cars, but despite the signs, it was tolerated in the dinning car. Probably because that is where the staff congregated and they all seemed to be smokers.
I met Pete from Melbourne Fla. He retired 2005 and shortly after he and his wife separated. Guess she just did not want him home all the time. We had a long visit as we had much in common. He had started his journey in London and was pretty much on the move until he arrived in Budapest where he was worn out and took a few days off. His destination is the southern coast of Turkey. He stays in hostels and loves it. Usually in a dorm area. In London, were hotels cost a small fortune, he shared his dorm room with a lawyer and a doctor from England and a doctor from Egypt I believe he said.
The conductors where in the dining car doing thier paperwork with that carbon paper stuff again. Between paperwork he is serving “sandwich” “omelete” and vodaka. “One?” “No, two” indicating a double. Not me, the other passengers.
Temperatures, normally in the 70’s, are now running in the 80’s. Bucharest has had 90 degree days in the last week. This good as it gave Vicki a chance to go shopping in Budapest. Unfortunately I was stupid enough to go with her.
Every station seemed to have a Romanian beauty in uniform and high heels. Never saw them do anything other than look good.
Every station seemed to have a resident dog.
Many stations had old steam engines and these strange vehicles with train wheels.
After the mountains we were back on the flat plans. We passed the plains and Ploiesti oil fields that the Allies bombed extensively in operation Tidalwave. 177 bombers flew from Eygpt. 53 were lost and 57 extensively damaged, but the raid was a success. Just the sheer numbers of planes launched on the bombing raids in WWII is mind boogling.
Coming into Bucharest we passed many of these rundown soviet area apartment blocks.
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