Transylvanian dreams

9.12.06

O I love it here!

Romania is as good as I ever hoped it would be. Yes, there are people riding horses-and-carts sharing the road with cars ancient and modern (the local Dacias all look like slightly stuffed-up Renaults) and yes, the people are reserved, but lovely once you manage to break through to them. And the towns are incredibly, medievally beautiful. I am awestruck and lovestruck, i guess, by it all.

We are travelling at a great time of year to avoid the other tourists. When we catch local transport, we are the only non-locals on board and town squares are only teeming with people going about their business, even if that happens to be selling souvenirs or begging for money.

However, the nightlife so far leaves a lot to be desired. There have been evenings when Isco and I are the sole diners in a restaurant, which is odd and a bit uncomfortable. Especially when that restaurant happens to be the stupid Dracula-themed place we were slightly leery of in the first place. Bad food, expensive, and zero atmosphere - NOT quite what we came for.

But we have had some wonderful experiences. Such as yesterday's day trip to Sibiu.

Then the town was fantastic - medieval splendour in three interconnected plazas, joined to the newer part of town by old-fashioned staircases and skinny, winding cobblesone streets. I can't quite convey how happy the crumbling oldness of Oradea, Sigisoara and Sibiu have made me so far... maybe I will do better in describing it from Brasov when I'm not at a cruddy internet cafe with only 6 minutes of my hour left, but I'm really excited that there's still another week of Romania to go!