Week 6
8/10 - 8/12 | Bucharest
Groggy, I once again arrived off an early morning bus ride in Bucharest. The issue with this arrival in particular was that Bucharest doesn’t have a central bus station, and I wasn’t able to check into my Airbnb until later that afternoon. This meant that I had to find a way to the central train station, where I could store my bags in self-service lockers. Fortunately, Bolt was functional and able to take me to the train station without a hitch; the only problems came from trying to change and freshen up in the disgusting public restrooms at the train station, and the 5 or so minutes during which the station lost power.
I then made my way into old town and waited for the city to begin to open up before a walking tour I had scheduled for 10am. I sipped coffee at a local brunch cafe for a while, and then made my way to one of the main parks of the city, bordering the longest boulevard in Europe (turns out that Ceausescu wanted Bucharest to have a lot of the biggest things on the continent, and so commissioned this to be a few meters longer than the Champs-Élysées). We made our way through the old town, passing an old trade caravan stop (now a traditional restaurant), the oldest church in the city (in which locals gather on Tuesday afternoons with the superstition that if they show up to pray on this day, they’ll find love), the national bank (constructed in an eclectic style, but similar to buildings in Paris), and more.
I also reconnected with Fara, a friend I had made in Sarajevo who I didn’t know would also be in Bucharest. After the tour, her, Maddy (another girl from our tour), and I all returned to Hanul lui Manuc, the traditional restaurant we passed earlier, to have a late lunch. We paid about $7 for a 3-course meal that was quite good, finished off with Romanian donuts in sour cream and berry sauce.
Afterwards, we braved the public bus system to go to one of the largest parks in the city and see a few of its quirky attractions. After exiting our bus onto Michael Jackson Avenue (a real love of the Romanians, after the pop star was the first to christen the balcony of the new parliament building), we stopped to pose in front of the Arcul de Triumf, a replica of the famous Parisian arch of the same name. We then proceeded into the park to walk around a museum of traditional Romanian houses, which were all brought in from the countryside and reconstructed in neighborhood fashion and furnished with traditional decor.
Finally, we stumbled into a public park and had some fun with statues of famous Romanian authors. After this, I returned to the train station to move my things to my apartment, and had a quick rest before meeting the group out for some dancing. We first checked out a bar inside a bank vault in the fanciest hotel in the city, but it was absolutely empty and so instead we went to a pretty raucous bar in old town (though all of them turned out to be this way, complete with scantily clad Romanian gogo dancers all over) that was playing an eclectic mix of American pop music and Arabic songs. I soon grew tired and we all called it a night not long after.
The next day, I ran away from the city and ventured to Brașov and Bran in Transylvania. We made our first stop at the stunningly beautiful Peleș castle, which was my favorite stop of the whole day. Though it felt a little like a modern hunting lodge (with grandiose decor), this castle was incredibly ornate, well decorated, and kept in fantastic condition. We had a guided tour of the castle, and then some time to roam around in which I paid entirely too much money for some delicious fresh berries from an old Romanian woman, before we needed to hop back on the bus.
Next, we had time to rest in the historic town of Brașov. Quainter and cuter than Bucharest, it had a bit of a medieval, fairytale feel (though the Hollywood sign on the hill nearby made it feel more like Shrek 2). I wandered the streets (including one of the narrowest streets in Europe) and peeked inside of the not-so-black Black Church (so named because the walls used to be black when a fire burned the church, before it was restored). I also sampled some very non-Romanian vegan sweets from a local-looking shop, and enjoyed some jazz street performers in the couple of hours I had to explore. After that, it was back on the bus to our final destination.
Bran castle is known as Dracula’s castle, although this title is a little misleading, as Vlad Dracool only ever spent a small amount of time there (during which he was imprisoned, not master of the house). In fact, Vlad the Impaler wasn’t even the ruler of Transylvania, as he’s made out to be in the story, but rather of the southern province of Romania that includes Bucharest. The castle was, however, an inspiration for Brahm Stoker, and the structure he describes in his novel is based off of this place (literary tourists will be happy). Moreover, residents of the town make a killing off of all of the false-advertising tourism which brings foreigners in by the hundreds every day.
The inside of the castle is filled in part with a historical exhibition on its actual use in past times, and a small section dedicated to Romanian mythological creatures. We were walked through these exhibits by our guide, and then headed back to Bucharest after a very long day (we didn’t arrive home till nearly 10pm, after leaving at 8am). Despite my exhaustion, I rallied to sample some of the Bucharest nightlife—I joined Yelena (who I had met the night prior) to check out Control Club. The place, however, turned out to be much more a outdoor bar than an actual club (nobody was on the dance floor), so we enjoyed what was a very needed, relaxing night.
My final day in Bucharest was decidedly less eventful than my first few. I spent the morning sitting in coffee shops and scootering around the city, seeing the massive parliament building and admiring some of the grand fountains in the city center. In the afternoon, I took a communism history walking tour which recapped the reign of the communist regime in the country. It was fascinating to hear how Ceausescu diverged from the other Soviet bloc nations and basically ran his own state in the image of North Korea, trying to cement his supremacy as leader of the country. More fascinating still to hear about the violent collapse of the regime and to walk in the steps of the victims of this bloody period, too. After the tour, I had some time to go to the local park and rent a paddleboat on the small manmade pond before wrapping up affairs in Bucharest and heading to the bus station for: another overnight bus!
8/13 - 8/14 | Chisinau
“What are you doing in Moldova?” was the first question I was asked by a couple of Moldovan women who overheard my conversation with a fellow American over breakfast, and one I heard several times throughout my 36 hours in Chisinau. We arrived early (per usual) and walked for a good 30 minutes from the bus station to the hostel (thanks, lack of rideshare apps that I know how to use). A shower and some teeth-brushing later, we were seated at Crazy Monkey cafe, and ended up having a chat with a couple of young Moldovan entrepreneurs about to move to San Franciso. In general, the Moldovans I met turned out to be incredibly friendly and open to foreigners, which was comforting.
We then headed to take…you guessed it…a free walking tour of the city. This one was much heavier on the walking and much less on the tour—our guide told us a few things about the history of the country, but it was mostly just a scenic walk through the capital. After the tour, we had a traditional Moldovan lunch at La Placinte (a local chain for traditional food). Exhausted from the night before, I then headed back to the hostel for a refreshing nap.
Later on in the afternoon, I wandered to the center of town, where the community had spent the day setting up a stage, food booths, and more. It turns out that Chisinau was hosting a youth festival that night (coinciding perfectly with my only night in the city…all according to plan?), and it was in full swing by the time I arrived. DJs and dancers were performing on stage, vendors were cooking away, and it seemed like all of the population of Moldova under the age of 30 had emerged and joined the masses in the town square.
As the night wore on, the music got more dance-y, the people got a bit more raucous, and the atmosphere got more fun. From Moldovan hits to electronic remixes of American songs, to confetti and fireworks, these guys really knew how to throw a party. I had an amazing night dancing and singing along with the crowd, and I was so happy for the experience.
The following day was uneventful. I rested in the cool air of my hostel to escape the heat while catching up on this blog, reading, and preparing for my flight to Poland. Overall, I was surprised by Moldova, and I might even consider returning soon.
8/14 - 8/17 | Warsaw
As the world’s worst Pole (I hold citizenship despite knowing 3 words in the language and never having visited the country), I’ve been very excited to return home to the motherland. I landed in Warsaw in the evening and went to drop my bags at my hostel. I escaped just at sunset to see the orange skies above the rebuilt old town. I also stopped to watch some of the street performers in the main square—they were breathing and juggling fire (this would not pass safety codes in New York).
The next day, I started off with a tour of the historic center of the city (which has all been rebuilt after being destroyed in WWII). I had an incredibly charismatic and dramatic tour guide (Lucasz) and really enjoyed the experience (book a tour with Walkative if you get the chance). The day was hot and arduous, though, and the streets were packed with locals and tourists alike, as it was a national holiday and everyone had off from work.
After the tour, I tried to sneak down to the river to watch some of the holiday parade. Being short has a few disadvantages, and trying to see over crowds of thousands is one of them, however. I spent a good 30 minutes pushing my way through a human sardine can in direct sunlight before making it down to the parade grounds (where I could actually see what was going on), and by then the festivities had already passed by me. Disappointed, I went home to cool off and managed to catch some paratroopers flying in with Polish flags, though. Cool addition.
I took a quick nap and used the rest of my afternoon to explore the city center. This neighborhood has a very different feel from the old town—it’s much more urban, utilitarian, and local. There are still many cute restaurants and cafes along the boulevards, but there are also large bus stops and grocery stores and other local necessities. I liked this area a lot, I could see myself living in it because it felt real.
From there, I made my way back to the old town and admired the vendors, musicians, and other street inhabitants while people-watching. I got some pierogis at a local chain (my mouth is still a little raw from the burns) before exploring some of the nightlife of the city. I went to a club (Teatro Cubano) which played music I actually like (rather than techno and electronic music, like most places in Europe) to finish off my night.
My second full day in the homeland took me first to the Royal Palace. The good news is that admission was free. The bad news is that, despite having a massive courtyard with ample shade, the security guard made the visitors queue outside, along the wall, in the hot sun, and proceeded to rate-limit the number of people allowed to enter the castle and museum. 30 minutes and much sweat later, I was finally able to go inside.
The castle itself was demolished completely in WWII, and during the communist regime, the government offered to rebuild it…on the people’s dollar. Collection boxes were put out all across Poland, and citizens from every city would donate money towards the reconstruction of the castle. In just a few years, enough money was raised to complete the project, and the castle was reopened to the public in most of its former glory as a museum. The renovated version is nothing shy of stunning. This is a proper royal castle, complete with ornament, glass, and grandeur. It’s also filled with paintings by famous Polish artists. I could’ve spent hours in this museum just admiring the details, and I think it’s certainly worth a visit.
I then visited some miscellaneous tourist attractions and spent time getting lost in the streets of the city center in the afternoon. One quirky thing to see is a column in a church that contains the heart of Frederik Chopin (a DNA test has confirmed that it’s real, even if it’s not visible to the public). Smuggled across state lines, stolen, and finally laid to rest, it has a fun history.
My evening was spent wandering the battlements of old town and watching the sunset. It’s a gorgeous spot to spend this time of day, especially with clear weather and good visibility. I even managed to stumble onto a local rock concert (entirely in Polish and Ukrainian) in the town square, which had attracted quite the crowd. All in all, a great night.
On the third day, I started my morning off light with a tour of Jewish history in Warsaw. Feeling cheery and light, I then decided to compound my emotional state by visiting the Polin Museum of Jewish history. It was quite a moving day. In the afternoon, I visited a couple of other attractions (the Polish Resistance Museum, the Palace of Arts and Sciences, and a few more), and I spent the evening with someone I had met enjoying some of Warsaw’s massive parks and ice cream offerings. It was a simple day after a heavy morning, but it was very welcome. On such a happy note, I decided to extend my stay in Warsaw—stay tuned for more to come.
