Romania

Hey Everyone!  Yes, I am still alive!  I cannot believe how long it takes to go through photos.  Organize them, print them, post them, share them, show them in slideshows, etc.  I think I am technically challenged, so it does take me a little longer than most, but still...  :D  I think there will be one or two more updates and I will try to post those very soon!

Anyway, during my last week in Moldova I was able to take a train over to Romania for the weekend.  Kristy was already there for a mini vacation, so we decided I would meet her in Iasi, Romania, which is fairly close to the Moldovan border.  I was so excited!  I was warned by someone that the train is scary to ride on, especially for a woman by herself, and that the bathroom was nothing more than a hole in the floor, and anyone could throw you off the train and no one would know... and I'm not saying that it was all false, but after getting more information, I decided it would be safe, so I boarded this lovely train at 4:00 p.m. on Friday afternoon...

Yes, I believe the train dates back to the beginning of the Soviet Union, but it was a fun experience!

The bride and groom thought it was great, so why shouldn't I?

Inside the beast

Apparently not many people travel to Iasi in August because it is so warm.  I had no idea there would be a sauna on this old train!  ;)  I had frozen several bottles of water and they were all melted about 2 hours into the trip.

Moldovan Countryside

During World War II, each country had different trains tracks to avoid being attacked by rails, so we had to wait for about 1 1/2 hours while they lifted the train and changed the wheels under it at the border.  It was an interesting process.

Okay, so funny story, I boarded the train at 4:00 in the afternoon.  I was supposed to be in Iasi at 10:00 p.m. and take a taxi to the hotel to meet Kristy.  So no big deal, I should be at the hotel by 11:00 p.m. max, right?  Well, things didn't quite go like planned.  First off, about 15 minutes into the trip, it was so warm that the male train attendant had taken off his shirt.  Real classy...  Well, the problem is, without the uniform, they all look alike to me... I'm sure they say the same thing about us, but I seriously can't tell the difference.  Also, neither of the train attendants on my car spoke English.  So when a shirtless man comes and asks for my passport, I was a little concerned!  haha  For the most part, things went smoothly.  They switched the wheels at the border and then we went through customs.  Something must have broken down on the train because it took hours at customs!  At 10:00 we were still sitting there at the border and I had no way to contact Kristy or even ask what was wrong because, Surprise! No one speaks English!  Well, I just waited patiently for a long time, but then I noticed that the woman train attendant put on pajamas, and all the other passengers on my car were gone...  I tried a few different ways to figure out what was going on, but basically, I was told to go back to my room.  I don't know why, but all the border patrol seemed to be having a party outside the train while we were sitting there.  Finally after hours, we were moving again.  Thankfully, the woman train attendant, who was a very stern looking Russian woman, took me under her wing and kept an eye out for me.  It was nice having a buddy even when there was a communication barrier.  When I finally made it to the hotel it was after midnight, and Kristy was a little concerned, but looking back on the whole situation, it was pretty funny!  

We went to the palace in Iasi.  It was so fun!

I have no idea why there was a kayak in the fountain at the front of the palace but I took a picture because it was odd.  There wasn't even a plaque to go with it.

I love all the detail on these buildings

 It is a little blurry, but this pipe organ is awesome!

 I think this is the national opera house

 We spent some of the day in the Palas Mall.  It was fun to listen to an incredible

 violinist and pianist perform for a couple hours.

We only stayed in Romania for one night because the train for Moldova left at 3:00 a.m., so we enjoyed a good Romanian dinner and sat in front of the palace for a few hours in the evening.  It was such a fun trip and a wonderful experience!  I am so glad I got to spend time with Kristy before heading back to the States.