Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
On the night train to turkey… Well, I am leaving Romania with CS Katie after our three night stint in Cluj Naboaca, Singhau, and Brasov. Draculas castle was more or less what I expected after reading their website before I arrived. It is mostly dedicated to a queen of Romania after Vlad the impaler "Vlad Dracula" was the main resident of the castle. They had a couple of rooms with the history of vampires and the ties to Transylvania, but nothing much more then the website.
Everything is really cheap in Romania a cab ride anywhere in Brasov is no more then $3-$4, a three course meal goes for about $20-$30 for 2 people at a nice restaurant. I would say overall Romania is ok. The border police are jerks, the trains are unreliable for time and take a very long time. The people we had interacted with were either really nice or jerks, so 50/50 on Romania.
I did appreciate the other side of how one can live when I was there. The Romania gypsies the real gypsies live a really hard life. Some will use panhandling as there source of income others live in self sustaining farms or villages. These villages are very poor and made of whatever building materials they could find. There is no sanitation so the rubbish is put in a location outside the village and burned, try getting away with that in the US. The interesting thing was that the gypsies really use everything they can for living from shopping bags to cover their haystacks to old bus seats for there horse and cart. They really live back 100 or more years ago. I am really motivated to see more of this type of living perhaps my next opportunity will be in rural Ethiopia. I think there are things that can be learned from these people really living off the grid. If for no other reason, but to appreciate being able to have abundant luxuries like we have in the states.
After my visit to Romania I really am motivated to see more and maybe stay with some of these people for a period of time, the walk in their shoes scenario. That is was one of my main goals of this trip and this visit has really inspired me to make sure that this goal is accomplished.
Well as I said I am on the night train, floating like a airplane, one more time tonight… I am on the night train… Will be on this train for about 20 hours until we arrive in Istanbul, Turkey. I look forward to this visit it should be another adventure.
That's all I have for now
Kevin
- comments
Mom Where is Katie from and how did you meet up with her? Did she plan on seeing the same places as you or is she traveling along for awhile? At any rate I am glad you are not traveling alone. It is much nicer to have someone to share your travels with especially something as heavy as Auschwitz. So, what is this motivation of yours to stay for an extended time with people who are living a “very poor ….. really hard life” and what do you plan to offer them? Do you plan to become one with them and give up your possessions? Do you plan to help (if so, how?) or just observe? Do you think you will be accepted with your computer, cell phone and backpack? Do you think you will exit with your computer, cell phone and backpack? I admire your desire to gain more knowledge of people living a life different than you but please consider how you will be perceived and accepted. Is it really a good idea to go it alone and become intertwined in their lives to more appreciate the “abundant luxuries we have in the states”? If you really want to help there are missionary groups that would welcome your assistance and provide for you without taking up valuable resources of the less fortunate. I don’t see how doing this on your own is a good idea. I don’t mean to be harsh but I love you and have your best interests in mind. Kevin, please travel safe and know that I love you. Mom