Best Eastern Hotel Cosmos Chisinau

I finally got on the road from Lviv on my Istanbul trek. I took a bus from lviv to Chisinau, Moldolva, which has the breakaway communist province of Transnistria. Against all advice, I booked a bus that went thru this region, although I certainly didn't know it at the time. Communicating with anyone in Ukraine is almost impossible (outside of the hostel workers and guests), and was certainly beyond my ...

... written on them in Russian and, crucially, booking our taxi for 5.45 am on the day we left. <br><br><br>We managed to get in a couple of excursions from Chisinau, both DIY by necessity so there was a real sense of adventure and achievement in just getting to the places, let alone looking around them. The first trip was to a Cave-monastery at Orheiu Vechi. The monastery is buried in a promontory which is surrounded on three ...

... 55m2 <br> Sitting area : sofa combination 3 + 1 + 1 + "pouf", low table 80x80cm, tv table with new 72cm TV LG, video and DVD player, nice solid carpet 3,0x4,0m, plastic plants, 2 standing halogen lights, large mirror making place look even more bigger <br> Bedroom 1 : build in cupboard 240x70cm behind sliding ...

... that students viewing such operations were normal and we were welcome to watch with the mother's approval. So, Mike, Marco and I were kitted out in the greenish-whites, including overalls, over-shoes and cap and led to the operating theatre. The mother-to-be was strapped down and she was in the process of being covered in cloths, with a high clothed wall designed to shield her from the view of the operation, so that below her ribs ...

... was next on the bill. Queueing in Ukraine very nearly occurs. The men are very good at it, the lines behind me straight and true. However, the demographic of weathered women over 60 has perfected the I'm just standing here looking at the high quality of Soviet era light fittings nonchalant loiter which then - as the prior customer departs - transforms into a dropped shoulder barge that should be enough to earn them a starting jersey with St Kilda. As ...

... Chisinau also has a north bus station, but at least the signage is back in the Roman alphabet. Having no clue where I am, I get in a marshrutka which promises to take me to the train station. Unfortunately, I'm packed so tight, I can't see out. I miss the station and wind up at the last stop somewhere out in the country. It's getting dark. I dig out my flash light and five wonderful marshrutka drivers pour over my map, trying ...

... of regulations). The process went on for a while, with the policeman switching into English on me after I started to struggle some in communicating (the henchman speaking 100mph and all). Once he'd let that slip, I didn't utter a single word more in Romanian. Time to put the advantage back on my side. The cop didn't help his cause either by laughing after his buddy told me I had to pay 96lei for registration. I continued to play dumb and stall everything for a while ...

... cars and bikes making a racket. Tried to phone girls for god who said I could stay with them - they also had a swimming pool which appealed at that time but couldn't get through on the phone. Looking lost at junction and mafia looking guy in tinted windowed people carrier shouted over and he drove and I followed to hotel, an old state owned neglected building. Cost was $2 and I had no choice so paid with the 'receptionist' having to go ...

... their salary is paid by the tax payers, because she was of the distinct impression that she was entitled to service. Huh! One of the visa officers, there were two, male and female (the male one of course) immediately decided it was time for a break and proceeded to close his window - or in this instance his side of the shelf, leaving a long snaking line with a harried young woman to cope with the rest of the bloody tourists. As it turns out it was a question of ...