Phoenicia Grand Bucharest

... We thought that we finally can go to the highway, but Marius' car decided to have no gas.<br> <br> 9:45 AM, Pumped some gas, Marius didn't know where to go. We had a GPS. Let's say we called her Gina. Gina was a *****. <br> <br> 10:00 AM, on the way to Bucharest. Gina kept talking and talking and talking when all we had to do at that time was go straight on the road.<br> <br> 11:00 AM, Arrived in Bucharest. Lost in Bucharest. Gina is a liar. She kept telling us the wrong direction ...

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... in University Square. During the 1989 revolution that brought down the communists a lot of fighting took place in and around the square and this is marked by a group of stone crosses in the middle of the street to remember all those who died in the fighting- although fighting may not be the right word, since it was essentially the army and Securitate firing into an unarmed crowd. A little up the street sits a rather ad hoc black cross, propped up between two bricks ...

... though this makes the economy seem to being doing well, there still seems to be a lot of poverty about, and as a taxi driver said the honest people aren't making the money. Despite this I have to say Romania is great, and we have had no problems at all, a must do. There are also meant to be lots of bears in the woods, we have heard stories from a few people but not seen any. Dave is very disappointed, I am rather happy not to have run in to a wild bear on the other hand.

... of capitalism and modern technology. Like many adolescents rebelling against oppressive rules, it has turned largely to easy pleasures of the kind forbidden under the former regime. Casinos and strip clubs have sprouted up like acne alongside fast food joints and clothing chains. There is beauty here, but you have to hunt for it. I'm currently experiencing the double-edged sword of having a native host, where I'm experiencing both less and more than I otherwise would ...

... to the tourist spots. We liked Brasov because it has examples of historical architecture (more of like what we saw in Vienna or Munich, less Russian concrete block houses.) and it was small enough to walk around with out getting too fatigued. There was also a 1000ft hill right next to the town center which had some nice views from its top. From Brasov we took a day trip loop to Rasnov, Bran and Sinaia. That area seems to ...

... can crumble and crack and turn black- but it does. Not as old as the beaux arts buildings, the communist era buildings are still in just as bad shape! I walked down and found Ceaucescu's Palace. It is phenomenally large. It makes Buckingham Palace look a little on the dinky side. When he built it, he not only tore down everything to make the Palace and parks around it- but created a huge boulevard through the center of town- I have no idea how far it runs but it is quite wide ...

... you see the contrast between the two. The first few days were spent wandering about the capital and it quickly becomes apparent that someone had an inferiority complex! You all know what they say about guys who own big expensive cars?! ;) (Actually, if I could afford one of those cars I'd love to have one so I might have to edit that out one day! I digress...) Now think on a much larger scale. During the Caucesue??? era an entire section of the city was ...

... and by the time we were dropped off near the girls' flat, we were all feeling a little ill. This week is just another week at school, but on the weekend Lauren from the GAP office in the UK is coming to visit, and taking us all to Sinaia in the mountains, where it has just begun to snow :-) A free weekend trip...YAY!!!!!!! Photos coming as soon as I can get them off Marie :-) Bye! PS - No bird flu yet...

... BRD, die den Siebenbuerger Sachsen und den Banat-Schwaben (die weder aus Sachsen, stattdessen aus Franken, noch aus Schwaben, sondern aus ganz Sueddeutschland kamen) aus Rumaenien heim in die Republik half. Dazu kommt noch eine sehr grosse Gruppe der Roma, die heute auch die von den Sachsen verlassenen Doerfer besiedelten. Secui wird dagegen nur noch von 2 Menschen gesprochen, der Rest spricht nun Ungarisch. Ich hatte bis zu meiner Ankunft in Bukarest fast nur mit Ungarn zu tun ...