TravelStream™ news feed for member eolr on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/eolr en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:56:15 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eolr/9/1251926559/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eolr/9/1251926559/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eolr/9/1251926559/tpod.html Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:56:15 -0400 Romania, August/September 2009

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Brasov, Transylvania, Romania

Girl on train (Roxana) 17 yo wanting to practise English. Working in Cyprus, had 27 yo 'boyfriend'. Other men on train chatting her up?! Sweet girl but had to get out of her becoming a new Facebook friend by giving her a slightly wrong name. eek. Met at station by a guy who gave me map and told me where to get ticket and what bus to get. Very useful. Hostel really nice. Lots of Ausies and Brits. Really friendly atmosphere.
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Bucharest, Romania

Notes:

Arrived 1h10 mins late. Had vague directions to hostel but sort of had idea where was and the address so tried to walk it. See why hostel said dont walk it at night. Man approached me speaking Romanian but I ignored him and carried on walking. Could feel following so quickened a little. He tapped/grabbed my rucksack and held up a supposedly official card and said 'passport' so I said as forcefully and with as angry a look on my face as I could manage "NU!" i.e. "No" which seemed to do the trick. Found hostel in another 10 mins or so. Very nice. Lady on reception very friendly. IYP guide waiting for me! Went out to get money. Went to shop opposite. Me: browsing. Girl: "VAT DO YOU WANT?" Me: "I'm thirsty but I dont know what I want to drink! Tut at 50 Lei note. I said Multumecs to try and please her. Girl: Oh no it is my pleasure! (Her tone dripping with sarcasm!)

V run down, stray dogs. Bucharest thus far miserable and dodgy but I cant help but be fascinated by it! Chilled out for rest of day, afternoon nap. Pizza Hut!

Second day:
Tipping it down in morning - read an Agatha Christie left in hostel. Afternoon tour of Palace of Parliament. Guide just reeling off facts! Got to go on balcony tho - brilliant view down Bul. Unirii - perfect for a mad dictator, but Ceacescu never got to use it. Did walking tour in LP, lots of churches, beautiful, in run down backlots. Man in Audi, tinted windows, talking to Gypsy boy...Can guess what that was about which is v. sad. Tried to go to Old Town but much busier than last year and works now active so difficult to walk so gave up. Pizza Hut again!

Day 3:
Walk to Peasant Museum, like Ethnographic museums of Bulgaria and other EE countries. Good but not as great as guidebook makes out. Walk up to Village Museum. Good but only a dozen of 70 odd houses open. Lots of walking about. Saw some glue sniffing gypsy kids by station - thought they were an over-exaggeration by LP guide. Found healthy sandwich place for lunch! Hummus wrap - yay! Booked seat reservation. Asked in Romanian for it - woman behind counter impressed. People in general been much nice today than 1st day.

Day 4: Chlling out here in hostel, waiting for 1pm train to Brasov.

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Budapest, Hungary

Notes:

Train late but found was train from Berlin - i.e. one took in reverse last year! So... omlette in lovely buffet car! E6.10

Train to Bucharest - no food so had to use emergency dinner of microwave wheat from Paris and tin of fish from Bratislava! Realised beer also got was non-alcoholic but German guys in compartment next door said to get one off attendant which did! Attendant nice guy, knocked on door later and tried to give me a French book but had to tell him I didn't speak French! Should have had top bunk which 6'6" off ground but although others booked, had compartment to self! So attendant said to sleep on bottom. Contrast to attendant on Belgrade-Sofia train last year!



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Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia

Notes:

Arrived at not main station - industrial estate! Walked but couldnt find 93 stop, ended up on about 3 different buses trying to get over river to main part. lots of communist style housing blocks. flashback to being lost in Warsaw 3 years ago! Got over and then sort of followed crap photocopied map and my nose and ended up ok.

Hostel nice - round corner from main hostel. Only 1 other person in room so practically private. Bar and restaurant. Good and cheap tho did try to give me ham at first! Cold beer tasted best had in long time! Made rookie mistake re: currency. Using 3 year old guide book and didnt realise adopted euro in January!

Chilled in eve, sightseeing next day. Tho temp plummeted from 34 on arrival, storms in night then 17C next day and raining and windy! Tesco! Cafe - thought pizza slice but sweet! Sugar/apple?! plus coffee = E0.83 No wonder dodgy homeless looking types in there!

Main station dodgier than other one - Rookie mistake 2: don't rely on station facilities for you lunch! Whole bag of crisps for lunch...

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Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Notes:

V. nice new Railjet train - so nice thought 1st class! Tho buffet car not much better than Eurostar one. Displays show speed, real time position on map, stops and times etc.!
Same woman and kids from Paris-Munich night train!
People v house proud, beautiful window boxes on all houses, very Sound of Music countryside

Vienna Meidling tiny station - thought no facilities at first but found some tho limited to 2 food stalls!

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London, England, United Kingdom

Notes:

All fine tho kid kept asking 'are we under the sea yet?" every time we went in a tunnel which bit annoying!

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Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Notes:

Night train ok - Mum and two sons sharing compartment, slept pretty well

Munich waiting - resisted Starbucks/Subway and went German. Pointing ok, got egg sarny and coffee dead cheap!

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Paris, Île-de-France, France

Notes:

Just a quick stop
Walk down scary - people asking me stuff but not begging - drugs?!
Lots more homeless and begging than London - people just laying there on pavement
Saint Chapelle queue ok so went in unlike last time but thought bit overrated
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Paris, Île-de-France, France

Notes:

Just a quick stop
Walk down scary - people asking me stuff but not begging - drugs?!
Lots more homeless and begging than London - people just laying there on pavement
Saint Chapelle queue ok so went in unlike last time but thought bit overrated

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Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Amsterdam
Smell of weed widespread! Lots of gays - older men holding
hands - sweet! Bikes!!! Mad and scary in all directions, dogs in
baskets, kids in baskets, even tiny ones! all speak perfect english
(e.g. man about beer in supermarket). 11.5% beer! canals lovely, wonky
houses, hooks from roof. 'night watch' 'thai bride'

Odd cool things - tea stick, vending machines, weird deli stuff, tea towels with metal rings!

v.v. hot then storms at night

Prostitutes! Fat Philipino and 40+! Thought shop dummies at first! Photos - L not realise in building taking photo of!
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