The Merry Cemetary
Trip Start
Nov 15, 2005
1
10
248
Trip End
Aug 15, 2008
Sapanta,
Romania
Tuesday, December 6, 2005
Through vigorous arm waving and sign language, the woman selling tikets at the Sighetu Marmatiei station managed to communicate I had 8 hours before my onward train, there was no left luggage office and the buses departed to Sapanta from just outside where I was standing. Not bad, considering neither of us could speak a word in the others' language!
A short bus ride took to me my destination, Sapanta. Interesting as it was, I can't help but feel that perhaps it wasn't worth the energy expended getting there, especially as I was having to drag my bag around with me - couldn't help but resent having to carry guide books to China and Thailand around a tiny cemetary in a tiny village in the far north of Romania. Character building, I think the polite way of putting it is.
The unique feature of this cemetery is that instead of the usual headstones, almost every grave in the place had an elaborately wood carved and colourfully painted headstone, depicting the deceased in everyday life (in most cases) and a short passage/poem celebrating that person's life. Even not being able to read Romanian, I spent an interesting hour or so wanding around the graveyard. Unfortunately, that left me with another six hours before my train was due. A quick look around Sapanta revealed perhaps the most frightening monastery I have yet seen and absolutely nothing else, so I returned to Sighet and spent an enjoyable few hours in the company of a couple studying there, who gave me a guided tour of the place as it gave them an opportunity to practice their english.
Finally, my train arrived and I could begin to hope for a proper bed in which to sleep (it being now 6 days since I had slept in a bed). Just a cold 6 hour journey to go!
