Walking 15km through the countryside in the rain??
Trip Start
Apr 08, 2007
1
102
144
Trip End
Oct 01, 2007
Suceava,
Romania
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Botosani isn't a tourist destination at all. In fact, I'm not even sure if I've ever seen it mentioned in a tourist guide, at least beyond a brief note talking about things nearby. Certainly it's not considered a destination in itself. So why go? Curiosity as usual, plus I have an old book from the 80s talking about Ceausescu's systematization plan that mentions Botosani as having had some of the best traditional architecture in the country, but being under severe threat of demolition. Well, it turns out that they did go ahead and follow through most of that demolition. I arrived to the usual bleak suburbs of rectangular housing blocks, then made my way into the center along one of the main boulevards. The deeper I got into town, the uglier it seemed to get, and practically the entire center had been reconstructed in the shocking poor taste of 1980s Romanian Communism. Seems like I wasted time on a pointless trip.
Well, in fact, there is a bit of the old city left. I poked around the center some more and managed to track down the uniquely picturesque town hall. Sure, it was bracketed by scaffolding and surrounded by horrendous public buildings from the 70s and 80s, but it still looked pretty nice. Not far away from that, I found what qualifies as Botosani's "old town." It's actually little more than a long street of 19th-century buildings with pretty iron balconies, with a few smaller streets stretching away from it and a nice square in the middle. For being in a city that is the seat of one of Romania's poorest counties, it was remarkably well-maintained in parts, but still needs some serious restoration work. Nevertheless, getting a good idea of the place took little over an hour and, after a quick stop for a cheap, yet enormous shaorma (that was actually kind of nasty), I was on my way out of town.
Getting back to Suceava was a cinch, even despite the fact that I never figured out where Botosani's bus station is. All I had to do instead was walk back up to where I'd arrived, follow the road out to the edge of town and then start hitchhiking. Actually, I didn't even get to the latter, because a guy waiting there asked me where I was going and then herded me into a share-taxi with a few other people. Back to Suceava in only 30 minutes and for almost no more money than I'd spend getting out! Easy as pie.
The next stop I had in mind was the little market town of Radauti, which sits about 40km northwest of Suceava (whereas Botosani lays about 40km to the east). Getting to it basically necessitated a stop back through Suceava, so I didn't mind having to return and then leave again. I went to the bus station last night to write down the bus times, and the last one bound for Radauti was scheduled for 15:30 today. Since I got back into town at 2:30pm, I had almost a good chunk of time available to make a pit stop and chill at the hostel briefly. Always a welcome thing when you've been moving around quickly.
I ended up walking back down to the bus station a little early and found the space for the Radauti bus standing empty. Assuming it not to have arrived yet, I still thought I'd double-check the bus schedule inside. I was quite surprised then to find that they'd just changed the timeboard for Saturdays and Sundays; there were no longer three Radauti buses, but rather two and the last one left at 12:15! What the hell? I walked up to the counter to make sure, and the woman there confirmed that they weren't going anymore from the bus station on Saturday afternoons. So, what to do? I'd basically seen most of what Suceava had to offer, so I wasn't all that keen on hanging around in town. On the other hand, the previously hazy sky was now threatening rain . . . maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to stick around rather than go someplace new.
Against my better conscience then, I notice a bus leaving for the village of Arbore and decide to hop on it. Arbore is home to the last UNESCO-listed painted monastery and only one I had so far not seen. Most foreign visitors miss it, so that upped the attractiveness a bit. So off I went, arriving at the small village after about an hour's drive. The driver made sure to pull right up to the monastery entrance so I'd have no chance of missing it, which was very kind of him. As I descended, I asked him about return buses, only to have him confirm my suspicions: there weren't any until tomorrow morning. Hitchhiking time again, evidently.
There was a little problem at this point though. Not long out of Suceava, the rain began and it showed no sign of ceasing upon arrival in Arbore. I did have my umbrella though, so at least I could stay fairly dry. But then there was another, more potentially serious problem. There was practically no road traffic going through the village and none of the signs I saw on the way in pointed back to Suceava. I decided to go ahead and visit the monastery, then figure out the next step afterwards. As expected, there were practically no other tourists around (Arbore's definitely off the main track), which meant I had a peaceful, if wet visit. The frescoes pale in comparison to those at the other monasteries though, not due to artistic inferiority, but simply because the elements have taken their toll to a far greater extent. Still, the site is a beautiful one, even if it doesn't quite share the same magnificence as Sucevita, Voronet and the others.
The woman caretaker inside was friendly and talked with me a bit about the monastery (albeit in Romanian). Once I'd had a good look through the interior, I thought I'd ask her if she knew a good way to get back to Suceava. There was nothing direct, she confirmed, but there were maxitaxis onwards to Radauti, from where I could easily hitch or catch other transport on to Suceava. She even walked out into the rain to the main road with me so she could give me exact directions to the place where I'd find the maxitaxis. All well and good, but once I got there, there wasn't a single one in sight. There was, however, a sign pointing down a nearby road, saying "Radauti 15km." Maybe there wasn't a maxitaxi at the moment, but I figured if I marched onwards for a bit, I'd catch one along the way. So I thought.
A couple cars passed me as I walked onwards, but then there was pretty much nothing. About a kilometer out, the road bent, went from pavement to dirt and gravel and then split in two. Starting to get a bit bewildered and frustrated (not to mention wet from walking in the rain, regardless of umbrella), I asked a couple old ladies walking nearby which route led to Radauti. "Both," they said, then proceeded to babble on in Romanian about the specifics of each road, which I couldn't exactly follow. So I stopped them and asked "which is better for hitchhiking?" The left path, they answered. Off I went. Another kilometer or so passed, and there were still NO cars coming by . . . understandably so, because it was a dirt road and it was pouring rain!! At this point though, I'd gotten myself into such a bind that I really didn't have much choicee but to press on, despite the increasing wind and my equally increasingly wet trousers.
The rain did eventually taper off as I started to edge into the next village. The sign had me in disbelief and then fits of laughter. A village named Clit . . . I kid you not. The road was still muddy and devoid of traffic, apart from a single BMW driving very slowly by in the opposite direction. Then I spotted, at the end of the road, an intersection with a busy, PAVED road. At long last! After all the walking - over 6km worth - I was sure to be a lot closer to Radauti. More importantly, I could probably catch a ride onwards rather than have to continue the remaining 9km on foot. Then as I got closer to the intersection and saw the sign, my heart sunk. "Radauti 15km." What?? I'd just finished walking more than 6km from a sign saying "Radauti 15km" and now I'm back at the same thing? What kind of Twilight Zone had I arrived in?
Apparently the old ladies sent me down the long route. Witches!
I started trying to flag down every passing car that I saw heading in my direction. No one stopped after multiple tries. However, right after one of them, I started to walk past a mini-market where a local man had just gotten out of his truck. He asked me where I was going, and I answered "Suceava or, if not, Radauti." Well, he wasn't going as far as Radauti, but he could take me to Marginea - a village famed for its black pottery (that I visited yesterday), which was at least six or seven kilometers closer. A step in the right direction, but not quite on target. Anyhow, I thought it was a good opportunity to get a much-needed drink myself, so I bought a big bottle of mineral water, then hopped in his truck with him and a few other local people.
After a slow ride through the newly-reborn rainstorm, we got to Marginea and I hopped off. The guy wouldn't accept any money, saying it wasn't right for him to charge me as a Moldavian. So I thanked him and moved on up the road, umbrella in one hand and thumb extended in the other. Not a single car slowed down for me on the main road through, and then I continued around the bend for the road out to Radauti. I tried flagging down a few more as I edged towards the end of the village, then finally one stopped: a small sports car full of young Romanian guys. They weren't going to Suceava, but they could take me to Radauti. Again, not the best thing, but better than slogging through the by now pretty heavy rain. Then the driver proceed to hurtle down the highway at 140km per hour - a two-lane highway in the middle of rural Bucovina (wandering livestock and all) in the pouring rain. I just closed my eyes and prayed I'd arrive in one piece.
Fortunately we arrived without getting killed (or running over any hapless cows), and the guys dropped me off where a maxitaxi was supposed to be stopping soon. In fact, there was a maxitaxi already there when we arrived, but it was heading the other way. They assured me that it would come (as did another guy I asked a couple minutes later), then went on their way. The rain was bloody miserable at this point though, and it was now pretty friggin' cold out. I didn't have my jacket with me either, since it had been warm (and hazy) when I last set out from the hostel. Standing in the rain at 7pm in such circumstances isn't especially enjoyable, umbrella or no. The maxitaxi wasn't showing up either, which was a little disconcerting. I'd already come so far . . . only one more leg to go! Then suddenly a guy in a car going the other way pulled up and asked if I was going to Suceava. I replied affirmatively and he spun back around and told me to get in. Turns out he ran a shared-taxi service back and forth; all we had to do was wait for a couple more customers, and then we'd be off. At long last, a warm, dry car to sit, without the prospect of more hitching out in the rain.
So finally at just after 8pm this evening, I arrived back in not-so-pretty-but-ever-so-comforting Suceava to great relief. At a few points, I was really wondering whether I was going to have to start knocking on random villagers' doors, in hopes of finding a bed for the night. And thankfully I didn't wind up having to walk on those full 15km - no, 21km! - in the cold wind and rain. Certainly not the most fun I've had during this trip, but it's undoubtedly been one of the most memorable days.
Yesterday was much more relaxed and enjoyable. Unlike today, yesterday's weather was perfect, and I had the pleasure of spending most of it in the steady, planned comfort of an organized tour. The group I went with - organized through the hostel and run by its owner - was nice and small too, which meant we never had to battle to hear the information at each monastery. It ended up being a big improvement on the last visit; as nice of a time I had last time, it makes such an enormous difference to actually know all the things that you're looking at. Monika, the head of the hostel and our guide, is a tremendously knowledgeable and passionate person about the area, so it was fantastic to sit back and hear her give all the details about the many beautiful frescoes. The day ended up lasting far longer than expected - we didn't get back until after 8pm! - but it really felt like I'd gotten a great understanding of the history and cultural background of the region. Apart from Voronet and Humor, which we visited late in the day when the sunlight wasn't so favorable, I got some pretty fine pics as well, so I have to say it was an unquestionable success through and through.
So now I've concluded my visit to Southern Bucovina, in fact a day earlier than I originally planned. Tomorrow then I continue to my last Romanian destination, the large city of Iasi close to the Moldovan border. After a couple days there, it's off into the as yet unknown - from Moldova onwards, I'll be visiting all new countries. I'm greatly looking forward to the experiences to come then.
Well, just so long as I don't get stuck hitchhiking through the countryside in the rain again!!
