VLAD LAND - TUESDAY AND THE BIG BUS TRIP

A day of mixed fortunes. Siân sick in the morning, suspected cause: pineapples to which she has an allergy that induces projectile vomiting. Fortunately this latter manifestation did occur. 

We left our hotel near the motorway at 0830 by 10:00 we had our first toilet break of this six hour ride. One toilet, twenty-five people, in the group, chaos and queuing and much displeasure. Siân languishes in the back of the bus. I make plans to escape, with her, back to Bucharest and wait out the remaining days until the flight home on Saturday.

Decided I (we) am (are) not bus tour people! Whole idea becomes an anathema and will remain so.

The huge coach trundles up alpine slopes and I expect to see Julie Andrews and Von Trapp brood at any moment. Lovely scenery huge sun and blue skies. Trees just turning orange and gold. The morning starts with a mist, a thick band of across a broad landscape then up into hills and more mist. 

By toilet time we had bright sun. Onwards, higher to and through a mountain pass at which a hotel was built (by the Communists) to be Dracula’s Castle Hotel. There is no such place except in Bram Stoker’s imagination. 

People have clamoured for another piss break so we stop and admire the mountains and Stoker’s Castle.

Sun and then a steep decent onto a broad plain another ‘breadbasket’ of rich agricultural land. 

By 13:30 we are in Bistrita (another former fortified town – 

there are nine in the region) and Tour Guide Alex lets us off the bus for lunch. Twenty-five slightly dazed people walk along a broad boulevard of houses and closed shops. Looking for lunch is the common purpose. We circle back to where TGA is and have beers and mici (sausage things per Sunday’s lunch). Sian recovering so all is good and she has the Greek Salad.

I look for a Post Office and find one however the coach is back at the RVP and Alex is a fiend for punctuality so I dare not risk crossing a busy road to by stamps. 

Two more hours +/- in the coach or there abouts and so we enter Cluj (our overnight halt) in the low later afternoon sun. Much exciting abandoned agricultural buildings on the outskirts of the city and on the edge of town some of the MOST EXCITING soviet-style architecture I have seen so far. Now I want to PAINT IT. 

Shit, shave, shower and shampoo in the hotel (excellent) and off into the main square for a lovely walk around. 

We fall into the arms of a very trendy young person’s bar and restaurant called BOEMA and stay for a wonderful meal. Good beer, pizzas, ribs for Lucy and salad for all. 

After naughty deserts we walk back to the Double Tree by Hilton.