Tuesday 20th July

 

20/07/04 Day 17

There are two preliminary points of interest to make, before I commence the telling of our epic day trip. Firstly, I had a better captain he pen. In a most exciting never got hot night, which left us in the pitch black of the cellar (we just had to be there, didn't we), both the pen and a pint handstand worked. Delayed MIA. This poor excuse for a port was following the blackout the (family) but a couple of night lights on with a most unusual smell.purchased for a whopping 8 acres leh in Bucharest train station and has assumed the role of a 'smelly pen' until a permanent (and healthy) replacement can be found.

Secondly, I am writing this on the train to Budapest or in what is, without sounding too negative, a rare moment of carefree happiness. Although an day of crowd clowns right now, things are good and Budapest is beckons. (ok course I do have every expectation that this will not last, but now mind)...

And one more thing, before I start I never wrote about the van we passed (twice) on the way from Kusadasi to Istanbul. It was a regular turkish open back milk/van thing but practised with (in fact positively overflowing with) dark brown varnished furniture. It made me laugh the first time - cried it made me laugh the second time.

Allrighty then.

The day started at most succinctly and with, in 0.0 time at all (rounded down), we were heading up the hill to Peles castle. We in Sinaia (which, incidentally, is the same place this train is sitting in as I write). Now, in answer to the Austrian question: 'Can all the castles be done in one day?' It depends on whether is enough praying tourists happen to turn up at the same time as you.' I suppose you could take 15 with you...

So we didn't get to look around the castle, but it was still absolutely picturesque (rom the outside - and somehow we still ended up nothing to catch the train to Bravos.

Whilst Brian thought the view was most exciting, it only led to another sleepless night for me after this "forced" Italian - involving Italian guy and me talking about medicine in Italian at 7am still, I dragged my wearybody out of bed. A Finnish guy from the hostel was on the train to Sinaia with us, with whom we discussed where water melons come from, how long a fly lives and what the loop on the back of shoes is for important issues. Sinaia was a really pretty place - big fir trees, mountains and surprisingly definitely a country retreat. The walk up to the castle was a bit longer than we thought. I think we concluded we were glad we didn't get to look around as it looked pretty enough from the outside like a big cable covered in icing - it only the decoration had been pink. We tried the first of our Romanian cakes (in its thronkled in due course) and did our wait was to the train. We also decided the castle and grounds would make a good place for a wedding reception. On the return to Bravos we must have looked like we were among to such modernity and comfort as the (literally) have not we by surprise automatic doors, music in each cabin, ugh-you-name-it. It sounded like a head of Romanian shabbiness on the outside but a first class BA flight on the inside despite the excitement we were still tired energy to fall asleep.

Got to Bran, hopped (well - rammed ourselves) into a shuttering uber. I nearly got killed when the door shut when I was standing / have never been in such a crowded bus before - guy behind us clearly trying to pick-pocket us. Charged at a tiny station and got on a not quite so crowded but still pretty crowded train in Bucharest and since arriving everything more than once. Got off in Bran, right next to the castlewhere everything was a bit more organised - we actually got to go inside. This one I said they had great loos, which I frequented many times). The interior was slightly lacking in inspiration but the layout was... different. Very cute courtyard with a balcony going all round the interior. Lots of little cute spooky-hole rooms. And then it rained! So the experienced traveller Dot I have become, thought - we're going on a long day trip, up hills - there is the possibility it may rain - so I'll take my light cami handy mack. Brian stuffed it into and said it was a waste of space. Well, who was it that was nice and dry...?! Bus park to Brasov / bloody nightmare getting to the centre! We had a nice if slightly rushed meal - grilled meat, drink and Romanian cake (it for 8L each. Not bad. I still made my comments on the table later.

Also a nightmare getting out of the centre. Basically the train station was fun - apart from the fact we missed the first train and the second was delayed an hour. Every time there was a tannoy announcement they mentioned every something very familiar to hand held. Is "christmas time" fun at first annoying after 2 hours of it. Traumatic journey back as I thought I'd been drugged. And then we got to Bucharest and decided that we had to charge us £1.50 each for a train at 10.00am. The alternative was a 4.0 min walk. The danger we £2.00 so that man is his anything over a period is unreasonable - so we marched off into the dark and into the posh bit Bucharest by night - this such a glam night. After a day open followedby spectacular falling over - tripping - incident which would have been funny if it hadn't been Jim; after a very tiring day; and being followed by dodgy shops and feeling slightly unnecessarily self-proud for washing down a very decent text ride.

Not only so but the Aussies arrival were behaved on our return - they wanted up for us.

The train at Bran was fantastic and a great would only have ruined the expensive. I've never become so thoroughly drenched so quickly before. All seeming threatening drove the stereo - threat "Dracula castle" - what more could you want.

The train journey back was most amusing because Heather kept sitting bolt - upright saying stupid things - she even moaned in the loos whilst still asleep