The Romanian Slate

So with my new car we start on our way down to Bran and Peles (two castles) and Sigishora (birthplace of Vlad) it started it off all well and good. Got a little lost and drove about 100km out of the way to Sigishora. But got there at night and found a nice room in the Citadel for 40euro. It’s actually a very beautiful city and also the oldest occupied medieval city in Europe. So we got there wandered around and got some excellent dinner and then proceeded to the clubs which disappointingly closed at 4 AM but on the up note we were able to order Bere Halba (draft beer) for about 50 cents a piece and 5 shots of tequila and vodka for 4 dollars. The latter only makes the fact that they close early disappointing. So David and I wandered the streets till around 5 or 6 am with out much luck looking for another bar/club but the place was dead and there weren’t even any non-stops (24hr fast-food or stores or anything). So we went to bed …

The next day we got up around noon stumbled out and got some coffee, gas, and after urging everyone that we would never make it to Bran if we didn’t get on the road. Soooo we hit the road cruising along at a cozy 120 on the road (which surprisingly is very nicely paved). Then the trouble sets in, all of the sudden my temperature gauge in the car pegs the red line and the oil light flashes on, so I cut the engine and coasted to a point where hopefully two trucks wouldn’t nail us trying to pass each other. So I hop out, pop the hood and it was quite steamy and smokey and it was obvious that something was awry.

Well it boiled down to we obviously needed oil and coolant so we had MJ stand on the side of the road with me and thumb a ride back to Sigishora. After 5 minutes somebody pulled over, asked him where he was going and if he would give David and I a ride to the petrol station in town. Very nicely he said no problem, it happens. Now the thing is, everything in Romania is just 50 km or 100km away. But the reality is 50 km means nothing. Because you never know whether your going to go 50km at 120km/hr or 20km/hr based on what I think to be 4 major factors: Truck Traffic, Curvy Roads (Deadly to pass on, I've seen the results of someone trying on a mountain ride and it was scary), General Road Conditions (some highways are simply very bad roads or pot hole slalom courses), and Weather. Now the guy driving the car was very nice and friendly but had no problem at all keeping his Opel Vectra going as fast as he could. We got back to town in about 15 minutes which is quite good seeing as it took us probably close to 30 to get where we were. But all in all for my first time hitch hiking it was a really pleasant and easy experience.

So we got to the petrol station and bought a bunch of oil and coolant and water. Hopped back out on the road and stuck our thumbs out. We were pretty luck b/c we got picked up in about 5 minutes by two guys who spoke no English and barely understood my Romanian so we just road with them and didn’t say anything to them and both parties just talked to themselves until we saw the car and said aiche!

Got out of the car w/o saying anything but thank you and they peeled off and left. Put some oil in put some coolant/water in and started up the car. Did ok, except for the copious amounts of water coming out of the bottom of the radiator. So, I called Radu my friend in Cluj and contacts man extraordinaire!

Now Radu is great, he always seem to know someone that to call or know someone to call who knows someone to call. So 15 minutes later he calls back and tells me he called his friend who gave him the number to a guy in Turgu Mures (halfway between Sigishora and Cluj) that has a towing company. So he called that guy and after much debate of exactly we were the guy said he would come down and get us. So when were on our way we saw an old restaurant by the road which happened to have been uphill on the way , but down hill to go back. So we topped off the fluids turned on the car turned it around gave it one good gas push and cut the engine and coasted in to a comparative heaven.

They had some excellent mittite (traditional Romanian meat, spelling is wrong) and ciorba de burta (tripe soup). So we sat there for about 2.5 hours as we waited drinking beer and eating mittite until finally our tow truck arrived. Now immediately two guys with their own car problems tried to buy their way in front of us, but respectfully enough the guy said no to them. The problem was, only two seats in the cab of the truck so after some negotiation it was agreed that C, MJ, and I would ride with him to Cluj.

Then the two guys got to him finally and he agreed to tow their truck on the back behind my car. It was very nerve wracking while they loaded it up but overall big props to the guy as he did an excellent job hooking it all in.

So they got on their way and David and I stick out our thumbs. Now whats classic here, is that the two guys with the truck were thumbin too, but we got picked up first! Thankfully too, 2 minutes after we got in the car with this guy it started to pour down rain. So the guy drops us off in the centru part of Sigishora and we’re trying to decide whether or not to thumb or take a train. Because of the rain we decide the train would be easier so we went to the station.

At the station it went ok, because I can speak enough to purchase train tickets and what not, so we get the tickets which I thought were 1st Class b/c the guy had asked and I said first but he gave us 2nd.. (actually it was an upgraded 2nd but not quite 1st). Now, thinking we had 1st class tickets the train comes (which by the way it stopped raining as soon as we stepped on to the platform, but the tickets were only 10bucks). And we hop on board and head straight to our cabin. So there after the conductor lady comes and asks for our tickets which we gladly hand over and she starts yelling at us. I simply say “neu unseleg” meaning I don’t understand whats wrong. And she barks back (all in Romanian) no no understand. Basically she proceeds to tell us we’re not allowed in 1st class. Thing is, we thought we honestly were and she was just hustling us. Sooo we go back and forth and it got kind of to a violent yelling except then she walked away and yelling at us and going to get the other conductor. It was at this time I looked at my ticket closely and realized we were in Vagon 1 and CL II not Vagon 1 and CL I. Oops. So we get up and proceed to class 2, which was basically identical. Got back to Cluj and there a couple issues of payment to the guy b/c I didn’t realize he didn’t own the shop where the car was going so he logically wanted to get paid and Radu helped out with that since I was on the train when he got to Cluj…but all in all it got resolved and actually not too terrible a deal either, about 240 to tow it 300km plus his coming 150km. (Considering outrageous gas prices here, 1euro /liter).

Yesterday I got a used radiator for 90bucks and for 12 bucks to put it in ... not bad ...

This weekend the car gets a second chance as we go to Budapest in it ...

Misc Images from this trip and a trip to a cabin with my office a few weeks ago:

Our Cabin

View from the Dam

Sigishora

My Car Getting Towed :(

-Josh