Finding Dracula - Part I

Victory Square - Timișoara

After spending so much time trying to figure out where the heck to go next, it was kind of a relief to finally have a plan for a little while. I figured I'd be traveling through Romania for about 7-10 days before heading down to Bulgaria and eventually Istanbul. 

So, I hopped in another car to get a direct transfer from Belgrade to Timișoara, which was only about 3 1/2 hours. I had never heard of Timișoara before, but it was the closest large city in Romania to Belgrade and the easiest way to go from there and see the rest of the country. Turns out Timișoara was a really cool place - third largest city in Romania and continuing to grow pretty quickly. It also played a big role in Romania's independence and is a cultural center in Romania. When I first arrived I have to say that I was a little hesitant, mainly because they're doing a massive construction project on the city center and the central squares there. So a lot of the central streets and squares were pretty torn up and gated off, with construction equipment everywhere and what just seemed like rubble and dirt covering where the street would normally be. I was wondering what the heck happened here and how I ended up in this place, but trying to hold all judgments aside, I was determined to find something nice. I went to another square that wasn't under construction and it was really cool. A really long square with an opera house on one end and a massive Orthodox Cathedral on the other, lined with really nice architecture on each side filled with coffee shops, bars, and restaurants. This was beginning to feel more like a city now and I definitely started feeling more comfortable at this point. I had to kill some time before my couchsurfing host got off work to pick me up so I spent some time walking around the area and enjoying myself. 

When my host came to pick me up he reassured me that they were in fact doing a massive construction project on the city center and this was not the normal state of how things were. That was definitely a relief, and gave me reason to come back when it's finally complete. We went back to his place and I got settled in. Cristi was a really nice guy, actually the boyfriend of my original host, Raluca, who went out of her way to make sure I could crash at her boyfriends' place instead of hers because she didn't have room in her place to host me. This was a great couple, and when Cristi invited me to play soccer with him and his friends I hesitantly accepted with excitement. I made sure I gave him my disclaimer of being American and being horrible at the sport, but he tried to provide me relief in saying that he didn't play much either and it was just for "fun." It turned out to be a lot of fun, and although I was horrible, consistently embarrassing myself in front of some pretty competitive Romanian guys that played a little bit more than I did, I still scored a goal! I was definitely happy about that result, but other than that it's probably best that I just stop there with the rest of my soccer performance. It really was a great time though, and I was pretty happy I got to have that experience, regardless of how horrible I played. I should also mention how difficult it was to walk or stand the following few days after I had ran more during this soccer game than I had in maybe a couple years.

The next day was highlighted by one of Raluca's friends having a massive birthday party at the apartment that I was staying in. There was seriously about 30 people that showed up to this party and it was an absolute blast. I met so many Romanian people and had a lot of great discussions with them, learning a lot about their culture and way of life (and drinking) which was really interesting (and excessive :). Overall a great night, and I didn't get much sleep because the plan was to catch a bus the next day to the next Romanian destination: Sibiu.

But I do want to give a shout out to Raluca for giving me the opportunity to be hosted, Cristi for inviting me to play soccer with some competitive and much more athletic Romanians, and Raul (Cristi's roommate) for also providing me some hospitality and having some great conversations about what we're doing with our lives and this crazy trip. Thank you guys for a great introduction to Romania!

Sibiu

The next stop was the much smaller town of Sibiu in central Romania (Transylvania - we'll get to the vampires later) and took about 6 hours to reach by bus from Timișoara. This place really had culture, and its German-style colorful architecture made it that much more amusing (Germans had a big influence in Romania when they settled here during the Austro-Hungarian ruling of this part of Romania). I had another great host here as I tried to continue couchsurfing my way through Romania, and although Alex was busy working during the day she still made time to hang out and chat with me after work in the evenings. I had two quick nights in Sibiu, but it was enough to get a good feel for the city and get to know Alex and her roommate a little more, creating more friendships and connections with good people - always my favorite part about traveling.

It was another bus ride to Sighișoara, which was a super cool, super small town that is another great sight to see in Romania. Only a few hours are needed to see the old center of town, perched up on a hill with surrounding views of the outer city limits and valleys that cover this picturesque landscape. Another highlight includes the birthplace of Dracula! (well not really Dracula, but Vlad the Impaler - of whom the inspiration of Dracula's character came about). After a nice meal and a bit more wandering the streets it was time to hop on yet another bus to Brasov - one of the most visited places in Romania - because of its significance with Dracula's story.

Had to sneak in a pano of Sighișoara