Athens, Greece

Athens

July 10th and 14th 2008

Honestly I'm not sure what this building was, but I thought it was cool!

Day 6 cont.
After arriving on time to Athens I proceeded to the metro station. I paid 6 Euros to get into the city center/the port. I went the metro stop Monastiraki, locked my bag up, and killed time before Victoria was due to meet me. I walked around looking at all the cool shops and ruins mixed together. I was getting hungry and decided that the best way to kill time would be in an AC restaurant easting good food! I was there for an hour, then called Victoria who said that there was a strike so she couldn’t take the metro (that I just took) and had to take the bus. After about 30 mins she finally met me at my metro station and we headed for the port.

Day 10
We arrived back in Athens at around 11:30am. I didn't want to walk around the same area that I had been a few days ago, so I decided to head straight for the airport. Victoria walked around. I took the metro as before to the airport and arrived a few hours early. I attempted to catch an earlier flight straight to Dusseldorf but it would have cost a lot of money. Instead I decided to just get something to eat and wait for my flight. The airport in Athens is really crazy. There were so many people all over the place, I'm surprised I didn't feel more uneasy about my stuff. Anyway my flight left as planned and I got home at around 7pm.





Athens was a 4. I didn't see that much but what I did see I enjoyed. Athens has an amazing history and I still need to explore it.

Bulgaria

Sofia

July 8-10th 2008

Sofia is surrounded by mountains and is

Day 4 cont

I landed around 5:40pm, ten minutes late, to Sofia. I got some local currency out of the ATM, (I love that in Europe they give you small money, not just 20’s) and attempted to find my mini bus. I soon learned that the mini-bus and normal bus only come go to the hold airport terminal; which doesn’t make a whole lot of since. Instead I took a cab. It was only about 5 Euros, which was worth it. I went into the hostel and they told me that my reservation was for the other hostel down the street. So the nice old lady walked me over to the other hostel and I checked in to the new place. I was in a room with about a dozen other people and I don’t remember signing up for a room that large, but oh well. I went out after checking in, just to get some fresh air because they allow smoking in the common room, and I was dying. I bought some water, tissues, apple juice, flip flops, an Ice cream cone, and took some pictures! Such random stuff! Then I went back to the hostel and watched TV for a while before going to bed.

Day 5

Once again I didn’t see a lot of sights. After breakfast and some morning TV, decided to head out with no map. I didn’t have a destination but I was in the mood to shop, I wanted a new dress for Greece. I probably went into every store, regardless of whether I could afford the clothing or not! I spent the entire afternoon checking out stores in search of a dress. It turned out to be the greatest idea, because I happened to see a lot of the city, and get a feel for the culture. I was not expecting to find so many shops in Sofia, but what they lack in sights, they have replace with shops. For lunch I had an American style hotdog, which was freaking good. It was so good I made a point to go back and have another. After the shopping I grew a little tired and in need of R&R, so I returned to the hostel. I hung out in the common room for a while, then went to read in the bed room, where luckily no one was. I read for an hour then took a nap; and what a glorious nap it was! After the nap I was ready to go back out and see some more of the city. I walked and took some pictures, growing hungrier by the minute. I stopped at Subway to add more Americanism to my day! I ate my sandwich in the park while watching some kids play. When I finished the sun had set and it was time for me to go back. At the hostel, I packed and prepared to leave the next day. I watched some TV then went to bed.

Day 6

I didn’t hear my alarm go off, because the night before I had put earplugs in, due to this annoying guy’s snoring. But fortunately for me I had woke up on my own, and started to get ready. This guy came in shortly after I woke up and said that he was going to wake me up because he hard my alarm go off. I thought that was really nice, and If I hadn’t woken up he would have saved my ass! Anyway, I fixed myself some breakfast since the hostel people were still sleeping. I had to wake them up though to call a cab and she didn’t seem too happy about that! I went down stairs to meet my cab and found it waiting for me. We encountered little traffic and arrived at the airport within 10mins. I checked in and was in the air at around 10am. I arrived in Athens at 11:45am… read about the rest of the trip on the next blog about the Greek Islands!

Bulgaria is a 3. Sofia has a lot of shopping but not many sights, those lie outside the city!

Romania

Bucharest

July 7-8th 2008

The "Central Park" of Bucharest.

Day 3 cont
I arrived in Romania and instantly liked it better than Moldova. It was a much more developed and there public transportation proved to be more trustworthy. I did as instructed by the hostel and took the bus the correct stop. I found the street that the hostel was on, but I didn’t know which way to start walking. Right or Left? I chose Right, which to my luck was the correct direction. While walking to my hostel I saw several movie theaters, and made a mental note to inquire whether or not they have original versions; aka in English! I was ecstatic to learn that in all of Romania all their films are in English with only subtitles. HAZA!! I loved Romania instantly! Don’t think me wrong for seeing movies while on a trip to Romania. It was my vacation and as such I am free to do as I please. That and I had time to sight see later. I was tired, hungry and needed a little relaxation so I decided to grab food and see the 11am showing of Wanted. After the movie I took a little nap, ate lunch and then went to see the 14:45 showing of Hancock. I wasn’t tried and had energy so I went for the sightseeing. I walked for about 2hours, taking pictures, stumbling upon the central park of Romania, the house of parliament and national opera house. I went back to the hostel for some RR and to escape the heat; didn’t work the hostel was so hot. Anyway, I inquired about another huge movie theater that had more OV moves. After learning that the location was not that far or hard to get to I made plans to go. While waiting to leave I met a girl from the US who ended up going to the movies with me. We saw Prince Caspian. We caught the last bus to the hostel and I was in bed by 1am! What a good, long day!



Day 4
I vowed not to get out of bed until after 10am, I held strong and read until after 10! I got dressed and to my delight found that breakfast was supplied and free. The strangest thing happened and all of the sudden had a head cold. I thought it better to stay inside before I had to leave for the airport. I left for the bus at 1:30 and arrived at the airport at 3pm. I checked in and then waited for the flight. I really liked the bus ride to the airport, because it gave me a chance to see a lot of the city that I hadn’t. There was this amazing row of houses lined perfectly along the main road. They were of Vanderbilt style with as much Grandeur as the ones in Road Island. You could see the ball rooms form the road and the massive chandeliers that hung in them; quite unexpected for Romania. I suspect very rich or important people live there. Anyway, I was in the air by 4pm and on my way to Sofia, where the adventure continues.

Romania was a 4. Cheap, pretty and they have a lot of movie theaters with original versions!

Moldova

Chrisinau

July 5-7th 2008

This Mosque is one of the prettiest buildings in the city, and the inside is as nice as the outside.

Day 1
I don’t know if it is just me or if bad luck follows everyone around? To be honest I can’t really complain because there was only one unlucky circumstance on my trip! My bad luck started and ended when my train from Rheine to Munster (where the airport is) was cancelled. The next train would arrive at the airport after the flight was supposed to take off. I was in a bind, I couldn’t take train, the best way to get to Munster, nor could I even think of taking a cab; it would have been 60 Euros, easy. I didn’t know what to do so I called Victoria and she asked her landlords if they could take me to Munster, thankfully they said yes. I got lucky again when I got a nice lady at the check in counter for Airberlin. My carryon luggage was a lot heavier then the allotted weight, but I had a really tight connection in Rome. I was so relieved when she said: I didn’t see the weight, you can take this as carry on!” It was a good thing too, because when I got to Rome I had to walk like 2 miles to get to the next gate, re-check in, and then board the plane. Anyway I made it to Moldova only 30mins later than expected. I found the “mini-bus” as they call them, and it took me to the bus station, which is just a little runoff where they all happen to stop; there is no formal sign or anything! I couldn’t find my connecting mini-bus so I just took a cab, for like 2 euros. I arrived at my hostel with much curiosity since it looked a bit run down! The inside was small but clean and not even close to being the worse I have ever stayed in. I dropped my stuff off, paid, and then went out for dinner. In Moldova they really don’t like it when you don’t order drinks (aka alcohol!). I ordered my pizza, and the waitress looked at me for a while, expecting me to get a drink. I did not budge! Even after she came over later with the menu and opened it, in front of me, to the drinks page; I simply closed it and resumed my people watching. After dinner I went back to the hostel, read for a little while and then went to bed!



Day 2
Today was a well different. I wasn’t really in the mood to do the “touristy stuff,” which is no surprise as that was a phase long since passed. I now consider my self, not as a tourist but as a wonderer. I take pictures like tourist do, but I do not seek out the most important sights to see, I simply wonder upon them. I roamed the streets, not in a hurry, yet not empathically. I people-watch, observe buildings, cars, noises and cultures. I often have a purpose, which is usually driven by hunger or thirst, but a purpose nonetheless! On this morning the purpose was food and thirst! I woke, changed quickly and went to fulfill my purpose. I found a supermarket, bought some bread, some bananas and apple juice! I ate as I walked. I walked to the city center. On my walk I passed a large church, which appear new, and park that was quite large. For most of the morning I simply walked and checked out the shops. I walked through all of “downtown” happening upon a mosque. I couldn’t go in because I was not dressed appropriately (it was rather warm and I was wearing a skirt). I ventured back in the direction I had hence come, when it started to train. I ducked into a Gallery full of shops and killed some time there. After the rain subsided I sat in the park and red my book. I ended up meeting this guy around 18, that was from Germany and staying at my hostel. We talked a little while we walked, then he showed me to the internet café. I was at the internet café for an hour, acquitting that I went back the hostel; where to my pleasure all the inhabitants were conversing! I joined in and we soon became fast friends; 7 in all. We all decided to go to dinner together. We went to a local place called Andy’s! They love their pizza in Moldova! I had chicken fingers to spice things up a little. After dinner we went to the supermarket to hangout and have drinks! Sounds weird but it was actually fun and there weren’t too many hobos hanging around! I went to be early because I had to catch a flight at 7am the next morning.

Day 3
I made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare. I happened to get lucky again and was able to split a cab on there way there with a kid from the hostel. I had a little money left over and decided to use it to get snacks for the day and water. The money went farther than I thought and I got a little breakfast too! I boarded the plan on time. It was a little propeller plan and It was the smallest I have even been in. It is the definition of a puddle jumper! But it got us there and efficiently too. Thus my time Moldova was over. See Romania for more of my 10 day trip.

Moldova is a 2. Cheap, small but developing nicely. It could one day be a tourist destiation.