Little girl's Big Adventure!
Turkey sandwiches in Turkey, Bologna in Bulgaria, and RamenNoodles in Romania
I'm kidding. I didn't eat any of those things.
Left Chisinau by train, with a breath of relief...I really needed a break. Moldova, I love you, but sometimes you wrinkle me like an apple in the sun.
I shared a compartment with some nicely-dressed Moldovan man named Marcel who was going to meet his love in Bucharest, Romania. Hadn’t seen each other in 4years. He was an architect. I hadn’t seen Adam in 4 months (since he had left Moldova for Wisconsin).
It's luck of the draw when you take trains. You may end up with a smelly creep. But we nervously checked each other out, figured out we were both sane and decided to share food and talk.
I usually love trains but for some reason I got so trainsick. Puking on a jiggly train in a tiny little train bathroom is on my chart of top 10 not fun things to do. You have to step your footdown on a little pedal by the stool that opens a hole for the nastiness to be sprayed all over the poor innocent train tracks.) It's not pretty.
Anyway, I regained composure, and after talking a while he told me I needed to realize my own limits with my life. Just like that. Note taken sir. I can just see my parents reading this nodding their preety lil heads...ha.
So, I immediately got defensive being a youthful, adventurist and basically argued that I can go to the moon and back if I really want and not to piss on my parade. (This conversation was in Romanian, that ended up translating funny and we got a laugh outta that one.)
He basically said that if one understands their means and limitations then they can be much happier where they are and not struggle so much. We both put lavender on our pillow at the same time when we got tired of talking to one another (it’s a great trick for pleasant drifting scents into sleep). (it was funny the weird similarieties I had with this stranger, or maybe it’s more common to use lavender oil than I am aware of..) So I did my last minute research in my guide book for Turkey and coasted through the night to Bucharest, Romania.
7:30 am Adam met me at the train station. These kind of reunions are on my list of top 10 favorite things about life. Bucharest, Romania…..yeah, it’s basically purgatory, if not about as close to hell as one gets. People are rude, smell, there is nothing to do….supposedly some American style movie theatre (I haven’t seen a movie on big screen in almost 2 years now) but the Romanians gave us wrong directions 4 times, so we never found it. 44444444444 times!!!!!!!! We trekked all over the city in a blizzard, it was miserable and I some of you know how Ryan gets when she’s cold….
We eventually found American restaurants…you get real desperate for American “culture”…..with that being said, we ate at KFC and Pizza Hut!!!!!!! Pizza Hut here though is TOTALLY different, all the rich people were there, it was like fine dining…we laughed the whole time it was just funny.
So after the reunion, Adam and I had our own private 18 hour train ride to Istanbul, Turkey. I am a very lucky girl and was blessed with yet another funny bra story. When I come home, take me out to coffee and I’ll give you details on the “Flaming Bra” and “How can it be lost in this TINY room with nothing in it” stories.
THEN...Vama, the border control woke me up in the middle of the night busting our compartment door open and got a pretty nasty talking to from a little Americanca named Ryan. Americans are just not used to this bs. He “didn’t mean to bother me” he explained to some security lady as I stood angrily on my bed, arms flailing KINDLY explaining to him that he was RUDE and owed me an apology. Yeah, not a good idea to wake me up and scare Ryan.... Nope, not a good idea at all.
What is with this instant bond with guys and a screaming woman. I think Adam was actually amused at the situation. Him and the Vama guy made some nodding gestures toward each other and he went away.
On to better times… Istanbul! Delicious dinner, delicious apple tea, Turkish coffee, unbelievable hookah, random salsa dancing, people-watching, getting a little lost and being tired of walking, street vendors everywhere with tasty treats, baklava-yum yum yum did I mention yum, Turkish baths, water, palm trees, cold, beautiful men everywhere-they are famous for this, clean city and cleanest people in the world (muslim culture), toilets with the water that shoots water out to wash your tushy after 2sies, crazy gorgeous dresses in the windows, bead stores, Besiktas Iskele, Princes island, Taksim, cute little sugar cubes-I don’t know why I was so amused by that-they use sugar cubes not the powdery stuff, more walking, Blue Mosque, Rakni-turkish drink that tastes like black licorice (not my cup of tea), Turkish rugs, Sangria-my favorite cold beverage for 5 Lira a glass, Simit-pretzel like Turkish treat, Turkish delights-a gummy candy you will see photos, Lush-my favorite soap store I first saw in New York City-it’s all organic and smells good and ladies with smiley faces and makeup come and put nice, fresh smelly stuff on you and sparkly stuff in your hair-I like that place, I had a waffle and real ice cream.... stuff that Moldova doesn’t have, Adam and I found A FOOSBALL TABLE in some old smoky corner bar...my fave game in the world besides Gin Rummy, Grand Bazaar and Spice Market-it’s beautiful all these little markets with friends Turkish people selling anything under the sun, met a man who walked around the Blue Mosque selling tea from a portable container for 10 years, 10 years is a long time people, and now I will talk about a lovely gift Adam gave me…drumroll please…
THE Turkish bath.
Wow. These really old, super high stone ceilings with circles where the light comes in from the sun. It’s just this huge room with one huge circle stone platform that is warm and everyone lays on it (on top of your towel)…you lay on it and then you go wash yourself in the warm water low sinks that are all around the room.
It said not to be naked in there-and as Ipek and I scampered around like embarrassed bunnies in our skimpy towels we noted that the other women WERE most definitely naked. We giggled and splashed ourselves with water like we knew what we were doing (I mean, there's no soap, how long can you really sit there splashing yourself with water?)
So, finally the ladies came in and ripped our comfort blanket/skimpy towels off our bodies. And thus begin a big experience for little Ry and Ipek.... They scrubbbbed us down. And when I say down I mean she took off 5 layers of my skin. And when I say skin, I mean ALL of my skin. From my eggtop right down to my big toe....Suds are flying everywhere, sometimes they massage, sometimes they scrub, sometimes they are throwing water at you, ….and then the lady slapped my ass.
THIS means you are supposed to turn over.
Does anyone else find this humorous? I was holding back the giggles and when I did let a little chuckle slip out soap got in my mouth and she snapped at me to Relax! Also ps these women do the baths for women and there are men who do it for the men. It's a traditional place where old women used to go to pick the future bride for her son. Weird right?
So, the massage women only wear these skimpy little underwear because they are working with water all day..…yep she was topless.
Meanwhile, Adam was getting his rubdown from some burly Turkish dude who cracked his back in like 50 places..oh yeah!
It was an experience, refreshing and lovely during and afterward. I’d love to do it again.
So there was most of Istanbul in a nutshell. They are famous for their calligraphy—Dad, did you like the family tile I had made!!!?? I have a video of the guy drawing it out.
Then on to Starazagorada, Bulgaria. That place was ok. Just some old random Soviet monuments and weird statues and a girl that looked like a man sadly acting really strange and huffing gas from a bag on a park bench.
Finally, Varna, Bulgaria. Adam and I stayed at the Diamond Way Buddhist Center while we were there. There was this amazing traveling teacher named Frank Huhn. I learned a lot over the weekend course. Adam and I had a rocky road but snapped ourselves out of it since we were around so many amazing people that laugh a lot. We ate CHINESE (don’t have that here in Moldova) that was so delicious. I had a Gin/Tonic…actually no I had 2 because they were cheap and again, (don’t have that here in Moldova).
So the Buddhist talk was basically suggestions on how to live life with as much lasting happiness as possible, how to avoid suffering and disturbing emotions…while also helping out your buds and benefiting as many beings as possible….in a nutshell. Frank helped me sort out some life questions and I learned a lot. Shout-out to Frank! You did great!
Then, Adam and I went with some Bulgarians…Laura, Alexei, Iuliana, and the cop you will see pictures below….to some natural hot springs. It was SO COLD. Next to the Black Sea in this little crevice is a place where people go for 45 minutes tops to lay in this lovely hot water. It was fun and I was excited to be in my swimming suit again! (can’t swim in Moldova)
We also ate at a fish restaurant (can't eat fish in Moldova). Walked around the center, it was very pretty there but they say it’s best to visit in the summer. Then we headed by bus to Russe, Bulgaria. We spent New year’s Eve there and a few days with Laura and Alexei. They are a beautiful Buddhist couple. Very in love, recently married.
Laura works for her Dad’s business and Alexei is a specialist with Fung Shui. For New Year’s Eve we celebrated with a bunch of Bulgarian Buddhists. I bought some sparklers so I was happy. Laura is an amazing hostess and made a ton of delicious food. We made Coke floats again and the girl pictured with the fro absolutely LOVED THEM. Her hair shook with delight as she sucked it down smiling…it was a fun way to enter 2008.
The next day Laura took us to her Mom’s place and she was SO nice and let us do our laundry. Our clothes were getting pretty ripe about that time… We were going to head on to Brasov, but a huge snowstorm hit so we decided to go home instead. On to Chisinau! Adam had been gone for 4 months so there was a lot of people he wanted to visit and he only had 1 more week or so here. We visited his host family, he had a show with his Moldovan band (I got on stage and sang Roadhouse Blues!) a lot of volunteers were there and friends from the Chisinau Buddhist Center so it was a huge party and lots of fun, then I FINALLY got to show someone where I live now! I have a very modest, but comfy apartment in Orhei. I have a hookah and nice music and I try to make food when people visit me! I am learning how to cook! (I know Granny and Grandma R. aren’t you proud!) Adam came with me to class one day. That was really fun for me to show my classroom although he wasn’t as amused by it as the students were amused at him!!!!! All the girls have crushes… ;)
So we played around Chisinau and Orhei, worked some, and actually Adam had the opportunity to meet my friend Andrei, the one who recently passed away. He took us for a ride in his Audi, which was a special treat…I am used to riding in really old smelly rutieras(buses). I don't know how his Moldovan family affords an Audi and he never offered to explain, not to say there is shady business, I really don't know, anyway he just took me for nice rides and I didn't ask too many questions. I recently wrote in another entry about Andrei’s death. He was a great guy and I’m glad I was fortunate enough to have met him! He is pictured back in my bday photos. The one right before them holding me up in the bday chair tradition.....There is a pic at my table with 4 Moldovan dudes and he is the 2nd from the right.... if you’d to see what he looked like.
He and Slavic helped me find this a apt, helped me when I had problems with my gas heating (which is a little too ironic) and they also helped me find a driver to take me back and forth to school because after my car accident here I hired a safe driver. Some of the other drivers give me serious anxiety man.
Anyway, so that was the overall vacation!!!! Sorry about the rants..
It was nice and thank you Dad for giving me a Christmas boost. I really needed to get out of Moldova for a minute. Now it’s back to work! And it has been great so far….I wrote about my good news in a previous entry but I’m writing it again b/c I am so excited about it!!!!! The grant I helped write worked out and we won new windows and doors for the school! Yippee…hang in there little village, help is on the way. ;)
That’s all.
Thanks for reading. I wish you well in all you do.
With love, Ry
I'm kidding. I didn't eat any of those things.
Left Chisinau by train, with a breath of relief...I really needed a break. Moldova, I love you, but sometimes you wrinkle me like an apple in the sun.
I shared a compartment with some nicely-dressed Moldovan man named Marcel who was going to meet his love in Bucharest, Romania. Hadn’t seen each other in 4years. He was an architect. I hadn’t seen Adam in 4 months (since he had left Moldova for Wisconsin).
It's luck of the draw when you take trains. You may end up with a smelly creep. But we nervously checked each other out, figured out we were both sane and decided to share food and talk.
I usually love trains but for some reason I got so trainsick. Puking on a jiggly train in a tiny little train bathroom is on my chart of top 10 not fun things to do. You have to step your footdown on a little pedal by the stool that opens a hole for the nastiness to be sprayed all over the poor innocent train tracks.) It's not pretty.
Anyway, I regained composure, and after talking a while he told me I needed to realize my own limits with my life. Just like that. Note taken sir. I can just see my parents reading this nodding their preety lil heads...ha.
So, I immediately got defensive being a youthful, adventurist and basically argued that I can go to the moon and back if I really want and not to piss on my parade. (This conversation was in Romanian, that ended up translating funny and we got a laugh outta that one.)
He basically said that if one understands their means and limitations then they can be much happier where they are and not struggle so much. We both put lavender on our pillow at the same time when we got tired of talking to one another (it’s a great trick for pleasant drifting scents into sleep). (it was funny the weird similarieties I had with this stranger, or maybe it’s more common to use lavender oil than I am aware of..) So I did my last minute research in my guide book for Turkey and coasted through the night to Bucharest, Romania.
7:30 am Adam met me at the train station. These kind of reunions are on my list of top 10 favorite things about life. Bucharest, Romania…..yeah, it’s basically purgatory, if not about as close to hell as one gets. People are rude, smell, there is nothing to do….supposedly some American style movie theatre (I haven’t seen a movie on big screen in almost 2 years now) but the Romanians gave us wrong directions 4 times, so we never found it. 44444444444 times!!!!!!!! We trekked all over the city in a blizzard, it was miserable and I some of you know how Ryan gets when she’s cold….
We eventually found American restaurants…you get real desperate for American “culture”…..with that being said, we ate at KFC and Pizza Hut!!!!!!! Pizza Hut here though is TOTALLY different, all the rich people were there, it was like fine dining…we laughed the whole time it was just funny.
So after the reunion, Adam and I had our own private 18 hour train ride to Istanbul, Turkey. I am a very lucky girl and was blessed with yet another funny bra story. When I come home, take me out to coffee and I’ll give you details on the “Flaming Bra” and “How can it be lost in this TINY room with nothing in it” stories.
THEN...Vama, the border control woke me up in the middle of the night busting our compartment door open and got a pretty nasty talking to from a little Americanca named Ryan. Americans are just not used to this bs. He “didn’t mean to bother me” he explained to some security lady as I stood angrily on my bed, arms flailing KINDLY explaining to him that he was RUDE and owed me an apology. Yeah, not a good idea to wake me up and scare Ryan.... Nope, not a good idea at all.
What is with this instant bond with guys and a screaming woman. I think Adam was actually amused at the situation. Him and the Vama guy made some nodding gestures toward each other and he went away.
On to better times… Istanbul! Delicious dinner, delicious apple tea, Turkish coffee, unbelievable hookah, random salsa dancing, people-watching, getting a little lost and being tired of walking, street vendors everywhere with tasty treats, baklava-yum yum yum did I mention yum, Turkish baths, water, palm trees, cold, beautiful men everywhere-they are famous for this, clean city and cleanest people in the world (muslim culture), toilets with the water that shoots water out to wash your tushy after 2sies, crazy gorgeous dresses in the windows, bead stores, Besiktas Iskele, Princes island, Taksim, cute little sugar cubes-I don’t know why I was so amused by that-they use sugar cubes not the powdery stuff, more walking, Blue Mosque, Rakni-turkish drink that tastes like black licorice (not my cup of tea), Turkish rugs, Sangria-my favorite cold beverage for 5 Lira a glass, Simit-pretzel like Turkish treat, Turkish delights-a gummy candy you will see photos, Lush-my favorite soap store I first saw in New York City-it’s all organic and smells good and ladies with smiley faces and makeup come and put nice, fresh smelly stuff on you and sparkly stuff in your hair-I like that place, I had a waffle and real ice cream.... stuff that Moldova doesn’t have, Adam and I found A FOOSBALL TABLE in some old smoky corner bar...my fave game in the world besides Gin Rummy, Grand Bazaar and Spice Market-it’s beautiful all these little markets with friends Turkish people selling anything under the sun, met a man who walked around the Blue Mosque selling tea from a portable container for 10 years, 10 years is a long time people, and now I will talk about a lovely gift Adam gave me…drumroll please…
THE Turkish bath.
Wow. These really old, super high stone ceilings with circles where the light comes in from the sun. It’s just this huge room with one huge circle stone platform that is warm and everyone lays on it (on top of your towel)…you lay on it and then you go wash yourself in the warm water low sinks that are all around the room.
It said not to be naked in there-and as Ipek and I scampered around like embarrassed bunnies in our skimpy towels we noted that the other women WERE most definitely naked. We giggled and splashed ourselves with water like we knew what we were doing (I mean, there's no soap, how long can you really sit there splashing yourself with water?)
So, finally the ladies came in and ripped our comfort blanket/skimpy towels off our bodies. And thus begin a big experience for little Ry and Ipek.... They scrubbbbed us down. And when I say down I mean she took off 5 layers of my skin. And when I say skin, I mean ALL of my skin. From my eggtop right down to my big toe....Suds are flying everywhere, sometimes they massage, sometimes they scrub, sometimes they are throwing water at you, ….and then the lady slapped my ass.
THIS means you are supposed to turn over.
Does anyone else find this humorous? I was holding back the giggles and when I did let a little chuckle slip out soap got in my mouth and she snapped at me to Relax! Also ps these women do the baths for women and there are men who do it for the men. It's a traditional place where old women used to go to pick the future bride for her son. Weird right?
So, the massage women only wear these skimpy little underwear because they are working with water all day..…yep she was topless.
Meanwhile, Adam was getting his rubdown from some burly Turkish dude who cracked his back in like 50 places..oh yeah!
It was an experience, refreshing and lovely during and afterward. I’d love to do it again.
So there was most of Istanbul in a nutshell. They are famous for their calligraphy—Dad, did you like the family tile I had made!!!?? I have a video of the guy drawing it out.
Then on to Starazagorada, Bulgaria. That place was ok. Just some old random Soviet monuments and weird statues and a girl that looked like a man sadly acting really strange and huffing gas from a bag on a park bench.
Finally, Varna, Bulgaria. Adam and I stayed at the Diamond Way Buddhist Center while we were there. There was this amazing traveling teacher named Frank Huhn. I learned a lot over the weekend course. Adam and I had a rocky road but snapped ourselves out of it since we were around so many amazing people that laugh a lot. We ate CHINESE (don’t have that here in Moldova) that was so delicious. I had a Gin/Tonic…actually no I had 2 because they were cheap and again, (don’t have that here in Moldova).
So the Buddhist talk was basically suggestions on how to live life with as much lasting happiness as possible, how to avoid suffering and disturbing emotions…while also helping out your buds and benefiting as many beings as possible….in a nutshell. Frank helped me sort out some life questions and I learned a lot. Shout-out to Frank! You did great!
Then, Adam and I went with some Bulgarians…Laura, Alexei, Iuliana, and the cop you will see pictures below….to some natural hot springs. It was SO COLD. Next to the Black Sea in this little crevice is a place where people go for 45 minutes tops to lay in this lovely hot water. It was fun and I was excited to be in my swimming suit again! (can’t swim in Moldova)
We also ate at a fish restaurant (can't eat fish in Moldova). Walked around the center, it was very pretty there but they say it’s best to visit in the summer. Then we headed by bus to Russe, Bulgaria. We spent New year’s Eve there and a few days with Laura and Alexei. They are a beautiful Buddhist couple. Very in love, recently married.
Laura works for her Dad’s business and Alexei is a specialist with Fung Shui. For New Year’s Eve we celebrated with a bunch of Bulgarian Buddhists. I bought some sparklers so I was happy. Laura is an amazing hostess and made a ton of delicious food. We made Coke floats again and the girl pictured with the fro absolutely LOVED THEM. Her hair shook with delight as she sucked it down smiling…it was a fun way to enter 2008.
The next day Laura took us to her Mom’s place and she was SO nice and let us do our laundry. Our clothes were getting pretty ripe about that time… We were going to head on to Brasov, but a huge snowstorm hit so we decided to go home instead. On to Chisinau! Adam had been gone for 4 months so there was a lot of people he wanted to visit and he only had 1 more week or so here. We visited his host family, he had a show with his Moldovan band (I got on stage and sang Roadhouse Blues!) a lot of volunteers were there and friends from the Chisinau Buddhist Center so it was a huge party and lots of fun, then I FINALLY got to show someone where I live now! I have a very modest, but comfy apartment in Orhei. I have a hookah and nice music and I try to make food when people visit me! I am learning how to cook! (I know Granny and Grandma R. aren’t you proud!) Adam came with me to class one day. That was really fun for me to show my classroom although he wasn’t as amused by it as the students were amused at him!!!!! All the girls have crushes… ;)
So we played around Chisinau and Orhei, worked some, and actually Adam had the opportunity to meet my friend Andrei, the one who recently passed away. He took us for a ride in his Audi, which was a special treat…I am used to riding in really old smelly rutieras(buses). I don't know how his Moldovan family affords an Audi and he never offered to explain, not to say there is shady business, I really don't know, anyway he just took me for nice rides and I didn't ask too many questions. I recently wrote in another entry about Andrei’s death. He was a great guy and I’m glad I was fortunate enough to have met him! He is pictured back in my bday photos. The one right before them holding me up in the bday chair tradition.....There is a pic at my table with 4 Moldovan dudes and he is the 2nd from the right.... if you’d to see what he looked like.
He and Slavic helped me find this a apt, helped me when I had problems with my gas heating (which is a little too ironic) and they also helped me find a driver to take me back and forth to school because after my car accident here I hired a safe driver. Some of the other drivers give me serious anxiety man.
Anyway, so that was the overall vacation!!!! Sorry about the rants..
It was nice and thank you Dad for giving me a Christmas boost. I really needed to get out of Moldova for a minute. Now it’s back to work! And it has been great so far….I wrote about my good news in a previous entry but I’m writing it again b/c I am so excited about it!!!!! The grant I helped write worked out and we won new windows and doors for the school! Yippee…hang in there little village, help is on the way. ;)
That’s all.
Thanks for reading. I wish you well in all you do.
With love, Ry
posted by MissRy at 2:04 PM
1 Comments:
Oh Wow! I really enjoyed your travel Story Ryan. Thank you for sharing. I loved the train stories the most. You crack me up.
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