Day 5: Bucuresti, Cluj-Napoca!

I wake up at 6am. Run around. Shower. Everything's packed. Cami calls. She picks me up out front. We're off to the Bucuresti Nord Train Station. We have a great conversation on the way there about the orphans, about the Eastern European vs. American psychology, the differences in society. Why it's particularly difficult for the orphans to make connections and enter into society. I tell her how blessed I've been to be surrounded by people working hard for change here, what a great group I've fallen into. I give her the fudge from my Aunt Sara that my mom sent with me. It's called "Oh Fudge." Train station. Not too bad. "You paid way too much for this ticket." "You're in Wagon 5. It's always the last wagon." My bag is heavy. Bye Cami, bye Bucuresti. I enter through the very narrow doors. Cross slowly through narrow passageways with my big bag, and I feel awkward, like I always do when I'm carrying things. I reach my first class compartment. There are girls there, a bit younger than me. "Este numar unsprezece?" "Da." I try to put my huge back above the seat. The shelf is way too small. "Sper ca va sta." "Si noi." They motion to me to set it underneath one of the seats. "E bine." They think it's okay. A couple in their thirties or forties gets into the cabin with us. There are 5. One empty seat for the baggage. The transit person comes by. "Billet si loc." I give him the ticket with my place on it, but can't find the actual ticket. I'm shuffling around. "Imi pare rau." Ok, ok, I can't find it. Shit. Oh wait, there it is. I have so many pockets in Romania. I am pocketful. I can't find something for a whole evening, and then I get home and it's been there in my pocket the whole time, but I just couldn't find it for all the pockets. We set off at 07.30. I feel tired and wired and nervous. Everyone has told me that I have to pay attention on the train "Fii atent." I try calling Andras at 10.00, but I don't reach him. He calls me, we set up that Mrs. Visky will meet me at the train station. Ok, that's set. We go through beautiful mountains at Siniai. The compartment looks like this:

The girls and the couple both get off at Brasov. "La revedere." "O zi placuta." "Buna ziua." "Drum bun." "Si tu." And then I have the cabin to myself, which is kind of nice. Romania by train is stunningly beautiful. I'm pretty much glued to the window the whole time because it's that beautiful. At one point, I start cying a little because it's so beautiful, and I'm so happy to be here. At one point, a twenty year old looking boy opens to door to my cabin and looks at me. I look at him. "Buna ziua." I don't know what's going on. He opens his backpack and puts all sorts of merchandise with price tags on the seat. He pulls out a squirrel. This is wild. He leaves. Here you go:

We pass through little villages. Through Sighisoara, which is an amazing medeival town. I start really taking pictures. Here you can see what my trip was like, but it was 1000 times grander than I could capture:

Somewhere after Dumbraveni, I call Delia Groza, it's around 6am Chicago time so I figure she'll be on her way to work. I leave a message all in Romanian, which I think was pretty good. : ) I saw a little town called Augustin on the train and I wanted her to tell Augustin the cook at Nookies about it.

At Copsa Mica, a bunch of people board the train. I see the salesboy walk off with his bag. I wonder who is he and where is he going? One man comes into my compartment. E liber? Da. Another man comes in. Sunt liber? Da. The older guy next to me has a cell phone with an REM ringtone of "Losing My Religion."

One of the men leaves and I'm left next to the man with the Losing My Religion ringtone. It looks from my map, like we'll stop in Cimpia Turzii, where Delia is from, but I'm not sure. I feel a little brave and I start up a conversation with the man in Romanian. "Stiti dumneavoastra daca vom opri la Cimpia Turzii." He's not sure. But we keep talking in Romanian. He's a very nice guy. He's retired, with a two daughters and two granddaughters. One is in Italy, one is in Sibiu, if I remember correctly. We talk for a long time in Romanian, and I actually understand about 60% of what he's saying. Success! I am so happy! I can't even express it. We are approaching Cimpia Turzii, Vasili gets excited and tells me to get ready. I go to the wrong side of the train! He tells me to come back over to the other side. Here's what I could capture you, iepuras, (I missed the sign):

Vasili is going to Cluj-Napoca as well. I'm about 8.5 hours into my trip. We keep talking. He says I should take a picture of him, and he will take a picture of me, and that I should send them to him. He gives me his address, and I give him my card and write my address in Chicago on it. Here's Vasili and I:

"E bine?" "Frumos." We arrive in Cluj a bit early. I saw goodbye to Vasili. I promise to send the pictures to him. I scurry off the train, onto the platform. I'm in Cluj Napoca! I stop to have a cigarette. Almost as soon as I arrive, an old woman approaches me. She hugs me! Matusa! She says a lot to me very fast in Romanian, it sounds like she says my name! I think that maybe she is Roszica, the Visky's "chief angel." "Roszica?" She looks confused at me; that's not her name. "De unde esti? (Where are you from?)," she asks me. "Eu? Chicago!" She waves her hand at me like, "Not you!" and she walks away. This is very, very funny and wonderful to me. I am greeted in Cluj-Napoca officially with a big hug from a stranger. Thank you. Romanian angel #6. I sit down to smoke another cigarette. (It's been 9.5 hours, you know.)

I open up my card from Kaitlin, as directed, on the fifth day. Thank you, I needed that hug. :) I miss you too!

Noapte buna, Cluj-Napoca.

Cu drag,

Kevin