ROMANIA

Romania almost immediately conjures up the thought of Dracula, who hails from Transylvania. But Romania is so much more than just home to Dracula...it is untouched, unspoiled, pure beauty with a turbulent past. It is one of the largest countries in central-eastern Europe and is trying hard to build itself up and increase tourism. Tourism should be no problem in years to come. Romania is a lovely place, a bit raw at the moment, but this is it's charm...soon to be partially lost to hotels and restaurants. It is a challenging place to get around, as cities are spread far from one another and often located in remote areas, where no English is spoken. This can be a problem when say, you want to buy a train ticket (the only way out of the town) but cannot communicated where you would like to go or how many tickets you need. It takes charades to a whole new level. It's worth a trip, should you get the chance. Just brace yourself for some challenges and chalk it up as part of the experience.....nothing good ever comes easy!

BRASOV/SINAIA - JUNE 2005