"Watch out for the dogs", Angela warned. "And remember, they're faster than you".
So was the warning from my Romanian boss, who lives in Bucharest and knows very well about the mean, stray dog population of the city. I wanted to go for a jog while I was there, to enjoy the scenery around the lake next to the hotel, and possibly capture some of the sights with my new camera. It took only about 5 minutes before my plan was ruined.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I finally made it to Romania after two and a half years in Europe. It was high on my list ever since I arrived, but I was waiting for the perfect time - in the summer, and when on business so I wouldn't have to pay for it. Lucky for me, we had to make a trip there for some training, and conveniently, I was able to spend the weekend there, so I could meet Dracula. It was the 30th country I'd been to since moving to Poland.
Before the trip even started, Kasia and I had a frustrating taxi ride from the airport to the hotel. Kasia is my co-worker, also from Poland (yes, I refer to myself as from Poland these days), and we were teaching the training together. We arranged a taxi to pick us up when we got there, but it wasn't there. So, we tried to take an airport taxi. We know better not to get into the car with random men wandering around the airport terminal quietly whispering "taxi?" in your ear, so we went to the kiosk to take an "official" car. Because that way, you don't get ripped off. Bucharest has a system where you can select the taxi type from the electronic kiosk (from the different priced taxis), and it prints out a taxi number and approximate time of its arrival. Easy enough, and nice idea. There were price options ranging from 1.39 lei (40 cents) per kilometer, up to 3.79 lei (a little over a dollar) for a "luxury car". Overall, very cheap. But of course, given the choice, I picked the cheapest option, to be fiscally responsible. In the end, picking the cheapest option turned into being the most expensive possible option. Generally, we've been told that a taxi from the airport to Hotel Caro would be 30-35 lei ($10). The driver was very friendly, asking us about our plans, where we're from, and even suggesting other places to visit in Romania. Most of the Romanians I know are very chatty, and very proud of their country. And this guy was no different.
As I was telling Kasia about how cheap taxis are supposed to be in Romania, we pull up to the hotel. And the driver told me "186 lei". Sorry, what? (In my head I'm doing some math, and wondering if I made a mistake in figuring the exchange rate). "186" lei, he repeated, which would be over $50. I looked around for the meter, but it wasn't where they usually are. Instead, it was sitting on the seat, sideways, so we couldn't see the numbers. I asked him to show us the meter, and it said 155. Still a lot, but not 186. He said that there is an "out of region" charge for taking us to the neighborhood we were in, since it's outside of the main city limits, so he added 30 lei. I asked him to show the documentation of the rule, and he changed the subject, explaining that the government makes the prices, not him. I tried to explain the math to him, considering that the per km price was 1.39, a fare of 155 lei on the meter would mean we travelled over 100 km from the airport in 20 minutes, which would probably be a world record.
He was obviously busted, but he kept denying it, and I didn't know how to deal with that. If the meter says 155, even though it's way too much, how do you fight that? He obviously put it on some setting to uptick the price faster than it should, but how do we prove it? I ended up paying, but can't remember being more frustrated and upset, especially because we thought the guy was nice before that. Looking back, everything he did makes sense. He asked us if we'd been to Romania before (no, so we don't know how much the taxi should be). He was friendly so we have a hard time saying no to his price demands. He didn't actually pull up to the hotel, he stopped near the street, to avoid the cameras (which the hotel had), and he kept our ticket from the airport kiosk, so we wouldn't have a trace of which company or car he was. He also wrote the receipt on a random receipt note pad you can buy in a stationary store, not on an official company receipt book. In the end we paid $50 for what should have been $10. I still get mad thinking about it, even though it's a month later.
When I told Angela about this, she wrote a message to the company at the airport, criticizing the process, and how nobody is accountable. I didn't remember the taxi number, but next time I would be sure to write down his license and car number, or even refuse to pay unless he calls the police and they come and make me. She said that in the future, they will print 2 tickets at the airport, one for the customer and one for the driver, so each party has a record. They also said they track reported frauds like this, and will ban certain cab companies if there are multiple complaints against them. So it's a bit of justice, but I would have rather fought it to the guy's face.
Anyway, after that unpleasant situation, the rest of the trip was very pleasant (except for the dogs).
So, the dogs. I had this grand plan to jog a couple days in Bucharest, because I was in the middle of 11 days on the road without any bike or swim training for my upcoming triathlons. I set out early the first morning, after checking the map for a nice route along the nearby lake. I had my GPS watch, water bottle, Google Maps on my phone, and set off. It only took a few minutes before the first one spotted me. It was like a scene from I Am Legend or some zombie apocalypse movie. It saw me, growled and barked, and started creeping slowly towards me, like a predator hunting his prey. It was about the size of a small Labrador, but definitely a mix of many different things, including pure evil.
Usually I'm friendly with any and all dogs around me, but something was different about this one. He had no collar, indicating he was homeless (and could not be trusted), had a bunch of fur-less patches, probably from numerous street fights, and looked like he spends his free time rolling in dirt, poop, and garbage. He wasn't wagging his tail in a happy way, and the look in his eyes said something more like "I want to eat you" rather than "can you please throw a stick so I can chase it?". He started coming towards me faster than at first, so I stopped running, remembering Angela's advice. I turned towards him and started backing away. He slowed down, but continued to bark, showing me his large, black stained teeth (or lack thereof). Finally he stopped, presumably after I left his territory, and I continued to back away for at least 100 meters, before I started a slow jog again. My heart was beating fast, just like I had been running the whole time. I didn't have much time to rest, when I came upon a couple other dogs. They didn't bother me too much, but startled me with their barking.
I spent the next couple minutes thinking "Angela was right, this is no joke" and "Should I keep running or should I just go home?" Then I realized the roads ended and I couldn't get to the lake. There was a fork in the road and I took the path that looked more "legal", because there was a security guard sitting in front of the other path. About 100 meters down the road, some Vicious Twins spotted me. They were smaller dogs, maybe 40 pounds, but they looked MEAN. They were clearly guarding their territory because when I ran by them, they got up, barked wildly and chased me for only 10 meters, then laid back down on their spots. Even though they were small, they were really scary.
After a few more minutes, I realized the road was a dead end, and I literally said out loud "Aww man", because I would have to go back past the twins again. First I saw another guy walk by, and waited to see if they would chase him. They didn't even move! Of course, when I went by (walking this time), they jumped up and growled and chased me away.
I was still determined to get to the lake, so I went down the other path at the fork, past the security guard. I ran past him acting like I belonged there, and he ignored me. I must have looked very official, or maybe he was sleeping. Or maybe he recogized me from my Polish celebrity magazine picture. Anyway, I found it: the path to the lake. A couple cops were sitting there in their car, doing who knows what, but again I decided to act like I belonged there.
Then they came out of nowhere. 5 dogs, of all shapes and sizes, burst out of the bushes and came running at me like I was a warm piece of meat. I almost wet my pants when they started snapping at me. The (only) funny part was that they looked like dogs from the movies: there was Benji, Air Bud, White Fang, and a huge Great Dane, Marmaduke. Are Great Danes even allowed to be homeless and rabid? He seriously frightened me, but ended up being not too aggressive. Once they backed off, a sixth one came out of nowhere even more fierce than the others...I'll call him Scrappy Doo. Luckily he was small, because he would not give up. I had to kick my leg out to keep him away. I figured out that if I raised my hand in the air, they'd all jump back (as if I was going to throw something at them). So I kept doing that, as I backed away slowly, back the way I came (getting to the lake trail was not worth it - plus I would probably be ripped to shreds by some dogs hiding in the bushes).
I eventually got back on the road towards the hotel (my pants were soiled and I needed to change). I had to run past all the other dogs I previously met, but they were nothing compared to the Bloodhound Gang that just attacked me. I met at least two dogs on every street, and expected something to jump out and attack me every time I turned a corner. I didn't even have time to take a running picture in my WITC top. Once I found myself in safe territory, I took some comfort in watching other people walk in big circles past dogs sitting along the sidewalk, avoiding them at all costs. It was like they were walking past alligators in the Florida swamp. I guess I learned my lesson.
So let's talk a bit about Bucharest. The Hotel Caro was pretty nice, and the staff was very friendly. Because of my inability to go for a city jog, one of the guys said he'd let me into the gym at any time (it was in separate building and needed a special key). But later that night, the other workers told me that I could only go before 9pm (and it was 9:15pm). I told them how the first guy told me I could go anytime, and they made an exception for me and let me in. It was nice to have someone flexible and thinking logically rather than only following the rules, which sometimes happens around here. It restored my faith in the potential of customer service in this region.
To help us see the city, Angela met us and took us on a taxi tour. We drove up and down some of the main streets while she told us about the buildings we were looking at. The city is very spread out, and it isn't as easy to walk around to see the interesting points as it is in Warsaw or Krakow, for example. We did some walking, and also did the free city walking tour, to see a few main areas by foot. We stopped at Terasa Verona for dinner, a big outdoor garden and bar, next to a bookstore in an old Downton Abbey style house. By the way, the 30 minute drive around the city, by taxi, was about $8. Dammit.
The free walking tour was pretty interesting (and free). We learned a bit about the history and got to see some nice buildings. We learned about Vlad the Impaler (the inspiration behind the Dracula character), the plastic paper money that they have now (it's really nice), and how the city literally moved the churches to hide them behind walls and buildings to prevent the communists from destroying them. We learned a little bit about Nicolae Ceausescu, the brutal dictator during the communist period who was executed for crimes against the people during his rule. You can find some video of the revolution in Romania, when people all over the region were ridding themselves of the communist regime.
The city has a lot of old communist style block concrete buildings, but they also have some very nice buildings, churches, and boulevards. They have their own Arc de Triomphe, and their version of Warsaw's Palace of Culture (which was also a "gift" from the Soviets). Bucharest is also home to the second largest building in the world, the Parliament building (apparently measured by surface area), just behind The Pentagon. The Old Town isn't quite the same as other old towns in the region, only recently being revitalized to attract visitors.
Of course, I ate some really good food, thanks to some friends' recommendations. Angela and Diana took us out to eat one night to Vatra, a nice traditional place with folk dancers and really good food. I had a dish of Sarmale - pickled cabbage rolls with meat and rice inside (similar to Polish gołąbki), as well as some pig skin, fried lard, sour soups, sausages and my new favorite staple, polenta. I don't know why I haven't eaten much polenta in my life, but that's going to change. I ordered dishes that came with polenta every day, and if it didn't come with polenta, I ordered it on the side. The first thing I did when I got back to Warsaw was buy some in the store to make a huge pot of it. La Mama was another good restaurant, where I ate sarmale and polenta again. And because I could, I took home extra polenta in a napkin. I ate polenta 6 of the 7 days in Romania. Don't judge me.
One thing we noticed is that a lot of words ended with "-ul" and a lot of last names end with "-escu". So I guess my Romanian name is Tristanul Sakurescu. Besides that, the Romanian language is similar to Italian but with not as many hand gestures. We got to learn a little bit of the language, for example the word "imediate". We assumed it meant "immediately", but when waitresses said it (and repeated it) after we asked for something, they'd go away for a few minutes, walk around doing nothing, talk to their friends, serve other tables, and then 10 minutes later, would bring us what we asked for (for example, a spoon). So basically it means "when I feel like it". Angela confirmed that's exactly how they use it.
We also noticed that most taxis don't have working seat belts in the backseat (and many drivers don't bother wearing them either). And that a normal taxi ride in the city should cost $3-5, not the $50 that we paid for the airport. On the way back to the airport, an aggressive driver asked me to come with him. I asked how much, just to see what he'd say, and he suggested 60 lei. I knew it shouldn't cost more than 40, so I said "too much" and walked away. He said "Ok for you, special price. 50". I kept walking. He followed me and said "45", then "40". So we agreed. It felt like a huge victory to be able to negotiate a decent price, even though it probably still cost more than it should. But compared to 190 I paid on the day I arrived, I felt like a lottery winner.
Next up: Brasov, Dracula and Peles Castle.
So was the warning from my Romanian boss, who lives in Bucharest and knows very well about the mean, stray dog population of the city. I wanted to go for a jog while I was there, to enjoy the scenery around the lake next to the hotel, and possibly capture some of the sights with my new camera. It took only about 5 minutes before my plan was ruined.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I finally made it to Romania after two and a half years in Europe. It was high on my list ever since I arrived, but I was waiting for the perfect time - in the summer, and when on business so I wouldn't have to pay for it. Lucky for me, we had to make a trip there for some training, and conveniently, I was able to spend the weekend there, so I could meet Dracula. It was the 30th country I'd been to since moving to Poland.
Before the trip even started, Kasia and I had a frustrating taxi ride from the airport to the hotel. Kasia is my co-worker, also from Poland (yes, I refer to myself as from Poland these days), and we were teaching the training together. We arranged a taxi to pick us up when we got there, but it wasn't there. So, we tried to take an airport taxi. We know better not to get into the car with random men wandering around the airport terminal quietly whispering "taxi?" in your ear, so we went to the kiosk to take an "official" car. Because that way, you don't get ripped off. Bucharest has a system where you can select the taxi type from the electronic kiosk (from the different priced taxis), and it prints out a taxi number and approximate time of its arrival. Easy enough, and nice idea. There were price options ranging from 1.39 lei (40 cents) per kilometer, up to 3.79 lei (a little over a dollar) for a "luxury car". Overall, very cheap. But of course, given the choice, I picked the cheapest option, to be fiscally responsible. In the end, picking the cheapest option turned into being the most expensive possible option. Generally, we've been told that a taxi from the airport to Hotel Caro would be 30-35 lei ($10). The driver was very friendly, asking us about our plans, where we're from, and even suggesting other places to visit in Romania. Most of the Romanians I know are very chatty, and very proud of their country. And this guy was no different.
As I was telling Kasia about how cheap taxis are supposed to be in Romania, we pull up to the hotel. And the driver told me "186 lei". Sorry, what? (In my head I'm doing some math, and wondering if I made a mistake in figuring the exchange rate). "186" lei, he repeated, which would be over $50. I looked around for the meter, but it wasn't where they usually are. Instead, it was sitting on the seat, sideways, so we couldn't see the numbers. I asked him to show us the meter, and it said 155. Still a lot, but not 186. He said that there is an "out of region" charge for taking us to the neighborhood we were in, since it's outside of the main city limits, so he added 30 lei. I asked him to show the documentation of the rule, and he changed the subject, explaining that the government makes the prices, not him. I tried to explain the math to him, considering that the per km price was 1.39, a fare of 155 lei on the meter would mean we travelled over 100 km from the airport in 20 minutes, which would probably be a world record.
He was obviously busted, but he kept denying it, and I didn't know how to deal with that. If the meter says 155, even though it's way too much, how do you fight that? He obviously put it on some setting to uptick the price faster than it should, but how do we prove it? I ended up paying, but can't remember being more frustrated and upset, especially because we thought the guy was nice before that. Looking back, everything he did makes sense. He asked us if we'd been to Romania before (no, so we don't know how much the taxi should be). He was friendly so we have a hard time saying no to his price demands. He didn't actually pull up to the hotel, he stopped near the street, to avoid the cameras (which the hotel had), and he kept our ticket from the airport kiosk, so we wouldn't have a trace of which company or car he was. He also wrote the receipt on a random receipt note pad you can buy in a stationary store, not on an official company receipt book. In the end we paid $50 for what should have been $10. I still get mad thinking about it, even though it's a month later.
When I told Angela about this, she wrote a message to the company at the airport, criticizing the process, and how nobody is accountable. I didn't remember the taxi number, but next time I would be sure to write down his license and car number, or even refuse to pay unless he calls the police and they come and make me. She said that in the future, they will print 2 tickets at the airport, one for the customer and one for the driver, so each party has a record. They also said they track reported frauds like this, and will ban certain cab companies if there are multiple complaints against them. So it's a bit of justice, but I would have rather fought it to the guy's face.
Anyway, after that unpleasant situation, the rest of the trip was very pleasant (except for the dogs).
So, the dogs. I had this grand plan to jog a couple days in Bucharest, because I was in the middle of 11 days on the road without any bike or swim training for my upcoming triathlons. I set out early the first morning, after checking the map for a nice route along the nearby lake. I had my GPS watch, water bottle, Google Maps on my phone, and set off. It only took a few minutes before the first one spotted me. It was like a scene from I Am Legend or some zombie apocalypse movie. It saw me, growled and barked, and started creeping slowly towards me, like a predator hunting his prey. It was about the size of a small Labrador, but definitely a mix of many different things, including pure evil.
Usually I'm friendly with any and all dogs around me, but something was different about this one. He had no collar, indicating he was homeless (and could not be trusted), had a bunch of fur-less patches, probably from numerous street fights, and looked like he spends his free time rolling in dirt, poop, and garbage. He wasn't wagging his tail in a happy way, and the look in his eyes said something more like "I want to eat you" rather than "can you please throw a stick so I can chase it?". He started coming towards me faster than at first, so I stopped running, remembering Angela's advice. I turned towards him and started backing away. He slowed down, but continued to bark, showing me his large, black stained teeth (or lack thereof). Finally he stopped, presumably after I left his territory, and I continued to back away for at least 100 meters, before I started a slow jog again. My heart was beating fast, just like I had been running the whole time. I didn't have much time to rest, when I came upon a couple other dogs. They didn't bother me too much, but startled me with their barking.
I spent the next couple minutes thinking "Angela was right, this is no joke" and "Should I keep running or should I just go home?" Then I realized the roads ended and I couldn't get to the lake. There was a fork in the road and I took the path that looked more "legal", because there was a security guard sitting in front of the other path. About 100 meters down the road, some Vicious Twins spotted me. They were smaller dogs, maybe 40 pounds, but they looked MEAN. They were clearly guarding their territory because when I ran by them, they got up, barked wildly and chased me for only 10 meters, then laid back down on their spots. Even though they were small, they were really scary.
After a few more minutes, I realized the road was a dead end, and I literally said out loud "Aww man", because I would have to go back past the twins again. First I saw another guy walk by, and waited to see if they would chase him. They didn't even move! Of course, when I went by (walking this time), they jumped up and growled and chased me away.
I was still determined to get to the lake, so I went down the other path at the fork, past the security guard. I ran past him acting like I belonged there, and he ignored me. I must have looked very official, or maybe he was sleeping. Or maybe he recogized me from my Polish celebrity magazine picture. Anyway, I found it: the path to the lake. A couple cops were sitting there in their car, doing who knows what, but again I decided to act like I belonged there.
Then they came out of nowhere. 5 dogs, of all shapes and sizes, burst out of the bushes and came running at me like I was a warm piece of meat. I almost wet my pants when they started snapping at me. The (only) funny part was that they looked like dogs from the movies: there was Benji, Air Bud, White Fang, and a huge Great Dane, Marmaduke. Are Great Danes even allowed to be homeless and rabid? He seriously frightened me, but ended up being not too aggressive. Once they backed off, a sixth one came out of nowhere even more fierce than the others...I'll call him Scrappy Doo. Luckily he was small, because he would not give up. I had to kick my leg out to keep him away. I figured out that if I raised my hand in the air, they'd all jump back (as if I was going to throw something at them). So I kept doing that, as I backed away slowly, back the way I came (getting to the lake trail was not worth it - plus I would probably be ripped to shreds by some dogs hiding in the bushes).
I eventually got back on the road towards the hotel (my pants were soiled and I needed to change). I had to run past all the other dogs I previously met, but they were nothing compared to the Bloodhound Gang that just attacked me. I met at least two dogs on every street, and expected something to jump out and attack me every time I turned a corner. I didn't even have time to take a running picture in my WITC top. Once I found myself in safe territory, I took some comfort in watching other people walk in big circles past dogs sitting along the sidewalk, avoiding them at all costs. It was like they were walking past alligators in the Florida swamp. I guess I learned my lesson.
Dogs hanging out in front of the PwC office
Dogs were chasing me all over the city, even painted dogs
So let's talk a bit about Bucharest. The Hotel Caro was pretty nice, and the staff was very friendly. Because of my inability to go for a city jog, one of the guys said he'd let me into the gym at any time (it was in separate building and needed a special key). But later that night, the other workers told me that I could only go before 9pm (and it was 9:15pm). I told them how the first guy told me I could go anytime, and they made an exception for me and let me in. It was nice to have someone flexible and thinking logically rather than only following the rules, which sometimes happens around here. It restored my faith in the potential of customer service in this region.
To help us see the city, Angela met us and took us on a taxi tour. We drove up and down some of the main streets while she told us about the buildings we were looking at. The city is very spread out, and it isn't as easy to walk around to see the interesting points as it is in Warsaw or Krakow, for example. We did some walking, and also did the free city walking tour, to see a few main areas by foot. We stopped at Terasa Verona for dinner, a big outdoor garden and bar, next to a bookstore in an old Downton Abbey style house. By the way, the 30 minute drive around the city, by taxi, was about $8. Dammit.
The free walking tour was pretty interesting (and free). We learned a bit about the history and got to see some nice buildings. We learned about Vlad the Impaler (the inspiration behind the Dracula character), the plastic paper money that they have now (it's really nice), and how the city literally moved the churches to hide them behind walls and buildings to prevent the communists from destroying them. We learned a little bit about Nicolae Ceausescu, the brutal dictator during the communist period who was executed for crimes against the people during his rule. You can find some video of the revolution in Romania, when people all over the region were ridding themselves of the communist regime.
Dog enjoying the free walking tour
Dog protecting Vlad's statue
No dogs allowed here!
The city has a lot of old communist style block concrete buildings, but they also have some very nice buildings, churches, and boulevards. They have their own Arc de Triomphe, and their version of Warsaw's Palace of Culture (which was also a "gift" from the Soviets). Bucharest is also home to the second largest building in the world, the Parliament building (apparently measured by surface area), just behind The Pentagon. The Old Town isn't quite the same as other old towns in the region, only recently being revitalized to attract visitors.
Their Arc
Like a smashed down version of Warsaw's Palace of Culture
The parliament building is so big, it looks small
Of course, I ate some really good food, thanks to some friends' recommendations. Angela and Diana took us out to eat one night to Vatra, a nice traditional place with folk dancers and really good food. I had a dish of Sarmale - pickled cabbage rolls with meat and rice inside (similar to Polish gołąbki), as well as some pig skin, fried lard, sour soups, sausages and my new favorite staple, polenta. I don't know why I haven't eaten much polenta in my life, but that's going to change. I ordered dishes that came with polenta every day, and if it didn't come with polenta, I ordered it on the side. The first thing I did when I got back to Warsaw was buy some in the store to make a huge pot of it. La Mama was another good restaurant, where I ate sarmale and polenta again. And because I could, I took home extra polenta in a napkin. I ate polenta 6 of the 7 days in Romania. Don't judge me.
Sarmale and polenta
Sarmale, polenta, and something like bigos
One thing we noticed is that a lot of words ended with "-ul" and a lot of last names end with "-escu". So I guess my Romanian name is Tristanul Sakurescu. Besides that, the Romanian language is similar to Italian but with not as many hand gestures. We got to learn a little bit of the language, for example the word "imediate". We assumed it meant "immediately", but when waitresses said it (and repeated it) after we asked for something, they'd go away for a few minutes, walk around doing nothing, talk to their friends, serve other tables, and then 10 minutes later, would bring us what we asked for (for example, a spoon). So basically it means "when I feel like it". Angela confirmed that's exactly how they use it.
We also noticed that most taxis don't have working seat belts in the backseat (and many drivers don't bother wearing them either). And that a normal taxi ride in the city should cost $3-5, not the $50 that we paid for the airport. On the way back to the airport, an aggressive driver asked me to come with him. I asked how much, just to see what he'd say, and he suggested 60 lei. I knew it shouldn't cost more than 40, so I said "too much" and walked away. He said "Ok for you, special price. 50". I kept walking. He followed me and said "45", then "40". So we agreed. It felt like a huge victory to be able to negotiate a decent price, even though it probably still cost more than it should. But compared to 190 I paid on the day I arrived, I felt like a lottery winner.
Next up: Brasov, Dracula and Peles Castle.
