Romania Jun07

“Welcome to Suceava,” Monica greeted us as we arrived at her humble hostelry cum home, tucked away in a corner of northern Romania. “You are my first Malaysian guests since I started this hostel five years ago,” she continued with a warm grin. Indeed, for the duration of our 12-days spent roaming Romania, we never came across any other Malaysian, and what a pity that was too, because with its combination of castles, culture, countryside, cuisine, and charm, roaming Romania is really an engaging experience!

Targu Mures, in the heart of Transylvania, was our starting point. Yes, the same Transylvania that Bram Stoker used as his background to his Dracula tall tales! But neither dark nor foreboding, Targu Mures was a pretty town with a well-laid park right in the middle of town, surrounded by quaint colorful buildings. From here we trundled across the backbone of the Carpathians, past the gorges of Bicaz, to finally emerge to the plains of Bucovina, where farming is much like what was practiced a century ago, as horses pulled ploughs, and womenfolk harvested wheat with sickles!

Bucovina's main claim to fame, are its many Unesco Heritage listed painted monasteries. Scattered amid scenic rural settings, these painted beauties are a sight to behold. Most were built during the 12 th to 14 th century, and are devoted to the Eastern Orthodox faith. The painted frescoes mainly depict Biblical stories, including some very gruesome judgement day depictions complete with man being hung on a hook by the neck as he is being judged! Historical scenarios are also prevalent, but mainly related to the turbulent times Romania shared with its Turkish neighbor, with the 1453 siege of Constantinople being one particularly striking, as it showed the Byzantines victorious with the aid of angels, whereas we all know that incident marked the end of the Christian influence in the middle-east!

Woodcutters / the beautiful Bucegi Plateau

The painted monasteries are still being used to hold services and monks and nuns reside in the grounds. “Are there services now?” I asked, as I heard the toll of bells reverberating in the hallowed hall of Voronet monastery. It was just about 2pm on a Tuesday. “Oh no,” a black clad nun replied in passable English “we always ring the bells when the weather turns dark hoping to avert the worse.” There skies were actually quite ominous then with dark clouds a-gathering and constant lightning flashes. And did the tolling bells worked? Well it poured shortly, but I later learnt there was a heavy hailstorm just a few days back, so maybe it did!

From Bucovina, we headed westwards to Maramures, one of the most laid-back areas of Romania. Straddling the Ukrainian border, it is regarded as the cultural heartland of Romania. One of the pleasures of independent travel are the sudden stops we can make at some really splendid off-the-beaten-path places. Cocanestu was one such place. Nestled in a lovely vale, and with pretty painted homes, it would have been an ideal site for to film a fairy-tale! We stopped by to visit Madam Zedora's home, and was treated to a treatise of her humble works of cloth-weaving art. Of course we could barely understand her rapid Romanian, but her beaming face and beautiful tapestries told all that needed to be told.

Viseu de Sus is a simple Romanian mountain town. However, its hot attraction is the steam train that takes in lush pine forests as it chugs its way up on a 3hr scenic journey to Faina timber camp, a still active log-yard abuzz with Romanian wood workers and tourists alike! A multitude of trails meander into the thick forests, making for excellent trekking country, but stay on the main paths, because the Ukrainian border is just 10km away and frontier guards are armed—smuggling is rampant in these parts! Relax, throw something on the grill, or just take in the fresh mountain air, and then it's the same journey back to Viseu de Sus. For the train-buff, its fun twice over!

Maramures main claim to fame are its lovely and quaint UNESCO Heritage listed wooden churches that decorate an already pretty countryside. Despite the many centuries which would have normally decimated wooden constructions, the wooden churches still stand relatively well preserved albeit with some light restorations along the way. “The pine they used were dried and treated for months before being used,” explained Joseph, a priest, “quite simply, they used good wood!” he concluded smilingly. Wood has always had an aura not found in concrete and stone, and in Maramures wooden churches, it is a deeply reverberating aura of religious pride and piety.

Transylvania / Dracula dolls

From Maramures, we headed south to Transylvania, passing idyllic villages in which it would appear that time has stood still. After a few pleasant hours passing through an European peasant culture that still thrives in these parts, with horse-carts in abundance and traditional farming for sustenance, we eventually rolled into the charming citadel city of Sighisoara. Picture an enchantingly preserved medieval city, walled in with no less than nine remaining watch towers still intact, and surrounded by delightful countryside, and it is small wonder Sighisoara is also a UNESCO heritage site, and one of the top attractions of Romania.

However for us, Sighisoara is best remembered by the lovely pensione we stayed in. Madam Cristina, dark-haired and eyes atypical of the proud peasantry of rural Romania, was the perfect hostess! “I still remember the first, and only, Malaysians who have stayed with me,” she recounted, “I think they were from Eepok(Ipoh to our minds), and were students at a medical university in Bucharest,” she continued. That must have been quite recent I asked, given the clarity in her recollections. “Oh no, that was 2 years ago!” she smiled. Needless to say, we spent a good evening with her, and Nikola, her handyman husband, chatting away under grape trellises!

The next day saw us taking a short side-trip for a horseback riding in Danes, just outside Sighisoara. “Wow, that's a lot of medals you have for equestrian events,” I remarked to Clesue, the ponytailed proprietor of the Transylvania Riding School, as I admired his collection, including an Athens Olympic Medal! “Oh I did horse around a bit but now do mostly judging,” he grinned. It was reassuring as our kids took a 2-hour countryside ramble around this quaint village, complete with grassland, bush and brush, and the smiles and waves of friendly rural Romania.

By noon, we were headed for literally the highest point of our Romania trip. The start of the Transfagarasan Highway was a long and winding road which twisted and turned for a good hour or so before culminating in Lake Bale, at 2200m above sea level, still frozen in summer! And not only ice, there was also thick snow which had just been cleared from the road. It was gratifying to do some improvised snow sledding in summer! And Hotel Lake Bale, situated just beside the Lake, was a total balm for calm, as one sips coffee or wine, on a platform over the lake, and under the snow-clad mountains of the Transfagarasan Range.

Horseback riding / The way to Transfagarasan

From literally the highest point in our Romanian roaming, we headed to its most heavily touristed spot, the old city of Brasov, and its cornucopia of castles! Rasnov castle in its heyday saw siege after siege, and today if one parks oneself in a quiet corner of its still impressive ramparts, one can almost hear the clash of steel and shouts of men in battle! Nearby, Bran castle, though often tagged as “Dracula's Castle”, was the dwelling place of the last queen of Romania, and still bore the simple splendours of a royal domain. Most grandiose, Peles Castle, still belonging to the last Romanian royalty, was an epitome of elegance, and a reminder of the glory days of old.

However, the areas surrounding Brasov are not only notable for castles. Mother nature's gifts are also in abundance, and one of the most wondrous is undoubtedly the beautiful Bucegi Plateau. Splendid ski slopes in winter, the rest of the year sees it filled with walkers, mountain cyclists and assorted nature lovers who frolic around the plateau's flower filled meadows in spring, and rugged rawness in autumn. For the less active, it is enough to just take in the relaxing cable-car ride up just to catch the verdant vistas of rural Romania from 2400m above sea level.

After all the natural and cultural splendours experienced thus far, our first glimpse of Bucharest was quite a rude awakening. “Only place in Romania with daily traffic jams”, mumbled Gigi as he inched his way to the city center, “and ugly communist buildings!” he added with an air of disdain. Assuredly, Bucharest, once dubbed ‘Paris of the East', has lost much of its luster due to the communist excesses, and perhaps the grandiose, but ugly, Palace epitomizes all the worst of this lesser legacy. Still, scratch the surface, and one finds an eastern European elan' that can really be quite charming!

While we did not come across any Dracula denizens, our bloods did flow warm from a Romania replete with old world splendor, cultural flavor, natural sights, and last but not least a people that strives to make you feel at home. “Please make sure you send me a photo of your holidaying in any place in Romania OK, “enthused Monica. “It will go straight up the wall to be at home with my humble hostel,” she continued with a most sincere smile! Roam Romania…and feel right at home!

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