2010-06-28 : Mid-Summer Update I purchased a round-trip ticket to Bucharest on my KLM Frequent Flyers miles. I was greeted at the airport by Daniel Ionati from the band Echo. We had a drink in the lounge, then I departed for points north in my new Mitubishi rental car. I waited for a signal on my 42 country TomTom GPS, but it never came. I followed signs to Brasov. The road was strange. I passed by people riding in stage coaches! There were an unusual amount of dogs running across the road unleashed in front of me. There were also police in little white cars everywhere. I rode nervously. After about three hours, I was in the beautiful Carpathian Mountains in a beautiful Hotel called Silva. The next day I reached a campground and settled in for a couple of days. On the first day, I visited the famous Bram Castle; home of Dracula. On the second day, I took a long ride north to the ancient city of Sighisoara. Later in this day, I drove a couple of hours south, through the mountains to visit the Old Royal Castle at Sinaia. On the forth day of the trip, I left the mountains and headed for the Black Sea. I drove through breathtaking mountain scenery; en route to Ploiesti. I headed east for several hours, crossed the Danube River and finally arrived at the white, sandy beach in Mamaia at about 2:00 PM. On the second evening, there was a large biker festival. Loud music was blasting through my tent until 4:30 AM. On day five, I drove back to Bucharest to meet up with Echo. They treated me to dinner at a fine restaurant. On Sunday morning, they played for me live in their studio. I then flew back to Amsterdam. Total KM's driven: 1,220. |
