Bucharest
Romania
Drenched in sweat, dust, and a touch of blood (mostly for dramatic effect, after scraping my arms while foolishly reaching—several times, mind you—for some plums from a train window), I finally arrived in Bucharest and reunited with a friend. I could not help but feel a bit frustrated at having lost an entire day that could have been devoted to exploring the city and relaxing, but I decided to cut my losses and embrace the situation.
Our reunion was delightful. We shared dinner, sipped on rakija, and caught up on life, though sleep was scarce, as my friend had an early flight. After a few bus, metro, and car rides, I saw her off onto the train to the airport and then settled into my hostel.
Bucharest exudes the aura of a communist-era capital, full of monumental brutalist and neo-classical architecture. Yet what struck me most was how green and lush the city feels. It is a vivid contrast to the drier, more Mediterranean landscapes of the southern Balkans.
We returned to Bucharest after a nightly train ride from Cluj-Napoca, arriving in the morning. The journey was relatively short, so I fell asleep around midnight, forgetting that we were scheduled to arrive at 6. With barely 5 hours of sleep, 4 of which were likely very light due to the warm cabin, I wandered around the city like a zombie while waiting for my hostel to open.
Fortunately, after a big, restful nap, a nice soup, and a stroll around the centre, I felt much better and was excited about the next day. A friend from a past trip and I had agreed to meet up so she could show me around the city with her local insights.
I was able to catch up on some monuments I had missed during my first visit, as well as some brutalist highlights, all of which I have included in the pictures. I really think Bucharest is worth another, deeper look, and maybe a longer stay. Perhaps some volunteering in the future?
In the evening, we returned to the train station, where we both planned on boarding our respective trains: her to Pitesti and I to Chisinau. The schedule was tight, but we managed to catch the right trolleybus and get there with a few minutes to spare. The vibe aboard was legendary.
The Balkan Crawl
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