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In Search of Sleep
I've already learned my lesson about night trains and buses. However, I thought that a cool night train to Brasov might be
better than a steamy day train. We did have a compartment with two nice women bound for Brasov as well, so I managed to get some restful sleep. However, waking at 5am and finding oneself in a new place is never the best. I decided to take my time. First we bought a map. Then Midori slept for a while in the waiting room at the station while I studied our options. Eventually it got light outside and we set off walking for the city.
Margareta House
The guidebook said that the hotels were expensive here and it wasn't kidding. The first place we went wanted four times what we had paid in Oradea. The man at the reception realized that we
were not in that market, so he offered to set us up with a private residence. Normally I wouldn't be up for just going to some strange house, but it seems to be quite common here and in Bulgaria. A nice man came to get us and we walked to his mother's house. Margareta did not speak any English, but we soon found she was more than willing to serve us. After a huge breakfast, we were finally able to sleep the morning away.
Errands
As mentioned, there are a lot of details that have to be solved every day. Midori pointed out how a backpacker is often solely occupied with the necessities of life: food, shelter, bathroom. I went to check out the train situation through Bulgaria while Midori stated asking around about her visa for the same. She found out that according to the most recent info, Japanese must pay US91 at the border for a visa into Bulgaria. She also found that a plane ticket flying over the country cost the same amount. She is still trying to decide what to do.
Post Office
Next came what, unfortunately, was the event of the day. I thought I would test out the infamous Romanian postal system by sending three postcards back home. While I was waiting in line, I thought the man behind me was a little anxious to get to the counter. While the lobby was huge, he was standing right up against me. I thought I felt something tug on my camelback bag. I don't like to be a paranoid tourist, so I didn't want to turn around and accuse him of stealing. I moved to a different line. I hadn't noticed, but he followed me, and by the next tug, he had already pulled my wallet out of the zipped pocket in my bag. I gave him a dirty look and pulled my bag around still unaware of what happened. The realization was a little too late.
The Chase
Noticing my zipper open and my wallet gone, I instinctively went for the door. He was already a few steps ahead of me, and we both hit the front steps running. It turns out there was a pair of guys, both about my age, who were in on the crime. I chased them down the street to where one guy slowed up. I tried to plead my case in some strange Spanish that came out. He wasn't interested. I noticed that the other guy was getting away, so I took off again. He grabbed my arm and succeeded in tripping me up as I ran. They split up and before I knew it they were gone. I thought maybe they had ducked into a car repair yard, so I asked around there. A couple decent guys there heard my case and helped me call the police. The moment had already passed though.
Like my previous experience with thieves, I was lucky to still be in possession of my plane ticket, passport, and some travelers checks. I began to assess the damage. I realized that more than
anything it was a blow to my system. I may be a little less cautious than some, because I like to give the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes I even think of thieves as some kind of modern Robin Hoods who help to balance out the problems of capitalism. The fact is, though, the whole episode left a bad taste in my mouth. I can get new credit cards and replace the cash that I was carrying for my Turkish visa and beyond. However, my faith in the fine people of some of the most beautiful locales is really dwindling.
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