Bucharest: Capital of Romania

After a long journey that includes a train from oban to glasgow, an overnight bus from glasgow to london (with a snoring passenger beside me OMG) and a train to luton airport to catch a 3 hour flight to henri coanda airport (plus sleeping in the airport till the first bus at 530am), it is finally welcome to Eastern Europe and Bucharest, Romania.

A lot of my european friends wonder what I am doing in Romania as it is not a common destination for people to go on holiday. Well I am not exactly on holiday, I am a traveller and it is my duty to not just go to the most touristy places in Europe but to also travel the off beaten track and see the different faces of Europe.

Romania, unlike the rest of western Europe is less developed and you can see that the roads are less well paved and the outskirts resemble certain parts of South East Asia (not Singapore). And being in the capital that says a lot.

The city centre is more build up and is a mix of new and old buildings and you can see that there has been so many developments over the years. There are some communist style, a lot of french influences (Bucharest was once called the little Paris), the financial centre has German influence and even American influence. With a dictator ruling the country just over 20 years ago, a lot of buildings were destroyed or moved entirely by lifting it up and putting it on rails and pushed to the new location to mold the city to his ideal.

It wasn't doing very well until recently when it joined the EU and things has been improving they say since then:)

Well food is cheap here:) 5SGD for a two course meal? 2SGD for a 500ml beer? One night hostel for 12SGD? Welcome again to Bucharest.

Looks like a poor asian country

Village museum with all the outdoor exhibits - here is a peasant church

The houses they live in

The interior

Using the waterwheel to do work

A swing for children to play

just like the one in Paris but smaller

Many people making a pilgrimage to the church on tuesday to pray for miracles

'dracula' ruled from Bucharest not from his castle!

Now it feels like any normal western European country

The iconic statue of Bucharest and ugliest statue i have ever seen haha

 

he did his best for his country but the communist won...

Favourite meeting place - potato on a stick (actually it represents democracy the monument piecing through the cage that represents communism

Roman Atheneum - Concert hall for symphony music. One of the biggest pride of Romania

Inside the Roman Atheneum

Second biggest government building in the world after pentagon - built by crazy dictatot

biggest playground I have ever seen - now that is a sight to see

Beef Ghoulash - kinda like curry chicken without the spice

Spicy pan but not spicy at all

Mushroom and chicken in white sauce with polenta

Pancakes with raisin and cheese 

Beef and pickle in white sauce and mashed potatoes and sausage with serbian rice

Polenta with cabbage and rolled chicken? i think

Chilling in Bucharest!