Well after almost three months of snow, Romania once again surprises us by sending three weeks of sunshine, and what feels like an early summer, to an English man at least!
I have walked to the internet cafe in a short sleeve t-shirt... I have to admit the local Romanian's are not quite sharing my idea of basking in the sun, and remain in coats, but still with the snow gone, it's great to have warm days back, even if the nights remain cold.
Yesterday me and Karen returned to Janneke’s farm up in the hills, in the Village of Oarba de Mures. It is a very very small village, so small that there is no such things as garbage collection, and people simply have to burn their garbage at the edge of the village... all houses are supplied with water by the use of wells, (not by the government) and life is just all about the village, most locals who don’t have a car only leave the village once a week to go to market, what a life! The ride to the village was near impossible in a normal car due to the fact there are only dirt tracks leading there, and most of them were too muddy to pass. Crossing the river was perhaps the most surreal experience as we drove onto a 'pontoon' which is basically a platform just big enough for one car... and a man appeared from somewhere to winch us across the river on this tiny platform... before charging us 50 pence before letting us off the other side! We had a 4x4 tour of some of the farm, before walking to meet the 13 horses and try and help my colleague to 'round them up'... before settling down in the two-roomed house, with some local sweet bread, made by one of the neighbours. My colleague also proudly showed us her 'pet' mouse, which she found hibernating in a pair of her shoes. She has since moved the mouse to a nice little straw home, and is trying to decide when to wake it up... as it may have not ate enough food before winter to last much longer. The funny part is that the mouse is still hibernating, so her and her husband have to be as quiet as possible, even thought they don't know if the mouse is still alive... that's life in the country!
I was again rewarded for this week's English lesson with the kids across the road, by being fed afterwards. I was very cautious of being given more pickled water melon juice, but was instead given some park of a pig, a part that I could not, and neither wanted to identify... it's been a real experience eating the Romanian way here!
The club room was again fumigated, after further cockroaches were found, and we haven't had any more since, but the whole hospital building has them, so no wonder they come to our room, because it's the warmest and in the basement, next to a garbage store!There hasn't really been anything else out of the ordinary this week, apart from having to scrub the house to get rid of mould in the bathroom. I have also removed more cobwebs from the bedroom and bathroom, than I have seen used in any number of spider related horror films!! It was disgusting, and I have become good friends now with one of the several spiders residing around our toilet!
The old bus station building has been knocked down this week, and almost every 'gypsy' from the area has been coming to the building site with a horse and cart, to take the concrete away.. apparently this is because they can sell iron, within the concrete, but what a sight it is to see all the horse and carts shipping off the remains of the building.. no safety fences or restricted access, there are gypsy children just stood amongst the rubble.... it's sights like these that I will inevitably miss when I leave... where nothing is wasted, and people are just concerned with getting on with life. I love that any repair or construction work on the street goes on without so much as a safety barrier, large holes are left uncovered over night, and if you were to fall in a hole, the idea of trying to blame someone, just does not exist!
Regards from Romania!
Dan
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