TGIF

Today is my first full day in Romania and I tend to find that sleeping in is far better as you can extinguish the heat of the days and go out at night, i don’t really have any plans here yet.

I will wrap the last 48 hours into one blog (Friday & Saturday)

I get up in my orderly fashion and take the proper measures to ensure i don’t smell like a back packer… the usual stuff…. new cloths … socks… undies shower… i haven’t found my razor in 3 weeks but i still look socially acceptable for public so another day wont hurt.

I decide to head back to the old town, it is an amazing part of the city and radiates beauty and fineness. Breakfast wont be in the tradition that i had with David as it is almost lunch time.

I take the same commute i did the first night as the route is simple and safe,, I’m still amazed that i haven’t had one confrontation on this journey as every guide book says watch out in romania as there is still a huge social divide between the rich and poor.

I make my way into the town and take a seat at a restaurant called Gilda Music Lounge, this is a bit more upmarket than most places in the old town but when you are overseas you pay for what you get… a corona for breakfast… why not!

I sit there and tap away on my keyboard in my own wee world keeping my friends and family up to date with whats going on in my life, the bar staff take a rather fond liking to Gerald and start to engage in conversation, they ask what brings be to romania and i tell them my story of travels.

Stefi the Host is happy to take a picture with Gerald and i happily get my camera out and upload it to Instagram, if you want to follow my Instagram the Hash Tag is #geraldthealpaca .

I sit there and devour a lovely cheese burger,… yet again i cant figure out he cuisine here, it seems very similar to Turkish and Georgian food, meat and carbs.

The sun is high and the temperature is about 32 Degrees and as the day gets on and the sun reaches peak power at 3PM i decide its might be time to make my way back to the hostel…

Today i am still recovering from Wednesdays antics, i never used to get 2 day hang overs however with age it seems to hit you harder and harder as the years go by, I remember when i was 19 years old and you could have a night out with friends and you would wake up on Sunday feeling fresh as a daisy on a spring morning.

Maybe as you get older your tolerance gets higher to alcohol and you consume more without the realisation that you are consuming more than the average night; however i have never been blinding drunk that I couldn’t walk or speak… paralytic is what my father used to refer it to when we were in town.

I start to make my way back to the hostel and think maybe i should go and get a tri-pod for my camera, it would make taking photos a lot easier as well as give me a much clearer shot of the old buildings in the city, naturally in a city of nearly 3 million people this shouldn’t be too hard….i do a quick google and find a Camera specialist near by and load up Uber

Uber here is cheap, you can go 10 KM in the city for about 6 NZD and to give a tip costs about 1NZD so you can give back with out worrying too much about breaking the bank.

The camera shop i found turned out to be a whole seller, i entire the shop and the Romanian man was nice he explained in his best english that they were whole sellers and that the only way i could purchase was online, i asked if i could purchase online now and collect from the shop but they said they would have to ship it from there warehouse, naturally as an efficient person i asked if i could collect from the warehouse and they said it wasn’t open to the public….. NOTHING IS EASY!. I suppose since the revolution of the iPhone the camera market has decreased heavily as Gen-Y and millennials will use there phone rather than use a camera, i suppose its an easy equation that why wouldn’t you want 1 device that can do all rather than a “camera”

I hang my head in slight defeat and decide that i will go back to the Hostel and decide on a plan of attack for the next few days in romania.

I get back to the hostel and feel that since the last weeks have flown past i haven’t actually taken any Me time, so i lie there on my bunk and decide to boot up Netflix, i was watching a New Tv Show called “Salvation”.

Salvation is about an asteroid that is on a collision course with Earth and the have to find out how to stop it, along they way the encounter a ulterior motive at play with the US Government and the Russian’s … classic American Drama but some times its good to switch off and let the electrical signals coursing through your expansive hive of nerve endings to cease for a bit.

I settle down for what was supposed to be a 1 episode of down time, actually turned into a 3 Hour binge watch!… the time was now 8PM and i had achieved literally nothing!

Feeling guilty for my daily efforts i decided to head back out for a meal, i had walked past a restaurant called Vibes 19, it was a bistro styled restaurant that had a lovely outdoor setting that looked towards the National history Museum that was lit up like Fort Knox at night.

I took a seat and in the still humid air of Bucharest, the meal was lovely but sharing a meal by yourself each night does start to get lonely, as i sit there and listen to the outdoor music i start to notice that it is the same song on repeat!…. I’m not sure if anyone else notices as they are tied up in conversation with their spouses and friends… but after the 11th time i am starting to get a little antsy about it, don’t get me wrong it was a nice song however after it being on repeat you do start to doubt your sanity in the whole mix of things.

The song I have listed below and if you like please feel free to listen to it in your own time

Hooverphonic – Amalfi

https://youtu.be/1fDdcrs9X10

The clock is about to strike 12PM and i decide that this is late enough for a 27 year old man on a Friday night.

I make my usual walk home though the city street lights the air has cooled by another 2-3 degrees and as the cool air hits my face i do strangely feel at peace here, i don’t feel like I’m in a city i don’t belong… however it isn’t Home through the eye piece of my looking glass.