venturing briefly into Romania

After leaving Eva’s for the week, I spent a couple of days with Magdi. I enjoyed getting to know her even better, as well as exploring her neighborhood in Budapest. She lives in the hills of Buda, in a forest of wonderful wildlife. Just the kind of area prime for getting lost in. And as my journey would have it, thats just what I did. It was at 10:00 one evening, after catching the last bus of the night, and getting off at the last bus stop, that I set out up the hill towards Magid's. Some 100 yards up a steep terain, I reached the end of the road and nothing looked familiar. Long story short, I assumed that bus #128 was close enough to #28, that surely it would work just fine. Wrong! Different bus, different route. Lesson learned. And, sure enough, as these kind of travel experiences go for me, “out here, let loose into the wild, dark of the night”, I was found! This time by a young man who was passing by after dropping his girlfriend off for the night. He was equipped with a car, cell phone and good English. After reaching Magdi on her cell phone, and getting us re-oriented, he assisted me in getting to her place. So, just a short time after my mis-step, I was celebrating the speed in which the travel spirits had come to my rescue. Nice job! Thanks.

Then, back onto the train and into Romania, making for one more wonderful journey in Eastern Europe. I set out for Oradea to visit my friend Kate, who is doing some work there for the Peace Corp. Oradea is on the western border of the country. Up until shortly after WWI, when large portions of Hungary were allocated to neighboring countries, this region was actually part of the Hungarian Empire. Today, many Hungarians continue to feel a real kinship with this part of their lost country, many of them still living there, speaking their native language and eating their native foods.

As I ventured into the community of Ordadea, I also ventured into relationship with an old friend. Both of the experiences taking me back in time. Oradea seems to be a many decades behind Budapest in the development of a new political and social system, with an infrastructure in disrepair. And as for my connection with Kate, we too have our own social system, based in the past somewhat slow to change. But just as in Oradea, there is promise and perhaps even more importantly, a willingness to explore new life. A life, a relationship which I am hopeful will provide even more authentic and life serving connection. I very much appriciated my time with Kate and her generosity of spirit as we navigated our way along, each of us doing our best at staying connected with self, while opening to the other as much as our comfort level would allow. Letting go of outdated systems while embracing new ones, does not seem to be an easy or quick process for any of us, as individuals or as communities of people. I’d say we did well. Thanks Kate.

So, as I lightly touched down in Romania, I was hard pressed to get a real feel for the country. As I searched for a sense of their unique culture, I was struck by their architecture which was refreshingly different than what I have experienced for the past 3 months. Bright colors and cylinder like fronts. Instead of Catholic churches, the City was filled with Orthodox churches, with very tall multiple steeples. Newly built is a very large Baptist church that the town seems to be quite proud of. Reportedly there is a very large castle in the middle of the City, which we never did find, however we did come across a very old fortress, which reportedly houses an Arts Center. From our limited access it was hard to identify. Oradea, has not yet dressed itself up for the travelers who are passing thru, hoping to get a glimpse of their more vibrant past. The community seems to be tending more to the business at hand, living their day to days lives as they make the adjustments that time is asking of them. Romania has recently joined the European Union. For those living on the countryside, this is creating real hardship for the small, local farmers who do not have the means to purchase the necessary equipment in order to bring their dairy products up to the newly established standards as mandated by the EU.

There are many more Roma’s in Oradea than I have crossed paths with in Hungary. They remind of the indigenous people I have met elsewhere, dressed in bright colorful clothing, ready and eager to receive any financial contribution a sympathetic visitor may have to offer.


On one of my days in Romania, I ventured out on a road trip for the smaller village of Bieus. With no direct bus or train ride available, the most efficient way of getting there, involved negotiating a ride with a local, unofficial taxi driver. The routine is to go to the outskirts of town and start exploring the possibilities, which actually are quite plentiful. Speaking no Romania, I was left to sign language. So, as both I and my potential driver wave our currency in the air, indicating what we are willing to give and what we are willing to accept, we come to an agreement and off we go, along with 5 other passengers. Traveling this ways was a great way see the countryside as well as to be present to local conversation, clueless as to what was being said, but enjoying the sounds, as we passed by large sunflower and corn fields, periodically coming upon a horse and buggy with passengers making their way down the road.

Yes, it was a quick trip. Not nearly enough time to really be able to speak of the country and its people with any kind of confidence, but I can say that I am grateful for having been there for the time I was, feeling as though my global boundaries have been stretched just a tiny bit further into the vastness of it all.


So, here I am back at Eva’s. With 2 days left before heading back to the USA. I hope to write one more blog before boarding the plane. For today, I look forward to being fully present to this time, in this place that I have come to experience as home, while gently and hopefully gracefully say my goodbyes. Ah, those bittersweet moments that make up the richness of life.


Love is the nature of all things.....