I didn't catch the cleaning lady stealing peanuts from my bag like my Swedish travelmates did, but I have to confess I didn't trust the hotel staff too much when I left my big luggage in the morning. The creepy surroundings of the Pushkin house seemed more palatable on the morning light. I met my Swedes at their hotel, splendid showpiece of socialism-realism and we left for Autogara Nord. Walking. Not a good idea. The amount of pollution we inhaled, garbage we saw, and desolate urban-industrial-wasteland landscape on the way made it a rather disagreeable walk, save for the pets in cages in the animal market. Of course, an angry lady at the autogara told me that buses for Orhei leave from the Central Autogara. Thanks Lonely Planet.
In a minivan full with 30 people, we left for the Central Autogara, hectic as always. The lady at the info desk sent us to yet another autogara, autogara suburbana. Luckily, it was very close. we found a bus straight to the monastery, but the driver was sleeping in his seat and seemed reluctant to communicate when he was leaving. We found out it was late anyway and took a minivan to Orhei. What a drive! Formula One, on probably Moldova's #1 highway, very wide, and well kept, passing by huge villages, seemingly rich.
Orhei itself didn't bring too much oomf. But the bus ride from there to Orheiul Vechi will be unfrogettable. The granddaddy of all buses, seemingly from the 1950s, was full with picturesque characters, some looking at us with distrust and disdain. It looked like one of those buses used in movies that describe travels and adventures of Americans in Third World Countries. The chicken and goats were missing though.
We were dropped at the foothills of the monastery. Wow. This was Jordan. N
Next:
-Orheiul Vechi with Sylvia and Lisa
- Gagauzia with Cenghis
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