Halloween in Transylvania – Tour for Singles
We have taken our growing group on a vacation to a land of vampires that time forgot. Romania not a tourist destination, but was delightfully surprising to discover the unique culture and natural wonders in this part of Europe to discover.
We intend to continue the footsteps of Bram Stokers gothic novel "Dracula." Our itinerary was a mixture of history of education and fun to celebrate a spooky Halloween unforgettable.
It is ironic that Romania did not celebrate this holiday in a land so rich in folklore and legends. For us Americans, it was a draw as our group increased to 67 singles with 140 bags in tow. We had two coaches and two excellent guides Hunor name and Radu who were with us 24 / 7 everywhere.
On arrival in Bucharest, we went to the Count Dracula Club for a welcome dinner. It was a unique medieval theme restaurant rooms and a visit by the Count himself.
The menu Van Helsing a tray of meats and cheeses along with "the blood came." The entrees were fried chicken breast as a significantly designed anatomical rat eyes, ears and tail.
Day 1 – We toured the capital, which had changed a lot since my last for years visit as they now strive to blend the old with the new.
Under the yoke of communism 46 years ago, was a broken city, but now with the restoration of new cafes, boutiques, hotels and casinos. Some refer to it as the "Little Paris of the Balkans."
After touring the Museum Outdoor Village. We saw the Parliament House which is the second largest building in the world and 20,000 men to build it. It was erected by the paranoid and close to crazy dictator Nicolae Ceausescu of the ideals of his megalomania.
Were razed entire neighborhoods and historic districts to accommodate this monstrosity that is now empty. It is a thorn in Bucharest 3 million people.
Most meals are included in this trip. Tonight we had a dinner party at the restaurant by the lake Pescarus. The typical menu includes stuffed cabbage, polenta, meat and a desert to die for pappanash giant named two freshly baked donuts covered with fresh cream and jam.
Our food is served under the backdrop of a band of traditional music and dance costumes. The entertainment was brilliant.
Day 2 – We go through the Olt Valley in Transylvania. We went Cozia Monastery with its beautiful frescoes and the tomb of Vlad's grandfather.
The setting was postcard-perfect in a land lakes, plum orchards and dense forests that now cover the hills with a burst of golden autumn colors. We journeyed in the mountains of the Carpathian Mountains, home to grizzlies 6000.
We toured the lovely city of Sibiu established in 1192 by German settlers. Within the walls were paved streets and gabled houses that looked old Nuremberg.
It was amazing to see how all resisted the ravages of time. Walking through the Old Town Square and the Bridge of liars, we learned about the history of the Saxons and the influence of Hungary here.
In the evening we visited the small town pastor Sibiel, toured the Glass Icons Museum and took a walk under the stars cemetery.
There is a cemetery here, where the carvers of tombstones were free to write whatever they wanted without protest. For instance, some epitaphs read "This man was a beggar and a thief" or "This man died from drinking too much."
Our special dinner was organized at the house of a farmer, where the family cooked for two days in her small kitchen to greet everyone. It was delicious traditional home cooked food and meat organic pork, apples, eggplant, beans, sweet local wine and plenty of plum brandy.
Transylvania is the heart of Romania between the mountains with a population of 5 million euros and has a rich heritage.
We learned from the gypsies who migrated here from northern India 1000 years ago. There are mystical beauty of these nomads of Bohemia, because they have no written historical documents.
They call themselves Romani human sense and avoid legal citizens of any land. They have only tribal customs. Most are craftsmen using only primitive hand tools are great musicians renowned although do not read music.
We know of his reputation for stealing, but the gypsy to look at everything as the property of the community. What opinions are correct, everyone agrees that they are masters of survival.
On the way they also learned about Prince Vlad Tepes III, better known as Dracula. Born in 1431, which later ruled the region Valachi here. He was incredibly handsome.
Because of the way to punish his enemies, received nicknames like Dracula means devil and the Impaler. He had to protect the earth from invading Turks and Tatars.
When the Turks refused to remove his turban, he simply nailed it in the head. Cruelty was common in the Middle Ages, but forms of Vlad were the best. He beheaded people and post heads along the roads as the signal poles boiling people alive.
His favorite punishment was impalement. Here insert a wooden stake into the rectum to the blade carefully for all major organs. Gradually these poor souls writhe in pain until his death some 48 hours later.
Hundreds of people were impaled at a time and sent the appearance of a forest of human beings on a stick. Physiological war was at its best, as was the fear in the hearts of all his enemies.
To save the earth from invaders, became a hero to Romanians. Unlike the novel, was bloody, but not a vampire. There were rumors that he drank blood and ate the human organs.
This led to led to the fictitious idea of vampirism. Vlad died at age 40. No one is sure how or where his headless body is buried. Maybe not die?
Day 4 – Like a safari, we changed hotels every night. The rooms are spartan but clean. It is a bit of a shock for my first timers abroad.
As we travel deeper into the south of the Carpathians, the city spent in prison Gerla, Lulli Alba factories and Turda salt mines that appear to the Third World.
We stayed in Cluj Napoca and after a brief tour we explore the campus. It is not all that an impressive city, but good party with many nightclubs to explore.
Day 5 – We headed for the Borgo Pass, the border Moldavia and finally to Bistrita, a market town situated in the heart of Dracula-land. witch trials were great here.
After a walk the sites of the 13th century, we boarded our coaches to go up to the mountains.
The people here seemed as if in a tunnel time. This is serious remote rural where cars are replaced by wooden horses and carriages. In some parts of the road becomes dirt.
The architecture is neon-painted houses matchbox fire orange, turquoise and hot pink barns churches. The sun shone down and shown lots of pumpkins and plums from the tree. This is a lovely part of the East European tourists rarely get to see.
We went up the hairpin curves and came to the Count Dracula Castle Hotel situated on top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere.
Perched at 1116 feet, panoramic views were not the field below. It has gothic towers, arched windows, an inner courtyard and the elevator no.
Looks like something right from the movies. Five girls petite hauled our suitcases up the stairs countless.
Our dinner was prepared here, "healthy country cooking," consisting of plaques of lard, pickles and mystery meat in jelly. It was so funny that photographed on our plates that looked like "Fear Factor" food. Later they took us on a tour of "hysterical" in the basement hidden.
We went down a dark hallway and into the crypt of Dracula. Here paintings depicted the life of a legendary dark. A coffin was lonely in the center of the room. Suddenly it opened and the hand of Vlad came to us before screwing grasp way.
Later Terry joined others a walk in the moonlight cold and were joined by a pack of 15 stray dogs all the wagging tails.
October 31 – Halloween! We traveled the entire block-land in the heart of a gypsy country. Roadside stalls selling garlic and onion lined the roads. Our unit of time were twice the estimated in these rural areas a multi-lane roads.
Finally we come to Sighisoara, a UNESCO cultural center with a strong disturbing that surround the city, the place of Dracula's birth and the clock tower scariest ever seen. We checked into our hotel and prepared for our costume party.
Tonight was our Halloween party, which was 5 hours of fun screaming. Three rooms were decorated former wine cellar and lit with candles. Slowly one by one, my group was totally disguised with creativity beyond imagination.
There were several vampires, Dracula, gypsies, witches, wenches and a gentleman. But such choice of Daniel as a cross dresser and Whitney unrecognizable as a bald monk.
My favorite was Elizabeth dressed as a lab rat, but it was our big winner Sandra as a vampire bride of Frankenstein. She wore a wedding dress color full tea, white contact lenses and a wooden stake pierced his heart. It was a personal delight to see by looking through the kitchen door to us in admiration.
After our arrival, we were taken out for a mock trial witches. (700 witches were burned at the stake here.) In the end, the jury decided to save her and she joined us for dinner. So Vlad himself made an appearance. To our surprise, a team of National Television of Romania came to us for registration of the news.
This was certainly an entertaining human interest story of the locals. Some of us were interviewed with the main question of "Why do Americans celebrate Halloween in this way?" Not really could give a good explanation.
The Romanians are superstitious. Beliefs still exist today that the return of the spirits to torment people. Since the mid-1800s, stories of vampires grew widespread.
The DJ was so good we danced until midnight. Even our guides and bus drivers joined us on the dance floor with an expression of guilt for having so much fun. Our driver did not suit Johnny he just took off shirt.
Day 7 – In the morning we toured the arms and torture disappointing museum. The cell, however, was almost authentic. In Brasov, where we toured the Gothic church built in 1383 Black and St. Nicholas Monastery, 1477.
Then Bran Castle referred to as "the Dracula's Castle ", but spent little time here. After shopping the market for Roma, who climbed the ancient stone steps to reach the famous castle perched on a cliff.
We all wondered, how could have been built. Both exterior and interior were preserved dramatically. Our final stop was the town of Sinaia fairy tale before we headed back to Bucharest.
He was informed by locals that our party was the national news AFS. Our driver Johnny had his moment of fame when he was seen dancing to his friends and now is the nickname of "Johnny without a shirt."
We covered 800 miles and saw a eyeful of this land off the trodden tourist route. There were disturbing wild landscapes with natural beauty more Scottish castles and fortresses, churches painted in out and there was no rural villages with the shepherds and weavers that old traditions are still alive.
I wonder how this is affected when Romania will soon join the European Union. I hope I can hold fast to their spiritual treasures and reputation for warm hospitality.
While Americans abroad than here, we feel a spirit of welcome and invites us to return.
About the Author
Former Miss Wisconsin Suzy Davis has traveled the world for nearly 30 years,
initially as a flight attendant and now with her company
http://www.AdventuresForSingles.com
Pole Dancers Compete for Prize – New York Post
