Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Dracula Was Totally Born Here


You can see through the money here!

Sighisoara - birthplace of Vlad Tepes and quaint midieval hamlet extraordinaire. I'm in the internet cafe located in the basement bar of my hostel. And by basement, I mean this place looks like a brick bomb shelter...with WiFi. We've been here a day and a half, and without a car, there's not much else to see but the city itself. After Brasov, one really needs a car to see all this country has to offer. I guess that should be our biggest lesson next to "stop buying 2nd class train tickets because it puts you in coaches with fat, smelly Romanian men with no teeth who eat grey sausages and stare at you".
That being said, this place is beautiful...despite it's lack of a laundromat. We've climbed parapets and stairwells from 16somethingorother and ancient clocktowers that still function as well as they did the day they were made...by pixies...in the magical forest. Poor Kansas...he's probably never walked so much in his life. I'm being a bit of a slave driver...though beer is proving to be a glorious mid-afternoon power boost. I highly recommend it to athletes and people with jobs requiring more movement than going to pick up what's on the printer. They have great beer here. I think we've tried most of it by now. At least it feels like we have.

I thought I'd be having to physically hold myself back from buying one cheesy Dracula-related piece of touristy crap after another...but really, as far as such things are concerned, I've been disappointed. They're not marketing the kitsch possibilities here to the extent that they could and it saddens me. Is that wrong? Perhaps. But I'm here and you're not, so suck it.

Ok, this is the portion of the program where I try to upload some pictures.









You can't really tell, but that cart has a license plate. Awesome.








Kansas really excited to be next to the head of Vlad Tepes. No, that's not his real head. What's wrong with you people?














Lunch yesterday. That thing over there on the left is a meat wad. Actually, it has a better name, but I can't think of it. Polenta seems to be the side dish of choice. Not sure why. Haven't asked.







The bar/internet cafe where I'm sitting here typing this.














Me eating some sort of cheese bread thing waiting for the train. This was before we knew we'd be sitting next to the oogiest men ever. I look so











I really really wanted to go into this cemetery...but no matter how longingly I looked into it, no one came to let me in. Jerks.
K, this is all I have time for...it took too freaking long as it is. We're off to do more crap. Today's the first day the sun hasn't tried to shine my face right off, so I don't want to waste it. Not that was a complaint. I love sun. I'm just not used to it.
Out.

19 keep(s) me blogging:

Gorilla Bananas said...

There's supposed to be a Dracula impersonator who takes you on a guided tour while leering at you and saying heeheehoohooharhar. Maybe it was his day off. Did the ugly men on the train leer at you? How I would have laughed at that! All this walking will do wonders for your tush.

Sarah said...

What a beautiful place! Not sure about the meat wad though...

Robert the Skeptic said...

I always wonder about pictures of horse-drawn carts from far off foreign lands. I think the governments of these countries create great fleets of horse-drawn carts just to tootle around their countries to make it look like they need foreign aid from the US. It's the 21st century.. gimme a break! Horse carts!! Yeah, right!

Unknown said...

I want a meat wad too! No one ever takes me to Romania...

:(

Mary Witzl said...

If you just showed those Romanians a postcard of that giant ball of twine, you'd open up a whole world of kitsch ideas to them, and it won't be long before an enterprising sort gets the idea about Vlad's marketing potential. Go for it!

Seung said...

Sounds like you're having an awesome time. I'm totally jealous!

Jahooni said...

All this walking will do wonders for your tush?? Tush looks just fine Kara.

Love the pics. but not seeing much grass there for that 4leaf clover of mine. Back pack I see... but no grass. Get walking.

The Future said...

Well, it sounds like you have everything under control except ooglies and cemetery access. That's pretty good considering...glad you started the adventure with Vlad. I mean what other choice was there, right?

Anonymous said...

It looks fantastic. Apart from the meat wad which looks unfantastic. Bloody hell, I'd love to see all that stuff.

Great photees, doll. Keep em coming! I love to voyage vicariously. You can voyage without a ship, right?

Rachel said...

Take more pictures. Thats All I gotta say.

have fun!

Susie Q said...

Sweet trip!
We get to ride along with you guys and don't have to endure meat wads and smelly oogling Romanian men. Then again we don't get to sit in the bomb shelter bar tick-tick-ticking away to our jealous friends back home.
Thanks for taking precious time for us.

kara said...

goranas - he must've been off that day. asshole. he prolly can't give tours in sunlight anyway. and yes, the dude leered. and i looked away. and listened to my ipod. and acted important. you leave my fat tush out of things. some people like it the way it is.

sarah - you can go ahead and be sure about the meatwad. and when they roll it in cabbage, you can be even more sure about it. glorious. and yes, dinner when i get back. it's in the calendar...or it will be when i see my calendar again.

dad - this dude was handling that cart like he'd done it all his life. nevermind the cars and whatnot around him, he was all business. i was impressed and...well...impressed.

waif - i know. you're so unloved. by the by, your coat has been the only think between me and frostbite. seriously, it's been a complete life savor and i owe you big time for it. i haven't been able to find anything for you guys souvenir wise though. sucks. so far only dad and ty have scored in that department.

mary - but i dont' HAVE a postcard of the ball of twine because SOMEONE never took me there over Thanksgiving. oh well...at least he hasn't freaked out too badly here yet...poor boy; his first time out of the country and i drag him to romania.

seung - i am and you should be. you're young...hostel your way around here, boyo.

jahooni - there's nothing green here. everything's frozen and dead. i'm sorry!

future - under control? well, sort of. except it took us two days to find a place to do laundry. and you know kansas...he was practically frantic.

sam - you can and i will. or rather, i'll try. not every place is allowing me to upload photos...which i think is downright mean of them. they're all off the christmas card list.

rachel - i'm trying! i'm trying!

sue - but of course! a vacation from work...from home...from people, sure...but never from blogging. and the meatwads really are good. i'm telling you, go to Gustav's, and order the cabbage rolls and it's kinda like that. only better. huzzah.

Sarah said...

Oooh, Gustav's. Maybe that's where we'll dine when you return to the homeland. Nuttin' says America like good German food.

stinkypaw said...

That bar/internet looks totally worth the trip! I really like that first shot as well. Have fun walking and drinking beer!

froelica said...

I have pretty much the same exact picture of me sitting, eating a bready type thing at a train station in.... I want to say Nice? Probably. Bready thing, backpack, waiting, gross men. So eerily familiar.

I was wearing a tank top and shorts though.

Devon said...

fuck, i want to go to romania. but here i am spending my money on food and shelter... like a sucker.

AxAtlas said...

Kicker ass pix so far. You and Kansas should do a CondiCast together presenting kicker ass stuff on yer trip...the CondiKan Show.

AxAtlas said...
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