Parties

Ok, we’ve talked it out and have come up with some more concrete dates. I have yet to hear any feedback about dates so Amanda and I did some research and it seems that most universities get going again around the 25th of August. We did get some feedback on timing of the parties since lots of people will only be able to get a week or so off from work. We have set it up so that the parties will be within the same week so those who want to come to both Moldova and Brasov parties can do it in one week if they so choose. Here’s a tentative schedule of events that is a bit more detailed than the last one. The date range we have here is Monday, August 16th through Friday, August 27th; however, anyone who wants to come for more time on either side of the schedule is most welcome!

August 16: Arrive in Bucharest. There is not an international airport in Brasov so you can spend the night in Bucharest or take the train or bus (we recommend the train) to Brasov that night. Amanda and I or one of our “representatives” will meet you at the airport and take you wherever you need to go.

August 17: Get situated in Brasov. We’ll give a general tour of the city so that you can get oriented. Depending on when the majority of people get in, we may need to save this for the next day. We will have one scheduled meal together every day, otherwise you can be on your own. Brasov is a very English-speaking-friendly town so you will probably have no trouble doing whatever you want.

August 18: Castle tours-see some of Transylvania’s beautiful castles. Amanda and I will do some research so that we can give you the tours by ourselves if it’s possible (some of the nicer spots have obligatory tours that are included in the price).

August 19: More castles and palaces! We’ll probably head out to Sinaia to see Peles castle. This is also located in picturesque Transylvania. Depending on what the group is like, we may do some “real Dracula” stuff instead and see some places where Vlad the Impaler really lived and impaled some folks.

August 20: Bear sanctuary day- we’ll go out to the place that we’re currently volunteering at to see some bears. These guys were mostly rescued from zoos and circuses and are well taken care of out in Zarnesti, a town that is nearby. Right now there are more than 50 bears! Also, if you want to “adopt” a bear and then see it in real life when you get out here just let us know.

August 21: Free day. Do whatever you want (we’ll have suggestions) while Amanda and I get set up for the party the next day. This is also a good day to come in if you can only be out here for a week. Again, we can facilitate transportation once you get into the country.

August 22: Brasov party. You don’t have to dress up or anything. This will just be a good time for our friends and families to meet each other and have some food and drinks. We will probably ask some of you to bring some items with them so that we can have some good American food as well as some Romanian classics.

August 23: Recovery day. Recover during the day because we will be leaving for Chisinau, Moldova on either an overnight train or bus. Which one will depend on how many people we have. I think if we have more than 7 people going to Moldova with us then we will rent a bus/maxi-taxi because it will be cheaper and we can be more flexible. Either way we will be traveling overnight. We’ll probably be stopped at the border for 1-2 hours. Bring some sleeping pills. If you don't want to do the Moldova leg of the trip then this is probably the best day for flying back. Or just hang out in Romania for a while!

August 24: Chisinau day. We’ll go see some world-record-holding wineries or if you’re really adventurous we can take a small group to see Transnistria for the day. We’ll probably have time to shop around for some cheap, bootleg stuff in Chisinau before we get back on the bus and go to the village. You will go to your host family’s house. I know everyone very well so I will not set you up with a shady host family. They will be well-paid (by Moldovan standards) to take care of you. Unless there are a whole bunch of us you will also probably have a Romanian-English translator (i.e. us or one of our Romanian friends or former Peace Corps volunteer) there to facilitate.

August 25: Moldova party in Burlacu. This is the village that I spent 2 years in during Peace Corps. It is a friendly village and Amanda likes it there as well. We will have probably a more traditional Moldovan party with traditional food and probably a “taraf” (a musical group that will play traditional music). These parties tend to go into the wee hours of the morning so be prepared. You will probably be asked to join in traditional dances and get drunk. Traditionally of course. Stick with your host families and just go home with them when they go home.

August 26: Recovery day. Get recovered quickly because we will be on the bus/train back to Romania that evening. We will probably go straight to Bucharest so plan on buying your return ticket for the 27th of August. This is also Moldova’s independence day but unfortunately we will be in Romania for that.

August 27: Bucharest day and leaving for your flight. Those who have time can go and see some sights in Bucharest but we will mostly be facilitating trips to the airport. Those of you who want to stay longer are welcome. We will go back to Brasov that evening so you are welcome to come along. If you weren’t able to make it to see Brasov before the party you can see it now.


OK! So this is the tentative plan. If you want more details and FAQs, you can go to the "party info" link under "pages" on the left-hand side of the blog page.