If a 20 year old reads this headline, he/she would probably think: “Oh wow, is he in Romania sitting on his phone all the time?!”. The word roaming nowadays mostly means when you use the mobile data abroad. However, there is another meaning of it equivalent with wandering around. Since I’m in the European Union now and it’s a lot cheaper to use the phone again, you could say I did both here.
Europe wasn’t on the list at all for this big trip. Even though it’s probably the best continent to live on, it also find it the most boring and least adventurous compared to America, Asia, Oceanic and Africa. I mean, the nature isn’t as dramatic, it’s pretty homogeneous and the culture isn’t as strong as in other parts of the world. Don’t misunderstand me; there are many nice and unique places. The Dolomites in Italy or the coast of Croatia are two of my favorites, but it’s simply not as exotic and thrilling and when it’s so close to home it simply feels a little more boring. Nevertheless, I’m here and will do a Eurotrip for around 3 weeks and I must admit it feels great. It’s clean, civilized, you can get good food and high standards.
Romania is probably one of those countries people don’t know very much about – but still judge. I believe the people unfortunately have a bad reputation, but it’s often a big mistake. There are two groups of people in Romania: the Romanians, totally normal people and then we have the other one; the Romani’s – or better known as gypsies. These are perhaps a little lawless and don’t want to be a part of the normal society, but they are only about 3-4 % of the population in Romania – so most people are totally normal and friendly people.
You could say there were two reasons I chose to go to Romania. The Transylvanian mountains were one. I really wanted to do some hiking again which I did and it was nice, but far from the most scenic mountains I’ve been in. The good thing going hiking midweek and off-season is that you pretty much have the mountains to yourself. The other reason I went here was because a guy I met in Laos about 3 months ago. You obviously meet a lot of people when traveling, and even though most people are good people – that doesn’t mean you connect well with everyone. However, this guy and I shared many of the same interests and views of life. Travel, adventure, healthy lifestyle and investing. Many times when you meet people and spend a few days together, you maybe exchange Facebook but that’s it – so I must say it’s really fun to actually meet up several months later. It’s also a huge benefit to have local friends since they can take you to the hidden gems, sweet spots and what’s important for me: the best gyms. Romania was a nice visit with a great mix of nature, small cosy cities and some big city life in Bucharest. Bucharest perhaps wasn’t very charming, but it’s very cheap and offers good food and nightlife (for those who like that). I more preferred the smaller towns in Transylvania and the East-Block countries often have these open squares full with restaurants and coffee shops where it’s perfect to kill some time in the sun.
Speaking of meeting people; my next stop will be Vienna in Austria. I’m looking forward to it since it will probably be the most sophisticated, cleanest and place with highest standard I’ve been in a long time. Also, I’m meeting up with not just one but two people I’ve met on my travels. Later on my Eurotrip I’ll catch up with even more people and have friends and family visiting me from home, and I can’t wait to see them! 🙂