Romania Day 4: Rășinari and Cisnădioara Biking tour

Hi, surprisingly motivated to write so enjoy~

We booked a biking tour online and its starting point was in Sibiu. Remember when Venie asked if I am okay with cycling before booking, I was like errrrrrrrrrrr yes go let's do it. I mean after cycling in Taiwan and Penang, it should be fine, but I don't know really, since I have not done a cycling tour, on road and mountain, I just grow to become more open to trying things I guess.

We met up with our tour guide in his house which was around 25 minutes plus walk from the old town. He was so cute hahahaha he didn't introduce himself throughout the tour. We communicated through email with someone named Mihai so he probably thought we knew that's him.

After adjusting the bikes and wearing the hat, we're ready to hit the road!

it was a good sunny day! 

From a park to road side bicycle lane to tar and rocky road, we rode to Rășinari. We can tell that Mihai must have slowed down a lot from his normal speed hah, I would guess his heart rate didn't rise lol exaggerating. After roughly an hour plus, we stopped at this Muzeul Etnografic Răşinari. The door was closed when we arrived, but when our tour guide went to knock on the window (from what I remember hahaha not sure really), a lady came and welcomed us in. It is basically a museum showcasing the history and life of the residents in Răşinari.

it's made of hair, in 1855(?)!

A random lucky (she wouldn't probably find the museum open if not for us?) tourist came in and just joined us. The lady was I guess like a caretaker or a volunteer or something of the museum, she explained about the artefact in Romanian and Mihai translated them to us. A whole new museum visiting experience, just us 3+the lucky tourist accompanied by a local guide and a translator! I am really grateful to have had this chance to visit this museum.

Leaving the museum, we continued to cycle up a hill. It was muddy, and hence chaotic, for me. To let us catch our breath, or just me, we stopped and had a little picnic!

prepared by Mihai

our view

all muddy

still don't understand how venie can cycle without tying her hair and yea they got really bad sunburn after that :/

towards some private residence probably

after our picnic/lunch, we rode to somewhere near the cloud okay not literally but near

A small accident happened when we (except me, I was too scared of falling so I walked) rode down this rocky path shown above, Ong Xie fell down and got some bruises because a dog was probably thinking that she was playing with him and went straight towards her direction sigh lol ong xieeeee. Venie too got a cut somewhere so the conclusion is being scared of falling actually saved me from injuries but nope I am not proud of it, be braver please!

Our next stop was the fortified church from Cisnădioara. We just left our bike at the ticket counter and went up. Again, the steps up to the church must be just like going to second floor at home for Mihai lol.

now sometimes a concert venue!

my favourite photo of the trip aww

We only have a polaroid with the tour guide, luckily well taken by a tourist (thankful!). Will upload it when I go home lol brought it back during summer break.

On our way back to Sibiu, we actually cycled past Romania's president! We, of course had no idea, but Mihai was all excited and pointed out to us. All the black security cars following the president on his bike, what a sight!

So, after about 5 hours of cycling, it's the end of the tour! I'm really glad we made this decision (again), please say more yeses to new challenges people, you never know, it might one of the memories that make you smile when you're 70 :目

We lingered in Sibiu old town for ice cream and some breads, and finally left to the train station for our last city in Romania, Cluj Napoca. It was I think a 6 hours ride and we had to transfer at

"Can you see the station name?" *wait for 5 seconds*

Did they forget about the roof...

and this, is how rainbow is formed!

On our second train, we were in a cabin with an old man, grandpa age, and actually acted like ours. He tried all his best to offer us his help, talked to us in Romanian and sign language (he wanted to know where were we heading to and showed us his ticket, his stop was like a small village, and would take 11 hours or so, poor grandpa :/ ), tried to give us fruits (including kiwi which I was not sure if we had accepted it we'd have to eat the skin lol), helped to ask another drunk grandpa (who followed me into the cabin when I went to the corridor to take photos) to leave our cabin, he was so niceeeee. May he be healthy and happy now and everyday, dear grandpa from somewhere I cannot recall in Romania :)

I can't choose so both sides

When we got off the train at 9pm, the grandpa even tried to help us with our luggage. Too kindddd.

The accommodation was again quite nice, somehow decorated with garlic hahaha. The son of the host was really good-looking, I don't even remember how he looked like, I just know that he is, okay stahp. We were too hungry and it was too late so we just bought some instant noodles from the host's mini market around the corner. How convenient hah! And then, we went home to realize there was no matches or blowtorch or whatsoever to start the fire lol, back to the mini market for matches, you're welcome, the next guests.

And that's it for the day, one last full day in Romania left!

To be continued.....

Romania Day 3: Brașov and Sibiu

From the last post, we woke up to meet our driver of the day (who I can't remember the name) ( I am sorry...)! He even agreed to drop us at the train station after our tour so it was convenient anddd most of all, it was sunny!!!! We thought it was really a good decision to opt for this instead of our original plan hahaha

Bran Castle under the glorious sun

actually had to think for a while which is which lol

It's a much smaller and simpler castle than Peles (but with higher entrance fee, 20 lei for student), but very famous as Dracula's castle. Our walking tour guide said that the inspiration for Dracula, Vlad III had only been in this castle for 2 months when he's captured, as a prisoner not as the owner. Read more about how he was named Vlad the Impaler here. He's fair but far too cruel?

Next, the driver brought us to Rasnov Citadel, an old fort and refuge for the people nearby.

6 lei and

you get this view of the town

like the tiny houses in monopoly

Be sure to climb up to the top of the fortress for the best view!

And then we got to the train station thanks to our driver, reserved our ticket and boarded our train to Sibiu. So many train rides and it's not the last yet!

in our cabin!

and outside!

Second and the last unhappy incident: Ong Xie again was leading us to the hotel using her gps. Pulling the suitcase and holding the phone, she couldn't use umbrella to protect herself lol. We were walking in line, so we couldn't help much too lol. A man walked towards us from the opposite direction and when he walked pass Ong Xie, he touched her arm!!! We cannot understand how he can do this so obviously without shame but there are much worse things which can never be explained...

We checked in to the prettiest accommodation in this trip in Sibiu. Romania's accommodations had been all good value for money!

I want to be backkkk

Had our lunch in Crama Sibiul Vechi, which was like 3 minutes from the hostel if we were not walking the tourist speed. The old town is small so everything is near actually hahaha.

we almost did not enter the restaurant because we thought it's booked by a family, like a really big family lollllll

and that's just because we saw a family occupying a long table near the door when we only opened the door slightly lolllll

aren't we the cutest... lol

the food was good and Sarmale (bottom left) was the best like I wouldn't mind having it every meal in Romania!!! 

 After lunch, we were off to discover the town. Slow and serene, Sibiu was. Didn't get to visit the cathedrals though, as we excitedly changed into short pants after our walk from the train station to our hotel under the sun, smart haha.

Holy Trinity Cathedral

Sibiu Lutheran Cathedral

view from the Liars Bridge

just a pretty corner :) 

And we went to Billa, a local supermarket to buy half a watermelon and grapes back to the apartment as our dinner as we had a late lunch. Before sunset, we went to the square to get a beer and that's one of best time in the trip.

To be continued...

Romania Day 2: Sinaia and Brașov

I'm back... to continue the story!!!

The plan was to visit Peles Castle in the morning and Bran Castle then. So we woke up early to catch our train to Sinaia. We were so smart, we left the hostel before we requested an Uber. It was so early the lobby/bar was not opened so we were like trying all our best to connect to the WIFI outside the door of the lobby. Thankfully after a good 5 minutes we managed to click that request button.

We got ourselves the train pass but we still had to go to the counter to reserve tickets if we wanted to take the faster train. So we went and gosh the first lady we met was like oh you don't speak Romanian, I don't speak English so go away. Luckily there was another lady at the other counter who was helpful and we got on our train like 2 minutes before it left the station phew!

Slept through the journey and woke up to this:

when was your last ride?

Sinaia was much colder than Bucharest that morning, even more so as it's surrounded by mountains I guess.

The Internet told us that there will be baggage storage in Sinaia train station but there's nothing like that. We 3 independent girls, didn't rent a car nor join a tour so we walked, with our cabin bags. It's nothing, just that the train station was at like the one side of the hill and we had to climb up the hill then down to the other side to reach the castle. And it was raining. lol but aren't all these the reasons why I can remember that day so well ;)

the only way is up!

oh hiiii

You can choose to pay for taking photo in the castle (the link goes to its website in Romanian but you can guess or google translate :目), I can't remember the price but I didn't pay so no photos :/ The entrance fee of 12.5 lei (student price) includes a guided tour so it's quite worth it. A modern dainty castle it is.

It's time for another castle!

Went back down and took another train to Brasov. We lived just at the centre of the old town. When we asked our host for the way to get to Bran Castle, she gave us a suggestion: why not take a tour? Tomorrow? After the journey just now, we said yes, obviously. It was not really a tour, it's just that a driver will drive us to Bran castle from the hostel and to Rasnov Citadel which was not in our plan but we didn't mind, of course. So plan changed and we spent that afternoon exploring the old town of Brasov! Best decision made. (also 'cause that day was gloomy, why not bet for a sunny day tomorrow hehehe)

Went for a lunch at La Ceaun, recommended by the host.

It was comforting :)))

and me... :目

Just waited for the start of the walking tour with our ice cream on the square.

with the Brasov sign!

The walking tour was very informative and interesting, one thing I remember best is that back then
Brasov was renamed Stalin.

Biserica Neagră, the Black Church which survived a fire

the tour guide: this sculpture is to commemorate a boy who was loved by everyone but his boss. He was one of the worker who built the church but was pushed from that edge by his boss :/ but his boss turned himself in afterwards out of guilt so :') 

view from the Black tower (or white... no it's black!!!)

Asked for tour guide recommendation for traditional dessert after the tour and she suggested papanasi (hate me after clicking on this hahahahaha) at Sergiana. We didn't have our dinner there as it's full, so really try it if you have the chance!

red light

waiting for our papanasi takeaway aww

It was a little too sweet for us but there's no harm to try! I quite like it myself hehehe

And then we rested early that night after the hike that morning...

To be continued...