Hitchhiker's Guide

Nancy and I have been traveling around the roads of this part of Romania by an old method, hitchhiking. Because we are prohibited from owning or driving an auto or from even riding on a motor bike, we are limited in our transportation choices. It's either the public transport system - the bus - or aquaintences' cars.

I'm sure that you have all seen the pictures of mass transit in India and elsewhere. Bodies jammed into the bus and hanging out the sides and on the top. So far our buses have not had anyone on the top, but some of them have been packed with people. And their are old. Many of the city buses in Cluj are brand new but the buses that runs through Luna to Cluj are ancient, smelly, hot beasts.

And the times when the bus comes and goes seems to change each day. There is a regular schedule but because there are two seperate bus companies running at least three seperate lines to and through town, I haven't figures out yet when, where and how much each ride will cost. I think the how much is an arbitrary amount anyway. It varies along with the schedule.

One thing is easy here though. Hitchhiking. Most of the time you don't even need to put out a thumb. People stop and ask you if you want a ride. It costs, most of the time the driver is trying to pocket enough money to pay for his trip. Other times I think they are really operating a mini bus service. The cost is comparable to the bus line though it too varies greatly. Sometimes the price is nimic, nothing, which is great, but the exception rather than the rule.

Last Saturday Nancy and I hitched rides along the country road that runs through Luna and heads south. Our destination was Baiasoara, which means Baths of the Sun, or Sunbaths. This is a mostly Hungarian area of Transylvania and we have no clue about the Hungarian language, but every one is friendly and nearly everyone speaks Romanian and many speak English.

Baiasoara is a town of no more than 400 people located within 14 kilometers of a single slope ski resort of the same name. We didn't make it up to the resort but headed back to a little village called Savadisla. There we had an excellent lunch prepared Hungarian style. There is a little restaurant in Savadisla called Tomas Bistro. We recommend the Goulash and the pickled onion salad.

For those coming for a visit we'll take you down that way. But bring your own car.