Romania, Moldova, Turkey, Azerbaijan and after Romania?

Romania...Moldova...Turkey...Azerbaijan...after again Romania?

My trip to Moldova was planned because of visa staff, which I was thinking to take easily. Everything from the documents was correct. But the level of bureaucracy of Romanian embassy in Chisinau was very big.

Leaving from Romania

My trip started by train from Arad until Iasi. It was 16 hour way (but in ticket it is written as 14 hours. But this is Romania). Thanks to Ilya, who was near me during my leaving from Arad. Generally, I had before trip to Vaslui via Iasi. That is why I knew about this little things. In our cupe (or how the room in the train sounds in english?) was 8 persons, which was really interesting. Different ages and no kids (finally!). It gave me chance to sleep a little bit. But before I had a conversation with my “room mates”. Of course, they were surprising of my Romanian skills, but it was typical things for me, as it was not first time. =)

There was one guy, who was not talking with us at all. After 9-10 hours he started to talk with me in Russian. “Wow, you know Russian? Are you from Moldova”, - I said. “Yes, I am from Chisinau”, - he answered. It was a kinda surprise for me – a good surprise. As I didn't know a bus station in Iasi, which can take me to Chisinau. So, he helped me. Bus driver was surprised, when he saw Azerbaijan citizen passport. Of course, it was for him first time.

Hello, Moldova!

I expected, that trip from Iasi until Chisinau will take about 2 hours. But it was about 4-5 hours. When I arrived to south bus station of Chisinau, it was raining there. Also, it was very cold; freezing at all. I thought, that winter already came. I met there Italian EVS volunteers, which were really kind with me. My friends helped me to find a cheap apartment. In Romania I thought, that I can understand Moldovian dialect very easily. But I was not correct. So, it was kind a new language for me. For example, they are not using “vorbim romaneste”, they say “graim moldovaneste” (or romaneste). Also they don't use multimesc frumoas. I heard from them everytime “mersi mult”. There was another interesting frase: in Romania for a asking clock I used “Cat e ceasul?”, but in Moldova it is “Cat e ora?”. By the way, in Romania between the letters you never use “î, we use “â”. But in Moldova, there is no “â”. They are using only “î” everywhere!

Ah, may be for our volunteers it is interesting: There is NO word “IMEDIAT” in Moldovian dialect! It was terrible :P They are using other word. Unfortunately I forgot it.

I mentioned that in Moldova most of names are Russian names. I saw only once Romanian name, it was “Radu”. In general Moldova looks like former Soviet Union country. Like Azerbaijan 10-15 years ago. It is normal like this, as a head party of Moldova are communists. They are using Russian more than Moldovian dialect. Opposition parties are mostly interested in joining to Romania. But, the others are thinking opposite.

Center of Chisinau like in Arad. One big prospect and near many shops and so on. But for me Arad was much beautiful, than Chisinau.

Embassy of Romania in Chisinau is very important place for Moldovian citizens. Because, they don't have many other embassies. For example, if they need to get visa to Czech Republic, they need to apply for a Romanian visa, to get Czech visa in Bucharest from Czech Republic embassy. Queue at Romanian embassy in Moldova never will finish. Even inside of embassy 10 windows, from where they take documents. With this all, there got many people. This is the most worse embassy, which I saw until now. For example, consular of Romanian embassy in Azerbaijan is very kind and intelligent person. But in Chisinau, consular was very rude. I would say even stupid. Also at embassy in Odessa. I have tried to take visa from there, I just called to ask something and to know more exactly, but they answered me like this “Hey, you go and apply in Azerbaijan”, and after he picked down the phone. Terrible! Even I couldn't say to them “bye”. Our conversation was about 30 sec.

I stood in Moldova about 9 days. At that time I had a chance to see youth action “Running for peace”. Many young people were running with a competition. Winner could take the price. It was organized by few political parties, but I was invited but Liberal Party. So, they gave me a shirt of this action. It was interesting.

During my birthday – 27^th of September I left Moldova to Azerbaijan.

Transit from Turkey

My flight was from Istanbul. Connection time between two flights was 9 hours and 55 minutes. So, I decided to ask for a hotel. Before taking ticket I asked from travel agency, if I can take a free hotel from Turkish Airlines. They said “no, you can have it only at night flights”. Of course, I didn't believe to that. So, I found that office. I said, that I have difference between two flights about 10 hours. They said, that it is not 10 hours. Well, only 5 minutes difference. “Come on, just 5 minutes”, - I answered. After few minutes I had hotel =)

During my stage there, I saw one interesting political action. People were screaming “Stop war”, “We are all Kurdish, we are all Iraq people, we are all Palestinians, stop the war there!” and many many other words. They were screaming in Turkish. Everything was at the center of Istanbul, near Taksim square. More exactly, at Istiqlaliyyet caddesi. That was amazing. Many people were doing this and screaming this kind of words.

Welcome back to home, to Azerbaijan!

So, at 4:15 am with local time (in Romania it was 2:15 am) I have arrived to Azerbaijan. It was raining, but it was hot. City didn't change a lot, except few things: like government opened a huge bridges and new roads. But I miss Romania. I hope, that I will back there these days.