Uploading some notes we’ve taken since our last update. Will try to edit/correct/elaborate/add pictures/fill-in the blanks if ever the opportunity presents itself. Posting in reverse order.
2013.07.27 — Saurday — We woke up shortly after noon to explore Odessa. Made our way to the beach. Lots of clubs. The place really looks like a poorer version of Miami. Encountered surprisingly little English. We spent the early evening back a the hotel arranging some vehicle modifications in Astrakahn, which we hoped to hit in two days. Also made a little progress setting up a caravan with a rallier who’d lost his teammates and was traveling alone. Headed out again for the night where we found dinner and post-dinner activities. We were not really dressed appropriately for the night scene in Odessa, but we made do.
Matt in Odessa.
2013.07..26 — Friday — Document retrieval. Made it to DHL around noon, though the document was not to arrive until 2PM. Ate lunch at a cafe nearby and returned at 2PM as directed. The eagle had landed. We retrieved our registration. Due the standard lack-of-signs situation, we could not find our way out of Bucharest. Managed to get on track after an hour or two. Drove into a pretty cool storm in Northeast Romania. Then hit some major traffic, which set us back even more. A truck had managed to tip over in the road. Not sure if was wind-related. Finally got around it and found the Molodova border once again. We arrived close to 6PM. Our experience with Moldova is a fire in between two borders. There was a very large fire burning along our road, and it was a little interesting as we got closer to it. The road passed at a safe distance in the end. It was night now, so we really don’t know what the country looks like. After a short, fiery nighttime drive we arrived at the Ukraine border. The Moldovans didn’t want to let us leave because we didn’t have valid vehicle insurance. They suggested that we might have to return from whence we came yet again. But alas, a very beautiful Moldovan woman did us a favor and let us head onto the Ukraine border. This was a common theme — whenever communication broke down at a border, they found an attractive, young, friendly, English-speaking woman to translate. The Moldovan version advised that we would encounter the same problem in the Ukraine, and that we would have to find pretty girls to help us out. The Ukraine border was some distance — very large buffer zone this time. Ukrainians were fantastic. No English? Queue beautiful Ukrainian woman. She said that a few days earlier 60 ralliers had come through within the span of an hour or two. She also gave us advice on what to do in the Ukraine, none of which we could take, being low on time.
The first half of our drive to Odessa featured horrible roads. Huge potholes. And every time a reasonable stretch of road coaxed us into third gear, we were surprised by a ridiculous road failure. Driving these roads at night is a bad idea. Especially since our headlights are terrible. Oncoming headlights leave us completely blind. Signs of the day to come on the horizon when we found Odessa. Without any map of the city yet, it was impossible to orient ourselves. Found a map at a gas station which allowed to navigate to our hotel pretty easily. It was full on morning when we got to our room. Slept until past 1PM. 2:14 as I write this. Headed out to salvage a day in Odessa. Food first (hadn’t eaten in over 24 hrs) and then made our way down to the water.
2013.07.25 — Thursday — We woke and checked in with London. Around noon we learned that the royal mail had delivered our letter, and we would have it in Bucharest the next morning. At long last! Set out for a long lunch featuring 1-litre beers. The restaurant was recommended as another great place for Romanian fare. The dish Matt ordered was apparently meant for two, so he had more food than he could have possible eaten. We did a little more exploring and returned to load video off of our cameras and some other internet-based activities. Went out for dinner and followed up with a bar. Then returned to our hotel bar and had a pretty late night. Lots of people there, including the same people from the previous night. Word got out, I guess. So fun times were head. Especially with the two girls whose names I have in my phone.
2013.07.24 — Wednesday — Arrived in Bucharest from Galati. Found our hostel. Went on walking tour. Ate traditional romanian (sour soup and cabbage-rapped sausages). Played foosball. and hung out at the hostel bar, which is very popular among locals.