Itinerary

I'm sure there's a map application with GPS that follows the chip in my neck while I wander around the world... But in lieu of that, Here is where I hope to be in the next two weeks:

Dec. 25 -- Singerei: Christmas celebrations with Matt, Lindsay and MacKenzie.

Dec. 26 -- Balti --> Iasi --> Cluj --> Budapesti

Dec. 28 -- Budapesti --> Ljubljana

Dec. 30 -- Ljubljana --> Sarajevo

Jan. 1 -- Sarajevo --> Podgorica

Jan. 5 -- Podgorica --> Belgrade

Jan. 6 -- Belgrade --> Bucharesti

Jan. 7 -- Bucharesti --> Chisinau

It's amazing. There are only a couple days where we won't be on trains and I can't describe how excited I am about that.

So many travelogues (and stories from Maria and Bunica) about trains here describe them as cold, over crowded, slow and sat only on planks of wood. However, the trains I've taken to and from Bucharesti, and the one Casey recommended (Iasi/Cluj) , are kick ass red leather affairs with lots of brass studs and Jetsons likes bars. They are mainly empty, but clean and staffed by eager men who endlessly love Americans.

It also looks like border crossings won't be too hard. Maybe in and out of Bosnia, but we might not even get stamped from Hungary to Slovenia! That would be sad.

Saddest though, is that they don't just punch a hole through our PC passports at the end of days, but TAKE THEM from us. Bad form, if you ask me, but ceva ceva. If I've learned anything it's that the treatment of people from government is arbitrary feeling.