Rock Climbing(!), Baia de Arama & Ponoarele, Școala, Tirgu Jiu, and Plaja Drobeta

It’s been a combination of busy and relaxing the past few weeks...which is just how I like it!  I am settling into my new digs and am trying to create a routine, but it’s hard since I don’t yet have a set schedule.  So, I tend to just go with the flow and do whatever comes my way.  

Recently, what came my way was, of all things, indoor rock climbing!  My counterpart, Simona, does both indoor and outdoor rock climbing and invited me to come along.  There is a youth center nearby that has one of those walls you can climb.  First we had a strenuous workout (which I have not done in AGES!)...I was a dripping mess by the time it was over.  Then I watched the others climb, including two young children.  They made it look pretty easy and I thought to myself, “Hey, if two KIDS can do this, I certainly can!”  Wrong!  It is ridiculously hard!  I finally managed to climb the “kid” wall, with much struggle.  I could not do the slanted, “real” wall AT ALL!  What can I say...I have weak hands!  I informed the group that I would be back...as God as my witness, I will climb that damn wall before two years is up!!!  (Notice, there are NO pictures of my feeble attempts!)

This little girl was soon climbing to the top with no help!

I swear she is a spider! 

Seriously...hanging upside down and climbing at the same time?????

The family that fed me so very well in my last blog entry invited me on a day trip to the mountains.  Last Sunday we piled into the car and proceeded to drive up winding, twisting roads towards Baia de Arama...a lovely little town perched high in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains.  The preceding morning I had proactively gone to the pharmacy and in my deficient Romanian was able to request medicine for motion sickness 

“Aș dori medecamente pentru burta pentru când in mașina sau autobus” (then I made twisty motions with my hands!) This sadly translates to: “I need medicine for stomach for when in car or bus” -  pretty sloppy, but I got my point across!  :)

This was a necessity as I have found driving through the curvy mountains to be very straining on my weak constitution!  Finally we arrived at our destination which was an amazing rock formation called, “Podul Lui Dumnezeu”  or the Bridge of God.  It was a beautiful, natural rock bridge...which actually has cars driving over it!  There was also a cave, “Peștera Podului” near the bridge.  We only walked a little distance into the cave and it was amazing how the temperature dropped...it was a cool reprieve from the outside heat!  I actually, for the first time, understood why people might want to venture further into caves.  I was very curious as to what way around the curve.  Alas...I was told to do that I had to have “equipment”...so, no caving on this trip!  Afterwards, we went to a restaurant owned by their friends and had another amazing meal!  I told them that I had eaten more the two times with them than in the entire last month!  On the drive home we all fell asleep (sans driver!) in heat and food comas...what a lovely day with wonderful people!

The past two weeks I’ve had “day camps” at each school.  It was an opportunity to meet some of the kids and do some activities together.  Școala #3:  I had about 8 kids show up each day and we played word games, map games, watched a movie and just “hung out” with each other.  Școala #14:  I have actually met with this group of 10-15 students three times.  We had great sessions on family, sisterhood/brotherhood, friendship and trust.  I showed them “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (with Romanian subtitles) and afterwards I gave them a pair of jeans I had bought which they are now passing around and decorating with their own summer activities...they seemed to really have fun.  I also was taught how to make “friendship bracelets”...which, I’ve always wanted to know how to do!  Overall, a good beginning!

Making nametags

Sporting my nametag!

How cute is he???!!!

Last Thursday I took the bus about two hours northeast to visit my friend, Gordon, another PCV.  He lives in Tirgu Jiu, a city a bit larger than my own.  It was good to be with someone with whom I could just talk with and not be “on” all the time!  His apartment is too small for 2 so I got to stay in a fancy-shmancy “pensiunea” or Bed and Breakfast.  It was like going to a spa...I loved it!  And, amazingly only about the equivalent of $44!  Unfortunately, it rained almost the entire time I was there, but I did get some great pizza!!!!!   It was also a good opportunity to figure out the bus situation...it’s pretty easy and totally cheap...just 25Ron for the trip (one way)...the equivalence of about 8 bucks!

A park near Gordon's home in Tirgu Jiu

Gordon sitting at the "Table of Silence"

Yes...bumper cars in the middle of the park...go figure!

A huge Piața

A lovely art museum showcasing Romanian artists

Yesterday I decided to head to the Plaja Drobeta (the beach!).  It’s a man-made beach right on the Danube.  I had driven by it a few times and figured it would be good to check it out...plus it was a beautiful morning!  I took a taxi there for about 12Ron and had to pay 5Ron to get in.  I must admit to being a little under-whelmed.  I imagine when it was first made it was awesome, but the sand was pretty much hardened and more little rocks than sand.  But, there were lots of recliners, umbrellas and a place to get drinks, etc.  So, I set up camp, plugged in the iPod, popped open a soda and hunkered down with my Kindle to enjoy the sun...which promptly disappeared behind clouds and never returned.  So, sad!  I stayed about two hours anyway as there was an amazing breeze and it was so relaxing...of course, I got sunburned, which is amazing since the sun was nowhere to be seen!  Ugh!  

My view from the beach

Next week Gordon is coming to visit me, then we will travel together to the other side of the country to visit Grant...he’s over in the Moldova region.  After our visit there we all head south toward București for a Peace Corps conference... then it’s back just in time to start planning for school...time is FLYING!!