Travel days on the World Race are always fun. Ones in South America were long and boring, but now we had the opportunity to experience one in Eastern Europe.
Our starting place: Tirana, Albania.
Our destination: Bucharest, Romania.
Estimated time traveling: 20 hours.
Estimated border crossings: 3
Our bus leaves Tirana around 4:45pm and we are on our way. Around 6:30pm we stop at a truck/gas station in order to eat. That stop took around an hour and then we were back on the road. And before we know it we are at our first border crossing. This is at 11:00pm Our thought is that we would be entering Macedonia. But the customs guy who took our passport had a jacket that said Kosovo… wait…. What?!?!?
Well apparently we are going through Kosovo. Which random fact: it just became a country in 2008. Anyway back to the trip. An hour later after driving through Kosovo, we are at yet again at another border crossing. The time is currently 12:00pm. Where to this time? No one really knows. Someone on the bus asks “Where are we?” And someone else answers, “Currently in Kosovo and going to another country, but not sure which one.” That answers a lot. Eventually we figure out that we are now in Macedonia. Okay good. Back on schedule.
Then at about 3 am we are again at another border crossing. I don’t quite remember this border. I had taken motion sickness medicine which makes me drowsy and pretty much knocks me out. But we then entered into Bulgaria. Finally. Getting closer to Romania.
We continue driving through the night. I wake up and begin stirring around 8:00am. I turn to Emily who is next to me, and ask her “Are we still in Bulgaria?” And she tells me “Yes”. Well that is reassuring. I wasn’t completely out of it after all. At 11:00am, we reach our final border crossing: Into Romania!!
Then it is only 55km to Bucharest. Not much longer!
AT least now… I know… what country we are in!
Total hours traveling: 19
Total border crossings: 4
And now we are in Bucharest, Romania for the week. Squad debrief and then soon it is off to Oradea for orphanage work!
And by the way. Happy Birthday Mom!
Thinking of you from Bucharest, Romania!!!
