Taxi ride from hell
That was the taxi ride from hell! It started pouring rain so Edith and I decided to share a taxi. Taxi ride from hell.
It was dark and everyone in Timisoara decides to get a taxi when it's raining. We sped around tight corners, came across dead ends and nearly got into a few fender benders. A 10 minute ride took over 30 minutes.
Then it was my turn to get home. Edith lives on the opposite side of town and I had no idea where we were. The entire city was a traffic jam. I soon found out why:
A power outtage had caused all the trolley busses to lose power. We saw six or seven of them lined up one behind the other every few intersections or so. Those poor people! I'm not usre if the traffic lights were working but the way people were driving, I'm going to guess no.
For your viewing pleasure, I'll describe what a Friday, rush hour traffic jam in downtown Timisoara is like during the worst rain storm I've seen here yet:
HOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK *thud thud thud* HOOOOOOOOOOOONK HONK HONK HONK HONK HONK *slowly inch forward* HOOOONK *get snapped back* *slowly inch forward* *slam on brakes* HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK *thud* (did someone bang into us? Did we bang into someone?) HONK HONK HONK HONK HONK HONK HONK BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEP *thud thud thud* *slowly inch forward* *realise that we've moved about a metre in the past 10 minutes* *watch the driver roll down his window and scream obscenities at the driver beside you* *realise the driver is an elderly man with his wife* *watch the driver try to pull into a small space along with three other drivers* *thud* BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP HOOOOOOOOOOOONK *change lanes* *thud* *hope we didn't hit anyone* *watch as the lane we changed from immediately starts to move* *listen as the driver starts saying something in Romanian that you're glad you don't understand* BEEEP BEEP HONK HONK BEEP BEEP HONK BEEP HONK
So we're on our way until the driver decides to make a turn. Bearing in mind that it's dark, rainy and slippery. *turn* *THUD* *get slammed back into seat* "JESUS CHRIST!" I honestly thought we slammed into a stop sign or something...or ran over someone/something. In reality, I think we drove over the curb.
Luckily, I got home safe soon afterwards. I tipped the driver 25,000 lei for getting me home alive.
Total amount of time it took to travel about 6 km: over an hour.
4 Comments:
A lot of them can, especially the older generation. My first night here, I was wandering around the neighbourhood looking for a phone booth and had to communicate in Italian.
I had to use Italian when asking an old man why there were fires burning along side the street as well as talking with my taxi driver the other night.
The Italian language is similar to Romanian and we get Italian TV and media here, so most Romanians have at least a passing knowledge of the language. The older generation still uses a bit of French but most of the younger generation speaks excellent English.
I've enjoyed reading your posts over the past couple of weeks. Man...can you write. I hope that you will find the time to vist Eastern Romania. I lived in a small village for 2 years teaching English for the Peace Corps, and I highly reccomend a visit to the region. Moldova has a reputation similar to that of Americas Southern states. It is an adventure, and be sure to allow plenty of time for travel. Iasi is a great city as well as Suceava. Try to venture into the smaller villages, folks will put you up for the night (and get you really drunk) for a couple of lei. Enjoy the rest of your time in RO and keep posting.
-Jake
Negresti, Vaslui
Norfolk, Virginia
PS...I agree with your comment on the Dacia. They are incredible cars but soon to be phased out by the Logan. I think Canada is a country that imported them at one time. I'll check for ya.
Yes they did have them in Canada...or so this site says.
(copy and paste the link...can't hyperlink for you.)
http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/downs/4582/dacia.htm
Read the part under the Dacia 1300. There is a link to a Canadian .jpg of a car description for the Canadian market.
Jake
Welcome to driving in Dhaka! Just add 500,000 rickshaws into your equation for good measure.
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