Calatori de Timisoara

[RwMan]

Hello, sorry for writing in English.
I was in Timisoara in June, I was travelling by train.
Maybe some of you enjoy watching my pictures and reading my report here:

http://www.trains.hu/eur/5506-ro/front.htm

[nbm]

but you have only travelled by train?
can't you say few words about the town or the surroundings?



iote miraculosule, inca unu pasionat de locomotive

[RwMan]

I didn't spent too much time in Timisoara because I found a hotel close to the station and I started always very early and got home late in the evening.

I missed the conventional sights for tourists but I've seen some very true moments from the real life. For me those were more interesting.

Most of the Hungarians would not go to Romania on holidays because they think it is not safe or the people are unfriendly... Of course, it is false but they beleive everything what they read in the newspapers. Unfortunately, the press is writing only about bad things (pollution of the rivers, rude sayings of nationalist politicians). Though, in many sense Romania is developing very fast, faster than Hungary, just see the railways, the new Siemens Desiro trains for example.

I think, Romanian people are very nice, very friendly and they seemed to me happy. I saw two young couples at the banks of the chanel Bega outside the city. The men were roasting the leg of frogs while the women were lying on the ground, on a simple blanket. They were not too wealthy, they live among simple conditions but they enjoyed being together and they were happy. Now that's what I miss in Hungary...

While I was searching for good positions to take pictures about trains, I saw the backyards of Timisoara. Old buildings, unpaved roads, broken cars but in the same time: simply dressed but beautiful young girls walking alone in that broken part of the city without any problems. One more thing, which is hard to imagine in Hungary...

Situation of the dogs... You know, I love dogs and I am sad if I see a dog walking alone, being afraid of the people. I saw many dogs in the streets of Arad and Timisoara, very ugly and sick dogs and I was very sad... I saw a dog at the railway station, lying on the ground with the sadness in his eyes. But the next day I saw the same dog greeting a girl who gave him food. That dog was so happy like mine when I arrive home and take the lean which means going walking. So I realized that the life of dogs in Romania would not be possible without helping people. Unwanted dogs may live free in Romania while they are collected and in most of the cases killed in Hungary...

I am tourist, a stranger but I'm not so keen on the "official attractions" for tourists. Those places are commercialised, full of shops selling unvaluable things... I prefer real things like the monthly market in Deta, a normal Sunday seeing a real wedding in Resita and a normal weekday seeing the children going to school in Varias, having a chat with gipsies who say more lying than true words. It is more interesting...

So a few words about the cities... It was very romantic, something like a time travel for me. I can see old cars, people are simply dressed, almost not any advertisments along the roads, shops are simple, everything is rather a bit old-fashioned. I know, you are not proud of it. You may prefer the historic centre of Timisoara or Sighisoara, the beautiful mountains around Brasov... Next time I try to visit those places, too. But I have very good memories from here, too, I like Romania and the Romanian people very much!

[MiG29]

I`ve been watching trains.hu for a long time and i found it very interesting.However i really don`t think that those damned Desiro DMU`s are really a sign of railway development. I belive that modern tracks with 160km/h speeds are more needed than some german rail-buses. Anyway nice pics and i do hope that next time in Romania u`ll choose to see some other places.And ofcourse some nice trains. Timisoara is among the latest places in Romania to still have those old DMU`s running and that`s nice.

Oh, and you can call yourself lucky, for beeing allowed to take pictures of the trains `cause in other places in Romania that is a problem...

[Crazy Babe]

even in 2001 in december i think when i tried to take some pics in gara de nord a witch started screaming at me that it's not allowed and i should put it away before she calls security or something , she even asked me for identification but i took of running because i didn't need that crap than so i remained with nothing.. i think they learned from their fellow americans that are scared of crows and you can't even picture the outsides of an important building because if they see you they suddenly accuse you of plotting something. hate them idiots!

[pacha]

Un individ cu bun simt.Mi-a placut.

Nu pot scrie in engleza.Sper sa nu fie o problema.