Down Home in Vulcanesti

Vulcanesti, Moldova





Our friends Matt and Erin in Vulcanesti.



On our last night in Chisinau Chris and I became acquainted with a group of American Peace Corps volunteers based in Moldova. One volunteer, Chad, overheard Chris and I talking loudly in English and invited us over to join his group of friends. It was refreshing to hang out with people who spoke the same language, were articulate and well-informed but also understood our experiences travelling in Moldova. At the end of the evening Matt invited Chris and I down to his assigned village, Vulcanesti, in the southern Gagauz region of Moldova. Following our visit to Transdniestr Matt's place seemed the perfect respite. Over the next three nights we relaxed in Vulncanesti with Matt, Andy and Mattš girlfriend Erin, eating and drinking to our heart's content. Vulcanesti may not be the greatest of tourist destinations but I won't forget the Russian karaoke, the great food nor the farm animals that roam the town and it's surroundings. I remember feeling as if any negative feelings that I'd developed towards Moldova (following being arrested in Chisinau) dissolved the moment we entered into open pasture only minutes from the town centre. Such a beautiful country and the people here seemed so close to it in the way they lived, by working the land and raising their animals.

Chris had decided that either way he was going to Odessa whereas I was undecided until Friday - I was thinking it would be more attractive to head directly to Romania. After thinking it over I decided that I would regret it if I did not see Odessa as well; in my case though I decided to go via Chisinau. On Saturday I headed to Chisinau while Chris crossed the Ukrainian border. It turned out later on that Chris foolishly had not anticipated having to enter the country he just left (Moldova) in order to travel from one point in Ukraine to another (Odessa). Basically, he left Moldova and had to re-enter it at another point in order to get to Odessa, but without a re-entry visa he was held up at the border for 6 hours. In the meantime I was having drinks and playing pool with Peace Corps volunteers in Chisinau. I had met up with our friend Andy and his friend Casey who I spent the evening hanging out with. Andy split at one point so Casey, myself and two other Peace Corpsers, Nicole and Mona, hung out at a Syrian restaurant bar. As if we needed more alcohol Casey won a bottle of Kvint Cognac. Our livers were already sodden with alcohol and Casey had decided the appropriate thing was to donate the cognac to charity. Eventually the girls departed so Casey and I chose to split a hotel room. An hour later we were settled comfortably into a hotel room watching a Chuck Norris film on the tele. Chuck Norris apparently is partially Moldovan descended and people here often cary icons of him. There are also plans to erect a statue of Chuck in one of Chisinau's central city parks.

Having said my goodbye to Moldova I boarded the bus to Odessa on Sunday morning. I'll leave details of that adventrue for the next update.