Romania 2003

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My third trip to Romania. I went for four months this time, although that presented a few problems since the longest Romanian tourist visa issued is for three months (90 days actually). I guess my main activity was driving. I got very used to driving a certain diesel van during my stay. I'm sure I drove The Pumpkin* more than its owner Steve did for several months. Other tasks included helping at the streetkids' Day Centre, setting up a streetkids' summer camp then photographing and video recording it, and helping to build a home for street boys. I guess I must have been a little snap-happy with my new digital camera. I took more than 1600 photos over the four months, or an average of 400 per month/100 per week. Yes, there are lots of bad photos, but also a few good ones. (Who needs so many photos of lightning and growing radishes anyway?) The photo on the left? They posed themselves, and just happened to be in that order. The blue and white bag the kid on the right is holding contains paint he was sniffing. *Named by the streetkids because of its orange colour.

Newsletters

I had time (and motivation) to write ten newsletters while I was in Romania, then another two after I got back home. I've added a few extras that might be useful to those wanting to renew a visa.

	One	7 June	Travel, seeing the Boys' Home for my first time, heat, my first Dacia troubles, buying bread for a camp, potholes.
	Two	16 June	A strange sign at Heathrow, lots of driving, more heat, a pool party, an inadvertant begger.
	Two PS	16 June	A reader's questions about green water.
	Three	30 June	Streetsmart kids, digging, driving, the Danube, an evangelical balloon trick.
	Four	27 July	Streetkids antics, the first concrete at the Boys' Home, driving, Dacia repair, streetkid fashion, salvation.
	Five	12 August	Another camp, a hose, a haystack, lots of walking, the outdoors, big rocks and a catapault model, solvent sniffing.
	Six	15 August	More on the camp and afterward, lots more driving, Hungarian border crossing, petrol stations, changes while I was away, a pacemaker, a camp fire.
	Six PS	22 August	A reader says not a UFO.
	Seven	22 August	Lots more concrete pouring at the Boy's Home, wheebarrow, bricks and internet cafés, the Dacia finally runs.
	Eight	31 August	Progress at the Boys' Home, a kid asleep, fun in, under and around Budapest.
	Eight supplement	31 August	Getting a visa, a T-Rex leg.
	Eight supplement PS	3 September	Train ticket needed for visa, a rhino.
	Nine	17 September	Boys' Home floor started, corn party, glue sniffing, love, Steve's story, a storm.
	Ten	23 September	The photos that shouldn't have been taken.
	Eleven	1 October	Back home, a Dacia model, electricity bill, storks, corruption, cemetary visit, on the streets one last evening.
	Twelve	4 October	Kids grow up, fireworks, thanks, NZ weather.

Back to Romania main index | 2001 | 2002

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