Giurgiu Nord is a very, very small station in Romania with one international train a day, the one I wanted. I was at the station before time and appeared to be the only one getting on a train, there were a few people around but they seemed to be locals having a chat.   The time for the train to arrive came and went, but I didn’t expect it to be on time, even though it had only come from Bucharest, about an hour and a half away.   At about 10 minutes past the departure time, I could see a train coming in. There’s no announcement and no-one else is getting up for it. As it pulls in, I could see it was only a two car multiple unit and not the international train I was expecting. Maybe it’s a connecting train? Do I get on it or not? A split second decision. I shouted, Bulgaria, Bulgaria to the station manager as I was trying to make sense of it, but she just smiled and ushered me to get on … so I did.

I knew I had done the wrong thing as the train pulled out. It dawned on me that I was on the commuter train to the main station at Giurgiu and that was confirmed as we pulled in there within about 10 minutes. So what to do now?

I asked at the ticket office, but the clerk just told me to go back to Giurgiu Nord – which I would have done if there was a train immediately, but there didn’t seem to be one. I thought that the train to Bulgaria would have gone by now so the only things I could do would be to stay overnight in Giurgiu or try and get to Rouse, the first town over the border in Bulgaria and see if I could get a bus or train from there.

I was headed for Gorna Orjahovitza in Bulgaria where I was to be picked up by my Airbnb host and driven 20 minutes to my digs for the week in Veliko Tarnovo. The enormity of what I had done was starting to hit me. It would have been, get on the train with my backpack and heavy case at one end (already done but in error) and off at the other, to be met by a car. Now, who knows?

I messaged the host to let him know not to collect me.  Next thing to check was if there is a train to my destination from the nearest town in Bulgaria to Giurgiu, called Ruse, (the e is pronounced as a second syllable and as I was soon to find out in Giurgiu they add on a third syllable which is made by a sudden intake of breath a sort of “ooos” sound.

Yes – there is one train I can catch in 4 hours, so plenty of time to make the journey. It’s only 40 minutes by road. Maybe there’s a bus. I walk out of the railway station and the bus station is across the street. Down a steep cobbled path and across a busy two lane highway, but across the street. First challenge done, the station consists of a restroom and waiting area. The routes served are on notices around the building and none of them mention Ruse. This is confirmed when I ask several bus drivers and first hear that third syllable which was to become so familiar. Rus-e. -ooos!  One driver spoke good English and suggested I took his bus back to Bucharest (1.5 hours in the opposite direction) where I MAY get a bus to somewhere in Bulgaria. I decided to look at alternatives.

I next try BOLT, the taxi app. The cost to Ruse (a 40 minute drive) would be 300 Lei (about £50 / $67 US) expensive when a normal 10 minute ride is about £3 … but then there is a border crossing to consider and not much likelihood of a return passenger.  But BOLT couldn’t find a car to take me. At 300 Lei I could get a room for the night. Airbnb had nothing. Booking had lots so I scrolled down, the first in Giurgiu was full, the second onwards were all in the next nearest town, Ruse.

Next idea … to get a taxi from the railway station, I had passed a few but when I looked out across the road there was just one left. So back over the highway and this time UP the cobbles, with my roller bag in 30 degree heat, to meet a rather disgruntled cabbie. Yes, it would cost 300 Lei. No cards, cash only.  Now I had just cashed out most of my Romanian money as I thought I was leaving the country and wouldn’t need it.  I had about 5 Lei on me. Used Google translate to ask if he would take me to an ATM first, but no. Go to ATM and come back – it’s over there and points back to the bus station. Now I hadn’t seen an ATM at the bus station (nor at the railway station for that matter) but there was a big supermarket next to the bus station, so maybe in there.  So I walk back down the hill and across the street.  No ATM in the supermarket. I ask a security person and she points around the corner and down another street, so out I go. After about a quarter of a mile I realise I can ask Google maps for the nearest ATM and it tells me to keep going for another quarter of a mile to a roundabout. So on I trudge. See the bank, cross over another main highway and get to the ATM – not working and the bank for some reason is closed.

I now realise this is not going well. With nothing better to do I walk a bit further down the street and see a Western Union sign outside an office. Decide to go in and with Google translate ask if she can help. No, but she points out another bank even further down the street. This one has a cash machine that works – YES.  I get the 300 Lei and feel committed to a taxi now. As it happens there is a taxi driver outside the bank having a coffee, so I ask him to take me to Ruse. He does that third syllable thing and says no. Then he explains to me at some length in Romanian why he won’t and although I interject (in Romanian) that I don’t understand that doesn’t deter him. He gestures to his phone and then calls a couple of people I hear him say the word Ruse and I swear I hear that third syllable from the other end of the phone. In the end he says Nu. He shrugs, I shrug and with nothing better to do turn the corner where the bank is and see another taxi rank 250 yards further away (and, of course, on the wrong side of another road.) I get there, eventually, to a line of 6 cabs and drivers. Number 1 to 3 all say Ruse – ooos and Nu. The 4th does the same but explains in broken English that the bridge is closed so he can’t go. The bridge is closed! News to me and really worrying, so no-one can drive to Ruse. But then I remembered my offer at the railway station so I didn’t give up all hope.  Number 5 driver says … YES! He will take me but it will cost and writes down a number. Please, not another trip to the ATM. He is very apologetic as he hands over a slip that says 250 Lei. I was so grateful. I fell into the cab and was whisked out of Giurgiu forever.

The bridge, across the Danube, isn’t closed, the road is being repaired and so a two lane road is down to one. They are managing this by holding back traffic each way in 20 minute instalments – so it adds at least 20 minutes to the 40 minute journey. I got to the border to see Bulgaria written both in Roman and Cyrillic script and realised that I still had much more to do.

With 20 minutes to slow down and think about things I realise I had a few quick decisions to make.   First I messaged my host in Veliko Tornovo to say that I would not be in Gorna Orjahovitza until at least 20.15, some 4 hours later than planned and would he still be able to pick me up.   After a short while I got a message back saying, “I think so.”  Then I tried to download Bulgarian onto Google translate, but was too late as we pulled forwards and I lost my signal.   We were stuck for around 20 minutes before they stopped the traffic going the other way and let us cross in.  No issues at the border, the driver took my passport, handed it to a young woman in the booth who motioned me to come nearer so she could see my face, then waved and mouthed “welcome to Bulgaria,” which I thought was a nice touch.   And then on we went.   Maybe another 20 minutes on a fast road but after a while he turned off and we started going down smaller and more difficult roads until we pulled down a dirt track.   I would have been more worried if it hadn’t been able to see the train tracks, but I did wonder where we were going to end up.   He pulled into a field and pointed to a small shelter thing and motioned down.   I got out and could see it was once a lift / elevator.  It obviously hadn’t worked for years.   He shrugged and said sorry and pointed to about fifty steps downwards under the tracks, well at least they were going down.   I paid him and he disappeared, leaving me where?  I wasn’t even sure it was the main station.   It turned out it was and the steps led down to a huge corridor and the bathroom … I hadn’t realised how much I needed that until now.

I then found my way into the main waiting room, huge and to the ticket booth.  I got my phone out but of course no signal or Google translate.   I knew I was going to Gorna something, but couldn’t remember the 2^nd bit, so asked for a ticket to Gorna near Veliko Tarnovo.   After a few attempts it worked, I got a ticket.   But it said my arrival time would be 21.00 not 20.15 and I realised I had bought a ticket to Veliko not Gorna.   No worries I shall just get off early.

So two hours to kill before my train comes.   I now realised that instead of preparing for what I thought was going to happen (a 3 hour train ride and being picked up and taken straight to my digs) I should have prepared for the worst case scenario as I had no Bulgarian money, no translate, no water both for now and the 2.5 hour train journey ahead and no SIM for Bulgaria.

I decided I needed to sort some of these things out, so walked to the front entrance of the station and looked out.   Another thing you should never do is look bewildered when you step out of a rail, or bus station or airport, because then you are vulnerable.   I was checking to see if there was a ramp to get my case down the several steps down to the road when it moved by itself.   I ran down the steps to grab it to find a little man, not much taller than the case and wearing the same colour t-shirt, had grabbed it and was shouting “taxi, taxi” to me and hauling it towards the one car that was there.   I shouted “no, nada, nu, ne” which I thought covered all bases and grabbed the case back.   The last thing I needed was another taxi.   I could see a bus station nearby and thought that would be a good place to put an ATM so trudged there.  There was another 20 steps up to get to the platforms and no sign of my little friend, but I looked around and a couple were coming my way, so I looked forlorn and gestured.  The man seemed reluctant but his wife encouraged him and he did the deed for me and at the top of the stairs was … my little friend.   He grabbed my case again and this time shouted coffee, coffee as I ran behind to grab it off him, but then decided that coffee wasn’t a bad idea so let him lead me.   When I got there I asked the server if they took a card, but he said no .. so we trooped out again.  My friend then tried to grab the case again (I didn’t let him) and shouted ATM, ATM and pointed down some stairs … but I really couldn’t face going down and back up (probably with no help) so I said, “no, nada, ne, nu.”  And wandered into another bar café  … no cards.

I then realised that buses can’t climb stairs, so followed the road around and came back to a main street.   I headed back towards where the ATM must be and of course my little friend was there to greet me.  He was talking to a taxi driver and said, ‘taxi, taxi’ but I just ignored him and went to the ATM hoping he was not behind me.   It wasn’t working.  I turned and he was there, gesturing that he wanted some money.   I guess my frustration of the day got the better of me and I shouted so loud at him that I had no money that he ran back to the shelter of the taxi driver.   Whilst he was gone I crossed the main road and went into a bar.   No cards.  2 more coffee shops, no cards.  A fast food place (I was desperate by now) no cards but the young man did speak some English so I asked for an ATM and he pointed one out to me.  Another 100 yards in 32 degree heat and of course across another busy main road.   On the way there a rather posh coffee shop.  No cards.  I walked on.  The ATM was working and I selected 100 Lev which was the maximum amount and got 1 note.   I stuffed it in my wallet and decided to go back to the helpful young man, though I had no idea what he was actually selling.  He was sweeping up, but I could see a coffee machine so asked for one.   He reluctantly pointed to a clock and gestured that he was closing, but then pointed out a small shop along the street and said coffee there.

So I walked on, at least heading back to the station.   I walked into the shop and immediately the server said in English “no card, cash only.”  Now I had not been in this shop before.  I can only assume that half of Ruse were talking about this strange tourist who was walking around with a large case and demanding payment by card.   I smiled and selected 3 bottles of water from the fridge and came to pay with my 100 Lev note.   She did the third syllable thing, ooos! but then changed the note and counted my change out into my hand like I was a child.   Great.

Back to the station, up the last few stairs (no little friend to help) and into the cool waiting room.  I still had an hour and spent the first half sat drinking water and watching over some bags as a mother and child had gestured that she needed to smoke outside (the mother that is …)  When she came back 30 minutes later I had a plan.  I would wait at the bottom of the 50 stairs to the platform for a strong person to come by and ask for help, much as I had done at the bus station.  The problem was there were two sets of stairs, left or right.  I chose left.  I chose wrong.  But my stairs were nearer the bathroom and an older chap (older than me) came out and saw me waiting and gestured up the stairs.   He wanted to help and between us we made it happen, but I am sure I did more of the lifting.   He asked me if I was American and I said no, Irish (my standard answer these days) and gave him my smallest note – 5 Lev which he seemed happy with as he went back down the stairs, he was not catching a train.   A minute later three tall, young, fit men came up those same stairs.

The train pulled in on time and I got on board.   It was wonderful, out of the 1960s.  Sadly it looked as if it hadn’t been cleaned since the 1960s either.   I sat right at the front near the engine and it seemed I had most of the carriage to myself.   After travelling a few minutes the ticket inspector came over and when I handed her my ticket she said something about Gorna, so I gestured I didn’t understand.   It seemed that I now no longer needed to change trains in Gorna and the train was going straight through to Veliko Tarnovo.    That made me think of my half offer of a lift at the other end and then I had a ‘doh!’ moment.   I had a dual sim on my phone and the other sim card was UK but I could use it for roaming in the EU.  Okay, it would be expensive and I did say I would only use it in an emergency as I am so poor, but this is an emergency!”   After some  frustration setting the roaming up I got it to work and read the message that my lift would be there at Gorna.   So I messaged back that I could meet him at Veliko if he preferred.   He said he would meet me at Gorna … he probably didn’t trust me to take that extra part of the journey.   I sat back and enjoyed the ride.   One of the few positives out of this experience was that I was travelling at the best part of the day, the sun was low in the sky and everything was filled with the warm glow of summer.

I couldn’t see much sitting down as the windows were so dirty, but by standing up I could see through the open ones and get the fresh breeze through them.   There were lots of stops and at one of them, the ticket inspector shouted at no-one in particular “awesome!”   Now I had remembered my numbers in Bulgarian and the number 8 sounds like awesome so I took it to mean we were at this small station until 8pm (about 5 minutes).  She then stepped onto the platform together with the guard, the driver, the drivers mate and the other 5 or 6 passengers who hadn’t got off at intermediate stops and all started to smoke.  I guess we must have been running early but we were due in Gorna in 20 minutes, so surely it could have waited.  I stayed on board and took a photo of what I assumed was the station toilet.  (The one on the train was surprisingly clean – but lacked toilet paper and you could see the tracks underneath the drop.)  We moved on and I soon reached the end of this journey, but as we came into the station I pulled my rucksack from the rack and moved towards my case.   No no , said the ticket inspector and grabbed it out of my hand.   “We go to Veliko … no need.”   “I go to Gorna” I said.   “Show me your ticket!”  “No I’m getting off here.”  Eventually she backed down and I was reluctantly let off the train.   I walked across the tracks and into the carpark to meet my host.  He greeted me with,  “You’ve had a bit of a journey getting here, I guess …”  “Yep!”

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