How I survived the Romanian Revolution 25 years ago

How I survived the Romanian Revolution in December 1989 - click here

I wrote this material over 25 years ago in Romanian language. A family friend took the text, translated it and let it published in Belgium.

Now, a friend of mine translated it into a good English and publish it on his own blog, the best blog about Bucharest I ever found on internet.
So, my text written as I was 22 and I thought the great life expects me from now one, is traveling through the years ......

The text can be a little strange, but I wrote it immediately I woke up .... after the days and nights on the streets under war conditions I reached somehow home and my mother told me 2 days later: ”I looked for you in every hospital and morgue!! You came back home after 4 days and 4 nights and you almost collapsed in front of the door. You said nothing, but felt asleep immediately. You slept 2 nights and one full day. You was awake 4 times, drank some tea and felt asleep back immediately.”

So, I awoke and started to write directly on our mechanical ancient typing machine, because I could write faster than by hand. I wrote is in one piece, no mistakes. We had no paper or ink to can afford mistakes .... this is why the text can be some strange now, after 25 years .....

Thank you Alex for the great job you did translating it!

Hârtiuța de pe deal ....

Donauinsel, dimineața pe la 7.

Luni dimineața.

Eu pedalez către birou. Din față vine mașina mare de gunoi care controlează și golește coșurile de gunoi fixe, dispuse pe toată lungimea insulei.

Din urma mașinii un îngrijitor mai ridică și adună într-un sac din plastic hârtii care mai scapă de ici-de colo. Îl văd că se duce repede-repede pe deal. Părăsește aleea asfaltată și urcă dealul. La vreo 20-30 de m distanță, pe pajiștea verde, se vede un șomoiog alb. Cu siguranță un ambalaj din hârtie cine știe cum ajuns acolo. Poate cineva, poate vântul ... Vântul, sigur, el e mereu de vină ...

Omul urcă, ia gunoiul de acolo și fuge după mașina de gunoi.

Un gest-detaliu, dar care spune enorm de multe.

Era un singur șomoiog, o singură hârtie. Omul putea să se facă că nu o vede, putea să nu o vadă, deși destul de greu să nu vezi pata albă pe verdele ăsta crud al ierbii ...
Vă las pe voi să vă gândiți .... și să vă imaginați cum ar arăta în România o insulă de agrement, de 21,5 km lungime și probabil poate 2 km lățime, nu știu acum pe de rost ..... 

Aici arată de zici că e pieptănată și țesălată aproape zilnic. 

Mă uitam în toamnă cum au început ”curățenia de primăvară”.

Arborii uscați sau care ar putea deveni pericol de prăbușire au fost tăiați, tunși, frezați, crengile adunate .... totul înainte să vină prima zăpadă. De ce să stea să putrezească cu lunile sub ploile și zăpezile iernii?

Acum în primăvară au mai curățat pe ici pe colo, săptămâna trecută era o echipă de vreo 4 oameni care tundeau iarba pe dealuri, muncă manuală, era ora 6 dimineața (!!!)

Arată pico-belo totul .... fără balamuc, fără deranj .... eu văd pentru că circul așa în zori, dar restul lumii nu vede. Vede doar (eventual) că totul e pregătit de oaspeți.

°Câinii dumneavoastră la control, vă rugăm!”

Austria. Viena. Donau City. Donauinsel. Miercuri seara, ora 18:30. Puțină lume, că e cam frig, vreo 7-8°C doar. Dimineață au fost doar 4°C, mi-au înghețat mâinile pe ghidon, că am arhivat deja mănușile de toamnă-iarnă!

În Austria nu există ”animale fără stăpân”, în sensul că nu zac ale nimănui, suferind, pe străzi.

Toate pisicile și toți câinii sunt obligatoriu vaccinați. Legea e strictă. Dacă pisica ta mușcă pe cineva și nu poți dovedi că are vaccinul făcut la zi contra turbării, ai o problemă destul de mare!

Legat de ”Gassi gehen” - adică cu cățelul la plimbare, și aici legea e strictă.

Pe Donauinsel nu prea se respectă legea asta și eu ca biciclist în majoritatea timpului mă lovesc permanent de acest aspect, dar cum-necum până acum nu am avut incidente. Foarte puțini posesori de căței, care nu respectă legea insulei, sunt rău-voitori. 

Deci ce spune ”Regulamentul de ordine interioară” al insulei: - și vă rog să fiți atenți la text, la introducere, la maniere, la abordare etc.

”Milioane de oameni folosesc Insula Dunării (n.b. din Viena) pentru a face sport și a se relaxa. Regulamentul de ordine interioară al insulei are rolul de a contribui la armonizarea conviețuirii tuturor grupelor de interes. Principiul de bază pentru savurarea petrecerii timpului liber este reciprocitatea și atenția la ceilalți. În cadrul celor mai diverse activități derulate pe acest vast areal, oamenii, animalele și natura trebuie să creeze o echipă.

În ceea ce privește organizarea de activități de timp liber pe Donauinsel: multe sunt posibile, dar nu totul este permis. Insula este clar inscripționată și semnalizată pentru diversele segmente: locuri de stat la soare, zone naturale protejate, segmente unde accesul câinilor nu este permis, zonele destinate special câinilor, locurile de grătar.

Zonele verzi și protecția naturii

Pajiștile de pe Insula Dunării sunt locuri ideale pentru a sta pe iarbă, în scopul relaxării, pentru și pentru derularea de activități sportive. A fii atent la ceilalți prezenți din jurul nostru și a-i respecta garantează o ședere relaxată în acest areal.

Regulile de circulație se aplică și aici ca oriunde. Viteza de deplasare cu bicicleta sau cu rolele trebuie adaptată permanent condițiilor existente. Accesul și rularea cu autoturismul sunt posibile doar cu aprobare specială și doar pe segmentele de asfalt.

Și mai jos este un link cu formularul prin care se poate cere permisiunea de a intra cu mașina pe aleile insulei.

Cu câinele la plimbare

Pe întreaga suprafață a insulei, indiferent că este vorba de alei, pajiști sau poduri/baraje câinii vor fi ținuți în lesă sau vor avea botniță, fără nici o excepție.

În cazul în care pe insulă se află mulțimi mari de oameni (n.b. festival, spectacol, concurs etc.), câinii vor purta și lesa și botnița. Singurele excepții se aplică câinilor din următoarele categorii: salvare, terapie, însoțitori nevăzători, alte categorii ”profesionale” canine (câini aflați în timpul serviciului, mai clar formulat). 

Este interzis accesul câinilor în locurile de joacă ale copiilor, precum și în locurile de plajă și ștrand.

Posesorii de câini au la dispoziție pe insulă două arealuri destinate patrupedelor (și se dă un link către un alt material cu informații detaliate de localizare).

Și mă rog, nu am de gând să traduc tot documentul, dar cam asta este ideea.  

Cum spuneam mai la început, destui de mulți nu respectă aceste reguli. Oricum, nu la orele și pe anotimpurile când bântui eu cel mai des insula, adică dimineața de la 6 - 6:30 sau pe ninsori, ploi, furtuni etc. Unii se supără când strig așa, cam de la 30-40 de metri că ”Achtung, biciclist” sau ”Vorsicht!” etc. Alții ignoră, alții sunt atât de furanți de conversații sau de muzica din urechi că nici nu mă aud și de regulă rulez cu minim 25 km/h, uneori și cu 35-40, depinde cum mă-mpinge și vântul.

În seara asta, pe la șase jumate, după ce străbătusem 20 de km prin Viena, destul de obosită și abătută, savuram liniștea de pe insulă, lumina soarelui, cu toate umbrele și culorile acestei primăveri superbe. Rulam încet, sub 25 km/h. Pe dreapta, un cuplu cu un cățel mititel, cu picioare scurte, un fel de șoricar, dar mai mare. Fără botniță, fără lesă. 

Din fața mea veneau doi bicicliști cu ceva bagaj și costumați destul de strong. Păreau niște globetroteri pe două roți.

Și ei și eu ajungem în dreptul cuplului cu cățelul aproximativ în același timp, ei poate 3 secunde mai devreme, astfel încât am avut timp să-mi dau seama ce scenariu se derulează.

Tipii pe bicicletă erau polițiști deghizați. Opreau pe toți posesorii de câini care nu respectau regulamentul. 

Mă uitam cu câtă naturalețe și amabilitate. Au frate ăștia un stil de a aplica legea, de a da amenzi, de a te pune la perete, dacă greșești, cu un zâmbet pe toată fața. Dar nimic ironic sau de genul ”las că-ți arăt io cine sunt io, mama ta de golan!”

M-a frapat abordarea și felul cum au oprit bicicletele și au intrat direct în vorbă cu stăpânii cățelului.

”Gruß Gott! :-)"

"Hello :-)" 

"English, German?"

Să-mi cadă și plombele când am auzit austriacul, angajat la stat (!!!) vorbind pe limba aialaltă, căci cei doi cu cățelul vorbeau engleza ...

Deci, și care e mesajul până la urmă?

Mesajul este, până la urmă, că există o curtoazie în a rezolva încălcările de lege, erorile, abaterile. 
Ideea este că există un VOCABULAR și nu unul de jargon. Chiar acum vedeam pe Facebook o pagină creată de cineva: ”Ai parcat ca un Bou în Timișoara”
Câtă prestanță are titlul ăsta?
Cât de neagresiv este titlul ăsta?
Ce obții cu un astfel de titlu?
Cu atât mai mult (culmea!) cu cât autorul paginii scrie așa: ”Aceasta pagina are ca scop educarea automobilistilor, a autoritatilor si a fortelor de ordine in ceea ce priveste parcarea in spatiul public din Timisoara.”
E ca și cum intră profesorul în clasă și spune: ”bună dimineața, boilor!” ..... cum vi se pare?
Deci revenind la întrebare: Ce obții cu un astfel de titlu?
Agresivitate, vulgaritate și orice, numai rezolvarea unei eventuale probleme nu rezolvi. Rezolvi instigare. Asta da. Și violență. Înjosire. Animalizare.

*******

Cam despre asta e vorba și mă bucur că am ocazia să învăț și să mă reeduc, să-mi reeduc otrava acumulată în 20 de ani de românisme și golănisme ..... nu pentru că ei, austriecii, ar fi eventual mai deștepți și că eu aș avea ceva cu românii. Nu. Ci pentru că văd cum și de ce funcționează lucrurile aici și relațiile între anumite segmente de viață, societate, populație etc.
Ideea este că:

Că există un control.

Că nu vezi brutalitate, nu-l vezi pe ”Gigi, cel mai tare din parcare”, polițistul cu burta prelinsă peste curea, cu semințele în palma stângă sau în buzunare, scuipând pe jos cojile sau scobindu-se în dos ori în nas ori curățindu-și urechea cu prelungita unghie de la degetul mic ...
Oamenii au școală. Au pregătire psihologică și sportivă. Cursuri de comunicare și mediere la greu (alt subiect dureros, nu știu când voi avea timp să îl atac aici pe blog, că tare merită!). Uneori am impresia că și cursuri de mișcare scenică iau, pe cuvânt!

Există prestanță.

Există culanță.

Există autoritate.

Reciprocitate.

Toleranță.

Comunicare.

Aplomb.

Există o armonie.

FINCA MARISA_Finding °that° exceptional and only one in life feeling .... (2)

Ten days ago I meet Tinajo and Finca Marisa in Tinajo as well as a deep feeling which I cannot exactly define yet. On an unhappy, isolated and sad background, my life met a lot of happiness moments on the path. The difference between these extremes in my life are quite high/deep every time, but it seems to belong to my karma, to my nature. So far I understood to try to change things in my life and perspectives and approaches, the conclusion is always the same: I cannot change the pattern. I do not find the middle way between high and deep. It is very high or very low. 

I am back in Vienna since almost one week. I landed on Sunday morning and on Monday I started work again and the week was terrible busy including some unpleasant surprises. So, I am really very tired and I missed the Ladies Cycling Route today. During the week in Lanzarote I did not sleep much. I was emotional too excited about almost everything, my first real holiday after four and half years! 
Now I finished the mechanical work to my road bike - nobody could visit me at home these days, this is for sure! -

and I remember about the days in Tinajo. It was the best part of my holiday on Lanzarote Island. And this also thanks the place where I stayed and its owner.
When I booked the accommodation for Lanzarote, last September, I choose another finca, also in Tinajo. Which I did not find, by the way. I don't remember the reason I changed the place. Not the price, for sure, because the first choice was a little bit cheaper. But no breakfast. Here I could book breakfast and this is important for me. To wake up in the morning and to be free of this kind of worry. What I eat, who is going to prepare, who will clean after me and such of stuff. I normally like to have breakfast and dinner for sure, lunch is not important. I eat very little during my adventures :-), I spent only 60 euros for food/8 days on Lanzarote!! A personal record, I have to admit.

What I liked when I booked Finca Marisa was the warm atmosphere of the rooms. Colorful walls and rustic furniture. Open space. Not cheap for 60 euros per night/room as single person. Initially I wanted to spend at least 4 nights on this part of the island, but because of the price I took only 3 nights, having 4 nights in Puerto del Carmen (for only 30 euro breakfast included).

I already described here how I reached the place, so I will not occupy anymore space about it.
Due to certain reasons I will not use pictures and names of the family who owns this beautiful finca.
At the moment I entered the building I felt extreme happy. I recognized the colors on the walls and the lady who was cleaning on a musical background and alone in the entire building was a young happy face. 

Not everybody would probably like these strong colors, but for a generous space like this and for such a remote emplacement .... for me it was the ideal combination.

The biggest surprise for me was to hear that I am probably the single guest in the house. I have to admit that I instantly loved the feeling as it would have became my own home! Yes, it sounds weird, but this was the feeling and I cannot change it.
"My room" was actually a suite and was waiting for me. I went along the narrow hallway 

and I entered on the left door, number 3, suit named "Halcones".

It isn't red, but a strong orange. Very clean and having direct door to the terrace.
"Halcones" is meaning "Hawks". I have no idea why the room was called "Halcones". The dominant animal was a terrestrial one :-)

After meeting the living room with a long table, refrigerator, a nice couch, a flat TV, a kitchen sink and a window to the terrace I entered the sleeping room to the right.

Simplicity and beauty. I could live here for months ....
To wake up in the morning and to have a look to this:

The bathroom is small, but more than enough. Hair dryer and a very modern shower-system are available, unexpected in such a remote place:

Going back on living room I has happy to discover the door to the terrace, but not before to remark that all windows had blinds, which is very important for me. I have big problems in the morning if the sun is coming into the room. Strong natural light causes pain to my eyes and if I want to sleep longer the blinds are essential.

I opened the door ...... having no idea what it is behind the door!

and I entered the terrace. It was like a freedom moment to see the terrace.... love at first sight!

and the big original white banks where I enjoyed my breakfast for the next mornings:

I saw many places around the world in my life and I liked many of them, of course. I remember about rural accommodation in Ecuador or in Norway. I do not mention the hotels or the hostels, it's a different story there. Finca Marisa is a sort of exclusivist own-suits hostel, having a common kitchen 

and terrace and another 2 rooms upstairs sharing a common bath,

as well as a small breakfast saloon - that door leads to the terrace.

La Calle Costa no. 9 is to the end of Tinajo to La Santa. Most of tourists are coming here by renting cars. A higher car would be recommended, the entrance to the yard is pretty high and impossible to be crossed by low cars.

From my point of view, the terrace is the central element of this house. Of course, being the single tourist here these days the situation was a privileged one, nobody disturbed me. This is why I enjoyed the time there a lot.

The mornings and the evenings I mostly spent on the terrace, dreaming very early in the emotional silence of the world .... with my wide open eyes and hidden thoughts from a permanently unquiet and restless soul .... by the way, I see now in this picture that my hair is actually curly ....

picture took at about 7:30 a.m.

having my breakfast ....

relaxing before or after a long ride

and some of the most amazing sunsets I ever saw (after Venice and high Himalaya/Nepal):

(to be followed)

Running on the edge of volcanic craters and further more.....

La Finca Marisa, where I have the pleasure and joy to stay these days, is situated directly to the feet of this volcanic mountain, which is easy to be climbed, a little bit difficult to get down back :-)

To climb there alone is a little bit creepy, the winds are quite strong and noisy, but if it's a sunny day, it is OK.

Dancing in the crater in Tinajo. The address of the mountains is Calle La Costa :-) By and with Anka Berger

The entire trip, from la finca to the top, then walking around the entire circular size and going further to the another hill is about 3 km. It is a fascinating trail running route, if you run off-road.

If hiking is part of your life, this short route is for sure worth to do it. From the ground to the top you need maybe 15 minutes. The view inside is spectacular, even if the mountain is not from the very big ones:

The last time being on an edge of a volcano crater was some years ago, but in a total different environment, a world of ice, snow and thin air.

Cotopaxi, active volcano in Ecuador at almost 6.000 m alt.

And you already are on the edge of the large mouth of the mountain. From here, a wild and generous world opens in front of you. Do not forget to breathe! :-), the landscape is ravishing indeed!

by Anka Berger - 10th of April 2015

The off-road coming into the picture from the right leads you to the Montana Blanca - my adventure from yesterday :-) Montana Blanca is also in the picture, but probably you cannot recognize it ... here a better picture:

The crater diameter of Mt. Blanca is 1,6 km. I will write in a different short material about the walk into and around this crater.
Going back to the crater beside La Finca Marisa  I started to the top to the left. The climb is easy. I almost reached the top and looked in front of me, quite curious about what is going to be revealed:

A vast amphitheater of old and dry lava and spare vegetation, a combination of colors and a feeling of impressive majesty of the nature....the source, the only source of our power to live and survive.
I looked to the right on the path coming from the bottom of this amphiteater:

The white houses of Tinajo and the mountain which I climbed two days ago, in a middle of a much more adventurous day could be clearly seen on the background of an amazing blue of the ocean:

I looked then to the left and went further on the dry ground. It was windy. A noisy wind. I didn't feel very safe to continue, but I did it.

I could see the other side of Tinajo and the other mountains, as the island if full of it and the amazing thing is that you can freely go to and on any of them (except the totally wild universe inside the National Parc of Timanfaya).
On the other side of the amphitheater, on the highest point of the edge is a big metallic cross.
Before to think about it, if I could reach it, I already was there!

Looking now to the left and to the right:

I continued my short adventure over the island following the path descending to the next volcanic hill which is directly linked to the crater.

The ground suddenly breaks down to the left, so pay attention, a stronger wind could throw you in the hollow and this would not be a nice experience!

A wide and no-ending road can be seen and I cycled on it many kilometers in that direction behind the higher mountain on the left of the picture .... paradise for cyclists, for sure, ideal hard training conditions for the strong ones! It is the road to Tiagua (the story of tomorrow, with another beautiful pictures).

Descending the mountain was a small challenge due to the steep and particular rough terrain, not to forget the power of the winds which are crazy dancing here.

After this short intermezzo of the day I returned to my room, I took the bike and cycled around (next short story). Pretty good to have accommodation so close, right? :-)

My own Duathlon on lava dessert of Lanzarote with a road bike_Ep. 2_Timanfaya

As I started to tell the story here I will continue now up to the end with several pictures. Here something more details about National Park Timanfaya.

I left Tinajo by bike to Mancha Blanca.

 Exceptional weather. The plan was set, today I wanted to go to Timanfaya National Park of Lanzarote. It was one of the main reasons I choose Tinajo for accommodation between calderas and lava hills and mountains.

 The road conditions on the island are almost perfect, you cannot dream about something more.

After about 2 or 3 km on the right side of the asphalt road I saw a long road leading to a mountain. Two cyclists on mountain bikes were coming from there and I could read a sort of disappointed faces. Hours later I also understood the reason :-), but myself I did not let me disappointed, you will see!!

I left the road on my ride planing to go on it when returning later back home.

My destination was now a different one about 10 km away, so I continued to cycle on my direction.

The Timanfaya National Park was established and declared as such in 1974. It is located in the south of Lanzarote and has an area of 551 square kilometers. It is the second most visited National Park of Spain. It can be reached on a very good asphalt road which was built in 1950 due to the visit of General Franco.

"El Diablo" is the symbol of the Park and the statue was created by Manrique Cesar.

The volcanic landscape of the Timanfaya arose between 1730 and 1736. During this period were formed numerous volcanic cones (the Fire Mountains, Montañas de Fuego) and its magma covered a quarter of the island of Lanzarote. The once fertile land where a lot of agriculture was operating, is today covered by the solidified lava. 

In the 19th century there were new outbreaks. In 1824 arose other volcanoes such as the volcano Nuevo del Fuego (named Chinero), the only one which is located on the present territory of the National Park. The volcanic activity now rests since the 25th Oktober 1824.

I was the only one by bike on the road, I paid 9 euros and I was free to enter and ride for the next 2 km only. Then I had to park my bike, as cycling is not allowed. Why? I had to see later on myself.

I left the many cars behind me enjoying the adventure .... which it was after all not an adventure, because you are not free to go on yourself anywhere inside the area, as I dared to hope on my mind.

 After about 1,5 km I stopped behind the last car which was waiting on the long row of cars. This was a stupid thing to do, but I thought it would be fair and respectful for the drivers. Stupid me! Bad education!

 I lost about 40 minutes because of being bad educated .... We advanced very slowly until a common point of the very narrow road where there were two guardians. One of them signed me to go further, not to wait after the cars in front of me and at that moment I realized I could have done this 40 minutes before!

 Because there is a big parking place where you have to let your car. From that moment you are by foot and can go to the restaurant, to the toilet, to the souvenirs shop or just looking around. Or you can go and wait to go on board of one of the National Park Coaches.

Unfortunately there is no special place where you can let the bike in secure conditions. I was worried. No fence, no nothing. I had to let it somewhere outside against a wall. What could I do?! 

I took the first available bus. The conditions are not ideal, to be very honest. If you cannot sit on the first row, you see almost anything. The bus windows are not clear, the pictures you can shoot are such a bad quality that you cannot use them for anything! From this point of view it was a big disillusion for me.

The heat of the earth still lies in the ground and in some places at one meter depth there are temperatures of 100°C or up to 13 meters depth the temperatures arise from 400 to 600°C.

As you can see here, to demonstrate this the man let some water inside these holes - inside there is mounted a pipe, of course - and the Earth power throw back the boiled water with a huge pressure.

Several roads run through the volcanic landscape and is believed to be transported to another world. The dark lava and volcanic cones provide a wonderful contrast to the blue sky.

 The picture above does not belong to me, of course, it is impossible to shoot such a clear picture through those bus windows, unfortunately. And on the route I did not get such a magnificent perspective on a crater .... so, what can I say different than I was disappointed about the 40 minutes slowly tour, but I do not regret doing it. Fortunately the 9 euros entry fee is a decent amount.

The 14-kilometer round trip can be done only by bus. The road built through the lava is pretty spectacular and very narrow. From the 350-meter high Montaña Rajada you can get an overview of most of the Timanfaya National Park. The large complex, which occupies the sea of lava now, belonged before the eruptions to most fertile part of Lanzarote. After the disaster that was incredible amount of eight million cubic meters of lava where previously small villages and individual farms had existed; a total of about 420 houses were destroyed. The destroyed villages were Timanfaya, Los Rodeos, Mancha Blanca, Santa Catalina, Mazo, Jarretas, Tingafa, Peña Palomas, Testeina, La Geria, Macintafe, Mozaga, Guagaro, Masdache and Iguadén, also the estates of Maretas and Chupaderos.

The volcanoes that form the Timanfaya National Park belong to the so-called Hawaiian group. They accumulated into huge ash columns, lapilli*, which being transported by the wind cover wide areas and slopes of old crater at high altitudes. These areas formed by the ash fall are called Valle de la Tranquilidad (valley of peace). The center of the outbreak was the Maciso del Fuego (Fire Massif), which rises 525 meters high. This volcano is covered with slag and ash originating from the eruptions of the 18th century. 

However, it was found that the ridge that still emits intense heat radiation consists of very old lava belonging to the ancient mountain Timanfaya. Interesting are the frequent rows of small stoves (Hornitos) and parasite volcanoes, named such as because they have been formed at the foot of a central colossus. The impressive cinder cone Caldera del Corazoncillo has a crater of about 100 meters below the ground surface. The Lava of this volcano buried in 1730 the village of Timanfaya.

*Lapilli is a size classification term for tephra, which is material that falls out of the air during a volcanic eruption or during some meteorite impacts.

Lapilli (singular: lapillus) means "little stones" in Latin.

By definition lapilli range from 2 to 64 mm (0.08 to 2.52 in) in diameter. A pyroclastic particle greater than 64 mm in diameter is known as a volcanic bomb when molten, or a volcanic block when solid. Pyroclastic material with particles less than 2 mm in diameter is referred to as volcanic ash.

to be followed