Pe curând, Romania!

We are currently on the bus to Bucharest, a five-hour drive away, where we will check in to hostels and hotels and go our separate ways.

Yesterday, because we weren't digging, we slept in and had breakfast at 8:30. We then headed over to Mihail's house as finished up cleaning and tagging our finds.

We cleaned the bones and pottery simply by gently scrubbing with a toothbrush in a bucket of water. Most of the dirt on the pottery came off pretty easily, but some of the bone needs a special solution to remove the remaining grit.

The clean pottery was then sorted and tagged with a permanent marker, denoting location, year, trench section and depth at which it was found (e.g., MUR '12 S2C 60). Next, Mihail will take all the tagged pottery to the museum in Tulcea. Both bone and metal pieces will be sent off to a lab for testing, before going to the museum.

It's exciting to know some of our better quality finds will be on display in a museum, like my two coins and the North African plate I found. And Mihail and John say all of our names and finds will be mentioned in records.


After four hours of work, I walked up to the dig site to check on Jenny. She wagged her tail when she saw me. She laid exactly where we had left her.

I brought her fresh water from the well, which she lapped up happily, and fed her a can of fish. I was glad to see she was drinking and eating, because yesterday she wouldn't do either. I then sat with her a while, petting and kissing her black fur.

The vet came while I was there to give her the second of three shots. He will return today to give we the final one. In his broken english, he assured me she is on the mend. She did seem better, was able to sit up and walk a few feet on her own if need be.

After the vet left, I sat with her a bit longer before saying goodbye, and made one of the Romanian students promise me to take care of her until he leaves next week.

I hope he keeps his promise.

Last night, after dinner, we had a little send-off party for ourselves with beer, wine and tchurika (sp?), which is a Romanian liquor that reminds me of whiskey; except it's clear and much smoother than anything I've tasted.

Both Mihail and John say we are one of the best groups they have had, and we are all invites back next year. Mihail also invites us to join him in another excavation project next August, as well as a surveying project a few years from now on Alexander the Great's journey through the east (Asia minor, Egypt, Persia, India and back).

Some of us will still be in school or just graduating next year, so coming back is more likely.

For me, on the other hand, I have already graduated, and next year is truly up in the air. I don't know where I will be, what I will be doing, what my financial situation will be like. But I hope, with every ounce of my body, that I am in a situation where I can return to Romania and pick up where I left off at Halmyris.

But as Mihail says, you cannot know with life what next year will bring. You may be certain this year, he says, but next year things will change. You just have to sit tight and enjoy the ride.

So, for now, I will say "pe curând," Romania. See you later!

You can't have the good without the bad

Yesterday was a whirlwind of emotions; anger, fear, sadness, loss of hope and regaining hope.

It all began when I woke up a half-hour later than I was supposed to. My roommates had already left for breakfast, so I rushed to get dressed, pack my bag and started heading out the door.

For the past week, we've been walking to and from the dig site, rather than driving. It takes nearly a half hour to walk there, maybe less if you walk fast

I figured everyone else would have been at the site, or at least on their way, by now. So I picked up my pace as I gnawed on my apple.

I got about three-quarters of the way there, to the point where I could just make out the red dig house, when I saw further down a cluster of things in the middle of the road. It was very hot that morning, and you could see the heat rising from the road, so I thought maybe I was just seeing things.

But as I got closer, I noticed the cluster moving toward the opposite side of the road, and it looked like a group of people. I was still too far away to recognize anyone, so I figured it was probably the Romanian volunteers, or perhaps a group of tourists.

I neared closer until I could make out some familiar faces. It was some of my group, John and Mihail, crowded around something. I crossed the road so I could join them. Ed and Ryan saw me and immediately came over before I could get any closer.

"You don't want to go over there," Ed said.

"What? Why?" I asked.

"Just trust us," Ryan said.

That's when I saw blood on the road, and my first thought was that one of us got hit by a car.

I was wrong. But not by much.

Despite Ryan and Ed's warnings, I looked over where everyone was standing and saw something black on the grass.

"One of the dogs got hit," Ryan said.

"Which one? Charlie?" I asked.

"No. Jenny."

We have become attached to quite a few stray animals in Murighiol. But none like Jenny. Jenny is still a puppy, only a couple years old. She looks like a mix between a lab and a golden, but she is all black. She always lays down on her back when you approach her, and her big brown eyes look up at you as you rub her soft belly. She is the sweetest thing and has only love for people.

Apparently, Jenny had followed the group on their walk to the site, most of which is on a busy road where people drive no less than 70 km/hr. John has told us not to bring animals to the site because of this busy road, but you have to understand it is difficult to make them not follow.

From what I am told, she had started to cross the road when a car started coming down the road ahead. The group tried to call her back, out of the road. But she got in between and the next thing they heard was a loud thump. The driver was going 80 km, John says, and didn't even slow down- let alone stop- to see what he had done. It was a hit and run. And he kept on driving.

I arrived a few minutes after the fact, and saw her laying motionless on the side of the road, blood spurting from her mouth and wounds. Some thought she was already dead.

But then she got up. Staggered a few feet, and then dropped, breathing heavily. John picked her up and we walked with him to the dig site, where he laid her down in the shade. We kissed her nose, petted her bloody fur and tried to give her water from the well, but she wouldn't drink. John and Mihail were examining her, trying to feel for any broken bones.

She had been hit hard, and was definitely hurt, but they said there didn't seem to be any broken bones. The bleeding from her mouth had stopped, which gave hope that there was no internal bleeding. And she seemed to gain more consciousness by the minute.

Still, she needed medical attention. But would she survive the trip to a vet? We didn't know, but all agreed it was worth a try.

Mihail called the nearest vet to let him know we were coming. John, Bogdan (one of the Romanian students) and Kate took her in Bogdan's car to the next town over, Mahmudia.

We all were shaken up, some more than others. But we were given clear instructions to either finish our trenches or go home.

We started work on our trenches to take our mind off Jenny. It was ort last day on site, and we were just doing finishing touches before photographing; brushing, shaving, edging, flat shoveling. We anxiously awaited news from John.

Time passed in an odd way then. Thinking back, it felt like that somber morning was a completely separate day. But in the moment, it felt like no time passed at all; as if time had just stopped.

John rounded the corner of the fort wall. We all dropped our tools and climbed out of our trenches to hear the news.

The doctor said there weren't any broken bones, but just internal contusions, and that she would be fine in a few days with some shots and plenty of rest. We all let out a huge sigh of relief. She was one hell of a lucky dog. And strong-willed, too.

The doctor gave her a shot that day, and said she would have to come back he next for a second one. The total cost of the vet bill- get ready for this- was 50 lei. That's 13.20 USD. Crazy, right? It makes me nuts though because I realized how cheap it would be for Romania to take better care of their strays, like Greece does. But they don't. I hope that will someday change.

Weekend in Transylvania (7/21 - 7/23/2012)

MURIGHIOL, RO: Seven out of nine archaeologists woke up Saturday morning at 5:30 a.m. to catch a 6:15 bus to Tulcea, then a four-hour ride to Bucharest and a two-hour train ride to Transylvania.

Two archaeologists were still drunk and felt like vomiting on the bus, they said.

The two who missed the 6:15 bus, due to heavy intoxication and over-exhaustion, caught a 10:45 bus straight to Transylvania and arrived within 10 hours.

There were no casualties.

--

After a somewhat gruesome journey to Transylvania, we checked into The Rolling Stone Hostel in Braşov, washed up and headed back out for dinner.

Our hostel was located in the Old Town and was a five-minute walk from the main square, where concerts, craft shows and flee markets were held each day and night. The main square (Piaţa Sfatului) has been a place for annual markets since 1364 and boasts indoor/outdoor terraces, restaurants, fountains, the Black Church and the former Council House. Lastly, Old Town is nestled by beautiful, forested mountains, where the Hollywood-type sign of Braşov overlooks the city.

Picturesque, pedestrian-only, cobblestone streets spread out from the square like long, thin arms of an octopus.

Buildings here look medieval, featuring different architectural styles, each made of stucco and worn tile roofs. Wooden doors, windows and gates were ornate and intricate in their designs. No building looked the same. Some looked more gothic than others. Some were blue, mint green or purple stucco, others tan, yellow or brown. But each one was as charming as the next.

Streets were quaint and narrow, some cobblestone others paved. And there were people everywhere- eating, shopping, sitting, walking, reading, selling, begging, watching, hiking, cycling.

Although Braşov was obviously a tourist hub, the Romanian culture felt authentic and rich. And we all agreed that it is one of the most beautiful cities we've seen.

In fact, if I had to suggest you visit only one place in Romania, I would tell you to go to Braşov. I'm ready to move there. Now if only it was close to the beach...

The next morning, all nine of us woke up at a reasonable time and got on a bus with other people from our host and spent the day sightseeing. First, we drove an hour to the village of Bran, where Dracula's Castle (or Bran Castle) is located and hundreds of shops and merchants sell Dracula-themed trinkets.

Unfortunately, the bus-driver wasn't very clear when he said "you have an hour." We all thought he meant we had an hour to shop and then he would take us to the castle. Turns out, the entrance to the castle was located in the maze of merchants. So we all spent our time wandering around, gift-shopping, until we found the castle entrance and realized it was too late.

We then hopped back on the bus and drove an hour and a half to the town of Sinaia to see Pelişor Castle. This castle was built between 1899-1903 by order of King Carol I of Romania, as the residence for his nephew and heir, future King Ferdinand and his consort Queen Marie.

Pelişor was designed in the Art Nouveau style by a Czech architect. There are several chambers, a chapel and "the golden room," a room covered top to bottom in 24-karat gold, where Queen Marie died.

Queen Marie was a talented artist, known for painting flowers, and many of her paintings adorn the chamber walls. She participated in the castle's decoration, including a set of chairs on which she painted lilies.

Unfortunately, I was not able to take any pictures of the inside of the castle; the tour guides were asking for 32 lei for a photo, which I thought was ridiculous.

Pelişor Castle is part of the same complex as the larger castle of Peleş, a Neo-Renaissance castle built between 1873-1914. Unfortunately, we did not have time to go inside, but still took some pictures of the outdoor facade, statue garden and courtyard, which you can see in my pictures below.

I really hope to return to Romania so I can see all the things I didn't have time for in Transylvania. I feel as though there are so many things to see here that Transylania requires its own separate trip. One day of sightseeing felt rushed and was simply not enough time to see more than one castle. We all agreed that we could easily spend a week or more here.

Third week's a charm

It's the end of our last full week here in Romania. Although we have only been digging for a total of 12 days, Halmyris veterans say we have moved more dirt than in the past.

It's been another exciting week of finds. In our section, Anne and I uncovered genuine North African pottery, more specifically a bright red clay plate with beautiful sun stamps along the edge. We also found a small amphora, nails, a very oxidized blade (and in poor condition), fish weights and wild boar jaw bones. The other trench found a collection of broken pottery- handles, amphorae- of good quality. They also found more Roman coins, blades, fish weights and other various pieces of metal.

There's been some sort of stomach flu going around in our group, as we've had several people out sick. While Anne was sick, John moved me to another section in our trench where I worked with Rosemary on the dolium. She dug and leveled the earth surrounding the massive pottery, while I worked on the fine details; edging around the dolium, brushing, cleaning. It's so amazing to be in the presence of something so old and big. Rosemary and I joked that it's actually a dinosaur egg rather than a dolium.

We've been finding a lot of stray kittens lately who either seem to not have a mother, or have wandered away from her. We've been taking care of them; feeding them, giving them plenty of water and love. Today, I brought the smallest and youngest one we've found back from the excavation site with me, and luckily found it a loving home with three children who looked so excited to have it. It felt good knowing there would be one less stray animal in Murighiol, since there are hundreds. Hopefully, we can do the same for the other kittens.

Mum, Dad, you should be glad I found this kitty a home because otherwise I would have been bringing it back to the states with me!

Today is Mihail's sixty-second birthday and we are celebrating it tonight Romanian style; a lot of meat and booze. But most of us have to get up at 5 a.m. tomorrow to catch a bus to Bucharest and then a train to Transylvania, where we will be staying for the weekend. So it's going to be an early night for me.

Cheers!

Weekend in Costanta (7/13 - 7/15/2012)

Our weekend in Constanta was overall an über relaxing one, but not without a few bumps in the road.

Upon arrival, we checked into Pacific Hotel, a fairly new and eco-friendly hotel with apartment-style rooms. Anne, Kate, Allison and I shared a room together.

The room had a large living space with a flat-screen TV, leather couches, a balcony and two single beds. There was a fully-functioning kitchen with modern cabinetry and appliances. The master bedroom suite had a king-size bed, large windows, a flat-screen TV and a beautiful modern bathroom with a particularly complicated shower. If you pressed the wrong button or turned the knob the wrong way (which was likely since there were tons of buttons and knobs), you might get water sprayed at you from an unexpected angle. Note to self: turn on shower AFTER getting inside and closing the doors...

In order to turn on the electricity in the room, you had to slip your room card into a little compartment by the door. No room card, no electricity. And there were several occasions when our power would just turn off for a few seconds and then on again, for whatever reason, like when I was taking a shower. Otherwise, the hotel was very nice and accommodating.

The group all ate dinner together our first night in Constanta at a pizza restaurant called New Pizzaco, which is said to have the best pizza in Constanta. I had calamari in a honey mustard and rosemary sauce, and crepes for dessert. It was really nice to eat something different for a change.

After dinner, everyone split off and went separate ways; some wanting to explore the city, others taking a taxi back to the hotel. Since it was still light out and was a nice night, Allison, Anne and I decided to walk back to the hotel. The area right next to the restaurant was charming. The buildings were old and made of worn stucco, and they had a sort of French, New Orleans look to them. There were restaurants and bars left and right, people eating and sitting on terraces looking out onto the narrow streets.

As we weaved our way out of this quaint part of the city, we made the mistake of taking out a map to figure out where we were. Almost instantly, two men came up to us, one perhaps in his 30s and the other pushing 70 with no teeth, and ask us if we need directions. Within seconds, I feel a tug on my purse. I turn around to find another man looking through it, about to take my wallet. He immediately stops and walks away, without looking back. Both shocked and utterly pissed off, I turn to his two accomplices and curse them off, threatening to call the cops if they don't leave us alone. I don't think they were expecting that reaction from a little, blonde American girl. Nevertheless, they left us alone indeed. That, however, set the tone for the rest of our walk home and was merely just the beginning.

We instantly became aware of our surroundings as we began speed-walking. The city's charm and quaintness washed away with each step we took. Before we knew it, it had gotten darker and the neighborhoods we passed through were less and less populated, some parts looking abandoned. Dogs barked viciously behind chain-link fences and shadowy faces stared as we briskly walked by. We were trying hard not to make eye-contact nor speak too loudly, lest it became obvious we were tourists. Meanwhile, not a SINGLE taxi drove by. The three of us instantly regretted walking home, at least in such a small group.

After what seemed like hours, we finally made our way back to the hotel. We practically kissed the ground. Note to self: never walk alone at night, take a taxi home unless you are in a group of at least five (preferably with a boy or two). Lesson learned.

The next morning, after sleeping in, Anne, Allison and I took a twenty-minute taxi ride to Mamaia beach, where we spent the next six hours lounging on big, orange beanbags under canopies, sipping cocktails and swimming in the beautifully clear Black Sea. It was complete paradise and by far the best part of my weekend.

That night, after showering and feeling particularly lazy and not wanting to pay for a taxi, we dined in at the hotel restaurant. A seemingly uneventful evening turned into quite the opposite, when I dared Allison to eat the fish eyeballs of my salmon dinner. The man eating alone at the table next to us chimed in on cheering her on, and offered to buy her a drink if she ate them. Turned out he was in the army, and had a bunch of ROTC cadets from various universities here with him, whom we later met up with in Mamaia. Let's just say they were a pretty ballsy group, and leave it at that.

The Halfway Point

It's the end of our second week in Romania, and I can't believe we are halfway through our time here! It has been an exciting week of archaeological finds. We uncovered the top rim of a dolium in our trench, and are now working carefully around it, brushing and troweling, until we find what's inside and get it out in one piece. John suspects it is already broken though, since part of the wall collapsed on it. If that's the case, then anything inside the dolia will be well-preserved.

Secondly, I found a 6th century Byzantine coin!! I was very excited since my partner and I have yet to find anything of "real" value in our section, while everyone else is finding metal pieces and quality pottery. This gives me hope that there will be more things the further down we go.

Our trench also uncovered an early stone wall and possibly a room, which we are still working on.

Someone else in the other trench found a flute made out of bone, which was really cool to see. A key, some blades, and two small coins were also found.

We've had a lot of rain this week in Murighiol, which has made it both difficult and easier to dig. The first day it rained, my trench was filled with puddles, so we could not dig in it that day. Instead, we dug in the other trench. The next day, most of our puddles had dried up, but left the dirt moist, making it easier to dig. This was really nice because, since day one, our trench has been very difficult to dig in because of how dense the soil is and the amount of rocks we've had to remove. We've had to use a pick-axe roughly every 10 minutes to loosen the soil. Even Mihail said he's never encountered ground as hard as this while digging. The upside is we're all going to leave Romania with Michelle Obama worthy arm muscles. Check!

Thursday night, we had yet another big thunder and lightning storm. It poured so hard that the dirt roads in the village turned into mud rivers. We didn't even bother driving to the site to see what our trenches looked like; John said there was no way we would be able to dig. Instead, we all got on a one o'clock bus to Constanta, a large city situated on the Black Sea coast about three hours away, where we will be staying for the weekend.

I posted some pictures below of me working on the stone wall, happily brushing away. Mum, these are for you since I know you always complain that I never take pictures of myself. Enjoy!

Swimming in the Danube Delta (7/9/2012)

On Monday, instead of digging, we all took a boat trip on the Danube (I know I originally said the Black Sea, but turns out the Black sea trip is this weekend). We were split into two motor boats, and left the harbor around 11 a.m.

The quote of the trip was, "there's so much life on the Delta!" And it's definitely true. The Danube Delta is flourishing with vegetation, frogs, birds, fish and other wildlife. We would coast through these narrow passageways into large, open waters of the Delta where a thousand lily pads bloomed. I have never seen so many lily pads in my life!

After an hour of boating, we finally came to a nice swimming spot and docked. I was so excited to swim! The water was perfect temperature; warmer than I thought it would be. And the bottom of the Delta is solid MUD. In an attempt to walk out of the water onto the shore, I was knee-deep stuck in mud to the point where someone had to yank me out.

Afterward, we ate a traditional Romanian meal of sausage (a large ate of vegetables for me), mustard, bread and beer.