Yesterday I took the train from Tarnovo, Bulgaria to Bucharest, Romania.
The ride was fine. I took one train from Tarnovo for about 25 minutes, and transferred to another train to Bucharest.
The trains are very old, with graffiti written on the sides. For the 5 hour ride (Give or take), like many trains in Europe, I was in a separate compartment, but for one part of the ride it was only myself and one other person in the compartment (With total seating for 8 I believe). For the reminder, it was only myself.
The ride was fine, until we reached the Bulgarian border where a Bulgarian guard collected passports for the exit stamps. At this stop, we we're scheduled to stop for approximately half an hour, so before the border guard collected passports, one American guy in his 50's or 60's decided to leave the train for a cup of coffee. His wife was still on the train, and she explained this to the border guard, who said something like "yikes. Americans" (although in fairness a British guy did the same thing).
Eventually they caught up, and our passports we're stamped and away we went. And they we're stamped again at the Romanian station a few kilometers up the track.
Everything was fine-about 1/2 an hour after the last passport stamp, I left the compartment to go to the bathroom. The bathroom on the train wasn't dirty (although it didn't smell good). It actually looked like a decommissioned bathroom, as there was no soap, toilet paper, or running water. I just had to urinate so not necessarily an issue, although looking in the toilet bowl I could actually see the ground rushing by, so I was actually pissing partially on the ground.
In any case, I reached cold, rainy Bucharest about 6:00. I used an ATM to take out money (one currency exchange place told me that the $100 USD was equal to 3300 Romanian Lei, when actually $1000 USD is equal to 3300 Lei-so it wasn't a shock when the ATM declined my first transaction), and exchanged some Bulgarian currency. I then took the metro to the hostel, and found it without too much difficulty.
I checked in after waiting behind some people from Germany I think. I then went to the room, and took a top bunk, as that was all that was left. The guy from Germany got a bottom bunk. I cursed myself for going to the ATM as if I didn't I may have reached the hostel first and got a bottom bunk.
After checking in, I met a Big strong French Canadian dude I saw in another hostel. We decided to have some dinner together. The hostel recommended some casual place around the corner-we went there. This place was weird-they didn't have much food left-just sausage, salad, and a plate of fish (Sardines I think). He took everything but the fish and I ate the fish. (when I asked what type of fish-they said "just regular fish". He spoke to the owners in French-and they liked that. I tried to say Merci and Bon Soir, but they we're unimpressed with me for some reason. Plus I felt that fish the rest of the night.
