After Bucharest we boarded yet another train, this one with actual parking for our bikes, through the Carpathians to explore the cities of Brasov, Sibiu, Sighisoara, and Cluj Napoca. Transylvania is one big beautiful countryside with small towns or villages and butt loads of fortified churches and forts. We pretty much went by train from town to town with the exception of Sibiu to Sighisoara, which we ended up riding the 94km between towns. As a result, we didn't get to see all the old goodies but being on a bike, we did happen to ride by A LOT. The countryside is literally littered with history.
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| stuff like this all over |
Things I've learned about Vlad the Impaler. Apparently he wasn't such a bad dude. Who knew? He was raised by the Turks to be a great warrior and in turn, he ended up defending the churches, successfully I might add, from them. Can you imagine training this great killing machine only to have him turn on you? The betrayal! Ok ok, sure he liked to impale his victims. And sure, he did it through the rectum out the shoulder to ensure a long and painful death, legend has it, so he could watch while enjoying his favorite cup o' tea and a crumpet. A theory of this favorite pass time was due to being molested by the very Turks who took him in as a child. Bottom line, he was hired to protect the churches of Transylvania from the invading hoards and he did his job very well. Why'd he get such a bad rap when there have been other, equally bloody conquers and rulers? Who knows, but all the little towns play strongly to his legend and the folklore Bram Stoker created. It would appear this Victorian author grasped on to this historical figure as well as old country superstitions to create one hell of a popular fable.
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| At Bran Castle |
Let us touch on a few of these superstitions, shall we? Strigoi, are spirits of the dead whose actions were not worthy to be allowed to move on. These troubled souls raised from the dead with powers to transform into animals and drain victims of their blood. No doubt where the vampire legend was derived. Ghosts were also considered a form of vampire and many wards, like the famous garlic, were used for projection. A dog bark too much in your direction? You're doomed, plan your funeral now. This one is my favorite...did you know that if your baby was born with a red bonnet on it's head and you did not remove said bonnet before said baby ate it, well then, your baby is as good as possessed by the Devil. So on and so forth.
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| His childhood home in Sighisoara |
Dracula and his legend are riddled all over the area, it's his homeland and a beautiful one at that, but you'll only find bits and pieces pertaining to the man himself. However the locals, I'm sure proud, pinpoint in on the story and the tourists who feed upon it, to make a living. As a result you go looking for Vlad and find cheesy paraphernalia. Bran castle, aside from being stunning and worth a visit, wasn't Vlad's. True, apparently he stayed there, but it was more a royal home throughout the years. Sighisoara was where he lived with his father as a child, so there you will find a plaque on his home. Apparently the castle that Vlad took as his own,
Poenari, was indeed in the mountains on a cliff above a river. I really wanted to see it but it would seem that reaching it would be a monetary effort. I could not find tours that would go there from our side of the Carpathians. Private tour guides were available for a big price, or you could travel by bus or train to the town nearest to it, Curtea de Arges, and somehow find a way the last distance to the 1,480 steps to climb that reach the ruins. Alas, I was defeated. Another time.
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| Vlad the man himself |
While planning this trip the name Transylvania brought to mind things like Vampires, creepy gypsy witches warning me not to go into dark forests after the clock struck on some hour, and werewolves. Alas, nothing was really scary there and I was mostly met with beauty. Damn my luck. I guess growing up with horror movies has desensitized me because I was hoping for more. On the whole the area is well worth a visit. I would recommend planning a two week trip by train or rental car. Take the time to hit all the small villages and make a tour of all the Medieval fortified goodies lying about. Having a car will also help you in reaching Vlad III's ruins
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| Apparently his other mode of transportation |
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