Troubles with Vodaphone.ro, the hellish Urzika plant, missing hubcap, Romanian "Home Depot" OBI, castles, churches and more travels throughout Romania

So I purchased a Vodaphone cell phone here shortly after my arrival so I could make local as well as international calls. There are no contracts here you just "recharge" your SIM card with minutes at kiosks, stores or online. I was on the phone with my mom a couple of nights ago and got disconnected because my minutes ran out; unfortunately, the vodaphone store was closed so I could not buy minutes; so I attempted to go online at http://www.vodophone.ro/ and purchase minutes with my credit card. The entire website is in Romanian; but I was able to navigate it with my newly learned language skills and the help of Google Translate. I purchased 50 Euros worth of minutes, however they never showed up on my phone or the website; they did show as a pending transaction with my bank though. I have called vodophone numerous times and tried to find out what happened to no avail...I think I will just bite the bullet and lose the 50 Euros unless a miracle happens. From now on I am just going to the Vodophone store to recharge because it always works there. Ugh!

update!!! They just called me back and they had to approve the card..now I have 1200 minutes to call in Romania and 150 minutes to call the US! Woot Woot!

There is a plant here called Urzika, I call it "hell" weed and anytime you brush up against it it feels like getting stung by 50 bees all at the same time. While walking around these village churches, castles and cemeterys yesterday with shorts on I encountered this plant many times and my legs broke out with blisters and felt like they were on fire. When I got back to Sibiu I went to the grocery store and looked for something like Calamine lotion to no avail. I asked the security gurad at the store who has helped me before in my broken Romanian for a anti itch cream for Urzika...she pointed out a Urzika shampo...no thanks. LOL I cannot imagine putting that stuff on my head; I found out later that the Urzika plant is used to make many products including shampo, lotions etc. I then found a lotion that looked like the pink color of calamine; however when I asked two english speaking women they said no that would take the hair of my legs...Romanian hair remover! Ouch, glad I did not buy that. I then went to the Pharmacy and purchased a lotion called Mixtura Mentolata (Zinc and Eucalyptus oil) for itching and burning of the skin and it worked just fine. Thank God! Much better now.

I noticed yesterday afternoon that one of my hubcaps on my Dacia Logan was missing. Oops! Must have lost it on one of these rocky Romanian village roads the day before. I am going to try to find one at a car parts store today, otherwise I imagine there goes my 300 Euro car rental deposit. I went to the gas station yesterday to get the car washed; you pay about 5 US Dollars (17 Lei) and you drive into the wash and a man manually sprays off your vehicle and then a automated car wash finishes the job. Not sure if you have to tip the guy or not so I gave him 2 lei just in case. the car looks much better.

I traveled to many more old Saxon villages yesterday and met a cool guy Gustavo in Slimnic who lives in a house within the walls of a old 13th century fortified church! Awesome! He is the caretaker and charges 2 lei (.60 cents) to visit. Not sure if he just moved into the house or he is the official caretaker...either way great guy and he has a 2 month old puppy that is adorable.

In a village Sura Mare just 2 to 3 km north of Sibiu I found many "Fuss" gravestones as well as "Mai" not sure if they are distant relatives...who knows. The xploring this part of the world is what is the most fun. I basically threw out my itinerary once I arrived and have played it by ear ever since. i just got off the phone with the Cabana high in the Fagaras mountains and they said the Transfagarasan pass is now open...After I add pics to this blog, take a shower than I am headed up the pass and to "Dracula's castle Poienari Castle!

Oh, and another thing I just called Sebes and the archivist Ms. Molnar is back tomorrow so I can see all the remaining records for my families village. I am so excited! maybe now I can put all the pieces together about my family.

Tom

The "hellish" fire plant Urzika below!

This is what the plant does to your skin! Ouch!

The Saxons must have thrown this out of the castles in times of war! LOL!

Romania's version of Home Depot..same bright Portical (Orange) color scheme too. Here it is called OBI.

Fortified castle/church in Slimnic, Gustava the castle keep and his Caine (dog)!

This is a map of the area of my families village. Ungerei / Gergeschdorf is in the top left corner, right above Boz.

Cool intersection street signs

Saxon church in Seica Mica

This map will give you and idea of how many Saxon fortified churches/ castles are in this small part of Transylvania. the area on the map is probably only 150 square kilometers if that.

The missing hubcap ! Uh Oh!