Covasna camp adventures, Romania

    

I want to write a bit about the “adventure” happened on the way to the camp that became the coolest camp I have ever been to. It was in June, 2008 when, being at Masters at the University of Oradea I filled out a demand to a scholar camp. Because I had the average grade 10 (out of 10) in the first semester, I got easily a place. But it was at the Seaside, in Costinesti (a resort at the Black Sea, in Romania).

My work colleague, Feri, two years younger at the same university (and faculty too) also got a ticket, but at Covasna. Covasna is a mountain resort, well known for its mineral waters. (It is known as the town of 1000 mineral springs). Because I wanted to go with him, I manage somehow to exchange my ticket with a college colleague who got a ticket to Covasna. So we both were schedule to go to Covasna on the 21st of July, 2008. We didn’t care much about this camp and we postponed the buying of the tickets until just one day before departing.

When we arrived at the train agency, it was Saturday and we saw it close. We thought that we’re not going to make it. I said: let’s go to the train station and buy the tickets from there. So we went there and asked at the wicket. The lady there told us that she cannot give us tickets, but not to worry, there will be tickets in the day we’ll go, just to come to the pay-office half an hour earlier. We went home relief and start to pack. The train was scheduled for 9 PM, on Sunday. It was the train that connects Budapest with Brasov. As we were about to find out, the conditions on the train weren’t exactly worthy of its international status. We arrived earlier at the station, bought the tickets and wait.

We thought that the trip will be smooth, of course we were wrong. First of all, we didn’t respect the seats on the ticket and took a random compartment. Big mistake. Until Cluj, it was ok, we talked, listen to music in our mp3 players, or had a little snack. At Cluj, some really interesting persons entered our compartment. They really looked like paid serial killers. With tattoos all over their bodies, with a “bad guy” look and voice. One of them told us that he’s a chef, and I hardly found a moment to chink. Nothing special, till now. But they started a long, a very long conversation with us, a conversation that involved a lot of smoking, drinking and swearing. We were so tired (it was after midnight) and they talked life philosophies, about money, the meaning of life or other crucial topics. When a woman wanted to enter the compartment she felt the cigarette smell and said something about this.

This was enough to make them mad and began to swear her, and to explain to us why she’s bad and they are good. Like we care. This was nothing, compared to what happened next. A really, I mean really, courageous guy entered the compartment and told us to leave because he has tickets there. Surprisingly, even the huge guys got up and wanted to change the compartment. Us too, because we knew that they weren’t our seats. But one of the “gangsters” (sorry, but they looked like gangsters) asked that guy his ticket to check his seats … and surprise, the seats were good, but not the compartment. You should see then: They really got angry about the aplomb of that guy and jumped to knock him good. Luckily his friend interfered and rescued him for a certain hospitalization. They were so pissed off.

After this incident, the philosophies continued like nothing happened. Between a cigarette and a glass of vodka, they explain us the way to do business, they gave us meaningful advices and told us their life story. At one point I remember that Feri was so sleepy that he barely could keep his eyes opened. One guy then asked him “Feri, you’re not listening, no?”, and Feri was so tired that he couldn’t answer, he just shake his head. When we arrived at Sfantu Gheorghe (from where we went to Covasna), they wished us all the best and we left, happy we’ll still alive.

So we arrived at Sfantu Gheorghe, 30 Km from Covasna. We didn’t know what to take next and we wander there until we missed that minibus. We had to wait another one. Not a big problem, because anyhow we couldn’t check in the hotel until noon. We started to wait, like an hour or maybe more, until the minibus came. It was so full, that we barely had a place (not a seat, just a place in the crowd). It was so uncomfortable, and we were so tired that we barely walked. We arrived at about 11 in Covasna, exhausted. We couldn’t continue the trip to the hotel so we stop somewhere and got a juice. I remember that is was so hot, that we finished our juice in about … 30 seconds? The bags were heavy, we were tired, it was a really hot weather, our feet were like spades but we kept walking. Like our friend, Johnny J. We arrived earlier at the hotel, but surprisingly they gave us the keys to our room.

This was the beginning of the coolest camp I have ever been too. Pictures told the story.

Story of a summer fun - overview

1. Jul 21, 2008 Covasna camp adventures (Covasna)
2. Jul 21, 2008 Covasna, a Little Wonder in Romania (Covasna)  ( 100)
3. Jul 25, 2008 Wandering in Brasov (Brasov)  ( 220)

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Covasna, a Little Wonder in Romania