As Louisvillians Bogdan and Heather Slack Raitu rode past a
gaggle of geese on their motorcycle in the Romanian town of Grosii
Noii, one of the creatures swooped nearly five feet into the air,
flapped its wings violently and tried to attack them with its beak.
But that was the only rude reception the couple got during a
six-month trek through Romania that racked up 10,666 miles on their
motorcycle's odometer. Bogdan, 32, who was born in Arad, a town in
western Romania, and Heather, 31, began their dream journey the day
after taxes were due, on April 16, 2006, and returned in October.
The couple had taken
motorcycle trips in Kentucky and other states, including Tennessee
and Virginia, but this was by far their most ambitious journey.
"We wanted to do something a little more exciting," Bogdan said.
He was eager to introduce the glacial lakes, rolling mountains,
painted churches, quaint villages and winding roads of his native
land to his wife, and the two dropped everything to take the trip,
defying the expectations of friends and relatives who were
suggesting they start a family.
Heather and Bogdan both previously worked at Eastern Kentucky
University, she as a fundraiser and he as an institutional
researcher. They quit their jobs, got rid of their apartment and
stored their things with friends in Bowling Green, Ky., with whom
they're currently living. They cycled to New York, then had their
bike shipped to Budapest, Hungary, where they picked it up and rode
into neighboring Romania, a country roughly the size of Oregon.
They blogged as often as possible, took hundreds of stunning
pictures and constructed their own motorcycle guide to Romania, a
southeastern European country that's not exactly the most popular
tourist destination for Americans. That may change, however. In
January, Romania, which has the leu as its currency, joined the
European Union, and Bogdan believes that may increase interest and
travel.
"A lot of the prices have been aligning with European prices for
the last five years or so," he said. "You pay $5 a gallon for
gasoline, but for lodging we paid an average of $20 a night, mostly
for bed and breakfast. Lodging is really affordable, and restaurant
food is really affordable."
He adds that this transition to the European Union has been tough
on the Romanians, whose average wage is $200 a month. Americans got
a tongue-in-cheek taste of the country's poverty in "Borat: Cultural
Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of
Kazakhstan," in which Borat's hometown of Kuzcek, Kazakhstan, was
represented by Glod, Romania. Bogdan wasn't offended.
"It's all too easy to make fun of backward places, and Romania
has a lot of that," he said. "I saw that sequence, and I thought it
was funny. He's funny. As long as a point is being made," it's OK.
Giving
back
Borat did not offer a glimpse of the compassionate charity work
being done in the country.
For several weeks of their trip, Bogdan and Heather volunteered
at Caminul Felix (Happy Home), a village for orphans. Located in
Bihor, in western Romania, it has lodging for about 200 orphans, a
school, a hospital, recreational facilities and more. It was founded
in 1990, and people from all over the world volunteer there.
Couples are provided with a home and take in 12 to 14 children.
"The kids get to grow up in as close to a family environment as
possible," Bogdan said. Added Heather, "We wanted to take our skill
sets and volunteer as well. Beside just driving around the country
and providing an online travel guide, why not give back?"
Heather helped with fundraising strategies, and Bogdan assisted
the village leaders with business development, public relations and
Web site improvements.
The couple stayed in one of the orphan homes, and the children
were fascinated by their bike. "They all wanted to ride
motorcycles," Heather said. The children would crowd around Bogdan,
and he gave as many of them rides as he could manage. They also
played soccer at night with the kids, edited their school
assignments and shared Romanian pastries like lengosi -- fried dough
covered with sour cream and cheese.
"It certainly made the trip worth the time," Heather said. "Just
the opportunity to be with these children."
The
country
The couple spent about a week of every month at Caminul Felix and
the rest of their time exploring the topographically and
geographically diverse regions of Bucovina, Maramures, Montenia,
Oltenia and Transylvania, where Dracula supposedly lived. They
steered clear of the bustling and expensive capital of Bucharest and
kept to the countryside, weaving through the winding, narrow roads.
"Romania has about 300 miles of freeways," Bogdan said. "The rest
of the country is two-lane roads."
The most crooked and challenging of these roads for motorcyclists
is called the Transfaragasan. Built between 1970 and 1974 as a
military route, it snakes up the tallest peaks of the Carpathians.
The Raitus had no mechanical problems on their long ride and in
practically every region shared the road with goats and other
livestock.
" 'When the cows come home' has a whole new meaning when you get
there," Bogdan said. "The cows really come home around 5."
More animals caught their eye as well.
"Every small town has storks," Bogdan said. "They'll rear the
chicks, and by the time fall rolls around, they are ready to fly."
In addition to the wildlife, they marveled at the many majestic
medieval castles in the country, including Bran's Castle in
Transylvania, often referred to as Dracula's Castle "for no other
reason than to attract tourists," Bogdan said. "It was a summer
residence for Romanian royalty."
As they trekked from town to town, they were awed by intricately
painted wooden churches, colorful cemeteries, sprawling landscapes
with haystacks worthy of a Monet painting and parks filled with
artwork, including the sculptures of Romanian artist Constantin
Brancusi.
But what will stick with them the most is "how open and friendly
and hospitable the people are, even if they may not understand
exactly what you're saying," Heather said. "There's a sense of
openness and appreciation and warmth. They're extremely gracious."
Reporter Tamara Ikenberg can be reached at (502) 582-4174.
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