exactly a year a go after I have had the most beautiful experience in Berlin, I reunited with my old good friend Renzo from Switzerland (that I was happy to meet in Tallinn) when we decided to start a journey together from Krakow all the way through South-East Europe. Our goal was to reach Turkey without taking flights and we did it! It was almost a month and a half of traveling that can found a book on basis of numerous thrilling stories and adventures we passed through together. After being in Ukraine and a immediate start of crazy cold winter we wanted to go South to hunt for at least a bit of a warm weather. We took an overnight train from Kiev to Chisinau. When in Kiev we heard lots of stories about Moldova and we were so excited about it. Although quite often the stories we heard were a bit negative as people were trying to warn us of going there because they thought there were nothing to do, nothing to see but to put ourselves in danger. Pure cruising for a bruising! Something that sounds exactly in the way we expect a real journey should be! Would you believe somebody who is afraid to get off the hostel to discover real world outside? That’s why a counter-evidence of other information source we had seemed more inspiring and credible: and surely it turned out to be the right one! Two brothers from Canada (a year after good friends of mine that we shared  another journey to Russia… details later) that share the same passion for traveling like we do told us everything about the place. Transnistria is a territory claimed as an independent country within the country but nobody recognizes their independence. But the militaries, who govern and rule the country, apparently are not concerned too much about that, and make their own history by setting specific rules, laws, and even the currency. Transnistria is a 2 hours ride from Chisinau by a minibus. After passing border control and immigration service we got into… no cameras are allowed! Don’t ask me how we managed to take pictures there but was a really good journey full of fun. The place stopped, froze in time: soviet buildings, Russian tanks in the streets, Lenin statues everywhere! We had a great walk around and nothing bad happened because when you have a good attitude about places you are visiting things move for you in a good way to offer you the best experience ever.
‘Just do it’. That’s what I did when I went to Transnistria. I just did that, just went there, and again got more than just a good experience. The name sounds unfamiliar for you, right? Likewise for many people who have never been there (and often not so much at other places) who find it necessary to warn you about every desperate or foolhardy step you are going to do. I made it familiar for myself due to my ability not to always listen to people’s opinion and timid advice. And I will never regret it.
Chisinau, a capital of Moldova, left just good memories in my mind and I have very warm feelings every time I am remembering this place where I made good friends, discovered new bars and restaurants, and met humble local people who manage not to lose their spirit although living in exceptionally tough political and economic condition. That is one of the most important thing that I learned while travelling in Eastern Europe and why I admire it: being able to find beauty and pleasure in little, often unrecognizable things that make up our days. And days, you know, make up our lives…
Once again never follow what people say go and discover it by your own and you will never wonder what if ……..
enjoy this photo gallery from Moldova and Transnistria.

Cheers

Soulrebel