Ice cream in Romania

Naturally if I will seriously talk about my great road trip anywhere then I will talk about my time away from air conditioning, computers, even normal toilet paper. (it's pink over there instead of white.)

I traveled to a small town in the hills of southern Romania. Then there was this one part of town that people made their homes out of scrap metal and mud found at the junk yards. Some of these people were so poor that they didn't even own a single pair of pants. Some people just walked around completely nude.

I was there to help the kids, bring food and play games with them. Some of these didn't quite know how to react to this. Some of the parents absolutely HATED the fact that I was there. To give their kid a good time and then be gone the next day.

We also threw a BBQ at the place I stayed which was called, "Casa Li Minii." Where there was music, live dances, and stories.

Then later that night is sort of my journey. But before I share it, let me remind you that government workers in almost every European country think that us Americans are absolute trash, especially students.

Well how the story pans out is my friend in Romania, Andrei, is a bit reckless. He went out to see some friends and before he got back, the doors leading into the apartments were locked. The only way to actually unlock the door is with one of those old fashioned keys.

Since the stairs and the patio can be accessed without a key, he decided to try to come into the kitchen window on the third floor from the railing on the stairs. I happened to be at the kitchen window for some reason helping him commit this extremely insane act.

He stands up on the rail and puts one foot on the window ledge. But because there are so many broken rocks and debre the once he leaned himself towards the window, he slips and falls just out of my reach.

He fell three stories onto hard cement. It knocked him out instantly. I yelled, "HE FELL!" Everyone else in the apartment seemed to think I was joking but after seeing me run and kick that locked door open in a single kick without hesitation, they seemed to pay more attention to what just happened.

They called an ambulance and we were trying to soak up the blood and for some strange reason, we used tshirts instead of towels but this is a third world country so I guess it has to be ghetto. But then when the police arrived to examine what had just happened, I was the only witness.

Now remember what I said about government workers hating Americans. Also try to keep in mind that I was the absolutely only witness, I don't understand a word of Romanian, and the only person who can vouch for me is unconscious and on the way to the hospital.

So frankly, the police seemed to have it figured out that I must have pushed my friend out the kitchen window down three stories onto concrete for some kind of kicks and giggles. After they had questioned me in Romanian and me telling them I don't know what you are saying. They decided to arrest me.

That is when this woman named Alex came to the rescue. I was sitting in the office and she starts to yell at these police in Romanian. Now, this woman is 5 ft tall at most. These cops were taller than me with the typical mustache and such.

After they had yelled back and forth for two full hours in a language that I will never understand, I was free. There was a point in that night where I actually accepted going to jail for attempted murder in a third world country. Everyone I traveled with thought I was already in jail.

But it was a nice feeling to walk out of there. I've been more careful about things and got a good taste of Romanian politics when it comes to americans.
-jeff

PS I hope you like the pictures. The first is obviously part of Slatina, Romania. That is uptown and downtown is on the other side of the hill behind me. Then in the second are two kids in the gypsy village. Then the third is the Pastor, Sandu, and his wife who saved me, Alex.