For Moldova I had only a transit visa, and upon arrival I learned that the weekly bus to Paris was to leave Chisinau in the evening. So my morning hours were spent in a difficult search for the Eurolines office, thus my first impression of the country wasn't very positive. It is an interesting place though. Police checkpoints on the highways, tanks. It felt like a mix of the Slavic world and the Latin. However once I found the office and bought my ticket I saw a nicer side of town. Unfortunately I didn't have time to go and see more of Transnistria next door. I was here in April 2006.

Arms of Moldova

Arms of Moldova

Map of Moldova

 Map of Moldova

Tanks

Moldova was very militarized, here are some tanks in the road just over the river from the breakaway republic. April 2006.

This is the colourful bus I took from Kiev to Chisinau. April 2006.

 Bus

Education

I think this is an advertisement for a sort of military school. April 2006.

Here and there in the former U.S.S.R. there are still hammer and sickle motifs. April 2006.

 Hammer and Sickle

Watch

I bought a nice Belarussian automatic watch while I was in Chisinau, the band was a bit too big though, here is the shop where I got it tightened. April 2006.

Downtown Chisinau. April 2006.

 Chisinau

Station

The train station in Chisinau. April 2006.

A government building. April 2006.

 Government

Church

A nice church. April 2006.

This motif was at the train station. April 2006.

 Hammer and Sickle

Police

When I took the picture of the hammer and sickle at the train station a Police officer came up and wanted to get a bribe, first he found someone that spoke English, then looked at my passport. Then asked me to buy him beer. The lady he found was nice though. She said I shouldn't pay him. I said no and he seemed quite disappointed. All over central Europe the police are corrupt. In Poland, Ukraine and Moldova they asked for bribes. The corrupt one here is the tall guy. I should say that a lot of the police in these counties are nice as well. Often when I am lost I ask police for directions and most of them are friendly. April 2006.

Here at one of the main bus stations in the capital of Moldova was a heard of goats and a herder. April 2006.

 Goat Herder

Fields

Fields in Moldova. April 2006.

Passport Stamps

Passport Stamp Passport Stamp

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All material copyright 2004-2010 by Loren Everly.