The Iron Horse to Bucharest, or, Trenul!
I’ve always loved train travel, and thus jumped at the chance when I heard that I could take the train from Chisinau, Moldova, where I’m teaching on a Fulbright scholarship, to Bucharest, the capital of neighboring Romania. 

Before I tell you about my experiences, I am requiring you, dear reader, to watch this catchy, highly entertaining music video filmed aboard the same train I took:

As a semi-rational human, I knew the trip wouldn’t be like this video, but deep in the recesses of my calcified mind, I held out some hope that perhaps it might be somewhat lively and entertaining.

As I said, my mind is calcified.

Awaiting unsuspecting passengers in Chisinau

With nary an accordion in sight, we left Chisinau at 5:00pm, on time, and arrived an hour late the next morning in Bucharest at 7:30am. I bought a berth in a sleeper compartment, which features two couches/beds, and little else. As we left Chisinau, I was alone in the tiny cabin, content to watch the bucolic scenery roll past my window. At bed time, I laid down on my ‘Couch McBed.’ Young people: When someone my age is laid out on a slab this hard, we continuously, nervously scan the area for the presence of embalming fluids and equipment.

 Somehow, I managed to drift off.

What happened next is the subject of a message I sent my wife, which reads as follows:
"About 2:00am, there was a knock at my cabin door. I opened the door, and there was a woman there. I knew what she wanted. I let her in."

I left my wife hanging for a few minutes before I elaborated: The woman was 80+ years old. All she wanted was her bed, and for me to retrieve a blanket that was stored beyond her reach. I’m not so sure about the policy that puts strange men and women together in a tiny cabin. I know I was uncomfortable, and I’m sure grandma (great-grandma?) was, too.

My/our cabin, with two slabs/beds

On the return trip, I was on the lookout for a possible roommate, but none materialized. 

An unusual feature of the trip is that at the Moldova-Romania border, the wheels on the train have to be switched out, since one country’s gauge (width between tracks) is wider than the other country. The wheel changing produced an ungodly racket featuring the world’s loudest, sharpest metal-on-metal clanking.  On the way to Bucharest, this occurred at about 9:00pm. On the way back, it happened at 3:00am, and thus sleep was impossible for an hour or longer. Also at the border, there was a constant parade of passport control and customs officials checking your documents and luggage. No, I did not smuggle cigarettes. (Cigarettes are cheaper in Moldova, so they’re smuggled into Romania and sold for a profit. The cig question is also asked on bus trips from Romania into Moldova.)

Would I recommend the Chisinau to Bucharest train trip? Considering that I saved $200 compared to flying and the usual airport hassles, the answer is yes. If I do this again, I’ll probably buy both bunks in my cabin. This will negate the possibility of having a cabin mate, and give me room to store my accordion as well.

I did not see anyone playing accordion in this hallway.