The teams fly to Bucharest (Romania) which means a day’s
drive to the village of Gotesti, where we are working in Moldova. There is such
diversity between the cities and the countryside. Bucharest does have a western feel to it. But as you leave the city, the road gradually deteriorates.
However, the roads are surrounded by beautiful rural farmland.
There are many stray dogs, especially at petrol stations,
but they don’t seem to bother us. The rural villages are so rustic. People
travel by horse and cart however there is still the odd flash Mercedes which
seems very incongruous to the backdrop. I suppose it highlights what country of
inequality Moldova is.
There are plenty of smallholdings and geese, ducks,
chickens and turkeys freely wander the streets. It's hard to tell whose is whose but it doesn’t seem to be an issue.
They seem to grow a lot of dill here. The smell often wafts
through the air and it is in all our meals. Having never liked it I have quickly
had to get used to it!
Thursday seems to be rubbish burning day in the village.
There is no rubbish collection so people burn little bonfires in the
street. There is one main tarmac road
that runs the length of the village but all the other roads are dirt tracks.
They go from dry and dusty to mud-bath when it rains. I have even had to invest
in wellies from the market!
