To Bucharest, Romania

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Country #89. We got up at 7 am to be ready for breakfast delivery at 8 am.  We had a leisurely morning packing up to fly today. We had been worried about the inability to check in online for Windrose Air but it turned out fine. We got to Kiev's other international airport after the check in desk was posted but before it opened so we were at the front of the line. We had to have every bag x-rayed and go through a metal detector to enter the airport building at all. Never had that before. We got a window & an aisle seat assigned without being asked. After checking our bags and getting boarding passes, we had to pass another security check to get to our gate. Our aircraft was a small jet with a single seat, aisle and 2 seats and overhead storage only on the double seat side. Like all our local flights so far, it involved a bus on the tarmac and stairs to enter and exit. It was fine. It was about a 2 hour flight from Kiev to Bucharest. We had arranged with our hotel in Bucharest, The Europa Royale, for an airport transfer at 27 Euros. This was the only hotel that never replied to repeated emails to confirm. So, no big surprise when there was no one waiting for us outside baggage claim. Clay used the time I searched for our name in the crowd to get cash from an ATM. I also saw how people were getting taxis and Clay used the ordering kiosk to request one. It was kind of a mess outside with the taxis and a couple of cabbies got out and checked our claim slip and told us how to read it and where to stand and what to look for. Again, it worked out fine because it was about $12 vs. the 27 Euros we'd agreed to pay. We'll make sure we cancel the transfer request back to the airport! We had a bit of a disagreement about removing the transfer fee from our room bill but Clay & I both bit back and another desk clerk came over and said it would be removed. She also handled us keeping the same room when we change from our reservation to Trip2Ro's. So, really no complaints. And I can get ice cubes at the restaurant! There is a 110 outlet for a nightlight in the bathroom. Downsides are no tissues, only 1 chair is at the desk and only 1 luggage rack. The room is spacious enough for more furniture, I don't know why it seems to be missing.

We were settled in after 5 pm. We walked almost next door to Hanu 'lui Manoc for a quick dinner. It was a huge outdoor dining area and the whole place was smoking. It was too hot to eat outside too. The food was good and it was quick and convenient.

We thought we had an 8 am start tomorrow. (Well Clay thought it was a day off for laundry but it is not.) I checked email right before dinner and there was one informing us they'd pick us up at 7:30 am instead. Breakfast doesn't start until 7 am so we won't be able to come back to the room before setting off for a full day to Bulgaria. I'll write about that tomorrow or the next day depending on exactly how long tomorrow's tour is. Don't worry, we'll tour Bucharest and Romania just not right away...

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