American Travel Blogs (III/V): “What It’s Like To Live In Bucharest, Romania”
Travel Blogger:Earl, from wanderingearl.com
Right from the beginning, he voices his way of traveling. He has a distinct view on traveling, as he likes to discover the place, to ‚feel it out’, and unlike the vloggers discussed in this series, he makes an effort to meet people. He makes an important point, indirectly, that a place is as much about the space itself, as it is about the people.
„I formulate my opinions based upon my interactions with local people, my wanderings around random, everyday neighborhoods and my keen interest in trying to ‘feel’ a destination as opposed to simply seeing it.”
He makes no effort to hide the unpleasant parts of Bucharest unlike Silvia, analyzed I this series:
‘There’s a lot of gray, there’s no shortage of neglected buildings, communist-style apartment blocks and unattractive graffiti, and at first, it can appear as an overall gloomy place, which is why most travelers rarely stick around for more than two or three days.’
As such, he shatters all suspicion that he might be biased towards the city. Moreover, he grounds it in reality not necessarily because he speaks about its history, but because he is honest about the negative aspects of it. As such, he normalizes it, unapologetically. He turns from a former communist city, into a normal city.
However, unlike the rest of the bloggers, he has the longest contact with Bucharest, as he’s lived in it on and off, for a few months. As such, he can make the following observation:
„Most of Bucharest’s charm and appeal lies hidden, tucked far away into corners of the city that the overwhelming majority of travelers will undoubtedly never find.”
A lingering effect of communism, maybe, when everything was hidden, secluded, quiet. Such is the beauty of Bucharest, that you have to work for in order to find it.
This is as much a testament to Earl, and the kind of tourist he is. One gets a different feeling of a place upon having everything thrown at them, from a city bus tour, versus having to discover it themselves. It makes the experience much more personal and creates a bond between the traveler and the place:
„one must search behind the dark gray facade in order to find the cafes, jazz clubs, galleries and exhibition halls, parks, restaurants, independent cinemas and more that give this city an entirely different energy and identity.”
A reply to one of his commentators shatters all expectations of Bucharest as a communist scarecrow city: ” Hey Mark – To be honest, I don’t know any personally but I don’t see why there wouldn’t be. You pretty much have everything here that can be found in any city in Western Europe or North America.” . As such, he demystifies it and normalizes it, making it accessible to prospect travelers and tourists alike.
Original article: http://www.wanderingearl.com/what-its-like-to-live-in-bucharest/
