The Danube mist was so thick I could hardly see the dawn. On Friday I woke up in a cheap hotel in the Romanian city of Galati, close to the point where the nation meets both Ukraine and Moldova. I was heading for the latter – specifically on the 8am bus to the city of Comrat, capital of the strange Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia. After seeing the sights and a spot of lunch, I would continue to the national capital of Chisinau on the 1.05pm bus in good time for some exploration. What could possibly go wrong – and right? I was about to find out.
8am: The sole Mir Trans Express departure of the day to Comrat is due to leave from an implausible location: on a suburban street just past a student pub named Student Pub, with no evidence whatsoever that this is an international departure point. I arrive in good time, since any alternative to the bus is guaranteed to be expensive and awkward. I have no actual ticket, just a reservation. Furthermore, I have neither Romanian nor Moldovan currency: just two €50 notes.
8.25am: Had the express bus glided through the fog without my noticing? The two other people who were waiting for it look increasingly despondent. Just as I am running through a possible alternative of a shared taxi to the border, a walk across no man’s land and the hope of finding some kind of transport on the other side, the express turns up with a handful of other passengers already on board.
I had been half-hoping for a proper, 50-seater coach. But no: it is a marshrutka. These are the beefy minibuses fitted with 20 seats, including a funny fold-down one right next to the driver, that serve as public transport across much of eastern Europe. The ceiling is carpeted, the legroom is minimal.
8.30am: The driver has one phone on the dashboard to guide him, and another in his left hand. As he steers through the mist, he calls out the names of passengers. Both he and I are surprised that I am not on the list, and he asks for my phone so he can check the reservation. In a feat of multitasking, he keeps driving while using his phone to take a picture of my phone. Then he spots a police car, and allows the bus to steer itself while he puts on his seatbelt as the law requires. Health and safety gone mad.
8.40am: With the help of the other passengers, the driver communicates the fact that he…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Independent Travel…