It was supposed to be unheralded but Day 1 turned out to be an exciting and blood pressure raising day. We started with a quiet breakfast in the plane after a sleepless flight from Vancouver to Paris (Paano ka namang makatulog alas dos ng hapon ang flight samantalang 12 midnight ang sleeping time namin) Anyway that was our least inconvenience as the flight was delayed which made us worried right away since we only had a two hour window to catch our connecting flight to Bucharest. Then Murphy’s law began to play. Instead of deplaning at the terminal, our plane unloaded us at the tarmac and we had to take buses to the terminal. We had less than an hour remaining and we had to go a very long queue through security and a twenty minute walk to our gate. We probably were the among the last ones who boarded but we made it. We were completely exhausted and drained that we just slumped into our seats. Upon arrival in Bucharest, we were so happy to see at the welcoming area the Viking River Cruises Representative who gathered all that came in from that flight. From the airport, we drove to the center of Bucharest were JJ Mariott Hotel is located. Bucharest is “Romania’s Cultural Capital”, so we read from various brochures and magazines. We passed by buildings that showcased the rich cultural heritage of Bucharest. There were old buildings and contemporary ones and it was just a sight to behold…to see how beautiful this city is. The streets or “boulevards” as they are called are just like what you see in postcards and pictures about Bucharest. We can’t wait to see the city in a more intimate way as we take the city tour scheduled at the beginning of the 11-day river cruising. Check-in at the JJ Marriot Bucharest was likewise good. Andrei from VRC gave a brief introduction and handed our envelopes containing our hotel registration information and tour/cruise itinerary. We are scheduled to visit Transylvania tomorrow, the biggest stop of which is "Dracula’s Castle”. For tonight, we will rest and catch up on our much needed sleep. Dinner was at the Marriot Hotel terrace restaurant with a “Mad Hatter Platter” that was big for 2 people sharing.
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