Hitch

One of the most common forms of transportation in Moldova is hitchhiking.

Now, being from the US I am in the mindset that hitching a ride is dangerous. I'm sure my family would argue that hitching a ride anywhere is dangerous. However, in Moldova it is common and almost expected of people to hitch a ride every now and again. My 'now and again' happened a couple of weeks back.

I was headed to Balti, a city in the north, to visit with a few volunteer friends. The timeline fell so that I needed to get a rutiera (mini-bus) just after 5pm. After consulting the online bus schedule (...multiple times) I settled on the 5:20pm bus. The second to last rutiera to Balti leaving that day, that way if I missed it or the tickets were all sold I could take the last rutiera at 5:40pm (see Dad, I was trying to plan ahead).

So,  I packed my bag and left my house giving myself plenty of time to walk to the station, get my ticket and sit around waiting for my ride to a fun evening. When I arrived at the station, I went to the ticket booth and asked to purchase ticket. The woman gave me a snappy response that I understood as "No, wait outside". This isn't uncommon, frequently one will buy a rutiera ticket directly from the driver rather than purchasing a ticket. So, I took my bags and sat outside next to a friendly older woman. We both sat for awhile making small talk, while I stole glances at my watch seeing the minutes pass with no rutiera in sight. Finally, at 5:45 when I had realized either both the rutieras were running uncommonly late, or the schedule online that I had planned around had been wrong, I begrudgingly walked back into the station to ask the short-tempered ticket lady if the rutiera for Balti would be arriving soon. She was clearly happy to see me again, and spat "what do you want lady?". I asked again about the rutiera to Balti and she told me "No, no more rutieras today. You will have to go wait for a car on the road." --hitchhiking?! Ummm, Brittany from little town NH doesn't hitchhike.

So, there I was in Falesti, just before 6pm, contemplating going home to an empty house and leaving the following morning, or getting up the courage to hitch the 45 minute ride to Balti. After a frantic call to my friends explaining that I didn't know if I would make it I decided that going back to an empty house was just not the way I wanted to spend my evening. I decided that I would walk back to my house, but along the way try and wave down a car. If someone stopped and I got a ride, it was meant to be, if no one stopped I would be going back to my house for the night.

First car I waved down stopped. "La Balti?" I shouted from across the street, and with a nod from the driver I was officially on my way. I hopped in the back seat. Sitting  next to me was a Baba (Grandmother) adorned in the typical outfit of  a floral dressing robe, sweater and head scarf. In the front seat was a young woman, my guess would be the drivers wife. The driver was a young man. They were a good looking family. The woman, with her gold rings and long fake finger nails, the husband with his track jacket and running shoes. The music was bumpin', I felt as if I were in a club, the techno blared out the speakers as we zoomed down the road to Balti. I was happy the music was on and loud, it meant I didn't have to make small talk. We finally pulled into Balti and they asked me where I wanted to be dropped off, it was only then that they realized I was a foreigner. I paid them what I would have paid for the rutiera; the standard fair is what is expected when you hitchhike in Moldova. I said goodbye and thanked them for the ride.

I made it to my destination, safe and sound. I had an excellent time with my friend. And, I walked down the street, feeling slightly more bad-ass than I had 50 minutes earlier.

Guess I can check that off my list of things to do.

Hitchhike in Eastern Europe, check.