Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Before you arrive in a country you may be thinking people look the same today as they did years ago, wearing ethnic clothing and doing ethnic things.
But in reality, they are modern people doing modern things. A couple hitchhiking. husband and wife, we did not share a common word, except for that I was American. When they communicated through words and gestures we had reached the drop off point, they offered me cash for their fare. I did not think this was fair, since it was nice to have the company, so sent them on their way with their money after taking a photo of them.
Further down the road, another hitchhiker, a young man who spoke English and shared he did woodwork, cabinets, doors, and houses, as I did when I was that age. Upon reaching his village, we shared a selfie.
That evening while taking photos and video of an traditional song and dance, one of the support workers came up to me and queried me on my camera, and shared her love of cameras/photography with me. Giving me her Instagram contact info and ergo her name Hanna….who let me take her picture once her work was done and moon over her shoulder. She also sent me her favorite photo of herself, riding on the shoulder of others.
The cultural flair is nice, sharing in their reality nice too, I thought to myself as I returned to my last place to sleep in Romania, on this trip, but with a feeling I will be back again.