Travel | Black Girl in Bucharest

It was a matter of life and death. One way out and only one key. Make it or break it. And all we had was 60 minutes…

This weekend we decided to venture 5+ hours northwest of Bucharest to the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca (CLICK HERE for pronunciation).

I wanted to get out of the city and see more of Romania. So we grabbed another couple and headed out in the morning. Originally I wanted to to fly, but I’m glad we opted to rent a mini SUV instead. The country-side was gorgeous! Didn’t feel like such a long drive with the great views we had.

Cluj-Napoca Journey

Cluj… I LOVE this city! The cool architecture, untouched by communism, stands strong and gives the city a feel like Budapest or Prague. But more on that for another post. Right now I need to put focus on the event that had me so excited that I wrote a mini blog post from my iPhone.

When planning our trip I did some research on Trip Advisor and looked up top things to do in Cluj. Number one…The Dungeon. The Dungeon is a room escape game. With your own group of 2 (min) to 4 (max), you are locked into a room until you can figure out a number of clues that will lead you to a key and your release!

We arrived early and went upstairs to the Q Caffe for a few drinks. The decor in this place helped get us into the mood.

Fitting decor

Just had to snap a pic of painting. Brings new meaning to sunrise!

Room with a View

When we reached our scheduled event time we made our way back downstairs to wait outside the door that would take us underneath the Q Caffe and into our mysterious game room.

Entrance to extreme fun.

Once past the door the hostess gave us the rules and a walkie talkie to stay in touch if we needed assistance. Then the game began.

You have 60 minutes to put clues together, crack codes, and locate the key that will release you from the room. We expected that it wouldn’t be too hard. But with price of admission fully refunded if we succeeded we should have known it wouldn’t be a walk in a park.

So, did we escape?

No. Overall it was a great game, but it was also pretty tough. The feeling I had when we successfully answered a question or unlocked a safe was fantastic. But, in the end, when the last second on the timer ran out, we had not retrieved the key. But still, a great time was had by all!

I hope to journey to Cluj again. And if I do I will check out The Dungeon again too. Apparently the design room and the game change every few months. This guarantees repeat visits, at least for sure from this chick.

Here are some shots from the room:

What lies underneath?

So many books so little time.

All the things a writer needs: typewriter, paper … a skull.

If ever you’re in Cluj-Napoca make sure to check out the Dungeon. It’s an experience you will never forget. I know we won’t!

The Dungeon Team

And if you want to find a “room” near you do a Google search for “room escape”. I found one in the DC area that I’m itching to check out called “Trapped in a Room with a Zombie”. Definitely right up my geek alley.

Next up on the “Black Girl in Bucharest” blog: Sinaia and Peleș Castle. More on Cluj-Napoca in the next few weeks.

I know it’s cliche but I couldn’t help myself. I’m pretty behind on my blog posts of travels inside and out of Romania, so it’s time that I got back on track. What better way to do it than with our November 2013 trip to Istanbul, Turkey.

This wasn’t our first time to Turkey. In September 2010 we went on a Mediterranean cruise that stopped in Kusadasi. From there we did a tour that took us to Ephesus, Didyma & Miletus. We were only in Turkey for approximately 12 hours but instantly fell in love and knew we’d be back again to take in more of this beautiful country.

Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and the third most populated city in the world. Istanbul straddles the Bosphorus Sea with city limits in both Europe and Asia. We only had two full days in the city, but we got around to many of the popular sights and enjoyed the food, decor, shopping (though there is some pressure sales going on here) and atmosphere.

Hippodrome and Obelisks

On our first day we took an 8 hour tour to the key locations in Istanbul. After the tour bus expertly navigated the narrow streets we were dropped off at the Hippodrome. It was once a circus that was the sporting and social centre of Constantinople. There were people selling trinkets, maps, guidebooks, and goods that circled the tourists. Shortly after our arrival the peddlers were chased off by the authorities.

The Obelisk of Theodosius was erected in 390 AD.

The base of the Obelisk

The Blue Mosque

Next on our tour, a visit to the Sultan Ahmet Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque. Completed in 1616, this example of classical Ottoman architecture has 260 windows and is decorated with over 20,000 tiles. Ladies, if you want to go inside you will have to cover your hair with a scarf and must be wearing pants or a long skirt. No worries if you aren’t dressed properly. They have coverups you can borrow.

The Blue Mosque

Some dusk tilt shift action.

The Blue Mosque and Me

Hagia Sophia

The Hagia Sophia name means “holy wisdom”. Originally built in 6th century A.D., it has played the part of cathedral, mosque and now museum. The Hagia Sophia is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture. The dome is slightly smaller than the Pantheon in Rome. We really didn’t spend enough time here. But with the short time we had I ran around on the main level and up to the 2nd floor and snapped as many photos as I could. Here is a shot of what it looked like in circa 1900.

Hagia Sophia is now a museum.

Fountain

Outer narthex was reserved for non-baptized people

Looks from long ago

Inside the inner narthex

Outside the Imperial Gate that only the extremely wealthy would enter into.

Cool door on the way out.

Hagia Sophia at Dusk

Grand Bazaar

Next stop on our tour was the Grand Bazaar. It was cool but a bit too crazy for me to do any real shopping. We didn’t have a lot of time, being a part of the tour and all, but I snapped pics and took in only a small portion of the enormity that is this vast shopping bazaar. Over 3,000 shops call the Grand Bazaar home. There can be anywhere between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. Another place where there are people trying to convince you to come in to their booth. I would have liked to go through the place again with more time but it wasn’t meant to be. Did snap some nice pics though.

Entering the Grand Bazaar

I’m obsessed with these lamps!

Close up on the one I should have bought

Many stores and many shoppers.

I bought a cool bowl. Need to go back for more!

Underground Basilica Cistern

This stop was one of the reasons I picked this specific Istanbul city tour. The Basilica Cistern or “Sunken Palace” is the largest of hundreds beneath the city. Like Hagia Sophia, it was built in the 6th century. The enlarged cistern provided a water filtration system for the Great Palace of Constantinople. The remaining pool of water is now home to many fish.

Underground Cistern

Random Medusa head statue found upside down

Me in the Underground Cistern

Topaki Palace

Topkapi Palace, the crown jewel of the Ottoman Empire, is said to be the largest and oldest palace in the world. Built between 1460 – 1478 by Sultan Mehmed, the palace was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years. The palace was also used for state occasions and entertainment. More than 4,000 people lived in the palace at one time. Now a museum, Topkapi has over hundreds of rooms and chambers, but only the important ones are open to the public. There are famous jewels on display, including the famous 86-carat pear-shaped Spoonmaker Diamond. Unfortunately in all of the good spaces with cool items, photography was not allowed.

Cool tree in front of the palace

Harem door

Inside the Harem

Harem Walls

Inside the Harem

A very cool tree inside the palace grounds

Posing by a fountain

View of Turkey from the palace

The Egyptian Spice Bazaar

On our last full day in the grand city we took a half day tour that included a stop at the Egyptian Spice Bazaar. Built in 1660, this bazaar is more low key in the pushy sales department and was no where near as crowded as the Grand Bazaar. Of course we got there right when it opened so that may have something to do with it. We didn’t have a lot of time to look around here. I would have preferred to do a different Bosphorus cruise tour and check out the bazaar on our own at another time.

The Egyptian Spice Bazaar

Outside the bazaar

Bosphorus Cruise

The cruise portion of the tour was approximately an hour. With option to sit on the top deck and listen to the description of sites on the European and Asian sides of the Bosphorus. It was relaxing and allowed for great photo ops.

Dolmabahce Palace

Summary

Overall, we really enjoyed our short trip to Istanbul. The food was great. Our lodging was at the Hotel Seraglio—which included breakfast, wifi and was located right next to the Blue Mosque—was a great choice for the short stay. The Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW) is not the closest airport to city center Istanbul, but you will find deals for weekend travel. To close out my update on this trip here are some miscellaneous shots. Next up on the BnB blog: Sinaia, Romania.