Owlspotting

I’ve spent a couple days in Vama Veche with Andrei and Bogdana, sleeping in cars, drinking, eating and feeling sick (some of us). Vama Veche is to many a non-mainstream paradise of the Romanian coast although its “alternative” status has been under heavy debate for the last five years or so. People campaigning to save it only manage to ruin it further and those gentrifying it can’t wait to topple another underground dinosaur.

Pictures will follow in the next few days, but here is some random trivia about our trip.

Bottles of Jack Daniels: 1/2.

Top four words used: The first two would be banned on network television. Soup–in a literal meaning–comes in at number three. Breasts takes four.

Dips in the sea: zero.

Number of algae: Do you want to start a colony?

Bodies sleeping in a car: Three.

Women wearing nothing but thongs: Enough to make a theater seem crowded.

Men wearing nothing: At least one.

Number of times we heard stories about the crowd that is ruining Vama Veche: four.

Number of times we were associated with that crowd: At least once.

Number of photos we snapped: More than 500.

Price of a vodka tonic: 5-7 RON (around $2)

People in line at the pharmacy asking for stomac medicines: 4

Number of people peing on the beach next to you at night: two-three visible on each side.

Cost of visit to public toilet: 1 RON (30 cents).

Cost of one night of stay in someone’s home: 20 RON/person.

Number of mosquitos killed before falling asleep: Upwards of 15.

Number of establishments called “The old sausage”: 1

Number of establishments called “Shire: 1

Number of Green Day songs we heard: At least one per day.

Number of dance clubs: One, hated but active.

Random people asking for money to buy food or alcohol: At night, it was at least one every hour.