9pm: I am in Hotel Cosmos room no 908 on 9th floor and going to have Moldovian food just across the road restaurant at La pasanta. This is recommended by the receptionist. The room is quite good for the price. Good double bed, T,V. Fridge, one piece sofa, Table, chair, good shower and toilet and balcony for 24 Euro without breakfast. Actually this room is for 34 euros but I was upgraded to this room as I was staying for 3 nights. It is quite a big hotel, 22 storey and this is of Russian time hotel when Cosmos hotels were very common in all over Russia. Let me come back from dinner and then I will write.
The restaurant was nearby and well decorative. It was past 9 pm and it closes at 10 pm. I was told by the receptionist that it would open till 11pm. Anyhow there were 3-4 other persons were also sitting. I asked for for a Moldovian dish which the receptionist had written on a piece of paper. A glass of wine (merlot) and food was good. The dish was similar to south Indian uppama with yogurt and large chunks of meat separately. I enjoyed the dinner (costly) after a long. I saw green chilly also served with some dishes. I asked for one. The waiter got one long chilly and charged 5 lei or Rs 20 for it. I enjoyed eating it. The bill came afterwards. I walked back and then at the reception a person came with me to set the TV. I did not write but went to sleep.
Last night I started from Kiev at 9.45pm. Bus was big and air conditioned (more noise than cooling). My seat 33 was almost in the last. There was no other traveler like me except one Romania girl who was going home near Moldovian border. Bus stopped after every 1.30 minutes for smoking break and toilet. Somewhere they were modern and other places just rudimentary. At 11 pm the first check of Ukrainian customs and then after along immigration. An officer will come and collect all the passports from all passengers and the after all the formalities, passports were handed over to the passenger sitting in the front. Then it is the passing game. You collect your passport and rest send back. It was full moonlit night and outside was cool and pleasant than the bus. Moldovian border at 3 am and by 4 pm we were free to enter Moldova or already entered. Border are a thin line and difficult to distinguish. I saw my passport was not stamped. I asked a co passenger and he with a gesture said “It is o.k.” I was worried but nothing could be done. The bus was racing towards Chisinau where we reached at 7 am. I thought we will reach at 9 am or so. There were many small micro buses going to different places in Moldova and some neighboring countries. I found a sitting place at “Gare Nord” a railway ticket booking counter. It was nice, cool and leatherette is a bank also where I can exchange money but the counter opens at 8.30am. I had no local money and no place to go. I could not buy even tea (I tried though). At counter no 2 of the booking area found a young-man Alex who could speak English. We chatted as the counters were empty at this time of the morning. He phoned someone for my home stay but it was not available. He said that home stay will cost 20 euro per day and it will be good if I find a hotel for 15-20 euro. He suggested Hotel Natalia, a 3 star hotel. I was surprised at the cheap price of this hotel. The bank counter opened at 8.45 am. I got 77 dollars exchanged for 938.63 lei (12.19 lei for a dollar)
Now I went to a nearby restaurant and asked for coffee and one potato patty. Yes I must say that the private exchange at the bus stand was giving much less rate of exchange. So it is always better to exchange at the bank. The woman at the restaurant helped me in finding a taxi which I did not find at this side of the Bus stand. She even walked out to find a taxi. I went to Hotel Natalia. The minimum cost for a single room was 50 euro. I told the receptionist that this is twice the price which I expected in a city like Chisinau. I asked the receptionist to find a cheaper hotel and she found hotel cosmos for 24 euro. She even arranged a taxi for me to go there. This is 22 storey Soviet time Hotel. I came to the room after paying for 2 days. I will pay for the 3rd day after getting some more exchange. I slept for 2 hours and then took shower. Room was cool due to AC running well. I came down and the marketing manager showed me from outside a green market for purchases. She also told me that Igore from Slovenia YHA came here in May and also stayed in this hotel. I exchanged another 50 dollars from the adjoining bank and went to the green market. I could buy two notebooks as all the three which I brought from Delhi are full and now these copies will be useful. I also bought toothpaste, tomatoes, bread, localcheese bananas, cucumber water 2lt for 81 lei. It was pretty hot outside. I went out at 6pm and walked to the direction given by the receptionist.
There is McDonald restaurant which has become a symbol. It is 2.3 km away. I walked to this place. There are small kiosks all the way but mostly closing now. An hour back there could be more people here. I found nothing interesting. I talked to a small shop person who can organise a day excursion for 40 euro per person provided there are 3 persons. This was high price. I also met an Egyptian who is working as cook in a night club. He came 10 years back as cook and now married and settled here. His average salary is 400 euro which is not enough as prices are high. He gave me an overview of life here from his point of view. I boarded a trolley bus for 2 lei and came back to the hotel Cosmos. I did all the washing before going to sleep.
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