I just realized I haven’t posted my address like I promised. Here it is. It will be good for the next 2 months or so. Feel free to send me birthday cards, gifts, and such.

John Ryan Elenbaum, PCT
Corpul Pacii
Str. Grigore Ureche 12
2001 Chisinau
Republica Moldova

I’m almost celebrating my first week in Moldova. It has been good so far. I’m starting to pick up the language a little bit. I was able to buy an apple at the market yesterday and I am able to introduce myself. I don’t have any great words with which to elegantly convey my experience so I will give you a rundown.

Flight
The flight was uneventful. It was about 9.5 hours from JFK in NYC to Istanbul. We had a layover in Istanbul. PC provided a day room so we could sleep and shower. The flight from Istanbul to Chisinau was only a little over an hour.

Chisinau
We were welcomed at the airport by the PC staff and some of the current PC Volunteers. A bus took us to the Hotel Tourist. The hotel is interesting because it is an old soviet style hotel and I’m not sure it has been remodeled. It isn’t the Ritz, but it is simple and adequate.

The city of Chisinau reminds me a lot of a Central Asia capital city I visited. There are a lot of very nice cars, well dresses people, and wealth. The stores seem to sell most things but I had to hunt for a long time to find a watch battery (should have checked the watch before putting it in the bag.)

The training was held at a Jewish center which was just built. The facilities are really nice. As I mentioned in my previous message it was pretty basic stuff but we did learn some language so we could at least try to communicate with our host families.

Host family
I have a great host family. My mama was a nurse in Israel for three years but I don’t know much else about her vocation. I think she just works around the house. Her husband is in Ireland working construction and sends money home. It doesn’t sound like he comes home very often. He studies in Chisinau. My sister Diana (14) is in the 9′th grade.

The house is quite nice. I have a small but adequate room. From what I can tell it is actually Diana’s room because it is decorated with dolls, stuffed animals, and glow in the dark star wall paper. She is sleeping with her mom. The house has running water, a hot shower, microwave, TV, and a toilet. Unfortunately, for some reason unknown to me, the toilet doesn’t work so I use the outhouse. Did I mention there is just a hole in the bottom the outhouse floor. Not too fun…

Language
I’m picking up the language OK. It is a bit frustrating because it doesn’t come naturally to me and I feel like I’m slower than the rest of my classmates. I will figure it out somehow. I’ve learned lots of nouns from pointing and asking what X is. I’m starting to figure out the personal pronouns and we are just learning how to conjugate verbs.

What Now
I will be staying with this family for the next 8 weeks. I will have language and cross cultural training three-four days a week in my village. I will have larger sessions in the next city over 2 days a week. In four weeks I will find out what my assignment is and will make a solo trip there. I am told I will know enough Romanian by then that it will be possible.

Pictures
I haven’t taken too many pictures because I want to wait until I’m a little more established before I whip out the big camera and take the nice shots. I’ve uploaded a few of the pictures I have taken to: http://picasaweb.google.com/elenbaum

Death to dial up!!!

The flight here was uneventful (as is preferred.) 

We are staying at a Hotel for the first few days of training and will meet and move in with our host families on Saturday. Training has consisted of how not to get killed (ok, not quite that extreme), an introduction to the PC Staff, a tour of the headquarters, and our first language lesson. I think I will have my hands full learning the language but I should be able to figure it out somehow. 

 Moldova is interesting. I haven’t gotten out too far and right now we are in a pretty nice section of town which is comparable to other places I have been. Not too many people on the street and stores speak English so the language issue will be sink or swim. 

I’ve Gotta Run! Catch Ya Later!  

I’m done with the learning portion of Staging and am now ready to leave for Moldova. The bus leaves tomorrow at 11:00 and we fly from JFK in NYC at 5:00.

So far things have gone very well. I’m really excited and am meeting a lot of cool people.

Probably won’t here much from me until I get settled in unless I can’t sleep in Istanbul during the layover (free wireless at the airport.)
Ryan

I’m back in GR. I got in yesterday afternoon. The return trip was more or less uneventful.

I wasn’t able to get my rear tire changed in Vegas like I wanted but made it to the East Bay. I wanted to make it home on the tire so as not to pay retail for a new tire and then trash it on the slab. Don (A friend from a Motorcycle Forum) gave me a plugged take-off which I strapped on “just in case.”

In Battle Mountain, Ut cords started showing… Crud! I asked if there was a Bike Shop in town, there was. He should still be open according to his (ex?) Mother in Law at the gas station. I found the shop. The owner was just leaving with his young daughter and couldn’t help me. He didn’t really want to change the tire in the morning and recommended I take it easy and head 70 miles east to Elko.

I grabbed a burger in town and waited for the sun to set and the roads to cool. I took my time getting to Elko. I spent the night found 5′th Gear Motor sports at 8:15. I started pulling the tire so when they opened at 9:00 they could change it real quick. As I was pulling the tire I noticed some guys working in the back. They offered to pull the tire for me, but since it is pretty easy I said I would do it myself. They changed the time without giving me any grief and I was out of there by 9:15. I brought them a dozen doughnuts for taking care of my before they opened.

I left Elko at about 9:30am Pacific and drove through the night, arriving in Indy at 6:30pm Eastern. 1800 miles in 30 hours. A new record for me! I think I was at 1400 ish at the 24 hour mark because I “slept” for an hour or two at a rest area.

My dad bought a truck in Indy and I need a truck to get my stuff from Grand Rapids to his place to store. So I loaded the bike in the back using the lift gate and got creative in making attachment points for the straps. I slept in the truck just north of Indy and got home early yesterday afternoon.

All in the all the trip was great. The first week was exceptional and almost perfect. The last half was stressful and that cut into the enjoyment level a bit. I am really glad that I had and took the opportunity to make the trip. I got to see a lot of great countryside, good roads, and great people.

I’ve uploaded the rest of my route and pictures to: http://picasaweb.google.com/elenbaum

States Visited On Trip

States Visited On Bike at Some Point