2.9.2022

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„Buna seara, pasaport va rog“. I’m woken up by a calm but determined low voice. 1:12 am, border control. I’m in the night train from Budapest to Cluj-Napoca, my first stop in Romania. The border police guys have to check the whole train, both on the Hungarian side and the Romanian side, which takes about 45 minutes each; Romania is yet to join the Schengen area. The ride continues, but only two hours later I get woken up again: „five minutes to Cluj“, the ticket inspector informs me.

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It is my first time in Romania. At around 3:30 am I leave the train station in Cluj-Napoca, roaming through the empty streets. What will expect me in the next days, I don't know.