CHAPTER 5. EASTERN EUROPE, CONT.

The next day we see the Moldovita Abbey before heading west thru the Carpathian range to Cluj. The roads thru the mountains are again narrow and rough. Near Cluj they are much better, the land flat and cultiva-ted. The farms in eastern Europe are large and collective, with most farmers living in villages, as compared to smaller plots with a house, as seen in western europe.

At dinner in the Cluj hotel a nice Ukrainian medical student at the next table helps us with the menu, then has a bottle of wine sent to Betty. The next morning we cross back into Hungary (one hour and a half at the border) and retrace our route thru Debrecen, then north to Miskolc, with a stop at a roadside stand to buy tomatoes and strawberries. At Miskolc helpful people in a 4-wheel drive lead us to the Hotel Juno. It is new, high rise, deluxe, with large rooms, and we have a good supper, enhanced by a string quintet.

Going into Slovakia (now) the crossing is just under two hours. After the long wait the inspection is minimal, however some cars are given a thorough go-over. The money of one country is valueless in the next, so we spend all we can for gas, food, drink, and candy to give to children before crossing. Then whoever guesses the border delay closest gets any leftover money.

Proceeding thru green farmland, with lots of grain, and farmhouses with large vegetable gardens, we come to Poprad. All hotels are full, but they say there are many rooms at Stary Smokovec. We are referred to the Grand Hotel, and it is the nicest of the trip; old, but nicely kept up, with very large high ceiling rooms equipped with a double bed, table, four chairs, couch, dressing table, TV, radio, an elegant chandelier, and a huge bathroom.

Money exchange is strictly controlled behind the iron curtain, and is done at government offices. There is a black market for exchange, since dollars and other hard currencies are desirable, but we avoid using them. At the Grand Hotel Glenn wants to change a large bill into smaller, so he asks at the desk if he can get “change”. The clerk thinks he wants “exchange” and a furor ensues until the language barrier is cleared up.