TRANSDNIESTR    INFO & DIARY

 GENERAL INFO (Jump to Diary)

Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic is a landlocked self-proclaimed state situated between the River Dniester and the border with Ukraine, govern as an unitary semi-presidential republic. It covers 4.163 square kilometres, and are the home of 475.665 citizens, of which 95% are Christians.
The currency is Transnistrian ruble, although I fail to find any conversion. It might be the same as Moldova Leu, worth 0,36 Danish Krone and €0,05.

Transdniestr has a climate which is moderately continental; its proximity to the Black Sea leads to the climate being mild and sunny.

Among the more interesting larger mammals are the Gray wolf (Canis lupus), Brown bear (Ursus arctos), Eurasian badger (Meles meles) and the European otter (Lutra lutra). The list of superior plants in Moldova numbers 1540 species that belong to 550 genera and 101 families. I have so far not been able to find any I in particular will search for.

DIARY
I arrival from Moldova at six in the evening, and there are a lot of forms and formalities to be dealt with at the border. I buy a vignette for the car, and my passport is checked three times. One is immigration, not really sure what the others are. Russian seems to be the languish, and mine have never really worked. But I can say: "I speak Russian, unfortunately, I don't understand it". That always breaks the ice...

It is getting too late to explore, and I set the GPS for the hostel I found on Booking.com this morning, thinking it was in Moldova. Ten kilometres later, I am way into a summerhouse area, mainly with tiny huts and nice vegetable gardens. And for sure no hostel. I kind of end up at a 20 square meter hut.

Back the same way, and as I pass the fortress of Bendery on the way, I give it a try, despite the time. When I finally find it, it is not only closed, but guarded by soldiers. Then I head for the Hostel I have in Tirapol. A police officer pulls me in, and in contrast to the Romanian, he is not intimidated by my Danish plates or English speaking. Well, he get to see my truck-driver-education license and the copy I have of the registration certificate.

Tirapol is fare from a large town, and here are not that fancy either. I find the area the hostel should be in, but here are nothing close - again. I ask a police officer, and he guides me to another place - I don't find. The GPS know Hotel Russia, and it turns out to be the posh place in town.

The receptionist is real helpful, and call an other hotel, to make sure they have room for me. A short drive, and I have a bed for the night. Around €13, but it looks better. And my balcony on sixth floor have a perfect view over the river. I just wished I had been here before nine! It is going to be a late night again.
I go to the reception to pick-up my passport around midnight. Here are a lot of girls, and very little clothing. The south.

12/7. It is a perfect morning, and I get to enjoy the birdsong along the river, while I eat my breakfast on the balcony. Then I start walking to find the centre of the Tirapol. I ask several locals, including a police officer, but none give a straight answer. I get the car, and drive quite some around. I pass the botanical garden: A real large park with trees, it seems, and I can't be bothered..

I give up finding the lively centre, mainly because I now believe there is none, and head for next sight: Bendery Fortress. It is some way out of town, on the other side of the river. On the way our of town, I find a huge market, mainly  electrical parts and pluming along with all the tools to install it - and a lot of other things.

The fortress is open by now, but a big part of the huge fortress is still being used by the military, but one can enter the huge walls, and see the Bendery Citadel. The walls are well restored along with the towers, and that is pretty much it. Well, there is a small museum with a few items, they have found here.

From here, I head up north through the country, just to see it. It is among huge and low hills, which are farmed in great extend. Mainly wheat, sunflowers and fruit trees. The big river is visible most of the time, and offers some great views.

The villages are numerous and fairly modern, although many get their water from deep wells, pulled up in buckets. I turn into some of the villages, but their gravel roads are not Lupo comfort zone at all. The views down to the big river in the button of the valley are great, and so are many of the farmhouses in the villages. Most have large walls around, either made of stone or iron. Wolves?

I run out of Transdniestr, and cross the river to Moldova. It is quite fast, as they just want the immigration card and a look at the passport. Tirapol, Bendery Fortress and the north.

Transdniestr is a nice country, although their roads are bad. Here are not much to see beside from the landscape and the villages - but they are great. I have only driven 134 kilometres, taken 176 photos and spend €34 with the room being €14 and diesel for way more than €11. I feel I have seen most, and it is not a country I plan to return to.