This congres was organized by AEGEE-Arad in Rumenia. It took place from 28 march to the first of april 2002. It was a good opportunity for me to go
to Rumania for me the first time. With people from AEGEE-Eindhoven and AEGEE-Utrecht we hired two vans to go to Arad. We departed on wednesday evening
the 27th of March from Eindhoven to Arad with Arjan, Nicole, Esther, Judith, Bob, Ward (AEGEE-Eindhoven), Arthur (AEGEE-Utrecht) and Lars also from AEGEE-Tilburg.
After a night through Germany we arrived at the Hungarian-Austrian border were we took breakfast. Arrived at the Romanian-Hungarian border with Lars who
tried to cross the border by running....We waited an hour and after 4 controls and a smile from the Romanian customs we could enter Romania. We arrived at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, local East-European time. At six there was a welcome meeting at the city hall with the mayor and several representatives of different
churches and the both university's of Arad.
AEGEE-Arad had good contacts with the mayor of Arad and he offered us a private tram-tour! It was very nice to have breakfast on the tram,
never had it before like this in a private tram....A good opportunity to see the city ! Because AEGEE-Arad wass a starting local that time the didn't know informal things happening by AEGEE such as "borrowing" flags from other locals.....I didn't steal it, because I was off duty, but they are warned now ! Our hotel "Ardealul"
was nice in the middle of the center ! In the night we had even our own police protection ! We went also to a monastry which maked a lot of impression to me.
Me, Lars, Else, Welmoed, Jacco, Judith, Bob, Artnoud and Aukje were in the possibility to stay a day longer. We went to Timosaora, the city were the revolution started in 1989 against the dictator.Timosaora is only 50 km below Arad.
Life can be over quickly as we noticed all in the van on the way back . The van get a flat tire with 130 km p/h on the Highway between Wien and Linz in Austria.
We crashed with 130 km p/h and after a turn on the highway we arrived somewhere on the grass on the right side of the Highway. No victims, thanx God, but everybody was sceared. Lars, our driver, saved our lives, because it could be worser. The van couldn't drive anymore, so the OAMTC, the Austrian highway
service, brought us to their nearest station which was in Amstetten. A taxi to the station so we could take the train to home.
We were again lucky, because we
didn't miss the last train to Munchen(Munich) in Germany. Such things realizes you that life is so short and can be over in a second ! Enjoy it, I say, this example
is a good argument to it ! So we took the train to Munich, with a stop in Salzburg (Austria), where Bob and me walked around. There was a German train-driver
who took a picture of us near his locomotiv.... Yes we needed also the asprin C. The German train driver showed us his locomotiv, with which he could always
drive home ("wir konnte immer zuruckfahren nach die Heimat"). So home sweet home after an unexpected train trip, but on a very nice event! Thanks great
organisers! Her you can see the pictures! (some pictures are from Lars)
