April 1, Wednesday
Three of our team stayed at the hotel due to sickness yesterday.
April 2, Thursday
Our last day in Caracal. The little girls of the town greeted us with an arch of carnations and did a dance similar to a belly dance. It was terribly provocative and bitter sweet to know they were doing their best to do a traditional dance for us and at the same time being taught to use their little bodies in such a way.
Locals could not attend as it is customary for kidnappings to occur when such dancing is done. In this way 12, 13 year old girls are taken away and married to older men in their late teens and twenties. They remain married for life but the men take mistresses, which is considered acceptable. If the women are unfaithful they are ostracized and cast out.
We worked until the afternoon, after which we had a traditional Romanian meal of polenta and meat, (pork, and different sausages) prepared by the teachers and their friends in the back yard of the school. Afterwards we went for a walk through the town. The children and several adults happily accompanied us.
Blessed to see the BFA and FES kids get to know and appreciate each other!
April 3, Friday
We drove to Bucharest, visited the Parliament which Chachesku built as an edifice to his memory, which ended very differently from that which he had planned as he and his wife were charged with treason and shot by his own government.
After picking up lunch at McDonalds we drove to the airport and were off. Two hour flight back, 45 minute train trip, and we arrive at the SBB where we were met and driven home.
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