Come to Romania and be willing to step back in time. You have no choice. Romania is the last European nation to come of age. This century offers a last-chance opportunity to experience a pure and cultured piece of Europe, if only for hardy travelers. While Romania has all the makings of a tourism mecca, it lacks the infrastructure to support a thriving tourism industry. That's good news for travelers willing to forego some comforts and amenities, who also won't mind avoiding the crowds and contrivances of mass tourism.

Traveling in Romania today is to travel western Europe in the 1940s. Romania is Europe's last frontier.

Fifty years of communist dictatorship came to an end when Nicolae Ceausescu was overthrown in December 1989. Romania's emergence to freedom is marked by slow progress, but speed is picking up. The poorest of European nations, Romania sought to jump start its tourism industry in May 1995 with the World Dracula Congress. The Ministry of Tourism invited 300 academics, writers and entrepreneurs on a first-ever conference and tour of the land of Dracula.

It was a ground-breaking event that attracted the international press -- including CNN, ABC, BBC, The International Herald Tribune and Financial News. The event spawned the idea for another Dracula conference in Los Angeles in August 1997, the 100-year celebration of Bram Stoker's famous novel, Dracula.

It was Romania's chance to show off to the world, but it took a big risk: It opened its soul to an international press corps, and its veins to peer reprise for capitalizing on its fame as the land of Dracula. The 15th century Prince Vlad Tepes Dracula, the feared leader who inspired Stoker's novel, is a revered national hero for fighting off the Turks and Saxons. He is notorious for impaling tens of thousands of enemies on stakes for public display to instill fear in any others inclined to cross him, including his own countrymen.

The novel Dracula, or the mere mention of the vampire count, was forbidden under Ceausescu. The book's first Romanian translation appeared in 1991. Today, many Romanians have trouble understanding the West's fascination with the fictional character, and take offense that outsiders consider their national hero a vampire.

Adventures in Bucharest

On a black starless night in a hilly forest outside Bucharest my husband, David, and I stepped into a brightly lit dining hall designed in pre-war grandeur. A thick veil of cigarette smoke lent a surreal effect to the crowd of 300 seated guests on the first night of the Dracula Congress.

Dozens of sparrows swooped elegantly from the ceilings to 5 feet above our plates, cutting through the haze and landing on the speakers and light fixtures above us where lay their nests. To make do, a white cloth diaper-of-a thing hung below each speaker to catch what could have landed elsewhere.

I wondered if tourism officials had invited the little beasts for some kind of bizarre welcoming. Asked why they let birds in the restaurant, a middle-aged waiter replied, "They keep coming in. They are here everyday." If the birds had bothered earlier guests, no one had apparently taken the initiative to send them away.

Welcome to Romania. We had entered the land of the "Make do. You get what you get, and be lucky you have it."

Initiative was not encouraged under communist rule. People were paid, no matter how well they worked or what they produced. The payment was taken for granted and not considered a reward since there was hardly anything to buy. Still trapped in old ways of thinking, many Romanians are yet to understand the purpose of initiative and the opportunities for change and improvement that lie ahead of it. Others, especially the younger generation, are eager to learn the ways of the West.

Travelers, especially in the cities, can expect to be surprised, even shocked, at everyday occurrences that Romanians so easily accept. While getting in a taxi in Bucharest the next day, tires screeched. A woman, mid-twenties, was hurled into the air from the car's impact. She bounced off the windshield, rolled back onto the hood and down to the street. The traffic kept moving, the people kept walking. It was shocking to see the woman quickly get up, apparently embarrassed. No one came to her aid. She brushed herself off and disappeared into the crowd. I turned to the taxi driver with my mouth agape. "It's OK. Romanian women are strong." I was speechless. "It's o.k. Lets go." Having been to Romania the year before, I was convinced that Ceausescu left an impact that can only be bred away by a new generation.

The communist mind set is ever so evident in Bucharest, a city of 2.3 million, or 10 percent of Romania's population. In earlier days, Bucharest was a culture-oriented society modeled after Paris, still with its own Arc of Triumph, monuments, lakes, tree-lined boulevards, palaces, and notable museums. During the Ceausescu reign, however, much of the city's old-style architecture and cultural charm was obliterated. The city reflects a war torn past, and a people still struggling to survive and understand what it means to be free. Its cultural life is now on the upswing. Museums and historical sites throughout the city are undergoing renovations to regain the old-style heritage.

Outside investors are showing confidence too. Bucharest now has a Pizza Hut and McDonald's. Hilton Hotels took on a massive project to restore the historic Athenee Palace, originally opened in 1912. Once a favorite haunt for espionage and communist high society gatherings, the palace's renovation is incorporating many features from its past, including stained glass windows and the domed ceiling. The Athenee Palace Hilton Bucharest opened in 1997.

Travelers venturing beyond Bucharest will find culture and adventure, but less appealing hotels. Most of Romania's hotels are government run and cost two to four times what similar accommodations would be in the U.S. Adequate hotels are not always available. Many of the large hotels that could accommodate large groups are severely run down, thus presenting the biggest barrier to building a thriving tourism industry.

Beyond the City

Romania has 3,000 towns and villages, and all are no more than 40 miles apart. This system of planning arose in the feudal days when horses and carts couldn't travel more than that distance before sunset.

Forty five percent of the people today still live in the countryside. This is Romania uncontrived and pure, where communism didn't leave its indelible mark. The communities are self-reliant; the economies, for the most part, are local. Farmers still plant by hand and use animal plows. Furniture, rugs and clothing are often handmade in the villages. The people dress as their forebears did centuries ago. Picturesque wooden houses and high-roofed churches dot the land. Colorful gypsy caravans waddle down the dusty roads.

Folklore and superstition play a significant role in rural communities. Storytelling, music and festivities are a centuries-old tradition. Belief in vampirism is rampant, especially among the older generation. Throughout Transylvania, red yarn or ribbons hang from horse bridles or the hats of new babies to protect them from the "evil eye". Villagers believe that if anyone admires a beautiful horse or baby, they will fall victims to the evil eye and harm will come to them. The red is believed to protect them.

The Dracula Congress tour stopped in Brasov, a medieval town paved in cobblestones and famed for its 14th century Black Church. Following the footsteps of Vlad Tepes Dracula and his fictional counterpart, travelers witness some of the most beautiful mountain scenery, architecture and peasant culture anywhere. The birthplace of Vlad Dracula is in nearby Sighisoara, a walled medieval city, the best preserved in the world. The wall and 9 of its 14 towers are still intact, as well as a covered stairway with 175 steps. A 14th century clock tower looms above the cobblestone square. In its shadow is Prince Dracula's birthplace, now a cozy bar with coved ceilings.

Brasov is also the gateway to Poiana Brasov, Romania's prized ski resort, and its national treasure, the Castle of Peles in Sinaia, the ornate 19th century summer retreat for King Carol I. A twenty-minute taxi ride from Brasov is the majestic fairy tale Castle Bran, built in the 14th century. Tourism literature claims Castle Bran is Dracula's home, but he never really lived there.

The Castle Dracula Hotel sits on a Transylvanian hilltop in the Borgo Pass as described in Stoker's novel. Built in 1983, it is another effort to cash in on Dracula's fame. It was the likely place to house the Dracula congress attendees. Local workers milled in the cobblestone courtyard preparing the lights, sound system and stage for festivities that night. We expected an evening focused on Dracula, the vampire.

Instead we witnessed a Romanian version of the Ed Sullivan Show -- local dancers, a child violinist, acrobats, and actors performing short skits that had little to do with Dracula. Heads continued to turn in the international audience. "What's this all about?" The press took a rest, only to interview notable conference scholars after the show.

Understanding Romania

Culture clash is at the heart of traveling in Romania. Understanding Romania is to understand its past. Romania is a nation of survivors. The new Romania is desperate to show the world what it has to offer, to rebuild its economy and take advantage of its newfound freedom.

That's no easy task in a country victimized by decades of madness. Ceausescu created a breeding ground for corruption and the anarchy that eventually caused his demise. He starved his people to pay off foreign debt in order to, at least in his mind, gain more leverage against other nations inclined to demand reforms.

As a monument to his regime, he leveled 10,000 Bucharest homes to build the $1.5 billion House of the Republic, a sprawling 12-story monstrosity second in size only to the Pentagon. The unfinished project sits idle today.

Ceausescu exported his country's food, while Romanian families were allowed only 5 pounds of meat per year and two eggs per month. For Romanians, connections were the way of survival. Relatives on farms took great risks to help their friends and families. To obey the law was to succumb to starvation, to survive was criminal.

Ceausescu began uprooting families in farm communities, destroying their village culture and forcing them to live in city hovels. His dream was to build miles and miles of huge concrete high-rise apartments, mirroring the Gotham City-like conglomeration called Moscow.

Typewriters and printing presses were outlawed. It was dangerous to have meetings or discuss new ideas openly. In many areas water and power, if available at all, would be so only at night, or certain nights of the week. Families moonlighted, cooking meals and taking care of daily chores at night. Like Dracula, they slept by day.

Even in recent times of freedom, hot water is not always available, but to have it at all is a blessing to the Romanians. What Romanians consider a luxury, or at least readily acceptable, can be unsettling to the outsider. The unhappy hotel guest who does not have hot water at bath time will not be met with much sympathy at the front desk. The response to expect: "We have water, what more do you want?" Or, "We have hot water only until 10."

The Ministry of Tourism planned the World Dracula Congress hoping to quickly cash in on its tourism industry and its fame as the land of Dracula. Romania deserves the highest marks for its natural resources and cultural heritage. But if the key to a successful tour is planning, organization and good service, this trip fell short. The trip bore little resemblance to the itinerary we were given beforehand. We often waited hours for the bus drivers and tour leaders to decide when to leave a site. En route, if you asked to stop to shoot photos or use the rest room, you were asking for the moon. If the driver or tour leader didn't need to stop, then neither did you.

With a mind set that puts the cart before the horse, Romania's delay in improving its infrastructure and services is a blessing in disguise. Its tourism industry will evolve slowly, allowing time for planning and learning from mistakes. Romania has what it takes to cultivate a following rivaling its European cousins, though it may take the next generation and a collective jolt to the mind set of those citizens still locked in communist ways.

Romania is a learning experience. If traveling in comfort and reliability take a back seat to seeing culture in the raw, go to Romania now. If you have only two weeks off a year and you're seeking a traditional worry-free vacation, go to Barbados.

TRAVEL INFO

Getting there: Tarom, Romania's government airline, has direct flights several times per week from Chicago and New York to Otopeni International Airport in Bucharest. Airlines with connecting flights to Bucharest include Delta, Air France, Lufthansa, Alitalia, and Swissair.

Getting around: In the city, taxis are the most convenient way to get around. Always agree on a price with the driver before entering the cab. Pay no more than $10 for a ride from the airport to central Bucharest, which is about 15 miles. Renting a car is the most efficient way to travel beyond Bucharest. Express trains are reliable, but have limited schedules.

Getting to Dracula's Castle: To get to the Castle of Arges, the true home of Count Vlad Tepes Dracula, rent a car in Bucharest and drive northwest about 120 miles to Curtea de Arges and continue to the Arefu Valley, which runs along the Arges River. The Castle of Arges is clearly visible at the horizon on the left cliff side. The Arges River is to the right. Caution: If you ask Romanians where to find Dracula's Castle, you may be sent to Castle Bran, known as the "fake" to Dracula historians because the real count never lived there, but tourism officials tout otherwise; or to the hilltop Hotel Castle Dracula, a modern contrivance built in the Transylvanian Alps on a site as described in Bram Stoker's novel.

Where to stay: Hotels in Romania are no bargain. In Bucharest, drab 4-star hotels are generally more available, but can be just as pricey as the limited 5-star hotels. Make advance reservations at one of the finer (and fewer) hotels, such as the Athenee Palace Hilton Bucharest. Most of the hotels in Romania are government run and charge at least twice what a similar accommodation would cost in the U.S. Hot water, if available, may only run at certain times of the day.

When to go: The best weather is from May through September. But downhill skiers will find winter fun on the slopes in Poiana Brasov and beyond. The resorts are rarely crowded, and the snowfall is abundant.

Recommended Reading: In Search of Dracula: The History of Dracula and Vampires, by Raymond McNally and Radu Florescu includes recent research and insights into vampirism beliefs and practices today. Romania: The Rough Guide, by Dan Richardson and Tim Burford; and Hiking Guide to Romania, by Tim Burford, are both thoroughly researched guides for travelers going off the beaten path. Patrick Leigh's Between the Woods and the Water conveys the spirit of travel in Romania.

Food: Romania is not the place for strict vegetarians, especially in winter. Many restaurants carry only pork, beef, lamb and cheese. Ice cream is also plentiful. In the warmer months, fruits and vegetables are available at market stands.

Tourist Information: Romania National Tourist Office, 342 Madison Ave., Ste. 210, New York, NY 10173. Phone: (212) 697-6971.

Trip Info: CII Carpati International Inc., 152 Madison Ave., Ste. 1103, New York, NY 10016. Phone: 212-447-1534. CII is a U.S.-Romanian travel company providing information on group and individual travel. Created in 1991, the CII works with the ONT Carpati, which monopolized the travel industry in Romania until the 1989 revolution.

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