On the long train journey train from Hungary I met a Romanian actress who, unlike most of her countrymen, has been fortunate enough to visit foreign countries as part of her work. She had started the international touring just after the 1989 revolution and now regularly performs in Romania and abroad. It was fascinating to hear first hand accounts of the turmoil of those violent years and the reconstruction of the country that started soon after the fall of Ceausescu. So much so that I managed to miss my planned stop and had to quickly make alternative arrangements. With the help of another passengers input, it was agreed that the next stop down the line, Brasnov, would be a suitable alternative.

This turned out to be better that I had expected - Brasnov has a great deal to interest the casual traveller and is a convenient base to explore the regions famous towns and castles. On arrival at the station I was approached by a man, speaking good English, who offered to rent me an apartment for $10 a night. This scenario is quiet common in this part of the world although it's usually little old ladies in headscarves who greet backpackers and offer them a room in their house. The apartment was in one of the many run-down estates that surround these former Communist towns with lots of scary dogs and noisy drunks outside. Inside though it was quite nice and certainly good value.

This being my first stop in Romania I was struck by the differences between this and previous countries on the journey. The dry, dusty streets and strangely Arabic sounding music playing from radios gave it a distinctly Middle-Eastern feel. In contrast, the Romanian language is based on Latin and had enough similarties to Spanish and Italian to make sign-reading possible. Poverty is ever present, not helped by an economy that has had a rocky ride in it's post-Communist days. A clear sign of this is the currency, the Romanian Lei, which is has an exchange rate of around 55,000 to the Pound.

As part of my freshly redefined plans I decided to stay in Brasnov for a couple of days and took trips in the surrounding area. Risnov and Bran are two small towns within an hours bus ride away, both famous for their castles. Being in Transylvania, every opportunity is made to forge some sort of link, no matter how tenuous, to the Vlad Tepes / Dracula legend.

I did manage to go back and see Sighisoara and spent a few hours exploring the tiny town that had lots of 'quaint house' photo opportunities before moving on to the Carpathian Mountains. There I stayed in Sinaia, a ski resort that manages to maintain a healthy flow of visitors all year round due to its wonderful castle and palace. I couldn't comment on the state of the skiing but it did occur to me that it would be an ideal resort with lots of interesting things do if the snow isn't good or you're just feeling lazy.

The capital Bucharest was my last stop in Romania and after the peaceful towns of Transylvania turned out to be a distinct culture shock. I had heard about problems with crime at the train station with all sorts of pitfalls awaiting the unsuspecting traveller, from pickpockets to corrupt taxi drivers, so I made a swift exit from the station and started walking towards the city. Only a few minutes later a car pulled up and two men got out, flashing badges and demanding to see my passport. This isn't a particularly original scam and I just refused, suggesting sorting out any problems at the police station. Ignoring their demands to get in to their car I continued walking and was relieved that they didn't follow. I then thought it better to get off the street and flagged down a taxi. True to form, the driver feigned confusion of the destination, even though it was in the Romanian equivalent of Regents Street, turned on the meter and drove off in completely the wrong direction. I was able to spot this straight away with the help of the miniature compass that John had bought me in Prague. I asked him to stop and then directed him manually to the hostel.

I had heard lots of good reports about Bucharest's "Elvis Hostel" and so booked up in advance. The Australian owner, whose name really is Elvis, was a former backpacker who having made enough money from the corporate world decided to set up the definitive travellers hostel. Living up to it's reputation, it was spotlessly clean, very friendly and provided everything from satellite TV to free drinks and snacks.

On the first evening I went to the Romanian National Theatre to see the actress I had met on the train. It was the first night of the seasons run and the place was fully booked but Brandusa sneaked me in through the performers entrance and had a quick word with a programme seller who managed to find me a seat. The play was a modern Romanian version of the Greek tragedy Euripides and I can't say I really understood much of what happened but it was colourful and engaging.

Being shown around the city from a comparatively middle-class perspective was revealing. There is ample opportunity to find sophisticated and cultural outlets without stretching the average Romanian salary of $100 per month too far.

The centre of Bucharest around the Senate building has now been renamed Revolution Square after the events that preceded the fall of Communism. A few of the bullet-ridden buildings have been left unrepaired as a permanent reminder of the bloodshed. The history and impact of the location still reverberates through the people and I saw a number of pedestrians quietly cross themselves as they walked across the square.

The other main place to see in Bucharest is the Peoples Palace, Ceausescu's mammoth Communist legacy. The second largest building in the world, it is deceptive and ungainly from the outside but a tour revealed the grandeur and indulgence of his regime. Every room was finely crafted and decorated in the most expensive materials at a time when the country was struggling to feed its people. These days the building is used for international conferences and political meetings.

On the last day I squeezed in a trip to the outskirts of Bucharest to see another stately palace dating from the days of Monarchy. The most interesting part of the visit was seeing a large statue of Lenin that had once temporarily dominated the grounds unceremoniously dumped in a neighbouring field.

I was impressed with Romania; it had more diversity that I had seen in other countries and I didn't even get as far as its Black Sea resorts which are highly regarded. It's a hard country with a very distinct split between rich and poor, the latter far out numbering the former. No doubt this will change in time, membership of the EU is expected in a few years, and its raw appeal will diminish slightly. Much of Romania's small tourist industry is based around the Dracula legend which, as well as being slightly inauthentic, doesn't allow it's other more substantial attractions to be publicised.