Greetings from Transylvania! I'm in the heart of Romania and it's a rainy and cold morning. What's the difference between Romania and the U.S.A.? In the U.S., a city named Transylvania would be filled with tourist joints playing on the Dracula theme. In Transylvania, Romania, there's minimal tourist play on the Dracula name--though the regional history is a prominent part of the region and heritage. I will add that I did see a billboard for one Dracula-themed motel.

On the way here (I'm in the city of Cluj), we traveled by car from Bucharest and passed probably 20 horse or oxen drawn wagons on the highway. I saw probably another 15-20 in the fields. Agriculture is a hands-on business as it was in the U.S. 100 years ago. People heat with wood instead of electricity or gas in the small villages and rural areas.

I'm standing at the front desk of the hotel using a wired Internet connection...their WiFi is down and my room connection doesn't work....over my shoulder is a television set with an English language soap opera. It's "The Young and the Restless" and airs on a station called ProTV.

More later...have to start the workday.