It was our first morning at the Workaway house. Our alarm was set for 7am, though we were awakened long before it ever sounded. It was the clickity-clack coming from outside our windows that broke our slumber. The sun had yet to rise. The neighborhood, on the other hand, was already set in motion as indicated by the parade of cows just mere feet from where we lay in bed. The noise breaching our walls sounded like the thunderous hooves of the British Cavalry. When we signed up for Workaway in a small village in northern Romania, we were anticipating a unique experience and that’s exactly what we found.
Our late summer plans were built around the idea of working on a vineyard in Italy. We became absorbed with the romantic notion of spending our days frolicking through the vines and sipping wine as the Tuscan sun faded into night. Those dreams were quickly dashed when we realized how rapidly the use of the Euro was draining our savings account. Slowly becoming smarter backpackers on a budget, we diverted our attention to eastern Europe instead. We arrived to Bucharest, Romania, on what was supposed to be a one-week vacation from the Schengen Zone. But when we saw our dollars stretching further, we ditched our return ticket to Italy and headed north.
The Workaway
One of the best tools in our backpacker arsenal was the Workaway program. Not only did it allow us to stay within our allocated budget, but it also gave us the opportunity to connect with locals in a way most vacationers would never be able to do. For anyone unfamiliar with Workaway, it is a community made up of both hosts and travelers. The hosts usually need some type of help on their property ranging from farm work to English lessons. The travelers exchange several hours of work each day for a place to sleep and meals provided by their host. It works almost like a dating site. Every participant has a profile and the goal is to connect with people who are a good fit for you. We were extremely lucky with the hosts and jobs we landed.
If you’re wondering what the key to long-term travel is on a budget, for us the answer was Workaway.
In lieu of working the vines in Italy, we reached out to a Workaway host in northern Romania. The profile picture of blueberries being turned into wine was what caught our attention. The gig? Picking blueberries from the bushes and turning them into wine. Simple enough. When we reached out to him. we did so with confidence because of our experience in making blueberry wine. We quickly received a hearty welcome and directions on how to make our way to the blueberry farm.
Where we Stayed
Tarcaia, a Hungarian village in northern Romania, became our home for the next two weeks. It’s a tiny, almost seemingly insignificant, dot on the map that we never would have discovered on our own. We rolled into the dusty town and quickly noticed that it was devoid of any English speaking natives, international chains, and business attire. Perhaps it was these very attributes that made this place virtually undiscovered by outsiders and in turn, so incredibly special.
Our Workaway host, originally from Germany, had moved to this remote village with his former wife. Together, they purchased a home and a blueberry plantation in the area. Eventually, the marriage turned sour, but the blueberry business was booming and our host needed a few more helping hands around the property. The house he once shared with his wife became the central hub for Workaway travelers in Romania. A house situated at the edge of town, well-known by the other inhabitants and gazed upon with questioning eyes.
How to Get there
Getting to this small village was one of our biggest travel fiascos of the year. As it turns out, the major cities of Bucharest and Budapest are often mistakenly interchanged, but that’s a story for a different time.
The best and cheapest way to reach the north of Romania is via an overnight train. For just a few dollars we purchased two beds in a 6-berth cabin on one of earth’s slowest moving vessels on wheels. After approximately 12 hours of travel, the train arrives to Oradea. From there, you must board a bus that travels into the small town of Beius. After that, there is no public transportation into the Hungarian village of Tarcaia. You will need to have arrangements with the Workaway host or have your own car.
What our Workaway Was Like
During our stay at the blueberry farm Workaway in Romania, we were among a group of 14 volunteers. A mix of men and woman ranging from early 20s to mid 50s. Travelers from New Zealand, Australia, Russia, Germany, Argentina, Chile, and of course – the States.
Daily Routine
As soon as the hooves started pounding the pavement, someone was already in the kitchen working up the first pot of coffee to get the day going. Toast, eggs, cheese, and local plums picked fresh off the trees outside were sprawled across the table to feed the hungry onslaught of workers. An eclectic group turned pseudo family overnight.
And like teenaged siblings, we fought for time in our one shared bathroom. After a few days, the crew became rather adept at managing post work showers, but morning routines were always interesting.
Each morning like clockwork, we threw on our boots and gloves and retreated outdoors to the blueberry plantation. Situated a 10 minute walk from the Workaway headquarters, we rotated between walking and sharing the available bikes for our morning commute. Once we arrived on-site we were given our tasks for the day – which usually did not consist of making blueberry wine as was advertised.
Blueberry Fields Forever
Instead, most days, like ants building their colony, we loaded our wheelbarrows with fresh piles of dirt, transporting it into the blueberry plants and building them up for the next season’s harvest. Among the Workawayers, we referred to this as “ramadush Hell”. Ramadush, our best attempt at spelling the Hungarian word our host used to describe the act of shoveling dirt under the tarp. As our backs and our knees began to ache, we zoned out to fellow comrades pacifying our ears with a rendition of “blueberry fields foreeeeever.”
Other days, we turned the clock back a few decades. The men and women were segregated to work on separate tasks. The men, usually driving tractors, working on sprinkler systems, and moving around items much too heavy for a delicate woman to handle. The women were tasked with picking weeds. But not just any weeds; Weeds tall enough to provide shade from the blistering Romanian sun.
After a few short hours ticked by, our host would wriggle around like the wacky waving inflatable arm man, summoning us to the shed for treats. An assortment of cookies, candies, pretzels, and coffee that we were urged to indulge in. “Have another,” the host insisted, as she shook the bag of local specialties at us. They were always delicious, so resistance was futile.
Wine Making Day
When we first arrived to the Workaway house in Romania, we expected to find a surplus of blueberry wine. Instead, what we uncovered was blueberry vinegar. Mason jars and old cannisters filled with the acidic purple liquid were scattered around the property.
Apparently what we thought was a blueberry wine business was actually just a failed hobby. One that the host hoped to resurrect with our help. We may have falsely painted ourselves as blueberry wine making experts.
On wine making day, we waved goodbye to our housemates as they made their way to the plantation. We stayed behind to crush the fruit and took solace in our short respite from ramadush hell. We took turns working the berries into a juice. By the end, everything was covered in blueberry goo.
The wine recipe required a large amount of boiling water, but our Workaway kitchen was equipped with no large pots. Forced into resourcefulness, we had several small ones heating on our stove simultaneously. It was quite the production, far from factory quality. We didn’t stick around long enough to taste our results, but our hope is that future Workaway friends will have wine opposed to vinegar to complement their stay in Romania.
Our Workaway Mascot
The treatment of animals in other parts of the world is something we never grew accustomed to. Here, in the States, our animals are considered a part of our family. Elsewhere, they are often seen as mere property. The care these animals receive is often the minimum required to keep them alive. Not always, but enough for us to notice, the conditions they exist in are abysmal.
Not long into our stay in Tarcaia, our group of Workaway friends befriended the sweetest golden floof-ball named Bonnie. Normally this sweet girl spent her days in a small (but live-able) cage with no walks and very limited human interaction. Once we met Bonnie, we all decided she should come live with us, and so she did. She was treated like the royal golden queen of a doggo she was. Every day, Matt and I took her for a walk, a swim in the river, and gave her all the good girl pats and cuddles. Slowly, Bonnie’s personality blossomed and she was doing zoomies across the Workaway yard. We hope our successors are still treating her with the same kindness today that our group did during its stint.
Village Life
Prior to our stay in Tarcaia, if you told us we were going to live in a commune, we would have radiated prejudice. If we’re being honest, when we first rolled into town, we immediately started formulating our escape plans. But those thoughts and our ignorance evaporated as quickly as they had arrived.
Self-Reliant Culture
Life in Tarcaia is much slower than the big city of Bucharest. It’ a perfect balance of relaxation and productivity. Everyone has a purpose. All members of the community contribute to the society in some way. There are a few small shops in the village, but the locals are proficient in growing most of what they need to survive. Every house is equipped with its own flourishing gardens. Most of which are hidden behind the front gates to their homes. Biking through the village at first glance, it seems almost barren. But when the gates open up, a quick peek inside reveals magical vine-covered secret gardens.
Every couple of days our local host delivered an overflowing bag of ripened tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants for the Workaway crew to feast on. What doesn’t get eaten fresh is turned into a drool-worthy spread that we smeared on everything we had the opportunity to. Walking through the village, the smell of vegetables being reduced into the savory jam is an aroma you quickly become acquainted with. The locals work hard to preserve as much as possible for the long winter days that soon follow.
Plum trees line the streets of Tarcaia. Once they turn ripe they are baked into pies, boiled into jams, snacked on raw, and most notably – become the local brandy. Every country in the Balkans has their version and Romania is no exception. Here, they create what is known as Palinka. According to our Workaway host, you haven’t tried real Palinka from Romania until you’ve tried what’s made in Tarcaia.
What to do in Tarcaia
It would be easy to park yourself in front of the house and watch the village life stroll past you. Sometimes, we did. From the parade of cows in the wee morning hours, to the tractors hauling hay in the evenings, the activity never ceases. However, there are also ways to be less passive and engage with the community. We tried to take advantage of our evenings after our Workaway hours were up and enjoy as much of the culture in Romania as possible.
Local Bar
Sporting wagers, potluck lunches, and maybe even the oddball fight breaking out can be found at the local watering hole. We ducked in for a few beers and of course to sample the local palinka on a few occasions during the week. There are at least two bars in the town that we know of, but they keep irregular hours. Finding the door propped open means it must be happy hour.
Bike Rides
Beyond a doubt, the best way to explore the local village of Tarcaia is on two wheels. We spent our evenings riding through the streets, under the grape vines, through the blueberry fields, across the rivers, and waving at the villagers.
BBQs
Some days after our working hours, we would enjoy a bar-be-que by the river. Homegrown whole foods cooked over the fire. It usually consisted of peppers filled with eggs and cheese, tomato and cucumber salad, fried potatoes, and the Romanian specialty – mici. These are little caseless sausages meant to be dredged through a pungent mustard and washed down with a cold beer. After the working the fields, the Workaway men could take down upwards of 10 of these cylindrical meat delights. Our host also introduced us to a local favorite – thick slices of skewered fat melted over the fire and smeared on bread; It was as much of an activity as it was a snack.
If you’re really lucky, as we so often were during our stay at the Workaway in Romania, you’ll be invited to share a dinner at the home of one of the locals. Our gracious host invited all 14 of us into her kitchen to squeeze around the table and share a meal she and her daughter prepared. On one occasion, she served Hungarian cabbage rolls. Another, a traditional soup. The hospitality was like nothing we had ever experienced. Each time we thought we were finished with a meal, another round of food was passed around the table. By the end, we thought we may have to be rolled out of the house, a la Violet Beauregarde style.
Final Thoughts
Never in a million years could we have anticipated ending up in the small Hungarian village of Tarcaia. Our random Workaway assignment brought us to this corner of Romania, that frankly, we had no idea even existed until we arrived. From getting there to sharing communication with locals, the barriers were plenty. During our short stay, it felt like stepping back in time, before the internet ruled the world. We fed off the gifts of the earth, were entertained by means other than our electronic devices, and immersed ourselves in the community. And just maybe, we made blueberry wine – or vinegar. We’ll never know for sure.
If you have the chance to spend a short time soaking in the day-to-day life of a remote village in Romania, we’d highly recommend it.
Cheers friends,
Megan + Matt
