A young man from the Gujarat district of Pakistan was working at Turkish restaurant who welcomed us warmly, saying, “Yes, come in, we’ll serve you good food”
By Abdullah Usman Morai | Sweden
I must have been about eleven years old when I saw an elderly couple on television—frail, somber, and clearly in their final moments. At first, it wasn’t clear whether they had gone somewhere willingly or were taken by force. But within moments, the screen revealed their lifeless bodies on the ground. They had been executed by a death squad. Being sensitive by nature, the image haunted me—it was disturbing, and even today, that televised scene has never left my mind.
That elderly couple was none other than Nicolae Ceaușescu, the dictator of Romania, and his wife Elena.
Years later, two flights departed—one from London and the other from Stockholm—both heading to the same destination: Bucharest, Romania, landing just ten to fifteen minutes apart. From London came the cheerful Jan Mangrio, and from Stockholm, the thoughtful Morai Soomro. Both were embarking on a trip to explore Bucharest and parts of Romania, purely for the joy of wandering and discovering.
On the early morning of September 23rd, 2024, the warmth of Sindh greeted us in the heart of Bucharest.
Jan and I made our way to the train station to head into the city. The ticket vending machine was out of order, so we queued up at the counter. When our turn came, a woman behind the glass printed our tickets, and just then, the train arrived. People disembarked, and we boarded the train, ready to enter the city.
As we rode along, we nibbled on the dried fruits Jan had brought from the UK, while taking in the scenery outside. As the train rolled into Bucharest’s main railway station—Gara de Nord—we noticed that, despite being in Europe, Romania still felt significantly behind. The station lacked the energy and polish one would expect from other European capitals. The hall had many temporary-looking stalls, resembling the secondhand clothing bazaars we see in Sindh during winter. There were not only clothing stalls but also vendors selling a variety of other goods, most of them run by women.
Relying on Google Maps, we made our way toward our hotel. Although check-in was a few hours away, we decided to at least drop off our bags and have a look at the place. Within about twenty minutes, we reached our hotel, the Downtown Inn, where we paid the room fee, inquired about essentials, and asked about accessing the building late at night, since the reception didn’t operate 24/7. Once we dropped off our belongings, we set out to explore Bucharest.
On our way to the city center, a charming park caught our attention. It was quiet, peaceful, and full of life, with people relaxing around the pond and fountains. Curiosity pulled us in. We strolled leisurely, took photographs, and eventually exited the park from the far side.
As we stepped out, we encountered statues of notable Romanian figures, standing proudly in different corners of the area. We soon found ourselves near Revolution Square and the former Royal Palace. There, we also passed by the Kretzulescu Church, an Eastern Orthodox church with a serene presence. Inside, people were likely engaged in prayer, while others—perhaps tourists like us—admired the art and architecture.
Nearby stood the National Museum of Art of Romania and the striking building of the Romanian Athenaeum, the city’s main concert hall. After taking in these sights, we returned to Revolution Square, a place etched deeply in Romanian history.
From there, we walked to the Memorial of Rebirth—a tall, modern monument that symbolizes Romania’s new beginning after decades of dictatorship and communist rule. Erected after the 1989 Revolution, the memorial honors those who lost their lives for the country’s freedom, serving both as a tribute and a reminder of the cost of liberty.
Footsteps Through Forgotten Shadows: A Journey into the Heart of Romania
As we were taking photos near the Rebirth Memorial, a middle-aged man accompanied by his dog approached us and struck up a conversation. His name was Sorin. According to him, he had witnessed the revolution himself when he was 23 years old.
Sorin explained that by the late 1980s, the people of Romania were utterly exhausted by the dictatorship. Joy had vanished from their lives. There were severe shortages of food and daily essentials. Grocery stores would display pictures of food outside, but inside, the shelves were barren. Every item was rationed, and even if one wished to cook something special at home, it was nearly impossible due to the lack of ingredients.
Educated individuals who were unemployed were often forced to do any type of work, regardless of their qualifications. If someone refused, they were imprisoned. Life was harsh, tightly controlled, and suffocating.
He recounted that the revolution lasted for five days. Fear had evaporated. Usually, people run away from the direction of gunfire, but in Romania, people ran toward it. The sentiment was: “Now or never.” Eventually, someone close to Ceaușescu whispered in his ear: “It’s over.” Soon after, both Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife Elena were captured, sentenced to death, and executed by firing squad. Sorin said this happened just a few days before Christmas, and the people of Romania still remember it as a “Christmas gift.” It was also the last official death sentence carried out in Romania.
Sorin added that life was much better now. People were content. We thanked him sincerely and asked if University Square was nearby. He pointed in a direction and assured us it was not far. Since we needed to catch a bus from that area early the next morning to explore other parts of Romania, we wanted to locate it in advance.
We said our goodbyes and continued on our way. Along the way, we passed by lively restaurants and cafés filled with young men and women enjoying the atmosphere. Nearby, some food courts appeared, and in one narrow street, colorful umbrellas had been hung as decoration overhead, offering both shade and charm.
We finally located University Square and felt relieved knowing we wouldn’t have trouble finding it the next morning. Across the road stood the actual university building, and in the square itself were statues commemorating several historical Romanian figures. With that task checked off, we wandered on toward the Old Town—the historic heart of Bucharest.
The old quarter of Bucharest was indeed charming. Most of the area was lined with beautifully decorated restaurants and cafés. Outside, elegant young women stood inviting tourists into their establishments with welcoming smiles and practiced gestures. The streets were busy and full of life. Cobblestone lanes added to the character of the place. We strolled through them slowly, snapping memorable photographs.
The combination of wandering and being invited repeatedly by those young hosts stirred our appetites. We decided to search for a Desi or halal restaurant. Despite our efforts, we couldn’t spot any Indian or Pakistani restaurant nearby, though Google Maps listed a few Turkish ones. Unfortunately, those we reached were closed.
As we kept walking, a friendly Punjabi man from the western Punjab region spotted us. After exchanging greetings, we asked him if he knew of any Desi places to eat. He gave us detailed directions—“Go from this signal, take that street, and you’ll find a place there.” We thanked him warmly and carried on.
On our way, we passed a large fountain where a bronze sculpture of a female wolf stood with two human babies suckling at her. This was clearly the famous Capitoline Wolf, a symbolic reference to the Roman legend of Romulus and Remus. It likely signified Romania’s historical and cultural connection to ancient Rome.
As we walked, we kept chatting, especially about Jan’s past travels to Australia and New Zealand. His stories and reflections added layers of conversation to our Romanian journey, stitching the present experience to the tales of faraway lands.
A Stroll Through Bucharest: Encounters, Culture, and Quiet Conversations
When we reached the so-called desi restaurant, it turned out not to be desi at all—it was actually Turkish. However, a young man from the Gujarat district of Pakistan was working there, and he welcomed us warmly, saying, “Yes, come in, we’ll serve you good food.” His nickname was Shani, and we ended up chatting with him for quite some time, exchanging stories and getting to know each other. According to him, he had been living in Bucharest, Romania, for about a year and a half. He had directly secured a job and seemed content with the life he had built there.
After enjoying our meal and bidding farewell to Shani, we headed towards one of Bucharest’s most iconic landmarks: the Palace of the Parliament. Guided by Google Maps, we walked along the city streets. Whenever a scenic spot caught our eye, we paused to take it in before moving forward. Eventually, we reached the banks of the Dâmbovița River, which flows through the heart of Bucharest. Though technically a river, it looked more like a narrow canal.
As we wandered closer to the Palace of the Parliament, the skies were clear and the sun was shining, although the building itself was partly hidden behind it. Many tourists were strolling around the vast premises, and we too blended into the curious crowd. If one has enough time, it’s worth going inside the palace—but you need to buy a ticket for that.
The building stood imposingly in its environment, grand and monumental. After the Romanian Revolution, it began to be referred to as the People’s House (Casa Poporului). Reportedly, it is the heaviest building in the world. It houses the Romanian Parliament, Senate, Chamber of Deputies, and even a museum. The palace contains 1,100 rooms, and it costs over 6 million USD annually just to heat it. In front of the building, the wide road is adorned with beautiful fountains and greenery, giving the entire area a romantic, almost dreamlike atmosphere. We were surprised by how lush and green the city was—more than we had expected.
After a long day of walking and sightseeing, around 7 p.m., we decided to head back to the hotel for some rest. We booked a Bolt taxi and were soon back at our hotel. The room was clean and tidy, equipped with a kettle and tea supplies, which came in handy. However, we noticed that our preferred tea and milk were not among the options. Still, we made do with the variety of teas provided.
We had to reach the tourist bus pickup point before 7 a.m. the next day, so we decided to rest properly. After a little over an hour of rest, we stepped out again to a nearby store to buy some supplies. At the counter, a girl who looked Indian greeted us. As we walked around the store picking up our preferred black tea, milk, and other essentials, we asked her in Hindi/Urdu if she was from India. She replied that she wasn’t fluent in either language and was actually from Sri Lanka. Another young man working at the shop also appeared South Asian, likely Sri Lankan as well. It was possible that the store was run by the two of them, or they were students working part-time.
We bought everything we needed, including groceries for dinner, so there was no need to go out again that night. We also pre-booked a Bolt taxi for 6:15 a.m. the next morning to avoid any last-minute issues. That night, we had several rounds of tea and long conversations. My travel companion, Ada Jan, and I shared many thoughts, and we even had a video call with our friend Yaseen Sial, who lives in Vienna, Austria. That turned into a joyful and laughter-filled discussion about life’s experiences.
The next morning, after getting ready and having breakfast in the hotel room, we checked the Bolt app and found the taxi had arrived ahead of schedule, much to our relief. When we reached the car, it seemed the driver had been dozing off, but after hearing us, he quickly opened the doors. We got in and, within five to seven minutes, arrived at University Square (Piața Universității), a central and historical landmark in Bucharest, where our tourist bus was waiting.
At that early hour, the streets were still lit by streetlights, and the moon hung visibly in the sky, adding a serene touch to the quiet morning. We strolled around, took memorable photos, and eventually returned to the tourist bus, where people had started queuing. The tour guide checked each person’s booking details. We boarded the bus and noticed several other tourist company buses departing from the same location. Some tourists appeared confused about which bus was theirs, but fortunately, we had received the bus color, number, and guide’s name in advance, making it easy for us to identify the right one.
Some people asked the tour guide if they could join without a booking. He told them to wait in case there were extra seats, and luckily, a few were available. A diverse group of tourists joined us—mostly British and American travelers, but also people from Romania’s neighboring countries and elsewhere in Europe. There was even an elderly Indian couple among them. (Continues)
Read: A Rain-Kissed Day in Öregrund
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Abdullah Soomro, penname Abdullah Usman Morai, hailing from Moro town of Sindh, province of Pakistan, is based in Stockholm Sweden. Currently he is working as Groundwater Engineer in Stockholm Sweden. He did BE (Agriculture) from Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam and MSc water systems technology from KTH Stockholm Sweden as well as MSc Management from Stockholm University. Beside this he also did masters in journalism and economics from Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mirs, Sindh. He is author of a travelogue book named ‘Musafatoon’. His second book is in process. He writes articles from time to time. A frequent traveler, he also does podcast on YouTube with channel name: VASJE Podcast.
