Travelling to Bucharest to see the SatchVai Band

 

Since I was a kid I love rock, and during my adolescence, a desire to play guitar awakened in me. A major inspiration for this was Steve Vai's music "For The Love Of God". As life sometimes doesn't go as we plan, I did not learn to play guitar as teenager, but now, years later, I came back to this project, and it has made me very excited. I started a playlist with some songs as reference and to inspire me. In this process, I refind "For The Love Of God" and immediately started research about what Steve Vai is doing nowadays. 

I could not believe when I saw he and Joe Satriani had started a band last year and they are already in concert tour in Europe. Sadly, there was no concert in Portugal or even close, but I didn't give up and after some research and planning I got a possibility to see them in Bucharest, on 23 July. I Immediately bought tickets for the concert, and after some more research, I booked the hotel and the flights. With the major arrangements done, now was just to pack everything and start my first adventure in Eastern Europe.

Sunday, July 20 - Preparations and Path to the Airport 

The preparations for the trip began a week earlier when I bought new wired earphones and a power bank for my iPhone 12 Mini. The next step was packing clothes, a towel, a small notebook and some blank sheets, and everything else needed for a few days away from home. Since the flight was early Monday morning, I didn't want to take the risk to oversleeping, so I decided to head to the airport Sunday night and wait there, alternating between sleeping and to listening to music.

Monday, July 21 - Leaving Porto, Way to Bucharest, Rest in Hotel

 To get in the first flight from Porto to Munich was smooth and on time. As it was my first time at Munich Airport, I chose a connection with a few hours’ layover explore without worrying about rushing between gates. The airport has a well-organized structure and many interesting shops. To reach my next flight's gate I had to take a small metro to the other side of the airport. During this time, I could use the airport's internet connection without any issues. The flight to Bucharest left Munich on time and the journey was ok.

In Bucharest, the airport was under renovation and the signs were confusing, causing me to waste time looking for the exit. Neither my mobile data connection nor the airport's Wi-Fi was working, so I could not call for an Uber as first planned. The signs for public transport were also unclear, so I decided to take a taxi. There were some totems in the airport lobby, but one of the was broken and the others were confusing and only to provide some poor information, not for a taxi request. Frustrated, I waked to exit of the airport and I approached a taxi driver in the line and gave him the hotel's address. About 20 minutes later, I was dropped off on the hotel's street and charged 450 Leu for the trip. I was shocked, as I had checked Uber prices and it was around 80 to 100 Leu, nowhere near that amount.

At the hotel I asked the receptionists about typical taxi fares from the airport, and they told me was about 100 to 150 Leu. They offered to call the police, but I didn't want to waste my limited time in the city dealing with bureaucracy or chasing dishonest people. Tired, I went to my room to drop my luggage. Since it was late, I asked the staff where I could go eat without spending too much.

There was a supermarket nearby, but it was already closed. So, I want to a restaurant close in the street and ordered a kind of sausage with potato barbecue for 40 Leu. Then I decided to try using my Portuguese card to buy something to drink and test if it would work. And it did, which relieved my concerns about paying for food in the coming days.

Tuesday, July 22 - Walking By The City, Working Out at Gym's Hotel

 In the morning, I enjoyed the hotel's breakfast, which was simple but complete: there were some kinds of bread and pastry, fruits, eggs, cheese, bacon, some desserts and juice and coffee from machines. afterward, I headed to the hotel's gym for a workout. Since the concert was the next day, I had originally planned to take a city tour, but now with limited funds, I decided to just walk around to see the Parliament Palace and the nearby buildings. In my way I could see the National Library of Romania, located across from the Bucharest's Tribunal and some pubs near the canal.

 

 In the same avenue there is a large fountain in the Unirii Park (Union Park), but it was deactivated for renovation, and I could see only a small, dirt part of it. Continuing along the avenue, I passed a tram station, residential and commercial buildings and small fountains, and finally, the Parliament Palace. Its size is really impressive, but there was some kind of work in front of it and I had to walk around to find a good angle for a photo.

 From the Parliament Palace, I returned to the hotel, stopping at a supermarket to buy some food. Back to the hotel, I spent the rest of the day reading and listening to music until bedtime.

 

Wednesday, July 23 - The Carol I Park, and SatchVai Band Concert

 Like the previous day, I woke up and went to the hotel's breakfast, which was like the day before. Concerned about finding the way to the concert I visit the Arene Române in the morning, just to its location. It's situated in Carol I Park, a beautiful, large and lush green park. The Arene Române was not so big as I expected, which excited me rather than disappointed me because it meant it I'd have a good view of the concert from anywhere. I strolled through the park for a while and I saw a memorial for Romania’s Independence and World War II. On the other side, there is a large fountain and a lake between, with a path running through it. I returned to the hotel, sopping at a supermarket to buy some food, like the previous day. Back in my hotel room, I rested, read and listened to SatchVai music.

The concert was scheduled to start at 7:30 PM, so I arrived at 6:00 PM and found just only a few people near the stage. I managed to secure a spot right at the front, where I could see the band up close. At 7:15 Ned Evett opened the show with his fretless glass guitar, and around to 8:00 PM the SatchVai Band began their performance, playing for over two hours. It was incredible to see these two legendary guitarists live. 

 After the concert I walked back to the hotel, rested and began preparing for my trip back home. I checked out of the hotel, and I called a Bolt for 70 Leu, compared to 100 Leu for an Uber, this at 2:00 AM.

Thursday, 24 July - Returning Home 

At this time, the Airport’s internet connection was working, so I checked-in using the airline’s app and waited for my flight to Frankfurt. It was confused to find the way in the airport for the right gate, but I managed it, and the flight to Frankfurt was smooth. At Frankfurt’s airport, the flight to Porto was overbooked, and the airline asked for volunteers to switch to a later flight in exchange for finance compensation. I volunteered, and for some compensation in my credit card, I agreed to stay for a few more hours for the next flight.

 There was a one-hour delay, but everything worked out and I returned to Porto. From the airport, I took a metro home, stopping at a supermarket to buy something to eat. At home, was showered, ate and went to sleep. The next day, I began organizing my routine, with memories of the trip and the concert still vivid in my mind.

PS.: If you're curious about the concert, I made a small video with some moments, that you can see in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMzgkOtl7Xk

and here I found a full SatchVai concert in Frankfurt:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4JTS4G2GiE