Public transport

As we finally appeared in the city we will have to use the public transport sooner or later. Chisinau is not a big city (aprox. 800 000 inhabitans), but still, you cannot only walk. 

You may think you're coming to Eastern Europe, where everything is messed-up and mysterious. But it's not all that bad. Basically, it's not much complicated. 

So we have trolleybuses - that cover the most important lines in the city, cost - 2 moldovan lei for a ride. It doesn't matter if you go one stop or the whole route, it's always the same. You buy the ticket at "the conductor" that is present in every troley. He or she always wears kind of purple "uniform" so is easy to recognize. Anyway, you don't have to bother with looking for them, just get in, take your seat and wait. The conductor will show up very fast for sure :) 

What's interesting, even when the bus is crowded to imposible extent (you will experience it in the rush hours) the conductor - in unknown way - will manage to squeeze through the crowd and take your money :)

Another mean of transportation - buses - they are commercial what makes them more expensive - 3 lei for a ride. The scheme is exactly the same as in trolleys. 

And the last and most characterisitc way - mini buses, very often called marshrutkas, from Russian. The legend says that they goes and stops no-one-knows-where. The reality is not that crazy, but there is a bit of truth in it. So, marshrutka will stop wherever you want, to get in you wave your hand, and to get out you just ask it to stop. However, sometimes it can happen that the driver will just act like he feels like a the moment, for example not stop at all to let you in. Well, that's this mysterious part that you can only agree with...

When it's about their routes, they are fixed, each number goes always  the same way so no worries that it will take you to another place than a day before. You pay to the driver.


One more thing characteristic for Moldovans, not only in the buses - unknown people don't really talk to each other. And I don't mean here some serious conversations or even small talks, I mean they don't say a word! 
For example in the bus, the conductor (they are exeptions of course) will not ask you to give him money, he will come and just look at you. Then you will give him the money without "please" and take the ticket without "thank you". This thing makes everything easier for the foreigner who doesn't speak the language, you don't feel lost here, you just fit in! ;) 

And that's the next reason why it's worth to come here!