Transnistria, or the breakaway People's Republic of Moldova

I'm back, but my mind is mulling over everything I've seen and thought and heard and processed and eaten and not digested.

Did some article searching in Travel section of the times for places (always interesting to do after youve been to a place), and found almost nothing on Moldova or Transnistria, but a few things on Ro and Bg. Says the NYTimes about the non-existant country I visited in Moldova ..."it is all gangsters there,'' she said. ''Very dangerous. Nothing to see. Boring.'' HA!

Check it out. It's about the century club. You have to travel to 100+ countries. I've been to around 25 or so, I think, and in this world I get to count the Republic of Sprksa (in Bosnia) and Transnistria. I'm nowhere near 100, but this is a cool idea anyway.

I'd really like to read "Playing the Moldovans at Tennis," which is apparently a book that includes stuff on Tranistria.

In some exciting news, I haven't even had my passport for 2 full years and I'm almost ready for the "extra pages." I love sorting through my passport. For instance, I completely ran out of reading material on this last trip. I soared thru Vanity Fair, the Washingtonian, UUWorld, and other random magazines I brought. I read Lonely Planet's Eastern Europe book over and over again, digging into countries I was interested in. But guidebook reading ain't so fun. I read Me TAlk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris, and I laughed hysterically and so hard I teared up several times. I spent a lot of time in transit. And I try to pack light, so I didnt have too much with me to choose from. Instead, then, I read my passport stamps and visas, over and over and over again.