Hotel Forum Ploiesti

Getting cash / exchange

by DSwede

Everyday it is changing, but as of now very few places take credit cards. There are a few currency exchanges around, but you'll have to search for best rates (don't use the hotel, you'll pay ~2% on average).

If you use ATM for cash advance, the best rate that I've found is the Bank Post machine on the south side of the Hale building (it a big building with a silver dome and clock tower on the north side of the downtown park area). It's a 3~5 minute walk walk from Hotel Central.

There are many ATM's in the city, but the one next to the Hale gives the best exchange rate.

......culture....

by alirom

Ploiesti, city in southern Romania and capital of Prahova County, near Bucharest. It is the center of the country's petroleum production; other products include textiles, hats, drilling equipment, hardware, paper and cardboard, glass and leather goods, furniture, and rubber and clay products. The University of Ploiesti (founded in 1948) is located here. During World War II (1939-1945), Ploiesti was repeatedly bombed by planes of the United States, Britain, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The first U.S. raid on the oil refineries at Ploiesti, on August 1, 1943, was one of the largest of the war, and it destroyed nearly 50 percent of their productive capacity.

Ploiesti

by glenn57

Ploiesti is a city of 250,000 that is the centre of the Romanian petroleum industry. Ploiesti gained fame in World War II as the source of the energy that fueled that Nazi war machine (Romania was one of the Axis powers, although it only joined the Axis to save itself from a full-scale Nazi invasion). As a result, Ploiesti was heavily bombed by both Americans and Russians during the war.

Oil pipelines run from Ploiesti to Bucharest, to ports on the Danube, and to the port of Constanta on the Black Sea.

New Year

by Irina

"St. Nicolae pension, Alunis village"

Take a map of Romania and search for Ploiesti. Not far from Ploiesti, to the North, you'll find Valenii de Munte. Before entering Valenii de Munte, there's a road on the left (marked with green, which stands for "beautiful sight" and if you look closer, you find a big village: Alunis. You'll certainly notice that the road is in good condition and you'll make it in max. 4 h from Bucharest.

Once arrived to Alunis, ask anyone there about Oniro pension (or Mrs. Onea's pension) and you'll find it:

here it is!

"Is this a Tourist, is this a Cow?"

The great thing about this kind of village is that it is untouched by tourists. No garbage, no McDonald's bags left on the side of the road. But local small shops can offer also premium beer brands, so you won't suffer.

When exploring the village, especially in week-ends or in winther, most of the local people are home and watch you with curiosity. You might be surprised when crossing them in the street, when they will say "Buna ziua" (Hello) to you, even if you haven't met before. The "etiquette" in Romanian villages is to say hello to everybody you meet on the street, as everybody knows everybody and if they don't recognize you, they think you must be some friend or relative of somebody they know, which means they already know you somehow. If you want to be polite, answer them with Buna ziua aswell and if you want to be very polite, be the first to say Buna ziua.

People are very friendly and they'll like for sure to talk to you, ask where are you from and help you whith whatever they could.

The same curiosity about strangers have local animals too: dogs, chickens, cows, sheeps. Never argue with the geese, their husbands are huge and can be violent, trust me!

"I'll Keep a Found Memory of You, Too!"

I'm in a Mooooood to talk to strangers!

"Dumitru Berbeca's Dancing Salon (1923)"

"Detail with the Founder's Portrait"

"The Guardian"

"The Room is so Warm..."

"The Mask - Featuring an American Beautician!"

"The Owner's Niece Decorating the Cristmas Tree"

"A Lot of Fun - Waiting For the New Year"

"Colindator"

"Wintersports In the Orchard"

"The Architect Evaluating His Building"

"The Snowman and the Rest of Us"

"Deer Skull Decorated with Saussages"

"Hors d"Oeuvre in the Cellar!"

"God Save the Cook!"

"Outdoor Barbecue, Assisted by the Cook"

"See You Again!"