The first hotel we tried when we arrived in Târgu Jiu was pretty blah: on the outside it looked tacky, on the inside it was overly fancy, and the prices were exorbitant. The reception area was also filled with a group of sharply-dressed business people checking in. Next!

The second hotel marked in our GPS didn't seem to exist in real life, so Tyler masterfully navigated us to number three, calling out in rapid succession the five or six turns it took to get there. The third try was the charm!

Before we arrived at what appeared to be an unassuming hotel, we were greeted by a friendly guy in a dapper uniform crossing the street with us. He asked if we needed to find the reception office; we nodded, and he led us across the road, past the restaurant, around the corner and to the not-so-obvious reception area in back.

I was instantly sold when we got inside and found even more friendly people in a place that managed to be truly beautiful, clean, and swanky without being pretentious. Tyler's favorite part is the ridiculously fast internet connection. We uploaded photos for two whole days in less than five minutes!

So here we are, settled for at least two nights in Hotel Anna. We have a nice view:

…and our room is so gorgeous! I almost don't even know what to do with myself. Just the other day we were free-camping by a river, hiding our poop under rocks, and rationing food. Today we are here, in the lap of luxury, with the softest bedsheets I have ever felt. It really is staggering to me how polar our lives can be on this trip.

I love this photo of Tyler, on the phone with his parents who called us at the hotel using Skype. I think he looks like a high-powered CEO in that bathrobe, though he says that is the last thing in the world he wants to look like.

The bathroom is incredible also. There are TWO shower-heads—one stationary one, and one hand-held. And then there are FOUR sprayer things that shoot out water at various heights. There is one knob that turns on the water, one knob that adjusts temperature, and one that switches between modes so you can get sprayed in exactly the combination you like. I'm not really sure what the point is, but it is all very high-tech.

I don't ever want to leave!