So David and I head off to Timisoara after Sibiu. Again, we arrived unsure of accommodation, save for one friend who said she'd help us out. On our way to her (on the tram - which runs on the first tram line ever made in Europe) we ran into the tram inspectors.
Now this was the third time they had got on our bus or tram whilst we hadn't any ticket.
The first time, we instantly grew big eyes and open mouths and played the innocent tourist 'we didn't know - ohhh it goes in that way! Thankyou so much for showing us! We were so worried about not having a ticket ... etc etc '. We had an old ticket which was unvalid, so we pretended it was new and we didn't know how to validate it. We got away without paying the fee.
The second time inspectors got onto our bus we had no old ticket. David starts talking to me in Hebrew. 'Shalom, Todda, Shalom shalom, todda' (but with normal words forming real sentences). I reply in arabic and for a while the inspectors are in our hands since they cannot understand us and we them. But the ticket lady had me cornered, and her big evil eyes bore into mine 'Ticket' she kept repeating. Then 'passport'. "Passport passport' she was coming closer and closer and her eyes just didn't blink! Meanwhile David was waving his arms in the air yelling furious words in Hebrew I didn't understand and then the locals got involved in Romanian. All this noise on top of the monotonous 'ticket' 'ticket' from the officer.
And then a litttttttle bit of english slipped out.
I was scared. David became louder and more furious, and the inspectors suddenly more alert and insistant and and and then the bus doors opened and we were at the train station and we were late so had to get off the bus to make the train in order to get to Sibiu that night. Meanwhile, I felt like I was in a netbal game being defended into the corner of the goal circle by this inspector.
David grabbed my arm in the nick of time and swung me off the bus, bags in hand, and we made a run for it.
I thought the locals had been saying 'they speak english' (after hearing our previous discussions on the bus) butin fact they'd been defending us, and telling the inspectors to let it pass.
So this evening in Timisoara, David and I got on the tram (again, with all of our luggage - heading towards our new couch host Diana who awaited us). We were speaking in english when the inspector pulled out his badge. 'Shalom, Todda Shalom?' David began the act and I followed through - determined not to break the act as I'd done last time. 'Aiwa, Salam, Shukrun'. The inspector wasn't fooled and the three blokes wheeled us off the tram and onto the street.
"I heard them speaking english!" The inspector said while David and I rambled and rambled in our opposing languages, as though we were shocked that the inspectors were accusing us of something. They mentioned the police. We signalled 'bring it on. Bring the police." The first officer was staring into my eyes. "I know you speak english, why were you speaking english on the tram before"
My eyes displayed understanding. I understood him. "Ang...leesi ..?" "Ingleeesh??" I repeated his words dumbly.
Meanwhile David said we were from Israel (they certainly wouldn't have believed we were arabic. I've learnt that much while travelling). At first they said they didn't like Israel. Where in Israel, they tested, and while David said Tel Aviv I really tested them and said Ramallah. They weren't too smart. but then they started mentioning the soccer, and singing some Haifa national anthem.
So they told us to go, and we wave eachother goodbye, our calm expressions denying the dance our hearts were pumping.
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