Sema Çil (Turkey, Ankara) is an engineer at the Turkish State Meteorological Service. She is also doing a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences. Her aim is to become a university professor in her field in the future. She is passionate about traveling and, just recently, part of her journey became Moldova. We invited her for a walk and then a friendly chat and she told us her first impressions and experiences in the country.

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Sema, is it your first time in Moldova and first time in Chișinău?

Yes, this is my first time in Moldova and Chișinău.

How did you decide to travel here?

Unfortunately, due to Covid19 restrictions it is not easy to travel around the globe these days. So, I decided to travel to a country closer to my home. I have already visited many Balkan countries and Ukraine. So I decided to visit Moldova to see its culture and history. 

You’ve told us that you arrived in Chișinău by plane, what was your first impression of the city?

The airport was small and cute but very new. I found everything I needed very quickly. I took a bus to the city center and I had a chance to have a kind of city sightseeing tour on the way. My first impression of the city was that it seemed quite old but very historical.

What did you see? Where did you go these three days?

I went to Chișinău and Comrat. I really wanted to see the capital of Moldova and the Capital of the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia. As you might be aware, the Gagauzian people have Turkish ancestors, so they speak a different accent of Turkish. I wanted to visit that city to see their culture and lifestyle in their homeland. I also visited Chisinau to experience the capital of a country that has a cultural mix of people of different races with similarities. I visited some museums like Alexander Pushkin’s home and The National History Museum of Moldova. These two museums were very impressive. 

Did you try some local foods? How did you like them? Are there any similarities between Turkish and Moldovan/Eastern European cuisine?

I tried Mamaliga and Placinta with cabbage and potato. I liked all of them a lot. 🙂 Yes, there are some similarities in bakeries and cuisines with Turkish and Moldovan food, probably because of the historical connection between these two countries in the Ottoman era. Which is a good thing for Turkish tourists for finding a familiar taste while abroad. 🙂 

We live in different places, with different traditions, religions, and cultures. What were the first things that caught your eye or even surprised you about Moldova and Moldovan people, culturally or otherwise? Is there anything that you couldn’t get used to living in Moldova?

Actually, there is not anything that I couldn’t get used to while staying in Moldova probably because this is not my first trip abroad to Europe and the Balkans. Also, the cultural and historical connection between Moldova and Turkey helps to get used to new things easily. Maybe the only problem can be mentioned about language. 🙂 The staff at restaurants and cafes are not speaking English very well which is quite challenging while you are hungry and can not speak the Moldovan language. 🙂 

It was a short trip to Moldova. Is there anything you’d do differently? Any advice for people who want to visit Moldova (and Chișinău)? Especially for those who have limited time to visit it.

Well, unfortunately, I did not do anything different from my other trips. I wish I had more time to experience the city’s vibes. I definitely recommend them to visit Alexander Pushkin’s home to see the most historical part of Chisinau and The National History Museum of Moldova to see the historical background of this city and the country. These two museums will give brief information to the visitors who have a very limited time. 

Would you come back?

I will definitely come back to see more of Chișinău and other parts of Moldova as well because 3 days of a short trip is not enough to experience the whole country. See you soon Moldova! 🙂 

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Interviewed by: Cristina Dicusar