A never-ending journey

I'm writing this from Brasov, in the Carpathian mountains in the Transylvania region of Romania.  Our train left Bucharest at 8:30 a.m. for a short journey of 166km (about 103 miles).  Would you believe that it took four and a half hours.  Yes, it did.  At times, it felt like we could run faster than that train.  Sometimes, because of construction, there were only one set of rails and we had to shunt off and sit and wait for the train or trains from the opposite direction to pass.  It's beautiful countryside to see.  At one point, an old woman was herding about 30 goats across a shallow river.  Often, herding goats is like herding cats.  It's also common to see horse-drawn carts carrying lumber or other goods alongside brand new cars speeding along the highway.