The most shocking reality of Ceausescu’s regime in Romania was discovery of thousands of children who were found locked away in some 600 notorious institutions. Who were these children? They were victims of Ceausescu’s policy against contraception. Romanian couples were forced to have more children and when they could not afford to raise them, they left infants in state care.

A whole generation was born and raised in appalling and shocking condition till they were rescued after fall of Ceausescu regime. Many international agencies stepped in to take care of these children. But there were thousands of them. In 1990 some 86,000 children were discovered in these institutions and figures went up to 96,000 later and shockingly even in 2005 there were some 80,000 of them. In between some 10,000 children were adopted worldwide.

At present officially there are no big orphanages in Romania. One of the conditions for joining EU was to put an end to these inhuman institutions. But where did these thousands of orphans go? Officials say some have found foster homes, some have left and become independent and some (most of them disabled) have been shifted to smaller better modern institutions. There are more than 2,000 street children in Bucharest alone according to Unicef figures. And these children are exposed to physical and sexual abuse. Infant mortality rate is also high in Romania.

Ceausescu’s regime has ended and Romania is officially a member of EU but future of Romanian abandoned children and orphans remains uncertain.

Via Vivid

After a week that started off with skiing, moved on to exotic destinations and cooled off with gaming thrills on the couch, it is time to now ponder about the path rather than the destination. Most often, both in life and journey, we are so often bothered about the destination that we actually forget to enjoy the path that leads us there. If you actually sum it up, then most often, it is the path where you spend more time on rather than the destination.

Traveling by good old road still offers unmatched delights and you only need to look around to find them. Here are some of the best roads in the world which will enthrall you, captivate you with their enjoyable ride and will take you to the edge of adrenaline at times. So loosen your seatbelts and join the ride…

1. North Yungas Road- Bolivia = Road of Death

The North Yungas Road, also known as El Camino de la Muerte (Spanish for “Road of Death”), is a 43 mile road that leads from La Paz to Coroico, 35 miles northeast of La Paz in the Yungas region of Bolivia. The road seems breathtaking and awesome just in the pictures and if you want to drive on its nerve-tingling and even limb to life-losing edges, then you will be dubbed as a ‘brave-expert-lucky’ rider.

2. Atlantic Road- Norway

Dubbed and voted as the Norwegian construction of the century, this five-mile stretch along highway Rv64 between Molde and Kristiansund. The road is anything but even and riding above some real rough waves is a thrill like none other. The road itself surges up and falls down much like the tides at different places, making it a perfectly safe, yet totally exciting ride.

3. Blue Ridge- USA

If you are looking for a roadway whose every inch will be just fine on a picture postcard, the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina is the place to go. The 496 mile road has been specially crafted for drivers to go on a magical trip with scenic panorama all around. Nature is at its very best around Blue Ridge.

4. Columbia George Highway 30, USA

The much fabled ‘Kingdom of Narnia’ shot will be visible from one of the bridges on this trip as the road takes you through a journey that will bring the silver screen to life. Described by many as ‘the ultimate drive’ for scenic pleasure in North America, the Columbia George Highway comes very close to dethroning the Blue Ridge Parkway from its spot!

5. Guoliang Tunnel- China

After North Yungas in Bolivia, we bring you the Guoliang Tunnel located high up Taihang Mountains in China. The road is like a little cavern on the side of a mountain with holes of various shapes and sizes acting as windows. The road will offer you a journey and a view like none other in the world as you feel transported to an ancient and mystical land. If you want a safe way to experience how it feels like when hanging from a bottomless cliff, then this is your best shot!

6. Amalfi Coast Road- Italy

Amalfi seems to be getting pretty popular these days as it is creeping up into most of our lists, or maybe we just have a special fascination towards Italy! Riding on the beautiful coast of Amalfi is in contrast to places like Guoliang Tunnel as this experience is more romantic than scary. The beautiful Italian coast dotted with villages and the drive right next to waves makes this a captivating one.

7. Three Capes Route- USA

Located on the coast of Oregon, the ride is famous for its proximity to a beautiful coast on one side and lush green forests on the other side of the road. The long ride can eventually take you to the Cape Kiwanda drive, which is both beautiful and unique as you put your set of wheels through waves- quite literally!

8. Transfagarasan Road- Romania

Many consider this stunning and breathtaking road clad in natural beauty as the road that leads you to the sky. It runs North to South across the tallest sections of the Carpathian Mountains, between the highest peak in the country, Moldoveanu, and the second highest, Negoiu. Yes, in the way you also can stop at the castle of Vlad III the Impaler, the king who inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula character. Welcome to Transylvania- Dracula Land baby!

9. Red Rock Scenic Road- USA

This route passes through the Coconino National Forest, Red Rock Country and the Montezuma Castle National Monument. The beautiful road is known for providing the best view of nature’s beauty around Arizona.

10. Seward Highway- Alaska

While Alaska is technically USA, we do not want our riders to be searching for Seward Highway in US mainland, so the special mention of the region in the title (and not our bias towards Sarah Palin!) The Seward Highway extends 127 miles (204 km) from Seward to Anchorage and offers you the best view of this unique land and its special topography.

There are our best rides across the globe. Some are dangerous, others stunning, while all of them are truly memorable. The special rides offer great insight not just into the land, its terrain and the natural flora and fauna, but also its people. That is why driving to Disney Land is still one of the most favored trips of holidays in US. (That and the economy!) The point being, come holidays, drive to your destination and enjoy both the special moments and also the special trips. See you tomorrow with a list of what you need to be eating this holiday season. Don’t want to miss on the Exotic Food Special, do you?

Jews all around Europe have been shocked at the vandalization of Jewish graves in Bucharest. Up to 200 graves in the Jewish cemetery have been vandalized and ruined and authorities speculate that many valuable monuments have been damaged in the cemetery. About 40,000 Jews are buried in this particular graveyard and many of them are holocaust victims too.

However, none of the graves that were vandalized belonged to the holocaust victims. The police have launched a thorough investigation and have tried to curb Anti-Semitic feelings among the Romanian youth who could be blamed for the recent anti social behavior. Presently, Romania has a very small Jewish population most of which is elderly.

The police are baffled as to why the Jewish graves were targeted and the authorities have been largely embarrassed and shocked. Jewish organizations worldwide have condemned and accused the Romanian authorities of not safeguarding Jewish interests in the country.

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Via: BBC