Lo / Ro Mission Trip 2009...post 5

sorry for the delay in updating. the last 10 days has been hectic. i hope to finish posting this trip this week.
we arrived in bucharest and were taken around town by a new friend, lydia. first stop, the people's palace / house of the people. i don't have the whole history down. its the second largest building in the world. (first is the pentagon). over 300,000 square feet. it was built for and by the communist leader, Ceauşescu, who dominated romania and kicked all the people out of their homes and moved them into blocks, rationing food, clothing, you name it. they were under this communist rule for 50 years, receiving their freedom in the late 80's. we met a family (the stanciu's) and to hear the stories from michael and christina was depressing. their whole familly was expelled from romania for professing to be christians and teaching the bible.

Outside of the People's Palace. Not built for the people actually, but for that mean leader. Building it as he is stripping people of their homes, freedoms and dignity. He died before it was complete. Never got to enjoy it, now it houses all the government offices and 5% of it is open for touring...



Close up of the side entrance.



jarrett and i standing on the outside balcony that faces the main road in bucharest. this balcony (and view) is where dictators address the people (who gather in the streets). michael jackson famously addressed the people here..."hello buDapest..." uhhh. its bucharest.


Small examples of the extravagance (all while the people are losing their possessions). One of the ballrooms had a retractable glass ceiling so a helicopter could come pick up whats his name in case of attack.



These are considered "small chandeliers" in the palace. All goldplated with real crystal. Over 2,000 in the palace.



huge "gone with the wind" staircases and tapestries everywhere.


Marble floors throughout. This pattern was all over the place. We found out its actually a map of the whole palace so the workers would know how to get around. Its that big.


I loved the ceilings so here is another example.



Arched hallways with intricate ceilings throughout.


Handmade tapestries and all these bronze busts of all his communist buddies.