So I got the bus this morning, I was very lucky it was standing there waiting for me. The driver said at first that he was full and then after a few moments he indicated that I could stand if I wanted. I'm not terribly keen on standing for two hours in a hot minibus driving along winding roads up and down over the rolling landscape but I though I would accept because I didn't know when the next bus was due.
Just after we began to move a girl on the back seat got up and insisted that I take her seat. I realised later that there might have been an ulterior motive because she then stood in the doorway at the front and chatted to the driver who was of a similar age.
So I was sitting on the back seat between two young guys who were both from Germany, they told me that they were studying theology, it took me a couple of seconds to realise that theology means religion (dumb I know) and they are on a pilgrimage to visit the painted churches North of Piatra Neamt, they had bicycles in the back of the minibus and were camping. They looked poorer than most of the Roma and more scruffy. I might try to see if there is a bus tour to visit these churches.
I got of at Bicaz, where I was expecting to see majestic canyons full of raging rivers and surrounded by steep wooded hills. The place where I was was pretty flat and inhabited by working people who were drinking beer in the cafés and some were obviously intoxicated, the whole place was run down and obviously not for tourists, I then discovered that there are two places called Bicaz, separated by about 20 km and I was in the wrong one. So I got on the next bus and now I am in Piatra Neamt reviewing the accommodation on TripAdvisor, whilst drinking coffee and using the free WiFi.