Invitation

Beautiful Rainbow Family,

It is time again to gather, to feel the vibrations of each other, Nature and the Universe. The time has come for us to contribute

to changing society here in Central Europe and the world. The time has come to express our love to the Earth that gives us life.

We expect you with peace and happiness at the 2010 Transsylvania Rainbow Gathering in the Ghimeş / Gyimes area.

New Moon and the beginning of seed camp: June 12.

First Quarter and the beginning of the gathering: June 19.

Summer Solstice: June 21.

Full Moon: June 26 morning, the celebration is likely to be held on the evening of the 25th.

End of the gathering: June 10.

Rainbow Gatherings are not festivals, but rather occassions to experience natural living, the original patterns of human life and happiness just by itself. A time to be without appointed leaders, without commerce amongst ourselves and without the manias

of consumer society.

On this gathering we will be able to experience social patterns of interaction learned from Native Americans and other, balanced, ancient cultures. Everyone is welcome to participate in our consensus decision-making process and the activities of our social life. The coloured papers offered to the owners of the place, funds for food for the common cooking and possible other common necessities will be covered from the Magic Hat. Otherwise we will be free of the burden of money on the Gathering Site.

Bring for Yourselves

everything that you need to be there; tent, sleeping bag and mattress, blanket, water containers, and medicines, your own plate and spoon, candles.

The gathering will be at about 1300-1400 meters above sea level where cold weather is possible. Rainproof gear and warm clothing is necessary. Bring a good raincoat, waterproof tent and shoes, warm sweaters, long pants, a warm sleeping bag or blankets.

Bring for the Community

organic and natural food, nuts, spices, grains, vegetables, fruit, acustic musical instruments, hand tools (spades, pick-axes, saws and construction tools), jurts, teepees, tarps, rope, candles, as well as incense, bells, toys and other sources of beauty, knowledge, strength, trust, peace, love and tolerance.

Also Bring

your skills and experiences in anything that can help people be more independent, self-sufficient, healthy, happy, full of positive energy, and ready to restore nature. Hold workshops, talks, games, play music, tell stories, further knowledge in every craft that can be useful for individuals, communities and the planet.

Keep Away

alcohol, meat, chemical substances (including shampoo, synthetic soap and cosmetics), weapons, electronic devices

and motors.

To Further Even Greater Harmony

here is some guidance, especially for newcomers:

In Rainbow we respect nature, and all the beings that grow, walk and crawl on Earth, as well as the ones that burrow in the Earth and fly in the sky. Therefore we only use dead wood to make a fire and for building. We only harvest a part of medicinal or food plants and spices so they can regrow. We marvel at the beauty of animals and learn from their wisdom – leaving them alive. In order to keep healthy, we take care of our water. We leave the area above the spring free, putting our tents elsewhere. We only use the specific pits for toilets, covering our leavings with ashes and soil.

We keep the air clean around the kitchen, the main fire and the chai kitchen – we do not smoke on these places. Please only take photographs of people that approve of this. In the common fires we only burn wood (not even paper) as we use clean wooden ashes for soap. Please leave all chemicals in civilization. We wash dishes with wooden ashes; this, or organic soap is enough to keep ourselves clean.

About garbage:

1) Reduce! Bring as little as possible.

2) We recycle the little garbage that is produced. Compost will be put in a compost pit, the rest separated and returned to recycle bins. Smokers keep a small container for their butts and ashes and take it out when they go. Cigarette buds are not compost but toxic waste.

Be especially careful with compost and food waste as there are bears in the area.

3) Other than compost, we take ALL garbage out with us when we leave. Everyone is responsible for their own and we ask people to take some of the common garbage when leaving.

One good source of more information about rainbow habits: www.welcomehere.org

Getting There

1) To Miercurea Ciuc (Csíkszereda, Szeklerburg)

By Train from the West

There are two trains daily from Budapest / Budapeşta to Miercurea Ciuc (Csíkszereda / Szeklerburg) If you book your ticket

7 days in advance, the price one way is 19 Euros + reservation or couchette. This option is significantly cheaper than the normal ticket but cannot be changed after having been reserved. You have to ask the ticket to Braşov (Brassó, Kronstadt) and get off at Siculeni (Madéfalva), the change point to Ghimes.

For train schedules Budapest-->M. Ciuc and Siculeni-->Ghimes see Hungarian version of this letter.

more info:

train schedule Rumania: www.cfr.ro then go to Mersul Trenurilor

train schedule Hungary www.elvira.hu

international train timetables Deutsche Bahn

www.reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en?newrequest=yes&protocol=http:&

By Bus from Budapest:

There are several bus companies operating coaches from the bus station at Népstadion metro station. These usually leave in the afternoon getting there the next day. „Geranium-rock” music is likely.

Hitching:

From the metro terminal at Kőbánya-kispest with the bus 200E to Vecsés/Wetschesch, there you can hitch from the bus stop.

Or take the yellow bus from the same metro terminal (or Vecsés/Wetschesch, it's cheaper) to Üllő. Get off at the last stop in the village and walk ahead to the roundabout (cca 1 km).

You may also try hitching on the M3 motorway, go around Debrecen and arrive to the same border station Ártánd. It’s longer but could be faster.

By car the optimal route is to Oradea (Nagyvárad / Grosswardein), then head towards Cluj-Napoca (Kolozsvár / Klausenburg), but turn off after Gilău (Gyalu) onto the new by-pass towards Târgu Mureş (Marosvásárhely / Neumarkt). When it ends at Turda (Torda / Thorenburg) you continue on the old road towards Târgu Mureş, turning off at Ungheni (Nyárádtő) towards Braşov (Brassó / Kronstadt), going through Acăţari (Ákosfalva), Bălăuşeri (Balavásár), Sovata (Szováta), Odorheiu Secuiesc (Székelyudvarhely / Oderhellen), to arrive to Miercurea Ciuc (Csíkszereda). A map is recommended.

In Rumania, hitching is still a lot easier than in many countries, however, money is usually offered for lifts. Some people accept it; others don’t. If you offer 1 Leu for 10 km, you are not being very generous, but also not horribly stingy. It is better to round up the amount and don’t offer less than 1 Leu. If you have no money or don’t believe in paying for hitching, discuss this before you get in.

By Train from Bucureşti / Bucharest / Bukarest

There are frequent trains to Braşov (Brassó / Kronstadt), with some direct ones to Miercurea Ciuc. Or you can change in Braşov and take a personal train to M. Ciuc. Here are the ones that go directly to Siculeni

Bucureşti Nord / Bucharest North --> Siculeni / Madéfalva

13:00 17:49

17:40 23:00

20:40 01:37

By Van from Cities in Rumania

There are companies offering microbus service between many cities in Rumania. The vans are usually big and white with destination names in large red lettering on the front. The van terminal is frequently near the train station or at / near the bus station. Ask around, people know and will be happy to tell you.

2) Welcome Home Centre

is Valentine (Bálint) and Rai’s home at Péterkék creek (don’t know the Rumanian name) which is an offshoot of Bolovăniş (Bálványos) creek, that in turn is a side-valley of the main Ghimes valley road.

From Miercurea Ciuc take the country road towards Comaneşti (Kománfalva) and Bacău (Bákó) to get to Ghimes / Gyimes.

The hitchhiking spot is the place where the Ghimes road going north-east turns off from the Georgheni (Gyergyószentmiklós) road to the north. This is a few km from the city centre. If you don’t want to walk that far, you can stand after the Márton Áron high school crossing with a sign explaining you want to go to Ghimes / Gyimes.

After about 60 km you arrive to the village of Făget (Bükk). Coming from the west there will be a sign on the right side of the road pointing left (north), saying „Răchitiş 5 km”. You follow the gravel road at this turnoff until you see a conspicuous large blue pipe on the right with a turnoff. This is „Péterkék pataka” (creek). You turn right, and within 1 km the road will cross the creek without

a bridge. The house behind the last house on the left is Valentine and Rai’s.

Rai and Valentine wish that everyone stay only one night whether going up or down. The house and bath-house is off-limits,

you can sleep on the wooden upper floor of the barn or pitch a tent a bit further from the house. There is water and you can make a fire.

Please be very respectful at the Welcome Centre. Rai and Valentine make their own living space available for hordes of rainbow people for a full month – let’s make as little impact as possible. They have to live and work there while everything is going on.

Do stop at the Welcome Home centre. The site is far and you will need information.

3) Getting to the Gathering

There will be a dirt road marked with ribbons and rock heaps leading up to the gathering site. The path is steep in places.

We didn’t measure the distance, but it took us 2 hours coming down. Calculate at least 3 hours going up with baggage.

A high-built 4WD with a strong engine might make it up but an average car cannot. Jancsi, the owner of the site is usually available for horse-carriage transportation of children, baggage or lazy people for an acceptable fee. Do not walk in the dark.

The best way is to organize a party going up together with or without the cart.

As the road is not really trespassable by car, be aware that we can’t carry you off the mountain quickly. Only people who are

in good health and feel okay with this condition should come.

4) The Gathering Site

is at a place with a beautiful view on the Tarcău / Tarkő range, near a mountain ridge. A big barn, made waterproof with tarps will serve as an especially big common teepee. (If you have teepees, yurts for the community, do bring them, though.)

There is a smaller storage house appropriate for putting our food in, and even a small, heatable house that can be used in case of cold (for children for example). There is a strong spring, and most of the territory is sunny, surrounded by forests.

Attachments in English:

Bear Safety a short compilation of To Do-s when meeting bears and dogs

brown bear a longer study about bears and people. A lot of useful things at the end

wolf same as above but about wolves

Tarcau1. map – WelcomeHome is a black dot on „Balavanis”

Cultural Note

The gathering takes place in the mountains of central Rumania at the edge of the Székely region. Most of the village people here are Csángó, a type of Hungarian.

The religions, cultures and languages of Transsylvania are diverse. Please take special care to respect all lifestyles, beliefs, ethnic and religious groups. In accordance with this principle the place names in this invitation are written as follows: Rumanian / Hungarian / German (if any)

This is a personal invitation. Please keep it for yourself and invite only close friends, if any.

Peace -- Pace -- Béke -- Shanti -- Friede -- Paz -- Solh -- Salam -- Shalom -- Bariş -- Mir