Cloze: Vacation with Vampires

As everybody can imagine, Transylvania is all about stunning scenery and terrific places. Everyone knows and fears Dracula; still everyone wants to travel to Transylvania. Start packing any worries. Add turtlenecks, garlic and scarves the top of the packing list, muster some courage, and summon your sense of adventure. The ultimate adventure awaits in a distant land a 15th-century ruler terrified all who to challenge his ways.

The vampires caricatured for silent films, best-selling novels, cereal boxes and even ‘Sesame Street’ all descended Vlad III Draculea, a Romanian prince reigned in the 15th century. The prince earned the “Vlad the Impaler” for his gruesome method doing away with enemies. His given surname, Anglicized as ‘Dracula,’ is derived from the word meaning either ‘dragon’ ‘demon’ in his tongue.

Bram Stoker, the author of the novel ‘Dracula’ published in 1897, drew inspiration from Vlad the Impaler. The book’s antagonist, a vicious Romanian count with a thirst for young blood, rises from his coffin bed and preys upon British newlyweds Jonathan Harker and Mina Murray. Decades ,the iconic vampire gave actors, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise and Gary Oldman, film roles they could really sink their teeth  .

Transylvanian lovers, culture and history fans, adventure seekers can explore Transylvania solo or seek courage in numbers on one of the increasingly popular Dracula tours. The commercial tours find their own ways to inflict a bigger bite of vampire pop culture for victims — er, visitors. Outfitters may throw vampire balls, host Halloween costume contests, show classic Dracula films board the bus or hand small cross necklaces and survivor certificates to their brave travelers.

Adapted from an article on www.visit-transylvania.us