Intrepid Journeys - Eastern Europe (Jeff Wilson)

So the rucksack is packed, the jet lag is easing, let the journey begin.

– Presenter Jeff Wilson starts his Eastern European journey

Our good taxi driver here has decided he doesn't want to give us our gear out of the boot 'til he gets paid.

– Presenter Jeff Wilson narrowly avoids a Romanian taxi scam, where he was quoted a fee three times the regular price

The revolution may have been quick but economic reforms have been slow, and Romania still feels like a country at the crossroads. Things have got better, but life is still tough.

– Presenter Jeff Wilson on life after Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was executed in 1989

He told me Bulgaria doesn't need a war because 3,000 people die on the road each year. Many people prefer to buy their driver's licences instead of sitting the test. Although, if you get caught without one, a donation to the 'police Christmas fund' apparently will do the trick.

– Presenter Jeff Wilson learns about driving from a local in Sofia, Bulgaria

No one is really sure if it had anything to do with the original Dracula, Vlad Tepes, but never let a historical fact get in the way of tourists emptying their wallets. Vlad Tepes, or Vlad the Impaler, ruled here in the 1400s. He wasn't a real vampire, but he probably caused more rivers of blood to flow than any other tyrant in history.

– Presenter Jeff Wilson visits Bran Castle ('Dracula's Castle') in Transylvania, Romania