James encounters contradictions in Bulgaria

Varna - Veliko Tarnovo - Plovdiv - Bachkovo - Koprishtitsa - Sofia

Zdravete!

IMPRESSIONS OF BULGARIA
Upon entering the country, one could feel the middle eastern influence slip away, replaced with something else, a more romantic, mysterious, melancholic atmosphere. A beautiful country, full of ancient monasteries and pretty medieval villages in picturesque settings, mountains, forests, a land steeped in folklore, legend, dancing, stories and music, the people a gentle, warm, proud welcoming race. The food is plentiful, rich and filling (though they have an obsession with too much salt!) Here lies the first contradiction - how a poor country like Bulgaria are able to have such good quality cheap food in large quantities, yet remain thin and in poverty? Consider too that salt was once as valuable as gold in the past, yet their (meat) dishes seem to contain alot of it! The second contradiction is how they could still afford to walk around dressed with the latest designer clothing when many people are still unemployed?

The women in Bulgaria are, as with most of Eastern Europe, absolutely stunning! Dressed in skimpy outfits and high heels, it's a mans paradise! However, despite that male chauvinist statement, it is indeed a "women on top" world here, where women are able to easily pick and choose out of the bunch of drooling males which ones they
prefer to have their way with and then leave hearts broken. However, on top of this contradiction lies another - most Eastern European girls are not arrogant, stuck up or snobby as one would think with their looks and power. In fact they (English speaking ones that is) are quite amiable, down to earth, fun and friendly. If only I could master their language....

Bulgarian is not the most easiest language to learn. I was hoping it would be similar to the Czech/Slovak I picked up last year (which it is in some cases such as Good Day = Dobre Den (Slovak)/Dobar Den (Bulgarian)), but there are many words like Thankyou = Dekuji (Czech)/Dekujem (Slovak), Blagodarya (Bulgarian) which is completely
different. Not to mention the alphabet is Cyrillic like Greek and Russian, which you must learn in order to get by in the country.


VARNA AND THE BLACK SEA
Because I had arrived in Varna late at night due to stupid bus I had to resort to getting a double room in a semi expensive hotel (all others were full), for 40 euros! Ironic how the most expensive room I’ve paid for is not in Paris, or England, but in poor Bulgaria!!

Found a cheaper room first thing in the morning, but did not know of the existence of a cheap hostel until I bumped into an English couple in Veliko Tarnova! Typical.

At least a nice old French couple I met on the bus to Varna shouted me lunch and dinner that day, so I guess some of the money I lost was made back through that...

Varna is a beautiful city by the Black Sea, where topless sunbathers would swim in waters that don't look as clean as I had hoped. In fact Black Sea should be renamed to Brown Sea from the looks of things. Still, Varna boasts an amazing cathedral, it's gold onion shaped domes similar to those seen in Russian architecture. Varna has large
pedestrianised streets and squares filled with chic designer clothes shops and banks, as well as overpriced hotels and amazing restaurants.

At night, the crowds shift to the waterfront, where a plethora of fancy grill and fish restaurants, outdoor bars, and beach night clubs abound, pounding music (lots of late 80's and 90's actually - seems to be an Eastern European obsession really) into the early morning...


VELIKO TARNOVO
A stunning place, a more dramatic version of Czech Republic's "Cesky Krumlov", a beautiful town filled with traditional wooden Bulgarian houses cascading down a curved gorge, several picturesque railroad and foot bridges connecting both sides of the gorge. At the highest point lies the Tsarvorets Fortress, an outstanding complex of ruins, sturdy ramparts, and a basilica in the center containing fascinating unique 80s bleak communistic style manga-esque murals of Christ.

I had also inadvertently visited Veliko Tarnovo at the same time that an International Folk Festival was being held, featuring folk acts from the Armenia, Eastern Europe, Korea, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and Russia (the latter two bringing the house down with it's fire dancing and frantic leg kicking, whilst Spain and Korea were surprisingly
disappointing and lacking in spirit. Italy's flag throwing was fascinating and original).

Stayed in a private house with a cheery old lady who was always giggling, sharing a room with a 60yo Aussie woman who had lived abroad in Spain for 16 years and was now motorbiking overland back to Oz to claim her pension. As you do.


PLOVDIV
The second largest city in Bulgaria, with a pretty medieval old town featuring houses from the Bulgarian National Revival period (created as silent protest against Turkish dominance and influence during their occupation during the Ottoman Empire, distinguished by colourful buildings with painted floral motifs and jutted out stories held up by curved heavy wooden beams...), amongst well preserved roman ruins, built upon rather uneven cobbled hilly narrow streets. Outside the old town the city is quite modern with the main pedestrianised thoroughfare lined with designer shops and chic bars and cafes.

Stayed in a private house of an old granny who I could only speak to in German, and her lovely granddaughter who luckily spoke fluent English.


BACHKOVO MONASTERY
Did a day trip out to Bachkovo Monastery. Was worried when I got on the bus because I asked the driver if it went to the monastery and he nodded his head. Bulgarians shake their head for yes, nod for no. To add to the confusion, they would do the opposite for our benefit. Thus I wasn't sure if he meant yes or no. Luckily, after passing through
some beautiful valleys and countryside, I made it to the monastery, containing several beautiful old basilicas with old Byzantine murals covered with centuries of soot and candle smoke, all set in a picturesque region surrounded by tall mountains.


JAMES BECOMES A HADZNI IN KOPRIVSHTITSA
After some difficulty of actually getting to this tiny village (public transport is not very reliable or frequent), I arrived to what is probably one of the most beautiful villages I have ever visited in my travels. Bulgarian National Revival style houses abound in the town divided by a series of small bubbling brooks and streams, crossed over on romantic stone bridges; the cobbled streets with wild grass poking through the cracks; upon which friendly farmers and locals would walk by with their herds of white goats or cows, or on a horse drawn carriage containing bundles of hay and local kids going for a ride.

The lovely woman whose house I stayed at (I could only communicate to her in French) lent me her prized book on an account of "A Bulgarian Pilgrimage from Koprivshtitsa to Jerusalem" which in the past was a rare but highly regarded thing to do, resulting in a person's name change to "Hadzni" (meaning Pilgrim in Turkish), and status being elevated to be considered an elder who's knowledge is unquestionable, upon visiting the holy land. After telling her about my travels from Jerusalem to here, I also earned the title of "Hadzni".


SOFIA
Sofia is the highest capital in Europe, being on a plateau 1000m above sea level. A very modern city, with no real attractions besides a few stunning Russian style influenced cathedrals, and the wicked nightlife, which I am recovering from as we speak.

It is here that I am writing this, in a lovely family owned hostel, while I await for the Romanian Embassy to open so I can get my visa before entering the country (via Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia and Serbia). I could get it in Serbia but I want to get it over and done with now rather than later (Romania is the only place I am visiting in Eastern Europe that I need to get a visa in advance).