Atlantic Sofia

... hmm that can of coke cost us 2 pound 50 (I though Bulgaria was supposed to be cheap!!) and she couldn't give us some coins. got change in the exchange office then as we went to the pay phone I saw my dad outside. Didn't even need the damn change! hugs kisses hellos then in the car to start the 5 HOUR car journey to Srebarna...argh! On the told the father about the most expensive can of coke in the ...

... O'Shea as a full back. Four Irish lads, already drunk and with a fresh round of 9am beers. We initially shrugged this off as a slightly avant-garde stag destination, but the next four separate groups wearing Ireland football shirts and the guy dressed as a clown selling Bulgaria and Ireland scarves gave us an indication that something else was afoot. Sure enough World Cup qualification was at stake that evening at the Vasil Levski stadium and the Irish ...

... of Sofia itself were also very shrewd, which I suppose is one way quickly teach one some wisdom. We asked a man for directions to the train station, and he offered to accompany us there, then asked for a cash donation for his services when we arrived. The world's noisiest and most decrepit tram conveyed us there (only barely, it seemed. the train-waddle made it seem as though the tram was hoping to leave Sofia as ...

... Bojo`s house. Bojo lives with his girlfriend Zlaty and has interesting opinions about Turkish football teams.They are both very nice people,and both in love with Sofia. Bojo speaks better Dutch than i do, which makes him a holy person in my eye. I toured Sofia for the following days.I walked around,visited Alexander Nevsky and a few other churches. There wasn`t anything else to do anyways,or that`s how it looked like.Bulgarians have this interesting habit of ...

... and others do this as well. I hung out a bit and then got the train to Plovdiv after working out the crazy layout of the station. The trains are indicated by what track they leave from, but the signs all point to platforms not tracks. I must have wandered around for about 20 minutes before I saw this tiny sign hanging from the roof which told you what track corresponds to what platform.... I'm glad I took the guide books advice to get there early to work it out! And so to Plovdiv....

... drivers of the national economy, with year-on-year double-digit growth rates in the number of tourists visiting. Bulgaria offers a budget alternative to more expensive European resorts, while quality of service does not fall behind Western European standards in the high-class resorts. With natural beauty and a fascinating culture, coupled with surprising quality and value for money, Bulgaria has much to offer. http://www.britishdevelopments.com

Hostel Mostel really has it figured out. The organisation of their space is genius. There is a kitchen for cooking, but the brilliance is how they create community. Their breakfasts are good and that brings people to the common room. There are three tables, seating twelve, and then two loveseats for two more. Fellow travellers have an occasion to meet each other. Mostel offers a pasta dinner too, and a free beer. On top of that, they have two computers with ...

... and Bulgaria so people watching is an enjoyable pasttime. ;) New York had promised to make dinner that evening, but 7pm came and went and there was no sign of him (he was playing tour guide to a new girl that arrived). Dave started getting us all chopping stuff and was pretty much in charge of cooking. NY would pop in now and then and act like he was helping but disappear just as quickly leaving whatever task he was supposed to be doing untended. Eventually our ...

... don't spend your nickel all in one place. oh and you ever wanted a hot sandwich with lots of meat and mayonnaise and corn salad and then put more mayonaisse on top and pay just 50 cents for it, go to a bulgarian fast food place. there's tons of them. you need all that fat to absorb the Rakia and vodka. oh and bulgarian vegetables are the best I've ever tasted. I think it's all the garbage that they leave in their fields. they still expect the communist ...

... we arrived and had no dinner. The decision was to eat first and those of us who would have preferred to just crawl in be were out of luck because the bus driver also had to eat and he locked the bus behind him. I fell into bed about 12:30. I had to shower to get all the travel grub off of my body. The whether is very humid and I feel as if I am having a continual hot flash. The museum in the town of Lipenski Vir had so incredible sandstone carvings of ...