Hotel Anel Sofia

Heading into Sofia means passing through an eclectic mix of drepressed, forgotten looking towns, stunning mountain passes with cuttings so tight branches scraped the carriage, and high plains with soil so black it looked like farmers had been burning the corn stubble. <br><br>As we cruise gently (the rails on this leg have been very smooth and quiet - very important for sleeping) into Sofia it starts to ...

The 20hr trip really didn't turn out to be as bad as we would have expected. There were no major delays, no dirty chairs or strange smells (as we've seen previously), and each bus even had its own steward! The man would come by offering treats, and even coffee/tea. The drinks were a bit scary since you'd be handed an empty cup with some coffee or tea, and the steward would make his way up and down the bumpy bus carrying a kettle of boiling hot water. In the end there were no major hassles ...

... on a sheep I think. Had dinner a huge pizza and a bottle of quite nice Bulgarian wine for a fiver each stopped in at what we thought was a local shopping centre but turned out to be local food markets and piked up some croissants for breakfast tomorrow before doing the naughty thing of having a dinner top up of KFC on the way home. We were both bushed so it was an early night for us both.

... accommodation budget that it only covered a hostel (poor Simion didn't have the budget for anything else, he had really tried his best) and it was such an amateur production that we were being asked to sort out for **** money, we just couldn't wait to get the hell out of there - we had had enough of the desperation, the bad roads, the corruption and the dirt... so we decided to find a route home avoiding the whole of Eastern Europe ...

This is a small but perfectly finished family run hotel on the square next to the World famous Unesco site Boyana Church. Nestled in the foothills of Mount Vitosha the location is very relaxing. The service can only be described as the best and most friendly I have ever experienced in any hotel (including 5 star hotels!). Krasimir, the owner has painstakingly and lovingly crafted this modern establishment with ...

... the journey would take hours to complete, we weren't daunted. The last bus headed back to Sofia was at 5:30 and we were determined to make the round trip in time. Unfortunately, no one told us that we were hiking up the anus of Bulgaria's largest Peat Reserve. On top of that, there were really no trails as of such. It took hours to hike up the crumbled and washed-out mess that served as a pathway, and was in greater disrepair than ...

Well, after we found out we were all going to Bucharest on the same day, we decided to stick together for another day (by "we" i mean the British fellows i mentioned earlier). Now, rather then refering to them as "the british guys", i might as well introduce them fully. Alister(sorry if i spelled it wrong), Sean, and Anthony were doing a pre-school trip through eastern Europe en ...

... They called in for backup (an English speaker). The police were very friendly and helpful but since the guy had a receipt from the meter, it was all legal (despite him telling us "no meter. 5"). The police said he thought the guy was a crook too and doesn't think they should be able to do that. Just taught me I need to be extra aware with taxis. We did at least get the fare reduced by a little. After that mess, we went into the central bus station and got Stephanie a ...

A bus and cab ride later we were in Sofia, capital of Bulgaria. The weather had turned horrible and cold again so we had to pull out the gortex. There were no Bulgarian grannies to meet us at the bus station so we had to find a hostel. Our first dorm for a very, very, long time!!! It was small which was good, but I still had the worry of snoring strangers that you can't do anything about. The Lonely Planet usually has a suggested walking ...

... i don't believe i should have to endure other people's misfortune on my Sunday drive. Well the people in Greece take this white cross business to the extreme, they build a shrine bigger than the size of a medium size TV with the works, pictures, flowers, candles etc. You don't even have to die to have a shrine (makes the problem worse), only severly injured. You could be driving along the mountainside and think you are coming up to a residential ...