Sofia

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Trip Start Jan 03, 2008 Previous
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  Sofia, Bulgaria
Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Sofia was a very interesting city, what is the most interesting about this city, as most Eastern European cities, is the history of the Soviet Union, and the similarities of many of these cities who were affected by communism and how it has stripped much identity and culture from the land. We all hopped off our train and walked straight into the city center. The crew was going to leave several hours later that same night to go to Transylvania, I wanted to experience Sofia a bit more then a day and relax a bit so we searched for my hostel together then headed out for some authentic Bulgarian cuisine for lunch. After lunch we all walked and toured the city, we seen the Communist headquarters when Bulgaria was influenced by the soviet union, as many of the monumental buildings here are reminiscent of darker days in the communist era, thus sun never shines in Sophia.
 
We seen a couple of Russian influenced churches and the grand church of St. Alexander. The way toward the church was a market on the sidewalks with people selling swag from WWII and the German Democratic Republic (the old communist East block)

Fresco at the resturante

. Sophia was bone chilling, while we were all shivering from the cold and nip of melancholy floating in the air, we went to a coffee shop to warm our bodies and our spirits before most of the crew left to Romania, while I stayed with two others who were flying out from Sophia later that night, so I accompanied them until they caught their flight.
 
I was ready for one of those lounge lazy days, two others at my hostel were just watching DVD's in the common area all day so I joined. We watched about 3 movies in our pj's and sipping tea, then I got out for a bit and took a walk through the city. I found a gigantic market where it seemed as though everyone was selling different variations of the same products - rather uneventful. Okay, so I wasn't too impressed with Bulgaria but I have been having enough excitement where it is rather nice to not do anything for a day. That night I took the overnight train to Brasov, Romania in the heart Transylvania - figured it would be great to spend Valentines day looking for Dracula. I often take over night trains to save on the price of accommodations, plus when you take an 8hour train by day, you waste money and a whole day just traveling.
 
At the train station just as I was reserving the seat for my train, someone taps my arm, I look over my shoulder to find Go! So we get an cabin on the train together and with a collaboration of our perishables, we make a feast with some variety for one another. On one of the stops, an older gentleman joined us in our cabin, silent the whole time, we thought he only spoke Bulgarian

Judicial center

. After Sophia, GO had many questions about Communism, Socialism, Capitalism, current and past influences on societies etc. so I tried to dumb it down a bit using extremes to identify each system so he could identify between the various systems and how they their ideals are just as valid as and other idealist. Of course this is a very controversial subject, and the old man in the cabin spoke out with integrity, questioning my teachings and added points that I had left out on purpose as if he was offended (his country being greatly influenced by these idealists).  I was quick to explain myself and how I acknowledge the unmentionables. This gentleman debriefed me on the complete history of Bulgaria and we then had very intriguing and powerful conversations about political structures with political stances and look into what causes these ideas. I spoke freely and confidently about my views, this has really been the first time I have been so sure and confident about myself and my views to an elderly, I do believe that the older one is the wiser, and to better learn from my peers, it is at these moments I would typically remain silent, instead we held a debate. I asked the man to what kind of education he had,  I suggested economics, as being a finance major, he knew things that are fundamentally taught in Universities (as our conversation was very focused on economical factors of a country). Sure enough he said in his youth he had studied economics, at this point Go is completely lost in translation

streets

. We ended our short time together before his stop speaking of health care and potential alternatives to the American health care system. Before he left he expressed what a delight is was speaking to me and said he knows so much about our health care systems and socio-economical factors because he has a PHD in American Healthcare Systems and takes frequent trips to Washington DC on business and east coast to teach seminars at Universities around the area. I couldn't believe I spoke so fluently and on an equal level to a man of such integrity - kind of a coming of age thing for me. I believe it was for that reason, to exercise a debate, is why he hadn't announced his status to me when I originally asked.
 
After the studious man left, Go turns to me and says, "did I say anything wrong?" haha, oh Go, I said a thousand words that could have been wrong. Go and I slept the rest of the night in peace with the cabin to ourselves.

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judicial center	Town center Chruch	Town center Chruch	Town center Chruch
Town center Chruch	Town center Chruch	Town center Chruch	Church in Ruins
Church in Ruins	Church in Ruins	Bulgarian Communist headquarters	Bulgarian Communist headquarters
Bulgarian Communist headquarters	Streets	Bulgarian Communist headquarters	Streets
Russian church	Russian church	Russian church	Church of Alexander
Church of Alexander	Church of Alexander	Church of Alexander	Streets
Streets	Streets	?	Church of Alexander

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