Rila Monastery

Trip Start Apr 14, 2006
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Trip End Jul 2008


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Flag of Bulgaria  ,
Saturday, April 29, 2006

Today I slept in for the first time since I've been in Bulgaria. I must be getting used to the sound of roosters crowing at dawn (that sound sucks.) In the afternoon the family took me to the Rila Monastery, which is a 45 minute drive up into the mountains, and is the #1 tourist destination in Bulgaria. Valeria, another kocherinovo PCV, came in our car, and Georgi's and Dessi's friends came too. They have 2 small boys, who are about 6 and 3. The monastery was great. It was cloudy and drizzly that day, which give it a cool, moody feeling. What I really liked was afterwards taking a short hike up to St. John of Rila's shrine (Ivan Rilski here in Bulgaria.) I'll explain more with my pictures.

Tonight we had dinner over at the great baba's house; Cami's great grandmother, Georgi's grandmother and Fidanka's mother. She lives right around the corner. Her other daughter is here for the weekend too with her whole family. They live a couple hours away in another small village. It's really fun and different here, always being with extended family. Apparently this baba is an expert in making rakia (homemade Bulgarian whiskey) and wants to teach me. The family joked about how I study everything: Bulgarian language, making banitsa, and now making rakia. I wouldn't be surprised if it happened at some point in the next couple of weeks.
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