The Balkan Shuffle Begins
Trip Start
Apr 09, 2006
1
43
148
Trip End
Jun 09, 2007
Sofia, Oblast Sofiya-Grad, Bulgaria
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Bulgaria has hit the scene as a "new democracy" in about 1990 and you can still see the changes occuring to the cities, countryside and people. Vacant factory building can be seen all along the train tracks. There seem to be a larger number of have's and have-not's - both extremes. The open market means KFC and Levi's stores can easily be found here in Sophia.
I'm back into a cheaper travel environment and am glad for that. A beer is just over $1USD and my hostel is about $10USD per night. While taking a peek at Aleksander Nevski Church (from the pics) I stumbled upon a baptism that was a cool thing to witness. The ceremony wasn't all that different from a Catholic one, but it was even MORE long and drawn out - who would have thought that was possible?
I met a British chap in the hostel the first night and we headed out to find a jazz bar that was recommended by another traveler. It took us a while to find the place with no sign down the end of a dark alley but our efforts were definitely rewarded. The place was really good - live jazz in an century-old grain storage building that was also the site where a WWII anti-fascist (and thus illegal) press was based. It was called Hambara, or Candle Bar, and had exposed beams and wood throughout (and was lit entirely by candles). The faint incense lent a nice touch. Between sets, the bar played a CD of a guy named Richard Cheese (?) who does jazz-y / lounge-singer versions of popular songs from Madonna to Metallica. Too much fun. We had planned on only drinking a few quick beers as he was catching a train the next morning but ended up rolling back into the hostel at about 3:30AM. Phil was an interesting guy and we talked on and on about travelling, politics, art, ...
The second night was nearly a repeat with a different crowd and location - we had cocktails and smoked a nargilla at Buddha Bar and nearly got ourselves kicked out when a few 19 y/o Irish girls got caught stealing sodas.
The farther north I travel the more women I see with dyed hair. Why most 50 y/o women find that completely unnatural color of red attractive is beyond me. It could work on a young, Goth girl....but the homely hair cuts of these older women + 1" roots are a site. I'll post a pic if I can ever get a really good one.
On a completely separate train of thought, it's quite disturbing to see the events unfolding in the ME. It's hard to believe I was there only a short month ago during a time of relative calm. I can't help but follow the news closely and have thoughts pop into my head throughout each day. I feel very fortunate that I had the opportunity to be there and meet only a very few people that will continue to be impacted.
More randomness later from Plovdiv or Veliko Tarnovo.
