That means "goodbye forever" in Bulgarian. I like how they have a different word for "goodbye" that implies the reality of never seeing whatever one is goodbyeing to ever again.
Our Sofia strolls were lovely today. We got to catch up on some sights, especially the national palace of culture. The park is looking good - a lot better than when it looked when I was last here - and the place was packed. I'm just always amazed at the number of Bulgarians that find themselves with nothing to do, at any given time of the day. You want to be able to feel sorry for their economical plight, but then you see the apathy that they continue to show towards fowarding their own situations, and you sort of just say, "hmmm, well, I'm going to back to America where I not only can be as successful as I want, but it's a mindset that is very much a part of our culture."
We're waking up at 3:45 to catch a cab at 4:00 and be at the airport by 4:30 for our 6:30 flight. Not fun. I actually don't mind waking up early, I'm just uneasy about actually waking up on time, getting the cab in a timely fashion, and getting to our terminal in plenty of time. It's always a disconcerting enterprise, especially when you're beginning the trans-Atlantic journey from a country like Bulgaria. We didn't have the forsight to bring an alarm clock, or even a watch for that matter, so we're at the mercy of those running the hostel (they promised us a wake-up call and to call us a cab). I guess we'll see.
I'm glad we only made this a 6-day trip. It's been an incredibly exciting and rewarding trip, but also really stressful at times. I enjoy normalcy and routine a lot more than I thought. I'm excited to get back to my house, my job, my fantasy sports teams, and my regular boring life. I guess it's just security and peace of mind I enjoy, and you get little of both when you're travelling, especially travelling abroad.
I've really enjoyed Amber's perspective on Bulgaria. She's really observant and more qualified to opine than anyone else I know. She's been the perfect travelling companion and has proved herself as capable as any foreigner in Bulgaria, which is saying a lot.
Let's hope we get home in one piece and that our baggage is all there to greet us.
We'll post all of our pictures on a Flickr page next week (if you aren't familiar with Flickr, I'll fill you in later).
Friday, April 13, 2007
Ring around the rosies
Have I mentioned that there are flower stands are nearly every corner in Sofia? They smell so good and they do the coolest arrangements with them. I saw a flower arrangement with a pineapple in it the other day. Anyway, I thought it was interesting enough to mention. At least something smells good in Sofia!
Today we took it relatively easy. We walked around a lot - but took more breaks. We went to this really cool underground church that dates back to the 11th century! It was small and smelly but pretty cool. And then we walked to this palace of culture thing which was in this awesome huge park. Wes can tell you more about what that is about but I just really thought it was pretty. We also went on this bridge called Lover's Bridge or something like that. It just goes across a busy street but it's got a pretty name. Tonight we walked around Sofia one last time; we leave really really early in the morning tomorrow. Wes and I took silly pictures of each other and enjoyed the beautiful weather here.
Food:
Palenchetta - I have no idea if I spelled that right - is really good. It's crepe, basically, and you can get a bunch of fruit or whatever in it. I had bananas and chocolate. They mix oranges and chocolate a lot and that's what Wes got. Let's see, what else did we eat: tonight we went to the Big Chicken and got (surprise) chicken and mashed potatoes. And then ordered this thing I can't remember the name of that tasted like rice pudding.
Clothing:
Today I just realized that I'm taller than almost all the Bulgarian women here. I don't know how I could have missed that. But I didn't realize it until I went to try on shoes. Shoe after shoe was too small - they never went big enough to fit my feet! And then I realized all of the Bulgarki are not only skinny - they are short. And if they come even close to my height, it's only because I'm wearing flats and they're wearing 3-inch heels. Hmm, so there shorties.
Today we took it relatively easy. We walked around a lot - but took more breaks. We went to this really cool underground church that dates back to the 11th century! It was small and smelly but pretty cool. And then we walked to this palace of culture thing which was in this awesome huge park. Wes can tell you more about what that is about but I just really thought it was pretty. We also went on this bridge called Lover's Bridge or something like that. It just goes across a busy street but it's got a pretty name. Tonight we walked around Sofia one last time; we leave really really early in the morning tomorrow. Wes and I took silly pictures of each other and enjoyed the beautiful weather here.
Food:
Palenchetta - I have no idea if I spelled that right - is really good. It's crepe, basically, and you can get a bunch of fruit or whatever in it. I had bananas and chocolate. They mix oranges and chocolate a lot and that's what Wes got. Let's see, what else did we eat: tonight we went to the Big Chicken and got (surprise) chicken and mashed potatoes. And then ordered this thing I can't remember the name of that tasted like rice pudding.
Clothing:
Today I just realized that I'm taller than almost all the Bulgarian women here. I don't know how I could have missed that. But I didn't realize it until I went to try on shoes. Shoe after shoe was too small - they never went big enough to fit my feet! And then I realized all of the Bulgarki are not only skinny - they are short. And if they come even close to my height, it's only because I'm wearing flats and they're wearing 3-inch heels. Hmm, so there shorties.
Sofia, thy name is sore, blistered feet
Yeah, so we walked around a lot in Sofia today (Thursday). We went everywhere there is to go in the main part of the city. A lot has changed, and I took pictures of the changes for you Bulgaria connoisseures out there (there's no more "den of thieves," the holy water spouts by the djumaya (mosque) have been removed and replaced by a big, decorative fountain, Bulgarians actually completely run the church building in Sofia).
Speaking of that, we made a stop by the old church building/mission home. It was in the area and Amber needed a break. We went in and Amber was able to snooze on the couch downstairs (in the rec room where the ping-pong table now lies in shambles). I chatted with Sis. Nadejda, who I knew from my days with Merten in the Center branch at the old Tsar Boris III street building. That was fun. It was weird being in the church building. Everything has stayed the same, which was sort of disconcerting. I think because it conjured up all of these weird memories of when I was a missionary - I was a different person then, the work was hard and frustrating, and it was a time where I was basically devoting all of my emotional and spiritual faculties to helping people out with the gospel. I can't imagine doing that now, or at least doing it without having that calling and mantle of a "missionary." But this helped me out - I was flipping through the new brouchure/booklet that the made about the church here in Bulgaria and there was a picture of the primary kids doing the nativity scene, and one of the little girls (now 6 or 7 years old) was part of a family that I baptized (she was just a tiny baby at the time). That means at least one of her parents is still active, and so is she.
When we finally go back to the hostel, we were introduced to our new room. It's large and nice, with a great bathroom! I didn't waste any time walking back to the old hostel, carrying our two suitcases back to the new one, then going back and carrying our two carry-on bags also! My feet - from the day's walking and touring the city - were sooooo sore. But it was worth it, and I'm not one to be slowed down by sore feet.
We took many pictures so everyone will be able to enjoy Sofia, too!
Oh yeah, so I just checked to see how the Jazz have been doing this week - what the heck happened to them?!?!?!? Has the ghost of past Jazz teams come back to haunt them? I officially have no confidence that they'll do anything in the playoffs. Oh well, the NFL draft is just a couple weeks away...
Speaking of that, we made a stop by the old church building/mission home. It was in the area and Amber needed a break. We went in and Amber was able to snooze on the couch downstairs (in the rec room where the ping-pong table now lies in shambles). I chatted with Sis. Nadejda, who I knew from my days with Merten in the Center branch at the old Tsar Boris III street building. That was fun. It was weird being in the church building. Everything has stayed the same, which was sort of disconcerting. I think because it conjured up all of these weird memories of when I was a missionary - I was a different person then, the work was hard and frustrating, and it was a time where I was basically devoting all of my emotional and spiritual faculties to helping people out with the gospel. I can't imagine doing that now, or at least doing it without having that calling and mantle of a "missionary." But this helped me out - I was flipping through the new brouchure/booklet that the made about the church here in Bulgaria and there was a picture of the primary kids doing the nativity scene, and one of the little girls (now 6 or 7 years old) was part of a family that I baptized (she was just a tiny baby at the time). That means at least one of her parents is still active, and so is she.
When we finally go back to the hostel, we were introduced to our new room. It's large and nice, with a great bathroom! I didn't waste any time walking back to the old hostel, carrying our two suitcases back to the new one, then going back and carrying our two carry-on bags also! My feet - from the day's walking and touring the city - were sooooo sore. But it was worth it, and I'm not one to be slowed down by sore feet.
We took many pictures so everyone will be able to enjoy Sofia, too!
Oh yeah, so I just checked to see how the Jazz have been doing this week - what the heck happened to them?!?!?!? Has the ghost of past Jazz teams come back to haunt them? I officially have no confidence that they'll do anything in the playoffs. Oh well, the NFL draft is just a couple weeks away...
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Walking, walking, walking
We walked all over Sofia today. Or at least I felt like we were all over it - I think we were only on a very small corner. We walked around this area where they have tons if little tents set up with loads of books in Bulgarian. Wes wants to translate a book from Bulgarian to English and he was scouring over them to find some. Meanwhile, I went to a pizza stand and ordered a pizza slice ALL BY MYSELF with my limited Bulgarian. I could only order what I wanted but I couldn't understand whe he said back so I just stared blankly at him and then pretended I didn't hear him. He probably thought I was so weird. I gave him my money and took the pizza and the change, quite proud of myself.
There's this cathedral here - called Alexandre Nevki (sp?) cathedral, built by the Bulgarians in honor of the Bulgarians, Romanians, etc who fought bravely against the Ottoman empire in 1877-1878. The cathedral is huge - and very black inside. The religion here is Orthodox and boy do the people live up to that connotation. Wes was wearing a visor in the church and got scolded by an old Babba for it. Right around the Nevki cathedral there is a St. Sofia church and a bunch of other really cool buildings that we took pictures of. Then we went to the Bulgarian mission home. Wes wanted to see it and I wanted to use the potty so we hung out there and Wes talked to one of the members. I'm sure Wes will tell you all about it and how strange it was to be back.
Then we went shopping! They have this huge bazaar set up with tons of fresh fruit and vegetables near the shopping district of Sofia. Then as you go up the other side they have pots and baking things and clothes. I didn't find anything there so we went over to the malls and I found a couple things. Then we came back to the hostel and rested up for a bit before dinner. Everyone is really nice here.
Food:
I finally got to eat steamed vegetables tonight - we totally cheated and went to this Italian restaurant where they had an English menu. I got tortellini in a cream sauce and steamed vegetables. But I also ordered garlic bread which was a huge mistake. It smelled like gasoline - I'm not kidding. It was really a flatbread with so much burnt garlic on it I'll be surprised if I don't still smell like it even after a shower just from sitting by it. I couldn't eat it. Oh they have dunkin' donuts here - I can't forget to mention that. Wes was blown away - that's definitely a new addition. And in true D&D form, they have them on every corner of the Sofian mainstreets. I had a dark chocolate one and hot chocolate. It was so good. And some pizza today. So nothing really foreign - sorry I'm a cheat.
Clothing:
I don't really like shopping in Bulgaria. The stores are really cramped and crowded and you feel like nobody wants to help you because they aren't overly friendly. And then you feel like crap for putting them to all this work and not buying anything. Plus it's coupled with the fact that I don't understand what they're saying so maybe they are but I can't tell. Everything I hear comes second-hand through Wes. And did I tell you they shake their heads for yes and nod their heads for no????? Omigosh it's so confusing. Seeing someone smiling while shaking their heads is so bizarre to me. And the funniest and worst part of it is that my husband does it now - even when we're alone! It's only a litle bit funny.
There's this cathedral here - called Alexandre Nevki (sp?) cathedral, built by the Bulgarians in honor of the Bulgarians, Romanians, etc who fought bravely against the Ottoman empire in 1877-1878. The cathedral is huge - and very black inside. The religion here is Orthodox and boy do the people live up to that connotation. Wes was wearing a visor in the church and got scolded by an old Babba for it. Right around the Nevki cathedral there is a St. Sofia church and a bunch of other really cool buildings that we took pictures of. Then we went to the Bulgarian mission home. Wes wanted to see it and I wanted to use the potty so we hung out there and Wes talked to one of the members. I'm sure Wes will tell you all about it and how strange it was to be back.
Then we went shopping! They have this huge bazaar set up with tons of fresh fruit and vegetables near the shopping district of Sofia. Then as you go up the other side they have pots and baking things and clothes. I didn't find anything there so we went over to the malls and I found a couple things. Then we came back to the hostel and rested up for a bit before dinner. Everyone is really nice here.
Food:
I finally got to eat steamed vegetables tonight - we totally cheated and went to this Italian restaurant where they had an English menu. I got tortellini in a cream sauce and steamed vegetables. But I also ordered garlic bread which was a huge mistake. It smelled like gasoline - I'm not kidding. It was really a flatbread with so much burnt garlic on it I'll be surprised if I don't still smell like it even after a shower just from sitting by it. I couldn't eat it. Oh they have dunkin' donuts here - I can't forget to mention that. Wes was blown away - that's definitely a new addition. And in true D&D form, they have them on every corner of the Sofian mainstreets. I had a dark chocolate one and hot chocolate. It was so good. And some pizza today. So nothing really foreign - sorry I'm a cheat.
Clothing:
I don't really like shopping in Bulgaria. The stores are really cramped and crowded and you feel like nobody wants to help you because they aren't overly friendly. And then you feel like crap for putting them to all this work and not buying anything. Plus it's coupled with the fact that I don't understand what they're saying so maybe they are but I can't tell. Everything I hear comes second-hand through Wes. And did I tell you they shake their heads for yes and nod their heads for no????? Omigosh it's so confusing. Seeing someone smiling while shaking their heads is so bizarre to me. And the funniest and worst part of it is that my husband does it now - even when we're alone! It's only a litle bit funny.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Sofia - Not Just for "Golden Girls" Anymore!
We made it safely!
Actually, the drive here was pretty easy and quick. The first night (picking up from where Amber left off) was crazy but it ended OK.
It was my charge to return the rental car yesterday evening. There was an Avis affiliate (inside of a Suzuki dealership) where I was to return the car. This place honestly took f-o-r-e-v-e-r to find! It was located on the outskirts of Sofia, which was no problem. I drove right there, but I was circling the same 4 sq. block area for at least 30 minutes trying to find the place! It was frustrating to say the least and I knew time was running out. I finanlly found it after many prayers - but it was closed! So I went over to the Suzuki dealership and there was a cleaning lady there after hours. I explained my predicament and she got on the phone and called a few people. She got someone to come down there (who lived only about 10 minutes away) and sign the car out for me. She was an angel! I thanked them both profusely and took a cab back to the hostel where Amber was happily waiting, watching "Ice Age 2" with a couple of American girls that are also staying in the hostel.
This is a really well run establishment, this hostel is. There are people from all over always coming in and out of the common area. Ireand, Switzerland, Scotland, Canada, USA, Portugal, Enlgand. For most of the Sofia is just a stop on their whirlwind tour of Europe, with their next stop usually being either Prague or Instanbul.
Our first night here was in a pretty beat up, crappy little room (not unlike some of my apartments while I was a missionary!) about 7 blocks away from the main hostel common location. It was smelly and small - I was OK with it, and Amber survived it like a total champ. For the last two nights we'll be here in the main hostel where the accomodations are much better and more cozy - and it's most centrally located in Sofia.
I was up at 6:30 this morning and went out to walk around a bit and get some bonitza (a morning pastry with feta). It was a typical, chilly Bulgarian morning - very crisp and pleasant. It's surreal to be back.
Today we're going to hit the main sites of the city - the cathedrals, city buildings, bazaars & other shopping. We'll return and report.
Actually, the drive here was pretty easy and quick. The first night (picking up from where Amber left off) was crazy but it ended OK.
It was my charge to return the rental car yesterday evening. There was an Avis affiliate (inside of a Suzuki dealership) where I was to return the car. This place honestly took f-o-r-e-v-e-r to find! It was located on the outskirts of Sofia, which was no problem. I drove right there, but I was circling the same 4 sq. block area for at least 30 minutes trying to find the place! It was frustrating to say the least and I knew time was running out. I finanlly found it after many prayers - but it was closed! So I went over to the Suzuki dealership and there was a cleaning lady there after hours. I explained my predicament and she got on the phone and called a few people. She got someone to come down there (who lived only about 10 minutes away) and sign the car out for me. She was an angel! I thanked them both profusely and took a cab back to the hostel where Amber was happily waiting, watching "Ice Age 2" with a couple of American girls that are also staying in the hostel.
This is a really well run establishment, this hostel is. There are people from all over always coming in and out of the common area. Ireand, Switzerland, Scotland, Canada, USA, Portugal, Enlgand. For most of the Sofia is just a stop on their whirlwind tour of Europe, with their next stop usually being either Prague or Instanbul.
Our first night here was in a pretty beat up, crappy little room (not unlike some of my apartments while I was a missionary!) about 7 blocks away from the main hostel common location. It was smelly and small - I was OK with it, and Amber survived it like a total champ. For the last two nights we'll be here in the main hostel where the accomodations are much better and more cozy - and it's most centrally located in Sofia.
I was up at 6:30 this morning and went out to walk around a bit and get some bonitza (a morning pastry with feta). It was a typical, chilly Bulgarian morning - very crisp and pleasant. It's surreal to be back.
Today we're going to hit the main sites of the city - the cathedrals, city buildings, bazaars & other shopping. We'll return and report.
Sofia
Tonight we are in Sofia. We woke up in Plovdiv, had our breakfast and walked around Old Town. There are so many partially uncovered Greek treasures in Old Town - we went by this house where they were digging up a huge garden tomb looking thing. It was crazy - they are still finding stuff. Wes says that since Bulgaria has entered the EU recently things are getting better economically for them and they probably finally have the money to dig and uncover all the hidden Thracian and Greek buildings.
Oh and I finally saw a gypsy kid today - he was going through the garbages in the center of Plovdiv. His hands were dirty and grimy and I felt really bad for him. I can't believe I ever wanted to be a gypsy for Halloween. They're lifestyle is nothing glamorous at all.
Anyway, so after that we got in the car (which I swore I would never get in again) and drove to Sofia. Sofia is like every other big city I've ever been to: lots of people, lots of noise, big buildings, shops on the streets, etc. I love it because I love cities. There are more people here who speak English than in Plovdiv. Every now and then you'll see a random sign like "BBQ Place" and it surprises you because you've been used to seeing symbols for words on everything else. We finally found parking right by our hostel, got out only to find a sign on the door that said "Mostel hostel has moved" - great so Wes and I grabbed a couple bags and walked what was supposed to be a 5 min walk but ended up being a 20 minute walk because we got turned around. Directions are not our strong suit I think. But it's ok because it's a really cool city. So we got to the new hostel only to find out that because we checked in later than they thought we would, they gave away our room!! But they saved a private double back at a place near the old hostel. So we walked all the way bag. We're staying there tonight and come back to the new place for the next two nights. Not super fun. But what can you do? Wes dropped me off at the "new place" where they served free spaghetti and beer while he is taking our rental car back.
Food:
I made a new discovery today: everyone here eats pizza with ketchup and mayonnaise on it! Seriously, I could not believe it. I scanned all the tables JUST to make sure I wasn't exaggerating by thinking this, and I'm not. No matter what kind of pizza they were eating, everyone had put strips of mayo and ketchup on top. So weird. I could not stop staring. Wes had this really good chicken gyro looking thing with fries in it. I loved that too. The spaghetti I had tonight was ok. But it was free which makes it really ok. Oh and the breakfast they served us in Plovdiv was turkey, cucumbers, scrambled eggs, olives, a roll and juice. The juice here is really good - really thick and fruity.
Clothing:
We've been shopping a lot of places and I think I can fairly make the assessment that if you're not a size small, you can't really buy anything at the malls here. They have a whole rack of different shirts, but there is only one of each and most of the time it is a size small. It makes me miss US where I feel thin because I'm four sizes smaller than the biggest size. :) Oh I also wanted to mention that the older generation is really really conservative. They dress in dresses and these jacket things and sometimes scarves. They are basically covered from head to toe, but the younger generation apparenty is trying to break free from that boring modesty by dressing in the shortest skirts, tightest pants and smallest shirts you've ever seen. It's a really weird contrast to see an older Babba and her daughter walking together.
Oh and I finally saw a gypsy kid today - he was going through the garbages in the center of Plovdiv. His hands were dirty and grimy and I felt really bad for him. I can't believe I ever wanted to be a gypsy for Halloween. They're lifestyle is nothing glamorous at all.
Anyway, so after that we got in the car (which I swore I would never get in again) and drove to Sofia. Sofia is like every other big city I've ever been to: lots of people, lots of noise, big buildings, shops on the streets, etc. I love it because I love cities. There are more people here who speak English than in Plovdiv. Every now and then you'll see a random sign like "BBQ Place" and it surprises you because you've been used to seeing symbols for words on everything else. We finally found parking right by our hostel, got out only to find a sign on the door that said "Mostel hostel has moved" - great so Wes and I grabbed a couple bags and walked what was supposed to be a 5 min walk but ended up being a 20 minute walk because we got turned around. Directions are not our strong suit I think. But it's ok because it's a really cool city. So we got to the new hostel only to find out that because we checked in later than they thought we would, they gave away our room!! But they saved a private double back at a place near the old hostel. So we walked all the way bag. We're staying there tonight and come back to the new place for the next two nights. Not super fun. But what can you do? Wes dropped me off at the "new place" where they served free spaghetti and beer while he is taking our rental car back.
Food:
I made a new discovery today: everyone here eats pizza with ketchup and mayonnaise on it! Seriously, I could not believe it. I scanned all the tables JUST to make sure I wasn't exaggerating by thinking this, and I'm not. No matter what kind of pizza they were eating, everyone had put strips of mayo and ketchup on top. So weird. I could not stop staring. Wes had this really good chicken gyro looking thing with fries in it. I loved that too. The spaghetti I had tonight was ok. But it was free which makes it really ok. Oh and the breakfast they served us in Plovdiv was turkey, cucumbers, scrambled eggs, olives, a roll and juice. The juice here is really good - really thick and fruity.
Clothing:
We've been shopping a lot of places and I think I can fairly make the assessment that if you're not a size small, you can't really buy anything at the malls here. They have a whole rack of different shirts, but there is only one of each and most of the time it is a size small. It makes me miss US where I feel thin because I'm four sizes smaller than the biggest size. :) Oh I also wanted to mention that the older generation is really really conservative. They dress in dresses and these jacket things and sometimes scarves. They are basically covered from head to toe, but the younger generation apparenty is trying to break free from that boring modesty by dressing in the shortest skirts, tightest pants and smallest shirts you've ever seen. It's a really weird contrast to see an older Babba and her daughter walking together.
The Road to Kazanlak
Every time Wes says Kazanlak the people here pretend they don't know what he's saying. Then they'll search and search in their minds for what he's saying and so "oh you mean KaZUNlak" - he changes one tiny emphasis and they can't for the life of them understand it. It's so funny. Anyway, I'm not sure I'm ready to talk about the raod to Kazanlak. It was pretty painful. We decided to take a "short-cut" which ended up taking us way longer and we were bouncing around on these horrid cobblestone roads, driving by a bunch of carts driven by donkeys, and finally wound and wound and wound ourselves up this mountain. Most of those who know me will understand why this made me so sick. I HATE BEING THE IN CAR. I get so car sick. I felt wretched. I finally begged Wes to pull over so I could just go to sleep and get over it.
We finally got to our destination which was a little passed Kazanlak near the Shipska memorial. We saw this really cool church AND I got to speak English to some missionaries we ran into there. YAY! I was so excited when Wes pointed out this kid who had a BYU shirt on. I've been quite mute here - Wes does all the talking for us since nobody can understand what I say. So it was great to speak English. Then Wes and I went to the Spaceship - this really cool HUGE dome thing on top of this mountain. It's all ancient communist stuff - the big wigs of communism I guess used to go up and have their secret meetings there. Wes says it used to be really plush. But now everything has been torn down, ripped up and trashed. We snuck in through a hole that was left open. It was freezing in and there and I kept freaking myself out that commies were hiding in there and were going to come out with guns and get us. But they didn't. Wes acted all cool, calm and collected as usual. But that place is just creeeeeepy.
Anyway, so that was our day. The road back from Kazanlak was much more pleasant. We took the longer, more scenic route and the roads were great. Poor Wes was so pissed off that he didn't go that way to begin with. I know he felt really bad. After we got back to Plovdiv we went to eat at a restaurant called Arena that had a picture of a girl's naked bum on the logo.
Food:
Everyone puts feta on everything here. The salads, the french fries - everything you can think of. For lunch we had fries, chips and cucumbers. And then a meat patty that looked like a hamberger but tasted like sausage. I am going to pretend that I had what one of the missionaries had - it was the patty in a bun with cucumbers and tomatoes and a really yummy-looking sauce. I was really jealous of his sandwich. I kept staring at it and I think he was getting nervous eating it in front of me. Oooh and I had Fanta - that was really good. They have it in like every color here. I am determined to drink all of them. For breakfast Wes ran around Plovdiv and found some sweet rolls. Mine had something like vanilla pudding in it that was really good. And for dinner I had one little chicken skewer that was good and a Shopska (Sofian salad) but I'm getting pretty sick of those. The best part was the hot chocolate I ordered. I think I'll live on that for the rest of the time I'm here.
Clothing:
What is up with the girls being so skinny here? It's like they don't eat anything. And I think they don't! The ones I saw at the restaurant only had alcohol and cigarretes. They wear really tight clothes too - tight jeans, skirts, etc. Plus they almost all wear nylons (fancy ones with cool designs) under their jeans. I keep wondering how they breathe. I hate tight things on my stomach. The men wear really good looking jeans - I think I want to find some for Wes since he'll look SO much hotter than all of them in them. Anyway, that's all for now!
We finally got to our destination which was a little passed Kazanlak near the Shipska memorial. We saw this really cool church AND I got to speak English to some missionaries we ran into there. YAY! I was so excited when Wes pointed out this kid who had a BYU shirt on. I've been quite mute here - Wes does all the talking for us since nobody can understand what I say. So it was great to speak English. Then Wes and I went to the Spaceship - this really cool HUGE dome thing on top of this mountain. It's all ancient communist stuff - the big wigs of communism I guess used to go up and have their secret meetings there. Wes says it used to be really plush. But now everything has been torn down, ripped up and trashed. We snuck in through a hole that was left open. It was freezing in and there and I kept freaking myself out that commies were hiding in there and were going to come out with guns and get us. But they didn't. Wes acted all cool, calm and collected as usual. But that place is just creeeeeepy.
Anyway, so that was our day. The road back from Kazanlak was much more pleasant. We took the longer, more scenic route and the roads were great. Poor Wes was so pissed off that he didn't go that way to begin with. I know he felt really bad. After we got back to Plovdiv we went to eat at a restaurant called Arena that had a picture of a girl's naked bum on the logo.
Food:
Everyone puts feta on everything here. The salads, the french fries - everything you can think of. For lunch we had fries, chips and cucumbers. And then a meat patty that looked like a hamberger but tasted like sausage. I am going to pretend that I had what one of the missionaries had - it was the patty in a bun with cucumbers and tomatoes and a really yummy-looking sauce. I was really jealous of his sandwich. I kept staring at it and I think he was getting nervous eating it in front of me. Oooh and I had Fanta - that was really good. They have it in like every color here. I am determined to drink all of them. For breakfast Wes ran around Plovdiv and found some sweet rolls. Mine had something like vanilla pudding in it that was really good. And for dinner I had one little chicken skewer that was good and a Shopska (Sofian salad) but I'm getting pretty sick of those. The best part was the hot chocolate I ordered. I think I'll live on that for the rest of the time I'm here.
Clothing:
What is up with the girls being so skinny here? It's like they don't eat anything. And I think they don't! The ones I saw at the restaurant only had alcohol and cigarretes. They wear really tight clothes too - tight jeans, skirts, etc. Plus they almost all wear nylons (fancy ones with cool designs) under their jeans. I keep wondering how they breathe. I hate tight things on my stomach. The men wear really good looking jeans - I think I want to find some for Wes since he'll look SO much hotter than all of them in them. Anyway, that's all for now!
We got out the door this Tuesday and headed towards a city called Kazanlak. I guessed it was about a 1 1/2 hour trip by car, but it turned into a 3 1/2 hour nightmare. I found this nifty shorter route on the map and took it, but I didn't count on two things:
But once we got to our destinations, all was well. We first payed a visit to the Shipka Memorial Church. You could see it's unbelievably brilliant gold domes perched on the mountain side from several miles away (which made it easier to navigate to). The church is so colorful and vibrant, and really tall - all together quite an impressive structure. The courtyard and surrounding forest is serene. The small town it's built in just goes about their daily, simple lives without 
seemingly noticing the church is there. The inside of the church is very cold, but incredibly elaborate, with every inch of wall and ceiling decorated or painted. We weren't allowed to take pictures, but you know me - I had to sneak one picture as we were leaving. (They don't prohibit pictures because it's holy, the prohibit them because you're supposed to pay money in order to take pictures.)
1. There are no street signs anywhere in Bulgaria. I've probably seen 4 total the whole time we've been here in Plovdiv. It's ridiculous.
2. The "road" that was layed out on the map turned out to be this winding, largely cobble-stoned (that means it was a rough, bumpy ride) trail through several smaller Bulgarian towns.
Of course, I was hopping out of the car and asking people at every town, "so which road is it that leads out of the town and towards Kazanlak?" At least Bulgaria has this going for them - everyone I talked to was so nice and helpful. As a missionary, I was used to getting the cold shoulder or a very cautious look followed by an unsure answer or reply. As tourists, every one is so happy and pleased to help out. It's been great.
But once we got to our destinations, all was well. We first payed a visit to the Shipka Memorial Church. You could see it's unbelievably brilliant gold domes perched on the mountain side from several miles away (which made it easier to navigate to). The church is so colorful and vibrant, and really tall - all together quite an impressive structure. The courtyard and surrounding forest is serene. The small town it's built in just goes about their daily, simple lives without 
seemingly noticing the church is there. The inside of the church is very cold, but incredibly elaborate, with every inch of wall and ceiling decorated or painted. We weren't allowed to take pictures, but you know me - I had to sneak one picture as we were leaving. (They don't prohibit pictures because it's holy, the prohibit them because you're supposed to pay money in order to take pictures.)While eating lunch outside the church I noticed a couple of guys that looked suspicious American or German. With a closer look I caught a glimpse of a BYU shirt. I told Amber and she went up to him and asked, "Are you American?" The poor guy looked like he'd been shot in the stomache. They were missionaries visiting the church on their P-day. In all there were 8 of them (including two sisters). They were so amazed to see us, and even more amazed that I had serverd in Bulgaria. We chatted about the state of the mission for a while and about how it was different for me 6 years ago. They were so young and goofy. But they said things are a lot more relaxed and normal than it was a few years ago. There are more branches (especially in Sofia, where there are 5 branches now), each companionship has a cell phone, they get full day P-days (which we took anyway, even though we were supposed to end at 6pm), no one ever gets into any kind of physical danger, there are a lot more Billas (huge, German-owned grocery stores) so they don't shop in the small, scanty shops set up in of small garages. We chatted with the elders and sisters for about 30 minutes (One of the sisters was a Bulgarian, baptized about 4 years ago in Varna, and she didn't speak English - I felt bad for her so I spoke with her in Bulgarian for a while, too. I had to show those missionaries I still had my Bulgarian skills.) and then we said goodbye.
Next was up to the top of the neighboring mountain to Mt. Buzludzha - or what I've always referred to as "The Spaceship." The poor missionaries were a little nervous to go there 
themselves - there's a mission rumor that a pair of missionaries set off an alarm while trying to break into the structure and were kicked out of Bulgaria and sent to serve in Serbia. Poor, poor little missionaries. I assured them that wasn't true and told them to get up there if they could. Our drive up to the moutain's peak was a scenic, easy one. The wind at the top was fierce - it almost kept Amber in the car. But she was coaxed out, mainly by the massive, impressive structure that is The Spaceship. We walked all around it, marvelling. We took a picture with Flat Stanley (Hannah's little paper friend from school who is supposed to travel to all the interesting places he can and get his picture taken - I think Flat Stanley was blown away (almost literally!)), and then I told Amber that we would next be venturing inside the imposing building. I found the small, unassuming entrance that lead down into the freezing, dark building, helped Amber down, and we were in. We were both 100% sure that we were the only ones around for miles and miles, but there's still that eerie sense of nervousness and forboding, simply because of the history of the building. It was built in such a secluded and towering place because it was used as a meeting hall and gathering place for the 
heads of the Bulgarian Communist Party. Huge, international rallies and small, secretive (and no doubt ominous) meetings were held there. We walked through what was once the large opening foyer and up a couple flights of winding stairs. All at once we walked into this massive, round hall, lined with colorful mosaics of Communist leaders and scenes of proletariat camaraderie. What once were plush, red seats were now ripped to shreds and littered all over the marble floor. It was awe inspiring and chilling. Flat Stanley was a little nervous, but agreed to have his picture taken in front of the large mosaic of Karl Marx (one of the founders Communism, and author of the "Communist Manifesto.")
themselves - there's a mission rumor that a pair of missionaries set off an alarm while trying to break into the structure and were kicked out of Bulgaria and sent to serve in Serbia. Poor, poor little missionaries. I assured them that wasn't true and told them to get up there if they could. Our drive up to the moutain's peak was a scenic, easy one. The wind at the top was fierce - it almost kept Amber in the car. But she was coaxed out, mainly by the massive, impressive structure that is The Spaceship. We walked all around it, marvelling. We took a picture with Flat Stanley (Hannah's little paper friend from school who is supposed to travel to all the interesting places he can and get his picture taken - I think Flat Stanley was blown away (almost literally!)), and then I told Amber that we would next be venturing inside the imposing building. I found the small, unassuming entrance that lead down into the freezing, dark building, helped Amber down, and we were in. We were both 100% sure that we were the only ones around for miles and miles, but there's still that eerie sense of nervousness and forboding, simply because of the history of the building. It was built in such a secluded and towering place because it was used as a meeting hall and gathering place for the 
heads of the Bulgarian Communist Party. Huge, international rallies and small, secretive (and no doubt ominous) meetings were held there. We walked through what was once the large opening foyer and up a couple flights of winding stairs. All at once we walked into this massive, round hall, lined with colorful mosaics of Communist leaders and scenes of proletariat camaraderie. What once were plush, red seats were now ripped to shreds and littered all over the marble floor. It was awe inspiring and chilling. Flat Stanley was a little nervous, but agreed to have his picture taken in front of the large mosaic of Karl Marx (one of the founders Communism, and author of the "Communist Manifesto.")After that we decided to make our way back to Plovdiv (this time I took the "longer" route, which although it was longer, it only took us 1 1/2 hours and the road was perfect the whole way - I was so pissed I didn't take that route originally).
We chilled in the center of Plovdiv for a while, dined on some Bulgar foor which Amber will surely describe, and then went back to our room for the final night. I was beat. After a few pages of my book I was down for the count.
Next time we'll report on how the Plovidiv to Sofia transition was and about the quality of our next hostel. I'm not expecting anything great.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Wait...didn't I already spend 2 years in this place...?
Wes here, reporting to you live from Bulgaria.
Well, all is well in BulgarLand. Amber and I survived (barely) the flights over here. We had plenty of glorious leg room during our flight to Chicago. Amber got to watch "Danger Min-" err, wait, "Freedom Writers." I read my computer magazines and started "A Prayer for Owen Meany." The flight to Milan (that's in Italy, kids! You know, like in "And I'm too sexy for Milan, New York and Japan") was hell. Ten hours of discomfort and cramped necks. Amber and I occupied a middle, 3-seat section towards the back of the 3/4 full plane, so that meant Amber got to lay across the seats and sleep with her head on my lap. Let's just say I'm not looking forward to the flight home. And the flight to Sofia was one I don't remember because I was passed out from exhaustion. But guess what Amber was doing right as we touched down onto Bulgarian soil? Throwing up! I didn't think Bulgaria would have that instanteneous of an effect on her.
Getting our rental car was painless. My Bulgarian wasn't as sharp as I'd hoped, but I made it through, thanks in large part to the fact that the guy renting the car (a 2005 compact Suzuki) could speak a little English. The drive to Plovdiv was very quick (1 hour! Eat that all of you who are used to 3 hour bus rides or 4 hour train rides!). But it took us (OK, OK, it toom me) an hour of driving around Plovdiv to find our place at the Bed & Breakfast. No streets are ever labeled and I never actually served in Plovdiv. But I didn't feel that bad when we finally found it (I actually felt horrible for putting Amber through all of that) because it was located in the middle of the insanely inaccesable Old Town in Plovdiv. It's literally 20 steps away from the ancient Roman coliseum that Amber will no-doubt describe in her post (I'm just here for mundane, comic relief). We went out and wandered, ate at this phenomenal Russian restaurant (a place like that would be at least $150 a plate in the States - here it was $27, for both of us). We got back to our room - the cleanest, cutest place I've ever stayed at in Bulgaria - and crashed after watching a bit of Bulgar-vision. We slept for 12 hours. It was awesome. I had a dream my mom had been hiding this crazy secret room/hangar in our house that had two small planes in it. We woke up at 8:30 when our hostess brought us breakfast. I can't give Amber enough props for finding this place on-line.
Today we got to do a lot. We skirted around Old Town, visited the coliseum, walked down on the "glav" (that's like the main street, but cars aren't allowed on it) - the "glav" was like 3 miles long, the longest that I know of in all of Bulgaria. There were just tons of people out today - you know, the holiday known as "the Monday after Easter." They'll use any excuse for a holiday from work. It was really fun just walking and talking. We needed a break so we went to the theater and saw "300." It was a great flick, and it was fun to read the subtitles. I'm always amazed at how the nuances of the English language are completely lost in the subtitles. It kills me.
After the movie we went to a cafe for a light dinner, and then we hiked up this small mountain with a monument erected for "the glory of the invincible, socialist army liberators" and now we are returning to our humble accomodations. We'll probably go back our a little tonight, but we're getting up early to drive to a few sights that are out of town. These should be the best. I'll save the surprise for later.
I don't have SD card access on this computer, so to appease you all here is a picture of a sweet goat. I love being here again, and I love that I'm here with Amber. I don't think there's anyone else I'd truly enjoy being here with. She's usually the one saving me from situations, blunders and embarassment - it's nice to finally be the one that gets to save her from Bulgars, language barriers and shkembe chorba (google it, if you already hadn't thought to).
Love you all!
Wesley
First Day in Bulgaria
Bulgaria is full of hidden treasures. In France, you expect to see Versailles and the louvre. In Italy you expect to see The David, Notre Dame and remnants of of Ancient Rome - you go for those reasons. But you don't go to Bulgaria to see anything grand. (I mean, who even goes to Bulgaria?) And yet on nearly every street or corner there is something incredible. We're in Plovdiv right now, staying in what they call "Old Town" at a quaint bed and breakfast. Right down the cobbly road from us is a small cafe which sits, almost indifferently, on the rim of a huge ancient Greek theater! (Wes can't remember if it's Greek or Roman which). I had no idea that Bulgaria was the old Phillopoli talked about in ancient times. There are several "pits" in the middle of streets that you look by as you're walking and you see these incredible ancient ruins. It's totally understated - not like in Rome at all.
There are statues all over Plovdiv, and, according to Wes, we haven't seen anything yet. They are everywhere. On the way here yesterday, after 24 hours (not including the time change) of travelling we drove around Plovdiv - lost - for 2 1/2 hours trying to find where we were staying, (and yes, it took 2 hours to finally convince Wes we should ask for directions) so I had a great chance to see all the statues and monuments around the city. There are tons of them, and they're all really cool. I'm not sure what they all mean, but I'm pretty sure they were mostly put up during Communism. We hiked up to a big tall soldier on top of a huge hill today. It was touting the glory of Communism and of Russia. On the sides were pictures of citizens and soldiers all greeting each other in brotherly love. Ahh the sentimental Communistic brain washing... In Russia, when revolutionists fought revolutionists to abolish Communism, their passion drove them to destroy statues and deface buildings. But its like Bulgaria isn't quite sure yet that they're ready to let go of it all. I mean, I think it was only in the 80's that they even abolished Communism, right? So they really took to it. Wes says the old "Babas" still talk of the old days when everybody had a job and the state was better off.
Anway, enough reflecting - it's not like I understand this place so I shouldn't hypothesize like I do. I just like it here. Plovdiv is beautiful. I expected something much worse - so I have been happily impressed so far. (We haven't seen any gypsies though, which kind of disappoints me. Wes is quite beside himself about it - he kept muttering to himself today on the street "where are they? why aren't they out here pestering everybody? did the Bulgars kill them all?" I think maybe they all got jobs or something. Wes laughs at that.) Our B&B is really nice - we'll attach pictures when we can. We had an amazing dinner last night at a Russian (really ritzy) restaurant in Old Town last night. I kept gushing over the food and of course the waiter couldn't understand a thing I said. Wes almost fell asleep in his shopska last night - he was so tired. The poor boy has all the burden of speaking for both of us, translating everything everybody is saying to me, guiding us around, etc. He's been amazing and I love hearing him speak Bulgarian. He sounds so Bulgar.
Today we got up and walked around the city center. But I'm sure Wes's blog talks about this, so let me just tell you about the things I care about = Food and Clothing:
Food:
I had the best cornnuts ever here! And gelato, which was a delightful surprise. And then later we had an early dinner and Wes had Shopksa again and I tried a different salad, but it was terrible. I'm pretty sure they washed it in the river because there were little rocks in it. Not kidding. But the margherita pizza was really good. And the candy has been impressive.
Clothing:
All the girls are into clothes. I have seen a lot of girls wearing tight shorts over nylons with boots. That was a new one for me. And they all wear these nylons or leotards under their shirts. I thought it was to be modest so they don't show their waists. But Wes is convinced that modesty is not a word in a Bulgarki's (Bulgarian woman) lexicon. He says they do this to hide their dark back hair. Ew! Anyway - they are very well dressed for the most part. And dress for show. All the young guys sit on the corners of bars looking like members of the mafia and openly check and remark on all the Bulgarki as they saunter past. It's quite amusing.
There are statues all over Plovdiv, and, according to Wes, we haven't seen anything yet. They are everywhere. On the way here yesterday, after 24 hours (not including the time change) of travelling we drove around Plovdiv - lost - for 2 1/2 hours trying to find where we were staying, (and yes, it took 2 hours to finally convince Wes we should ask for directions) so I had a great chance to see all the statues and monuments around the city. There are tons of them, and they're all really cool. I'm not sure what they all mean, but I'm pretty sure they were mostly put up during Communism. We hiked up to a big tall soldier on top of a huge hill today. It was touting the glory of Communism and of Russia. On the sides were pictures of citizens and soldiers all greeting each other in brotherly love. Ahh the sentimental Communistic brain washing... In Russia, when revolutionists fought revolutionists to abolish Communism, their passion drove them to destroy statues and deface buildings. But its like Bulgaria isn't quite sure yet that they're ready to let go of it all. I mean, I think it was only in the 80's that they even abolished Communism, right? So they really took to it. Wes says the old "Babas" still talk of the old days when everybody had a job and the state was better off.
Anway, enough reflecting - it's not like I understand this place so I shouldn't hypothesize like I do. I just like it here. Plovdiv is beautiful. I expected something much worse - so I have been happily impressed so far. (We haven't seen any gypsies though, which kind of disappoints me. Wes is quite beside himself about it - he kept muttering to himself today on the street "where are they? why aren't they out here pestering everybody? did the Bulgars kill them all?" I think maybe they all got jobs or something. Wes laughs at that.) Our B&B is really nice - we'll attach pictures when we can. We had an amazing dinner last night at a Russian (really ritzy) restaurant in Old Town last night. I kept gushing over the food and of course the waiter couldn't understand a thing I said. Wes almost fell asleep in his shopska last night - he was so tired. The poor boy has all the burden of speaking for both of us, translating everything everybody is saying to me, guiding us around, etc. He's been amazing and I love hearing him speak Bulgarian. He sounds so Bulgar.
Today we got up and walked around the city center. But I'm sure Wes's blog talks about this, so let me just tell you about the things I care about = Food and Clothing:
Food:
I had the best cornnuts ever here! And gelato, which was a delightful surprise. And then later we had an early dinner and Wes had Shopksa again and I tried a different salad, but it was terrible. I'm pretty sure they washed it in the river because there were little rocks in it. Not kidding. But the margherita pizza was really good. And the candy has been impressive.
Clothing:
All the girls are into clothes. I have seen a lot of girls wearing tight shorts over nylons with boots. That was a new one for me. And they all wear these nylons or leotards under their shirts. I thought it was to be modest so they don't show their waists. But Wes is convinced that modesty is not a word in a Bulgarki's (Bulgarian woman) lexicon. He says they do this to hide their dark back hair. Ew! Anyway - they are very well dressed for the most part. And dress for show. All the young guys sit on the corners of bars looking like members of the mafia and openly check and remark on all the Bulgarki as they saunter past. It's quite amusing.
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