Unexpected meeting
Finally, we were in Dupnitsa. We took a deep breath of fresh air and started our pilgrimage. For the next week, only our legs got us from one place to another. It was a late afternoon. We followed the road to the start of the track up the mountains. We turned our phones, the probability of finding a European toilet is low, and finding an electrical socket is impossible. (Actually, it is an interesting observation. The sharp toilet division is around 2000 meters. Down are European toilets and up Turkish ones.)
It got dark. We planned to go through a village, and then sleep in the forest. It is easier said than done. The roads did not want to let us out. They twisted in front of us. We looked in the map and guessed our position. "We should be here. There should be a slight turn, ok here it is and now continue for 500 meters until crossroad." Of course, after ten minutes, we guessed again.
It was so bad that I attempted to befriend wild dogs around, but it was hard. I had a salami, and they smelled it. Then we saw a group of people with similar bags and holding map. We were slow, so they caught up with us. And then, after almost 24 hours, we heard the sweet music of our mother tongue.
They were Czechs hiking as we did. Together we found the path and a place to build a tent. (Actually, we were there already, but we were not sure).
They were looking at us a bit weird when we build our tent.
"Do you fit inside?"
"Ok, I believe that you alone fit inside, but all three?"
Then, we sat down for our dinner: bread and salami. Since we had no knife, we just circled the salami and bread.
Everyone took a bite and passed it. It got a bit more weird looks, maybe a bit concerned.
"Do they survive up there, and if so, does the wildlife? I can imagine them passing a squirrel just like the salami."
We had a similar path as they did, so we met them a few times up in the mountains. It was great to see them.
First night up
We are not professionals. Walk around 1500 meters up is exhausting. But we could watch the scenery change in front of our eyes. First, there was a deep forest where you can lose yourself. (And we did, do not worry. We expected Czech signs, and they do not go straight and then turn on meadow without a mark.) Then bushes tall as a Filip. Then bushes tall as me. Then bushes tall as Kuba. Then, finally, just grass and stones.
Getting up was the most exhausting part of the road. On top of the mountains, there is one path that is the only path there, and you see other peaks, so there is no chance of turning the wrong way.
Down, the weather was hot, too hot. On top, it was colder, and the wind was blowing a bit. We got to Ivan Vazov, hut where we wanted to sleep, late afternoon. We had our dinner (I don't remember if it was biting salami or scooping coconut fat from a cup). It was almost freezing, because I was taking the tent, my sleeping bag was too thin. I convinced Kuba and Filip that I sleep in the hut, I did not want to be heated by them, and the wind was strong, blowing to the tent. I slept well. I just heard some noises like: "Damn Jakub, he is sleeping inside, and we have to freeze here" (Just kidding).
Walking is good
The next day, we visited lakes. There was a lift, so it meant a lot of noisy Bulgars. In the hut, there are always some people in tents, but they are usually quiet, wake up early, and leave. During the walk, you have all the views for yourself (I had to share mine with Filip, he has similar height). The good thing is that we bought a warm lunch there.
We continued along the mountain pass over Rila monastery and then hoped to get to an emergency shelter on the way. But we were slow.
It was getting dark, and we already got a bit down such that our tent would be safe, so we settled down in bushes.
Now, it is the right time to describe how we slept. Usually, it is hard to fell asleep if you are slightly uncomfortable. That was not not a problem here. I was so tired that I was sleeping immediately. So what was my position?
I was sleeping on my back (I usually don't). Otherwise, it would be a bit homo. I could lie down, but my back already used the width of the tent assigned to me, so I had to cross my bands on my chest or tuck them in. Our bags also wanted to be in the tent (everything would be wet from the dew otherwise). Fortunately, we had a solution, and it also solved the problem that the tent is too short. I bend my knees and put my bag below to provide support.
There are a few mountain huts along the way, usually such that you can do one day walk and sleep there, so theoretically, you can survive without a tent. We slept near them (because it is not allowed anywhere else), and we also used them to replenish our supplies of bread. There are also emergency shelters, usually just one room, with some wood, a stove, and maybe with some ancient matrasses. We scheduled to sleep in these shelters, they are free, and we do not need to build a tent.
So the next day, we got to Malyovitsa, one of the huts. And we continued up and down.
Weather is worsening
The weather was ok most of the time. Not super sunny, but ideal for walking, but it was getting worse. I was just chilling and washing my t-shirt (my only for walking) in a lake when a thunder convinced us to go fast to the next place to sleep. Fortunately, it was an emergency shelter, so we were under a good roof.
The next day, we woke up late. We had a good night's sleep, and it was raining, so it did not matter anyway. We waited if the weather gets better. It was not happening, so shortly after lunch, we got to the next walk.
It was drizzling, and sometimes it got worse, sometimes it got better. We were talking less and trying to get as fast to Ribni Ezera as possible. During the walk, we agreed to sleep inside, not in the tent.
In the end, it started to be awful. It was raining heavily, so we were not waiting for each other. We just hoped to be in the hut as soon as possible.
The hut was perfect. It was the best sleeping by far, and we even recharged our phones. We also had a nutritious meal.
There were also some Bulgarian tourists singing. I joined them, but they ended a few minutes after I joined. It was because they were tired from walking. (At least I hope so, I was not singing so bad, probably).
Fast
We woke up refreshed. The previous day, we were not walking too much and slept well. So we hit the road early.
The weather was better, it was not raining, but it was cold. We had our experiences. We still felt the cold from the previous day (thankfully, it was possible to dry our stuff in the hut), so we went quickly. If the weather gets worse, we would be close to the next planned stop. We did not stop, except for a piece of chocolate. In the cold, we were not even hungry.
We were so fast that shortly after twelve, we were standing on top of the crossroad we needed to take down to the hut (and go up the next day). We discussed, had a bit of chocolate, and decide to do the walk that was scheduled for the next day today. So we continued.
We were getting up and closer to Musala, the highest peak in the mountain range. I had just a few clothes, so I needed to compromise. I had nothing for my head, so I decided that being covered by a bag from one side is enough for my body. It is heated by movement anyway, and I used my jumper as an improvised burka.
We climbed the mountain, and the view was breathtaking. It is rare to see a fog this thick. So we did our photo, took a short break in some building we sneaked in (it was open, and we did not break anything). And then we headed down.
Mysterious hut
The path we took down was unused. When we got lower, the vegetation was hanging over the track and getting us wet. Our boots got full of water too. We started to feel tired, and the bad mood overtook us. The hope was hut Maritsa, where we would sleep.
At Rila, the hut has an entrance, and then you can go to the dining room, something like a restaurant. It usually has a small window, a menu hanging next to it, and a checkered tablecloth. There are some tourists, and if you knock on the window, someone will take care of you. You can order or pay for a room. Maritsa was different.
We were exhausted and wet, so we forcefully stepped inside. There we met two Bulgars smoking, drinking rakija, and watching television. The room felt like someone's living room, and in the center was an enormous stove. The Bulgars looked at us surprised. Maritsa is a bit away from the main paths, and it was already night. We tried some English, but it was hopeless, so we tried Slavic universal tongue. They signed to us to take a shower. First shower after a long time (if you do not count rain) and then we could dry our clothes near the stove. After that, we sat down in our underwear on a giant sofa and started talking. We talked about everything: TV, politics, life, and nature. The question we did not get an answer to was what they do for a living (It took us 30 minutes). In the time of the highest misunderstanding, they handed us a Bulgarian-german dictionary. It almost helped.
Then, there was dinner. We started with some sausages and pickled peppers. Excellent. I stopped focusing on the conversation, and I was hoping to eat as many pieces as possible. Then there was a soup with pickled vegetables and toasted bread. We were getting almost full, but then came the best thing, mushrooms.
We usually fry wild mushrooms with onion. There I discovered an entirely new culinary experience. It was so transient. I was not able to recreate it since. Maybe it works only in Rila. Or you need to sit in your underwear on a couch and drink Bulgarian beer. They fried the mushrooms in oil with a bit of vinegar and garlic. It was godlike.
Then, we went to sleep. Our only worry was that we would need to pay for the dinner how much it would deserve. Not that we would not want to, but we were short on cash. But then everything turned alright. We did not need to sell our kidneys.
We shortly discussed if we should go back up again and walk one day up in the mountains or if we should go down. We were tired from the previous day, so we decided to go down to Borovets, which started our next adventure.
Our way from Bistritsa to Borovets
