Where to sleep in the civilization?
We continued our way downward, to civilization. We aimed at Borovets, a ski village below Musala. The weather was changing from cold and rainy to the perfect summer. Being close to the civilization meant that we needed to find either a hotel or a hidden place to erect the tent.
There was nothing on the way, and when we looked at the hotels, most of them were empty. It was not skiing season. Those that were open were so nice that we were not able to afford them. (We theoretically could, but after sleeping in the worst conditions, you do not need to.)
There was nothing in Borovets. We still had no place to sleep. We found a path through a forest to Samokov. We planned to get there, and if not, to sleep under the trees along the way. So we went. We passed a place that would be OK for the tent, but mainly I was pressing to go further.
It was not so late, but under the trees, it was getting darker. It was also hot. We got to a meadow. We were surprised to see a guy in a heavy coat, cutting down a tree with his ax. He stopped us.
He asked where are we going, and we told him that we are going to Samokov.
On his bearded face appeared a confusion.
What he said in Bulgarian was probably something: "It's far away, you will not get there today."
We told him that we are fast.
He frowned and said that the path is hard and we have the wrong shoes.
We lifted our legs from the tall grass and showed him. We told him that we were up there on Musala.
He slightly nodded. It seemed that he would let us pass, but then he asked one word, we heard:
"Obrona"
We were confused. In whole sentences, it is possible to understand Bulgarian, but individual words are not so easy.
When we have seen our confusion, he repeated:
"Obrona"
And he showed his long knife, almost a machete below his coat on his right side.
Then he showed us his right side. We jumped with the surprise. Gun.
Then we understood. There are bears, and we should be able to defend ourselves. We turned around and decided that the forest is not the best place to sleep. I had some experiences with bears (you can read about that here), so I was quick and looking over my shoulder often.
When we got to Borovets, we were settling for not sleeping or sleeping in the middle of the village. It was OK, at least compared to the alternative: being eaten by a bear. So we sat down in front of an empty hotel and had dinner.
Trust people on the internet
We were sitting and eating when Kuba realized that we are in civilization now, and there can be a signal, maybe even the internet. Hotels looked expensive, but there might be some small guesthouse where we can sleep. So we visited booking.com. And there was a perfect place. It cost only as much as a night in your tent next to a mountain hut. So we booked it.
We got an address, and we rushed there. It was an empty street with some vacant stores for skis and a big abandoned hotel. We were expecting someone to show up, and when it was too long, we scouted the area, we tried to get to the hotel (and we found a place to sleep, if we were to sleep outside).
After a while, we decided to call. The guy told us that we should go to this entrance to this floor and that he hid the key at someplace. We should find it, get into the apartment, make ourselves comfortable, and after we leave, we should put the money on the table and hide the key where we found it.
We followed instructions precisely, and paradise awaited us: shower and comfortable bed. We even found the money that the previous visitor left on the table.
I was not sleeping well. I spend some time on the toilet with a stomachache. It was probably waiting for me in lower elevations.
Let's visit a lake and a castle!
We had one more day, so in the morning, there was some deciding what to do. We were looking at the internet what to do around. There were not so many things to do, but on the way, there is a lake Pancharevo. On Wikipedia, we read "favored outing location for the residents of Sofia." It would be perfect. We would swim.
What was even better, nearby, there is a castle Urvich. Important (but eventually ineffective) defense against Ottomans. We can walk in nature and then enjoy some cultural heritage. Perfect.
So we went. First, to Samokov, we met the same Czechs that we met at the beginning of our journey. And then to the Pancharevo lake. When we got there, we were dying for a swim. It was super hot, and the bus almost cooked us.
But when we got closer, there were signs forbidding swim in the lake. Our mood worsened immediately, especially Filip's. I was hoping that the castle would redeem the trip. So we walked around the lake to get there. We needed to use all our willpower to stay out of the lake.
We planned to go by a forest path. On the map, it lead directly to Urvich. It seemed perfect. When we went there, it was more like a jungle of thorns and less like a path. So we went along the highway instead.
And then we were there, below the Urvich. We were excited. It would be the only good thing about the day. When we got there, we were disappointed. It was just lots of bushes and remnants of one room, walls to the knee height.
At least, We erected our tent inside the castle hall and went to sleep. Filip was thinking about sleeping outside, me and Kuba encouraged him. The less Filip's mass inside more space for the two of us. There were a lot of mosquitos. We were trying to convince Filip that after it gets dark, they cannot see, and he will be alright. He did not listen and joined us in the tent.
When we woke up, Filip and Kuba were supposed to go to Blagoevgrad. My plane would fly the next morning. We decided to split up and go to Sophia alone (they needed to go to a bus stop, I wanted to sightsee).
Beauties of Sophia
We decided to hitchhike to Sophia. Filip and Kuba started and were there waiting for some time. Many cars passed and then the bus stopped. You can do this in Bulgaria to get a bus. I considered taking the bus too. But then I thought that I have a lot of time. I try to hitchhike myself. So I stuck my thumb up and waited.
It was quick. A car stopped and took me to Sophia. It was a mother with a child that told me what to do in Sophia. She recommended a free historical tour. Then we talked more, but my biggest concern was that I had the t-shirt I had all the time on Rila, so I was probably smelling. A lot. I tried not to stir the air. I barely moved and breathed. Hopefully, she will take hitchhikers in the future.
In the city center, I found the free tour. It was awesome. I learned a lot about history. Romans founded Sophia when they discovered hot springs, and then they build spas. You can see some parts of them below modern Sophia (parts of buildings, not Romans). We also visited many churches and talked about the kings and legacy of communism.
After the tour, I just wandered around the city. I sat down on the bench in front of the spa. Then an older man sat next to me. He had white hair, a sturdy frame as a sailor (or as I imagined a sailor), and talked in perfect English.
We were talking. The guy worked in the USA and drove trucks from coast to coast. He was also a very hairy Bulgarian in his youth, and he played a henchman in a James Bond movie. Now, he is a representative of rhino-tires Bulgaria.
It was fun, but I wanted to go already, he was asking too many personal questions and was rude to other people. So I said that I need to go to the airport. But then he insisted on going with me. I started to be a bit scared. My plane was due in 12 hours. I just wanted to get rid of him. So we got up. He needed to pee. It was on a public square. He said: "This is the thing I like about Bulgaria, no one bosses you around. You pull your dick and pee wherever you want." And he proceeded to do the deed. I thought that this is my only opportunity. I just said bye and walked away (maybe ran a bit). I turned some corners and walked around two kilometers to some park. There I was reading without an interruption for a while
Then I walked through the night Sophia, and it was nice to see so many people on the streets. And finally I went to the airport.
Going home
The Sophia airport has two terminals. I was in the newer one almost all night. Then I moved to the older one. It was packed. I was trying to fell asleep, but it was impossible.
The early morning flight was uneventful. After I got to Milano, I found a roundabout to sleep and slept there until the next flight home.
