"Could've Been A Plovdiv."

Yes.  It's sad, but true.  We didn't know about Plovdiv before arriving into Bulgaria, but it quickly became our favorite city of the country.  We had big expectations for Sofia, but as always it was the unexpected that delivered.  Plovdiv was just cool.  Its ancient Roman ruins scattered throughout its old town - living in harmony with the modern shops and cafes.  It goes to show that there's a lot more to a country than its Capitol.  We left Bulgaria remembering the great food, peaceful Rila and cool old Plovdiv.

Watched a Bulgarian Opera in the Roman Theatre (Built 98 - 117 AD)

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The Hermit Life

Monasteries are meant to be a place of solitude, to give you peace and/or enlightenment in your life. However, between the times of 06:00 and 21:00, Rila Monastery is meant to be a place for pilgrims and tourists to snap photos and fill their empty plastic bottles with fresh mountain water – us included.

Using an app on Matt's iPhone

We were first struck by the pure beauty of this place, but didn’t really grasp the true meaning behind building a “village” in a river valley, surrounded by a perimeter of nothing but mountain ridges covered in evergreens. It wasn’t until the last remaining stragglers left and the sound of the nearby river emerged, amidst flocks of birds dancing in the evening sunlight, that it hit us. The sole purpose is in fact isolation – somewhere you can collect your thoughts or just let them go.

We were able to sleep here at the monastery, and although a bit on the pricey side (30 LEV / person), it was worth every penny. We hadn’t slept that great in weeks and, for the first time in awhile, Matt opted to write postcards and I attempted to capture the intricate Church of the Nativity in ink, in lieu of surfing the web.

However, we do feel bad for the monks here, having to deal with the hordes of tourists (like us) that come through and disturb their home, since the monastery is still very much active. It’s a bit ironic, in a way, that this particular monastery is the most widely visited in Bulgaria, while the founding father, Ivan Rilski, taught his disciples the path of spiritual perfection through life as a hermit, a.k.a. Bulgarian Monasticism. 

We are thankful that they opened their doors to us and were able to experience even a milligram of what life might be like as a hermit, deep within the Rila Mountains.  

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Um, I Think That's A Bed Bug!

Here in Sofia, we just had our first brush with the inevitable traveler’s bug – The Bed Bug (cue Phantom of the Opera score).

It’s crucial to understand that in the backpacker world, claiming to have spotted bed bugs in your room is a serious accusation, so we felt it necessary to provide evidence.  After chasing the fugitive around the wall with an iPhone light and mangled zip-lock bag, we finally managed to cuff, fingerprint and lock-up the little sucker to show the front desk. One look from the receptionist, and we knew we had escaped utter misery.  Thankfully we found it before we went to bed. No harm, no foul, and now a pair of backpacker stripes.

Image Courtesy of MedicineNet.com

NOTE:
To preserve the integrity of the hostel, we shall withhold their name. But it’s important to note, they were incredibly understanding and immediately moved us to an upgraded room as soon as they saw the culprit. (They promised to fumigate the room the next day, as well.) So, please do not let this little anecdote deter you from trying out the hostel life. This is a very rare occurrence, and it can happen to any place, anywhere in the World, including 4-star hotels.
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Day 54 - Kazanluk (Live From Shipka)

Since the beginning of the trip, we've been recording one minute videos at the end of each day - as a sort of video diary. However, after playing back a few of these clips, we started noticing some consistencies, in the form of 'The Googly Eye' and 'Mr. Sleepburg McGee.'

First things first, what's a 'Googly Eye' you ask? Well, Chris has an eye condition called, 'Amblyopia.' In short, one eye stays focused in one direction, while the other one - 'The Googly' - pretty much does what it wants. She had a couple operations when she was little to realign it, but often times, when she's tired, it revolts and floats off into the distance. "Hello? The camera lens is over here!"

Secondly, for those that know him, Matt can pretty much fall asleep anytime, anywhere, especially if he's left alone with nothing to do, i.e. waiting for Chris to get out of the bathroom so they can do their daily video before going to bed. It's either twiddle his thumbs for 30 minutes or fall asleep. He typically chooses the latter.

So, with natural causes against us, we've made an executive decision to start taping our daily videos the day after - when we're fed, awake and partaking in some sort of activity. It serves as a kind of foreshadowing for the next day's recap. 

Here's one we did to explain the happenings of DAY 54 in Kazanluk, BULGARIA (saw Thracian tomb copy) - while we were walking to a 5th - 4th century BC Thracian tomb in Shipka (just outside Kazanluk) on Day 55.

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Fields of Gold

I think when Sting wrote the song, 'Fields of Gold,' I'm pretty sure he was talking about crossing the border from Romania into Bulgaria (Bucharest > Veliko Tarnovo), where infinite rows of golden faces stretch as far as the horizon. When you think you've seen the main event, along comes an encore presentation.

 

SIDE NOTE:
Our friend thought it was a bit creepy that all the sunflowers' heads were facing the same direction. If you really think about it, it is kind-of a strange phenomenon. But, what can we say - they like the limelight.

Romania...You Were Good To Us

We spent the greatest number of days per country, so far, in Romania.  Our original plan never even took us into the country, but now that we've been...it's crazy to think we could have passed it by.  The car did give us some added flexibility and the Latin-based language made travel easier, but it's hard not to think this country isn't maybe one of the best hidden secrets of E. Europe.
  

It started when we spent a few nights in the smaller towns of the Maramures region.  Sparky (our tiny car) acted like a mighty warrior on the dirt roads that brought us into this part of the country.  I'm not sure if it was the horses and carriages or all the guys walking around with GIANT sickles, but I definitely knew I wasn't in the city anymore.  It was refreshing to see how self sufficient people were living there.  We saw people of all ages, probably ranging from 15-95, tilling the land and cutting hay grass to dry for the horses (sometimes doing this in nothing, but shorts and a bra).  It seemed like almost every house had some piece of land for agriculture and a small area for livestock.  Each of the guest houses ("Pensiones") had their own recipe for a traditional plumb schnapps, and took pride in the fact that their food came directly from their own backyard (and family milk cow).

We left with our bellies full of homemade meals and feeling pretty content, but little did we know there was a whole other world of fortified churches and castles yet to come in Transylvania.  It's pretty awesome morphing back into a kid and exploring these places.  Plus...like Christine mentioned in the previous post...having to find the local "key keeper" to open the door!?  I mean...how great is that?

The grand finale of the trip was our drive through the Carpathian Mountains on the Transfagarasan Road.  Being one of the only two people who drove manual transmission, and the only one who was ok driving on hills, I was designated the primary driver for the road trip.  I love driving...even at home in flat Florida...so I was happy to be chosen as the driver.  What I didn't know was that I was going to get to drive on one of the most amazing roads I'd ever seen before.  The Transfagarasan was pretty much all that and more. (Thanks to Dustin for encouraging us to go on this road.)

Oh and...on our way to the Transfagarasan Road, we saw a giant lake (Lake Vidraru) and got out of the car to realize that we were actually driving over a massive dam!  Sometimes it's the unexpected experiences that leave the biggest impressions.

It was good times in Romania and I think we all agreed that anyone who comes near E. Europe should take time to see at least a part of this unique country.

Fortified Churches of Transylvania

Naturally, when we heard TRANSYLVANIA, images of 'Count Dracula' and dark, smokey castles were reflexively conjured in our minds. But, now that we've been here, I would argue to reconsider this line of thinking for those who are contemplating a visit. In fact, forget castles all together. Fortified churches is where it's at - the creme de la creme of Transylvania. 

Now, when I say fortified churches, there are indeed frescos, naves, some oconostasis, maybe a cemetery, but that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to these ancient beauties. It's what lies below the water (or rather above the church) that is the most interesting. 

For one in particular, Valea Viilor (above), we had to ask a local to call the "key keeper" to open the door for us. After a few short minutes, the keeper arrived on his bicycle and placed the giant cartoon-like key in the creaky wooden door's rusty key slot. At first glance, it didn't look much different than other fortified churches that we'd seen. So, we proceeded into the church to pay our respects, when the key keeper appeared. I thought he was just watching us to make sure we weren't misbehaving, but then I noticed that he was trying to tell us to go down one of the pews toward a miniature, inconspicuous door. 

Dustin & Suji

We walked through the door to discover a very narrow, and might I mention crumbling, stone spiral staircase. As we saw the light at the end of the stairway, it opened up to a network of platforms and unsturdy ladders to create a multi-layered medieval game of Shoots and Ladders. This wasn't a church, this was a real deal fortress, and at that moment it was our playground.

As our adrenaline pumped, Matt, Dustin, Suji and I scurried up layer after layer of wobbly ladders and flexible floorboards to the very top of the fortification. (Well, almost. We didn't want to be too unreasonable, since the drop down deserved our appreciation.) Never in our childhood dreams, no matter how many mattresses and Care Bear bed sheets we borrowed from our neighbors, could we have created a fort as magnificently fun as this one.

Can you find Matt?

However, after our antics, and with our feet firmly planted on the cobblestone road outside the church, we later realized that we were retracing the steps of those retreating for their lives - it was not fun and games for them. It was where all the villagers would hide in the face of any rebel Tatars that tried to attack their city. They don't call it a 'Fortified Church' for nothing. Although, I would venture to call it a 'Fortified Labyrinth' instead. 

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Merry Cemetery

Before heading south to Sighișoara, Transylvania, we made a quick pit stop in Săpânţa - home to one of the most brightly-colored and, dare I say, happiest cemeteries we've ever visited - The Merry Cemetery. Even the bells are cheery.

See if you can spy a gnome in the midst.

BLURB FROM WIKIPEDIA:

It is famous for its colorful tombstones with naive paintings describing, in an original and poetic manner, the persons that are buried there, as well as scenes from their lives (and sometimes deaths).

The unusual feature of this cemetery is that it diverges from the prevalent belief, culturally shared within European societies – a belief that views death as something indelibly solemn. Connections with the local Dacian culture have been made. Their philosophical tenets presumably vouched for the immortality of the soul and the belief that death was a moment filled with joy and anticipation for a better life. 

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Noroc! Sus! Boon!

Due to WiFi-free zones and unforeseen, but very welcome, encounters, we've been incommunicado over the past week. So, here's where we've wandered since our last post.

We've since crossed the "official" cigarette and vodka-smuggling border from Ukraine and entered into the Cyrillic-free world of Romania. Ahh, Latin letters. It's good to see you my friend. :)

Before crossing the invisible line, we met some fellow travelers, Dustin & Suji, at a backpacker hostel in Chernivtsi, which could only be described as a 13th floor-type hotel from at least one episode of the 'Twilight Zone.' Between the midnight tourettes from our fellow grey-haired bunk mates and awkward debates between a Neo-Nazi extremist and retired war veteran, we managed to discuss possibly renting a car together to explore the MARAMUREŞ region of Romania - northernmost territory. Now, we're on our fourth night together, and things have been going "bun!" (pronounced boon = good!)

ROAD TRIP: 

DAY 1: On the road to BORŞA

Starring "SPARKY" in his debut performance.

DAY 2: 'Pensione' (Guesthouse/Homestay) in IEUD

Here's a little "taste" of the local hospitality we've experienced thus far - 55% proof plum schnapps. Noroc! ... Sus! Sus! (Cheers! ... Finish! Finish!)

DAY 3: 'Pensione' in BOTIZA

11 year old Florin took us on a hike through his back yard and Matt was "udderly" impressed with the scenery. 

• Pensiunea Agroturistica
• Contact: I.F. Tomsa Ioan
• Address: Botiza nr. 307, Jud. Maramures
• Cell: 0727 719 137 
• Home: 0262 / 334268

DAY 4: 'Pensione' in VADU IZEI

A nearby river was diverted to make "Nature's Washing Machine" for large carpets and rugs.

DAY 5: OFF TO SIGHIŞOARA, TRANSYLVANIA

LOGISTICAL STUFF: 

UKRAINE - ROMANIA BORDER CROSSING:

From Chernvitsi, UKRAINE, you can catch a daily 7:10am bus to Suceava, ROMANIA for around 70 UAH / person. You cannot get this ticket the day before at the bus station ticket window. You have to show up the day of and ask the ticket window for the bus to Suceava, who will then take you to the bus driver, where you pay the driver directly. We arrived around 6:30am and were able to grab 4 seats. It takes about 4 hours, including the border crossing.

SUCEAVA - CLUJ NAPOCA:

There are trains and buses from Suceava to Cluj that are virtually the same in regards to timetables, price and travel time. Although the bus was 10 lei cheaper, we chose an overnight non-sleeper train for a smoother ride - seats sat at an erect 90 degrees, where you're face-to-face with your fellow passengers. 

Something worth mentioning, we checked a travel agency for train prices and they were around 0.62 LEI less than buying straight from the train station window – 73 vs 73.62 LEI. Also, the train station is away from the main town, but there is a nice little pizza café nearby, where you can sit, play cards (some slots perhaps), eat pizza, and have beer whilst you wait for your train. May we suggest ‘Monopoly Deal?’

CLUJ NAPOCA - MARAMUREŞ REGION:

Rented a car from a local dealer, 'Raul Turism,' through our hostel, 'Retro Hostel.' 559 LEI for 1-7 days ($22 USD / day) or 806 LEI for 14+ days ($16 USD / day). 

• Raul Turism - Rent A Car
• Tel: +40 740 945 094
• www.raulturism.ro

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Good Samaritans of L'Viv

I’m sitting here on a bus traveling 7 hours from L’Viv, to Kamyanets-Podilski. For the past 3 hours, I couldn’t stop thinking about how much harder it could have been for Matt and I to actually be on this bus, if it we’re for the sincere helpfulness of the L’Viv people.

It all started yesterday, after we saw a 300 year old local brewery and a 225 year old cemetery of not just Ukrainians, but Poles as well - one of many nations/regimes that have laid claim on Ukraine over the past 15 centuries.  You see we’ve learned a lot about this country, not just from our Lonely Planet guide and Wikipedia searches (sad sources for genuine history), but also from our friend, Marian, who waited on us at our fave coffee shop. I’ll come back to that later – it’s a story in itself.

Lvivske Museum

Lychakiv Cemetery

So, we exit the cemetery looking for an electric tram to take us to the train station to buy tickets for our next destination – a girl at the brewery museum said that you could indeed take a train. Confused, I tapped a middle-aged woman on the shoulder and politely said, “Excuse me?” in Ukrainian. After pointing at the tram stop sign and then back at the map several times, I managed to relay where we needed to go. She then walked up to a stranger and they had a 5 minute discussion on how to get there. In unison, they counted on their fingers all the different trams and finally agreed on a route.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t quite sure if I understood what they were desperately trying to tell me. Despite their efforts, I walked away with a question mark. “Was it THIS tram, STOP 6, or should we take TRAM 6?” As I weighed the options with Matt, little did I know that another woman came to wait at the tram stop and the woman I initially approached asked this stranger to help me out. She waved at me and gestured to herself. “I think she wants us to follow her.” And that’s what we did. During the tram ride, she made sure to keep an eye on us and eventually motioned for us to get off at the next stop and cross the street. She put up her fingers - SIX.

After arriving at the train station, we weren’t getting very far with the cash desk attendant, except to say that there were NO TRAINS to Kamyanets-Podilski. Whah? “TAKE BUS,” she says. We wanted to make absolutely sure, so Matt walked up to a police officer and asked if he knew English. Two seconds later, this bright-eyed, curly-haired girl pops out from behind the glass. “Can I help you?” Before you know it, we were behind the partition, with a myriad of helpers checking trains and possible bus routes to KP. There WERE trains, but none direct. She wrote down the bus station name and departure times in Ukrainian, so we could hand the paper to the clerk. Shortly thereafter, we had a bus ticket in one hand - and a Shawarma in the other.

It didn’t end there. On the way home, someone told us that we were on the wrong bus and should take 3A instead. Then this morning, we were at the wrong bus stop and this man directed us where to go. Incredible. Дякую L’Viv.

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