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Published: August 17th 2011
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Mud Wrestling
These posters were everywhere Days 8 to 14
One week in exotic Istanbul and off we were on the midnight express to Bulgaria hopped up on fizzy bubbly and as always, the excitement of going somewhere new. I was sad to leave Istanbul and happily could have stayed there another week but with the world to see, we had to move on. The overnight train was comfortable enough; basically, I didn’t see a single large insect and due to thoughtful planning managed to avoid the infamous bathrooms for the entire ride (I ended up being dehydrated and sick the entire next day but it was worth it). The train was old as dirt and maybe made it up to 15mph when it really got going. Every 30 minutes stern-faced officials came around barking orders in Turkish or Bulgarian to check our passports and tickets (scary) and when we reached the border of Bulgaria at 4am we were made to get off the train to get our passports stamped. Even with all the ticket and passport checking we ended up well rested so maybe it was a blessing in disguise that the trip lasted 14hrs.
We shared a cabin with a young Brit who
Outside of Train
It went about as fast as it looks it can go. was studying to become a doctor. Will gave him a taste of Will humor and told him that truly intelligent people no longer became doctors because of the length of study, amount of loans, etc. Naturally, the great minds of the universe become CPAs. He got off at the next stop so we ended up with a cabin to ourselves.
WS - Maybe it was a couple stops later, but he was definitely set back and maybe he’ll rethink his career path. And the bathrooms were not that bad, but Ali dehydrated herself so she wouldn’t even have to take a chance. She was so sick, that the rest of the trip she has been drinking gallons of water per day and now we’re stopping for the lube (I think that’s how they say it over here) at least every hour.
Whereas Istanbul’s population is predominately Muslim, meaning conservative dress for the women and guys in Superman shirts everywhere (ever since Superman disclaimed his American nationality, it seems that he’s a global phenomenon), Sofia, Bulgaria’s largest city, is the exact opposite. Bulgaria is a New York Saturday night at 8am. I noticed two types of women in Sofia;
Random Train Stop
It took 2 hrs and 3 guys to get this thing back rolling to its top speed of 20mph. 1) the older, hunched over ladies scuffling along in their long skirts and hush puppies that I always pictured in my mind when I thought of Bulgaria and 2) young women walking like they were hitting the runway wearing 6 in heels and dresses that would have Muhammad turning in his grave back in Turkey. Both generations seem to have a penchant for flamboyant hair color (most popular being burgundy, followed closely by jet black and platinum blond).
I will admit that at first I thought Sofia was running rampant with prostitutes but once I realized that every young woman dressed the same way, it was clear that they just took time on their appearance and decked themselves out no matter what time of the day it is. Also clouding my perception were the posters advertizing mud war orgies, casinos and gentlemen clubs on every corner of our walk from the train station to our hostel. Suffice it to say that Will appreciated Sofia more than I did. The buildings were old and crumbling but a 2 liter of beer was $2 so….is it worth a trip? Lonely Planet says that it is. I would rather rent a car
Beautiful Countryside
From Sofia, Bulgaria to Nis, Serbia and travel through all the small red roofed villages that we saw from the train’s windows. But then, I’m biased because I rarely appreciate city life and Sofia was only a means to an end for us.
WS – This whole trip is only a means to an end in my mind and Sofia with its $1 beers and strippers running around everywhere at any time in the day was not that bad. I want to thank Ali’s father for the Bulgaria recommendation. And now we are off to …
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