Rila monastry

BULGARI

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June 5th 2004
I arrive in the capital Sofia at 5am, still dark, no sleep, no map; just a piece of paper with a hostel name scribbled on it. I set off into the city looking for a Taxi - unknown city in an unknown country - and my Bulgarian is about as good as yours. Call me strange, but these little situations make me feel alive - waving down dodgy taxi drivers and judging by their reactions whether they know wh ... read more

Europe » Bulgaria

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The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, b... ... read more