Touring a UFO in Veliko Tărnovo, Bulgaria

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Us with the auditorium ceiling – “Workers of the world unite”

Threatening rain created an eerie spectal of our journey from Sofia into the heart of Bulgaria. As we wound through narrow valleys, mist clung to the mountains creeping lower as we ventured deeper into the wilderness. The rain intensified as we pulled into the Veliko Tărnovo station. The tiny station in the middle of the woods was totally dark, without even a streetlight to guide us. Through the pouring rain we found a bus stop, but all the bus information had been ripped off or was impossible to read by the light of our flashlights. When a couple locals joined us in the bus stop, we tried to ask for help but the language barrier was too great.

After a few busses headed the wrong direction passed, a small bus going our way arrived. We asked the driver if the bus was going to the stop near our hostel to which we were met with a blank stare. Continue reading

Speed Walking through Sofia, Bulgaria

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Sofia’s public mineral bath house (now a museum)

We arrived to the city of Sofia after an exhausting night of traveling through Greece. We excitedly exited the train station feeling the cooler air and walked several blocks to our hostel for the night. Will actually found Hostel Mostel had single rooms in our price range. We checked-in to a bustling lobby filled with the typical backpackers. The receptionist was extra inviting and took about fifteen minutes to get us acquainted and excited for the city. We were only planning on using Sofia as a stopover point, but the welcome made us happy we had arrived.

As we walked to the single rooms which were located a short walk away in an apartment block, we learned that our room not only included breakfast, but dinner as well! Excited to save some money, we joined the other backpackers at 7:00pm back in the Hostel’s main common area. The hostel employees were serving out three meal options: spaghetti, lentils with rice, and fried egg with and Asian style salad. As an added bonus, we could wash down our choice with a glass of beer. Is this what we’ve been missing by not staying at Continue reading