BULGARIA!

The following is a post originally posted on my wedding blog on August 5, 2009. I was asked to photograph a wedding in Bulgaria and had the incredible privilege to bring my husband as my second shooter and Sherpa. Since I am have all but transitioned away from photographing weddings, I don’t want this post to get lost in weirdly inaccessible internet archives. I’d love to visit Bulgaria again in the future!

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It’s our last day in Bulgaria, and after sightseeing all day we’re spending the rainy evening indoors. I thought it would be good to share some of our observations about cultural differences we have experienced while they are still fresh in my mind.

ACCOMMODATIONS

• Bulgarians don’t use top sheets on the beds! I am unsure if they wash the duvet cover after every guest…?
• The bathroom system is quite different.
  • Public WCs are often attended, and you’re expected to pay a small fee to use the facilities.
  • In some places you are expected to throw toilet paper in the trash bin next to the toilet after use!
  • All toilets have 1/2 and full flush settings for… well, you get it.
  • Showers have detachable handsprayers you must use. Normally there is no bathtub and often no shower curtain; the entire tiled bathroom becomes your “shower stall” and is designed with sloping floor and drain to accommodate the flow. (I have no idea how they soap up and shampoo with one hand holding the sprayer!)
  • Often there is very little or no countertop in the bathroom; just a sink and a mirror. (Where do they put all their products?)
• Even the least expensive hostel (travelers’ dorm) will have free internet and free breakfast.
• Most rooms have a sheer inner curtain that drops to the floor to keep out bugs – windows are left wide open, most often without a screen.

FOOD and RESTAURANTS

• Breakfast is “euro-continental” – yogurt, cereals, thick juices, tea, tomatoes and cucumbers, and often sliced cheese and processed meat. Bulgarian feta is pretty much a constant.
• Apparently Red Bull is big out here. There is also a disturbing number of KFC joints (we expected the McDonalds and Coca Cola prevalence). We even saw a couple of Dunkin’ Donuts stores in Sofia.
• At a restaurant: walk in, seat yourself.
• Expect a full meal to take around 90 minutes to two hours.
• Food comes out as soon as it is ready; one person in the group will get their food 30 minutes before another.
• Restaurant staff takes its time between drinks, meals, and bringing the bill. You can do nothing but relax and chat, and enjoy the food without haste… you have no choice!
• While it’s more likely that younger staff (<30) will speak a bit of English, most people in Bulgaria do not. A few restaurants have English menus, but most of the time you kind of look around, gesture, point to photos, and use the words you know.
• They bring a glass to your table for every bottle drink. No drinking from a bottle here.
• (No cans for drinks at all – everything is glass!)
• Bulgarian wine and beer are excellent and inexpensive. Have some with every meal!
• What we loved to eat – the yogurt, feta cheese, mountain-style bread loafs, cold soups, baklava, and fresh “chopka” salad (tomatoes, cucumber, feta, onions, olives). Pork “meat balls” or patties is a very standard everyday main course.
• It is not typical to tip a waiter (or a taxi, etc). You just round up to the closest $0.50.

MISCELLANEOUS

• Out in the small country towns (we were in Ribaritsa, near Teteven) people used lengths of PVC pipe tied to their front gate as a mailbox.
• “People here love to use their feet!” They love to hike and they LOVE to dance.
• You need to experience traditional, costumed dancing and singing. Incredible!
• The fall of Communism left its mark on the country. Young people abandoned the small towns to find commercial jobs in the cities, leaving their old parents and childhood homes in disrepair.
• Abandoned, totally unkempt buildings are incredibly common.
• Some of the oldest “european” things are here – oldest church, oldest town, oldest found roman artifacts, etc.
• As noted above, most people don’t speak English (why would they?!). They do speak Bulgarian and Russian. Taxi drivers may know the names of common tourist locations, but you better have a map! Our pronunciations sound like gibberish to them.
• The language uses the Cyrillic alphabet, so street signs are difficult to decode.
• Day trips to other parts of the country are easy; trains and buses take major routes frequently. Buses are preferred by locals as they are faster and air conditioned. Trains have more flavor, and may allow you to meet new friends who are heading the same direction.
• Everything is inexpensive here. People say Bulgaria will convert to Euros soon, and this will change prices drastically to bring it up to European standards which is supposedly 2x the current price. For now, things are at best 1/5 the cost of the US equivalents we know; at worst 1/2 the US equivalent. (We had a three course meal for $2.50 per person yesterday!)
• Many restaurants and hotels have free open wireless networks – we were able to stay current with twitter, facebook, and consult maps while en route (using our ipod touch)
• Old men regularly walk the streets without a shirt.
• Sidewalks are comprised of concrete tiles.
• Smoking, though becoming more regulated, is still allowed indoors (including the airport and restaurants).
• Everyone buys bottled water. It’s about 1/3 of the price we would pay for the same bottle at Wal-Mart.
• The cities are under major construction. I get the sense that they are preparing for a big change to the Euro and getting ready to leverage regular tourist attractions in the very near future.
• Seatbelts are not usually worn by automobile passengers.
• Everyone wears bright colors! I expected dark clothing.
• Items we were glad to have with us:
  • ipod touch to stay connected; compact size
  • reusable water bottle – it’s HOT here in the summer!
  • bandanna for traveling
  • hikers’ backpack rather than rolling suitcase
  • pages ripped form the Bulgaria section of let’s go eastern europe
  • PDFs of city guides from inyourpocket with maps, recommendations, and historical blurbs
  • small point and shoot camera for sightseeing – (the big camera stayed locked away!)

It’s been a fantastic trip. We had seven solid days in Bulgaria and I have to say I feel like I’ve had a delicious taste of something different, and learned a little more about myself after being plunged into a new place with my sweet husband.

If you’re planning a visit to Bulgaria, we recommend spending time in Plovdiv and Sofia. See Roman architecture and ancient things, and be inspired by the juxtaposition of ancient and modern. Try something to eat other than chicken, and find great restaurants to build into your itinerary. Take home local items- pottery, honey, rose oil, and wine!

Bulgaria RESOURCES

1. Hostel Mostel’s list of reccommendations here.
2. Let’s Go Bulgaria Travel Guide here.
3. Bulgaria In Your Pocket here.
4. Tripadvisor is WONDERFUL for finding candid reviews of international hotels.

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This was a post originally posted on my wedding blog on August 5, 2009. See the original here; it’s better formatted!

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