Bulgaria.... it is... a different place...

Where was I last? Oh yes, Belgrade!

Didn't do much more there. Just laid about catching up on some e-mails, but then again when its pissing down kinda hard with rain, you really don't want to go out! But got to enjoy another round of Rakia which is a strong sometimes home made drink. Like fruit Vodka. Changed some money too so I have Euros for the border crossing with Turkey.

So not much new happened in Belgrade. For sure will get back to the Balkans! Wonderful place!
Much nicer than I could have ever dreamed. Course maybe I just saw the best bits. All I know is what I did see, I liked.

So got my ticket and boarded yet another fine quality Yugoslavian era train and luckily I got the very top bunk too. The bathrooms are also the best of quality out here. The fine strong smell of Ammonia from piss, permeates the room and into the nostrils. Nothing but the best! The heater tends to be of the finest quality as well, but along with the lock, it was broken so gladly had extra blankets.
Passport control had the usual array of extremely polite and kind people. So got my Bulgar and Serb stamps and the train was off again.

Got to Sofia on time shockingly however. Decided a few days ago that Sofia was worth skipping so then I went to get a ticket to Plovdiv. So after looking like a confused idiot I found the ticket counter.
The one that looks most certainly un-welcoming with bars is usually the one to go to.
The Cyrillic Alphabet is also a total bitch to understand. "Ticket counter" Might as well look like "Jfhfdhbxcg Tsgsdfre"....

So anyhow, found the counter and said Plovdiv and was sorted. Well, except went more like this-

Found counter, said "Plovdiv today soonest". Lady wrote down earliest time and I agreed and had money out right then and there Sorted!, but RIGHT as I made this idiot proof purchase and noted the idiot proof train platform signs right where I walked up minutes before, some guy came up asking where I was going.

Seemed he wanted to "Help" surely for a charge... Now, PERHAPS, if I was in a hurry and had NO idea where I was, then maybe... MAYBE.
Kept saying "Plovdiv! Yes I help yes? Plovdiv you go?! Platform I take you." The polite words of "Fuck off you idiot! Didn't you see I JUST did successfully buy my ticket?!" Were running through my head. I then walked away and said no thanks. I DO know where platform ONE is. NOT that hard... I am running into the most seriously brain dead con-men about in Europe!

Anyway, these guys are rather funny to run into! If hey catch you in a rush, that's one thing, but when you are pretty relaxed they are so easy to spot and fun to ignore or confuse!
So the train got to the station on time and I had a nice chat with some people on the train. Good laughs all round. The trains still have a rather 1960's Commie look about them, but adds to the fun of everything! Those suckers still run well enough.

As we were heading to Plovdiv I started talking to someone and had great laughs about everything. Seems people get a kick out of me being American and from California. Like a movie star here in Eastern Europe! Oh yeah!
Gladly everyone had a good sense of humor when I laughed at a horse and cart working in the field. Then whole nodding your head up and down means NO, instead of 95% of the world it means in fact, yes.

So already not a bad nation. Now for the women... hmm, how to put it... The Balkans has had nothing but supermodels, like everywhere and working low jobs. Bulgaria, they are cute enough in there own ways, but they are, hmmm average? I really don't care, but I DO know, I've been boosted from average to awesome cool guy movie star. If I had $5000 more and bought some more dress up clothing from Wal-mart I'd be coolest guy ever in Bulgaria! So, I'm digging this place, even if it is backwards.

But only 2 nights here. I really do look like I'd enjoying spending time here, but the trip is almost at an end in the far east and Istanbul looks like it'd be hard to miss. I got 5 nights there. The weather has been crap past couple of days so I hope it improves while I am there. Looks that way on the long term weather.

Anyway that's everything now. Will make another post the morning I get to Istanbul. Sure I'll have more good stories then.

Oh one more thing, "Why is there a toilet RIGHT in with the shower here?" Course the locals answer to that I'm sure might be, "Well why WOULDN'T there be?".

Ahhh, I LOVE TRAVEL!