Checking in from Plovdiv

Back in Bulgaria!

We had a great time in Turkey, but by the time we hopped on the bus we were thrilled to be on our way back to the Bulg. However (this was yesterday btw) our trip back to our newly adopted home was a little rough. First we discover the bus leaves at 10:30 rather than nine, which is what we had planned. That was ok though, we were working off maybe two hours of sleep and needed to rest and eat and drink, which we did plenty of in our disoriented states. Here in Bulgaria and in Turkey they serve a bunch of yoghurt and yoghurt drinks - they have a special bacteria in them here that helps kill all those nasty germs that make you sick, so I've been trying to have as much as I can. Anyway after hopping on the bus, which took us to the other side of the city where we caught the actual bus (heading towards Sofia, we were going to get off at Haskovo to catch another bus to our friends excavating a site in Stara Zagora). Well right after we get on the freeway, just on the outskirts of town, our bus dies and we are stranded on the side of the freeway for an hour. Finally a random Mini bus/van comes and picks up us stranded travellers (it was only us and a few older muslim women) and we're back on our slightly more uncomfortable way. Things go relatively smoothly until we hit the border. Things seem fine until we stop at the duty free and one of our drivers runs in and comes out with thousands of cigarettes. He hands out cartons to most of the travellers. All the while everyone is communicating in Turkish, and laughing at the fact that we have absolutely no idea whats going on. At one point in the border crossing (we went through quite a few toll booth things throught the ordeal) when we're off the bus he opens up the floorboards and jams more cigarettes under the floor and seats and such. No, this isnt sketchy at all. Meanwhile I find it hilarious we've somehow managed to land ourselves in the middle of a smuggling ring, but the girls are freaking out. As long as I didn't end up in Bulgarian prison, I was along for the ride. So after a tense hour, which included customs searching our van and opening some floorboards but somehow not finding anything, we made it back onto Bulgarian soil. Never would I have imagined I would be so thrilled to be back in my comfort zone, Bulgaria. We continued on our way, but made quite a few stops to drop off cigarettes to randos at gas stations. Finally we arrive in Haskovo, where a jovial security guard informs us that there are no more busses to Stara Zagora until the next day. Great. Luckily he says his friend can take us in a taxi there for a bit of an inflated price. We have no other options, really, so we say ok lets do it. His friend comes back a few minutes later - but he's no taxi driver. He arrives in an old early 80's Ford Escort hatchback that looks like its been around the block about 10 too many times. Today seems to be the day of sketch, so we're like what the hell and hop in this guys car. The moment we get on the freeway he starts driving about half as slow as he should be, and I realize he's in no rush, and we're probably gonna make it there in one piece. An hour later, we arrive in Stara Zagora where we are able to meet up with Nayden, one of the supervisers from our dig in Varna, and Courteny, one of Balkan Heritage's assistants who was also at Varna. Seeing familiar faces was absolutely incredibly awesome, and we're so thrilled we could see them again.


I've got loads more to tell but I gotta head out, so hopefully I'll remember everything for the next time. I'm heading to Sofia to stay there for the night in a few minutes, and I'll be alond for the first time since the first two days I was in Bulgaria, so I will probably get a chance to update more there, maybe tomorrow.

Until then much love, hope all is well and I can't wait to be home!

xoxo