Tuesday 13th July

 



13/07/04 - Day 10


The morning was a bit stressful, but the "daunting" station did not prove to be too difficult (despite the seemingly inept Bulgarian rail staff) and we got on our train to Gorna Safe.


This is where we now find ourselves, with only two points of interest to note. One, when there are no lights on a train, tunnels are very dark. Two, Bulgaria has some astonishingly beautiful mountain ranges, complete with mountain villages, mountain rivers and mountain train stations. Alot of chalk-like cliffs.


More rain. Not impressed with Bulgarian train system. Good to have a bit of a change from the fields and see some dramatic cliffs. People in Veliko are quite keen on tourists (exp. if they are offering accomodation) The flat guy who tried to get us a room became incredibly annoying - I'm sure we could have been arrested for harrassment. Found a nice private room, sharing a kitchen (a stick hob & a..., as Brian put it) and a shower with 2 English people and 2 Dutch. It's nice to be friendly with people, which I feel has been slightly lacking in the youth hostels.


The guy who's accomodation this is followed us from the train station, raced us down to the tourist info place, then gloaded with when the woman said that we could go with him. ("beep beep beep beep)


Better safe than sorry, though.


The kitchen, incidentally, could be classed as a grade 1 health hazard. I can see the germ-ments biological (and chemical, for that matter) warfare agents moving in to com it off any minute now. If we die, then I blame the kitchen. (BTW despite that I did manage a pretty good meal. BTW - Velito is lovely. The first Bulgarian place with identity (and character according to the woman with a heart of (cold) stone) (% rejening to the looping) (we probably won't remember what this is about)


It was quite. Sad leaving Sofia, as I felt it was the first place we actually stopped in. In fact, it was the first time since Samos we had stopped for more than a day.


Before the hell that was Veliko Tarnovo is recounted, it is worth while including another fantastic Heather-moment:


"I thought 999 calls were ten pence." "Yeah. Nice one Heather."


Right then, VT???.


On arrival we were immediately hassled


Oops. It would appear that I was about to repeat myself. Strike that.


Instead, let me revise my earlier statement that "BTW: Velito is lovely."


Velito is not lovely - Valika, and, for that matter, all things Velitan, are nothing but lumps of petrified glump, living out their sorry exutrance with the sole aim of destroying the lives of poor innocent backpackers.


Enter us.

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