Rodopite, Part 2

The ride from Smolyan to Stoikite through the Rodopi countryside is one of the most beautiful I’ve experienced in this country. It’s just tiny village after tiny village tucked away into little notches in the mountains, which seem to just wrap themselves around the little groups of houses. Every once and a while a little church will come along, standing alone atop a hill and looking over the valleys beneath.

Unsurprisingly, European tourists have started to notice this beauty as well, and many of these tiny villages are now home to million-euro houses from rich Germans and Brits. I was told that places in the Rodopi mountains are being sold as “the next big ski destination.” This is a bittersweet fate for the region – good in that it’s bringing jobs and money into a corner of the country that has been isolated and underserved, but unfortunate in that this often comes at the price of either tons of acres of forest, or destroying the authenticity and tradition of some of the villages. Pamporovo is an example of this. Once just a ski run in the middle of several surrounding towns, it is now a major ski destination with monstrous resort hotels catering to business travelers, advertising not only skiing, but also paintball and crappy Chinese food. A gigantic ugly tv tower now dominates one of the tallest mountains in the region, and this eyesore is visible from most places in the area.

Little Stoikite itself just became home to a brand new ski lift this summer, but is still in the category of villages that are still pretty much untouched and underserved. There are a few nice homes here and there and a couple of restaurants, but for the most part this town of around 200 keeps to itself. It seems to be as “Peace Corps” a site as you can get here in Bulgaria, a far cry from other assignments in well established cities with over 50,000 residents in them. It’s the kind of place where everyone knows everyone (and everything about everyone), in a pretty literal sense.

The local Boarding School for Truants (the place where the volunteer works) is a major presence in the town and dominates the scene. The local school is attended only by the children there, and really there aren’t many other children in the town in the first place. Despite the fact that it’s in such a small town and that it struggles for funding (like many other similar institutions in this country, including mine), it’s a nice establishment with a surprising amount of resources to work with. There is a game room, new TVs in the televisiorna (tv room), computers, a gigantic kitchen with anything a cook could ever need, and plenty of activity space.

While there, I just kind of hung back and observed her go about her daily business, occasionally lending a hand in her English class, or giving a talk to a few kids about America (and specifically Florida). I was incredibly impressed – and she has her day scheduled down to a tee. She also has a good amount of control over the kids, and they seem genuinely interested in what she wants to do. A supportive staff at the institution definitely helps, and luckily I got to sit down with the director and talk with her for a bit as well. The activities the volunteer there does give her more leverage over the kids control wise, and makes the kids themselves more motivated to be good throughout the day. She has implemented a nice, simple point system relating to these activities, and it’s having a positive effect on the kids – so positive, in fact, that the staff has approached her to try and expand it.

Most importantly, it’s given the staff there some confidence in themselves, and it’s something that they continue when a volunteer isn’t there, which is the ultimate goal of any project we do here (PC buzzword – “sustainability”).

Ultimately, the visit gave me a ton of great ideas for my own site, and a new sense of the things that are possible in my time here. I basically retraced my steps back to site, and this gave me a lot of time to write up a lot of notes on what I wanted to do at my orphanage and how to go about doing them. It was the first time since I had arrived a month ago that I was so excited to get back and start working. My first goal has become to forge the ever-elusive relationship with the staff that will make things easier to accomplish, and will give me a person to pass the torch on to. This will be the hardest part of my assignment, and I have known this since the beginning. However, now that I have seen just how important and rewarding it can be, it has become a big focus of mine.

Overall, my visit to the Rodopis was an incredibly productive one, and the good times along the way were just a perk. I had a short stop over in Varna (3rd biggest city in BG, beach town, has a gigantic megamall) too before heading back home, but that is the subject of yet another post sometime later.

Until next time...

Rodopite, Part 1

Like I mentioned in my previous post, I recently got the opportunity to visit a volunteer in the Rodopi Mountains in southern Bulgaria working in another orphanage there. Here’s a few pictures and the details from that trip:

My journey began with a train from Shumen, the closest big city to me (about 30 minutes away by bus). This was my first experience with the train system here in Bulgaria. I had heard some bad stories about discomfort, boredom, and just overall slowness of travel with the trains here, but still decided I would give it a try. I decided on an overnight train from Shumen to Plovdiv, with a short layover and transfer in Komunari.

I have decided that Komunari is probably the saddest place in all of Bulgaria. It is literally nothing but a train station in the middle of nowhere. It’s as if 2 train tracks crossed at some point in a random field, and they decided to put a train station there for whatever reason. I tried to get away and try to find a place that would have some coffee, a snack, or at least a place where I could buy some water. I got about 30 feet away from the station when I realized that there was just total darkness is every direction… no café, no houses, no people… nothing. This is it:

Komunari is also home to the hands-down-worst bathroom I have ever stepped foot in, but I can’t really describe in words what that was like right now.

Overall the train ride itself wasn’t too bad, but the heat was on the entire time, set to what can only be described as the “melt passengers” setting. Other than that I managed to get some sleep, laying down in the compartment, which was totally mine for the majority of the ride.

It seems the only way into the Rodopis is through Plovidv, Bulgaria’s second biggest city. There is no train service in the mountains, and the bus service is kind of spotty, which let me check out a bit of Plovdiv during a layover there. Plovdiv is called the “Paris of the Balkans” and for good reason. It’s an absolutely beautiful place with an old town built around a well preserved Roman stadium and amphitheater, little winding streets, and tons of charm. It’s definitely a place I want to make it back to during my time here, and seeing that you have to go through it to get to a lot of different places in Bulgaria, I’m pretty sure I’ll get that chance again.

After a few hours of walking around, eating delicious food (see previous entry) and a bit of waiting, I boarded another bus to the city of Smolyan, which is touted as Bulgaria’s “highest city”, which sort of reminded me of how Denver is advertised as the “mile high city”. Smolyan also has the bizarre distinction of being Bulgaria’s “longest” city, a fact of which they are inexplicably proud.

Smolyan is also called the "Pearl of the Rodopis," a name that it definitely lives up to. The place is absolutely beautiful, located under these amazing rock formations.

Funny/frustrating story from my time in Smolyan: As I said before, bus service is pretty bad down in the Rodopis, and I almost missed my chance to get to Stoikite, the village where the volunteer I was visiting lives. While waiting for my bus, tons of buses started to pour into the station, all leaving at the same time as the one I was scheduled to get on. I’m standing in the correct sektor (places from which my specific bus is supposed to leave from) waiting for the correct bus, and sure enough a bus pulls in. I show the driver my ticket and he gives me the standard Bulgarian head nod and “tsk” roughly meaning something like “no, you’re an idiot” (something you have to see to believe – seems unbelievably rude and off-putting the first time you see it, but it’s totally normal here – a skill I’m practicing myself. It’s actually pretty fun). Anyway, I start running around to the other buses that have pulled in asking if they go to Stoikite, and each time I get the same response, with a few variations (maybe a wag of the finger, a glare, etc… again, totally normal).

After about 5 minutes, all the buses head out and I’m left standing on the platform at the Smolyan bus station wondering what the heck just happened. I went in and talked to the ticket lady, who informed me that it had come, and didn’t I see it, and why was I still here. I showed her that I was standing in the sektor listed on the ticket, and the wrong bus had come there, and I couldn’t find the bus that I was supposed to be on. Holding back her laughter but with an obvious smirk, she told me that the bus didn’t park in a sektor, despite what the ticket said (like I was supposed to know this). Such is travel here in Bulgaria… Luckily, she gave me a new ticket free of charge on the next microbus to Stoikite, and I was on my way, just as confused as ever, but pleased that I was finally on my way to my destination…

More to come later...

Makgohavgc

So I just got back from an awesome trip down to the gorgeous Rodopi mountains to visit another volunteer who works at an orphanage to see how things are run over there. I got some great ideas, and sometime soon I'll get around to posting some details of that experience. However right now, I have another important story to share...

I finally got to eat at a McDonald's. This was my first McDonald's experience here in Bulgaria after I tragically missed my opportunities the last 2 times I was in Sofia. I was walking around Plovdiv (second biggest city in Bulgaria) waiting for my next train when I saw the familiar glow of the Golden Arches calling out to me. Admittedly I was a bit skeptical at first, asking myself if I should cave or if I should go somewhere else to eat. Somewhere more... cultural. Additionally, having worked in a fine McDonald's establishent back in high school I have very high standards. Realizing I didn't have a lot of time, I decided to treat myself to a little taste of the States.

The Cyrillic signage scared me little bit at first (yes, even though it looks like "Makgohavgc" that is pronounced letter by letter "MacDonalds"), but when I walked in, I was greeted by all the familiar sights and smells of home: Posters of people impossibly excited to eat fast food, fries sizzling in a giant vat of oil, and the characters of McDonaldland... I got so excited that I didn't even order in Bulgarian and was understood perfectly.

I ordered the "Big Tasty" макменю (mcmenu/value meal). Some of you might remember the Big Tasty (called the Big *and* Tasty back then) from a while ago - marketed as a delicious amalgamation of a quarter pounder and a Big Mac, with a little more "class." Unfortunately it was discontinued shortly after being introduced, making the Big and Tasty another item in the awesome Bulgarian tradition of resurrecting great things long forgotten in the States - like neon clothing and Alf.

Just in case anyone forgot, the description is located on the tray liner, conveniently translated into Bulgarian: "So appetizing and tempting - with more than enough grilled beef meat, melt in the mouth Emmental cheese, crispy iceberg lettuce, fresh tomatoes and onions, special smoke sauce and golden toasted bread."

Upon taking my first bite of this amazing sandwich I was immediately transported into realms of joy I haven't experienced in a long time. It was so good I ordered a cheeseburger to try to prolong the magic. A wave of patriotism washed over me and for 30 glorious minutes I felt like I was back home.

Thank you McDonald's Plovdiv for being there for me... I will gladly drop 10 leva at your establishment again.

Anyway... after that post I feel kind of dirty and very un-Peace-Corps. This was definitely not a sustainable and awareness-spreading post. Therefore I will try to start posting more about actual Bulgarian foods and drinks such as Shkembe Chorba (tripe soup) and Boza (disgusting). I love talking about food, and all of these have great stories attached deserving of their own posts.

Until next time...

ДОМ ЗА ДЕЦА

"Dom Za Detsa" - Home for children

I’ve been putting off writing this post for a while now because I’m not sure how to put into words what it’s like working here. If you don’t know by now, I have been assigned to the local orphanage in town, which also serves as the orphanage for the entire Shumen region as well as for the Targovishte region. However, I feel that you all deserve to know how life is here for children without parents.

I have been tasked with the responsibility of coordinating activities for the kids to do after school. I also help with homework and tutor. Right now I lead an English class for the older kids and also for the staff. When my Bulgarian gets better I'm going to be doing a life skills class as well. I do a fair amount of just hanging out and talking with the kids as well.

I work in an old Soviet era blok building (like so many other places here). The children come from families that either do not want them or do not have the money to support them. Others have been legally removed from abusive or neglecting homes. This is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done. About half of the kids here are considered minorities in Bulgaria. The minorities include Roma (“gypsy”) and Turkish children. The rest are ethnic Bulgarian. There is some racial tension between the ethnic Bulgarians and the Roma children.

All in all I have a lot of hope to make a difference here. I want to role model effective discipline strategies, implement some regular activities for the children here, and make some kind of daily schedule for the children here. All in all, my plans aren't very specific right now, but I feel that some sort of structure will greatly benefit the kids here, at least in the short term.

I'll be sure to keep you in the loop about what is going on here at the orphanage in Preslav... I know that this post has been pretty vague, but I can't really express my experience here into words right now. Just wanted to let you know that, yes, I am doing something here...

Until next time...

Veliko Turnovo

This weekend I headed out for a couple of days to Veliko Turnovo, which was possibly the most beautiful city I've been to so far in Bulgaria. It was the first time I felt as though I was in Europe (i.e. not in a former Soviet country): clean, historic, plenty to do and see. An amazing city.

Veliko Turnovo was the capitol of Bulgaria (after Preslav) until 1867. There is therefore a great amount of history and beauty there - castles, monuments, and a pretty "old town" with small winding cobblestone streets and Bulgarian revival architecture.
Tsaravets is the old fortess that housed the royal palaces, and is as close as you can get to a castle in Bulgaria. This fortified walkway is on a ridge, and you can look down at the city on either side. The building at the top of the hill is a beautiful church filled with frescoes and paintings. Inside the well preserved walls are the remains of the medeival city.

This is what remains of the old palace structure. It's now topped with a gigantic Bulgarian flag, and is surrounded by remains of the old city. You can walk along roads that have been there for over 800 years, and peek into old battlements and towers.

This weeked was also notable because I got to celebrate Halloween with a lot of the other volunteers. Everyone got dressed up and we had a good time, despite the fact that we were a day late. It was nice to have some American traditions way out here in Bulgaria. Then I got a package from home for Halloween as well the next day! All in all an amazingly great weekend.

By the way I'm loving fall. The weather's great and the leaves are changing. Hopefully it'll last a while longer...

Until next time...