2024 September 25 - They stopped us at the Bulgarian Border Crossing!

I was exhausted when JB tapped at my door at 5 am this morning. I had stayed up until after midnight so I struggled out of bed - I had taken a shower yesterday so I threw my clothes on, put my computer, chargers and a few other things into my knapsack. My suitcase was packed full and heavy - the temps were supposed to be in the high 80s for part of the trip but also in the 50-60s. Plus I always feel cold. So I packed lightly for hot weather including my bathing suit but I also brought a couple of pairs of pants and a couple of fleeces. JB loaded up the car in the dark and we were off - I was still too tired for a cup of tea and it was way too early to eat anything. 

As we headed into Bitola, I could see lights in the fields ahead. I couldn't figure out what was going on in the dark. When we got close to the lights, I was so surprised to see that it was the farmers out in their fields picking peppers and tobacco. They had their car lights shining on the fields so they could see their ripe crops. I can't even imagine getting up so early never mind picking red peppers in the headlights of my car. These poor people. 

Although it was still dark, there were quite a few lights on in the distance. Tina thought there was a bakery on the outskirts of Bitola that might be opening - we could get some fresh grub for the drive. She found the bakery and she and JB went inside. The food would be very fresh because the bakery delivery man was taking it out of the back of his van and bringing it into the bakery. It was just an ordinary van with some tools in the back. Once the bread, etc was delivered, 2 teenage girls and a teenage boy jumped into the back with their knapsacks. The driver took out the long pole that had been holding up the back door of his truck, threw it into the van beside the kids, and shut the door! What multitasking! A bread delivery van, a work van, and a "taxi! There were no windows in that van! I don't know how far they were going, but that road ahead of us was pretty bumpy! 

The lights of the city dimmed as we drove east out of Bitola and it became dark again. There were larger fields of red peppers and tobacco out this way. Again there were lights in these fields - cars and trucks lighting the crops for the people to harvest - except this time some of the men were wearing miners lights on their heads - you know the small light that wraps around your head and shines a light in front of you. I just could not believe it!! It was just after 5:30 am - the sun would start to rise about 6 am - and these people were out in miners' lights picking crops in the dark. Were they doing it before work? Or because there was so many fields that they had to harvest them before they were over ripe? Where was Tina's father to ask these questions - I'm sure he would know the answers.

We made a couple of pit stops along the way but finally made it to the Bulgarian border. It was a bit confusing at first to know where to go but JB just followed the signs for cars. The first stop was like an extended toll booth with a money collector at each end. The first window was the Macedonian customs, the 2nd was the Bulgarian customs officials. The Macedonian customs officer was outside the booth - he took our passports and car documents to look them over. He started talking with Tina who was in the back seat on the driver's side. When he looked at her American passport, he was jesting about her being a Macedonian American  - then he heard me and JB speak and he was laughing about us being real American Americans. He was very pleasant and told Tina about his children who were in different parts of the US. He waved us through and wished us a pleasant journey. JB inched the car forward to the next window. The Bulgarian customs official opened the window and took our passports and car information. He asked JB something - JB couldn't hear him and opened the door - he was leaning out of the car trying to hear the official - Tina opened her door and got half in and half out of the car because the car was so close to the building they couldn't fully open the doors. They and the official were all talking - at one point Tina said that she and John were like Dumb and Dumber - the official laughed at that. He waved us on to the next official. 

We moved on to the next official - he was less friendly - he looked over the passports and us - I again automatically took off my sunglasses when he looked into the car at me to compare my passport picture with my face. After a few minutes he told JB to pull up behind a Mercedes parked ahead of us and wait there - he took our passports and car information and went up to another building. We were laughing about being stopped at the border and wondering why - was it because I was on some kind of list for being blocked by Trump's campaign in 2020 for the negative observations I posted about Trump? Or because I had carried a carving knife and a bread knife - both brand new and in the original packages - in my luggage to Ireland after having the house renovated - customs had left a note in the bottom of my bag saying that they had searched my suitcase? That happened twice - 2nd time with a set of steak knives. Or was it because JB is pro-Labor and posts about that. We were laughing but it really wasn't funny. The official had our passports - we did not speak Bulgarian - we knew no one in Bulgaria. Thank goodness for Tina - Macedonian and Bulgarian are similar languages - she can speak Bulgarian pretty well. But what if they detained us - I had registered with the US State Department before leaving the US informing them where we would be traveling and giving Violeta as our contact person. I register in the State Department's STEP program (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program) any time I travel - these days you never know what could happen - if there is a problem in the country that you are visiting, the State Department sends you updates - if you have a problem, should you be detained at a border for example, you can contact the US Embassy in that country. Fortunately, a nicer official brought back all our passports and car info. In southeastern Europe where not every country is in the European Union, when you cross a border, you need special info about your car - green papers? something green any way! You need your license, an international driving license, car rental agreement. Anyway this official sent us forward to the next checkpoint where JB had to get out of the car and open the trunk. He was asked if he had anything to declare - liquor, fruits, vegetables, etc - he said no, the official looked into the boot (trunk) of the car and joked with JB before giving him the all clear - Tina asked him about buying a toll transponder - a device that is mandatory in Bulgaria (and it is also mandatory in Romania as well.) These can and should be bought online, but there is a small building on the right after you go through the border crossing where you can get one - you need your passport, papers for the car, and maybe your license and international license - I was in the car while JV and Tina bought it.

After that we were on our way to Sofia!

This is what greeted us shortly after crossing the border -McDonald's and a Shell gas station - I can't tell you how disappointed I was to see McDonald's signs throughout Bulgaria. 

We found our apartment eventually - we had to pick up the keys at the Coop Hotel - of course there was traffic and no parking - we circled the block several times and eventually pulled into the hotel parking garage - a gentleman came right over before we were parked to tell us to move but Tina fortunately was able to tell him that she had to pick up keys to our apartment in the hotel. He told Tina that she could go in but JB and I had to wait in the car. Tina came back in a huff - the receptionist at the hotel was nasty to her and told her that she needed the car info because we were parking at the apartment - she needed JB's info as well. So I was hostage in the car while they went in. They came back in a rage - the receptionist was not helpful - gave them no information and dismissed them. Not a nice Welcome To Bulgaria!

We seemed to drive around the blocks a few times again because of traffic and one way streets, but JB finally found it. JB unpacked the bags from the car, and we dragged them into the elevator. After a rocky start getting the keys, the apartment was vey nice - very modern. JB and Tina had the master bedroom with a private bathroom and a large TV. I used the common bathroom but had a lovely double bed room to myself with a  washing machine and a drying rack that we did not use. We had a nice kitchenette, a table with 4 chairs and a sofa with 2 round coffee tables. There was also a small patio off the sitting area.

JB noticed a bowl on the back of the toilet in the shared bathroom - Tina had turned on the hot water heater when we came in. Apparently sometime while they took showers, the hot wet tank had started leaking and overflowed the bowl on the top of the toilet so that the water was running down off the toilet onto the floor. Once the showers were over, the leaking stopped - so we just kept an eye on the bowl and emptied it as needed.

After we rested up for a while, we got ready to go out to eat. We decided to go to the Largo complex - this complex of government buildings was built in the 1950s following the bombing of Sofia during WWII. We weren't sure exactly how far a 15 minute walk to the Largo would be, so JB dropped me and Tina off then walked back to meet us.

When the Metro was being extended, the ruins of Serdica - the original name of Sofia - were found. They are now being excavated - they are from Roman and pre-Roman times - some run alongside one of the government buildings - more of the ruins are visible down in the Metro subway.

Roman ruins of Serdica run alongside one of the Communist buildings.

Stairs leading down to the ruins mid-left - stairs along bottom of picture lead to the Metro where more ruins can be seen. 

Former Turkish Mineral Baths now house the Sofia History Museum - it was built in 1913. Tina and I walked down here while waiting for John. I was surprised by everyone smoking and openly drinking beers - everyone drank coffee in Macedonia - so this was a big change.

These few pictures were taken along the street near the ruins. 

Street art near the ruins

We ate dinner at Mi Casa Restaurant which sits alongside more ancient ruins.

We decided to walk back to the apartment and on the way stopped for coffees and tea at a cute coffee shop - the kind of place you could stop in with your computer or meet up with friends and stay for a couple of hours. We had some dessert with our tea and coffees. The carmel on my apple pie was scrumptious!

I finished my tea and pie while John and Tina went to the market for some water and other supplies. We are constantly drinking water to keep hydrated in the hot weather. We walked home after that and hit the hay.