The Black Sea, me mateys, ha-har, ha-har!
Trip Start
Jul 26, 2004
1
27
34
Trip End
Sep 01, 2004
Loading Map
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
Varna, Bulgaria
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
Yesterday was also our last day of hard-core travelling: at 5:30 a.m., we had our packs on our backs and were walking through seriously pouring rain, aiming for the 6:20 train from Brasov to Bucuresti. That morning we also made a new friend: the hostel cat seemed *very* interested in the tin (formerly containing pork) that I'd thrown out the night before, and it wouldn't stop meowing until we let it lick out the last morsels of congealed fat.
I must interrupt this message with an announcement that because of my Tequila Sunrise and half a bottle of wine, this update is harder to write than I thought it would be. Also, the right-hand Shift key sticks, so I have to go back and re-type all my capitals. Bloh.
So, yes. 6:20, pouring rain. We arrived in Bucuresti on time and went off in search of the ticket office to buy a ticket to Ruse, Bulgaria. I'd like to point out that Bulgarians have a funny alphabet (a.k.a. Cyrillic) so that they spell "Ruse" as "Pyce", and Varna, our final destination for the 23rd, "Bapha". Actually, it's not all that hard to figure out -- it's close to Greek in a lot of respects, so there are really only a few new symbols for me to learn. Anyway, as we walked into the section of the station where the ticket counters are, a station employee was on hand to greet people.
"Hello!" he said to me as I walked past.
"Ni hao!" he said to G, who followed a few paces behind me.
I wonder, was "Ni hao" the only Asian greeting he knew, or did he just pick a random Asian language and hope it was appropriate? As G and I were discussing tonight, he's sort of lacking in Chineseness, so I doubt the guy was tapping into whatever ethnic vibe (if any) G gives off.
The ride to Ruse was unneventful and it seemed we spent more time stopped at the border than actually moving. Finally, we were in Bulgaria, and it was something of a shock.
During our castle tour the other day, a Frenchman told me that Romania was "the Mexico of Europe" and I could see exactly where he was coming from. I don't know what I expected from Bulgaria, but I thought it would be perhaps quieter, cleaner and calmer than Romania, so my first glimpse of the country was quite a shock.
Ruse's train station is big, very big. However, many sections of it are being repaired, or have simply been roped off or fenced off indefinitely. It looks like a huge structure, built for a crowd that never showed up. What more we saw of Bulgaria, from Ruse to the Black Sea coast, was much of the same: everywhere, half-deserted buildings with crumbling walls, forgotten structures with broken windows and countryside that looks two steps away from going over to the Desert Side.
A bit after 8 p.m., our train pulled into Varna Station. We had no reservation (of course) so we headed for a Lonely Planet-recommended place, but were told it was full. They directed us to another hotel nearby, which turned out to be a rather fancy place -- you know it is when they quote the price in Euros! But what the hell, we decided to splurge. And for the price we're paying, they're treating us very well. Huge breakfast, major discount on meals in the restaurant (where we gorged ourselves this evening), complimentary everything you could ask for in the bathroom (except kleenex), a balcony, etc. etc.
Today we were very productive, i.e. we saw everything I wanted to see. Our hotel is practically across the street from the Archaeological Museum, so we started there. It's a wonderful museum, laid out just the way I like 'em, with incredible artifacts, though we only saw the first floor (prehistoric to 11th century) because the second floor was closed to visitors. Then we headed over to the Roman baths, a surprisingly huge complex near the beach. The site is pretty laid back, so you can wander around at will. The only sign you're actually in a place of historical importance to tourists is a few signs with helpful captions such as "Vestibule", "Luke warm water baths" or "Hot water baths". It's very peaceful, overgrown with weeds and flowers in the middle of the city.
We accidentally walked into a church in the middle of some sort of ceremony. There were two priests, singing in beautiful harmony and the haunting sound rose up into the dome, through the incense smoke caught in the rays of sunlight. People were standing in the nave, holding the little yellow tapers they have in churches around here, listening to the singing, a couple of older women singing along.
Varna is a seaside town, which means there are casinos, lots of boutiques and lots of ice cream stands all over the place, but it's relaxed and a nice place to stroll around in. We enjoyed the beach for a couple of hours this afternoon; I mostly dozed in the sun while G battled the wussy waves. The Black Sea isn't as salty as other seas I've been in, and it's also warmer than the Aegean was in June. Lots of seaweed, too.
