Arrival in the Balkans
Day -7 and -6, 2000 km
Day -7 - It’s been over a day since we got on the train, and I’m trying to keep myself busy between having another beer in the dining car and strolling through the aisles, peeking into cabins where Turkish delights are beautifully arranged by the elegantly scarfed Turkish ladies. In our cabin dominated by German motorcyclists nothing the like. Over dry biscuits and soft cheese past the consummation date crown the evening. Around 22h00, we enter Europe again leaving Serbia and the Bulgarian border police enters our cabin. As soon as the passports are handed to them I decided to get sleep might be an excellent idea. Only to be awoken next morning by the arrival of another border Police control, the Turkish one this time. We’re leaving Europe again and the train by 11h30. After scrutiny of man and machine identification papers, Martin and Jan head east and I make my way west back towards the Bulgarian border.
Day -7 cont. - The DR650 was just as thrilled as I was to be back on the road. And what a road ! I had to adjust quickly to the Orient stile of manoeuvring to avoid being run over by an oncoming horse carriage that was ignoring my right of way, or getting shoved onto the sidewalk by a passing 1980 Mercedes. It seems like the stakes are high. My mission: survive until evening and grab a quick çay before heading to Bulgaria. And head of the way of the Turkish drivers. On the bright side, Edirne really captivated me with its breathtaking views of the Selimiye Mosque. Those minarets have a magical, 1001 Arabian nights vibe to them for sure. Love it. Once crossed the boarder, I had a quick immersion into the beautiful Bulgarian countryside. The vistas could not have been more diverse today.
Day -6 - "Come, come" he said, handing me a Bulgarian Lev to help me out grab my morning coffee fix at the gas station in Svilengrad. I still hadn't gotten any local cash, so this is at the top of my to-do list! The old man's kindness touched me. He must have seen me struggling with a Euro that wouldn't work in the machine. As I set off, I was unsure of what to expect from Bulgaria, which still had that Soviet era vibe. Maybe it was the Cyrillic script, the stark architecture, or the Ladas zooming by, but it felt like I could run into comrade Zhivkov in a coffee shop around the corner. As I ventured into the wild, following TET Bulgaria section 5, the countryside blew me away: soaring eagles gliding over winding deep blue rivers, green valleys that looked like they could still host dinosaurs grazing around the volcano-shaped hills - it's all there. Outdoors at its finest, and I have a feeling this is just an appetiser.
