TET Bulgaria
Days 10 and 11, 2300 km
Day 10 - And so it goes: Gion called from Italy saying his rear shock is leaking. It's a tricky one. We're running behind schedule. We have to decide whether to fix it or just get a new one. To repair it, we need parts and a shop that can refill the shock, which isn't easy to find. So, we opted for a replacement. Gion placed an express order from Italy and shipping to Moto Camp Bulgaria. While we wait for the new shock to arrive, Gion keeps driving South. The shock should arrive about when he does. We think we made the right call. We still need to find a mechanic who can install the shock, but any motorcycle shop should be able to handle that. Meanwhile, I'm hitting the trails in the Rhodope mountains and set up camp for the night somewhere up high.
Day 11 - There's something special about riding through these high plateaus at 1500 to 2000 meters. Everything feels so minimalistic; the trees get smaller and the plants start to adjust to the alpine conditions. It's all about survival up here. For us as well. I learned from Boyan, who runs a cozy little coffee shop with his wife, that the real threat while camping isn't bears, but wild boars. When they run, they run... right over your tent! I decided to pick my next camping spot carefully, keeping that in mind.
Day 11 - The view from up here is so incredible, I decided to camp out again. There's nothing quite like another night under the stars. Before I pitched my tent, I swung by a small village to pick up some meat and cheese. The woman at the shop offered me some Сирене, the Bulgarian white brine cheese. Not exactly what I wanted for my bread tonight, so I showed her some pictures of Swiss cheese (what else could I do?). That did the trick, and she ended up giving me кашкавал! It’s the yellow cheese I was after. After setting up my tent, I still had some time to enjoy the evening sun while taking in the stunning view of the mountains that border Greece.
