Out of a fifteen day trip, I was sick for 14 days. Stack that with working for 10 hours a day, everyday, and you can see why my video was all done from a 1 hour tour of the city.
The people are great. I had the honor of staying with host families during every one of my trips and each time I was blown away by the level of hospitality I was shown. The people who took me in would rather have slept on the floor than have a guest not have a comfortable nights sleep. Every time I crossed the threshold of someone’s home, I left with a full belly despite the time of day. This level of generosity made a deep impression and caused me to question how I treat others.
The villages and cities in eastern Europe are also just my speed. You can walk everywhere but there’s no rush to get anywhere. Food, entertainment, and sports are always just a short walk away and you can enjoy it all because everything is so cheap.
Most of eastern Europe, including Bulgaria, have not adopted the Euro as official currency, so the US dollar goes a lot further than most other places in Europe. Even though on most of my early trips my food and lodging were taken care of by my host family, I never had more than $500 on me for 3 weeks worth of adventure. The crazy part is, I never spent it all!
Sofia (pronounced Só-fia), although a capital city, still captured the charm of the smaller cities and villages I had experienced years ago. Thanks to all of the waiters who tolerated my accent, thanks to the barber that fit me in to give me a much-needed haircut, and thanks to all the hospitable people who let my ignorant self experience their wonderful city.