south of Burgas, Sozopol

Sozopol.... expensive tourist town with Free WI-FI points everywhere  

Went for my first dive in over two and a half years.

the place that made it a worthwhile detour
25 euro for all included dive up to 12m

one of the dive assistants

on the boat heading out

the island that we were diving near

20lv a night.... Hot windy expencive food near and well should not be that much i think... (only stayed 2 nights)

Kite bar. free wifi but you pay for it in the price of drinks

simple pizza to last me a day.

  

closed Sushi bar where i got to charge my Laptop and phone

View from the sushi bar

sunset at the port. (within SozopolFreeWI-FI reach)

Start of the road trip. First stop Plovdiv

My first motorbike road trip... and solo... 

Bought a tent for 14euro.

Have no reservations for accommodation.

Have a comfortable Backpack, full tank(a few of them) and the open road

The map (860+km)

this is how I roll :P 

First stop Plovdiv

the old amphitheater found while digging the tunnel under one of the 7(now 6) hills 

Pictures from the main boulevard.

google translate in beta I think...

the menu

the food

Dinner at Hostel mostel

secrets told and never shared 

Old and new, inches and centuries apart

out and about in Sofia.

so spent the night Sofia and arranged a trip back to Gabrovo for the next evening .

some pictures taken while walking (not a lot was taken)

alexander nevsky cathedral

the fountain infront of Ivan Vazov Theater (with Wi-FI free)

as the on in Stara zagora is gone....Sofia has the closest one to Gabrovo

I do intend to return... 

Camp: The calm and The chaos

To follow is a series images that were taken over 2 weeks while volunteering on a summer camp for 48 Roma kids organized by the LORA foundation in Bulgaria.

The only people I knew at the start of the camp was Jack, Eslabe and Lora.( the founders)

to break the ice an the 1 hour bus trip from Sofia I got up from the back walked to the front and took this photo.

The flags of the nationalities of the volunteers (multiple countries and continents but serving one GOD)

one of the 5 scorpions found in the building (this was before the children arrived)
the other 4 were found after the children had left

Morning program (middle age group) 

Morning program

getting ready to do the camp dance (video was taken but due to slow computer encoding takes to long)

program organized with in the 5 days the team was together before the children arrived

the Bonfire at the end of the camp bringing the camp to a close

one of the kids (Martin) holding his sister proudly in front for his house 

Fountain in the main square, (Martin drinking)

Team walking in Kjustendil after visiting the children in there neighborhood.

in order (left to right) Elsabe, Jack, Lora

Sunrise at 6:45 on the last day after a 30 min hike 

the crazies that got up at 5:30 for the sunrise

Was an amazing camp and i pray that God will make it possible for me to return next year!

Will miss all from the camp and remember the great friends i have made.

Hope to see you all again if it is only next year or the year after. I look forward to it!

First week in Bulgaria

^Train cabin (all to my self)^

After over a year from the last time I was here some things have changed but most things have not.

The neighbors welcomed me with open arms and then later full arms

the first meal after just climbing off the train

Chilies, tomato's, eggs and cucumber all from the neighbors garden
and Banitsa hot and fresh

^the garden of the house. with view of the small but soon to be fruitful vegetable garden^

our lone but full grape vine

parking at Skalsko hill

the stop near a roman fort (in ruins)

the roman ruins (3rd century or so) 

^Skalsko (paragliding)Hill^

^sunflower field and river ^

^Shipka monument^

^drianovo saturday market^

^Intersection in Gabrovo^

coffee in the park (Gabrovo

Dinner with the neighbors and friends

Well i think that is it. next post will be regarding the children camp I will help at. 

Starting Adventures

So I land in Istanbul after traveling from South Africa via Doha.

The layover in Doha was one of the quickest I have ever experienced. 

Layover time on my ticket looked like 1 hour... But as gates open roughly one hour before departure I would be landing just in time... and then the plane landed a slight bit late, so having never been in this airport I needed to get my bearings and fast, as I pass the security check point I find an info board, finding my flight high near the top of the screen I read that they are on FINAL CALL and at gate 21. Now to find out where 21 is, I look to the heavens... and on the roof to my left I see my sign "boarding gates 5-40" (or something like that), so up the stairs I go and luckily it was not a far walk, I got asked where I had just came from and after telling them I hear the one man say "only four more".

the last one off after the late landing

finding my accommodation...where the GPS took me (accommodation is in the building next to this one there on the left.)

accommodation.

First dinner (Chinese Buffet eaten in Istanbul, Turkey by a South African)

lets you know home can be just around the corner

Lunch in Taksim.6tl 

^Taksim square^

^Taksim Tram^

^Galata Tower^

^Galata Bridge (south end)^

That is it for now... next post (first week in Bulgaria)

PS had my wallet stolen in taksim... what a way to start a 3 month travel. not to much lost just 2 bank cards and about 18Euro.