Life in a village

My normal shop where I buy my chicken was sold out, and I really had been looking forward to chicken..so, as I was shopping at the shop I buy fruit, I noticed they had fresh marinated chicken for sale..so I pointed to the four pieces I wanted..it looked good.  That was until I got it home, and started to try to cut it into pieces..that’s when I realized just how fresh this chicken was..it wasn’t all nice and clean of fats and tendons?, like it is when I usually buy it frozen. 

..and as I was trying to cut it up into pieces, I was reflecting about all the chores I have helped with in my time in Bulgaria..spending a day at a factory dividing up frozen raspberries so that the bags exported only include the ‘pretty’ raspberries, gathering / picking fruit and making compote, preserving tomatoes, baking and peeling peppers, learning to make rakia, gardening..and it really hit me how much easier my life is than many Bulgarians, even while living here.  Many Bulgarians living in villages and small towns don’t have a garden and a few farm animals because they enjoy it..it is a way for them to support their families on their meager salaries.  Many of them work a full-time job of working at a factory job of manual labor, not even receiving minimum wage of 290 leva – a little under $200 / month (less than $2,400/yr) and oftentimes in down months not receiving their full salary and having to take unpaid vacations; then they come home to garden, and preserve foods, feed the animals, do housework, cook; and many of my friends also help with community events as well.  With all of these chores I start to understand why families are closer..to help out.

While I have been allowed a glimpse into their lives, cultures, and traditions..I cannot imagine a life where I make my own yogurt after milking my cow or goat, or have to let my sheep out for the shepherd in the morning and be there in the evening when they return again, or killing, de-plucking and cooking my own chickens, or using a torch to run over the pig’s skin after killing it, to be eaten later, and jarring containers of pig lard, or stuffing it’s intestines.  Not to say it is not tasty..I have eaten many new things in Bulgaria..some bizarre sounding and looking, but most of the dishes are pretty tasty.

And, this is not to say this is how all Bulgarians live, but I just think there are so many many small villages throughout Bulgaria with less than 1000 people, and many of them do live like this..and if they don’t live in a village, oftentimes there parents do.  I have a lot of respect for the work the hard-working people of the older generation, and people living in these smaller towns and villages.  

Tour of the monasteries..and my birthday

  It is long overdue for a blog update..with almost only two months remaining of my time in Bulgaria, life becomes overwhelming, trying to plan for the future, finish activities and projects here in Bulgaria, and start saying my good-bye’s. 

Recently with Trapezitsa 1902’s hiking club, Paskal and I finished presenting the second half of our monastery tour around Veliko Tarnovo.  For more information and pictures about our tours click the above link labeled ‘Monasteries – Veliko Tarnovo region’. 

A week before Orthodox Easter, Bulgarians celebrate Lazaruv Day.  At Christmas time, young boys go from house to house and businesses, singing and performing..The Lazarki are the female equivalent before Easter.  Here is a clip of their performance when our bus pulled over to greet them.

..and, I was informed that this year 'Luck' would be with me after finding my first 4-leaf clover!

The weather during the hike was beautiful, hot even, but we were cooled off by a brief rainshower when visiting our last monastery.

 

This weekend also happened to be the weekend of my birthday!  I think I’ve mentioned in prior blogs that in Bulgaria, when it is your birthday, you are required to ‘chirpia’ (treat) others, so I made banitsa for the first time (a Bulgarian staple) and homemade cinnamon rolls..and with the hiking group we always have a festive evening of food, rakia / wine, and dancing

..we had so many things to celebrate that evening..not only was it my birthday..Batko (that’s how they say Big Brother in Bulgarian) Kolyo was also celebrating his upcoming birthday

It was also a holiday in Bulgaria to show Appreciation for Nurses, and we had two nurses with us.

I was touched by the gifts and thoughtful wishes from everyone, and could not have been happier.   

I even gave an impromptu speech of thankfulness for having the opportunity to meet so many great people, and tour so many sites in Bulgaria (in Bulgarian) after being presented with a first place cup and medal (as the most active foreign hiker in the club :)

The following day, April 8^th was Easter (for the Catholic church – but this year in Bulgaria, the Orthodox Easter fell on the following weekend, April 16^th)..but, Sunday morning I looked outside my window to see this picture (taken by Asen, another hiker)..and thought of the Easter bunny..

..and after getting back from the monastery hike, I had a na gosti (visit) with batko Vasil..we had agreed to celebrate our birthday’s together (our birthday’s are 2 days apart)..That is Vasil on the right, with a huge piece of meat (it is the leg of a pig killed and cured last year).

Epizod - Rock group

I posted a new song in the list to the right (click the Play button under Bulgarian songs).  It is called Последен Марш (Last March).  The group is Epizod.  I have plans to see them perform this weekend in Veliko Tarnovo.  They're a well-known patriotic Bulgarian rock band, and a lot of their songs come from the verses of the famous historical poets Hristo Botev (a famous national revolutionary and poet during the Ottoman rule, and Ivan Vasov (often referred to as the 'Father of Bulgarian literature').

City of Sopot and Hija Dobrila

This weekend was the Birthday of Vasil Levski – a famous revolutionary in Bulgaria. One of the annual trips with the Trapezitsa 1902 association’s hiking group is to Hija (Hut) Dobrila, in the mountains above Sopot, next door to Karlovo (the city where Vasil Levski was born).

Last year, it was an overcast, rain day when we started our hike

This year, we had snow..so much snow! And the snow did not stop.

When our minibus couldn’t quite make it up one of the hills, heading towards the lift we would need take to get half-way to the top of the mountain, we turned back to find an alternate, less steep road..but not before trying every possible way to get that bus up the hill - everyone out of the bus; everyone in the bus (to weigh it down); half us out (to push), and half in.

Cars start coming down the hill that we're trying to drive up..we weren’t sure if the lift would be working, with this snow (and a light wind) coming down. Cars are passing by, but no one from our group is asking if the lift is working. The girl’s and I are in the back of the bus, and they’re talking about the guys from our group standing around outside, saying ‘Oh, they’re all too shy, why don’t they stop someone..that’s the problem with men’, and they catch me laughing. I explained to them it’s the same in the USA..  Guys would rather drive in circles than ask someone for directions..

We finally made it to the lift. Last year we were lucky enough that we had enough people join our group at the lift that we could get both lifts working, to get to the top of the mountain.  This year, either we were 1-2 people shy of the 20 needed, or it was the wind..I think it was because of the wind that they wouldn't open the second lift..because as we started hiking up the mountain after the lift, the wind was blowing pretty forcefully, and lots of snow still coming down, spraying back in our faces.



  During the drive, Katia keeps talking about a Rat-trap, or rak-trak that you could ride up to the hija..I couldn’t really understand this Bulgarian word. I thought it was maybe a lift for skiers that you hold onto with your hands, and it drags you to the top..yeah, No..a RAK-TRAK is this - see the pic

We saw the rak-trak, and we passed the rak-trak when it could go no further because of the deep snow. Luckily there were 2 snowshoers that had taken the lift up with us; since there were no tracks to follow..and together, we made a path..oftentimes walking in snow up to my hips. But, really, I don’t think you can imagine how beautiful it was (yes, it was windy and snowy, but not so cold, because of all the energy required to hike through the deep snow)..the tall snow-encapsuled (is that a word?) trees everywhere, with icicles hanging off of some of them.

I guess they got the rak-trak going again, because we all had to swim off in the snow to the side, so it could pass again..but, it actually made it harder to walk..it seemed to churn the light fresh snow, instead of packing it down. I found this out quickly as I took my first 2 steps and couldn’t get my legs out of the snow..I tried to drag one leg to the other track that was a little firmer, but it was about 2 feet away – but all I managed to do was fall and roll in the deep snow..Thanks to Albena I was able to get my footing back..It was all soooo much fun! I could write so much more..I wrote more on the pictures you can see by clicking HERE.

We almost passed the hija – it was covered up to the roof in snow – See the pic

Ok..maybe that’s not the pic of the entire hut ;)  Here is the whole hija..

My all-time favorite hikes used to be – in first place (always) Mt. Botev..the adventure was amazing; Second place was tied between Mt. Paskal, and the hike to Hija Dobrila. After this fun-filled adventure, I’d have to say Dobrila holds a solid 2nd place!

This was me at the beginning, middle, and end of the first day hike:

Compare these two pictures, and you can really see the difference from last year:

This was February 2011

And this is February 2012

Hija Paskal..and Hillary Clinton

These winter hikes will always be one of my favorite memories in Bulgaria..and Hija Paskal and Mt. Paskal more than lived up to my expectations of a snow-filled winter adventure! We head up there every year for the hut-keepers birthday celebration. Last year I was christened with my hiking name Kositsa (it’s a small mountain that intersects a lot of larger mountains, including Paskal). To christen me, they removed my shoes and dipped my feet in a tub of water :) Like the picture below..

And, as you may know from previous posts, when it is a person’s birthday, they have to ‘chirpia’ (to treat)..but before we get to that..

The hike was 3-3.5 hours up to the hut from the village Pirdop..with lots of snow, and creeks to cross that were iced over, and an overall sunny day. We were all expecting freezing temperatures and wind, so we were a little overdressed, and even removing many layers of clothing throughout the hike, between the snow and sweat, my clothes were drenched..so we did a quick clothing change and snack at the hija before 12 of us headed back out for the summit. Now..I don’t know how correct this is, but Bulgarians tell me this is one of the windiest mountains in Bulgaria..and when I’m at the top of this mountain, oh yeah..that’s exactly what it feels like.

Only 3 of us made it to the summit..as we had to stay together in tight groups because the fog was so thick..there are many markers, but with the fog..it was still difficult to see each..Now Stancho’s got white frost patches covering his exposed face..and Rosi has a few bangs uncovered, they’re completely white and frozen. We have to stand in one place and wait to get a small break from the wind buffeting us around to take a few steps forward, as we walk along the top of the mountain. Finally, as Stancho calls it, and we head back the wind catches him a bit, crashing into us. I could seriously see Rosi walking sideways with her poles planted in the snow. I remember one part on the way up where the snow was so deep, and not quite hard enough that I took a step on what I thought was hardened snow..and the next thing I know, I’m up to my waist in it..it became a little disconcerting when I couldn’t seem to pull myself back onto solid ground..and I look back and see the 3 behind me in the same predicament..then I remembered my friend Daisy telling me about hikers earlier in the day getting caught in the wind at the summit – the wind had been so strong they had to go down the mountain on their hands and knees. So, I started crawling until I reached firmer ground. (This is also where I lost my sunglasses – amazingly saved when another hiker found them later on). But..running/skiing down a mountain with lots of snow..that’s the most fun!

Last year, the ground was frozen solid, and there had been patches that were like ice..this year, the snow was fluffy..I don’t know which was harder..because the ice was especially scary when going down the mountain with the wind blowing so hard..or the fluffy snow that was so difficult to get through on the way up, quickly sapping away my energy. I gotta say – they’re both adrenaline inducing..

The hike gave such a rush, I didn’t even nap afterwards before starting in on the evening festivities of chatting, dancing, and celebrating birthdays. If you click through my newest pictures here, you’ll see a few pics..and the video below is from a fellow hiker Atanas Atanasov. By the time I stumbled to bed at 2 in the morning I slept sooo soundly, even though in the hija we are in rooms with about 10 people and half of them were still celebrating downstairs.


Oh..and about Hillary Clinton. Apparently, she was visiting Bulgaria from February 2nd to 5th after a visit to Germany. The American Embassy was kind enough to invite Peace Corps volunteers to a 15 minute Meet’n’Greet with her. And..lucky me..I was able to catch a ride from my hike to the embassy and attend! Below is a snippet of the speech she gave before coming around to shake our hands!

From Paskal_2012