Day 126 - Sofia, Bulgaria
Monday, November 5th, 2018.
Today we arrived at the bus station in Sofia, Bulgaria at 3:00pm. Another country, another currency. Luckily the language is similar, not that it helps because we don't speak Serbo-Croation or Bulgarian or read Cyrillic. I have to say, though. that Gregory and Daniel are doing a great job at both. Daniel is my teacher and is constantly asking me to read the signs. I better memorize the alphabet if we still have another week to go here!
Taxis are pretty bad here and luckily, Gregory knew in advance which brand was reputable and how much the ride should cost. We walked to the taxi stop and one driver, who smiled and seemed very nice, quoted us a rate about 4 times what the meter would be. Gregory countered, which made him angry and he said something to the driver who took us, literally throwing our bags into the trunk. TIP: know how much the ride should cost, and confirm with the driver before you get in the taxi. Insist on using the meter. If they quote a fixed price, you can be sure the meter will be less, usually substantially less. If you accept their fixed price quote anyway, you don't have to tip -- they've already included it in the rate.
Anyway, we made it to our apartment, which is always the moment of truth. When we saw the building and the elevator, I thought we were entering a crime scene. It looked like the kind of place where they shoot horror movies. I could imagine someone getting their throat slashed on the dark, stone steps and barely-painted concrete walls.
Surprise! The interior was very nice. Spacious rooms with large windows overlooking a bright courtyard, just like the pictures. The apartment even has two complete bathrooms, which on this trip is a luxury! We were so tired that we ate all the leftovers we had carried in our backpacks. Around 7:00pm, Gregory and I went our for a drink, he had his beer and I ordered hot chocolate which turned out to be almost chocolate soup. Afterward, we walked to Billa, the grocery store, to get our basics for breakfast. When we got home, the kids were connected to their devices and already feeling at home!
Today we arrived at the bus station in Sofia, Bulgaria at 3:00pm. Another country, another currency. Luckily the language is similar, not that it helps because we don't speak Serbo-Croation or Bulgarian or read Cyrillic. I have to say, though. that Gregory and Daniel are doing a great job at both. Daniel is my teacher and is constantly asking me to read the signs. I better memorize the alphabet if we still have another week to go here!
Taxis are pretty bad here and luckily, Gregory knew in advance which brand was reputable and how much the ride should cost. We walked to the taxi stop and one driver, who smiled and seemed very nice, quoted us a rate about 4 times what the meter would be. Gregory countered, which made him angry and he said something to the driver who took us, literally throwing our bags into the trunk. TIP: know how much the ride should cost, and confirm with the driver before you get in the taxi. Insist on using the meter. If they quote a fixed price, you can be sure the meter will be less, usually substantially less. If you accept their fixed price quote anyway, you don't have to tip -- they've already included it in the rate.
Anyway, we made it to our apartment, which is always the moment of truth. When we saw the building and the elevator, I thought we were entering a crime scene. It looked like the kind of place where they shoot horror movies. I could imagine someone getting their throat slashed on the dark, stone steps and barely-painted concrete walls.
Surprise! The interior was very nice. Spacious rooms with large windows overlooking a bright courtyard, just like the pictures. The apartment even has two complete bathrooms, which on this trip is a luxury! We were so tired that we ate all the leftovers we had carried in our backpacks. Around 7:00pm, Gregory and I went our for a drink, he had his beer and I ordered hot chocolate which turned out to be almost chocolate soup. Afterward, we walked to Billa, the grocery store, to get our basics for breakfast. When we got home, the kids were connected to their devices and already feeling at home!
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| Cute coffee place literally on the sidewalk -- and it was heated! |
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| My thick hot choco! |
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