Ottoman Trek: Plovdiv

Plovdiv. Where on earth is Plovdiv? I certainly couldn’t have told you before booking the Busabout Ottoman Trek.

And yet, somehow, here I am! It’s actually quite pretty.

The old Roman amphitheatre

A Bulgarian man on a hill who randomly caught my eye

Sunset by the mosque

Although I’m a little bemused by their attempt to squeeze “love” into their tourism slogan. 

In the afternoon, we hear some sort of performance going on in the old Roman amphitheatre. We wander over and discover about six clusters of children singing traditional Bulgarian songs. Oddly, they all look miserable. One, in particular, reminds us of Little Miss Sunshine. We spend about half an hour entranced, coming up with cheeky translations for the lyrics.

We meet the rest of the group back at our hotel in the evening, to head off to a brewery. But two of our members aren’t there. Ally and Stacey have somehow disappeared.

When we reencounter them in the morning on the bus, they look like death warmed up. They’ve had one of the most hilarious nights I’ve ever heard of: following a stray kitten and getting lost, asking a tattooed biker (who smelled like roses) for directions, walking beside his bike as he led them back, heading out again to make the most of the night, buying fluoro hats and wigs from an adult store, finding a dodgy Bulgarian bar off an alleyway and being bought drinks all night by Greek med-students who flunked their exams but are still eligible to study in Bulgaria, then sneaking out and back to the hotel just before dawn.

You'll never guess which one hasn't showered.

A stellar effort, methinks.

Ottoman Trek: Sofia

When I was about six years old, I wrote a poem about an “army of ballerinas”.

The metaphor may be a little impenetrable, but I was attempting to wax lyrical about a field of sunflowers.

The last place I ever expected to encounter this army in the flesh is Bulgaria. But, within 15 minutes of crossing the border I’m reminded of my childish metaphor as I stare out across thousands of the saffron plants, stretching as far as I can see on both sides of the bus.

Our hotel in Sofia looks like the tallest building in the city. It has a casino and a spectacular view from my window on level 18:

As usual, shortly after arriving we head out on a walking tour of the main sights:

The lion is the symbol of Bulgaria. They even named their currency after it

The feet, left hand, and head of this statue is solid gold

Russian Orthodox church St. Nikolai Choudotvorets

Spectacular Alexander Nevsky cathedral

But the main thing I’ve been looking forward to in Sofia is dinner. Because tonight, we’re being treated to a gypsy feast! And a feast it truly is. Upon arrival, we gorge ourselves on flatbreads and delicious dips, in the centre of every table. My favourite tasted like ratatouille.

Then, a celebratory shot of traditional Bulgarian rakia:

Dinner is soon delivered – large trays of bread, meats, grilled vegetables and large fresh peppers for every table.

When the dancing begins, it’s not quite what I expected. More Michael Jackson than traditional gypsy. But as the night goes on, the performers get into the groove and ditch the sequins and trilbies in favour of more traditional dress.

Before long, we’ve all left our inhibitions behind and are being taught a simple dance that involves all of us holding hands and skipping around the entire restaurant in a loop. It’s hilarious, and a lot of fun.

This pic comes thanks to Dave Levit

Now that the seal has been broken, we dance the rest of the night away.

Good thing the bus doesn’t depart until 11:30 tomorrow!

Ottoman Trek: Preview

Almost a year ago, I embarked on the birthday trip of a lifetime overland from the south of France to the place I’d always dreamed of visiting: Dubrovnik, Croatia.

The image that had me going gaga for Dubrovnik a year ago

Tomorrow, just before my next birthday, Busabout and Flight Centre UK have given me the opportunity to continue this trip east: from Split, Croatia to Istanbul, Turkey on Busabout’s Ottoman Trek.

The itinerary is mouthwatering (have a look here).

I’m most excited about Sarajevo because I think it’s the most historically important city of the 20th century, given Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination there sparked WWI, which set off the dominoes that started WWII. Not to mention the horrific war of the 90s.

On the other stops, I’m craving those unexpected experiences that can come from discovering places you knew little about before leaving. Bulgaria is somewhere I’d never given much thought before booking this trek, so I have no idea what to expect there. And I hear Mostar is a little gem too...

The famous bridge in Mostar, Bosnia

And to round the trek off in Turkey sounds too perfect to be true. I’ve been promised it’s possible to nip down to Gallipoli the day after arriving in Istanbul, which is definitely high on the agenda for this antipodean.

Plus, because I’m used to booking these trips myself, I’m looking forward to the camaraderie and reduced stress that comes from travelling with a group.

You can follow the adventure as it unfolds on twitter and facebook - click the icons below.

Some of my highlights from the trek will also be published on Flight Centre UK’s blog. I'll link to them after they're posted.