4th of July

I've experienced a lot of firsts in Bulgaria. My first fresh squeazed milk and homemade yogurt. My first fresh layed egg. Recently I experienced a couple more. Last week while heading to a Bulgarian tavern in town to meet up with some friends, I noticed these little lights flashing in front of me and then around me. This is before I had even drunken a drop. I wasn't sure what they were, but was little concerned that if I touched one of them it might shock me. I stayed clear. It turns out they were fire flys. Those have to be the coolest little bugs i've ever seen. I might go out hunting for them tonight and see if I can trap one in a bottle. Hahah!

A couple days later, I headed to the coast for 4th of July weekend, I took a night train and sprung for a sleeping wagon for the first time time. The conducter gave me my own room which was nice, unfortunately I think he also charged me double because I am American (or more exactly a supposed rich foreigner). I have to stop saying I'm American. I'm not. I from the Czech Republic. =) Hey it worked in Turkey and some other parts of Bulgaria. One time while in Kardjali I was getting a hair cut and the barber asked if I was from Yugoslavia. I said "no, I'm from the Czech Republic." He apologized. I said, "It's ok. A lot of people get us mixed up." I'm sure I saved at least 10 lev that day.

Anyways back to the train. The trip took five hours. I tried to get some rest, but every time the train came to a screeching halt so did my sleep. Once I met the destination, I got off the train to see dozens of Baba's (grandma's) holding signs saying they had hvratira's to rent out. I figured that must mean that they rent out rooms. I asked someone just in case and asked how much they usually cost. Then I walked up to one of the Baba's and she rented me a whole apartment (pretty nice) for less than $5. I think I had a neighbor in the next room, but I never saw him.

Sunday night some volunteers reserved a club and got a live band. The live band did mostly cover songs in English. Popular rock songs of the 80's, 90's and also a few Beatle songs were thrown in. When the band took breaks Jackson, a departing volunteer, pulled out his ipod, hooked it up to the sound system, and played new and old American favorites. You know the little story about Jack and Dianne, American Pie, and born in the USA. All the volunteers sang as loud as they could and even some Bulgarians who trickled in from somewhere.

I stayed up the whole night and when the sun came up, I went to take a last look at the sea before catching an early morning train. It wasn't the same as the San Francisco Bay back home. No huge waves, but it was nice to see the water again. I gathered a few shells as souveniers before I left. I'll be back to the sea again this summer.