Vulgar Bulgars

I've done my best to reserve judgment. Now, after a couple of days, I can say a few things with some confidence.

Bulgaria has got problems. Granted, any country would have a hard time competing after Turkey, and this one has close to 80 years of Communist rule to deal with, plus a rotten economy. Still, the view from my saddle is often a picture-perfect portrait of post-Communist aftermath. The broken-down Ladas with the hoods up by the side of the road. The smaller towns filled with beer-bellied, thick armed men, slightly sunburnt. Teenagers hanging around drinking beer and smoking cigarettes at 9 AM. The listless, bored stares and service so surly it seems deliberate. Sidewalk money-changers foisting old currency to unsuspecting tourists (us). Stained, concrete monoliths of apartment buildings. Prostitutes at the side of the highway. Pornography on sale at every corner kiosk.

A lot of things that can twist the people of a country. Well, apparently something did. The people are a suspicious, scowling lot. After some introduction or interaction people have blossomed and shown some spark of interest and even been helpful. A dramatic change after the Turkish tendency to shout, honk, wave, grab you by the arm, foist tea and sweets on you, and promise to send their brother to meet you in "Amerikay".

Bulgarian drivers are the worst. Sure, everywhere--Israel, Cyprus, Turkey--people drive like madmen. But it's different here. People are just rude. There's no shoulder to the road and especially the trucks won't give you 6 inches more even if the road is empty. Apathy? Perhaps. I watch them cut each other off, endlessly passing each other on blind curves and the crest of hills at full speed. There's a death wish, or at least an utter disregard for death and destruction and the roadside graves attest to the consequences. Any one of these things on its own isn't so bad, but the sum total makes for an unnerving place. All the while, the countryside is the most beautiful I've seen, birds everywhere, rolling hills filled with grapevines...

The tanking economy is nice for budget travelers but not so much for the unfortunate locals. The only healthy industry we've seen yet is the package tourist resorts, filled with sunburnt Brits and large Germans. Not the kind of thing to improve the locals' attitude toward life, I suspect.