Malak Izvor

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A Week in Bulgaria

I can’t believe I’ve been in Bulgaria a week already! My rural location has definitely helped me acclimatise slowly. I definitely need to do a run to Sofia to feel that I can survive on my own in this country, but being a week in while content and well fed, I’d say I’m doing okay.

The pet sitting part of my gig is proving to be a dream. Mechka and Sausage are such wonderful dogs! They are impossibly well behaved and responsive, very loving, and great companions. My twice daily walks with them have yet to feel like a chore. Pen-ghu the cat is a brat who can’t be trusted around food, but as soon as he snuggles against me on my lap, all is forgiven. I was really concerned about this part of the assignment, but we’ve already fallen into a routine. They all seem starved for attention and affection, especially Mechka. She keeps trying to sneak into the house, so I’ve agreed to meet her partway and let her sleep on the rug in the entrance where she can keep an eye on me. Sausage likes to lie on the flagstones just outside the door. I make sure they get lots of attention and cuddles throughout the day, not just when we go walking.

The house, bed and lack of proper workstation not withstanding, is working out great. Today, I gave the kitchen a really thorough deep clean and rearranged it to suit my needs, then baptised it with a really good meal. The kitchen here is better equipped than the one I had on Isla (I have scissors! Sharp knives! Glass plates!), but I need a few things and will ask Max where I can buy basic kitchen equipment (a colander would be nice…).

My diet here has been surprisingly close to what I would make in Mexico — lots of salsa mexicana with avocado, toast with jam, ham sandwiches, pasta with red sauce, and tonight I made my sour cream/potato/carrot/onion/garlic/squash stir fry that was a staple in Mexico. I added chicken since I had some, as well as a side of beets tossed with sirene (Bulgarian “feta”), the perfect companion. Mmm! And, of course, I’ve had heaps of beer, which is cheaper than in Mexico!

My language progress has been minimal, but I’m working at it and being patient. At this point, I’m satisfied with remembering words if not whole phrases, as well as getting an ear for the language.

The setting here is idyllic and suits my personality. I know many of my readers would be starved for human companionship and exterior stimulation, but I’m doing fine. I’m sure that once I break the ice on the café, I’ll want to go down there a few times a week, but for now, I’m content with just the dogs and cat for company.

Work is slowly picking up. I’m not worried about that end of things at this time.

London already feels like it happened in a dream and Haven feels so far away it might as well be on another planet. C&C have checked in and all is well there.

I feel content. I find the agony is in making decisions and implementing them. Once they are made and done, all that’s left is satisfaction. If this week is any indication of the weeks again, I’m going to be just fine here.

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How I Found My Bulgarian House and Pet Sitting Gig

I’m surprised that so few people have asked me how the heck I ended up in Malak Izvor. Well, I’m going to tell you anyway. 🙂

Back in January, upon the advice of a couple of friends, I signed up at Mind My House, a site that brings together folks looking to house and pet sit with folks looking for house and pet sitters. Most of the gigs are in the US, Canada, and Western Europe, but there are really gigs all over the world. I’d never considered housesitting before, but it sure sounded like a great way to travel around the world with minimal housing costs and the chance to live like a local.

A one-year membership is 20USD. I can already tell you that I will be renewing my membership!

I signed up in January and started to look for gigs in Eastern Europe, of which there were very few. I found Max’s ad in February and sent him a message showing keen interest in his gig. However, he prefers people who can stay long-term, eight months to a year or even longer, so he politely declined. I thought that was it.

Over the following months, I continued to look at gigs in places I was interested in, including the Czech Republic. And then, Max got back to me in June to see if I was still available because my 85 days of availability were going to be better than nothing. The rest, as the cliché goes, is history. Needless to say, this one gig has more than paid for my membership to Mind My House!

The gig has really spoiled me in that I’m very much in my own space, not someone’s home. What I’m really here for is the pets, not the property. But it’s a successful first foray into housesitting and a first reference through the site. I hope to find something in Portugal, Spain, or the south of France for the start of 2017. I’m also looking for something in a non-Schengen country between the end of September and January, but I’m not holding my breath on getting that lucky twice. I am very open to where I go next, though, and willing to see what opportunities present themselves. Flights from Europe to almost anywhere are so inexpensive that I have a lot more options than I did back in North America.

I’ve seen a few ads for gigs in Mexico, so that’s something I will look at when I’m ready to head back there. Hopefully, I’ll find a gig in the Yucatán!

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First Solo Trip to Yablanitsa

Groceries were down to the bare bones today. Since I had no work in the queue, I figured it would be the perfect day to see just how accessible Yablanitsa is. Google Maps told me I had a 6KM walk ahead of me and Apple Maps said 10KM! 12KM roundtrip would be just doable, but 20KM would be pushing it and I’d definitely investigate the taxi service Jenny told me about.

I set off with my backpack, once again pleased that I bought it for my trip. I loaded it with water, documentation (I was told to always have my passport on me as ID checks are common), and, of course, money, and set off.

It’s straight downhill into the village. I I didn’t look forward to that slog on the return trip!

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Here’s the gate into the property. Duck when going through the door!

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Street sign. Says, “Street Zdravets.”

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Now at the bottom of my road at the intersection of the main road through the village.

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Sign indicating that there is a monastery that way. Max and Jenny told me I have to go there. I will when I get more details.

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Our little village square with the small shop where you can get essentials (where the brown overhang is).

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Looking back up the main road.

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A restaurant. I could read the menu, but my dictionary didn’t recognise much on it…

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Heading out of town, I saw a car with a Czech plate. All cars in the EU appear to have a similar license plate, either white or yellow (I saw both in the UK), with the left side being blue with the symbol of the EU and a two-letter country code. I think you can legally drive a car plated in any EU country in any other EU country.

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This rather nice looking property is for sale.

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16,000 Euro sounds like a bargain…

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The flora here is similar to back in Quebec. Cornflowers…

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And these little bell things I like whose name I really should know.

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The mountains up here remind me of driving to Durango.

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Leaving the limits of Malak Izvor. I didn’t know it, but I was just shy of a third of the way to Yablanitsa by this point.

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Unlike the UK, Bulgaria has stop signs. I had to turn left here.

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Funny that there was no sign at the corner saying Yablanitsa thataway, but in the opposite direction, there was a sign for Malak Izvor.

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I was surprised when I saw this sign, thinking I’d arrived, but I still had a good 2KM to go.

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About 1KM from town, I man pulled over and offered me a ride. Max, Jenny, and Sarah all told me to accept such offers during the daytime as hitching is a very common thing to do around here and nothing untoward has ever happened. The local population is fairly small and people get to know each other. If I declined the lift, the odds were good I’d never get another offer. So I got in and said, “Yablanitsa ATM” and he said, “Sure” and then rattled off something. I stared at him and he smiled and said, “Malak Izor”? AH! “Da!” 😀

He dropped me off in front of the green bank (there’s also a blue bank, but Max told me to use the green one) and I thanked him.

Here’s the main square in Yablanitsa. For some reason, I put my camera away after and forgot to take more pictures!

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After making a withdrawal, I had to find the supermarket. I wandered around a bit trying to get my bearings and then identified that the street the green ATM is on (the one you see in the photo above going left and right, not the one with the cars parked) is a main thoroughfare. I headed down it (left in the picture) looking for the supermarket and eventually spotting it. I wasn’t sure it was the store I’d been in with Max, but it said supermarket so I figured it would do even if it wasn’t, but it was.

I took my time shopping, managing to get everything on my list except chicken broth. My dictionary app proved to be useless (glad it was a free one) and I was happy I had access to Google translate to confirm what I guessed I was holding (like tomato sauce with mushrooms, *shudders*). I knew that the good butter was in the deli case, so I took a deep breath and went there, where I said, “Butter, please,” to the clerk. She nodded and said, “One?” holding up a finger for a good measure. “Yes, one. Thank you!” My first successful exchange in Bulgarian!

The till was less successful. I knew from my first trip that I would pay and then be asked for 0.25BGN deposit on my beer bottles. So I was all ready for that, but the cashier took my 0.25BGN from what I’d paid her. It took me a moment to understand that she was telling me, “I already took your bottle deposit from your change” and not “You still owe me for the bottle deposit.” Now that I know the deposit is 0.25BGN for two bottles, the next time I buy beer there I will put the 0.25 with them when I get to the till to show that I know I’m expected to pay a deposit.

I came out of the store and loaded up my backpack. I had too much for it unless I wanted to smoosh the bread, but I got all the heavy things in and only had some light things to carry separately.

That was the limit of the excitement I could handle for one day, so I decided to head home. As I did so, I passed a convenience store with an ice cream cooler outside. I grabbed a chocolate Magnum-style bar (chocolate ice cream covered with chocolate and peanuts on a stick). The price was listed as 1.45BGN, so I dug out 1.50 before going inside to pay. My treat was really good! 😀

The trip home was a bit of a slog since most of it was uphill. I really don’t mind walking to Yablanitsa, but I will definitely figure out how to arrange for a taxi back from now on. I’m told it’s only 6 to 8BGN (4.80 to 6.40CAD).

My trip only took me three hours so I should be able to cut that to two if I take a taxi back. Yablanitsa is definitely further than I’d been told it was, but is certainly close enough to feel accessible. I look forward to going to the market on Friday and having more time to browse at my leisure.

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Back At Work!

I was thinking of attempting the walk to Yablanitsa today, but then remembered that I’m waiting on a PayPal transfer to my travel account so I might as well wait to go to town so I can make a cash withdrawal at the same time. I have other money I could transfer to my travel account if I was desperate for groceries, but I’m not. So I’m okay with waiting a day. I’m just bored with the food I have left and look forward to having the time to do a proper shop at my own pace. 🙂

Thankfully, there was work available to me when I got up this morning. I did a tiny job sitting at the kitchen table on a stool, but that’s as much as I could manage. Now, I’m sitting in the IKEA chair with my laptop in my lap. It’s actually pretty comfortable and surprisingly functional, but it’s hard to be focused and in “work mode” sitting like this!

The time zone difference with my clients is rather trippy (they are seven to ten hours behind me, so I wake up as they are going to bed) and I have to keep reminding myself that I am ahead. So I won’t be missing anything, just getting emails in the afternoon. I may have to adjust my schedule to working later in the day and not be as much of a morning person as I’ve been the last several years.

I do have to say I rather like having almost no emails waiting in the morning as it makes it so much easier to go out with the dogs and get some fresh air and exercise before getting to work. I had all these intentions of walking first thing in the morning when I was on Isla, but then I’d wake to pressing emails I felt I had to answer right away and before I knew it, morning was well underway and the chance for a quiet walk had passed. I think my three months here will do me a world of good, both physically and mentally. They are going to fly by!

Back to work I go. I love how quiet it is here!

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Ice Broken!

I tried going into the little village shop again today… and made it in. Amazing what an accomplishment that felt like! I was thrilled that they had beer as that was at the top of my shopping list. I hoped to be able to browse at my leisure, but it’s one of those places where everything is behind the counter.

I took a deep breath and asked the attendant for bread. It is a really tough word to pronounce and she didn’t get me the first time. I was going to dig for my dictionary and show her what I wanted when she clued in and said, “Bread?” “Da!” I replied. That was all the excitement I could handle for one afternoon and I made a “that’s it” type of motion with my hands. She told me my total and showed it to me on a piece of paper, 3.65BGN (2.92CAD). These are 0.5L containers of beer. The bread looks very fresh. I would have preferred whole grain, but it’s better than nothing.

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My nice neighbour, Vasa, wanted to chat as I was coming up the hill, but my Bulgarian was useless for that. I reminded her “No Bulgarian!” and then listed my pitiful list of words. She laughed. I did understand when she asked when Max is coming back and also when she said that Bulgarian will come if I work at it. I am, but it’s slow going. I wish there was an app like Duolingo for Bulgarian. I just haven’t found the app that’s making the language stick.

Well, there are two dogs clamouring for my attention, so I guess it’s walk time. Then beer! 😀