Bulgarian hospitality

I went back to Ruse in the morning, where I queued with the pensioners for a good 20 minutes in the building signed "Poste" before working out that I was in the wrong place and would not be receiving any pension or other assistance from the Bulgarian state! The actual post office was around the side of the Poste building, and the next problem was that the items I wanted to send weighed closer to 3 kg and the maximum for the Post Office cartons was 2 kg. I eventually worked out that that was what the patient staff were telling me, and then proposed that instead of cycling several kilometres to the railway station for a bigger carton, I would simply send 2 cartons.

I popped into the tourist office one more time to give my respects before parting, and to enquire about the way to Varna. It sounded a good road, a little hilly but nothing major.

I stopped at a fruit/vegetable stand and asked for some apples, a peach and some tomatoes. A man approached me and asked me where I was heading and recounted everything to the woman running the stall, and the small entourage that soon surrounded me. The fruıtseller gave me everything for free, despite my protestations!

Then I rode out of town towards the Ivanovo rock churches, which had been carved into the walls of a canyon about 20 km from Ruse. I didn't see too much as it seemed to be closed, but I enjoyed the ambience of the area and there were plenty of obvious wild camping prospects, so with the sun setting I decided to stay the night in or near the canyon.

As I was cycling towards the canyon entrance, where I had seen some good prospects for tent, a car stopped. The occupants were some people I'd said hello to down by the rock church. The driver, a young Bulgarian guy, asked if I was thirsty and then handed me a bottle of mineral water, and then a bottle of iced tea! We spoke a bit about my trip and he gave me some advice for the road. I was very humbled by this all, and also a little frustrated that I could not somehow repay his kindness, although I think this is just the little Anglo-Saxon in me, less used to such random displays of generosity.

I cooked a nice dish of pasta and red lentil curry, still having mustard seeds, cumin and chillies that I have been carrying since leaving La Sorga, and it was absolutely delicious, better than all of my previous on the road curry efforts. A perfect prelude to a night of camping in such a tranquil location.