Before we attended our mid-service conference, Jess and I traveled to the southwestern region of Bulgaria for some hiking. We met up with some other Peace Corps volunteers in the Sandanski region, in the heart of the Pirin Mountains. We had quite an adventure. The first day we chartered a private bus (there were 17 of us or so) and went up to
Rozhen Monastery. It dates from the middle ages (with some remodeling in the 18th century). It was very pretty and of course had incredibly detailed , colorful frescoes. I enjoy visiting Orthodox churches and admiring the frescoes. Sometimes the scenes are historical or of tales with which I am not familiar, but usually there is a depiction of stories I recognize from Sunday school. Bulgaria has many beautiful monasteries. During the Ottoman occupation, many served to preserve the culture and national identity of the Bulgarian people. Unfortunately, I don't have the language skills to understand the religious thoughts of most Bulgarians, but in general, regardless of one's feelings towards religious devotion, the monasteries are viewed as part of an important cultural heritage. Adding to this monastery's charm was a courtyard overhung with green grapes. I grabbed a few and after a taste wished I had grabbed a bunch! From Rozhen we hiked down a trail with amazing views of the unique sandstone pyramid landscapes to the town of Melnik. Melnik is famous for two things. One, it is the smallest village in Bulgaria; and two, it makes great wine. Every Bulgarian whom we told we were going to Melnik responded with, 'Drink the red wine!' So we enjoyed a lunch with a lot of red Melnik wine and traditional Bulgarian food. I even bought a bottle to bring back to my work.
The next day we went hiking in the Pirin mountains and slept in a hija. A 'hija' is a mountain hostel. Usually they have dorm style rooms and serve food and drinks. Bulgaria has several mountain ranges and a network of trails with 'hijas' scattered throughout for lodging and rest. Despite our hija being unheated, we enjoyed a very warm night's rest and hot soup and stuffed peppers in their dining room. The hike was incredibly
beautiful. I had smoked sausage and pistachios in my pocket that I snacked on as we walked through a gorgeous valley. The weather was perfect with a mixture of clouds, sun, and refreshing chill. My new knowledge of avifauna let me recognize a few kestrels hunting near a mountain lake. Kestrels can hover in mid-air, so if you see a raptor hovering, it's probably a kestrel. Our trail followed a romantic flowing stream up the mountain and led to a pleasantly peaceful mountain lake below a ring of jagged peaks. On the way, we paused to rest beside waterfalls, climbed treacherous boulder-strewn ways, passed through pine shrubs, and meadows peppered with lamb's ear. There was good conversation and occasionally a history lesson or two from our Bulgarian guide. Before hiking, we had purchased hiking insurance for 2 leva, which we were told is required to hike in the Pirin Mountains; and good sense since if you need to be rescued or helicoptered out - the insurance will cover you, but you could get charged over 700 leva if you had a problem without getting the insurance!
Before we attended our mid-service conference, Jess and I traveled to the southwestern region of Bulgaria for some hiking. We met up with some other Peace Corps volunteers in the Sandanski region, in the heart of the Pirin Mountains. We had quite an adventure. The first day we chartered a private bus (there were 17 of us or so) and went up to Rozhen Monastery. It dates from the middle ages (with some remodeling in the 18th century). It was very pretty and of course had incredibly detailed , colorful frescoes. I enjoy visiting Orthodox churches and admiring the frescoes. Sometimes the scenes are historical or of tales with which I am not familiar, but usually there is a depiction of stories I recognize from Sunday school. Bulgaria has many beautiful monasteries. During the Ottoman occupation, many served to preserve the culture and national identity of the Bulgarian people. Unfortunately, I don't have the language skills to understand the religious thoughts of most Bulgarians, but in general, regardless of one's feelings towards religious devotion, the monasteries are viewed as part of an important cultural heritage. Adding to this monastery's charm was a courtyard overhung with green grapes. I grabbed a few and after a taste wished I had grabbed a bunch! From Rozhen we hiked down a trail with amazing views of the unique sandstone pyramid landscapes to the town of Melnik. Melnik is famous for two things. One, it is the smallest village in Bulgaria; and two, it makes great wine. Every Bulgarian whom we told we were going to Melnik responded with, 'Drink the red wine!' So we enjoyed a lunch with a lot of red Melnik wine and traditional Bulgarian food. I even bought a bottle to bring back to my work. 
The next day we went hiking in the Pirin mountains and slept in a hija. A 'hija' is a mountain hostel. Usually they have dorm style rooms and serve food and drinks. Bulgaria has several mountain ranges and a network of trails with 'hijas' scattered throughout for lodging and rest. Despite our hija being unheated, we enjoyed a very warm night's rest and hot soup and stuffed peppers in their dining room. The hike was incredibly beautiful. I had smoked sausage and pistachios in my pocket that I snacked on as we walked through a gorgeous valley. The weather was perfect with a mixture of clouds, sun, and refreshing chill. My new knowledge of avifauna let me recognize a few kestrels hunting near a mountain lake. Kestrels can hover in mid-air, so if you see a raptor hovering, it's probably a kestrel. Our trail followed a romantic flowing stream up the mountain and led to a pleasantly peaceful mountain lake below a ring of jagged peaks. On the way, we paused to rest beside waterfalls, climbed treacherous boulder-strewn ways, passed through pine shrubs, and meadows peppered with lamb's ear. There was good conversation and occasionally a history lesson or two from our Bulgarian guide. Before hiking, we had purchased hiking insurance for 2 leva, which we were told is required to hike in the Pirin Mountains; and good sense since if you need to be rescued or helicoptered out - the insurance will cover you, but you could get charged over 700 leva if you had a problem without getting the insurance!
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