How’s it going? Or as they say it in Bulgaria “Как върви?” (7). That’s right! During summer break we went to Bulgaria and had a blast. Now if you’re wondering where Bulgaria is, its next to Serbia, below Romania, and above Greece (1).
Before we traveled to Bulgaria, we were advised to watch out for pick-pocketing in crowded areas and to be careful for frauds (17). The summer was hot and dry, so we had to drink a lot of water to stay hydrated. They also had a nice highland climate(4). Back in Houston, the summers would be hot and humid, so we were somewhat prepared. While we were visiting this incomparable country, we visited a museum in Sofia, the great capital of Bulgaria (12), and learned about the great history of Bulgaria. Before we went to Bulgaria, we had no knowledge of their history, but when the museum tour guide told us the history, we felt so exhilarated to know more. Also, we heard about the tragedy that happened on October 2, 2014 (18). An explosion completely destroyed a factory, killing 15 people. This brought the country to wonder if arms disposal was worth the risk. One of the amazing things the tour guide told us about was Spartacus, a gladiator of the Thracian Tribe which was a tribe that were the earliest inhabitants of Bulgaria, he was born in 109 BCE.
(Picture 1) This maps shows where Bulgaria is located, its capital, and 4 other cities.
The tour guide said that in 73 BCE he escaped from a gladiatorial training school at Capua with other gladiators, soon slaves joined them. They refuged on Mount Vesuvius and the gladiators taught others basic combat skills. Spartacus was believed to be the leader of the revolt. Rome did not highly regard the slave army as a major threat,so they didn't send their front lines to attack them. Therefore it resulted in the slave army defeating the first four forces. Soon more slaves started to join, and at its prime the slave army had about 90,000 to 12,000 soldiers.
(Picture 2) A drawing of a scene from an attack of the slave army against one of Rome's forces
(Picture 3) Spartacus and the slave army in its prime with about 90,000 to 12,000
In the end he fought against the main Roman forces and eventually lost, but no one ever found his dead body. He was said to be killed near the headwaters of Siler River in southern Italy (5). After our trip to the museum, we went to go to a festival to celebrate Bulgaria's independence day on September 22. We were told by our tour guide that on September 22, 1908 Bulgaria declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire (8).
(Picture 4) The city of Sofia which we went to a festival and celebrated Bulgaria's independence day
While at the festival, we saw lots of native people wearing native clothes. Most of the ladies had flowers on their dresses (11). For dinner, we had Shkembe Chorba, a soup consisting calf stomach and it was surprisingly delicious (9).
Next, we visited the Boyana Church which was spectacular (13). The church walls were very interesting and unique. What made this church different was that the walls were covered with paintings which gave the church a high artistic value. The location of the church made it even better. It is located at the foot of Vitosha Mountain and is isolated from all the noise created by busy cities. It was relaxing, especially after all the walking we did.
The Asenova fortress was outstanding. The view from the fortress was breath-taking. According to our tour guide, the fortress gained importance during the Middle Ages. It was used as a border fortification against Latin raids. It also gave travelers protection (14).
If you ever go on a vacation to Bulgaria, you have to visit Rila National Park. Although it wasn't easy walking all the way there, it was worth it. The place was truly beautiful. Here, you can really appreciate nature to the fullest. It was quiet and the sound of nature was peaceful. It was heaven on Earth (15). The tour guide told us about the many factories polluting the country (2). The factories result in air pollution, which has a negative affect on nature. While going back to the hotel, we met Milen Tsvetkov a local food store. He is famous because he is a TV host and a journalist so it was great that we were able to meet him (6). On Sunday, we passed by a church and was able to hear the traditional church singing (10). It sounded amazing!
The Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak was outstanding (16). It was mostly known for its well preserved examples of Thracian artwork, which was surprising because of how old the artifacts are.