Extra-National Adventures: Croatia and Bulgaria

I get a small knot in the pit of my stomach every night as I vainly try to fall asleep. On the list of worrisome subjects keeping me from rest is the fact that I have been so inattentive to my blog--and yet have so much to share. Impressions and memories that are already starting to fade and that if I dont record them forever will be a great waste.

I have taken several small trips since I came to Turkey--the first was my Visa run to Cyprus which if you are familiar with this blog i have already posted. In June I tool a trip to Croatia (Hirvatistan for you Turks) with a fellow AuPair. My friend had heard somewhere that Croatia is cheap, has great beaches and is considered one of the few "undiscovered" tourist destinations left in Europe. It was "the" travel destination of 2006 for Americans according to Lonely Planet (I suggest reading Jon Bowermasters article about his trip along the Croatian coast via sea kayak. can be found http://www.adriaticsunshine.com/nationalgeographic.htm)

These are some pictures of my own Croatian Adventure (care of my travel companion, Thanks L. you were great!) Both in the capital Zagreb and on the coast in Dubrovnik

 Beach view of Dubrovnik Castle

 A small bay on the Island of Lokum

 Re: Lokum

 Oh, you know,  just splashing around with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russel on the Isle of Lokum (look close)

 Sitting outside Dubrovnik Castle. Last evening in Hrvatska

Although our tickets turned out to be a shameful $500!! The beauty and dirt cheap prices in Croatia made this a worthwhile and once in a lifetime experience. Croatia is beautiful, the people are inviting and the cities are so CLEAN.

In July I again found myself with some time off while the family went to Northern Italy. With a far smaller budget and little motivation i impetuously bourded a night bus from Istanbul to Sofia, Bulgaria. At 55Lira one way It was certainly the best value for your money. Spent 2 days exploring Sofia (More then enough time in such a truely boring city) and 2 days in the mountains near Rila. Myself and 2 other backpackers got stranded overnight and ended up taking a room in a Monestary--and adventure in itself!

Me outside....some building

Hostel Mostel (http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Hostel-Mostel/Sofia/3725)

Some Building....

St. Aleksander Nevski Cathedral, 2nd largest church in the world...I'm not sure which is #1 though...

In the Mountains near Rila

You'd be looking rough too if you had just spent the night being flogged for your sins by giant, Bulgarian Monks!

4 days in Sofia, Bulgaria is more then any one person needs to experience. But the country and mountains surrounding the admittedly ugly, post Soviet Block cities of Bulgaria are lush, green, and exactly the escape this forest-deprived girl from Great North woods needed.