Two days in Sofia

September 18, 2015 to September 19, 2015

I got up this morning, and tried to get breakfast at the hotel. Last night they said it was possible. This morning they said it was not. I walked down the street to a pastry shop that isn't really open in the morning, but is the breakfast spot for a different hotel that is next door. They agreed to serve me breakfast for 4 lev. Despite it being a pastry shop, I was able to order a "European" breakfast of eggs and ham. It came with toast (no butter or jam) and coffee. I asked for more coffee. The bill was. 5.95 lev, so the extra coffee was half the price of the breakfast that included coffee.

I went back to my room, and spent some time updating this journal. Then I checked out. I wanted a map of Bulgaria, and needed to understand which roads I can ride on (bikes are not allowed on highways, but I'm not sure what is considered a highway), so I thought I should head to the tourist office. The hotel told me it was at the bus depot. I hadn't seen it when I arrived, but thought I had just missed it.

I went back to the depot. There were lots of little offices around it, and many of them say "info". They are info for selling bus tickets only. I went into the actual depot, and found an info office that didn't look like it was selling tickets. They only provide bus info. When I asked about a Sofia or Bulgaria info office, they said there isn't one. I don't know whether that's true. When I asked where to buy a map, they pointed at the news stand across the way. While that was going on, I got yelled at for bringing my bike inside. It was loaded up since I had checked out of the hotel, and I wasn't about to leave it outside unattended. The guy who yelled at me was a taxi driver, and I figured no big deal. I left the bike where it was while I bought a map, and someone else, apparently the head honcho for the bus depot came by and yelled at me, too. I had my map then, and was happy to leave. I stopped at a take away cafe and bought a coffee, and sat down on a bench to look at the map. I guess the bench belonged to a different take away cafe, because I got yelled at for sitting on the bench. Sofia is not a very friendly city.

After that, I really wanted to find some Wi-Fi and start looking for options to leave Sofia. I went to McDonald's, which has become a reliable source of public Wi-Fi. I used to count on McDonald's for a clean toilet. That hasn't worked so well on this trip, as the toilets are locked and you get a key code with your receipt after you buy some food. I usually like to do things in reverse order, but whatever. I had some ice cream and mineral water at McDonald's, and sat and used the WiFi until it was time to check in at my new hotel.

On the way to the hotel I passed a mosque. There were quite s few men lasting out prayer rugs and also quite a police presence. I don't know if it was the usual call to prayer or if something special brought out the police.

The Hotel Favorit is a nice modern place. My room wasn't ready as promised at 2 pm, but I didn't have to wait long. The room is clean and air-conditioned, has a nice bathroom with a tub/shower, and comes with toiletries and even bath salts for the tub. There's is a computer available for guest use, and I sat and looked at routes from Sofia to Istanbul on-line. The restaurant is pretty good, too. I'll admit I haven't left the hotel since I checked inn. It was exceptionally hot today, so I'm happy to be out of the heat, not on my bike, hoping it cools off tomorrow. I've extended my booking by one day, and have a short list of chores to take care of before I plan to hit the road on Sunday.

Saturday, September 19

Conversation in front of Telenor shop:

me: Excuse me, do you speak English?

Woman: No.

me: Do you know what time this shop opens?

Woman: Ten o'clock.

I went back when they opened, and did get a Bulgarian SIM card. The SIM card was 6 lev and came with only 10 Mb of data. I also topped up with 400 Mb for an additional 6 lev. I'll feel better riding through the countryside with some connectivity. When I asked about coverage, I was told "everywhere". I hope that is close to true.

I walked to the mall, curious about how it looked and not especially interested in anything else. It was a mall, not much to say. I walked back through the Woman's Market. Had I known it was there, I would have specifically visited. It's a mix of fruit and vegetables and some meat, and a bunch of nuts and dried fruit, and also clothing and other retail. It looks like the area has been rebuilt recently. It was fun to see. There were a lot of men there, not just women!

Then I went back to the hotel, checked over my bike, put some air in the tires and adjusted the brakes. It's filthy, mostly from the muddy ride out of Belgrade, but otherwise okay. Next I got on-line, looked after some bills, and also applied for my e-visa to Turkey.

I need to look at the route a bit more carefully, and I think I'm set to leave tomorrow morning. The weather forecast has changed, and it looks like there will be rain in the afternoon, and perhaps later in the week. Keep your fingers crossed for good weather!

Update:

I've used the hotel computer to plot a route and load it to my GPS. I hope it works! There is a 300 meter climb within the first 15 km to get out of Sofia. I'm not sure of the grade, but it looks like a steady climb.

I splurged for dinner at a fancy French restaurant. I had some duck, and it was really tasty. I was alone in the restaurant until I was finishing up tea and dessert, creme brulee with lavender, at about 7 o'clock, when some other people started trickling in.

Bike parking, down the steps to the metro. I didn't see many bikes parked around the city. Sofia is definitely not bike-friendly.

Today's ride: 5 km (3 miles)
Total: 2,635 km (1,636 miles)

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