Bulgaria: Mini-Evaluation Four Months On

My stay in Bulgaria this time around felt incredibly short. Granted, it was only 10 days, but it felt much much shorter. Perhaps, as someone close to me surmised, it is because I spent 11 months there not too long ago. Could be. During these 10 days, I managed to finally experience the “new” Bansko (currently, the biggest ski resort in Bulgaria located in the Pirin mountains in the south) – where I spent two days skiing – catch up with quite a few friends (but saw some of them only once, unfortunately), brave the Sofia streets (and sidewalks) with heaps of snow, sleet and some ice, and be lucky enough to both land and take off from Sofia airport with only small delays, missing the worst of the foggy and snowy days but still having to almost elbow my way through the crowds in the departure hall. I guess some things never change. No matter how fancy and modern-looking the airport is, there are still some things that catch the personnel there by surprise (and they shouldn’t given that they happen each and every year). With many flights delayed or cancelled (due to poor weather conditions or few confirmed passengers) around the holidays, the airport is probably twice if not three times as crowded as I have ever seen it. And everything takes a while. From check-in, to being let through to queue up in the security line, through to the security check itself. Patience is definitely a virtue in Sofia these days (as I already mentioned in my last post) and something that most Bulgarians seem to lack, almost by birth it would seem.

But let me not focus on the negatives, for there were quite a few positives to my stay as well. I was pleasantly surprised by the skiing conditions in Bansko. Of course, there is still room for improvement, especially as far as the translations of signs and notices is concerned (more on that in a future post, in which I also plan to include a scanned copy of the ski lift card, with a truly priceless English translation), but on the whole it is a pleasant and respectable ski resort. I had heard many horror stories about how over-developed it had become and was somewhat dreading seeing this “horrible mess”. Yes, it is much more developed; it is by no stretch of the imagination the peaceful village it once was. But it is also not that horrible either. Most of the hotels and condo buildings are built in an architectural style that resembles the traditional architecture in Bansko and thankfully do not stick out like sore thumbs (as do most hotels and other constructions on the Black Sea coast). My only complaint would be that the current and even new infrastructure (including the gondola up to the slopes) has not really been built to fit the extended capacity of all these hotels and condos. If they were all filled, I am not sure exactly what would happen.

I am also not a fan of the all-inclusive spa hotel-resorts, but some people definitely seem to be. As a matter of fact, I overheard the following conversation between a mother and her teenage daughter while on one of the ski lifts (not replicated/translated exactly but close enough):

Mother: “Will you be going clubbing again tonight?”
Daughter: “I don’t know. I don’t really feel like it but I am sure [mentions friend’s name] will want to and will drag us all along with her. I don’t understand what the big deal is about going out when you have everything in the hotel – bar, restaurant, club, sauna…It’s ridiculous. Last night, we spent 2 hours walking around trying to find a place. I mean, there I was, just out of the spa, my face pores open and everything, and I am walking around in the freezing cold. I really don’t understand her [referring to the same friend who constantly wants to go clubbing outside of the hotel].”

I had to laugh under my breath. If teenagers don’t want to go out to clubs, I really don’t know what this world has come to :) Yes, let’s all just spend our time in the hotel. In fact, why don’t we make the suggestion that they build indoor ski runs as well…that way, we wouldn’t need to leave the hotel even to go skiing.

Otherwise, Sofia is the same as I remember it from the summer…except slightly more depressing due to the gray and often foggy winter weather. The malls are still the highlight, with people doing almost everything “at the mall”—from clothes and grocery shopping, to going to movies, to banking, bowling, and even eating out. Someone told me that another 16 malls will be constructed in and around Sofia. I find that very hard to believe, but even the thought of 5 more malls horrifies me. I didn’t really visit any new nightlife spots, but the nightlife is as lively as ever with bars, restaurants, and clubs filled at most hours of day and night. The sponsored Christmas decorations from last year are still around, including the Husqvarna Christmas tree next to the Bulgarian National Bank, and have even increased in number. (For those who might not be in the know, Husqvarna makes tree-cutting machinery, so it is quite ironic that they sponsor an uncut Christmas tree in Sofia.) Taxi fares have also increased; the night rate now runs 60 to 70 stotinki per km, and the scam taxi companies that charge double or triple the fare and disguise themselves as the regulars are also still around. So, pay close attention if hailing a cab in Sofia, especially in bad weather when cabs are scarcer.

And remember, patience is a virtue :)