Preslava and the joys (and non-joys) of Chalga....

Melody, Eric, Tryavna, Preslava, and so went my first real taste to Chalga in two years.

Of course I have heard Chalga. I mean, who hasn't? It is everywhere. It is always played blaringly loud no matter where you are...the bus, the cafe, your next door neighbors apartment. It is EVERYWHERE! But what is it you ask. Well, let me see here.

(Preslava in Tyravna)

According to Wikipedia, Chalga is a type of Bulgarian popular music, sometimes synonymous with pop folk. It draws back from Balkan folk traditions and incorporating Arabic, Turkish, Greek, and Roma (Gypsy) influences. Although many claim to hate the genre of music, it is still the leading music played in bars and clubs. (There is a big rivalry between Chalga fans, and those who hate it. You are either a Chalga fan or you aren't. Simple as that. Seriously, you could put Bulgarians into these two groups. There is no in between.)

Some even say it is a second rate musical genre. With stupid and pointless lyrics, the educated of Bulgaria dismiss the music, while the uneducated and unrefined are the real fans. Is this true? I don't know. And I wont even begin to decide. Sounds like we might even be talking about the Country music of America if you put it in those terms.

(Preslava: She might just be more famous for her knockers than her music.)

There is a common joke in Bulgaria. Well, I don't know if it is common or just something I have heard here and there. But it goes like this. "One does not listen to Chalga, they watch Chalga." The pictures I have posted don't do this joke justice. It simply means that Chalga singers are sex objects, like any pop singer would be. The difference is that their music is so horrible it is not even worth listening to. People would rather stare at the enormous silicone-filled breasts and scantly clad dressed girls in their high heels, than listen to the music.

(Melody and me at Preslava!)

This post should have come 2 years ago when I first got to country and discovered what is so very Bulgarian - Chalga. But it is only now I share this because I recently went to my first, and probably my last Chalga concert. I had the great pleasure to experience something so Bulgarian, I almost liked it just for that reason. I saw the ever famous Preslava in concert.

(While searching online for a good definition of what Chalga music really is, I came across a very interesting, yet long article about one man's encounter of the music. To read more, click the following link... "Bulgaria's Chalga Music" by Matt Pointon.)

So, that is that. My shpeal about Chalga music. And for the record. I am NOT a fan.

Tryavna...

I got a message on my computer one night when I was out that said "Saturday night we are going to Tryavna. The train is at 4pm. You are going and we will be seeing Preslava." As you can tell from the message I didn't really have a choice. My friend Melody was going to drag me there if I liked it or not. But really, I was excited. I have been wanting to get to this town for 2 years now. AND...my good friend Eric lives there. He has made it out to Stara countless times, but I never managed to make it out that way. Well that day had finally come, 2 years later!

(A symbol of the Stara Planina-old mountains. This tower can be seen in postcards, paintings and drawings of the Old Mountains. Please note: The street sign is upside down. But what would it be for in the first place? I cant quite figure that out.)

Tryavna is a beautiful town tucked in the mountains. The whole town exudes an air of the National Revival period, with the old white houses and narrow streets. As we wandered around, we passed dozens of old craft shops. But the wood carving ones are to be especially noted. It is a town famous for the wood carvings. When you walk into a building or house, you should look up and notice the intricate detail of the richly designed carved ceilings. Truly amazing.

(Eric, Ethan, and Toni, a Bulgarian friend)

The quick trip was exactly what I needed after a week full of other celebrations. And Eric played the perfect host!

(As I was taking the train back to Stara the next afternoon, I thought... Wow, that was my last chance to go to Tryavna to see Eric! It is such a strange feeling, and I know I talk about it a lot, but everything is coming to an end. My close bunch of friends are all going their separate ways, moving on from Bulgaria, and taking that next step in life.... Wow, that is going to be me in a couple of months!)

Graduation and Prom...

This week my 12th graders graduated. I have taught them for the past two years and cant help but feel proud. They are an awesome group of kids and I wish them all the best in the future. Who knows, I may just run into some of them as a few are studying in the states.

(12A Class)

Graduation: It is not what we think of in the states. There are no really important speeches and then the calling of the names to receive the diploma. It is more of an informal event where the teachers, parents and students gather, put on a little show (students do skits), sing a sad song, and take pictures outside. Once pictures are taken, each class goes their own way, usually to one last dinner, one last horrah.

I was invited to have dinner with my 12A class along with another colleague and good friend Mima. We enjoyed lots of Rakia while my students tried to teach me how to "Q-check", a typical Bulgarian style dance. I think I failed miserably even though they said the opposite. From dinner, we all went to a Chalga (Bulgarian pop-folk music) club where I continued to embarrass myself with my dancing. A good night all around.

(Me and Vessela, a student)

Prom: Graduation is a fun, but I think the kids look forward to prom more. I mean, who doesn't love getting dressed to the nines looking their best. And man did everyone look great! The girls get all dolled up in beautiful gowns and the boys...well, lets just say they clean up nice!

(Me and some of the boys)

Prom is held with the entire 12th grade class of about 300 or so students. And only selected teachers attend. (Of course I was invited!) We danced until 3 in the morning, until we decided to head to a disco yet again followed by more dancing. My students stayed out much later than I did, and I didn't get home till 5:30 am. Lets just say it was a late night. I think I slept the whole next day but it was worth it!

Stara Zagora Bus Schedule

Since my last post talked about traveling in Sofia, I thought I would stick to the same theme. This time lets talk about schedules. Bus schedules in particular. Most bus stations have the schedule of buses coming and going posted on the wall. That is...if there is a bus station in the town, otherwise you have to go on the hope that someone in town knows when the next bus is.


Anyways, here is Stara Zagora's bus schedule. It sometimes amazes me that people rely on this schedule. If a bus no longer runs, they black it out. If the time changes, they correct it in pen on the board. Is it just me or is this absurd? Isn't there a better, more reliable system. Sofia has it made with a wonderful website in English and Bulgarian, but I guess I would expect no less from the capital.

I wonder if, when I come back to Stara in say 5 years, will they still have the same schedule board? Oh, I hope not. I hope to see some major changes...especially in the Stara Zagora bus station. For being the 5th largest city, that station really needs some work with not only repairs but getting rid of all the sketch masters that wander around creeping me out.

This is one of those moments where I say to myself...."Ah, Bulgaria." And everything is okay and makes perfect sense.

Traveling in Sofia...

As I said in my previous post, I was in Sofia this past week. And man, sometimes it can really suck to be traveling in Sofia. I generally don't mind Sofia and I was actually looking forward to getting away for a bit to the big city, with the great weather, and hoping to meet up with some friends. Well, I got to the big city, I met up with friends, but the good weather had suddenly disappeared. For the last couple months Bulgaria has had nothing but beautiful weather, reaching pretty high temperatures. Those highs seemed to have faded this week in Sofia as I was met with pouring rain, thunder and lightning, and the muddy streets of the big city.

(Inside a typical tram in Sofia...my public transportation.)

Normally the rain wouldn't bother me. If I had an umbrella and real shoes I would get over the mud. But I came to Sofia expecting hot weather and nothing but sunshine, meaning I packed no umbrella and wore flip flops for the first time all year. BUST! But all of this reminds me of a book I read awhile back.

In "Cafe Europa: Life After Communism", Slavenka Drakulic writes...

"You might associate mud with rural areas, but in Eastern European cities it returns to haunt you, the ghost of your peasant origins. I remember that in rained early that morning, and as I walked towards the old marketplace in the center, I thought I'd never get there. The streets were covered with mud and were so slippery that it was dangerous to walk there. It appeared under the asphalt, through holes and cracks - brownish, sticky, greasy, just like shit. I tried to watch my step, jumping over puddles, but there there was no way of escaping the mud. It stuck to the soles of my shoes, splashing high up to my knees..."

Nothing could be more true in a country where they continue to replace streets and sidewalks of broken tiles with more tiles that will inevitably break soon too. Why not just pave the sidewalks? Who knows. But until then, the mud will always return from hiding under the patched roads and cobblestones, waiting for its chance to overtake the city. The mud follows you home too, on your shoes and the bottom of your pants. Grrr..

My SPA Project...

And I dont mean the kind of spa where you go to relax. So what is SPA??

SPA stands for Small Project Assistance. It is a a joint collaboration between USAID and Peace Corps aimed at building the capacity of local communities and organizations to reach shared goals. The program was established in 1983 and uses the human and technical resources of Peace Corps, along with the financial resources of USAID, to encourage sustainable, effective development projects.

(Before picture of English Resource Room)

SPA is a grassroots program that allows Peace Corps volunteers to design and carry out their own projects. Through the SPA program, volunteers are able to assist communities in identifying common concerns, develop strategies to address these concerns and design and implement small-scale, sustainable projects.

(Another before shot of the old room)

And since being a volunteer here, I have successfully written my very own SPA. The goal of my project was to create an English library and multi-media resource room. My school, Romain Rolland Foreign Language School, was founded in 1966 and has developed into the 3rd best school in the country, a language school no less. And as the country is gradually integrating into the European Union, there is a greater need for multi lingual skills. This trend highlights a serious need to develop the education resources in the community. And that is exactly what we have decided to do.

(After photo: The Multi Media Resource Room and English Library.)

If you walk into most schools in the states, and even most schools in Europe you will find that almost all the classrooms are equipped with a TV and DVD player or VCR. This is something rare to even find in the entirety of a Bulgarian school. Schools here not only lack the media resources but also the educational resources such as books. In some schools, students do not even have the right text book for class usually due to lack of money. Again, something that is taken for granted in the states.

(Another after shot of new room)

So, my project addresses these resource needs as well as the needs of not only technical training but professional training as well. We, meaning me and my project team, have created an English library and multi media resource room. The new resources include shelves and hundreds of new books (contemporary literature, the classics, SAT and TOEFL prep books, and teacher training books.) We also purchased a new computer, printer, projector, TV, etc.

As for the training aspect of the project, selected teachers received training on how to use the new library material and technologies. These teachers are now able to take their new acquired knowledge to train other teachers. Our current project will further allow teachers to develop their professional skills by incorporating different teaching methods in the classroom, therefore addressing the needs of students with different learning styles. It will also offer students extra material to develop their own language skills.

The project has proven to be quite a success as the room is always booked for classes and sometimes over booked. Quite a project if I do say so myself!

(Me unpacking new books bought with SPA funds!!)

After thoroughly enjoying writing my SPA project, I decided to join the SPA project committee. Each quarter, volunteers submit their project proposal drafts to members of the SPA committee (there are 8 members). We then read the drafts, comment on them and give feedback on how they can be improved. The volunteers submit their final drafts by a certain deadline where all they have to next is wait. The committee reads all projects submitted, scores their project according to a matrix, and heads to Sofia for the meeting. During the meeting we discuss at length the projects, the positive and negative things about each project, and then essentially vote on the project. They are either funded with conditions or advised to revised and resubmit.

I had my last SPA meeting this past week in Sofia (hence why I am writing this ever too long blog). Although at times I thought, "Not another project", I really enjoy this type of work. I have learned so much about grant writing and working on a diverse team. Sometimes I think I would really like to get into a field of work that includes project writing and review. I will continue to review projects if they come to me until I COS, but after that, it will be up to the remaining 6 members of the committee who still have a few extra months left in their service. I wish the committee and the applicants the best of luck.

"All that is not given is lost"

This is a famous Indian proverb and one that is the theme of a book I recently finished reading.


Union Carbide was a huge, well-intentioned American corporation that invented a miracle pesticide. In the Indian city of Bhopal they built a giant plant to process it. But at five past midnight on December 1984, toxic gas leaked into the night air and was blown into the heavily populated city. And by dawn, over half a million people would be poisoned, leaving between 16 and 30 thousand people dead. That is what is written on the back cover of this touching book, an epic story of the world's deadliest industrial disaster.

Dominique Lapierre and Javier Moro have written this devastating account of Carbide's activities in Bhopal leading up to the gas leak. They are quite skillful in telling the nearly forgotten story of the Bhopal gas tragedy and its aftermath. The story which presents the greatest ever scandal of the corporate world: a chronicle of staggering negligence crowned by a giant American corporation's utter indifference for the suffering of its victims.

One reviewer wrote....
"They not only show how the plant developed and ultimately failed, but we also get a glimpse into the lives of those living right next door to the secret killer. The book brings to life for us the slum neighborhoods of Bhopal, their vibrant life and many of their characters: Gangaram the leper, Pulpul Singh the moneylender, little Padmini the tribal girl from Orissa whose wedding took place on what was to become known as "The Night of Gas" or simply "That Night".

We are also introduced to the people who built and ran the deadly pesticides plant, and are helped to understand the complex sequence of decisions and blunders which led year by year, week by week and finally, minute by minute, toward catastrophe. As a result we feel the full horror of what happened at midnight on 2 December 1984, as cocktails of deadly gases began drifting in clouds through the densely populated city lanes, killing some ten to twenty thousand immediately (many of them with eyes and mouths on fire, drowning terrified in their own body fluids), leaving behind more than half a million injured.

To this day the company has never said exactly what gases leaked, and one reason for that is that it has never appeared in court (Union Carbide is officially a "fugitive from justice" in India having failed to turn up to answer charges in the Bhopal court), it has never been compelled to face questioning under oath, and the evidence related to the world's worst ever chemical disaster has to this day never been publicly heard."

This book will truly open your eyes to the reality of what unchecked and unaccountable corporate power means. Dominique Lapierre is one of my favorite authors who also wrote "City of Joy" and "Beyond Love". This book proves the same quality as his others and is a must read if you ask me. Not to mention half of all the royalties for the book go to the Dominique Lapierre "City of Joy Indian Foundation" to support humanitarian actions in Bhopal.

Jessica from Berkeley...

Awhile back I was in Sofia for a meeting with Peace Corps. I was staying at a hostel I usually frequent, Be My guest. The owner of the hostel knows Peace Corps volunteers well as they are always coming into Sofia for this and that. Every week, someone from his hostel, usually a foreigner, is interviewed for a Sofia weekly magazine. Well, that week was my lucky week! He asked if I wanted to be interviewed and of course I agreed. I made plans to meet the lady the next night after my meeting.


The interview: I was very excited as this was my first "real" interview in Bulgaria. (My students are always interviewing me for the local paper, but I have only ever seen one of the articles.) Anyways, the interview started out well, but as it progressed all I could think was "Really? You want to know my favorite place in Spain? Why? What does this have to do with anything?" If you look close enough you will be able to see just how random the interview must have been..there are names of my favorite bars in San Luis Obispo where I went to college. Like I said...basically, the entire interview did not really have any logical order, but eh. What could I do. They weren't my questions. A week later, this article was published in the magazine. A full page spread with a color picture!!

(*Note: If you click on the picture, it should open a new page and you can see a larger version of the article. You can even read if you so wish. Although you must know Bulgarian to do so!)

Rockin Roy!!!

Not too long ago, I met a fellow American here in town at my favorite bar. It is more or less the ex-pat bar where all the foreigners hang out. His name is Roy. He is a southern man from Oklahoma who is the nicest guy ever. He works over at the Power Plant on the outskirts of town. And he rocks! Why does he rock?? I will tell you...

I always seem to run into him and we always talk about getting together for dinner at his house with the other volunteers in town. Well, I invited him out for my 80s bash, and he came. I think he came more for the entertainment of watching a dozen crazy Americans out in their garb than the actual 80s part. But can you blame him? We talked again about getting together, and we finally did.

(View from his amazing apartment)

On Sunday night he invited me and the other 6 Americans that were in town. He cooked us real Argentinian beef steaks, broccoli with cheddar cheese, baked potatoes with sour cream and bacon bits, and a leaf lettuce salad with Ranch dressing. We even had frozen yogurt for dessert. We enjoyed delicious wine, beer and of course a little Jack from the south. I am sure Roy thought we hadn't eaten in years because we were moaning and groaning and nearly licking our plates clean from the mm..mmm...good food. I cant wait for Mexican night next!!

(Another view from his apartment)

Why else does Roy rock? Because he almost reminds me of my dad. He has a little gray mustache above his lip, has the ankle sock tan line from golfing so much (yes, golfing in Bulgaria, and he is going to take us), and wears khaki shorts with a golf shirt. Not to mention he cooks a mean steak. (Oh, did I say that already.) My friend Melody even said, "I haven't met your dad, but that is exactly who I would picture him to be." It was almost like home.

80s night in Stara Zagora....

As my group of volunteers is getting ready to leave Bulgaria over the next 2 months, I thought it only best to have one last horrah! And what a better way to do that than make it an wildly rad 80s party in Stara Zagora. About 13 people came into town for the night and we had a blast.

I must say getting ready was pretty damn fun. We rocked out to 80s music and used this video as inspiration.

I want to dance with somebody - Whitney Houston

And for anyone that knows me, they know Whitney was my idol long before Celine.

(The gang with my Bulgarian Baba (granny) and Diado (grandpa) out on their benches.)

My balcony is on the first floor, thus providing the neighborhood with loads of entertainment as we got ready. We crimped our hair, put on blue mascara and hot pink blush, and wore off the shoulder shirts. The night was filled with so many good moments but I think I the best was watching people's reactions as we walked around painting the town red. People either thought we were absolutely insane, or just foreign. Maybe both.

Excursion with the Dutch...

Holland is a beautiful country. A beautifully flat country. And for that reason, we wanted to show the Dutch kids something very Bulgarian, and something they wouldn't normally see in the Netherlands. We took them to the mountains.

First stop: Bachkovo Monastery. This is the second largest Bulgarian monastery, it lies in the valley of the Chepelare river near the southern town of Assenovgrad. It is tucked in the hills of the Rhodopi mountain, which together with its size and ancient spirit make is one of the most visited monasteries in Bulgaria.


Second Stop: Wonderful Bridges. This is a rock phenomenon in the Rhodope Mountains. The "bridges" were formed by the erosive activity of the once high-water river. It transformed the marble clefts into a deep water cave, the ceiling of which whittled up through time and collapsed, allegedly during an earthquake. As a result, the two remaining bridge-shaped boulders remained. The large one (situated upstream) is 15 meters at its widest and 96 meters long, and shaped by three vault arches, the largest of which is 45 meters high and 40 meters wide. The Erkyupriya River flows under the middle-sized arch. The large Wonderful Bridge is passable under the vaults where birds nest in the marble clefts. The smaller bridge is located downstream. It is impassable.


Third Stop: Pamporovo. Pamporovo is the second largest ski resort in Bulgaria where it lies in the Rhodopi mountains. We were told the resort is pleasant to visit out of season as well, due to its picturesque surrounding areas but it was nothing but a big construction site building new resorts. It was not worth the time. But eh, what can you do.

Fourth Stop: Plovdiv. This is the second largest city in Bulgaria, situated on the Maritsa River. Plovdiv is a town built upon layers of towns and a culture developed upon layers of cultures. It is a picturesque town, with many parks and gardens, museums and archaeological monuments. Its old part, called the Old Town, with houses from the National Revival period (18-19th century), is an imposing open-air museum situated on the three hills of the ancient Trimontium. One of the most remarkable sights of the town, the Ancient Theatre (a well-preserved Roman theatre), is located there and is still used for open-air performances.


Last stop: Stara Zagora...home sweet home. The kids loved the trip to the mountains, but they were ready to get off that bus.

The Dutch have come and gone...

If you remember, back in February I went to Holland with 9 Bulgarian students for a first time exchange program. Well, this past week, 9 Dutch students came to Bulgaria. It was there turn to experience the other half of the exchange. They stayed with host families, attended classes, and even made it out to the disco for some dancing.

(Ellen, Charlotte, Sanne, Rebbecca, and Bas)

They did everything from tour the city, explore Green Balkans Wildlife Center, learn a bit of the language, go on an excursion to the Bulgarian mountains, and even learn the Horo (the Bulgarian traditional dance.)

(The whole gang)

Overall, I think the exchange program was a great success. Although at first they were terrified of the hole in the ground toilets, they got over it, and in the end the kids left crying wishing they could have spent more time here. The exchange went so well, they will continue it next year....bringing two worlds together.

The art of jumping photos...

Jumping photos have become my new favorite thing. But it can be tricky. So if you follow these three simple steps, you will be on your way to jumping madness.

Step One: You must practice jumping. You need to be ready to jump over and over to get that perfect picture.

Step Two: Get ready. It helps to crouch down a bit to get more momentum when going up.

Step Three: Jump! Jump as high as you can. The trick here is to tuck your legs so it looks like you got more air than you probably really did.


Bravo! Now you can take as many crazy jumping shot as you wish... you can even try new things and make funny faces. Enjoy. And happy jumping.





Now get out there...and JUMP!

The Terrible Turkish Toilets..

Sometimes it can really suck to be a woman. It is tired and true, but men have it easy when it comes to using the bathroom. They get to pee standing up, while women have to squat in some pretty unbearable situations.

("жени" means women.)

Using public toilets in Bulgaria can be quite an adventure sometimes. They are usually what we like to call "Turkish" toilets, meaning they are simply a hole in the ground. Over the past 2 years I have come to frequent this type of toilet; my school even has them! And we PCVs are all pros at how to tolerate them. We go in hoping for the best, hoping for one as nice as this big shiny metal one pictured below but unfortunately they are not. This one was not even found in Bulgaria. I came across the beautiful toilet in Croatia. (And by the way, this has to be the largest Turkish toilet I have ever seen.)


Anyways, back to the point. I was out and about traveling with some friends and had to use the restroom at the bus station. And bus station bathrooms are notorious for being really bad. Considering you have to pay 30-50 stotinki, they are never clean, there is rarely toilet paper, and they just stink! But when you have to go, you have to go.

I followed a nice couple out to where the bathrooms were. As I approached, I was expecting the worse. I walked down the stairs to find no attendant, no toilet paper, and no fresh air. I went in and discovered there was no light, so I had to pee with the door open. I rolled up my pants to avoid the gross floor, I clenched my purse in my teeth and went for it. The toilet was just plain disgusting. The one pictured here is not so bad, really. But that doesn't even compare to what I had to experience.


I walked back up to meet my friends when I was stopped by the attendant that was missing earlier. He was chatting with the nice couple that initially showed me the way. But now he was asking for 2 leva for using the bathroom. TWO LEVA!!!!! Are you kidding me! I got all in a huff with him and told him this is not right and that in Bulgaria it is only 30 stotinki, maybe 50. I continued to argue with him until I finally just told him I don't have it and walked away giving him only 80 stotinki. (All done in Bulgarian, I might add.)

Angry and frustrated, I walked back to my friends where I told them the whole story. My friend Kathy was absolutely outraged and walked back over to the bathroom. She innocently asked how much it cost to use the bathroom and he said it was only 30 stotinki. She threw up her hands and started to yell at him, calling him a thief and liar. In the end, he gave her back my 50 stotinki extra that I paid. I was quite proud of Kathy and pretty much think she is a rock star for doing that. Go Kathy!!

Pechating Business

Pechat in Bulagarian means stamp. So what does "pechating" mean? Well, Bulgaria has these small books with a list of 100 national sites worth seeing. (The book is pictured below.) And every time you visit one of the sites in the book, they give you a stamp. Think rubber stamp not postage stamp. Each stamp is unique to the place visited. Once you get 25 stamps, you get a bronze pin, 50, a silver pin, and all of the stamps, a gold pin.

So, in a nut shell, pechating means to go stamping. Unfortunately, I only recently got my hands on this book and have been to many more place than I have stamps for. But who knows, maybe I will make it back to those previously visited places and get that well deserved stamp. Does this sound all a bit dorky? Well, it is. But I don't care. I think it is fun and gives me more reason to reach those far off places that I may not have thought to.


And so, the pechating mission begins. With the long labor day weekend recently, it was the perfect opportunity to go off and explore more of Bulgaria. And my friends and I were up for the task. We all started in different parts of Bulgaria but met up in Ruse. We went from Ruse to Ivanovo Rock Monastery to Veliko Turnovo. We crashed in VT and headed out the next morning to Lovech. From Lovech we went to Troyan Monastery, the second largest monastery in the country next to Rila. From there we were hoping to get to Sopot, Karlovo, and Kolofer but with having to wait for buses and trains, we just couldn't hack it. That will be for another time.


As of now, I only have about 11 stamps, but had I got the book a long time ago I would have already had that bronze pin. Here is to pechating!!!

Rock Monestary...

In the past two weeks, I have managed to make it up north twice. It was such a long haul the first time around, I didn't think I would be headed back..and back so soon at that. (It takes 5 hours by a really slow bus just to get to Ruse, one of Bulgaria's largest cities situated on the Danube.) The northern region of Bulgaria is quite beautiful. I haven't had the chance to fully explore the area much, but what I have seen, I have been thoroughly impressed by. They have rolling foothills that stretch on for days and with spring here, the hills are a rich green when not blanketed by all the yellow flowers in bloom right now. Breath taking, really.


With a few friends, we ventured out of the big city of Ruse to the small village of Ivanovo. Here, high in the vertical rocks above the Rusenski Lom River, churches and monk cells were built as far as back in the 12th century. By this time, there were 40 rock temples and around 300 dwellings for monk hermits.

The St. Bogoroditsa Church (or Holy Virgin Church) is the most significant in the whole complex. It is suggested that Tsar Ivan Alexander was the donor and founder of these churches. The church is hewed out in the rock at 38 meters high. And the walls are covered in bright paintings from the time of the Byzantine Renaissance depicting the life of John the Baptist, the hanging of Judas, and the passion of Christ.

The rock churches in Ivanovo are under the protection of UNESCO as a valuable monument of history. You would think it such an important sight would be easy to get to. Well, not in Bulgaria. From Ruse we took a train to the village, only to realize the actual monastery complex was about 5 or 6 kilometers away. Without a single taxi in the village, what else were we to do but start a walking. On the way we happened by some nice people and their huge van who gave us a ride out there. They even asked if we would need a ride back. A ride back! Well, of course. When we were ready, we called, and they came. And that is something I love about Bulgaria, and about Bulgaria's small villages. People are always there ready and willing to help.

(*Note: The girls from left to right...Melody, Kathy, myself, and Becca. Thanks Eric for taking the photo!)