RAIN, PLANES AND THE INSANE
After a cold and wet trip to England I am happy to be melting in the Bulgarian sun. The only few dry minutes in the wet week I spent there was when I bumped into the Gay festival in the Leicester Square area. The colourful combination of muscular leather clad lispers and an army of kd lang look-alikes did not match the British summer rains. I was surprised to see that the London police did not see this happening as a target since they seem to have concentrated their security efforts on Wimbledon, the Billy and Harry Show and the airports.
Speaking of airports, Lilly and I travelled back via Heathrow using the Heathrow Express and Bulgaria Air, the last surviving airline of Bulgaria. Expecting security delays, we had plans to be at the airport in good time, about two hours in advance, especially since we carried heavy suitcases. We should have planned for four hours since the good people of Her Majestys railways first advised the nation and all visitors to use public transport and cancelled half their services. I understand that this must have been too good an opportunity to let pass to show who is really in charge. So when we finally got to the airport we were the very last people allowed to check in. The magical mixture of handling By Alitalia (Air Line In Tokyo Air Luggage In Alaska) and transport by Air Bulgaria meant that we hardly understood the instruction of the arrogant little biatchi who took and then lost our luggage and then upon arrival in Sofia would not get it back until four days later. The actual procedure of getting lost luggage means you have to call five different phone numbers that are never answered, get different statements from different people and deal totally useless dispatchers from Tourist Service Agency (who seem to have the contract) who absolutely dont give a damn. I tried in my best Bulgarian to deal with this myself as Lilly was at the end of her nerves and when I asked the man to repeat something in English, I was told that this is a local company and no foreign was spoken.
TO FISH OR NOT TO FISH
Back in Sofia I had only a few days before leaving again but this time to a better place. Actually if there is a heaven, I would like it to look like this. My company organised a Team-Building weekend in the Rhodope mountains. We spent the weekend with some 30 people in a brand new fishermans hotel called Romance in a village of 3000 people. Sarnitsa (Bulgarian: Сърница) is a small town in the Pazardzhik Province, southern Bulgaria. It is part of the Velingrad municipality, located deep in the Rhodopes among remote virgin forests. The town has successfully preserved its authentic atmosphere and its old architecture. The fishing is fantastic and there are many hiking trails in this remote part of the mountains. Our trip was organised by Andre and Pavel of Blow-Fish (www.blowfish-bg.com) who did a fantastic job in turning 30 IT people into authentic fisherboys and girls. They supplied equipment for all, baited the water, cooked the fabulous BBQ and helped with our Team-Building effort. I highly recommend them for yours!
CORRUPT, MOIS?
The EU report on corruption Bulgaria was funnier then the Monty Python subtitled reruns on TV7 (www.tv7.bg). Of course there is still corruption Mr. Frattini, and there always will be. Just as the EU invited Bulgaria under false pretences, (all you want is a clean road leading to the east), so has this country accepted your invitation under the same pretence (all we want is your money). The threat of another report in 2008 will have the same effect as this current report. It will contain the same issues, the same remarks, and suggestions and nothing will be done about it.
Koos Jan Schouten (1954) was born in Amsterdam, has lived in Bulgaria since 1998, owns www.webfactory.bg and has been married since 2002 to his lovely Lilly.
