Here I Come Constantinople

OMG, I cannot believe how close I am. I left Bulgaria this morning by the skin of my teeth. I simply do not get the whole European Union (which Greece and Bulgaria are members of) and something called Schengen which Greece is not part of. But border patrtol was not going to allow me passage into Greece (I am in the very tiptoe of the country) because it was not an official border for folks from Australia, USA...basically, non Europeans. I waited over an hour. I was told 7 times I could not cross. I asked what I could do since I was on foot (and they knew it).  My prospects were grim. Eventually, the female border patrol who saw my tear-welled eyes came to the rescue and made phone calls and a fax and, well, she told me I could NEVER cross here again. Believe me, I will not! AND THEY LET ME GO INSIDE WITHOUT A STAMP.

I am going to keep this a bit shorter again though there is much to write. Macedonia really came through after my last blog from there. The people were very friendly from Prilip onwards. I had an overnight stay offer in Karvadarci. I was hugged by a man from Strumica in a grocery store to congratulate me and wish me well. But poor Macedonia is living in the stone age. When it was part of Yugolslavia it was the center of agriculture. It still is poor rural farmers, all with donkey pulled wooden carts. I came into Kavadarci after descending a mountain for 6 HOURS!!!! All down. But I really found a soft spot for the country. My last encounter before crossing the border was from a farmer picking watermelons in his field. He called me over to give me a huge melon but I refused because it weighed too much. Nonsense, he would not have it. He threw it on the ground, busted it open, and had me eat the fruit pieces.
I was glad to exit Macedonia though because the vehicles are in bad shape with things rattling off the sides, tires looking about to fall apart, things  not bolted down. At one point a sheet of tin metal flew off a car roof and missed me by about 15 feet. That could've hurt sever-ly!

Bulgaria had not been so friendly. Folks were not smiling, were non-inquisitive, shifty-eyed, hardly a beep or honk. It was fine, I needed the break. And don't let the EU status fool you; once you leave Bulgarias spiffy principle roads with their nice signs and shiney guardrails you're back to being in the non-EU Macedonia. I thought Bulgaria would be different but when I saw the dead horse next to the wooden cart having just been electrocuted from an open wire,  I started to get suspect. And then it was all too apparent. Bulgaria is as run down and 3W as where I'd come from. The EU disguise. I have gone from Petrich to Goce Delchiv, Dospat, Shiroka Laka (pronounced Sure-Rocka-Locka), Smoljan, Kardzjalia, Momchildgrad, Krumovgrad and last night, Ivaylovgrad. It has all been mountains up and down. And I have done 30 miles or more each day. Yes, I have overextended myself but it is what I need to do now. There are many reasons but one reason is I did not feel very safe sleeping out at night because there are people everywhere in the woods and nooks and crannies. One night I thought I was perfectly hidden but a big boot walked by my tent just before dark. There have been gypsy hagglers and gypsy squat camps in the hills and they are not friendly people, only wanting money, cigarettes, etc, At one point I was being surrounded by children asking, asking, asking for things so I pulled out my whistle and blew it, startling them. They then left me. I saw these babooshka clad, long coat phantom hags with their backs turned to me in the middle of nowhere mountains. I kept imagining that if I turned them around I'd find a face with glowing red eyes and a blood-soaked dagger under their garments. OK, maybe too many horror movies. Regardless, I pushed myself to the next village or town with a hotel for a good night sleep. And with prices around 6-15 bux a night, they were treats well deserved.

I have taken three rides in Bulgaria. Let me explain. One was on a very bad day, my worst maybe of the whole trip. I was getting sick and strung out. I was climbing a mountain that went on and on forever. I got up high and it got cold. Then some rain. I simply could not be cold and wet. A person offered a ride and I took it (about 5 KM) til I was out of the rainshadow/cloud. It was what I had to do at that moment. To save myself.
At another time a suspicious car with two young guys kept driving by me slowly, looking at me, pulling off ahead, waiting for me to pass and then doing it again. I had a bad feeling. Then another car pulled up. It was a woman I had said 'hello' to earlier while taking a photo. Her english was so-so. She offered a ride 3 KM to the next village. I said NO. Then, she looked ahead to the car pulled off, then looked at me and said, "you should come". I understood. I've wanted no trouble and afterwards I never saw that car again.
The last ride came yesterday. I told myself if I was offered a ride by one of these I would not pass it up. It was a horse drawn wooden cart in the mountains by a barefoot handsome young farmer and his 3 year old son. We probably went a mile...I could have gone all day. So peaceful and slow. Life slowly unfolding without the hustle bustle and chaos of life in a city, in the modern world.
Yesterday was a 35 mile day in the mountains with no food, nothing, and little water. I just walked. The gnats were unbearable. Do you know how much fun it is to walk 35 miles waving a leafy twig in front of your face to swish the swarm of bugs away? Not!

I am in Greece and on my way to cross the border at Edirne, Turkey. I think I am supposed to be out today (part of my border deal). Then I go north onto yellow roads to slide into Istanbul! My body has asked a favor of me (usually I ask my body for favors like, can we go an extra 10KM?). It wanted to know if we could continue full steam ahead and even finish this walk BEFORE July 31st? What can I say, my body has been so good to me. But the truth is I am oversaturated at this point. My cup is full of experience and I cannot take any more. My whole essence of being craves nothing more right now than silence and stillness. I know Istanbul is not the place for that but a nice hotel room will be and I can spend as much time there as I need.

Again, a huge thank you to everyone who have sent emails or posted comments on this blog. They have meant so much to me, esp during the rougher times.

Well, I am in the final stretch now. I am super motivated. Here I come Constantinople!!!!