2nd of January, 2022.
Lots of cars passing, most of them going towards Plovdiv, but still quite a few taking the exit towards Sozopol.
The first people to stop are a family: Lucy, Daniel and Martin. They are spending holidays with family and now are going to visit their other piece of land. They are all very friendly and even invite me to come over to their place and also to visit their friends. I think it is super cool but unfortunately I don’t have time! So they drop me before their exit to Chirpan.
It is the highway. Oh, my Loki! Even though I think I am in trouble, somehow I know I am not. I know someone will stop. And Milena and her husband do. They are traveling with their tiny and cute Pikines. She works with fashion, has her own company and also makes clothes. She gives me one of her fashion masks. And they drop me in the highway again, now about 50 KM of Burgas, and they keep going towards Shumen.
A guy stops and he says he is going to Burgas and I think it is the perfect place. He does not speak much English but he is kind. All of sudden, we see a sign which is indicating to take an exit to Sozopol, a few kilometre before Burgas. It is good that I don’t need to cross the whole Burgas but there will be traffic from here? I hope so!
First some guys, which probably don’t know much about hitchhiking, and who look a bit suspicious, tell me something about the opposite direction where I am going.
A bit ahead of me, a police car stops a truck and start to check on them.
A white car stops and I have the feeling that the guy has second intentions. But I think I always prefer to believe that after listen to me and my story, they will realize I am not that type. But this jerk, when we were very near to Burgas, ask to hold my hand. Yuck! When I say no, he insinuates that I should let him because he is driving me to Sozopol. I tell him to stop the car in Burgas that I am coming out now. He does that. What a fucking disgusting man!
I have to cross a huge bridge and keep walking along the road until, hopefully, finding a place to hitchhike again. But I don’t need to. A couple stops the car. In this same road. Stoika and Yanov tell me they can drive me to Sozopol.
They are both so nice and I think they are from Sozopol but have just decided to drive me to Sozopol anyway. When we stop in a gas station, Yanov buys me a coffee and a kit-kat. I am starving! We talk all the way to Sozopol. They have traveled many times and like to do it. When we arrive, they decide they can drive me a little bit into the old town before dropping me by my address. We stop in a spot with a nice view of Sozopol and there we take a photograph.
When I open the door to the apartment I almost cannot believe! The sea is just like there! Right there! It is amazing! And the apartment itself is super cosy, tidy and clean. I put my stuff in one of the rooms, take a look in what they have for food, then I decide I will go for a walk in the beach before going shopping for some food.
The sunset is beautiful and I am alone in the beach. It doesn’t take long until I find a local supermarket. I buy a few vegetables, fruits, yogurt and a chocolate bar. After eating my dinner, I make a plan of where to go tomorrow and then finally I go to sleep.
Sozopol is a cute small town and I understand why is so recommended. But for sure your experience it will be better during summer. Everything is closed now. Even the churches! I mean, the more touristic ones in old town. There is a beautiful view of the harbor, and you can have a lovely walk all over the Old Town. But also there is a nice walk around the cliffs, at the sea. There are also a few different beaches you can visit, like the old one and the new one (where I am staying).
When I am trying to take a photograph of the old building which in the past belonged to the army but now it is abandoned, something terrible happens: my zoom lenses get burnt. I mean, I think that is what happen. How could I be so stupid? I have been very careful with the changing of the lenses for 5 years now, making sure they are not exposed to extreme light, and all of sudden, BOOM!
I am back to the apartment early afternoon. After dinner and watching a movie I go to bed. But I do not sleep much. Maybe it is because next morning I will, officially, star to travel for the first time in the Winter.
10 Years Around the World 