Sunday, November 29, 2009

Sofia - Istanbul - Sofia by train

We've got lots of good stories and pictures saved up from recent travel, but first a post on logistics. I've enjoyed the help of many from Seat61 (train advice), Lonely Planet and Rick Steves' discussion forums, and thought I would share a little bit of logistics for those that are curious or could use the info.

We traveled by train from Sofia, Bulgaria to Istanbul, Turkey and back for the American Thanksgiving weekend. It was also over the major Muslim holiday of Kurban Bayrami.

We left from the impressively "Brutalist-style" Soviet-era central train station in Sofia at 19:10 Wednesday evening (25 November). I believe there is also a morning train to Istanbul, but am not confident of this (Bulgarian Railways train info). The train station is located next to the much newer (and much more heavily used) central bus station. We did not purchase tickets ahead of time but had no problems getting them less than one hour before departure. We did have a hard time finding the ticket office (downstairs, turn left, look for "Rila" ticket office). Tickets were 58 Bulgarian leva per person (about 30 Euro or 45 US Dollars at current exchange rates), including the sleeper car upgrade. You could get just the plain seat ticket (no bed for you) and save yourself 20 leva, but that seems like a terrible idea. For reference, you can also take the bus to Istanbul for about 40-50 leva one-way (several companies offer this, and I believe the trip is about 8-10 hours).

The train trip is scheduled for 13 hours arriving around 8 am. This seems sort of painful compared to 8-10 hours by bus, or 7-8 by car (it's less than 600 km/370 miles), but we decided we'd rather spend 50% longer on a train and be able to sleep a little than be crammed into a tiny bus seat all miserable night. This transit time for both train/bus includes 2 painful hours for the multiple-step border crossing.

The cabin in the Bulgarian sleeper car that we were in had 3 fold-down single bunks (for the two of us), luggage space, and a small sink. They had fitted the beds with fresh sheets and lots of blankets were available. The rooms lock from the inside, but there is no key to lock from the outside if you're off wandering the train. The cars were heated by a central coal-fired heater, which certainly cranked out the heat but left us breathing in a little more coal dust than we would have liked. The cabins were small and old, but overall in decent shape. Our only real complaint was that there was not a good seating option, especially for a group (although it was not hard to head down to the chairs-only part of the train if you wanted to sit up and socialize.

We got to the first of our border crossing stops about 2 am. Bulgarian border police come through, knock on doors, ask to see your passports. About 15 minutes later, we come to the border crossing itself (located between Edirne, Turkey and Svilengrad, Bulgaria). Everybody off the train, bleary-eyed into the cold night air!

We stood in line for a bit to get our passports stamped before we realized we needed to go to a different window first to get a visa. I don't know about other nationalities, but for citizens of the USA, you can get your visa at the border by paying $20/15 Euro. Note that you have to pay in dollars or euro, not Bulgarian Leva or Turkish Leva. (This is somewhat akin to requiring you to pay in Japanese Yen or Australian Dollars at the US-Canada border, but I digress.) There is not an ATM at the border, or a currency exchange (at least not one open at 2 am). Several ill-informed travelers were doing informal currency trades with other train passengers, trying to get their visa money. The visa is good for 90 days, and you get it from a office on your far left if you are looking at the station from the train. Once you have your visa, go to an office basically straight in front of the train to get your passport stamped. The guy in this office should be awarded a medal for his passport-stamping gusto -- he really gives it a good SLAM!

Passport stamped (Welcome to Turkey!), get back on the train, and you can go ahead and lay down again. Don't get too comfortable though, as you will be woken up at least twice more and asked to show your passport. I'm not sure, but I think this was customs and maybe also Turkish border police. They pound on your door, and you can just open it and shove you passport towards them without leaving bed, although they usually shine the flashlight at you and scrutinize your passport photo a bit.

This whole process took 2 hours. I have no idea why. Apparently it is a similar amount of time if you travel by bus. There were only maybe 30 people total on our train (half that coming back), so I imagine if you're traveling during a busy period it could be much slower.

Once we started moving from the border it was about 4 more hours to Istanbul, and we arrived roughly on-time. The station in Istanbul is much more appealing and welcoming than the one in Sofia, and the international ticket office (for our return trip) is very obvious and easy to find. If you're not carrying too much stuff, I would say that all of Sultanahmet (the "old city" of Istanbul, where most of the tourist sights are) is within a 30 minute walk from the train station. There is also a tram (1.50 lira) that picks up right outside the station to take you around the old town.

We did not buy round trip tickets because there was no discount (over 2 one-ways) and we had heard rumors of an impending train workers strike in Turkey. These rumors were unfounded, so we bought our return ticket Saturday night in Istanbul (once again, no problem without a reservation). We paid in Euro (same price as in Sofia), but they also took Turkish lira and credit cards. If you buy your ticket in Istanbul, you get put on a Turkish sleeper car instead of a Bulgarian one. I would have to say I like the design of the Turkish one better (2 bunks instead of 3, no coal-heat, and chairs in addition to beds), but our cabin was in poor shape. The whole thing smelled kinds moldy/mildewy and the bunk wouldn't stay latched up if we were trying to use the seats. Be sure to get on your assigned train car, because at some point in the middle of the night, half the train splits off and heads to Romania!

The return trip took 14 hours, departing at 22:00 (10 pm) and arriving 1 hour late to Sofia at 12:00 noon. This time the border brouhaha was from 3-5am, but a similar process (although we didn't have to wait for a visa this time).

I had a hard time figuring out what would be open or closed for Kurban Bayrami. This holiday is somewhat similar to American Thanksgiving, in that it is a family holiday with a feast, and offerings are made to the poor. Many things are closed for this holiday. Our first day there (Thursday, 26 November, although the date of this holiday changes from year-to-year) was Kurban Bayrami Eve (known as "Arife Gunu"). Everything we tried to do was open regular hours that day, although the markets seemed really packed for a Thursday night to me (though it was our first time there).

The only major sights that we found to be entirely closed because of the holiday were the Grand Bazaar (Kapali carsi) and the Spice Market or Egyptian Bazaar (Misir Carsisi). These close all 4 days of Kurban Bayrami, in this case Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, (27-30 Nov). Many shops and all banks were also closed during this period. We had no trouble finding plenty of tourist-oriented restaurants, guided tours, and gift shops open the entire time we were there, often until 10pm or later (there is a major tourist infrastructure in Istanbul). On the first day of Kurban Bayrami (Friday 27 November 2009), most of the tourist sites close during the morning (Hagia Sofia, Topkapi Palace, most museums, etc.). Dolmabahce Palace was closed all day Friday, as well. We did not have any problems with ATMs running out of money or being shut down, although I've heard this might be a problem on the 3rd and 4th days of the holiday, as the banks are shut and don't service the ATMs as often.

I hope this helps some poor confused travelers out there. It was fun to take the night train, and Istanbul was an amazing place to visit. We'll be back soon, I'm sure.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

YAY!!! Ugh. (Yay?)

YAY:
We had a fantastic trip to Italy for our "flu-vacation." There will be several posts coming from that trip (I think I took about 300 photos!), but not this week. We both felt actual joy, something that has been a bit hard to come by recently.

Ugh:
But now we're back to work, and what a week it is. The grading period ended today, so grades are due on Monday (and comments for 150 students), meanwhile we're trying to make-up work that was supposed to happen last week and figure out how to adjust for losing a week of the semester. 3 candidates to be the new head of school are visiting this week (and we're supposed to schmooze with them), and all the Americans are supposed to team up this weekend to cook Thanksgiving Dinner for the Bulgarian Faculty & Staff (which sounds like a great tradition, but just more to add to the weekly schedule). Did I mention how tired I am? Monday morning was rough, and we even came home from Italy before noon on Sunday, supposedly giving us time to rest up and get ready. Vacationing in Italy was so fun, it makes reality so...unpleasantly real.

Yay: We only have to get through 8 days of very tough schoolwork, and then it's Thanksgiving break, when we're heading to Istanbul. That will be fabulous I'm sure. After that, 3 weeks til Christmas break.

We can do this.

Stay posted for interesting stories and beautiful pictures...

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

pizza!


this post was done entirely BY PHONE!

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Two Things

So Jeff wrote a very interesting post below, about how "happy" people in Eastern Europe are since "the Changes".  Read it - it's very interesting.  :-)

Meanwhile, I felt I needed to write short little blurbs about two very different things.

First, I'm feeling a bit homesick today.  Probably because I am working on the (hopefully) very last thing to finalize my work for the Park Service on my PhD project.  So I'm thinking about Yellowstone and I'm thinking about Bozeman and I'm thinking about friends and family.  And I'm missing everything (except the loooooooooong Bozeman winters )!  

We got a bunch of pictures from our wedding printed and framed and placed all around our living room.  They are happy reminders that Jeff and I have been so blessed to have the wonderful friends and amazing families we have. 

While I am "enjoying" my adventure abroad (enjoying is in quotes because I'm still not sure what I think of being here), I am missing home both for the people and places, as well as for the ease.  For instance, we have 5 days of freedom next week because all schools in Sofia have been closed down by the Bulgarian government to try to prevent further spread of the flu (and Swine flu).  As we are healthy (so far), we want to take advantage of this "flucation" to travel.  If we were in the States we would hop in our car and drive somewhere.  Here we have to plan what sort of transportation to take: train, bus, plane, or rental car; what language we should know how to say "yes", "no", "hello", and "thank you" in; how difficult will it be to cross borders; which currency will we need; and in general, where should we go!  I hope this doesn't come across as complaining - it's more of a perspective thing.  I'm excited to have this big adventure abroad, and all of the options it presents, but at times I pine for the comfort of the familiar.

So to close this point, I'm missing you - family and friends - wherever you are.  And I'm thankful to have you in my life and to know that you are a phone call/ an email/ a Skype call/ a chat away.  Thank goodness for technology!

My second topic is less emotionally wrought.  You might recall from a previous post that Jeff and I tried to buy some locally made pottery from the Ladies Market in downtown Sofia about a month ago, but were rebuffed by the lady for reasons that still remain a mystery to us.  Well, Jeff finally bought some at the Ethnographic Museum downtown, so we now have place settings for 4.  And here are some of the lovely patterns:


These are from Troyan.  They come in many different colors and each dish is unique - in that these are hand made.  So I wanted to let you all know that this stuff exists and if you are interested in owning a little piece of Bulgaria, we can get pretty much any sort of dish in these designs: plates, bowls, cups, mugs, goblets, salt and pepper shakers, tiny bowls, tiny plates, tiny cups, oil and vinegar bottles, large serving dishes, etc.  So let us know if you would like something!

Happy Sunday!

Bulgaria is one of "most discontented" countries

Bulgaria doesn't make the western news very often, so when I see an article (let alone a "special report") in the New York Times/International Herald Tribune (via Reuters), I take notice. With the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall (what they call "The Changes" here in Bulgaria), there are lots of "Are you better off now?" pieces. This one takes the angle that lots of people (and in growing numbers) are nostalgic for socialism. I've excerpted some interesting bits below, but the whole article is worth a read (although I also think the whole article could have used some better editing!).
"We lived better in the past," said Anelia Beeva, 31.
"We went on holidays to the coast and the mountains, there were plenty of clothes, shoes, food. And now the biggest chunk of our incomes is spent on food. People with university degrees are unemployed and many go abroad."

snip

A September regional poll by U.S. Pew research centre showed support for democracy and capitalism has seen the biggest fall in Ukraine, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Hungary.

The poll showed 30 percent of Ukrainians approved of the change to democracy in 2009, down from 72 percent in 1991. In Bulgaria and Lithuania the slide was to just over half the population from nearer three-quarters in 1991.


snip

Over 60 percent say they lived better in the past, even though shopping queues were routine, social connections were the only way to obtain more valuable goods, jeans and Coca Cola were off-limits and it took up to 10 years' waiting to buy a car.

snip

Nearly three years after joining the EU, Bulgaria's average monthly salary of about 300 euros and pension of about 80 euros remain the lowest in the club. Incomes in the more affluent Poland and the Czech Republic, which joined the bloc in 2004, are also still a fraction of those in western Europe.

A 2008 global survey by Gallup ranked Bulgaria, Serbia and Romania among the 10 most discontented countries in the world.

snip

"People are losing faith that one can achieve success in an honest, decent way. Success is totally criminalized," said Boriana Dimitrova of Bulgarian polling agency Alpha Research.
My crazy taxi driver talked about this back in September. Bulgaria is still "a little bit shit," he said. For retirees ("pensioners") things are definitely tough. Our school employs lots of retired people as security guards, gardeners, and custodians. Many of them are highly educated. One of the custodians used to be a geography teacher. Most of the security guards were engineers in their previous lives. But they need to supplement their pensions by working part-time or even full-time just to get by. Average wages (as the NY Times article says) are only 300 euros a month, and pensions are a fraction of that (80 euros a month). Bulgaria is one of the least expensive countries in the European Union, with most things costing only about 50% of the EU average. Still, when wages are so low, life is tough for many.

At the same time, capitalism (and corruption) has allowed a minority to make lots of money, so there is more and more available (and very conspicuously) to those with means. Late model Audis and Mercedes ply the same traffic jams as 20 or 30-year-old Russian Ladas. Yesterday as I walked down a main street in Sofia, searching for a tasty дюнер (pronounced "dooner", referring to something similar to what I would call a "gyro" back home), all I could find was McDonald's, KFC, and then another McDonald's! (Ugh.) This increasing availability of luxury western products (I don't mean to call KFC a luxury product, but it is seen as somewhat "exotic" here) has crystallized widespread dissatisfaction with the system here, I believe.

In terms of the "most discontented," I had a talk with the students in my advisory group about shaking hands when you meet someone, making eye contact, and smiling. Smiling in public is simply done a lot less here. I explained that in the US, even if someone is having a terrible day, they are much more likely to put on an expression of friendliness and happiness, even if it is a false expression. Here dour expressions or no expressions at all are much more common with the man on the street or the woman on the bus. I won't go into which one I think is necessarily "better," but I thought it was worth my students (most of whom plan to go to University abroad) considering what they may find in other parts of the world.





Friday, November 6, 2009

School's out!

The Bulgarian Ministry of Health and Education just canceled our classes for next week due to the Swine Flu epidemic. My understanding of Bulgarian news is mostly limited to rumors and mistranslations, but I believe all Sofia-area schools are being shut down. After hovering in the high 20% range all week, our school actually crossed the fabled 30% absenteeism threshold today, so our school would have likely been shut down individually, even if they hadn't issued a city-wide closure. Kind of crazy. For the last few days, the students that were here knew that we might cancel school, and there was a "last day before Christmas vacation" squirelliness to classes. I've never been somewhere that was shut down for health reasons (the before (the students are calling it a "flu vacation"), although I think Westridge should have been a few times.

I'm supposed to report to work on Monday for meetings, lesson planning, and grading. Maybe Tuesday also, but no one really knows. We'll have to make up the missed school days later in the year, which won't be pretty.

But the good news: insta-vacation! I want to go somewhere that I can get last minute travel to/from cheaply, and where the swine flu season is not any worse than here. :) We're both still healthy, and hoping to keep it that way. Even if I just do lesson planning and grading, I might as well do it somewhere exotic, right? I'll take your suggestions for last minute travel destinations in the comments...

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

When pigs fly....

So...swine flu. Yeah, I thought it was kind of a joke too. One of my friends here made a nice "piggy flu" Halloween costume. But now things are getting a little crazy. Maybe it was that virology class that I took at Northwestern that still gives me the heebie-jeebies, but sometimes I have a hard time not believing the hype. I don't necessarily think that H1N1 is the new 1918 Spanish Flu, but there will be one, and when the next epidemic flu strain comes, it will be ugly.

30% of Shannon and I's students were out sick today. Yesterday there were almost 200 students out sick in our school (out of 700), and I'm sure it was worse today. The cafeteria ladies were (sometimes) wearing surgical masks. We're supposed to be getting anti-viral hand sanitizers around school, but I haven't seen anything yet. (I wish they would put paper towels in the bathrooms, maybe more people would wash their hands!). I gave a "wash your hands -- cover your cough -- get some sleep -- stay home if you're sick!" lecture to any students that did come to class today, but who knows if it did any good. The pressure-cooker environment of our school doesn't help the situation. Students (and faculty too) come to school when they shouldn't, because they don't feel like they can afford to get behind in their work.

There have been four deaths in Bulgaria so far attributed to H1N1. 48 schools in Sofia have been temporarily closed so far for "flu vacations," and I would not be surprised if we are shut down soon as well. Even if we don't get shut down, it's pretty hard to figure out coherent lesson plans with a rotating cast of students and empty desks.

Google has had success tracking flu outbreaks based on the number of searches for "flu" and similar phrases. The results are scientifically sound and have been published in the journal Nature. Here is the current chart for Bulgaria.

Luckily the Bulgarian government is all over this one: they will vote soon about whether to approve spending (~ $8 million US) to order swine flu vaccine. That's right, about whether to order it. There is none available in Bulgaria. If they approve the funding, it might be here in January.

Shannon and I are healthy (for now), and I am very thankful for that. We're trying to get some rest, eat well, and wash our hands both regularly and fervently. Even if it's "just" the regular flu going around, and not something more insidious, the idea of being unpleasantly ill in a land where I don't speak the language nor understand the health care system is rather unappealing, to say the least.

On the plus side, we met today with a visiting insurance broker from our health insurance plan. I have never had and doubt I will ever have again a health insurance plan with coverage this good. It's worldwide. $100 annual deductible. Many things are 100% covered, and most everything else is 90%. Emergency medical evacuation is included if we need treatment and we're not somewhere that can provide a suitably "Western" standard of care. Our agent told us that if she tried to buy a similar plan for her employees in the USA, it would cost about $1600/month/employee. So that's nice.

The Bulgarian equivalent of "Cheers" is "наздраве" (pronounced "NAZ-dra-vay"), which translates as "To your health!" (Much like the German "Gesundheit!").
I think it's time for a hearty наздраве all around.