Yesterday I had my last breakfast at Hostel Mostel. The breakfast buffet, which included waffles, granola, corn flakes, eggs (scrambled and hard boiled), Bulgarian sheep cheese (Which is awesome), watermelon, tomatoes, salami, etc. etc. And I filled up. It was no different than breakfast on debarkation morning on a cruise. In a few minutes I knew I would be back in the real world (in this case hostels with much lesser breakfasts), and I knew I had to take advantage one final time (and I did).
After filling up, I took the 45 minute walk to the bus station to catch the bus to Plovdiv, the second largest city in Bulgaria. Like most places, I had no idea what was there.
I had trouble finding the bus ticket off initially. I asked a 60-ish something grey haired man standing near the taxi-stand eating a slice of pizza (Getting sheep cheese over his mouth) where the bus ticket office was, and he was TOO happy to help me. He led me through a small shopping-plaza like area to a place to buy a bus ticket (more like a travel agency). While I purchased the ticket, he kept standing over me tapping me on the shoulder (He didn't speak much English, it appeared), I guess he so proud of his ability to show me where to buy a bus ticket he wanted to make sure I recognized it.
Then I went to the platform where the bus was. I had some trouble initially finding it, and my new friend helped me a little, I admit. He even wanted to carry my bag (I refused). I found the bus, and said goodbye to my friend. I guess he expected a tip which i didn't give him. (for giving me directions?). As I got on the bus and sat down, I saw him walk away with a forlorn look on his face-I started to get off the bus to give him a tip, but the bus driver said the bus was leaving, so I stayed on.
After two hours, I arrived in Plovdiv, or I thought. The bus driver stopped at the bus station (announcements aren't made on busses). I asked two people on the bus if this was Plovdiv, and they both said yes. So I took my stuff off the bus, and looked on the directions to Hikers Hostel, where I was staying. For good measure, I asked a lady who was the collecting money for the pay toilets where the street the hostel was located. (Rather then saying she couldn't help me, she insisted on reading the entire page of paper I had printed, starting with Hostelworld Reservation Confirmation).
I took a right (as the instructions said), and walked about two blocks down the road, and I saw a road sign pointing the direction for the central bus/railway station. IF the central bus/railway station was ahead of me, that means I got off the bus at a different unintended station. (which i later found out by looking at a map), so this added an extra 1/2 hour to my walk to the hostel, which wasn't too bad, I guess.
I finally found the hostel up near the center of town. I checked in-it was a smallish place. I asked for a locker to store my computer, camera, and passport. The woman at check in said there we're only small lockers behind the front desk for my passport. I went to the room, unpacked some stuff, and went back out to the front with my laptop. I explained to the women that I was going to try to look for another hostel. Although not her fault, I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving my things in the open. At that point, I just wanted the wifi code so I could search online for another hostel-I didn't expect the hostel to suddenly furnish a locker-but that is what happened. The lady remembered there we're dorms upstairs that had lockers in them, and I could use one of them.
After checking in, I walked up and down the pedestrian-only promenade, and then stopped at the ancient theatre to look around. I also had some Indian food for lunch, and took a nap.
In the evening, and walked back along the promenade, and up through the old town to a spot overlooking the whole city, and watched the stars in the sky along with the city lights.
