Transit

So the bed is slowly dying. Will put my bag on the bed and it collapsed so we swapped sides. We then swapped back because Will decided he would rather sleep on a slant than with a slat missing in the middle of his back.
One dude snored so loudly -.-
I was less itchy though because I've been using my own sleeping bag so that's good.
We brushed our teeth and did the final morning pack then asked the volunteer worker to call us a taxi. Half way through her attempt we realized we had no money so we tried to make her cancel but she wouldn't hang up the phone. She kept saying just wait. We tried to Communicate we couldn't pay for it..
Either way she failed to get one so no harm done.
We went searching for a working ATM and on attempt 2 we found one. We then had breakfast and headed back to the hostel.
The streets were more crowded with tourist groups this morning.
We ate cereal and I played a game of rummi with Patrick and Tom (weird south Australian guy)
I won. Thanks Noeline and Matt for the practice hehe.
We then started walking the 1.6km journey to the station.
Gah, my backpack is getting heavier I swear.
Partly because I'm carrying the dirty laundry so I have lots of Wills clothes. -.-
I've now put the sleeping bag on the outside of my bag and that makes it really uncomfortably difficult too because it's so uneven and hurts my back.
Once we got to the park we had a 2 minute break for Will to take off his jumper and for me to attach my sleeping bag to his bag. He now has one on each side so his bag is more even too. I carried his jumper :)
In the park there was this person - I had several looks and have concluded it was a man wearing a wig. Will thought it was an Ugly woman but I maintain it was a man - the beard was too bushy, the hair too straight and rigid (therefore probably a wig) and he/she had a uni-boob.
Maybe he just likes sitting in the park and wants to feel pretty amongst the birds...

I think I find the little bag more challenging because the big backpack straps take up all of my shoulders so I have nowhere to flatly lay the smaller straps. I have to put them on top of the big straps and they keep sliding off which is annoying.
Will doesn't have this problem cause he is much bigger.
Considering our packs are pretty much the same weight I'm doing really well because your pack is only suppose to be 15% of your body weight
Mine is way over and his is way under.
We made it to the station - it's the same one we arrived in.
Will sat down with or bags while I tried to organize tickets.
I tried 3 shops before I found the right one.
After having the same convo serveral times..
"Hi, do you speak English? "
"no"
"Nova Zagora?"
*points in different direction*
But I found it! Woo!
It was only 10 Lev each which is brilliant.
That's one less stress. Only 3 more to go.
1 - our bus station is not he final destination so we need to get off mid route which is causing me anxiety.
2 - once we do successfully get off we will need to get our bags from underneath the bus - on our previous bus rides I haven't seen anyone who hasn't been on to the end open up the under compartments so hopefully we can.
3 - actually finding our host.
It's quite the adventure.

We are currently watching the fat pigeon eating anything it can find.

We went to gate 5 which is where we were told our bus would be. There was a bus there waiting but it was only 2:10.
We weren't sure if it was the right bus or not so we asked. It wasn't the most friendliest of responses but it at least answered our question. No, it was not our bus.
We waited for it to leave then Ours pulled in. Ours is much smaller. Our driver doesn't speak English but nodded so hears to hoping we go the right direction.
It's been an hour and a half of the journey.
I really need to wee.
The country side is lovely and I've enjoyed some derelict villages along the way.
There are big holes in the wall so it must be freezing but people definitely live there because there is washing hanging up.
I naturally became tired along the way and had a quick snooze but the anxiety of missing our stop has helped me not go into a deep sleep.
Will is sleeping too and doesn't fit in the seat. The photo I got of his is quite funny.
Poor cotton.
We are at what I think is the stop before ours and I'm THRILLED that we have pulled into a bus station rather than a bus stop on the side of the road. Hopefully we get dropped off at a terminal too.

I have been trying to find shapes in the clouds. It's harder as an adult but is still consider it a success.

Of course our stop wasn't a bus station but a stop on the side of the road. - Nova Zegora.
We weren't sure whether to get off or not but thank heavens Johanna was at the door and collected us.
The stress left my body immediately- we weren't stranded haha.
I really hope mum and dad remember me saying I might not have wifi because I don't and I hope they don't think something's gone wrong. Especially when I can't upload this journal for 2 weeks. I might ask Johanna if I can send an email mid week just to be sure.
In sure Wills parents will be less stressed lols
She had parked in a supermarket car park so we walked to that - she lives about 20 km away. The drive was beautiful.
She lives in a village. Like, a proper village with horse and carriages.
I'm in love.
We are set up in a tent in the backyard. Our mattress is on a diagonal so Will can fit..
the toilet is an outhouse - Will had a nervous laugh. It's the same as Kenya except it smells better because they have sawdust stuff to throw into the toilet after your number 2.
I'm going to have to get use to aiming better..
Johanna took us on a tour to a few of her rose fields - because of the rain they are not ready to harvest yet but she still has some odd jobs for us to help with.
Today I saw the biggest bee I've ever seen in my life. It was like part bird.
I also watched a Different bee up really close pollinating a big beautiful purple flower. I took a video too.
The main house is falling apart so they live in a side room that has a bedroom attached to an Empty room which will be a kitchen and a shower in the back.
The main house only has one usable room and they use it for storage - that's where we have put our big bags.
We spent some time sampling different teas and chatting.
We were starving so when she mentioned dinner we were both relived. It was lentil soup. At first I was disappointed but still Hungry enough to eat anyway but it turned out to be delicious.
There is an outside, old school cooking area with a fire stove and jar after jar of dried things and cooking condiments.
I was so very cold.
Even with my puffy jacket, rain coat, a blanket, Wills snow beanie and sitting next to a fire eating hot liquids I was crystallizing.
After dinner we played cards for a few hours.
It's a German game (Johanna is German) called wizard. It was really very confusing at first but we eventually got the hang of it. It goes for 20 rounds and the rounds get infer longer every time.
On round 19 it was discovered that me and Will had been playing wrong. Though we were playing the same way so i think the lead I had on him was valid.
Only a small thing we misunderstood but it probably effected the overall score.
It was over a matter of HAVING to play a card of a certain colour if you had it - we both thought we could strategically skip.
Oops.
Overall score ended up being me and Johanna tied for first place.
Danny, Johannas partner will be arriving on Monday next week.
Will had a shower while I organized the tent.
It's a tight fit but we will manage.
I'm excited for what's to come!

We also got an offer for English speaking in Poland that we want to have a look at once we have internet back.

I may or may not have Dutch ovened the tent.
It was not good.Read more