I will try to give a brief recap of what has been going on for the past week or so...
I spent a few more days in Veliko Turnovo. I went to a monastery in the mountains where they were preparing for a rock climbing competition later that night. I got to watch some people climbing during the day, but I did not climb myself, and I did not stay for the competition at night. I visited a small village closeby with the Bulgarian girl who told me about the competition, and we sat and talked for awhile on the side of a hill overlooking the fortress in Veliko Turnovo. We had an unfortunate dilemma with a Canadian guy that I had met days before, but I won't go into it because the whole thing was really stupid anyway.
I came back to Sofia just in time for Titko's birthday party. There was 30-40 people at his house, with a campfire in the backyard etc., etc. The "after party", starting at 10am the following morning after only a few hours of sleep, and continuing until about 4am that night, rivaled the night before. For a few hours, Mateo, in his drunken state, could barely muster anymore in English than "good village... good people", which, though a bit funny, may be the most sane proclamation I've heard in awhile. It has now become somewhat of a pet phrase for us and has been used numerous times by myself and others in many different situations. ;-)
After a day of recovery, I met up with two Dutch girls that I met in Veliko Turnovo, along with a crew of travelers that were staying in their hostal. We went to a bar to meet up with some of my Bulgarian friends, and yet another long night of drinking and partying began. I must say, hanging out with travelers is a very different beast... or maybe I should say "westerners". That sounds negative, but it's not the intent... just different. Personally, I enjoy both and have no preference... but I can understand better now why some people may.
So, a few more days aimlessly wandering around town and then I met with Ilian and a few of his friends to take a train to some town about 1.5 hours from Sofia, of which I have forgotten the name. We explored a deep cave that had a river running through it. Luckily I had brought a few flashlights, as the cell phones were not quite cutting it in the absolute darkness. We did some hiking, watched some climbers, took a swim in a small pond at the base of a tiny waterfall and had a few beers at a roadside picnic spot. All in all, a wonderful outdoorsy day. I met another Spanish speaking Bulgarian and enjoyed being able to converse with her in another language. I sometimes feel guilty that the locals must know my language in order for me to communicate with them.
Today I had to make a border-run... that is, to cross the border into another country just before my visa expired, only to return a few minutes later in order to get a new visa. So, I can now say that I've been to Serbia, though I can hardly say I visited there. The whole process was for the most part uneventful, but a bit comical... an absurd ritual of which no one involved quite understands what is the purpose. I now have a fresh visa with 30 more days to stay in Bulgaria. On the way to the border I saw tanks practicing on a firing range less than 200 meters from the road.
Which brings me to now...
In a few days, some friends from Sofia and I will make a trip to the Black Sea for "July Morning", the sunrise on July 1st, which apparently is somewhat of an enigma here in Bulgaria due to an 80s rock tune that I am unfamiliar with. While we are there, I will be looking for a place to stay for the next 2 months. I have decided to pass the next 2 months here in Bulgaria where it will be cheap enough for me to live without getting a job, and then finish my trip through Israel, Jordan and Egypt in the final 2 months. A part of me thinks this is not quite as adventurous as hopping from country to country for the next 2 months, but, for financial reasons, I doubt that it is feasible. And anyway, the other part of me, maybe even the better part, likes to stay in one place long enough to be involved in the culture, rather than just a spectator for a few days at a time.
I have finished reading two more books and have had numerous interesting conversations, and hence, I have a lot on my mind spiritually and philosophically which I would like to express here at some point, but this has been enough typing for today. Maybe next time... :-)