So, it's past due time for an update I suppose. Haven't had the energy to type anything really. Guess I've been distracted. I'll start from where I left off...

July morning at the Black Sea was fantastic. Three days with very little sleep, bars, discos, beaches, cliffs, campfires, sunsets, sunrises, numerous towns, the July morning sun and most importantly... lots of good people. It was wonderful.

After that, we came back to Sofia and I spent a week or so in kind of a haze. It was a quiet, and even sometimes lonely time. I read a lot, and sat around the house not doing much of anything. I bought a cell phone for here and a book to help me learn Bulgarian. Spent a few days at Titko's parent's house in a small village close to Botevgrad. We helped a friend demolish an old house where he will build a new one. Mia, the Bulgarian girl that I met in Istanbul who gave me Titko's and Ilian's phone numbers before I came here, returned to Sofia... it was funny to see her again and think that I am still here in Bulgaria after all this time.

About a week and a half ago things picked up a bit again. Mia and I decided to hitch-hike to the Black Sea to visit some of her friends. It turned into quite a journey. A Turkish truck driver picked us up, force fed us cigs, stop and bought us lunch and drove us nearly half way there. Multiple rides later, we made it to Burgas and finally took a short bus ride the rest of the way to where her friends live. Spent a few days there... met some interesting locals (the policeman and the boss of the sea snails). Went to visit a new friend in Burgas for a night. Then we set off to hitch-hike to the Turkish border so that I could refresh my visa. It was quite a journey, but we made it there. A nice couple, Norwegian man and his Bulgarian wife with their son, took us 30km out of their way to help us get there. At the border I discovered that my visa has already expired because Americans can only stay in Bulgaria for 1 month within a 6 month period, so if I had left the country, I would not have been allowed to return. It was getting dark, and we were planning on sleeping somewhere in the woods as the closest town was about 2 hours away by walking, but the guard at the booth told us to sit and wait and he would ask someone to take us to the nearest town. The man that took us was actually going all the way to Burgas, which was much better for us anyway, so he took us all the way back... which was incomprehensibly good for us considering how long it had taken us to get there in the first place. He dropped us off and we walked about 2 minutes down the street, wondering where we would sleep that night, when an old friend of Mia spotted us. They took us back to their apartment and we hung out for the rest of the night and they let us stay there. Went to the beach the next day and then hitch-hiked to a small village further south to meet Titko. Spent a few days there for free, as the owner of the campground was somehow related to Mia and Titko. More beaches, bars, cliffs etc. etc..... I can't really portray in words how strangely wonderful the whole thing was.... it was magic.

So now I'm back in Sofia once again. The European Rainbow Gathering is in Bulgaria this year, and we will head out there on Wednesday for a few days, or whatever. Not sure what will happen after that, but I have faith something will come about.

Bulgaria is a wonderful place. The people I have met are incredible, and I appreciate their ways and lifestyle. I feel very at home here, and I hope that I can come back some day.

So that's my life for now.... the next chapter is coming soon.  ;-)