Bulgaria

[mendeleyev]

Bulgaria:

This is a land that shares the Cyrillic alphabet and many similar cultural influences. Its neighbors are Romania to the north from which you'd approach via Russia by train, Serbia and Macedonia west of Bulgaria, and with Greece and Turkey along her southern border. Bulgaria is fortunate to have the Black Sea on her eastern border, making this an interesting place to vacation.



As to language there are some similarities with Russian due to the Cyrillic alphabet but it is a separate language. Cursive Bulgarian is considered by many to be more difficult than Russian cursive (hard to imagine) but thankfully it is rarely used these days. Just as in Ukrainian and Belorussian there are a few Cyrillic letters no longer used in Russia but learning the alphabet will go a long way to assist in navigating Bulgaria. With EU membership the use of English has also become more common among younger Bulgarians.

With such beautiful beaches and access to the Black Sea it is a wonder that more Westerners have not discovered Bulgaria. It combines many Greek and Turkish influences, is a member of the EU and NATO, and prices are generally lower in comparison with her neighbors.

The end of Communism was not pretty for Bulgaria and the people suffered with hyper inflation and a literal economic meltdown. You could buy a flat on or near the Black Sea for the price of a used car in the USA and frequent gas shutoffs in winter along with food shortages created genuinely cruel conditions especially for the elderly and very young. More on the economy at the end of this report.

Bulgaria eventually threw some of the old Communist politicians out and has begun a slow climb to economic stability although corruption is still a problem and Bulgaria is the poorest EU member. Those who read the Mendeleyev Journal may recall my account some years back of being ripped off when we began to remodel the small apartment we had purchased. It was my fault so you won't find photos of any of the first carpenters we hired on any of the scam sites. I will simply tell you that the Western habit of paying a third down, the next half at the project's midway point, and then a final payment is a sure method to throw away your money. You hire for the day, pay at the end of each day. Period.

If Bulgaria is so beautiful, why don't more people visit? It is not always that easy to enter and this is the fault primarily of Bulgaria. But today one can enter will a little preparation. For those who need a visa to enter, Bulgaria does not issue visas at the border.

Schengen members: Bulgaria has resisted Schengen rules and to further complicate matters France is further holding up Schengen implementation because of concerns that Bulgaria cannot police her own borders. France does have a point. If you plan to travel from a Schengen area then contact your Embassy to see if a visa is required. According to the Bulgarian Embassy - London website, UK passport holders no longer need a visa. Check to see if your country is on the visa-free list: http://www.bulgarianembassy-london.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=90&Itemid=158

US passport holders do not need a visa.

Citizens from the FSU countries need a visa which can be obtained from any of several Bulgarian consulates across Russia and Ukraine. Bulgaria has suspended the once popular e-visa program for FSU citizens making it more time consuming to obtain a visa. FSU citizens must have an international passport to obtain a visa. According to the Bulgarian Embassy website: Currently Bulgaria issues national visas only. Those visas do not give their holders the right to enter the Schengen area.

For any foreign person a stay is limited to 90 days at a time and 180 days annually.



The most visited cities include Sofia the capital, then the Black Sea cities of Varna and Burgas. A train from Moscow to Varna for example takes 50+ hours but you can fly from Moscow's Domodedovo airport to Varna. We have taken the train from Moscow to Kyiv and then to Varna and one should do so at least once to see some incredible views along the route thru Ukraine and Romania. Tickets one-way are around 2600 rubles ($91) per person for and the best train is the 9:13am express out of Moscow Kievskaya station. The 10:30 train will add 8 hours to the trip. A flight from Domodedovo is under $200. It is near double that price from Sheremetyevo or Vnukovo airports in Moscow.





The average wage is less than 200 Euros per month and unemployment is high while the mafia operates openly and often runs local governments. Not everyone is enchanted with Bulgaria, especially the English.

[SANDRO43]

The end of Communism was not pretty for Bulgaria

What I remember about Communist Bulgaria is nothing at all !

I think that news-wise it was the quietest Eastern-Bloc country, maybe because it was rumoured to have the most efficient NKVD-type establishment outside the CCCP, allegedly the trainers of Pope John Paul II's failed assassin, the Turk Mehmet Ali Ağca.

[mendeleyev]

You should reboot your memory, Sandro! 

[Chicagoguy]

The young Bulgarian women who work the Summer jobs in the shops in WI. close to our Summer hated their native country. I am sure they overstayed their visas and never returned.

[tinpear]

Bulgaria:

Not everyone is enchanted with Bulgaria, especially the English.

I don't think one can equate Nigel Farage's views as those of the English as a whole. Farage is the leader of a xenophobic party that, while on the rise, is still a minor player bearing in mind it is a parliamentary mid term during a downturn. The key phrase he uses in this video is "if it was me, I'd pack my bags and leave" but he fails to realise they are not him.

A few years ago many Brits bought property in Bulgaria and it's quite a popular summer and winter holiday destination amongst those who are a bit more adventurous than those who go to Spain so I'd say that many Brits like Bulgaria.

[mendeleyev]

I don't think one can equate Nigel Farage's views as those of the English as a whole

Agreed. I have spoken to a number of English visitors to Bulgaria however who are worried about a possible influx to the UK.

A few years ago many Brits bought property in Bulgaria

While not a Brit, my wife and I did also. Our apartment then cost about the same as a moderate used car. In fact speaking of used cars, it included a one car garage outside.

[Daveman]

Interesting videos.. thanks Mendy!


I knew about the stellar red wine production, but didn't realize lavender and rose oil were such in demand high production commodities.


Bulgaria certainly has a rich and ancient history.


Here's a bit of a flip side to the "Brit" aspect.. an expose' of the nefarious side of Sunny Beach tourism - from booze binge bar crawling to the kleptomedicare...


viewer discretion advised:

[SANDRO43]

I knew about the stellar red wine production, but didn't realize lavender and rose oil were such in demand high production commodities.

Once Bulgaria was also famous for its leather products - with a distinctive smell because they were tanned with a birch bark extract.

[Manny]

I don't think one can equate Nigel Farage's views as those of the English as a whole. Farage is the leader of a xenophobic party that, while on the rise, is still a minor player bearing in mind it is a parliamentary mid term during a downturn. The key phrase he uses in this video is "if it was me, I'd pack my bags and leave" but he fails to realise they are not him.

Farage is the leader of the fastest growing political party in the UK. He does represent the views of many.

I have yet to see anything from him I don't agree with. The man should clearly be Prime Minister.

You wont find many fuzzy-thinking leftists in this endeavour.

Bulgaria was never fit to join the EU. We should close our borders to free movement by Bulgarians and Romanians. Cameron doesn't have the testicular fortitude to do so. Farage does.

[Isthmus]

It is easy for the likes if Farage to bleet away simplistic soundbites from the political fringe but both Romania & Bulgaria were admitted to the EU for strategic geo-political reasons and not because they were actually ready to join the EU (and he knows this).

It is quite easy to single them out as soft targets when the real culprits of Europe's current malaise are actually to be found exclusively in western Europe.

[JayH]

It is easy for the likes if Farage to bleet away simplistic soundbites from the political fringe 

Extremists at any end of the scale do the world a disservice.The type of British right wing  idiot attracted to Farage is hardly surprising--but a blight on the world at large--not just Britain.

[Chelseaboy]

Why is it assumed by the Brits that the Bulgarians would want to come here ?
 
The standard of living is higher in countries such as Denmark and Germany,and the social security benefits are higher too,so if I was Bulgarian i'd rather go there for financial reasons.
The climate is more pleasant in countries such as Greece and Italy,so i'd rather go to those countries than here for that reason.
 
The Brits are not the friendliest people as a whole,so another reason to avoid coming here.
 
If I was Bulgarian the UK would be way down on my list of options for possibly moving to.
 
What we may get is the usual riff-raff other countries won't allow in..i,e criminals,because we'll always accept them where others won't...especially if they've got a bit of money.

[viking]

I met my wife for the first time in Bulgaria. I loved the people and the country. I stayed at the Admiral Hotel in the Golden Sands resort, near Varna. I was fortunate enough to find a young woman who took the time to show me around ( after my "date" had ended), strictly platonic but a wonderful guide. There were some waitertresses who hawked their restaurant in the streets who I became familiar with and had some very fine meals, all inexpensive. Did some scuba diving there, never again, as there was not much to see. The photo was taken from the window of my hotel.

[viking]

BTW. I would go back there in a heartbeat.

[mendeleyev]

Viking, glad you had a good time. Varna is a lovely spot.