The Rila Mountains

Wow, quite a drastic change. Last week still 30 degrees in the shade, this week suddenly minus degrees and snow. How did that happen? Admittedly through a small change of location.

For the first time since I arrived, I took 3 days off to really do something. It started with a really nice, slow-paced day in Sofia with vegan banitas and a visit to the National History Museum, followed by a chance encounter on the street that led me to a very lovely visit to a vegetarian teahouse.

In the evening, we continued on to the apartment of Nikita, our Bulgarian fellow volunteer, where I settled in with a couple of my fellow volunteers for the night. The next day we set off early, leaving the house around 6 a.m. to head to Malyovitsa and from there to climb the mountain of the same name. Fortunately, Inka, who had been traveling the days before, had warned us that it would be cold, and I had decided to take more rather than less clothing with me, even though my mountain hiking experiences have taught me to pack as light as possible.

While it had initially seemed silly to me to take thermal leggings and gloves, I was all the more grateful for the decision when I saw the first snow. The hike that followed was not without its challenges, but all the more beautiful for it. Despite the fog, we glimpsed wonderful landscapes, wild horses, and even caught a view of the famous Rila Monastery from high above. The hut we stayed in was also really recommendable. Fair prices and cozily furnished in Buddhist style. After 40 kilometers, including about 1500 meters of elevation gain and 2100 meters of descent, we arrived back at Vegetarium the next day exhausted but happy.

Several new experiences also came up on site. While we helped with the birthday preparations of our neighbors at the beginning of the week, where we decorated food for a four-year-old, I also learned how to bake bread from buckwheat. On the one hand, it’s super simple because it really consists of just one ingredient (+ water), and on the other hand, it’s quite time-consuming because the buckwheat first has to soak and then ferment. I also learned how to preserve applesauce, how to repair broken water pipes, and what to do when a cat accidentally eats rat poison.