Trip to Ivan Vazov hut

Week 4 (September 21–27)

While sitting and having lunch in the summer kitchen, Inka mentioned that she wanted to hike Mount Musala. She was originally just asking me for directions, but I suggested coming along and came up with a new, more scenic route for us instead: a hike to Malyovitsa Peak together with Sara and Malin.

The next day was the birthday of Lyubov, our neighbor Stefan’s daughter. Filip and I went out in the morning to cut branches to feed the goats, and on the way, Filip explained a technique for carrying bulky loads. We reached Stefan’s house, left the branches for the goats, and then cut down a few acacia trees to repair the goat shelter, which had holes that let out all the heat. With the birthday party approaching, we went back to change, and I helped the girls set up. A former volunteer from past years also joined us. The party went well, with good food and a nice atmosphere.

The day after, a friend of mine returned from traveling around Hungary and stayed in Bulgaria for a few days. He hiked up to visit me at the Vegetarium on his own. We caught up and went over to Stefan’s house to peel the bark off the acacia logs to prepare them for installation. However, we ran into an issue there when Stefan’s dog almost bit us.

The following day, my dad came up by car to visit. He spent some time talking with Filip, and then my friend, Sara, and I walked down to the station to catch a train to Sofia. In Sofia, my friend took me to a warehouse to give me some antique items before he headed back to Russia. Afterward, we went to my place, where Malin was already waiting outside our building, and we gathered upstairs to prepare for our upcoming trek in the Rila Mountains.

Early the next morning, we met Inka at the bus station, took a bus to Samokov, and then another to the Malyovitsa resort complex (CPSH). When we got off, we were surprised to find fog and snow on the ground, which made us even more excited for the hike. We summitted Malyovitsa and followed the ridge through Damga to the Ivan Vazov hut. By the time we arrived, we were exhausted and sat down to eat. Throughout the hike, we had some great views down to the Urdini Lakes. My knees were hurting during the trek, but I managed to push through.

The next day, we began our descent toward the village of Bistritsa along a very wild trail where we encountered a lot of cows. The path offered scenic views that looked almost like paintings. It was beautiful, though it was a long way down. Once in Bistritsa, we caught a bus to Dupnitsa and took the train back home. That wrapped up the week.