This means the next installment will be on Plovdiv and Istanbul. For those who aren't familiar with the former city, its located in Bulgaria roughly 41 min from Pazardzhik.
Our left after the week long clinic was over and met up with another part of our team in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. It blew my mind that so many ancient ruins were open to the public! I;m used to being told to "KEEP OFF" and "DON"T TOUCH". But in Plovdiv I got to go down into the hippodrome and do pretty much whatever. It was like a public park! They still hold performances in the ancient theater. (I know, shame on me for not having better pictures to share) We walked all over, and did some light shopping. The shop we went to was not you typical tourist trap, it was more of a antique shop slash museum. Not being able to afford much or lug anything around, I bought 2 Ottoman medallions. The shop owner even explained the dates and wording for me. Don't ask me what Sultan they memorialized, I've forgotten somewhere along the past 4 years.
There were street stalls as well, but they were located nearer the city center. Plovdiv has gorgeous architecture! If you love Charleston's Rainbow Row in South Carolina, beware. The main streets of Plovdiv would put it to shame. The main streets are for foot traffic only - so wear your best walking shoes and be prepared to be entertained!
During the summer in Plovdiv, performance artists are in no short supply. If you've seen "Spy" with Melissa McCarthy, recall the scene where Rayna Boyanov compares Susan Cooper to her mother. Bulgarian clowns are, in fact, a very common in the warmer months. They are very talented and creative! My teammates and I got looped into an improve piece one evening and had a blast! Plovdiv did not lack for scenery, architecture, history, food, or entertainment. Also, its one of the less expensive European cities to stay in. Very accessible by bus from the capital, I made a day trip out there by myself more than once while living in Bulgaria.
That evening we left from Plovdiv on an overnight train to Istanbul. Best way to travel to Turkey EVER! Honestly I don't think I really slept at all. Mostly I stood outside in the corridor watching the countryside pass by with the windows open. Fields with bright red poppies, some with aging, rusted machinery, everything fascinated me.
About 3?am the train reached the border and we all disembarked, digging our passports out of our bags. Since most of the toilets on the train had been backed up we hit the restrooms at the checkpoint after being processed. I can't remember much other than waiting in line and getting a stamp. Not a ink pad deal, an ACTUAL lick-the-back paper stamp. My clearest memory was that there were clean, functioning bathrooms. On the other side of the check-point (think of the visitor centers next to the interstate) we boarded a bus to take us the rest of the way to Istanbul.
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