Jeep Safari!!

Today was my first day in Bulgaria and so far it is off to a fabulous start! When we woke up my roommate and I went to get breakfast and then we went to a meeting with the US Ambassador from Bulgaria. It was very interesting talking with him and hearing about his work. Soon after that, I went and got my passport and headed off to my first Bulgarian excursion: A Jeep Safari!! It was so much fun! There were jeeps waiting outside of our ship for the trip that my friends and I quickly jumped on. The driver took us up the most magnificent mountains along the coastline of Bulgaria. We took a turn and soon enough we were off-roading through what felt like an Amazonian jungle. It was a moment filled with laughter, screams and lots of bumps! Our first stop on the trip was a whiskey distillery. They showed us how they make their whiskey and then we got to taste it. It was 48% alcohol and absolutely horrid. I could not even sip it. After another quick jump back in the jeep… we turned a corner and found ourselves amongst thousands of sunflowers. I think the entire group just went silent as we took in the view around us. The hills looked like they were rolling with gold. I decided to frolic through the fields to take pictures! It was childlike… but oh so amazing! Our next stop was a bee farm where we got to taste homemade honey. After honey-tasting, we went to a shooting range! Yes mom… I fired my first gun! It was actually a lot of fun! I missed the target both times, but it still was a memory I will never forget! Our final stop (but not our final adventure) was a restaurant in the middle of no where. It is an old Bulgarian home that they have transformed into a tourist restaurant. We ate kebabs and watermelon and then… out of no where… six men came down playing bagpipes, drums, guitars, and so much more. We all went out to this dirt square in the center of the home and they taught us a Bulgarian dance. It was so unique and fascinating. Our tour guide’s name was Nia and she is 18 years old. We asked her if she wanted to come out and show us the town tonight and she said yes! So we are going to go hang out with her tonight after dinner. The port that we are at is very nice. It is within walking distance from a beach which is actually extremely rare. Many Bulgarians have cautioned us about swimming in the sea here because of the extremely strong currents. They said that there are many people who drown every year and almost all of them are tourists who think they will be ok in the tides. So… I am going to stear clear of the seas and stick to the mud baths! Tomorrow Amy and I are going to attempt to find the mud baths in Bulgaria. Maneuvering around the city is extremely difficult. The language is completely foreign to all of us… the worst thing is that because this is not an extremely popular tourist town, the signs no longer have any English on them. Today Amanda and I just walked up to a menu and pointed to something to order because we did not have any idea what else to do! We ended up being happy with our order, but I have a feeling the next 2 countries will be the same as what we are dealing with now. It definitely keeps life interesting though!! 3 more days in Bulgaria and then only 2 more countries… it is going by so quickly!