Thursday was our last day in Sofia and since Wednesday was the full day tour with an early start we had an easy morning. Left the hotel around 10 and wandered down to see the synagogue. 4 Leva each please. It was massive and quite ornate, glad we saw it. We found the ladies market in that same area. It was fun to browse thru. We always try to buy an ornament for our Christmas tree in each country and found a little doll dressed in traditional Bulgarian costume.

We found a large shopping centre with a great bakery. I bought a large bagel and asked the lady to cut it in half. She refused but did give me a plastic knife.

I read about more Roman ruins that had been discovered when the time were excavating for a new hotel, it was an amphitheater. The hotel incorporated it into the lobby. We walked 20 minutes to see it. Wasn't worth the trip but the hotel did have nice washrooms.

Our tour guide had recommended a restaurant to us just off Vitosha Street and since Kitty wanted to visit a store there we dropped in for a late lunch, early dinner. Cash only and we had just sold our Leva for dinars, we had no cash. In Plovdiv we ate at Raffy twice and found one in Sofia on Vitosha street. We had a plate with cheeses, olives, strawberries, 3 kinds of cold cuts, bread sticks, humus. We also had an order of spring roles. Good last Bulgarian meal

Our 3 hours bus ride to Nis Serbia left at 0730. We were up at 0600, finished packing and walked to the bus station without getting lost. The hotel packed us a takeaway breakfast. Nice touch.

Bulgaria and Serbia haven't caught on to the free border concept of the EU. We had to thru passport control leaving Bulgaria, everyone off the bus, line up to see the one agent on duty. We then had to get back on the bus, drive 100 yards and go thru the entire process to get opinion Serbia.

While we were standing around waiting to get back on the bus I went over to the WCS to pee. Oops, not free and I don't have the right small bills so I am out of luck. As I was telling Kitty about this a young Serbian guy we had been talking to gave me the 100 dinars so I could pee. About $1.25 CDN

During the trip west to Nis, the main hiway all of a sudden was a cobblestone road. Talk about bumpy, everyone on the bus lost at least one filling. The bumpiness lasted at least 20 minutes. Main hiway, cobblestones. Wow!

THE INTERESTING STUFF

We met a family from Idaho, 20 years ago the wife came to Serbia to adopt a baby girl. This was the first trip back for that family. The adopted little baby is now married. Neat story, nice family.

Shortly after we left the Sofia bus station one of the cargo doors flew open and a suitcase fell out. The bus driver stopped, holding up traffic to go get the suitcase, He wasn't happy.

After we got to Nis, I got in line to buy our bus tickets to Novi Sad. Try to communicate "2 tickets to Novi Sad at 0900 on Sept 16th please " when you don't speak Serbian & she doesn't speak English. Sign languages, pen & paper and good luck. We have the tickets.

As usual, more to come

Other than South America, these 2 countries have the least English of anyplace we have been. Not a criticism, I am a visitor, it's their country, just an observation,

Off to do touristy things and figure out the dinar. The are 80 dinar in 1 Canadian dollar.

Hippies out