This morning I get to leave the scary city and head further into Bulgaria to Plovdiv not knowing what to find next. My hotel is only two blocks from the bus terminal and they leave every hour so I was trying to get the 10am to arrive 12pm

I'm also low on cash and trying not to exchange more money before I cross the border next into Turkey. I exchanged a 10 euro note and got 17 Lev. The bus ticket was then 14 Lev ($10) wiping out any cash gains and leaving me with about 10 Lev in my wallet



Plovdiv has three terminals and I specifically kept saying 'Jug station' as that was where my hotel was and my next bus to Istanbul the next day. I was also scared the bus might not goto the station as had happened in Tetovo dropping people on a road

Luckily he pulled into the station around noon so I knew where to go from here. The first thing at the bus station was I found the bus company and showed my ticket to Istanbul for tomorrow to make sure I come here and there are no problems



My map showed a roundabout by the station but I wasnt sure which road to take as there was an extra road not on the map

I made it to a park which I knew about but then got lost on lots of cobbled streets trying to find my bearings. Then I made it back to a massive square with a fountain and lots of outdoor seating.



My hotel was right in the square opposite Mcdonalds so an excellent location. There was a free walking tour at 2pm. I'd kept hearing about one in Sofia so I wanted to join this one

I still needed food and didnt want to spend money. I found a kebab place where they serve it mixed with chips. It came in different sizes going up in increments of 1 Lev. I got the small for 2 Lev ($1.25) and wandered around the square waiting for the tour

The atmosphere was much more relaxed, friendly, and safer compared to Sofia. It also had a more Hapsburg feel with the architecture and pedestrian zone. Plovdiv is on the same road to Istanbul that has existed from ancient times running thru Sofia to Nis Serbia






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