5-7-02

May 5, 2002

We woke up at four in the morning to catch a five o'clock bus from Kurjali to Varna attempting to get from the most southeren part of Bulgaria to the most northern part in one day. Needless to say we ran into a few adventures and not really even because of the buses. We couldn’t get on the Kurjali- Varna bus at 5 because it was already full. Luckily there was a bus going in the same direction that would drop us off in Bourgas. So we would have to find a few more buses to Varna and Silistra.

I started feeling sick on the first bus and spent the second half of the trip throwing up into a clear zip lock bag. I don’t know what came over me. The only thing I had put into my body was a cup of water that I took some vitamins with. I am such a baby when it comes to upchucking, but I think I am even more disgusted when other people are doing it, so I guess at least it was me. When we arrived in Bourgas I flew off the bus to do some more puking, not drawing too much attention to myself.

We caught our second bus and my bag was beginning to smell and leak onto the floor. By the third bus from Varna to Silistra I had stopped getting sick and was just weak and tired and slept most of the way. I am not sure that it happened while I was on the bus or leaving the bus, but I didn't realize that I had lost my wallet until we reached Silistra.

I was in a store and had ordered all this food, went to find my wallet and nothing! I panicked and the ladies in the store were telling me to stay calm and look everywhere. They continued asking questions and saying how awful it was and blaming Bulgaria. I told them I would be back to get the food later and rushed out to find Josh. I went back to our apartment where Josh had just carried our bags and sent him to the bus station to ask some questions.

At the same time he was returning from the bus station 2 ladies came to our door whom I recognized from the bus! They had found my wallet with everything in it and were bringing it back to me. Saints! I retreated back to the store to pick up my groceries and shared the tale with the ladies at the store. I reassured them that Bulgaria has wonderful people and I thought I was the one to have misplaced it.

This is a bit of a crazy story with a happy ending that could really happen anywhere to anyone. Just thought I would share.

-Kate