Hits, Misses and Notes about Sofia

So I often wonder if these places are good to go to or not based off of real people's reviews (trip Adviser is helpful) rather than the guide book. So I figured I would give you my hits and misses of my trip to Sofia!

Hits:

Gulliver Hostel: The people were nice (although they over charge for airport pick-up). The main night guy was AWESOME! He let me practice my Macedonian/Bulgarian and was always helpful and friend. The location was great- right next to the Alexander Nevski Church, about a 10 minute walk into the center of Sofia. It was safe and secure- you had to be buzzed into the building and then a key to your room. They have dorm style and private rooms. They only have two bathrooms (with toilet, shower, and sink) so that can be a pain if you need to get ready, but it was fine for all but one day. The only bad thing is “breakfast”- it is a single croissant with filling. And all the coffee or tea or water you can drink (that is all day). You do have a mini-fridge in your room (at least I did) so you can pick up some other breakfast supplies at the local grocery store (about 1.5 blocks towards the center), like cheese or juice or bread. They also had TV (with English channels) and Wi-Fi. They are near a tram stop that takes you to the center for 1 leva tickets.

Cabra: Very yummy vegetarian place in the Embassy district. Low prices and good food with excellent service.

Miyabi: cheap but good Japanese restaurant across from the tram stop. Very nice people and access to Wi-Fi.

Dream House: delicious vegetarian restaurant in the center of Sofia. Upstairs and kinda hidden, but super nice people. And English menus. A little pricier, but worth it for good protein choices!

Manastirska Magernitsa: Yummy traditional cuisine with a huge menu of choices! It was super expensive, but yummy. The wait staff was nice. However, they bring you out bread, saying “this is a tradition” and then charge you for it, so be aware about that. If you need some traditional food (in a variety of choice from sea food to meat to veggies, come here. 67 Han Asparuch.

National Ethnographic Museum: A mixture- it was closed one day, but when I was open it was nice. It is an 8 room museum showing off handiwork of the local people and a bit of history. I got a free English tour from this nice man inside.

National History Museum: A bit of a trek outside of town (you can take public transportation (tram 2 or tram 9 to the end then bus 63 to the first stop after it turns), or a taxi. But it is a 3 story building hidden away in the woods. It was amazing however. They had stuff from pre-historic times to the modern signing of the EU accession agreement! It also had ethnographic clothes and the history of the revolution.  The majority of the signs were in both English and Bulgarian. I would highly recommend going out to this museum. It has a little café in the back as well as a kids play area. You can do it in about 2-3 hours, even if you walk slow.

Polytechnic Museum: Really cool especially if you like science! It had old cars, the first computer built in Bulgaria, old cell phones, mills, space stuff, and random other technological advances through the ages. A cheap price, and a bit hidden off the road. It is directly across from Bella and a gas station, set back from the road. But really cool- you could do it in about 1 hour. Almost every sign is in English and Bulgarian.

Archeological Museum: cool, but a bit overpriced if you are not a student or fan of old Greek/Roman artifacts. However, they had peace treaty columns and some exhibits of old Roman sites. It took about 2 hours to wander around the whole museum and read all the signs (in English). There was a big temporary exhibit at the time, so I don’t know  if it will still be there when you were to go. It is right across from the Presidency in the center.

National Gallery of Foreign Art: The top floor was closed, but the two they had open were super nice. They had English booklets in every room describing what you were looking at as well as the history of the art work. It varied from Indian to Japanese to French, to Early European to modern. They didn’t have in huge fancy names of any artist, but the art was still nice to look at. They too were having a special exhibit in one area that more than likely closes soon. However, I would definitely go here if you want to see some cool art. It is right behind the Alexander Church.

Free Sofia Tour: DOOOO ITTTT!!!! It is every day at 11am or 6pm. It is a free walking tour given in English by local Sofians who love their city. They take you through the whole center part of town, explaining the history and pointing out the sights. Our guide even recommended some good restaurants. It took about 2.5 hours but was super nice. It helps to orient you in the city and get your bearings a bit.

Rila Monastery: Huge hit. However, almost impossible to get out there by public transportation. You will have to arrange a private tour. The best bet is to go through your hostel or a new friend you found on your Free Sofia Tour’s hostel. You can take a public bus out there, but you won’t have time to climb to the grave (if you don’t particularly like climbing mountains and spending a bit of time climbing, then just take the bus). However, there is only one bus to and from the monastery each day. So be aware if you miss it.

Plovdiv: Go! That is the best bet. There are busses leaving every hour from Sofia and from Plovdiv back to Sofia. There are so many little house museums you could spend most of your day there. As well as the stadium and few steps of the coliseum. However, it is impossible to get around without a map as the streets curve and switch and change. Sometimes the map doesn’t help either. Be aware that this is a city of hills, and nothing but hills. Literally. Be prepared for climbing. A lot of climbing. And walking.

Misses:

Happy: So not happy! Horrible service and bad food. Also tourist prices. But conveniently located downtown across from Sveti Neydela Church.

National Art Gallery and Sofia City Art Gallery:  well, they were misses in so much as they were not open not in what they had in them.

Notes

-When you go to a “café” you go in order and pay for your food and THEN go sit outside and enjoy your food or drink.

-When you go to a restaurant and are ready to order. Close your menu or the waiter will not come  back to your table.

-You only get whatever drink you order, there are no refills. And I never saw a free glass of water.

So that is my review of Sofia. I would say go if you have a chance. However, you don't need 7 days unless you happen to get sick there. You could do everything in 5 days, 6 if you want to go to Plovdiv. But it was a fun trip and a lot of nice people!

Sofia Day 7: AKA Final Day!

I woke up kinda lazy again. And finished packing. Then at about 10:30am I headed out to the Museum of Modern Art and the National Gallery of Foreign Art. However, both were closed until 11!

So I hopped a tram and went to the archeology museum downtown. And it was open. There was some really cool stuff there- like columns that show the peace treaty between two nations or the first ever found bone carvings.

Then it was to the National Gallery of Foreign Art. That place was cool. It had Indian carvings, Japanese wood carvings/painting, French art, an exhibit about the old Byzantine bibles, and even some weird modern art.

Then it was off to the Modern Art Museum which turned out to be a gallery thing where you could buy the art. But it had some Dali and Warhol. Pretty small, but nice.

I had lunch/dinner at this Italian place with a gigantic pizza. It was yummy and that plus a soda was only 5 BGN. :)

I went back to the hostel, finished finished packing and went to sleep pretty early.

Then the next day I woke up and began the already chronicled adventure.

See you around the globe!

Sofia Day 6

On my 6^th day in Sofia I decided to check out a few of the museums I had tried before but they were closed because the front desk guy said “But it is September now.” *shrugs shoulders*

HUH? Just because it is one day later I should try it?

Well, the Ethnographic museum was open. It was cool. There was an art exhibit from the local Clothing design school:

As well as traditional clothing:

And an exhibit on the new organization that links the old and young people who want to learn the old art of bobbin sewing or tatting. I don’t quite get it, but there is a pattern and you use bobbins to sew the thread. But it was so beautiful:

Then I went to the post office to get a box to send some stuff home to the US  souvenir style stuff from Munich and Sofia. I couldn’t remember the word for box. So I ask the information desk. “Where can I buy…” And I try to make hand motions for a box. The lady looks at me, so I repeat what I’m doing and I say “I don’t know how to say this in Bulgarian” She goes, oh! And give me a number of a window inside.

There are boxes on the wall behind the window. So I tell the lady I want to buy the 90 box. (it cost 0.90 BGN) and she looks at me like I am crazy! Then I point to the wall and say I want to buy…and she hands me a calculator. Lol. So I type in 90 and she gets the box. J

Then I go back to the hostel and get the souvenir stuff, pack it up and crate a customs form in Bulgarian and English for inside the ox (and a short cut for me to write on the outside of the box). And go back to the post office. I go up to one window and ask where to go. The lady  rattles off a huge slew of Bulgarian in very aggravated tones. So I say “I’m sorry, I only know a little Bulgarian.” She rolls her eyes and walks me back to the window where I bought the box.

 The lady opens the box and goes through it. Then she stamps the box and closes it with  plastic ties. And hands me a customs form. I fill it out in Bulgarian because there was a translated list next to the how to fill this out paper. Then I go back to the box widow and she says “33.”

 Assuming this means that I need to go to window 33, I head over there and hand the box to the lady. She looks at it and starts laughing. In English she says- no this form is supposed to be in English! I laugh and she hands me a different form.

After filling it out, she takes the package and looks at it. She’s all “Oh! You are an American! Well you can only send this via stamps.” (In my head: how else would I send it…) Out loud: “That is ok!” Well it cost 16 BGN to mail it non-express to the US.

Then it was off to a late lunch/early dinner at this vegetarian restaurant that I had found a brochure at the hostel for. Cabra. They had a menu in English and I had zucchini parmesan. It was seriously a whole zucchini! And fresh squeezed lemonaid.

It was also located in the Embassy area. That was kind of cool.

As I was walking back I passed the Museum of Modern Art and the National Gallery of Foreign Art. I decided that I would go there tomorrow, since I would regret it if I didn’t go!

Relaxing and packing back at the hostel. (oh and I did laundry)

 See you around the globe!

And the required Self portrait of the day:

Sofia, Day Four

On Thursday I woke up at 6am sick. Like my curl-up-in-a-ball-whenever-you-move-you-feel-nauseous sick. I thought that wouldn’t be a good day to leave my bed and go to another city 1.5 hour bus ride away. So I went back to sleep until 9. I decided to go try to get to the National History museum and try the Polytechnic museum (now that I knew where it was, thanks Google!). And I took medicine.

I asked the front desk guy if there was a way to use public transport to get to the museum or not and he said he would look. Apparently there is. A trolley-bus and a bus. So off I set hoping that this time it would be open.

It was!! You couldn’t take any picture inside it (and only a few on the outside- there were NO PASSING! NO PHOTOGRAPHY! Signs around the entire complex and some military looking smokestacks…hmmm…)

 This museum was awesome! It had stuff ranging from pre-Roman times up until the signing of Bulgaria joining the EU. Amazing. Some of the detail is just awe inspiring! I probably spent about 2 hours or so wandering the three floors of the museum. There was even a replicated house in there, as well as a school room. And an exhibit on cinema though the early 1900s. Almost all of the signs were in both Bulgarian and English.

Then I wandered outside and to the back to see if there was some shade I could sit in to eat my sandwich I had made with plastic-wear and nothing else. There was  a little café- so I got a Sprint and a popsicle because it was hot. And sat and ate a leisurely lunch.

 Passed a doggie waiting on Mommy or Daddy to get out of work. I had a little dog house, food and water and was in the shade. All in all, pretty happy. Sofia is a pretty dog friendly city, it's wonderful!

 And took a picture of the kid’s playground:

Yes, that is a nesquick sponser...

And then attempted to make my way back to town.

Did I mention that you had to walk up this to get to the musuem? and that there was no signs pointing to it? And that I was hoping the map was correct? no? Oh well...

Well, I did, with no problems, so I guess I should say, I made my way back to town? It was about 2:50 and I decided to try to find the polytechnic museum again because it closed at 5pm and was closed on Fridays.

 Once again= awesome museum. It had clocks, TVs, telescopes, space food, cars, telephones, satellites, mining and steel working stuff. It was cool. The “watch lady” (the people who usually walk around making sure you don’t touch stuff) was really nice and there was another American family there (dad and mom vising their son and his wife who live in Sofia). The “watch lady” showed us how much of the stuff worked. I wish I had been able to take a picture of the first computer developed in Bulgaria and my cell phone which could do more to show you the size difference!

The exhibit was just cool- especially if you like science museums. And a lot of the signs were in English, so I could actually understand what I was looking at! Wandered around for about an hour looking at their one floor exhibit. I would highly recommend this little gem.

Then I went back to the tram station to go back to the hostel, passing a post office and actually succeeding in getting four stamps to America. J For postcards.

Went back, dropped stuff off and went to go read in the park for a bit and then get dinner. Relaxing in a park is apparently the thing to do in Sofia in the afternoon- either with a book or friends and family either with or without alcohol.

As I was heading towards this restaurant that Lonely Plant had recommended and passed by this place called “Ego” advertising pasta for about $8, I decided I was tired of walking and just wanted to eat, so I stopped. Very nice place and I was severely underdressed, but they had an English menu. I got pasta with butter and parmesan and water. They came and poured the water into my glass when it was low. From a bottle on my table. Like wow. I also got a little bowl of different kind of breads with some olive oil.

Oh so yummy! I finished it all, it was a Cassidy sized portion!

Then back to the hostel to upload photos and blog (see a pattern here?). Talk to my mom for a bit and to bed early to try to get to Plovdiv the next day.

Sofia, Bulgaria, Day Three

So on Wed I decided to have a museum and church day and go explore all the churches we passed on the Free Sofia Tour and to the three maybe four museums I wanted to go to.

One problem- they were all closed for remodeling! Well, the museums that is. The churches were open.

I started my day leisurely, waking up around 8-9am, eating breakfast and then leaving to go explore. I wandered past the Alexander Church

Then tried to go to the ethnographic museum and National Art Gallery, but they were closed for restoration. So onwards to the City Art Gallery.

They were closed for remodeling (putting up a new show). So on ward to the other churches in the center: Sveta Nedelya Church and Church of St Petka of the Saddlers.

Sveta Nedelya Church was beautiful and lovely both inside and outside. St. Petka- only beautiful on the outside. They tried to extort money from me, but ALL churches are free in Bulgaria- they only charge tourists. St. Petka is a small room about the size of my hostel room here, with some open tombs (no bodies) and very little light.

Ibought some souviners on my way to the next stop: I decided to check out the National Palace fo Culture. It’s on a bunch of maps as huge and on a bunch of postcards. About after an hour of wandering and an interesting postal experience I arrived. Only to find that it is a conference center, but it has free wifi. So I sat there for about 30-45 minutes using their wifi and eating a granola bar.

Then I decided to try to go to the Polytechnic museum. But I couldn’t find it. I apparently literally just walked right past it because I was so exhausted and tired and worried about breaking an ankle on their streets.

So I gave up and decided, well, I’m close to the bus station, why don’t I go look at it to find where I will catch the bus to Skopje on Monday.

Finally SUCCESS! I found the carrier, where to buy the ticket, and when they leave, how long it takes, etc., etc.!!! It will leave at 7am local time on Monday. So I plan on catching a taxi (well, calling a taxi to come pick me up) at 6am and then getting the ticket and waiting. Hopefully I get a whole 2 seat row to myself. Bus seats are really small and I have long legs.

Then I caught a tram downtown to try to find one of these two restaurants that our Free Sofia Tour guide had pointed out only to find that they weren’t there where he pointed them out. At least not that I could find.

But I found the farmer’s market and bought some fruit and veggies to make sandwiches, since I realized I hadn’t been eating correctly. (like basically no lunch except for granola bars. :/ )

 Then wandered past a book market, trying to find my way back home. Well, I had apparently taken a wrong turn and ended up downtown.

So since I was hungry, I decided to go to Happy, a bar/restaurant downtown. I figured I was going to go anyway and might as well do it the day I needed some happy.

Bad mistake. Horrible mistake. Worst $10 I have ever spent on food. When I arrived I was seated. 10 minutes later the first waitress walked up to me and brought me a menu and silverware and took my drink order. 10 minutes later she came back to take my food order (note- you need to close your menu to place and order, the waiter/waitress won’t come back to you until you do). I ordered rice and veggies and some fried cheese. I got the fried cheese within 10 minutes. Ate a few, saving room for the rice and veggies.

 And waited. And waited. And waited. 30 minutes later I figured they weren’t serving me the rest of the food and I was no longer that hungry- just fed up and wanting to go home. SO I wrapped up my left of cheese things, put them in a bag and waited for a waitress to come over. She asked if I wanted my check or dessert, and I told her check. When she brought it to me, it had the rice and veggies on it- so I asked her to take them off since I had never been served them. (however, the guy behind me who had also ordered the exact same rice and veggies was served within 10 minutes of having his order taken). That took 10 more minutes. Finally I paid and left, wandering back to the hostel.

 Funny postal story: I walked in and asked for 5 stamps to America. I knew she understood me (I know that much Macedonian!/Bulgarian) But she gave me “one” stamp to America. In the form of seven 0.05 leva stamps, one 0.65 leva stamp and one 0.40 leva stamp to add up to one 1.40 stamp. I didn’t try to explain that I wanted 4 more, I just smiled and took the stamps, laughing in my head.

 Also, when I was walking home someone stopped me to ask directions in Bulgarian, and I had to admit I didn’t understand. But the stopped me, I guess I had passed the “look” test that day.

 Now gang, I don’t want this to just tell you all the happy stuff and none of the bad stuff, because that is just not life.

 I was tired, sore and homesick.

 I’ve never really been homesick before I gather. I just wanted to be home. I would have rather been home in my small town than in Sofia this day. And I love traveling, but I missed my fiancé, mom, and pets. So I cried and called my fiancé to talk for a bit.

And uploaded photos and wrote for the blog a bit. I also was able to talk to another Fulbrighter in Moldova about the experience.

It was tough, guys. I was sad. I was crying, it wasn’t pretty. I just watch TV and finally tried to go to sleep because I wanted to go to Plovdiv tomorrow, hoping that it would be nice to get out of the city for a day.

But I couldn’t sleep.  About 1.5 hours later, I put on my “sleeping/calming music” and finally fell asleep.

Day Two: Rila Monastery

The next day, Megan (pronounced Mee-gan) and I, a girl I met on the Free Sofia Tour, went to Rila Monastery with two other people from her hostel. The Rila Monastery is the most famous monastery. St. Ivan Rilski founded it after sleeping out in the open and living a life of a hermit. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

There is a church in the center and a small museum. The museum was super expensive for what they have, but still nice. The wood work in the crosses was super extensive. Like very detailed down to the features of the people which are about 1/8 of an inch.

 

Then we drove up to the founder’s grave which was up this:

 

No joke. Not fun. I was so afraid I would trip and fall or injure myself! You know me so the possibility was there.

Once we got up to the top there was a little church with fresco being repaired on the inside so we couldn't go in. there was also a furious little guard dog (aka chihuahua) waiting for mommy and daddy. And then climbed through this:

 

The story goes, if you are a sinner you will not be able to make it through that hole. {I made it (note it wasn’t that tight)}. Then we stopped to listen to two monks chant for about a ½ hour. Then continued our downward track. 

Proof that I actually did it and didn't just send the camera up. lol

On the way home we stopped at this “museum” that has just collected ‘junk/collectibles’ from throughout Bulgaria’s history. It has things from cars and motorcycles to mortar tablets to communist signs. It wants to preserve the material and cultural heritage of Bulgaria!

 super famous car I'm told

 Lenin was watching over the trash pile.

When we got back to Sofia Megan and I went out to this Bulgarian restaurant that serves recipes from monasteries.  The food was good, but way too filling and Bulgarian’s don’t seem to believe in take home.

Then it back to the hostel to relax and plan out the rest of my trip here!

oh and how can I forget the delicious cheap donuts?

See you around the globe!

Day One: Sofia

I left my house around 5:30 am home time got on a plane and flew to DC where I had a 6 hour layover or so. I used this time to talk to people in the US one more time. Then I boarded the plane at about 4pm home time and left the US. I had a bulkhead aisle seat, with no one sitting next to me even! So plenty on space. However, no chatty neighbor like the 4 people I meet in the DC airport and spent the afternoon with just talking about random subjects.

I flew with United to Munich. They served a yummy dinner of cheese tortellini with a creamy tomato sauce, salad with ginger dressing (why couldn’t it be a NORMAL dressing that I could eat?), a piece of bread, and a mint-brownie. They also gave us pretzels and “breakfast” of yogurt/applesauce and a muffin/bread. Overall, I prefer British Airways for traveling overseas of all the airlines I’ve flown in my life- they give you more: such as eye mask, ear plugs, toothbrushes, big blankets, and pillows. United only gave us small blanket and a pillow. However, they flight attendants were very nice.

In Munich I had about 1.5 hours there. I didn’t have to go thru customs, so I didn’t get my passport stamped. :( However, I was able to buy a few souvenirs and walk past the sex shop in the airport. Yes you read that correct. Well, it was more of a strip club, but none the less. IT WAS IN THE AIRPORT!!!!

Then I boarded the plane based on following the line of people- all of the announcements were in Bulgarian and German, so I didn’t know it was boarding except for the line! We boarded on both the front AND the black of the plane. I was in the back, so I boarded the back (no it was not just to say I did so, I promise) (ok so that was it a bit). And got to sit by the window. They gave us a cup of fruit and a lemon pastry (Lufthansa, btw).

We arrived in Sofia on time (a bit early to be truthful) and I went through customs (but didn’t get a stamp, sad face, I wonder why not). Then got my bags (apparently I was the last person from my plane to do so). Walked out the door and met my transport to the hostel. Then we drove there- about a 10 minute drive or so. After checking in and unpacking, I collapsed for a one hour nap.

I then wandered down town for a while, sitting every now and then. Stopping at a “café” which is not a café by French or American standards. You go inside and order your food and pay for it, then go sit outside and eat it. I didn’t know that at the first one I stopped at, so the lady had to tell me twice. Oops.

I also got ice cream because it was hot and all the locals were doing it. I then went on the Free Sofia Tour

“The free English language sightseeing walking tour of Bulgaria's capital, organized by a non-profit organization. The sightseeing tours of Sofia are organized by volunteers from a non-profit organization. Every tour is both fun and educational, the perfect introduction to the city and its thousands of years of history.”

We visited about 32 different places (some of which were at the same time).  Here is a sample of the places we went to:

 Sveta Nedelya Church

 Banya Bashi Mosque

 Central Public Bathhouse

 Monument to the Tsar LiberatorAKA a church

 The presidency building with guards.

Former Poyal Palace

Then along with some people I met on the tour, we went to a vegetarian restaurant Called Dream House. I had quinoa and zucchini and fresh squeezed juice. It was yummy and cheap.

Then home to exhaustion.

See you around the globe!

sitting in Sofia

So I've been a bad Blogger. I've been in Sofia for 2 days now plus a day of travel and haven't posted. The problem with travel you see is, well, travel. You go out all day and then crawl into bed exhausted!

I'll tell you a bit more about each day tonight I promise! However, I need to continue to explore now that I've rested a bit.

See you around the globe!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4

So Where Don't I go? (OR) travel plans!

I decided to wait to book my travel until I could book the round trip ticket, so that I wouldn't have to pay for a change fee later on. Which meant I had to wait until July 12th to book the ticket. So agonizingly waiting and checking the price for tickets for 10 days- don't recommend it. But it did help me realize that I was getting a good deal when I finally did book the flight!

However, it is one of those itineraries where you look at it and go- there has to be something cheaper for the airline than where they are sending me. See, I leave the closest airport to my house on Aug 28th at 7:30AM CST and then I go to Washington, DC, where I have a 7 hour layover. Then I fly to Munich, Germany and arrive the next day. I then get 1 hour and 30 minutes to go through customs and board my next plane to Sofia, Bulgaria around 12pm local time (or 4am CST). Which isn't that bad of a trip, with only one international connection- I didn't think Bulgaria would have enough demand to have direct US service, so not too surprising.

However, on the way home I get to visit Austria and Switzerland before heading back to the us! And I get to navigate customs in Austria with only 1 hour and 15 minutes. And I can't even fib that language! I am fully expecting to miss my plane in Vienna. Can I hope for a long enough lay-over to get to leave the airport? lol.

Confused? Maybe a picture would help:

no? me either!

But I have also booked my hostel in both Sofia and Skopje for 7 nights.

Why am I going to Sofia, you ask? Well, I figured I would be over there anyway and it is cheaper to travel once you are on that side of the pond, so might as well. And Bulgarian is supposed to be similar to Macedonian. SO I thought I would give it a try. What's in Sofia (or Bulgaria for that matter) you ask?

I have no clue.                               But it sounded fun! :)

No really, I just got some guide books at the local library to look up what to do in Bulgaria. It looks like I can make several day trips from Sofia to other parts of Bulgaria and then come back to one hostel with all of my stuff.

I will then take a 5 hour bus ride to Macedonia where I will check in at another hostel for 7 days as I arrange for more permanent rooms (read- apartment). I will also endeavor to find a Macedonian language class.

See you around the globe!

more Official notification

Today (well technically, I got it Monday, but My mom had to send it to me in Indiana) I got my official offer of my grant (with how much the grant is for), emergency contact form, travel/arrival information, host country contact & affiliation information, grant deposit information, and fly American regulations.

However, I have a deadline sooner than most, by a few weeks. because I want an eariler start date than is normal in Macedonia. Most have a start date on September 15, I want to start on about September 5ish, so I can get an appartment, set up a language training and get settled before classes start. Classes start on September 15 at the Euro Balkan Insitute.

The official total of the entire grant is $15, 270! Wow! that's a lot of money! Now for the breakdown:



Total: $ 15, 270

Prior to begining the grant: $7, 770

By the end of the third month: $3, 750

By the end of the 6th month: $2, 500

In the last month: $1, 250

Research allowance: $500 (included in the first check)

Base amount: $3, 530

Monthly: $1,250

In the information packet, we had a emergency contact form (do you really need this explained?).

- Travel/arrival information form-

An important part of completing a Fulbright, is the guidelines of Fly America.





Fly America requires that any US Government financed commercial foreign

 air travel shall be flown on a US flagship airline. I must follow a few "principles":

(1) US-flag air carrier service available at point of origin shall be used to destination or, in the absense of direct or through service, to the farthest interchange point on a usually traveled route.

 (2) When an origin or interchange point is not served by a US-flag air carrier, foreign-flag air carrier service shall be used only to the nearest interchange point on a usually traveled route to connect with US-flag air carrier service.

It is important to note that you can not fly on a non US flagship carrier only if it is

cheaper

more convient

You may fly on a foreign air carrier if:

travel on US air delays you by more than 24 hours

you would have a lay-over of more than 6 hours

I will have to change my flight plans because it is cheaper to buy a round trip ticket and pay a change fee than it is to buy two one-way tickets.

THIS is where I have to make a

DECISION.

No it is not as important as I make it sound. :)

I want to travek in Europe before offficially starting my Fulbright grant. But I have to decide where to fly into before I send this paperwork back in the the IIE (people running the Fulbright). Thus

DECISION time!

I have narrowed down my options to Sofia, Bulgaria or Sofia and Bucharest, Romainia. I don't have a burning desire to see either place like I do say, Antartica, but I do want to eventally see both places. Now, Sofia is WAY cheaper than Bucharest.

If I do both cities it will cost $1,774.30. (mostly airfare, which I guess isn't really fair to count, since I won't be paying for that. So about $214.30 for  hotels [4 nights Bucharest, 6 nights Sofia] + $87 for a train to Sofia + $23 bus to Skopje for a total of $327 Plus any extras like food or fun things.)

If I do only Sofia it will cost $1,711. (once again most of that is airfare. $170 for 10 mights hotel in Sofia [well technically hostel not hotel for both] + $23 bus to Skopje for a total of $183 once again plus any extras like food or fun things).

Now that isn't very much of a difference in the long run, but it is for a poor grad student with literally no income besides Fulbright. So, right now I am leaning towards spending 10 days in Sofia with lots of day trips to nearby areas. But I will have to make my decision by the end of this weekend (or at least that is my self imposed deadline).

More DECISION time.

I also have to find an appartment or do the research in Skopje while staying at an hotel/hostel. Currently I believe the best course of action is to just arrive in Skopje and find an apparment once I am there just so I know what I am getting into. However, I have some decent reccomendations about what part of the city to live in (from my Macedonian language teacher to a grad student currently over there). (This is another form that I have to fill out, where will I be staying when I get into Skopje.) So I will have to pay for a hotel room for a few days in Skopje.

So, what do you think?

See you around the globe!