NYC to Sofia

I have finally made it to Bulgaria! Oddly enough, I had no access to the internet while I was in NYC, but now that I am in Sofia I have unlimited free internet access, so I have some catching up to do with my posts. Where to begin???

Sunday and Monday where spent shuttling between a cheap hotel in New Jersey and sightseeing in Manhattan. There was no way I could afford a hotel anywhere in New York, so staying at the Econolodge in Jersey was the only option - just a short train ride from Times Square. New York really is all it is cracked up to be - lively, internatonal and HUGE. I could spend weeks just walking around and people watching. It seemed as though no two people where from the same place - the variance of dress, language and ethnicity was amazing. I spent Sunday with my family on a bus and boat tour of Manhattan, which was a great way to see the highlights.

Monday I was on my own to stay at the "Ritz" hotel (the cliche sleazy hotel that charges by the hour) and wander around Central Park before going to JFK airport to catch my evening flight to Dublin. I was able to catch a few hours of sleep on the plane before I had to catch another flight Tuesday morning from Dublin to London. I then had the pleasure of hanging out in the airport for 16 hours trying not to go mad from boredom. I caught a little sleep and read a lot, then caught my next flight to Sofia, Bulgaria. I stumbled off the plane at the Sofia airport exhausted, smelly and more than a little confused. I decided to be adventurous (and cheap), so I took a bus from the airport rather than a taxi, which costs more but would have dropped me off right outside my hostel. I hopped on the bus and had no idea how to buy a ticket, so I decided I just didn't need one. Big mistake. My first interaction with a Bulgarian was with an overweight and grumpy man who flashed me a badge and asked for my bus ticket. Of course I had nothing to show him, so I was charged a 20 leva fine. This made my bus ride substantially more expensive than a taxi ride would have been. Foolish, but lesson learned. I eventually found my hostel, which is one of the best hostels I have ever seen - breakfast, dinner and even a beer included!! I got a full nights sleep last night and today I am ready to see what Sofia has to offer. I'll be posting again very soon with pictures, so stay tuned.

Finally the journey has begun!!