And Nazis, but mostly optimists. Their entire lives are spent disappointed that things don't live up to their expectations. Unyielding pessimism is the only way to ensure that life is an endless stream of pleasant surprises. I was unacharacteristically optimistic about coming to Sofia. My whole process for deciding where I go is, out of the places I can afford, I look at a map and go to the ones I have the best feeling about, and I just had a good feeling about Bulgaria.
I think because in other regions of the world, the "sick child" of that region has always been a place I've loved. In South America, Bolivia is the poorest, least developed country, looked down upon by its neighbours, but I absolutely loved it. Spent three months there before going to Argentina, and Argentina can fuck off. In south-east Asia it's Laos. It's landlocked, it's poor, it has Thailand to the south and China to the north.
I loved it there too. And based on the reactions from when I told people I was going, I saw Bulgaria as the sick child of the EU, and in my human desire to cheer for the underdog, I optimisically arrived in Sofia expecting to love it, which is never a good thing.
It was late afternoon when my bus pulled-into the bus station. I caught the Metro to my Airbnb without talking to anyone and did a self check-in, quickly put my bags down and went out and to get food. After my meal I went to a phone shop to buy a SIM card.
This was at an A1 store, one of Bulgaria's three mobile networks, right in the middle of the touristy city centre, so presumably visited by many a tourist wanting to get connected as soon as they arrive in the city. When I told the girl I wanted to buy a SIM, she quoted me 21 lev, which was more than I was expecting, but I'd been sat on a bus all day, I couldn't be arsed to question it.
