Казанлък (Kazanlak)

A few weeks ago, I went to Казанлък (Kazanlak) for the annual Празник на Розата (Rose Festival). Bulgaria is one of the world's leading producers of rose oil, and Казанлък sits on the eastern end of the country's famous Rose Valley. In addition to being the de facto capital of the Rose Valley, Казанлък is home to the world's largest rose fields.

The Rose Festival is an international event, and we were shown the red carpet treatment by the mayor of Казанлък (and the Peace Corps volunteers who hosted us). It was a pretty cool experience.

After meeting with the mayor, we went off to stop and smell the roses ...

and to sample rose rakia and rose jam (neither of which appealed to my taste buds) ...

and to see how rose oil is made.

The next morning, we headed off to the rose fields. These workers (who only pick before and at dawn while the roses still have dew on them) had finished by the time we arrived.

Here is some of what they picked before we arrived.

The fields were also full of women in traditional Bulgarian dress who were more than happy to pose for photos.

After the rose fields, we headed to the parade. The mayor and Rose Queen led the way.

After some brief words from the mayor, some explosives with colored smoke were set off. Check out the reaction from these young girls.

With that, the Rose Queen took her seat on the throne. The mayor hooked us up with VIP seats directly across from her and her court.

Peek-a-boo. I see you.

Then we just sat back and enjoyed the parade, which included a little bit of everything.

Бузлуджа (Buzludzha)

Friends told me about and showed me photos of Бузлуджа (Buzludzha) over a year ago. I wasn’t impressed, nor was I particularly interested in visiting. But when I saw it on my way into Казанлък (Kazanlak), I had to visit. And, I’m extremely glad I did.

Бузлуджа is the kind of place that neither words nor photos can do justice. It must be experienced, and it’s definitely on the short list of the most interesting places I’ve been in Bulgaria.

In 1891, a secret meeting took place on the mountain. The foundations of Bulgarian Communism were laid at that meeting. In honor of this history, a UFO-like meeting hall and 70-meter tower were constructed on top of the mountain. Finished in 1981, the monument was abandoned following the fall of Communism and has since been vandalized and painted with anti-Communist graffiti.

Seeing the place completely neglected and trashed makes visiting it rather surreal, and anyone with even a passing interest in history should check it out.

Here it is from the outside.

Note the graffiti over what once was the main entrance.

After crawling through a broken window, this is what you see inside.

What remains of murals adorn the walls and ceiling. This one, in the center of the ceiling, reads: "Proletariat of every country, unite!"

This mural once depicted, from left to right facing the mural, Todor Zhivkov, Dimitar Blagoev, and Georgi Dimitrov. Obviously, someone didn't care for Zhivkov, as his face has been removed.

More looks at the main conference hall and the murals.

The upper level is fringed with blown out windows which provide unobstructed views of the surrounding countryside.

Most people reach Бузлуджа via car, missing out on a wonderful hike through a serene beech forest.

Graduation and the Senior Ball

The differences between the Bulgarian and American education systems are stark and many. Perhaps one day I'll elaborate on some of the major differences and how they affect those of us who are teachers, but for now I'll limit myself to graduation and the senior ball.

Most of the kids I teach (high schoolers) remain in school through June 30th. The seniors, however, take their last classes on May 15th. And then in late May, there is a senior ball. There is no graduation ceremony, no valedictorian speech, or anything else remotely similar to what we have in America.

Last year, I had to pick my brother and sister-in-law up at the airport so I missed many of the festivities associated with the senior ball. This year, I experienced it all. Here's what happens.

Late in the afternoon, friends and family of the kids begin gathering at the school and wait. Eventually, designated drivers in fancy cars bring the kids (who are in no condition to be driving) to the school. More friends and family arrive with the kids, and the kids rush the school, smashing balloons and other displays, yelling, screaming, and taking swigs of booze. After several minutes of this, the kids emerge from the school triumphantly and chant repeatedly.

The kids then get back in the cars and are driven to the center of town where police have blocked the streets and it seems the entire town is waiting for them. Once there, they chant some more.

After repeated chanting, the kids hop back in the cars and are driven to their ball where there is more drinking, more chanting, and lots of dancing.

And, in case you are wondering what they are chanting, this video, taken on May 15th, explains it all. Let's just say that anyone who lives in Bulgaria for any significant amount of time (or even someone who visits in May) has no excuse for not being able to count from one to twelve in Bulgarian.