Burnt Out in Bulgaria

So, too much travel in the last few days, coupled with a lack of sleep and minimal food consumption over that period, finally caught up with me. Since getting off of the train in Bulgaria my sore throat has gotten worse and I went to bed quite early last night (10:45, much earlier than most nights), as I was achy and felt feverish. Hopefully a day or two of rest will get me back on my feet and back on the road to Romania and beyond.

Spent some of the late morning today in the "Lady's Market" though, where for about 4 blocks there are heaps of street vendors selling clothes, food, toys, and plenty of other useless items. I got a Nautica jacket for 24 lev, which is about 12 euro, which is about $17 US. I've been told it's a good deal as far as bartering and prices go here, yet another thing I wish there was more of back home!

Another interesting thing is all the fresh food, fruits, and meats they sell on the streets here. It seems quite unsanitary compared to the standards I'm used to back home in the United States, but no one seems to mind here. It is how it is. And people don't seem to be petrified of the flies gathering around some of the meats.

I was told of a story by someone I met in Greece, of markets in some areas in Southeast Asia, where they place frogs on top of the fish they are selling in similar type markets, to catch the flies landing on the fish. The frog seems to be an acceptable method of cleanliness in these markets.