Jelajah Bulgaria - Sofia (Part II)

Sambungan tentang Bulgaria dari post sebelumnya...

[1] LANDMARK
Sekiranya anda seseorang suka bergamba di Landmark sesuati tempat yang anda kunjungi, boleh lah ke NDK. Ketika musim bunga, ia penuh dengan tulip dan water fountain yang menyejukkan pemandangan. Taman disekelilingnya juga menjadi tumpuan penduduk disini untuk beristirehat, tidak kurang juga yang datang berpiknik dan membaca buku sambil menikmati cahaya matahari.

[2] KESELAMATAN
Berkelana bersendirian di negara yang tidak dimonopoli oleh Muslim, bukan lah sesuatu yang senang. Berhati-hati adalah kunci, doa dan tawakkal jangan dilupa. Pernah mengenali warga Irish yang menetap di Bulgaria selama 10 tahun lamanya; kerana berkahwin dengan warga tempatan. Sebelum Bulgaria, beliau pernah menetap di Ireland, dan United Kingdom. Antara ketiga-tiga negara, Bulgaria dirasakan paling selamat dan tenang. Kehidupan yang tidak terlalu hectic, tidak terlalu berkejaran kesana sini; tidak seperti yang kita dapat lihat di USA, UK, dan Jepun. Mungkin kehidupan yang laid back dan relax, menjadikan beliau jatuh cinta. Pengalaman sendiri pula, setahun di Sofia...alhamdulillah, belum ditimpa apa-apa musibah.

Tapi perlu diingatkan, seperti di negara Europe yang lain, Bulgaria juga tidak pernah sunyi oleh pendatang yang datang berteduh mencari sesuap nasi; mereka adalah Gypsies. Mereka lah yang menyumbang kepada kes kecurian dan terkenal dgn aktiviti pick-pocketing. Antara hotspot pick-pocketing di Sofia adalah di Paradise Mall, antara Shopping Mall yang terbesar di Sofia dan juga sekitar Woman's Market (Zhenski Bazaar). Oleh itu, sebagai traveler, walau dimana kita berada, keselamatan adalah sesuatu yang harus dititik beratkan walaupon tempat yang dikunjungi statistik crime rate adalah rendah. Kita takkan pernah tau apa yang akan berlaku dan apa yang menanti kita di depan hari. Malang tidak pernah berbau. Oleh itu, always always and always be on your most sane state and stay focus.

3] CULTURE
Setahun mencari rezeki di bumi Sofia, cuba menelusuri rasa hati penduduk disini. From a year of observation, they are very expressive human being. I mean 'real honest'. When they are not happy they expressed them directly. If they're angry, they will spit them out on that very moment. Often I heard (from non-Bulgarian), when they had a conversation they look like arguing infact they are just talking normally to each other.

Having born in a total opposite culture, it indeed a little hard for me to fit into the equation. Tapi alah bisa tegal biasa. ASIAN normally are laid back type of person. Don't quote me wrong, not all ASIAN are as what I described myself, there is outspoken one but not that many. Hence my curiosity makes me ended up asking them, incase there are reason behind. So I roughly got my answer, (it might be right, or it might not). Those days that they had. Kesusahkan yang dialami sedikit sebanyak memberi impak kepada kedhidupan mereka hari ini. In case some of you wondering how the communism rules feels like; communism is a system in which there are not supposed to be any economic or social classes, all property is owned by the community, and all people enjoy the same social and economic status. Building/houses is build, as minimal as it can be just to fit the actual purpose. Nothing fancy. No one had more than what others had. I was told that during that time, if you went to other people house you couldn't really recognized if it is your house or not. Everything looks exactly the same. Everyone had the same and no one had more than others. Thus, can you imagine yourself living under these rules?

Often than not, from their facial expression, they look a little fierce. At one glance, they looks like middle eastern people. But if you know them, they were nice people. Try to speak their language even a simple words, they appreciate them a lot. It shows they really respect when you show interest in what they used even the small as ‘Hi’ and ‘Thanks’. You can earn their respect from them. Oh, by the way, you can use 'Merci' instead of 'Thanks' here.

But their language are not the easiest to learn obviously. A year had passed, and I am here still struggling. The reading part was easy, understanding part is the hellish one here :) Still, I am trying. 💪

Another unique things about them, Bulgarians express approval by shaking their heads rather than nodding. So, don't get confused.

[4] CUACA: Seperti negara Eropah berdekatan, Bulgaria di anugerahkan empat musim. Sebelum berhijrah ke sini, saya di beritahu Bulgaria mempunyai cuaca yang extreme. Where it gets real cold during winter, and extremely hot during summer. Cuaca musim sejuk penah mencecah -17 pada tahun lepas. Dan -20 pada tahun sebelumnya. Bayangkanlah air conditioning yg 20 tu pon dah sejuk.. Apatah lagi yang -20. Sejuk tak sejuk, make sure to gear up properly kalau nk datang musim sejuk. Musim panas mampu mencecah hingga 40. Tapi alhamdulillah walaupun panas, masih tetap ada hembusan angin. Tak humid macam kat MY. Bulan puasa adalah antara bulan yang mempunyai hari yang panjang. Subuh pada pukul 4:30pagi dan Magrib sekitar 8:30mlm-9:00mlm. Di penghujung bulan puasa, subuh menganjak ke 3:30pagi dan Maghrib 9:00mlm. Melepet jugak la nk menghabiskan puasa sebulan 😂. Semoga tahun ni lebih tabah.

[5] GETTING IN
There is no direct flight from KL-SOF. As an alternative, fly with Qatar Airline and transit at Doha. The cheapest I’ve got so far RM2600, tu pon dalam bulan puasa last year. Tahun ni tak jumpa lagi that kind of fares. Sobs.
[KUL-DOHA 8 jam] - [DOHA-SOFIA 5 jam]

Another economical option is to take return ticket KUL to Istanbul and then from Istanbul you may roam the Balkan countries with bus or train. Also, there is direct flight from London to Sofia which took around 2.5hours. You may take Wizz Air, a Hungarian Low cost airline. Sometimes the price is pretty decent for return ticket, apprx RM500.

Hopefully, the info could literally help travelers who will visit Bulgaria soon.