School Excursion

I was able to go on a two-day excursion with about 40 students, 2 teachers, the school nurse, and another volunteer this past weekend. We left Friday morning at 7am to go to Veliko Tarnovo where we went to Tsarevets castle. It's a popular attraction as it was the royal palace and primary fortress from 1185 to 1393. After touring the castle we went to the center of the city, had lunch, and walked around. Then we got back on the bus to go to Aprilsti where we were spending the night. We got there mid-afternoon which gave the students plenty of free time to rest, hang out, play cards, etc. Plus, I had brought with a bunch of small balls and flashlights that were a big hit (thanks to my dad for sending them and the donation of them from Medica). We ended up staying in a boarding school that has been transformed into a camp-like setting for school groups. At first appearance it didn't even look like it was inhabited but everything turned out well as we had a good dinner and a nice time.

Day two we had breakfast, then rode the bus into the small town near where we stayed to take a group picture and buy snacks. Then we drove to Etar which was awesome, definitely one of my favorite parts of the trip. This architectural-ethnographic complex was filled with lots of fun shops, demonstrations, and performances which I enjoyed. Plus, I got some great souvenirs :)

After Etar, we went to the Shipka Memorial which was constructed to commemorate those who died for the Liberation of Bulgaria from 1877-78. It's 1000 steps to get to the top of the memorial and since it was a warm summer day it was quite the hike. We definitely stopped along the way more than once. From the top there is a beautiful view of the Stara Planina Mountain range as well as many cities and the longest lake in Bulgaria.

After hiking up to the memorial and back we got back on the bus for our last stop which was Shipka Memorial Church. This church, like the monument, is dedicated to the soldiers who fought for Bulgaria's Liberation. Along with Bulgarians, there were many Russian soldiers, therefore this church is unlike many churches within the country as it was designed by a Russian architect.

After all of that it was time to come back to Sliven. It was a nice trip and excellent way for me to see many important places I hadn't been to yet. All my photos can be viewed HERE.

Peace, Love, Literacy, and Reckless Curiosity.