The entire surroundings looked white. The bus kept moving along various roads in Sofia. Children were playing with snow in front of their homes, just like children back home play with sand.
By Abdullah Usman Morai | Sweden
After bidding farewell to the guide, I descended the stairs toward the ancient stadium of Philippopolis. Since it is located in the heart of the city, this stadium has also been preserved carefully with attention to both ancient and modern elements. Roads pass above it, and visitors can go down to explore and admire it. This Roman stadium was constructed in the 2nd century AD. There was also a shop within the stadium premises where people could buy souvenirs—I too bought a few items to remember the place by.
From there, I walked over to the Grand Mosque, where I offered the afternoon prayer. The mosque reflected Turkish architecture, similar to many others I had seen elsewhere, following nearly the same design. In front of the mosque, most of the people sitting were Turks, enjoying Turkish tea or coffee. Right across from the mosque was a Turkish restaurant named Jamia Roza kebab, where I had lunch. The person grilling kebabs at the restaurant exchanged a few words with me. He told me he was originally from Istanbul but had come here to work at the restaurant.
After lunch, there was still some time left before our return, so I continued exploring the area. I came across another mosque named Shahabuddin Pasha also known as Imaret Mosque, whose minaret had visible loudspeakers. This mosque was also built during the Turkish period, in the year 1444 AD. Like most cities, Plovdiv has long pedestrian shopping streets, so I made good use of the time by walking along one such street near the ancient stadium. The street extended all the way to the ruins of Philippopolis’s Roman Forum.
There weren’t many branded shops along the way, but the street was quite crowded, filled with both locals and tourists. On this same street, I came across Plovdiv’s famous hashtag installation: “#Together,” and beneath it, the phrase “Plovdiv 2019 European Capital of Culture.” Tourists were taking pictures there—Morai Soomro was among them.
Also along the street stood a statue of a man named Milyo, shown with his hand cupped over one ear as if trying to listen, much like how hearing-impaired people try to catch sounds. It is said that Milyo was a well-read resident of Plovdiv who spoke several languages, but for some reason, he had lost some mental balance. He used to sit at that very spot, joking and chatting with passersby. Today, a statue stands there in his memory. A rumor has it that if one whispers a wish into his ear, it will come true. Milyo passed away due to influenza, in poverty.
After wandering around, I returned to the pickup spot for our van. I was the first to arrive. Not seeing anyone from our group yet, I took another round of the nearby shops until it was time to leave. From the loudspeakers of the nearby mosques, I heard the afternoon call to prayer: “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.” I said to myself, Indeed, God is Great. We boarded the van, exchanged greetings with everyone, and everyone expressed how much they had liked the city.
When we reached Sofia, snow was falling heavily. The guide dropped us off at the same location as in the morning. I strolled back to the hotel, where I took full advantage of the in-room tea-making facilities.
Sipping tea, I looked out of the hotel window and saw that the snowfall had intensified. I thought to enjoy my tea and some music for a while before heading out again. After two cups of tea and listening to some spiritual/ sufi music, I stepped outside the hotel, but noticing that the snow was only getting heavier, I decided it would be best to have dinner at the hotel restaurant itself.
Back inside, I found a few guests at the restaurant—it wasn’t crowded, and the atmosphere was very cozy and comfortable. I chose a seat and table next to the fireplace. The warmth of the burning logs was very comforting in the cold. Through the glass walls, I could see about a foot of snow covering the plants in the garden. The sight of the glowing fire reminded me of coal heaters/ Sigri back in Sindh.
Even after finishing my meal, I sat there for quite some time, soaking in the ambiance. I also spoke with Imran Jamali in Stockholm, Bhau Mushtaq, and my sister, Sakina in London. Late at night, I returned to my room and went to sleep. The next morning, I was to set out early for a tour of the Rila Monastery, located outside Sofia.
Day 3: A Snow-Covered Journey Through Bulgaria’s Sacred Heart
The next day arrived safely. When I looked outside the window, I saw that a thick blanket of snow had covered everything. Nevertheless, the tour was already booked, so I had to go. I got ready quickly and had breakfast. I told the receptionist that the previous day’s taxi had stopped at an ATM, so today, please try to arrange for a taxi where I could pay by card. By the time I finished breakfast, the taxi had arrived. The hotel receptionist stepped outside and informed the driver that I would pay by card, and the driver agreed.
Still, I remained mentally prepared for any surprise—but this time, the taxi driver did indeed drop me off near Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, and I paid the fare using my card. All went well, thankfully. Along the way, I noticed that some trees and electric lines had fallen under the weight of snow. The domes of the cathedral looked completely white due to the snowfall.
The same man I had asked the previous day about the Plovdiv tour, and our guide turned out to be our guide for the Rila Monastery tour as well. However, this time we weren’t in a van but a large bus, completely filled with tourists. There were two hosts on the bus—the driver’s job was solely to drive. It seemed to me that Rila Monastery was even more popular than Plovdiv, given the size of the bus.
Throughout the ride, the tour guides kept reminding us to wear our seatbelts since there was snow on the roads. The bus was filled with tourists of all ages and genders, from various European countries.
The journey continued. The entire surroundings looked white. The bus kept moving along various roads in Sofia. Children were playing with snow in front of their homes, just like children back home play with sand. As the bus moved out of the city, some cars could be seen stuck or broken down on the road due to last night’s snow. As the bus passed through narrower roads, it became evident that there had been a severe storm at night. Many trees and electric wires were found fallen.
The bus stopped at a place called Gorski Kut Hotel and Restaurant, where the tourists got some time to rest. Our tour guides informed us that we would return here for lunch later. The journey resumed, and soon we reached Rila Monastery. Located about 117 kilometers south of Sofia, Rila Monastery was founded in the 10th century and is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. It is situated in a deep valley near the Rila Mountains and Rila River in southwestern Bulgaria. It is one of the most significant cultural, historical, architectural, and touristic monuments in Bulgaria and Southern Europe.
When the bus stopped and tourists disembarked, I took out my sunglasses from my side pouch. One of our guides smiled and said, “Great memory you have!”—he had forgotten his sunglasses on the bus and went back to fetch them. Due to the white snow and sunlight reflecting off it, wearing sunglasses was necessary to protect the eyes.
Inside the Rila Monastery complex, there were many old buildings with Christian-themed frescoes painted on the walls and ceilings. Our guide continued explaining the significance of each. He told us that although the buildings appear to have four floors from the outside, they actually have five. During the Ottoman Empire, constructing buildings taller than four floors was prohibited, so the design was made to hide the fifth floor from view.
The monastery included a church, residential quarters, and a museum. The verandas were designed with arches. I wandered around and exited through another gate of the monastery. Just outside, mountain water was flowing down along the monastery walls. Surrounded by mountains and trees, all of it appeared pure white due to the snow.
On that backside, there was also a souvenir shop, but nothing really caught my interest. On the way back, I met some Swedish tourists, and we exchanged to take photos of each other. One of the guides struck up a conversation with me, asking where I was from, what I do, and how long I’ve been living in Sweden. Pointing toward the top of Rila Mountain, he suggested that I should come here again during the summer for hiking, and that I would definitely enjoy the views. I smiled and said, “Maybe I will return someday.”
On the way back, I noticed a Turkish girl on the bus clinging quite affectionately to her Spanish friend. The level of public affection seemed rather exaggerated, but anyway, it was their choice. We stopped once again at Gorski Kut Hotel and Restaurant for lunch.
Due to the snow, the electricity system was disrupted. The guide explained the various famous local dishes, and everyone ordered as per their preference. I asked the guide which one was the tastiest and what he himself would eat. He recommended a specific type of fish served with potatoes and salad, which I also ordered.
I chose to sit at a table and chair next to the fireplace. Outside the window, the snow, the river, the forests, and the trees were all visible. I was lost in my thoughts when a young man approached and asked if he could sit with me. I said, “No problem, please do.” He was from Spain and had come to Bucharest, the capital of Romania, as an exchange student for six months. During vacations or weekends, he traveled across Europé and on that weekend, he ended up at Sofia.
His mobile phone battery had died, and there was no electricity in the restaurant. With some frustration, he said he couldn’t even take pictures or contact his family. I handed him my power bank and told him he could charge his phone with it. He was very happy. Then he asked if I could send him some photos from the day, so he could have memories of this trip and share them with his family. I gladly fulfilled his request.
He said to me, “You really carry everything one needs for travel, like this power bank to charge your phone.” I told him, “Yes, absolutely. Nowadays, it’s essential to carry mobile chargers, a power bank, and even basic medicines for headaches or fever.”
On the way back, smoke could be seen rising from the chimneys of houses nestled in the valleys. Horses were visible in the distance. The roads had been cleared—only snow remained on the sides.
As part of this full-day tour, we also visited the medieval Boyana Church near Vitosha Mountain. Built in the 10th–11th century, it was included in UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in 1979. The church had three sections, with Christian saints painted on the walls. Since the church was small, visitors were allowed in limited batches. Photography inside was not permitted. Nevertheless, we saw it, and with that, the day’s tour ended.
The bus brought us back, and I walked leisurely to my hotel. The next morning, I had an early flight to Stockholm. The taxi driver again stopped at an ATM just like before. But anyway, all praise to the Creator, who showed me such beauty through His creations, and the journey concluded safely. (Concludes)
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Abdullah Soomro, penname Abdullah Usman Morai, hailing from Moro town of Sindh, province of Pakistan, is based in Stockholm Sweden. Currently he is working as Groundwater Engineer in Stockholm Sweden. He did BE (Agriculture) from Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam and MSc water systems technology from KTH Stockholm Sweden as well as MSc Management from Stockholm University. Beside this he also did masters in journalism and economics from Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mirs, Sindh. He is author of a travelogue book named ‘Musafatoon’. His second book is in process. He writes articles from time to time. A frequent traveler, he also does podcast on YouTube with channel name: VASJE Podcast.
