Nikopol, Bulgaria - July 27, 2019

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1WzfDUXLo9zcDANRiNoe3Xd-PlpnEcnRQ

There was heat in Bulgaria today, but we were patient with it, cycling 65 kilometers.

We ate the extra food that we all were carrying for breakfast with the intention of stopping in a small town for a bite.

Our maps indicated that there would be food in the town of Dabovan, less than twenty kilometers away. It was easy to set our sights on it.

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1Ya7DaVyNqKBEQirZr0Sz9iNSvECD49Bs

Bulgaria is a very lightly populated country. The towns close to the river are quite small. Populations must have decreased in recent years as many homes and businesses are unoccupied.

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1YKGvPAwEM87lkCGqFDb56GI2QfsKf9BW

At times, it feels a little like the third world. The horse and the ass are still legitimate transportation here. There’s a kit which converts a rototiller into a small transport vehicle, a simple solution.

Cycling into Dabovan, we were unable to locate a store or restaurant in operation. I was out of water, and there was a long stretch ahead. When in doubt, throw yourself on the children.

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1kfkugC1lMM8RzzN5F5uV-b6wgI1aVOjE

I met a group of middle-school-age people in the town center, and indicated that I needed water. The group was quick to lead me over to a gap in a fence that allowed access to a backyard water spigot. Kelley and I slipped through and filled up (Isaac already had the water that he need for the next stretch).

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1eioaPY0sVYs1kR9JsquK557LogpV-rCb

The teens confirmed that there was no food to be had in the town. We would have to cycle 14 kilometers up the road. No problem. We thanked them for the water and the well wishes. One girl offered a cigarette. They seemed astonished that we were from America.

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1wTKQYsuViMbdUgz-zNq5fmh7JjmnAwxT

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1eTwE9KgPlKmBa-E3hjmg-Iomny80OLao

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1yPuHAl0340K-N-oklciXM8MkOrxRYcKR

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1JUWAFxEI0NtpNBnWBXJfa3acpv1T9ZUM

Bicycling into Nikopol before five o’clock was nice. We quickly found "Gold Hotel" just up the hill. We acquired a room for three (15€ including breakfast). With no one in the place, it felt a little like "The Shining".

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1qK2vzqgMgJQgq9_DGV9RJKAIfCtOL7Xk

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1Q9F9ABwBeJmkrjsD0VOnCCxXd77A01sc

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1w08Z2TmEk7LSVQaCzrbvulmpKwlHVrif

After a shower and a two-hour nap, dinner was had in the hotel restaurant.

Nikopol is a border town. We’ll pass through security and take a ferry into Romania in the morning.

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1M570keMeKF_ytsYsIwq0utLDG1wDCzSn

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