ahoj, responding to your last letter.
Seems I’ve convinced my boss to go my route, which is to get a 3G modem, so hopefully soon we’ll have internet up here in the mountains. I guess the technology is still a bit young and most countries require you to have an address and sign a contract for 3G, unlike Turkish Cyprus where you can get a prepaid package. Since he’s got all these houses and needs this internet, he’ll just put it on his name and I’ll save additional money.
You said you were a bit confused regarding my whereabouts. Well, if you want the gory details… was driving up the Greek coast and hooked up with a friend from Prague who was visiting his girlfriend. He took a train down the coast so that he could drive with me northward. That was real nice. Was still hoping to check out two peninsulas to the east Mount Olympus where his girl worked at a tourist town flooded by Eastern Europeans. The two peninsulas are supposed to be the most beautiful part of Greece, and there is a third peninsula with no roads where a bunch of monks live and you can only get on with special invitation. Was gonna try. One of the two peninsulas an ex-girlfriend of mine was working as a waitress, so that could have turned out to be a cool trip, but then Roger (the 50 house dude) sent me an sms that he has finally made it and if I want to hook up with him I must meet him at Thassos (island of Greece), and then drive up with him to Bulgaria. I looked at the map and looked like a lot of gas money, we smsed a few times, and eventually decided that instead I will drive quickly to meet him in Bulgaria at his house there (he was driving from Czech through Romania at the moment). So I barreled northward but accidentally found myself in Montenegro and had to argue my way out and back in to the EU (they were obviously trying to get some money out of me but I have grown so tired of that that they usually just quickly give up trying).
Hooked up with Rog in BG and hung out a few days, then jumped in his van, he drove to Thassos, worked there for a while (nice village) while he waited for his water heater solar panels to get delivered (they are widely used there and rather cheap). Once that came in he gave me his other van (with which I think I’ll drive to the Czech Republic instead) and I drove to Bulgaria and met him there. So now the plan is he will stay here (he has 6 houses in these mountains) and we work on them till around November, then go back to Thassos and continue working there for the warmth (complicated enough?). But because I’ve been asked to be best man, and other reasons (paperwork etc) I’m going to drive to the Czech Republic in his van (my truck needs to be fixed up a bit, and it will be a lot cheaper in gas) and hang out there for about three weeks, without about one week on the road. The plan is to drive through Romania and hook up with a friend in Bratislava and who will be visiting from the US for a month. We’ll drive through the Tatry, Moravia, Krakow, Cesky Raj, and looking forward to that.
They like my cooking here so far, but the Bulgarian team hasn’t arrived yet. But I think they will be secondary, in case that they wine for traditional Bulgarian food, but I think it should be okay. Rog is giving me 7 Euro an hour, another British dude just arrived yesterday and he will be the main project guy, and then the Bulgarians will be doing all the grunt work for 2 Euro an hour. I can stop working any time a translation comes in, and some has already. I cook every day and get my food for free, whether I work for him or not, so my only budget is the occasional beer or if we go to a restaurant, and things are quite cheap here in the mountains (2 litre bottle for about .75 Euro), so I’m saving quite a lot and I think I might be able to put about a thousand Euro a month in the bank working for him, so I hope to do that for a year or two and come out of it well on my feet.
Yup, still writing my blog, but haven’t had a chance to put it on the net yet. Got so much other stuff I’m trying to do, but hope to get all the text with pictures up soonish. Recently I found I’m very high on google for such searches as “cheap travel Europe” or “cheap Europe tour guide” and I’m actually getting the occasional request from people, so the blog stuff is good. Mostly I’ve been just throwing up my email correspondence in different categories, since I write so much of that, whereas blogs require careful preparation with pictures.
It’s very lovely up here and the gardening is great. But his projects are substantially different from yours: he buys some old dying rubble that the family has been holding on forever but looks like it’s about to collapse to the ground. Buys it rather cheap and starts fixing it up himself. His new experiment are these solar panel heaters, below the house so after the heated water naturally rises to the solar panel, it then winds its way back to the solar panel, by itself due to gravity, but also winds its way through the floors of the house and keeps it from getting too cold. Then he plans to have a septic tank system which pumps the stuff under the garden, feeding the grass and the vegetables, so quite a self sustained system and interesting learning. He then rents them out over the year and finds some local “manager”, who can usually sleep somewhere for free and is cheap. I think it’s just his retirement plan or something and would like to try that one day myself.
Hope you guys sell the house. You always seem to have bad timing, and I guess your very fancy houses can be a hard sell, especially because of the crunch etc. Been reading about that and trying to understand it better. Rather interesting, but the more I read the more it seems evident that the big boys at the top are screwing up everyone else. Probably buddies with the politicians and they all profit in some way. Will keep reading. Your projects are prestigious but maybe not as practical as Roger’s method. But I cannot imagine you tolerate these conditions. Almost like camping. Am documenting pictures of “before and after”, and the toilet here is quite funny (a hole through cement that plops down to the ground somewhere). Below us is a barn he will convert to a house with a bunch of rooms. There is a balcony that overlooks the valley, and at the end of this “balcony”, without even a floor, is a hole in the floor that drops down a storey to the ground below. But we don’t use that one. Anyway, each room will have its own shower room/toilet once done, so enjoying the learning and watching the development. Will try to send some pics.
Well, off to start work soon. Things are going generally great and quite enjoying it. Roger is quite cool and relaxed, so cant imagine falling out with him. We think much the same way. adio!
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heh heh, glad you like it. Actually, in about two weeks I’ll be driving to Czech, be there for about three weeks, then drive back to bg through Romania. Maybe we can cross stream?!? Nice to see you doin all that traveling. think you’ll like my pics of the Greek coast once I get’em up. Mushy kisses!
That is beautiful!!! I love your garden! Sorry i was not responding to your phone propossinf email, i just got constantly busy with visitors for past three weeks. Now it calmed down a little. Anyhow, i have news! Mid August i am joining Juan in Bucharest, Romania! Why dont you come to visit if convenient for you? Also, trying to plan a short trip to Cyprus at mid September… too much going on here now. The mountains look georgious!!!! I really love the view on the picture you sent! you are such a lucky dog!!!o)hahah Take care. I will talk to you soon. Keep me updated please! This Friday i am going for few days to Belgium. Then one week here, another visit and then two weeks in USA then back for two weeks and off to Romania then back to the Czech Republic at the beginning of September as my parents are going to Greece for holidays and i will be baby sitting their dogs and cats:o) and then hopefully Cyprus for cca a week and then back to Romania….uuuuh aaaah busy! but i guess in a way i like it that way…or i try to like it that way… Bobek, my dog, is sleeping under the chair i am sitting on and i get constantly hit by his farts, i have no idea what he must have eaten… anyway, it kinda smells like a dope!o)))) Take care. miss kiss (as miss U kiss U;)
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So you mean me you and Marketa can no longer get together, start a threesome and get married? WHAAAAAAAAAAH!!
While traveling I’ve been experimenting with my hair, trying to start dreadlocks, not washing it much, and my gentle Czech shampoo ran out, and then my hair started to thin and fall out, so I shaved it off and went through my usual treatment of rubbing in pig fat and various herbs, and now it’s holding strong again!
I believe the plan so far is that I arrive in Bratislava on the 17th, pic up Stephy, and then drive for about three days through the Tatras, Moravia, Krakow, Cesky Raj and into Prague. Wanna join us? Otherwise I’m sure I can join you on your weekend party and invite a bunch of ksichty. Should we start to organise something now?
Big boobed Jewish woman and free minded? Possible!
Thought up a dumb Czechglish joke recently: “Hey, why don’t we go Slovak it out?” Like “check it out”… Told ya it was dumb! k
Wow, haven’t seen your ‘ksicht’ for a looonglooong time! What is going on with your facial hair? I remember you never grew it as it never grew in a full bloom but rather in patches – we used to laugh at it, you remember? And what is going on with your hair? Thinning? Is that why you shave it almost like a skinhead? Other than that your skin looks great and haven’t seen the rest of your body 😉 Arriving in Prague on July 15th. I think I want to party big on Friday or Sat July 24th or 25th, then off to Amsterdam July 27-30th and right after one week in Slovakia with my grandparents. My grandma is going blind so I have to kill her rabbits for her! Oh man, getting frustrated about this whole trip. So little time, too much to do and too many people to see! Did I mention my friend Marketka is about to pop a baby-girl? Yeah! Nothing new here. Bought a new (used) car and try to work even though work is REALLY slow for me right now. Still with my jewish boyfriend – a relationship that I have no idea where it’s going. Too much of a cultural difference … can you imagine a persian rather conservative jew and a free open-minded big-breasted slavik czechoslovakian woman????
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good to hear from you. Sorry for the late reply – been pretty busy moving around and getting set up for my new job:
So you ever met this chick you are marrying? Amazing there are still arranged marriages. Hopefully she’ll work out good.
Thanks for your rapidshare program and I just bought an account, cause I need a place to store all my backup stuff. But downloading movies will be cool too.
In about 10 days I’ll be driving to Czech through Serbia, and in about a month back here through Romania, so looking forward to more adventure.
Shitty about Iran, but I guess eventually the world will be increasingly a more free place, perhaps mostly because of the internet.
Hope things are cool with you, k
How is you life ? It is a second my email address, I’m going to Iran next Monday bec I’m going to get married she is a far relatives , she lives in Son Jose (California) she is coming this night to Iran with her family and my wedding will be holed on 6 July in my city . And also there is very bad news from Iran (demonstrators in Iran) The military plain clothes have entered the crowd with high speed on bikes, they are beating people with cable and batons, almost everyone in the crowd is injured, there is blood everywhere
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> Liked your pictures. good luck boys I can not even imagine the
> scope of work. Here it would be way cheaper to build from scratch.
The way that Roger does it I think it must be much cheaper the way he is doing it, cause he seems very good at doing things very cheaply. He is an engineer so he can apparently tell if the stone structure of the house is solid enough, which it often is. He can add a level on top of that if he wants. Gets as many Bulgarians together as he wants and pays them 2 Euro an hour. The way I see him work I really doubt it would be cheaper to build from scratch. Will be documenting with pics as I go and think I’ll be with him a couple of years, so it should be interesting.
> you have a lots of stones there which may be of great value in
> rebuilding. Could not locate your shower unless it is a little pipe
> on the stone wall.
It’s just the two little black solar bags heating up in the sun. I have the same thing in my truck. Kind of sucks after a sweaty day, but he’s already got the solar panels and water heater there, so it will be a matter of hooking it up.
Where do you lkive? in your caravan truck or where?
So far in the houses, but I always have my truck as a backup. Right now we’re actually staying in a hotel with high speed internet, so that is nice.
> Country and mountains very beuatiful not surprised you like it a
> lot. And where is it you cook? and do they still like it?
At the place where we are now there is no kitchen and we go to a restaurant every day. Pig out one meal a day and costs me about 3.50 Euro including a beer. Love the prices here!
> How many are you, you must have some fun together.
So far four of us, one of which is Bulgarian, two of them Brits. Roger is a Brit.
What are the nationalities and what is Roger? Still doubtfull you can attract female workers but what do I know. Thinking of you very often. Last year you were here and in winter I saw yuo in Praha. This is very long break, longer then many years now. WHen do you leave for Praha? In Rogers car or yours? and will you live in it? I wish you all the luck and safety and fun in all you do.
Leaving on the 15th and driving across Serbia, then I may pic up a female friend in Bratislava who is visiting from the states and drive through Tatry, Moravia and Krakow etc. Then on the way back through Romania and visit a friend in the eastern part of Bulgaria. Taking Rogers truck cause mine will be too expensive, and not in the greatest shape, but they started working on it here and hope to finish it soonish. Already got some metal dude to cut me pieces for the entire bottom section with rails etc. Metal parts and their shaping cost only 60 Euro! But the welder who will also paint said he wants 2000 for his work. But one of my piers said he could bring me his welder kit and show me how to do it, and then I could roll on the paint myself. Think I may do that and save my money. Then my truck should be in good order. Paying back Roger what I owe him and fixing up the caravan truck at the same time, and soon I should be able to start saving up good money. Just approached 6000 agencies (recently bought a list of their email address for 60 bucks and will start to sell them for a hundred) offering my services from French, Slovak and Czech but charging almost double, so hopefully will start earning more. Been earning too little for too long and time to change things.
Will be sleeping in Roger’s truck but assume people will offer me their couch etc. It’ll only be about three weeks.
We had a great weather for past 6 weeks,. Swam in the ocean, tiny beach just 3 min walk from here. Ohterwise not much fun as we concentrate on getting the money for finishing this project as without finish we can hardly sell. And we do not sell we can pack it in a live in the tent.
Was raining a lot here recently but now the weather turned for good. Should be good until fall I think, then we go to Greece.
Do not see Keta much. almost not at all. She is working on here reporter and when she is free she has no time for me anyway. Saw here 2xs since we came back in March. She would say it is my fault as always. but she really does not try at all,. I am a necessary bother I think. anyway
She indicated that things might start opening up for her and even suggested she’d like to visit me! So perhaps things will change with her.
I am not in a good spirits, just talked to jana and she is hurting. Her hands and feet are giving up. But as always she is optimistic a full of plans. Great.
Crossing my fingers.
Have fun, take care and write. If you want to see our house go to www.ericchristian.com and find our house on it address is 32 Dickinson crescent. There are some pictures even if they do not do the justice to this house. We also have our furniture from the apartment and it looks so small in these great spaces. Cau, xxxxxxoooooomamamamama
Checked out the site and the pictures are indeed small. Like I said I can make a webpage for you, similar to mine with lots of big pics. Vlad could take the pictures and it doesn’t take me long to make it. Could help you sell.
Good luck!
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It’ll stay here in Bulgaria. I think I showed you the link?
https://kenax.net/links/construction-chicks.html
Getting it fixed up while here. The Bulgarians are LOVELILY cheap. Got metal for the whole bottom section around the truck cut and shaped for only 55 Euro. Someone fixed my laptop for only 12 Euro. Beer is practically only pennies. I pig out for lunch, my only meal of the day, with a beer, and usually only costs me 3.5 Euro. Gotta love the place.
Will be driving in my friends Ford Transit, the dude I’m working for. A lot cheaper in gas and I need to fix up my caravan truck more before bringing it into CZ. The deal is that I get an STK stamp for his truck, with a new maly technikac (through my criminal sources of course, heh heh).
> Hey, so what R U driving back here?
>
> And where is Yr sweetie going to stay?
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Sounds like a blast. On the way back I plan drive through a scenic part of Romania to eastern Bulgaria to visit a friend, and then to drive through the mountains to southwest Bulgaria where I am now. That’s supposed to be a nice drive as well. From here it’s easy to get to Sophia and apparently only 50 Euro plane fare to Prague. Seeya soon!
> I will be here in Prague,,,interested in riding back with u to
> Bulgaria,,,can help with gas money,,look foward to see u,,steve
so miracles happen and it seems I will be driving to Czech. Unfortunately not with the big lovely beast but a Ford Transit van borrowed from a friend. Right now I’m in the mountains of southern Bulgaria and it is lovely: https://kenax.net/links/construction-chicks.html My plan is to leave on the morning of the 15th, party one night in Belgrade, then land in Bratislava on the 17th where I am making plans to hook up with one friend visiting Prague from the US. At that point our plan is to drive for about three days on our way to Prague, winding our way through the Slovakian Tatras, Moravia, Krakow Poland and Cesky Raj. It’s not the royal palace on wheels but a few people can sleep inside. Otherwise I can bring some of my tents if anyone expresses interest in advance. I think there’s a cheap student bus that can take you to Bratislava quickly from Prague. Otherwise, will be in Czech for about three weeks so hope we can get together and do lots of drinkin!!!
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Yup, the geography doesn’t change, just the logistics of time. Seems the ideal route considering where I am now and where I’m going. On the way back wanna drive through scenic parts of Romania and different parts of the Bulgarian mountains, so looking forward to that as well. Will party in Belgrade one night on the way to Bratislava.
In the back I’m going to throw a double mattress, can bring some tents, and I can sleep on the front seats or whatever. I’m flex. On the way back already got two friends who wanna join me. Some slivo will certainly be cool and think it’ll be a great trip. getting closer!
Haha, yes, you did originally say these things, but because the dates changed (and before we didn’t have a set time frame) I wasn’t sure if you wanted to stick with this- sorry I got confused, but just trying to work it all out in my head. 😉 Okay- so I will check out what buses go to Bratislava for the 17th- will send you that info by Monday. Is there room in this new truck of yours for an extra person besides the two of us? All the places you suggest sound great to go- I especially am interested in Cesky Raj (since I always missed that trip with you when you went) and the Tatras. Wouldn’t mind finding some awesome home made Slivovice in Moravia if we can magically find some. 😉 These are my humble dreams. Regardless, I’m just super excited we’ll be on the road together, this should be fantastic! On the road again…
well, as I wrote several times, my plan was to drive for about three days through the Slovakian Tatras, Moravia, Krakow Poland and Cesky Raj. Know your schedule how to get to Bratislava and when you’ll get there? Will try to activate roaming on my mobile so I can check my email on the way there, and would like to time my arrival roughly with yours. k, so you want to do Bratislava and what else on the way back here? Yes, I do still wanna meet- we’ll figure it out! Well, so far my plan is to leave on the 15th for a supposedly easy cruise to end up in Bratislava on the 17th, so I figure party and hang out one night in Belgrade, which I was told is supposed to be rocking cool or something. If no roaming than just do the internet cafe thing, or just meet at the train or bus station or something? I don’t think B is that big, so we shouldn’t miss. Train station should be pretty central and internet cafe nearby. I’ll be in a green bruised up Transit van. Would be cool if we could do the trip! Was thinking three days and we back in prg. k You just let me know what you are thinking- worst case scenerio, we’ll do day trips from Prague. I’m down with meeting up with you, but we need to work on details. Will not have roaming- too expensive for little ole me right now. How long do you want to tool around before we’d get back to Prague and where would you want to go? My plans kinda hinge on that right now. Seriously do want to do this, just trying to find a way to make it all work out properly. Sorry took me so long to respond, I just got in today (was traveling) to Prague, am pooped and seeing double and yeah…great to be back, but brain dead. Let me know, yo! okay, so I’ve confirmed that I’ll be taking the little truck and should be an “easy” (I’m told) two day ride to Bratislava. How’s it lookin with you? Already organising a big party with Misha on the weekend of the 25th. Hope you can make that a well. If we rendezvous in B, will need to work out some communication plan. You got roaming mobile? k
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hey babe, still haven’t heard from you and leaving in a few minutes. Managed to get two roaming sim cards working, although haven’t managed to “top up” the main one, as the funny Brits like to say. In any case, I should have enough credit between them to stay in touch on the road, worst case scenario resort to internet cafes. Just show up if you can and let me know if you proceed. If I don’t hear a positive from you by the 16th evening or 17th morningish, I may just barrel through, cause my dude here said I may get there sooner. I’ll probably mope around Brat on the 17th and look for a tourist office so that we can find some nice routes to drive through the mountains. Once that’s accomplished and I still won’t get a positive from you, I guess I’ll just blast off. Hope it works out!
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Man I just checked out your ‘construction’ website and it looks pretty fantastic. What a gorgeous area. I guess that’s what you are up to for the time being?
Guess what? I’m thinking of buying a van and converting it into a temporary home. Nothing quite as big as your caravan, but hey, it’s a start. I’m feeling pretty lost and clueless as I know nothing about vehicles, building, or even driving, but hey, I figure it’s a good way to learn, eh? Any advice you can shoot my way??
Hope you’re doing really well
good to hear from ya. Was just driving up from Bulgaria so couldn’t log in and respond. Beautiful drive indeed. Lovin my free lifestyle. You’re interested in a caravan for North America? Would suggest Europe too.
You can check out my caravan construction page at:
The only difference, as I think I mentioned on that page, is I’d suggest you measure all the shit BEFORE you start building – unless you like to fly by your pants like I do and the good forces of the universe always manage to save your arse from scraping the pavement in some painful way.
Should save you some good cash on hotel contracts and maybe pay for itself that way.
And if yer ever bored and looking for a crazy adventure, I should be able to get you a construction chick position!
You planting trees now I guess? k
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We are a family operation managing private custom boat tours in the beautiful Palawan area, and are happy to help travelers with their plans through the Philippines, having traveled a lot of it ourselves and planning to visit it all. These pages in this section cover my various solo travels through Europe before meeting my wife.