From Training week to our Temporary Site-ISKAR!!

So training week ended over a week ago but I've been so busy studying Bulgarian, writing lesson plans for classes and completing Peace Corps required projects that I haven't had time to post. Hopefully many of you are getting my emails with a lot of stories, feelings and background information. As a volunteer for Peace Corps, there are many things i can not share on a public blog so I hope you understand the lack of such details. In any event, I wanted to share some pictures of this beutiful country and what I have experienced since my last post, through arriving in Iskar. Although I've been here a week, pictures from here will have to wait until a later post in a few days because I have to rush home for dinner soon. We work 10-12 hour days so i'm very busy but I love every minute of it. Here are some visuals:

Abtin, my old roomate(center-back) with a group of serving volunteers from the two groups before us.

Traditional Horo dancers they hired for our final night's formal dinner at training week. Totally amazing and impresive. I'll try to get a video up soon.

Then we all tried doing the Horo with them. They were very kind and understanding of our lack of skill. P.S.-I've got it down now since there are many oppurtunities to practice during Bulgarian celebrations, etc.



Minus the two gents in back(Abtin and Rob), the five of us in front are my language training/location group in Iskar until June. Seriously, we have the best group and get along great. Let's just say it's not the same everywhere else.



ISKAR! This is the church of the city. Very quaint but beautiful.

One of the two hills of Iskar.

A common house in Iskar. Most have a main house and a gated yard with animals and a small garden.

A common street of the town. Yes, there are horses and cows that walk throught the streets. People will take them out in the morning to graze on any grass area available, then bring them in at night. I saw a cow find its own house the other night, knock on the gate with it's head, and get let in. Awesome.

An abandoned house in Iskar. There are many empty from times when more people lived here. See my emails for further info.

Ok all, I've got to run home for dinner.  We are having some sort of soup involving a pheasant and chicken Tsvetan(host dad) shot last weekend. it should be great, everything they have served me has been. Davijdune!