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Road Guardians in Bulgaria
Part 2 – by Doris Weber
After making so many wonderful new friends at Motocamp Bulgaria during the Horizons Unlimited weekend we were left with many tempting invitations to visit all over Bulgaria. It was a difficult choice; however, we chose to venture to the Black Sea. It was about 250 KM in 96 degree Fahrenheit heat. Vicki had the BMW GS 650 that Ivan Angelov gave her to ride and Doris was riding Polly Marinova’s Sportster. We two Wisconsin chicks were cooking in all our gear! The route was pretty straight with half of it being autobahn that had fresh black top. We got used to the signage and stopped at a gas station for a drink and some shade. We were amused by the “Flintstones” theme of the station.
Dancho and Sevda were a welcome site when they met us at an airconditioned petrol station. They had many beautiful places chosen to show us, starting with a lunch stop at a harbor. Each stop was more beautiful than the next. The water everywhere we stopped was so blue, like nothing I had ever seen before. We stopped to have a few refreshments on the beach at a “Pirate” themed resort and take in the ocean waves. I took off all my gear, so this was my favorite part. I walked the sandy beach, taking pictures and collecting shells for my daughters back home. We stopped at a few other places, including a Fort with a lot of history and a popular beach. We stopped for pictures at a huge field of sunflowers. It was almost dark so we headed to our home for the evening. Dancho and Sevda’s friends welcomed us to their seasonal guest houses. We pulled our bikes under a canopy of grape vines and rose bushes. Their friends prepared delicious traditional dishes made from many ingredients in their garden that they served in their outdoor dining area. They even made their own plum juice and fig jam from their trees. I may be drooling a little while writing this. We slept well that night. Their niece was there visiting and spoke perfect English.
The following day, I was eager to take off again, knowing it would be even hotter than the previous day. We still took time to enjoy a good breakfast with our hosts and a walk to a famous sunrise cliff where the annual Uriah Heep festival is celebrated on July 1st. Dancho wanted to show us more, but I insisted on “next time,” so we started our trip back. It was a five-hour trip back in 101degree blazing sun. It felt like we rode for days, and I couldn’t wait to return and jump into that cold pool.
For the next couple of days, we tried to hide away to catch up on work and prepare for the weekend’s back-to-back classes. We still took lots of breaks to enjoy the Motorcamp and our friends in it. I helped with some of the gardening and clipping their Dog, Harley who had a thick coat of fur and was obviously hot. I could have made Motocamp my new home. I loved it there!
It was an enlightening experience sitting down with people to register them for the class and hear their stories. Several people wanted to take the class because of the crashes they experienced. I heard stories similar to something I would expect to hear in the United States, where emergency services did arrive on the scene, except that it took longer for them to arrive. I also heard stories that were the exact opposite, where help never came, and doctors wouldn’t see the injured. It seems you can be in very different situations depending on where and who you are. The one thing that everyone agreed on was Accident Scene Management Training is essential for all bikers.
The weather on Saturday was hot again, and we were in a covered open-air building. We plugged in fans and hoped for the best as we set up for class. The class was so engaging that people didn’t seem bothered by the heat, and we surprisingly had no complaints! We had people from six different countries all in the same class. It was interesting to hear some of the differences in the laws or procedures from one country to the next. We also had a doctor and a paramedic who have both now become instructors for the new ASM-Bulgaria.
Saturday evening, Vicki and I made dinner so we could have one last “family dinner” together at Motocamp Bulgaria before heading to Sofia, Bulgaria, early in the morning. The family dinners were truly a special part of our time there. No matter how busy everyone was, what they were doing, or where they were from, we would gather together to sit and enjoy each other’s company at 8 or 9 pm.
Early Sunday morning, we were off to the large city of Sofia for another class. Polly and Vesso helped arrange everything for the class. This time, the class was at Cargill Tower, an office building connected to a mall, so it was modern and airconditioned. Once again, we had a great group of engaged students.
After the class, Vesso took us on a car tour of downtown (it was another hot day), followed by a delicious dinner at an Italian restaurant next to the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevski. Talk about a stunning view!
Monday, we caught up on some work in the morning. We stayed downtown in a beautiful apartment that Vesso’s wife remodeled and designed. She rents it to travelers. Meg and Ivan picked us up in the afternoon to show us around Sofia. They took us up to Vitosha, a mountain resort overlooking the city. You could see all of the capital city and beyond. After our scenic overlook, we made a stop to meet Violeta Ivanova at a Media Station. Violeta has excellent contacts there since she holds the title of The First Woman to Travel Around the World on a Harley Davidson. The three of us were interviewed for a popular travel radio show. We were also scheduled for a television interview but ran too late. They asked to set something up for the next time we are in town. After the interview, we returned to our tour of the city with Evan and Meg. Their son Migeul joined us and did an amazing job as our tour guide. The country is rich in history beyond anything in the United States. We even saw Ancient Roman Ruins. Bulgaria has been occupied by Italy, Turkey, and Russia. They were under communist rule until 1989 when they liberated themselves and are now an independent nation and part of the European Union which is a 22 country collective. They have some of the oldest and largest Cathedrals in the world. Bulgaria is a place I truly feel privileged to have gotten to experience. The country is beautiful, the history is rich, as are the people we met and now call friends. Priceless!
So where does all of this leave Road Guardians/Accident Scene Management?
We couldn’t just leave them armed with only the few people we trained. They asked for more and want to do what it takes to expand our program to Bulgaria and Europe.
As of this publication, Vicki Sanfelipo has trained Eight new instructors, Two Lead instructors and six assistant instructors. A seven-person Board of Directors has been formed to oversee what will be the nonprofit organization in Bulgaria. We are establishing the structure for ongoing training. The program itself is being translated from English to Bulgarian.We will be adding a new section to our website by November 1st with Bulgaria instructors and classes. We expect classes to start in early 2025!
We hope this is the start of more countries and more training in Europe. If you have questions or can help as we expand, please let us know: info@roadguardians.org
Doris Weber
Road Guardians Team
