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Road Guardians in Bulgaria
We, Vicki aka “Spitfire” Sanfelipo, and I (Doris Weber) took off from the Milwaukee Airport on July 2nd and landed the next day in Sofia, Bulgaria. We were greeted by Rob, who not only will drive you across the country, but owns a bakery and a delicious catering company. Along with Rob was one of the MotoCamp owners, Doug Wothke, a world traveler (via antique motorcycles,) who was returning to the MotoCamp from a trip to Iceland. We also had the pleasure of meeting Rafal and Agata from Poland, who traveled another two and a half hours with us about halfway across the country, until we arrived at MotoCamp Bulgaria. The journey was mostly on an autobahn that traveled through several tunnels in the mountains. Bulgaria’s main crop must be sunflowers because it was just field after field of beautiful golden flowers surrounded by mountains. I felt like I was in some dreamland or alter universe. Of course I was a little tired as well.
We turned off of the main road and dodged potholes to the small sleepy town of Idylio, which looked like it had been a thriving small town in years gone by. Upon our arrival, Polly and Ivaylo were at the gates of the MotoCamp to welcome us. I was so happy to give Polly a hug for the first time. We have worked together for over a year yet never had the opportunity to see each other in person. Polly introduced us to Ivaylo (pronounced “Evo” who we also had only met through a computer screen previously. Ivaylo and Polly are also owners of the MotoCamp. They sure put a lot of hard work into that magical place. They showed us around the camp and the beautiful house that we were going to stay in. The camp was already starting to fill with people who were arriving for the weekend’s Horizons Unlimited (HU) meeting, which is the largest event of the year at Motocamp. Despite being busy, they ensured we had everything we needed and more. HU brings world travelers from all over the planet together to meet and share stories of their adventures.
We quickly fell into a routine where we would wake up, sit on our porch, do a little work and visit with people as they wandered by. Occasionally, we were also get greeted by Harley the dog, some of the chickens, or by the friendly cats looking to see if we wanted to give them some treats. The vibe of the camp is so relaxed and homey. I am not one to normally sit still, but I could have stayed there forever.
By Friday, the camp was full of people, and vendors were rolling in to set up. I was summoned to the upstairs dining area to eat before things got any busier. I walked up the stairs and to my complete surprise there was a group of people singing Happy Birthday to me. They had a cake, gifts, and even had fresh picked flowers. This was a BIG DEAL to me because normally you can NOT surprise me with something like this. I also have a birthday after a holiday, so my family had a tendency to never celebrate my birthday and often forgot it altogether. On this incredibly busy day, all these people (some who didn’t even know me) came together for me. I was so surprised and felt so loved. If they read this, Thank you again, Vicki and Polly!
Spitfire gave her presentation, “Passion Driven Motorcycling,” that evening outside under the stars. She talked about her history, starting Accident Scene Management, getting inducted into the Hall of Fame, and all the big things in between. It was a great reminder to me that although I might be a small woman in stature if I work hard, I can also continue to achieve great things. I am truly blessed to work, learn, and play alongside my friend Vicki.
Saturday morning, we had our next presentation, The ABCSS of Trauma. It was very hot, and many people packed in the upstairs open air breakfast room to attend the presentation. Everyone was so into the presentation that they didn’t seem to mind the heat. We had lots of questions during the presentation and throughout the rest of the weekend. I stayed up late that evening, getting to know many of the attendees. We compared stories of how our countries differ, and how difficult it is for them to get help if someone crashes. I learned so much that evening.
The next day Vicki and I went riding with a couple that we now are very happy to call our friends, Ivan Angelov & Meglena Konstantinova. Ivan owns a side business that rents motorcycles. If you are interested in traveling to Bulgaria, let us know, and we will hook you up with them, otherwise here is a link to his website. Ivan and Meg are also ASM certified so you know they care about your safety! They lent us great bikes! We got to experience some of the roads firsthand. Let me tell you, that my first trip was a bit nerve-wracking, but I think it was about me not having been out riding in a long time more than anything else. Well, there are potholes everywhere in the small villages and the roads are narrow so it took watching carefully to constantly dodge the potholes that could swallow a tire. I may have had a little anxiety because I did not know what the road signs said either but I trusted our guides to get us where we needed to go. After that first ride, when I was relaxed enough to look at the scenery and enjoy the ride, it was heaven.
I could go on and on about our adventures and the beauty we witnessed. The people we met were the best part of our travels. We met people who set up many press interviews, grant opportunities, and more travel destinations than we could take advantage of.
Next month, I will discuss our trip to the Black Sea and the classes we taught. Bulgaria will be the beginning of something larger on the horizon. Stay tuned!
Doris Weber
