Woman somewhere in Bulgarian mountains says hello!

[magentasky]

Hey everyone,I've tried to post an intro several times but they keep getting lost in the ether :eek2:

So just a quick one to say I love your forum.....full of thought provoking interesting posts,and some really good laughs too :clown:

Will write more soon when I'm sure this will send :wavey:

[BENESSE]

Welcome, I am glad you found us!

[hunter63]

Hunter63, saying Hey and Welcome.

[magentasky]

Thank you for your welcome Benesse and hunter63,really nice of you :thumbup1:

Well,been here in Bulgaria just over a year,moved from UK (the land of 'No,you can't do that') to find peace,beauty and get on with the business of going self-sufficient which is virtually impossible in UK.

I have a little place in the Stara Planina mountains,plenty of barn space which I'm filling up with animals,chooks,ducks,geese,goats...next year maybe rabbits and pigs. Growing veggies,plenty of wild harvesting to be done as the area is mainly untouched so I am learning what's good to eat,and what isn't too.
Lots of wild fruit and nut trees all over the place,walnuts,hazelnuts,quince,plum,apple,pear,shi ra plum plus lots of wild mushrooms,bramble,blueberry,sloe....fields of sunflower and maize,so some cultivation in the valleys.

Mains and well water,also plenty of streams and rivers,some fishing which I love.
Mains electricity but planning off-grid,solar/wind/other when I have done my homework and costed it all out....some grants available for going 'green' here so looking into that too.

Plenty of wildlife too,deer,wild boar,hare etc plus bear and wolves deeper into the mountains.

Not exactly wilderness living,but gathering and chopping my winter wood supply for the petchka (wood-burning stove and heating source) and getting winter feeds in for the animals occupies my time.

More another time as I have barn work to get along with now.....looking forward to reading more posts later and maybe 'meeting' some more folk from here,bye for now.

[mountainmark]

Welcome, thanks for coming aboard :)

[crashdive123]

Hello and welcome.

[1stimestar]

Welcome from Alaska.

[magentasky]

Thank you also mountainmark,crashdrive123 and 1stimestar for your welcomes which are great to get.

Looking out tonight I see a couple of lights in the distance,hear the crickets but little else,my idea of bliss......no cars,very few neighbours.
The evenings are slowly drawing in,morning light getting later,things are cooling down as temperatures have been in the mid 40s but now around 28 daytime.
From late november early december the snows come,maybe a metre at a time which as yet I am not used to as in the UK 2ins of snow brings the country to a halt and disrupts everything,sad but true.
I realise what happens here in Bulgaria is nothing compared to the extremes of temperature in the countries some here are used to of course.....but I love all the seasons and welcome change,must be my nordic blood from way back.

I cannot contribute much atm as my adventures and current lifestyle are new and I have so much to learn....but I reckon I can find lots of answers from input and posts here on the forum.

[zeroed4x]

Welcome magentasky. Are you currently interested in bushcraft, survival, camping, fishing, hunting ?
Do you have a favorite knife that you prefer ?

[Rick]

Welcome home. I had to look chooks up. I have never heard that term before. Another learning day. You gotta love that.

[Sourdough]

Welcome to the forum...................any chance you need a good man....???? or just a not good man.

[thefemalesurvivalist]

Hey everyone,I've tried to post an intro several times but they keep getting lost in the ether :eek2:

So just a quick one to say I love your forum.....full of thought provoking interesting posts,and some really good laughs too :clown:

Will write more soon when I'm sure this will send :wavey:

welcome from Alaska, Magentasky

[bacpacker]

Welcome crom Tennessee. I look forward to reading your inputs.

[Highhawk1948]

Welcome from hot and humid Florida. Sounds like you got it under control.

[Ken]

Welcome to the Forums!

[Desert Rat!]

Welcome from the Great Mojave desert!

[zeroed4x]

My dear, I think we all would enjoy a picture of you. Would you post a pic of yourself. if you do we will do the same.
I'd like to see everyone who is here on this forum.

[Ken]

I'd like to see everyone who is here on this forum.

Cool! Here's a pic of me:

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/image.php?u=1459&dateline=1376685803

[1stimestar]

My dear, I think we all would enjoy a picture of you. Would you post a pic of yourself. if you do we will do the same.
I'd like to see everyone who is here on this forum.

Start at the last post and go back wards.
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?1951-show-your-self

[magentasky]

Thank you too Zeroed4x,Rick,Sourdough,thefemalesurvivalist,bacpa cker and Highhawk....its really nice to get your welcomes,means a lot.

Zeroed,yes I am very interested in those things,but for now concentrating on the homebase and the animals...no fav knife yet,but when the time comes there are plenty available in the market down the way,so I will do my homework,see whats best and take it from there.

Sourdough,may be needing a good or not so good guy in my life......if you know of any let me know????

Highhawk,yes so far so good....a few setbacks ie my 4x4 being refused registration here,so I have to green-lane everywhere but I kinda like that so not so bad (thinking possibly of getting a horse and cart for spring/summer/autumn transport) plenty of folk get about that way,so I'll see.
Also had a bad guy camping out in another little place I have here.....more of that another time.

Picture to follow when I work out how to do it!

[magentasky]

Thanks too Ken and Desert Rat!

[DSJohnson]

Welcome! Please tell me some about where you live I have no knowledge at all of that part of the world. Can you hunt there? Do you won the property you live on? It sounds like a nice area. I wish I had fewer neighbors. My wife and i live on 50 acres in South Central Oklahoma. What is the climate like there? Sorry for all the questions but I am very curious!

[magentasky]

Hey DSJohnson,thanks for your welcome!

Yes you can hunt here in Bulgaria....not exactly sure what the regs are,but I can find out for you.I do know though that if you own livestock you can more or less automatically own and use a gun capable of killing jackals/foxes to protect your animals...

It is a beautiful place,certainly here in the mountains,very low population...the infrastructure is a bit primative but that's one of the things I like about it.

Yes I do own my property,real estate is VERY cheap here,places can be bought for as little as 10,000leva but you won't get a whole lot for that money,a little stone built cottage and barns for renovation on maybe an acre of land.
It is also unusual to get much acreage with a property,but with all the forests and space around it doesn't really bother me.I don't think there are any trespass laws here.

The climate is long hot summers,march through december,then short harsh winters with up to a metre of snowfall at a time dec through march.Only had one winter so far,it was a bit difficult to get about because of the ice and snow....but as long as your prepared for it no significant problems.

Please ask any more questions if you like,happy to oblige,what I don't know I can find out!

Best wishes to you and your wife.
magentasky.

[1stimestar]

Welcome! Please tell me some about where you live I have no knowledge at all of that part of the world. Can you hunt there? Do you won the property you live on? It sounds like a nice area. I wish I had fewer neighbors. My wife and i live on 50 acres in South Central Oklahoma. What is the climate like there? Sorry for all the questions but I am very curious!

Hey did I know you were from down there? I'm from Duncan.


Hey DSJohnson,thanks for your welcome!

Yes you can hunt here in Bulgaria....not exactly sure what the regs are,but I can find out for you.I do know though that if you own livestock you can more or less automatically own and use a gun capable of killing jackals/foxes to protect your animals...

It is a beautiful place,certainly here in the mountains,very low population...the infrastructure is a bit primative but that's one of the things I like about it.

Yes I do own my property,real estate is VERY cheap here,places can be bought for as little as 10,000leva but you won't get a whole lot for that money,a little stone built cottage and barns for renovation on maybe an acre of land.
It is also unusual to get much acreage with a property,but with all the forests and space around it doesn't really bother me.I don't think there are any trespass laws here.

The climate is long hot summers,march through december,then short harsh winters with up to a metre of snowfall at a time dec through march.Only had one winter so far,it was a bit difficult to get about because of the ice and snow....but as long as your prepared for it no significant problems.

Please ask any more questions if you like,happy to oblige,what I don't know I can find out!

Best wishes to you and your wife.
magentasky.

I'd love to hear more.

[DSJohnson]

Completely hijacking the thread.......I live east of Wynnewood. About 10 miles east. How long have you been gone from Duncan?

Miz Magentasky, If I read your original post accurately you are a Brit who moved to the area of Bulgaria you live in now? Do you get much sense of being treated as a"outsider" or have the "locals" been pretty receptive to you? Is there much of a language barrier there? I really am very interested and intrigued about your life style.

[1stimestar]

Completely hijacking the thread.......I live east of Wynnewood. About 10 miles east. How long have you been gone from Duncan?


On Christmas Eve it will be 10 years.

[magentasky]

Hey again,yes I am a Brit who has moved to Bulgaria....no not much sense of being an outsider,though do get treated with some curiosity from time to time.Mostly I think the understanding is confused maybe because wages in UK are so much higher than here,but so is the cost of living also in UK which is phenominal,so swings and roundabouts....and some local folk do not understand why I would want to be here....I say I respect their local tradition and love the culture and uncomplicated lifestyle which is true.

I have been approached as a potential 'sponsor' for a couple of Bulgarians who think they would like to move to UK and work and send money back here for their families.But honestly with the cost of living in UK I have to say they are wasting their time,but this is just my opinion but I can see their point of view as wages here are really low here in comparison.

Yes there is a language barrier,I try to blend in and learn and respect the differences but it takes time as it is a very different and difficult tongue to learn.Most folk here are very kind and make allowances for which I am grateful.
Most days when I get to go into town I am warmly greeted.When I drive I always give lifts to folk from my village if I see them on the road....for this there are hugs and kisses and sometimes gifts of bread,honey or cake....they are kind people.They mostly have little to give but give willingly,I really respect that.

[Rick]

That sounds a great deal like....Heaven.

[magentasky]

Yes Rick,very nicely put.....it really is like heaven here in many,many ways and I love it.

There are lots of festival days celebrated here,both in the local villages and larger towns,everyone turns out for them and contributes in some way and lots of partying goes on.These events are held outside like a torch-lit picnic for all,there is often a pig or lamb roast,lots of local grown salads and home-made bread,lots of beer,wine and rakia (the stilled traditional firewater....which bites hard if you're not careful!!) there is always music with singing and dancing going on into the small hours,sometimes fireworks....they LOVE their fireworks.

Also the people look after each other,the old folk are respected and cared for and often several generations live in the same house so it is very family orientated here.

[1stimestar]

Yes Rick,very nicely put.....it really is like heaven here in many,many ways and I love it.

There are lots of festival days celebrated here,both in the local villages and larger towns,everyone turns out for them and contributes in some way and lots of partying goes on.These events are held outside like a torch-lit picnic for all,there is often a pig or lamb roast,lots of local grown salads and home-made bread,lots of beer,wine and rakia (the stilled traditional firewater....which bites hard if you're not careful!!) there is always music with singing and dancing going on into the small hours,sometimes fireworks....they LOVE their fireworks.

Also the people look after each other,the old folk are respected and cared for and often several generations live in the same house so it is very family orientated here.

Yes that sounds wonderful. Do you have pictures or a blog somewhere? I'd love to see some.

[magentasky]

A few of the drawback are....workmen are often unreliable ie say they will turn up then don't.And you need to stand over them otherwise most likely you will get a poor standard of work,but I guess that's not too different anywhere else in the world.But on the plus side labour is very cheap.

There is quite a lot of red-tape and bureaucracy if anything official needs doing,and most things happen very s l o w l y ....however once you've waded through the nonsense you just get left alone.

Hmmmm,trying to think of more negatives....nope,can't think of any right now.

Property taxes are very low,I pay 12 lev per year,about 8 USD (I think) which includes municipal rubbish collection.

Mains water is around 5/10 lev a month depending on usage,electricity approx 35/50 lev per month.

A very filling meal out for two with coffee between 5-20 lev depending on whether you want a kufti (huge pork burgery/kebab thing in flat bread with loads of salad) or a sit down meal with waitress service and several dishes,cold drinks and coffee.

Internet connection 10 lev a month cheapest deal.....though I think I will upgrade next time to get better speed.

Motor insurance,basic cover around 100 lev a year,vignette (road tax) 67 lev per annum,MOT 25 lev.....most vehicles get through,though they are tightening the regs up now.

Market bought fresh fruit and veg produce virtually given away,lots of it and mostly grown organically.

All things are a lot easier on the pocket,big difference between here and UK.

[magentasky]

Yes 1stimestar,will get on to posting some pics asap.....bit of a technophobe,so please bear with me.

[Rick]

Is medical socialized there? Just curious what medical care costs are since that's always a big bite out of income here in the U.S. whether you have insurance or not. Curious how Americans are viewed there as well.

[magentasky]

Hey Rick,don't really know a lot about medical costs here yet.....this is something I really do need to look into properly as soon as,thanks for reminding me!

ATM I carry an H1C card which is issued free in UK for travellers within all EU countries,not strictly kosher as I am now resident here,but I still have an address in UK to refer to.The card entitles me to free treatment on a reciprical basis through the UK National Health Service.

I don't think there is ever much of a waiting list here....a friend had to have a hernia operation here and used his H1C card for that treatment,he was seen and operated on virtually straight away and had no complaints about the standard of service or treatment at all.
Also a woman I know had shoulder surgery here a few months back,again no wait and pleased with the treatment but no card in this instance,the total cost of the op including stay in hospital and aftercare was in the region of 400 lev.So you can get good low cost service and no long wait if you pay privately.

I did look briefly into private healthcare insurance when I came and it seemed reasonable in price,but I really cannot remember exactly what it came to now.....I think about 180 lev per year,but will check on that.

Personally I don't know of any Americans actually living here (being new and all and spending most of my time here at my little place) but I'm sure there are....and wouldn't have a clue what the general view would be as I have never discussed the subject with any Bulgarians.Though curiosity and acceptance I would imagine,much the same as me being here seems to be viewed.