Bulgaria Weather Sucks!

Things have not quite gone to plan today. Firstly I was woken up around midnight last night by the mother of all thunderstorms. The wind was horrendous as well as the rain and lightening and for the best part of an hour I was lying in my tent wishing I was somewhere else.

Anyway, this morning I got away at 6.30am after riding my bike off a waterlogged pitch. No hanging about as it was a 3hour ride to the ferry across the Danube which at only €3 seemed a bargain. Especially a only me and 1 truck on it.

A quick passport check on docking and I was in Bulgaria heading south. There was a bureau exchange at the border control but it doesn't open on a Monday so I still have some Romainia Leu and Euros but no Bulgarian currency.

A low cloud just hung around keeping the temperature down initially before it started climbing rapidly to low 30s. A great little road (162 and 16) bending and winding through the hills before I dropped down to use the Sofia ring road as I needed fuel and coffee and with no relevant cash I needed a large petrol station that takes Visa.

Bulgarian driving rules are just like Romanian ones but with the added option of using either side of the road particularly on blind bends.

I saw this mass of black heading my way and then the lightening started and the rain came in hard. I had to do around 10km in heavy rain and lightening before I got to a shell station and cover. Fuel, Coffee and a muffin whilst I thought about a plan.

My original campsite was another 90mins away and there was no way I was going there. A quick Google found a campsite about 6km away on the outskirts of Sofia. Quick blast between heavy showers and I was there. No way am I pitching a tent in this and having another crap nights sleep. €10 to camp or £15 for a "bungalow" 

Bungalow is an exaggeration. It is a shell with a tokket, shower and bed. It is filthy and it stinks of stale smoke. I have had the door open for an hour but no change. They did kindly tell me I could put my bike inside but it doesn't fit through the door. I may catch some horrendous illness in here but at least I will be dry and hopefully get some sleep.

It does mean a very early start tomorrow as I have 90mins extra to do and I hope to make the Greek coast by mid afternoon - just in time for another bloody thunderstorm I expect!