Last Thoughts on Sofia (Bulgaria, not Loren)

Yeah, I know Sophia Loren-Sofia, Bulgaria. Both still good looking gals even in old age.

I have often thought and said places like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were in the 12th and 21st Centuries simultaneously. Camels pulling wagons loaded with computers.

Here in Sofia I think it is more like the 20th and 21st Centuries. To wit, the tributes to Sovietsky automotive genius: the Lada and Trabants. These cars are all over the place here. I also rode in a few Lada taxis in Baku, Azerbaijan (another former Soviet state). I believe it is safe to say these cars fit the classic definition of "Pieces of Shit" the moment they rolled off the assembly line.

Yet, they are still here. The Soviet Union is gone. Kruschev, Stalin, Lenin, all those nameless, faceless guys of the Politburo in Red Square...Gone. Their statues and busts all melted down for...plowshares? Mobile phones? Guard rails?

I think Lada and Trabant owners here take a perverse pride in maintaining these cars. Some of them look pretty good. Not GOOD. Just pretty good.

The only things Soviet you can find here now are the knock-off whiskey flasks sold to tourists in the flea market on the square outside St. Alexander Nevsky Orthodox church. The quality of these far exceeds anything the Soviets ever made. Also you can get tons of "antique" Nazi memorabilia. More feux German/Nazi artifacts than the actual Nazi's made in their 12 year reign.

So thus endeth my 47 day world tour. This time tomorrow I'll be back in a strange place I have called my home. Thomas Paine said "I'm a citizen of the World. My religion is to do good." I like that sentiment.

One last thing, I was scanning through the TV channels the other night and much to my surprise I came across a station showing full-blown (Pun intended) porn. No soft core. This was the real McCoyievich. I thought I had inadvertently hit a pay TV thing on the remote, like in some hotels. But, nope. Regular channel.

And yet, they have no weather channel...

Some things just don't make sense.