I sent a message to the Vali, reminding him of his promise to provide me with an escort. I told him that I planned to leave in a couple of hours and expected the soldiers to be ready. However, I was facing trouble because the driver believed there might be a “band” on the road, which I knew the Vali would agree was impossible. I politely suggested that if the driver didn’t fulfill his part of the bargain, I would make a scene. The Vali immediately ordered that the driver should be ready, and the gendarmes would come to the inn by four in the morning.
No Driver, but a Solution
I tried to sleep for an hour. When the gendarmes arrived, there was no sign of the driver or the vehicle. The horses and carriage were ready, but the driver was missing. After discussing with my dragoman, we decided to drive ourselves, leaving the owner to sort out the payment and the horses. Finally, from a dark corner, an old, sickly man appeared. He claimed to be the brother of the driver and said that the driver couldn’t come because his wife was ill. But he offered to go with us instead rila lakes bulgaria tours .
Starting the Journey
After dealing with all the delays, we finally started our journey. We headed north through a pleasant valley, following the Karusu River. There were many mule caravans on the road, but each one had soldiers with them as escorts. By midday, we arrived in Prilip, a small town with lots of trees and a mixed population. It seemed the people there spent most of their time in political arguments, often settling them with daggers. From there, we made our way into the mountains Trying to Get Horses and Travel Plans.
Trouble in the Land
The troubled state of the area was clear from the fact that even peasants were traveling with soldiers. Every few miles, we saw a caracol, where a group of gendarmes were constantly watching for revolutionary groups. The scenery was beautiful, but what really stood out was stopping to chat with the soldiers about their battles with the “bands” (revolutionary groups).
Recent Events
I learned that just a few days before, the village of Macova had been attacked, and twelve houses were burned by a “band” because they believed the villagers had informed the soldiers about the band’s location. I also heard about the village of Orovsji, where a Bulgarian “band” had been surrounded. Seven of the band members were killed, though four soldiers also died during the operation.
