Throughout the afternoon, the soldiers kept a constant watch on me. Even though I had four mounted horsemen with me, I was always seen by soldiers at different caracols (military posts). As soon as we were spotted, soldiers would come down, watch from the nearby hills, and follow us until soldiers further ahead picked us up. It was quite thrilling, but unfortunately, no Bulgarian “band” appeared.
Stopping for the Night at Isvor
Because of many stops and the soldiers’ repeated requests not to travel in the dark, I had to stop for the night at a small place called Isvor. It was a Bulgarian village, and I later learned that it was a risky place to stop. As a safety measure, I realized that of the four men with me, only one was Turkish, one was Albanian, and the other two were Bulgarians working for the Turks Getting the Escort Ready.
The Han and the Risk
The place we stopped at was a small, smoky mud hut called a “han.” It was not a comfortable place to stay, so I asked two of the Bulgarians to go into the village and find a peasant who could rent me a room. At this point, a Turkish soldier came to me through my dragoman (interpreter) and warned me to avoid staying in a Bulgarian house. He explained that the risk was too great, and if anyone tried to capture me for ransom, he and his Albanian companion would be powerless to help borovets bulgaria tours.
Refusal from the Bulgarians
I had heard so many warnings like this that I didn’t pay much attention. However, when the Bulgarians returned, they told me that no Bulgarian would take me in or provide food. They were afraid that because I was with soldiers, the “bands” might suspect them of helping me, which could put them in danger.
