Heaven is in August
We did a trip around Batak reservoir. It was magical. Here is why:
We did a little 2 day trip and, typically, we wouldn’t bother to share it, as it could be considered “insignificant”. But this place is simply magical. And the magic is only found in August — where the perfect conditions reveal the otherwise inaccessible roads. This is what happened.
We started our trip in a village called “Patalenitza”. In an otherwise ancient roman village, baring important historical identity from the pre-revival Bulgarian period, we found our generous hosts — bikers themselves. Ned did his best to impress them… aaalmost nailed it. Keep hustling, Ned!
We started our route at 300 m above sea level. There was a tough 1100m climb ahead in the next 30 km but stunning views were keeping our spirits high!
People say climbs are boring, but we always manage to put ourselves in peculiar situations. It’s all fun and games, right?
We climbed up our 30 kms and at the highest point we reached the tiny mountain resort of “Saints Konstantin and Elena”. We were quite a scene for the tourists there asking us “Do you have engines on those machines”, “No?” “You cycled to here? You are nuts”. After the climb, there came the breezing downhill ride leading to heaven. And surely, there were some new friendships made along the way.
Eventually we reached the reservoir of Batak. One of the largest dams in Bulgaria covering 22 square kilometers where “Tsigov Chark” is residing as a holiday resort. The plan was to cover the perimeter of the reservoir. The furthest part was only accessible during late July and August when the water was low enough to uncover forgotten roads.
We were cycling around the reservoir and simply being mesmerizing by the stunning views. We took our time to grasp the place and rest accordingly.
We made even more friends. I am beginning to think that we are extremely easy going and charismatic… towards animals.
At a certain point the paved roads ended and so did the campers and tents. There were a few fishermen here and there but it was so calm that wildlife had settled in. And thats where we felt truly at home.
The best part of the day was when we caught our supper — two adorable trouts to fill up our stomachs… ok, we didn't catch them, we basically have no idea about fishing (actually Ned claims he does, never seen him doing it though, but Ivan admits he is helpless).
The night we camped open air. We had some rakia drink and fish we cooked in a kitchen foil. It…was…perfect!!!
After an amazing night under the stars, we had a downhill day most of the time. We discovered a brand new road between the dam and the village of Dorkovo. There were literally 3 cars passing by for the two hours we spent on that road. Here are some photos showing how we rolled.
It was a good ride leading us in Dorkovo. More like the paleontological museum in Dorkovo. Interesting place adding experiential flavor to our trip.
After Dorkovo we headed back to Patalenitza. We discovered another well. What the…
Before we eventually ended in Patalenitza there was one last stop. We discovered probably the most beautiful railway station in Bulgaria…where no train stopped…
This is actually a museum representing the 101 year old narrow-gauge train. Due to low demand, however, the train now omits the station leading to a swift destruction of the place. However, there came a noble young person — Kristian Vaklinov and his NGO to bring this little beauty back to life — creating the most beautiful train station/museum.
