Update: Planning on Sicilia and the Sentiero Italia

I walked through a light drizzle to the beach this morning and enjoyed the long beach walk. There weren't many people outside and although it stayed clody, it was really pleasant. After checking in into my pink room, I left it only once to get food. The shower was great and I used up slightly the hot water :)

Today, my planned hike to Nepal really came to an end. I spontaneously booked a flight for the day after tomorrow to Sicilia, to hike the Sentiero Italia. I don't want yo do the entire trail, but want to hike until it gets too cold and ugly. 

Tomorrow I still have a few things to organize and I want to have a look of the old town of Nessebar. Then I need to find out, if there is an early bus the next day, so I can catch my flight at night from Sofia to Catania.

Day 130: Cape Emine and the end of my trip to Nepal

At night I woke up to pee and couldn't sleep anymore, because I was thinking about what I should do after this trail. And then I was hungry, so I ate my last package of cookies, which was supposed to be my lunch the next day. I should mention, that I already had an eating attack at night, where I ate everything I had besides some oats and this package of cookies... Of course I just fell asleep before my alarm clock woke me up again!

But it was a wonderful morning, clear sky and the sun was already over the horizon. I walked to the water  which was VERY slow flowing and although I was thirsty, I just drank barely a liter and filled up another one, because I was too impatient and thought I find more later on.

It was a quick walk to Cape Emine, which I found rather disappointing, so I didn't even go down the steep hill to the boulder beach with its garbage. And since the lighthouse and the actual Cape are military area, you are not allowed to go there.

So I made my way in the direction of Nesebar with loads of flies bothering me. Before I hit the first houses of the resort town of Elenite, I saw a nice little stony beach from above and directly descended to it through thorny vegetation. There were huge tents and some people, but I went around a little corner and had the part of the beach to myself. I put my feet into the water, but although it was really warm, I felt no urge to go swimming. No idea, what happened to that little girl, who was jumping into every accessible water... I sat in the sun for a while, before I decided that it's time to get food.

I ascended to a dirt road, passing some ruins and a huge fig tree (sadly the figs were dry and had fallen off). And then came Elenite. Insane!!! It's basically only resorts, it looks like its dead and nobody is there, but some people are obviousely living there. I went to the supermarket, which was huge but there were lots of empty shelves and the chocolate I bought was not only super expensive but also over the date.

Then I walked along the road, since everything there seems to belong to some resort, even the beaches. There are security guards at each entrance, but it looks like there are no people, who stay there. It was so strange!!!

Then I came to Sweti Vlas, which consists of huge hotel and resort buildings. It looks like you could fit in thousands of people, but again, there were only a few. It looks like they really made some effort to make it nice, there were even signs for free bus shuttles, but it was mostly deserted or run down. Here I made it to the sandy beach and there were quite some people, all of older age. At that point I would have been hot enough to go for a swim, but with all the people around, I didn't wanted to. I just wanted to get away, since I was annoyed by all the tarmac and people and this strange atmosphere. So I got to a proper supermarket, drank 1 L of Fanta right away (I hadn't found any water anymore all day!) and made my way up the hill behind the town to find a camp spot. It's not perfect and in my opinion too close to the 4WD track that I ascended, but everything else is too steep and I doesn't look like somebody will pass by.

I already booked my hostel for tomorrow in Nessebar and can even check in early. And (most important) it has WiFi, so I can figure out where to go next. So sad, but the long hike to Nepal will never come true... I was looking forward to beach walk the nearly 10 km to Nessebar tomorrow, but now I'm not so sure, if it is going to be as nice as I thought. Well, there might be a bus, if I get too sick of it ;)

Wooden wolve at Cape Emine

My only water source of the day - very slow!

The light house at the Cape, sadly off limits!

Looking the other direction

Finally putting my feet into the Black Sea

Relaxing in the sun at my quiet stony beach 

Hidden camp spot

Day 129: First glimps of the Black Sea

I had a nice sunny day with shorts and T-shirt weather. The morning I followed again the teail markers, which didn't match the track I had. But it was nice, cause it was more through forests than the track would have been.

Then I came to Kochizino, a very rural village, where I had my last water stop for the day and got some walnuts. I walked through open land and took my lunch break on a little hill with a radio tower. This was the first time, I could see the Black Sea, the end point of my journey!

After a while I came jnto the forest again and had to follow a big road for a while, but luckily on small paths next to the road! I was still happy, when I left the road and got more views of the sea.

I set up camp between some trees on a little hill. It is not far anymore to the next water source. But since I carried 2 additional liter of water today, I decided I have to camp before the water source :)

From here, it's less than 7 km to Cape Emine. Afterwards it's another 26 km from the Cape to the Center of Nessebar, the next bigger town where I want to bunker down in a hostel to find out where to head next. I hope to get a ride at least for parts of the last stretch to Nessebar. So I'm not sure if I will go there tomorrow or sleep one more night in the forest, which would mean a VERY short hiking day tomorrow but it is so nice outside at the moment and maybe I want to spend some more time at the sea.

Sunrise over the pastures

Open area past Kochizino

Autumn crocus - adding some color to the brown landscape

Nice idea :)

The Black Sea in the distance!

Not sure if I should be worried to walk there...

Day 128: Easy hiking and more food

Last night, I got so warm, that I climbed out of my sleeping bag. But not much later, it got windy and I crawled back into it.

It was another very leasure day today with lots of sun. There weren't many ups and downs, but lots of conturing around hills. Some forests, some pastures and in-between some road walk and villages. Of course I bought more food, although I still had enough... and in the first village I passed through, I found a few figs and walnuts - what a feast!

My GPS was still messy this morning and it costed some time, battery power and effort, but suddenly it was fine again!

Now I am camping in a little oak forest but the mosquitos are annoying. I wonder where they come from, it's all dry! I left the marked path, since it would have gone through open pastures for a while plus I might have missed my next water source, if there is water at all. The last one, where I had hoped to get water for the night, was dry. But I drank lots of water this morning, since there were many piped springs - so I also had lots of peeing-breaks ;) 

Nice sunrise but still cloudy

Today I passed several villages 

Nice spot for a rest

Some road walk 

Camping between young oak trees

Day 127: Cow at night, GPS problems and not much water

Last night I was woken up by a cow 2 rimes, which was close to my tent and loudly muuing, probably being confused and annoyed by my tent and me.

The morning was very overcast and cold and I doubted that the weatherforcast would be coming true, which was calling for sun and higher temperatures.

But later that day, it became nicer, but still with a lot of clouds, so I couldn't charge my battery very much. In addition, my GPS was not finding/having a hard time finding my location this afternoon. So I used up lots of battery power. I hope I can charge a bit more the next days, since its still a few days to go! And that my GPS will work properly again, since trail marking is partly good, but here in the Eastern part not sufficient.

Hiking was again mainly on forest roads and along bushy vegetation, but I also had a nice short part on a single trail through a nice beech forest. Ups and downs are getting smaller, now that I come closer to the sea. But it also gets more populated  Tomorrow I should pass through at least 1 village!

Water was rather scared today. I found only 1 water source that still had water. Actually, there was a little stream today as well, but with so much garbage, that I didn't wanted to drink it. Tonight, there should have been plenty of water sources, but all of them were dry and so I continued a little further than planned. Finally, on the other side of the hills, there was water!!! I filled my water bag and looked for a campspot, which I found in some shrubs on a hill. I guess I will have to be more careful with water the next days, since not all sources still have water!

A great view this afternoon when I left the forest once

That's what I was mainly walking on today - autumn is coming!

Shelter with the appreciated water source in the afternoon

Dry pasture land at night and no water

Beautiful sunset from my camping hill

Day 126: Resupply in Kotel and lots of forest roads

Last night there was some thunder and rain. But my tent was set up properly and it wasn't too much. I prefer it, when it rains at night when my tent is already standing ;)

It was cold and foggy this morning, but the aspect to get nice food made me get up early. But it wasn't a great morning. First, I descended from my campspot through the forest and was totally disorientated when I reach a road (I had thought I had descended on the other side of the hill...), then I dropped my phone (but luckily didn't break it at all), then I lost my glove and had to walk up the entire hill to find it and finally there was a crazy muddy path I descended - this kind that builds up under your shoes!

But I made it into town and after shopping (I even got oats!!!) and some delicious pastries, the world looked much better :)

I followed the trail markers instead of my gpx track and ascended over pastures into the fog. Then it was forest or bushy vegetation all day long, mainly on big forest roads. Just once I came across some hotels guarded by dogs and crossed a big, but deserted road. The weather was actually not too bad although it looked like it might rain every minute, all day long. But it was cold!

Tonight I found a nice flat camping spot on an old forest road. If the weather forecast is right, its going to be a nice sunny and warmer day tomorrow. I hope I can finally take out my solar panel again!

Kotel

Ascending over pastures

It's getting brighter

Nice spot: water and pharmacy box on the tree

Sun and grey clouds, but it stayed dry!

Tonight's camp spot

Day 125: Blackberries instead of water

Not much to write about today. It was cool and overcast but stayed dry. Again, hiking was mostly in the forest, with only a short open part in the afternoon, before Kotel.

I got the first water after noon, and thus ate tons of blackberries - so many, that it even resembled my lunch ;)

It was crazy early, when I suddenly reached the first houses before Kotel. So I decided to walk at least a little bit further into a pine forest above town to set up my tent. Not great, I can hear roads, party music and there is obviousely a sheep flock grazing in the pine forest, but so far they didn't cross my tent spot. But I can hear their bells close by!

I passed a sheep flock today, but it was sooo relaxed. There were only two dogs, that were as surprised as me, when we saw each other after I popped out from behind a hedge. All they did was bark, and thats it!

It's so wired, that I did so little walking and have so much time today. I was thinking about continuing, since there is a good chance, the stores might be open, but it would have been a little stressful. On the map, it looks like there is no forest directly on the other side of town to camp. Plus, I might stretch my hike anyways, since I'm still having no idea, what I do after the Kom Emine trail. Hiking to Nepal doesn't make sense to me anymore without a continuous route ...

So many ripe and huge blackberries! I guess I spent at least 1-1.5 h picking them

Open area for a change

Finally water!!!

Day 124: Cold, foggy and 3 sweet peppers

Turned out yesterday, that my camspot wasn't great. I had chosen a very windy spot and my entrance was facing the wind. When the thunderstorm cane, it got insanely windy and lots of beech leaves were blown in my tent, since the zipper of the inner tent is broken. I used my hiking poles to stabilise the tent against the wind and to prevent the outer tent to touch the inner one. It was only a short but heavy shower, but the wind was still stronger and stayed like that even the next day. I still manged to sleep well, but in the morning it was foggy, freezing cold and windy. So it took me a while to get out of my sleeping bag.

The entire mor ing I walked through fog, but just before noon, when I was also a little lower in elevation, the sun came out. So I took an early lunch, making use of the sun and putting out my solar panel. I had a luxury lunch, since I had found 3 sweet peppers on trail, somebody must have lost. They were perfect with my crackers :)

Today was mainly in the forest, with some slight ups and downs. After noon it got warmer and sunny, so I got rid of my gloves, but never took off my pullover and rainjacket.

Nothing spectacular today, just easy walking and loads of blackberries!!!

Foggy morning

Cracker for lunch with some sweet peppers

What a car and it is actually still in use - somebody was cutting wood in the forest

Small chapel on my way

Day 123: A relaxed hiking day

I had a very relaxed day today. Nothing spectacular, just nice hiking in beech forests and open areas. Only the deer louse flies were bugging me a bit and exactly when I had my lunch breeak and could have put my solar module in the sun, there was not the tiniest bit of sun. Today was anyways mostly overcast but dry. I set up camp very early in a beech forest instead of continuing past some roads. From here I have just a bit over 60 km to go to Kotel, my next resupply place on trail. Since in 2 days, on Wednesday, it is Bulgarians National Day, I'm not sure if stores are open. So I rather want to be there on Thursday, which means I have very relaxed and short days the next two days :)

Today I even passed a restaurant and they were having sausages on the BBQ outside. But there were lots of people and the road passing by was so insanely load, that I didn't even stop there but just rushed up the next mountain to get the hell out of there... Seems like I am not used to that anymore. And thanks to the masses of blackberries I had eaten all.morning, I obviously wasn't starving. Although I regret a little not having stopped at the restaurant. But my food should be enough until Kotel, despite the crappy last resupply.

It is also good, that I have more time tonight with daylight. Days are getting short and even though I never walk too long into the evening, I barely manage to set up camp, write diary, blog and eat before it gets dark. Tonight my feet need some attention. Unbelievable, but I developed blisters on my toes within the last days. I ignored them so far, but today my feet hurt a lot, whenever I started hiking after a short break. I guess its because I didn't wash my socks every day, as I didn't have problems with the shoes before!

Sounds like it might get wet tonight. Good that my tent is already set up :)

I like my makro function :)

Hmhmmm.... lunch - my last cookies :(

Tree eats hiking signs ;)

Nice shelter 

First aid box with solar panel and USB connection - I didn't try if it actually works!

Tonight's camp spot