During my Balkan trip, I was fortunate to meet a diverse group of people who were a joy to travel with and they made things a lot more interesting.
In Sofia (Bulgaria), Hostel Mostel is a great place to meet backpackers & travelers from different countries. I met a couple of Aussie gals, a New Yorker, a Canadian, a girl from Texas and a guy from Liverpool (enemy, not friend 😃), among other people. The guys were very easy to get along with and very funny. We exchanged opinions on various aspects of life and it was interesting to note different points of view as well as gather new information from their home countries or the countries they have traveled to. The political situation in US, Canada and India was something which came up regularly.
The music being played by the car drivers in Bulgaria was something about which we all shared a laugh - all English songs from the 80's and 90's, which one rarely listens to nowadays. We had a great time exchanging the pleasant and not so pleasant encounters we have faced during our stays in hostels around the world. All of us got along really well - no doubt, the unifying factor was "Travel" !
Sheridan (Melbourne) is a surfer and also, into snowboarding. She had just been to Chernobyl (wow!) and was planning to go to Oktoberfest as a last hurrah before deciding what to do next in life. The guy from Canada is studying political history of different countries and I had a superb time exchanging opinions on the political situation in various countries. He had a week or two to kill and wasn't sure which other country he wanted to visit before he resumes his studies. Tom (Liverpool) is teaching English in a Spanish school at the moment and plans to combine travel & teaching in different countries for 3-4 years before he goes back to UK. He had the typical English sense of humor and discussing sports (football in particular) with him was a lot of fun. Mark (Chicago) was very calm and friendly and it was really nice to have him around for a couple of days in Bulgaria as we traveled together everywhere in and around Sofia. The girl from Sydney had been working in Singapore and was on a sabbatical. She narrated how she was at the end of various racial remarks and how Tirana was particularly bad. I had witnessed a couple of instances myself during my trip to Albania but even then, her incident shocked me! Rachel (Houston) had been working in Europe for some time and after the final few days of European travel, she was returning to US and going to surprise her fiancé.
The hike to seven Rila Lakes was stunning and it was made more beautiful by the company I had during the trip. As we clicked this photo on top of the mountain, I joked with Tom that a Man Utd fan could knock a Liverpool fan off the top surely - something my team cannot do to his team right now!
On our way down (when the ski lift got stuck for a short period of time) - our nonstop chatter helped us forget the predicament we were in.
Believe it or not, the 71 year old Chinese guy in the photo was traveling alone and didn't speak any English. All of us acted like his local guardians and wanted to make sure he was ok, till we returned back to the hostel.
In Ohrid (North Macedonia), I met Ali from Lyon (Tunisian roots) and we had a great time together. We roamed around the town and had meaningful discussions about the world in general and the politics behind it all (apart from religion, of course). As he had been in North Macedonia, he advised me regarding the dishes that I could try, the places I could visit after Ohrid etc. In turn, I advised him about Albania as I came from there and Tirana was going to be his next stop.
Probably the biggest surprise of all - meeting these college kids from my home town Coimbatore. Finding Indians is tough in N. Macedonia but to find students from Coimbatore was hilarious, to say the least. They were here for internship and it was good to spend an evening together with these guys and exchanging information on what they want to do in life, how they cope with things here or what are their future plans etc. It's good to see that these guys were getting a head start in travel and it was an evening well spent. Of all the people I met during my trip, if there is any chance of meeting anyone again in future, I guess this lot would be the one or, maybe not!
I met this gang in the hostel I was staying in Mostar (Bosnia). The German girls Jenny & Dani (childhood friends) have been travelling together for years, whenever they get the chance. Along with Chucho (Mexico), we decided we were gonna paint the town red and on my last night in Mostar, we partied the entire night. At one point of time, even the bartender became our friend and he was at our side at regular intervals (I don't think he was tending to other tables!). We went back to our hostel and continued our talks till early hours of the morning. Their life and travel philosophy was similar to mine and we bonded so well. It was only when our hostel owner ordered us to go back to our rooms that the party finally came to an end. I left Mostar in the morning hours with a heavy heart, as I thought I won't be seeing them in future.
Little did I know that we would meet again in Croatia and Slovenia as we changed our plans and used the opportunity to travel together. After that, I went to Germany and spent a weekend with them. Some relationships click from the word go and this was one such instance - safe to say, we are friends for life now!
In Sarajevo, I met these wonderful people. The brother and sister duo from Argentina were traveling in the Balkans and it was such a strange sight to see the siblings travel together. This question was posed to them by most people we met in Bosnia. We spent a couple of days together before we parted ways. And Koen from Holland was a surprise too. He was fun to have a conversation with, and pretty resourceful in finding spots to see or getting things done. It was because of him that we managed to get into a hotel (without paying or ordering anything) having one of the best rooftop views in the city. And, it was because of him that I had this wonderful hike in the mountains around Sarajevo. I met a couple of German guys too with whom I traveled a bit and with whom I got lost while finding our way back to the hostel. We traveled ticketless in the local train (their idea) and got fined, for good measure! Other than that, they were really helpful and considerate during our time together.
In Bulgaria, I met this Brazilian couple who have taken a break for 6 months and were travelling in Asia & Europe. Without any plan, we bumped into each other in 3 cities of Bulgaria & Romania and marveled at the coincidence how our schedules synced. Later, when we did try to plan and meet up in a different city, the plans didn't materialize. I had a great time with them, exploring the different places and discussing the situation in our respective countries and life, in general.
There is something beautiful about making friends on the road. Out of the blue, you meet them one day and say goodbye the next, but the memories remain. Most times, the memories will outlast the friendship itself, as it is difficult to keep in touch once you return to your home towns and you get busy with your day to day life. I feel one of the major benefits of solo travel is you are more open to interactions with strangers and fellow travelers, which might not be the case when you are traveling with friends or family. Apart from the places I visit, it is also the faces I encounter that make traveling so special. Thanks to all the people I have met, my trip has been an experience to remember.
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