make-out point

This post is about a walk from Mineralni Bani to the Chapel Of Panteleimon. It’s a quiet day, and I pass a Turkish village.

The road from Mineralni Bani led through quiet, forested hills. There was hardly any traffic. I would walk for a little bit, then sit down somewhere and listen to the birds in the trees. Then I would walk a bit more. It felt easy and nice.

Turks

When I reached the village of Ezerovo, I was surprised by how clean it looked, and by the fact that I didn’t see any abandoned buildings anywhere. It turned out that this was a predominantly Turkish village.

People spoke Turkish to me, and there was a little mosque in the village center. This didn’t mean that everyone was Turkish, though. Or Muslim. I saw at least one little figurine of the Virgin Mary watching over a car in a driveway, in this village where people took good care of their houses.

the chapel

Having spent many nights in mosques in Iran and Turkey, I had been wondering about the possibilities of finding shelter in churches on the way. So when I noticed that there was some sort of religious place on the map, I left the main road and went there.

It turned out to be a chapel dedicated to Panteleimon, an early Christian martyr. There was an illuminated red cross, a picnic area, and a playground. There was no one there except for a young couple in a parked car. I felt bad for bothering them, but I went over anyway and asked if they thought it was okay if I pitched my tent here. They shrugged and said sure. The dude was wearing sweatpants, and he didn’t look very happy about my inquiry. Or my existence.

camp

I pitched my tent anyway, and after a while the couple in the car left. I was a bit worried that more people might show up, because I had noticed a considerable amount of used plastic cups all over the premises.

People were using the Chapel Of Panteleimon as a make-out point and as a place to get wasted.

pictures

Ruined building near Mineralni Bani:

The forested hills:

Lada:

The road to walk from Mineralni Bani to the Chapel Of Panteleimon:

Village of Voden from a distance:

A very very good girl taking care of a flock of sheep:

Memorial for Nejdet near the village of Ezerovo:

Ezerovo:

Motorcycle in Ezerovo:

A bridge over the Kayaliyka River:

Figurine of the Virgin Mary:

The last bit of the road to walk from Mineralni Bani to the Chapel Of Panteleimon:

The hills at dusk:

Camp in the picnic area of the Chapel Of Panteleimon:

The Chapel Of Panteleimon: