One of the stops on my weekend out and about in Bulgaria was Belogradchik.

You go to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belogradchik_Rocks" target="_blank">Belogradchik for the rocks</a>. The rocks are amazing.
<a title="Me and the rocks by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8222077838/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8205/8222077838_c5443715eb_z.jpg" alt="Me and the rocks" width="640" height="427" /></a>
We drove into town about 5pm and the sun was beginning to set. So we drove up to the rocks to see what the hours of operation were. Maybe we would have gone to check out the rocks if the day was a little bit longer and we could count on the light but the site closes at 5:30pm these days so we figured that we'd find a place to stay for the night and go back the next day.

<!--more--><a title="Belogradchik Rocks by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8222111892/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8345/8222111892_b84bb13e67_z.jpg" alt="Belogradchik Rocks" width="640" height="427" /></a>
It turns out that finding a place was easier said than done. We didn't make a reservation anywhere because we weren't sure exactly where we'd end up for the night and we figured that because it's the end of November we'd have no problem finding a room. Ha, ha.
<a title="Belogradchik Rocks by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8221032301/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8206/8221032301_1b815a3280_z.jpg" alt="Belogradchik Rocks" width="640" height="427" /></a>
There are plenty of signs along the main street advertising guesthouses and pointing the way. We picked the first one because it had a cute name. This one turned out to be pretty far away from the town center and restaurants. Oh and it was 70 leva a night. We figured that we could find something better.
<a title="Belogradchik Rocks and the town by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8222107098/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8208/8222107098_de9217515c_z.jpg" alt="Belogradchik Rocks and the town" width="640" height="427" /></a>
So we followed signs to a guesthouse named after a pasta dish. No one answered the door and we called the number only to find out: no heat. They were really friendly and recommended a guesthouse down the street.
<a title="Me at Belogradchik Rocks by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8222105744/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8487/8222105744_fc660ae78c_z.jpg" alt="Me at Belogradchik Rocks" width="640" height="427" /></a>
We drove down a narrow little street and found the guesthouse at the bottom of the road. A. got out to investigate because it looked dark too. Then a very helpful baba leaned out of the third floor window across the street and told A. that the owner is in the hospital. She tossed in a little neighborhood gossip and then recommended another place around the corner
<a title="Belogradchik Rocks by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8221027365/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8340/8221027365_bc76964475_z.jpg" alt="Belogradchik Rocks" width="640" height="427" /></a>
Following her directions, we had no problem finding the new guesthouse and guess what?! There were people there when we knocked, they had heat, wifi and they had a room for 40 leva. We snapped it up.
<a title="Belogradchik Rocks by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8221024231/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8210/8221024231_a921eb4743_z.jpg" alt="Belogradchik Rocks" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="Belogradchik Rocks by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8221021653/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8059/8221021653_b3dca08b0d_z.jpg" alt="Belogradchik Rocks" width="640" height="427" /></a>
Later we had dinner in town but things seems strangely dead for a Saturday night. Then again it is a small town in the middle of November and I don't really know what to expect.
<a title="Belogradchik Rocks and A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8221020511/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8061/8221020511_997df25e28_z.jpg" alt="Belogradchik Rocks and A" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="Belogradchik by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8222097788/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8486/8222097788_ed04dfae86_z.jpg" alt="Belogradchik" width="640" height="427" /></a>
On Sunday morning I got up about 8:30 and looked out our 5th floor window: fog. Lots of it.

That's no good if you're going to see rocks. So I climbed back in bed and curled up with Catherine the Great--well the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0345408772" target="_blank">Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman</a>, not the person. I don't remember who pointed me to this book but it's really good and I can't put it down. In fact if I think about it too much I might stop writing a blog post and pick up the biography--it's that good.
<a title="Belogradchik Rocks by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8221018687/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8063/8221018687_6d2b3c8803_z.jpg" alt="Belogradchik Rocks" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="Belogradchik Rocks up close by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8221017181/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8060/8221017181_5b4738a1ff_z.jpg" alt="Belogradchik Rocks up close" width="640" height="427" /></a>
Anyhow we headed up to the Belogradchik Rocks about noon. The fog had more or less lifted and the day was grey but not too cold.
<a title="Belogradchik Rocks by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8221016667/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8490/8221016667_f1eb5800bc_z.jpg" alt="Belogradchik Rocks" width="640" height="427" /></a>
Entrance is 5 leva and you get a fancy electronic ticket and a paper ticket taped to the back. I don't know what the deal is with the additional paper ticket but it's there.
<a title="Belogradchik Rocks tickets by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8222079058/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8205/8222079058_775886073e_z.jpg" alt="Belogradchik Rocks tickets" width="640" height="427" /></a>
<a title="Tickets to Belogradchik Rocks by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8221000937/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8206/8221000937_14f1f5308a_z.jpg" alt="Tickets to Belogradchik Rocks" width="640" height="427" /></a>
I didn't really know what to expect. Basically Belogradchik is a group of big rocks surrounded by a fortress. After paying your fee, you are then able to climb all over the rocks. At your own risk.
<a title="Belogradchik Rocks by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8222087610/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8350/8222087610_5e0d3536c4_z.jpg" alt="Belogradchik Rocks" width="640" height="427" /></a>
Now things like this make me nervous. I don't really like heights. In my old group house in DC I always convinced/made my roommate S. change the light bulbs in our stairwell. Sure I held the ladder for him but I wasn't about to lean out over the staircase to change a light bulb in what seemed like a precariously placed light fixture.
<a title="Belogradchik Rocks by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8221008867/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8337/8221008867_cbd6a620ae_z.jpg" alt="Belogradchik Rocks" width="640" height="427" /></a>
Anyhow, back to Belogradchik.
<a title="IMG_9982 by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8222083370/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8067/8222083370_f59719e755_z.jpg" alt="IMG_9982" width="640" height="427" /></a>
You can basically climb wherever you want. Only in a few places are there fences "protecting" you from the edge. Otherwise, the rules seem to be if you can climb it, it's okay.
<a title="A and Belogradchik Rocks by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8221026357/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8204/8221026357_34d0f7fcd4_z.jpg" alt="A and Belogradchik Rocks" width="640" height="427" /></a>
A. was very adventurous. Me not so much.
<a title="Belogradchik Rocks and A having so much fun by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8221006421/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8207/8221006421_45489445b1_z.jpg" alt="Belogradchik Rocks and A having so much fun" width="640" height="427" /></a>
I spent a lot of the time with my stomach tying itself in knots and a little sweaty. Yeah, it wasn't a very pretty picture. I did climb out to a few places that I wouldn't have gone without some encouragement but really this isn't my thing.
<a title="Belogradchik Rocks by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8221014677/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8488/8221014677_0a42e08914_z.jpg" alt="Belogradchik Rocks" width="640" height="427" /></a>
I am glad that I went. The views are spectacular and I've never seen rocks like this before.