Robert M. Weir

Oneness Awareness: Varna and Sofia, Bulgaria

Sailors love to parade, and the people of Varna love Kaliakra sailors. This parade is longer than the parade in Volos—perhaps two kilometers. For forty minutes, we walk from the bay, through twists and turns of narrow streets, into a wide pedestrian plaza and thoroughfare with shops galore, atop tiled streets laid in geometric designs, amid Eastern European architecture, and back toward the Black Sea to another plaza adorned with Greek-type columns and flags from many nations.

The Kaliakra crew leads the way. After all, Varna is our ship’s home port. The applause and cheers that greet us is outstanding.

Behind us, a band of youths and teens play recorders, simple bagpipes that might be made from an animal bladder, stringed instruments that approximate a guitar, and mandolin-type instruments held vertically and resonated with a bow. Their leader, a middle-aged man, keeps rhythm with a small, tinny bass drum. They’re dressed in traditional Bulgarian attire and play Bulgarian folk music. A man from the crowd emerges and dances in the street; the musicians turn their attention to him, and the drummer, especially, strengthens the beat and jives himself, as best he can, while still pounding his drum.

 

2010-05-22 Varna regatta parade 041 Bulgarian band

2010-05-22 Varna regatta parade 028

2010-05-22 Varna regatta parade 027 crop to boy mandolin player

2010-05-22 Varna regatta parade 044 crop to girl mandolin player

2010-05-22 Varna regatta parade 031 crop to guitar player

2010-05-22 Varna regatta parade 042 or 043 drummer

2010-05-22 Varna regatta parade 036 and 037 man dancing & drummer

Video 2330 Bgn band

 

Three of the Greek guest passengers who had sailed with us aboard Kaliakra have chosen not to walk but to view the entire parade from the sidelines. Sofia gives us a big smile while taking digital pictures. Christos is recording video with his arms raised over his head. And one of the two Kostas salutes us with a metal whistle poised between his lips.

2010-05-22 Varna regatta parade 045, 046, 047, 048 the Greeks – crop

 

As in Volos, we gather near a stage for pronouncement of awards and presentation of trophies. We stand on concrete, near a vendor who is selling ice cream, soft drinks, water, and snacks. We are surrounded by spectators and faces of youthful mariners from around the world; many are dressed in formal sailing attire and those from Shabab Oman and Dewaruci are holding musical instruments. 

2010-05-22 Varna regatta parade 057 glockenspiel

2010-05-22 Varna regatta parade 058 drummer

2010-05-22 Varna regatta parade 060 sailor – Mir or Dar

2010-05-22 Varna regatta parade 061 or 062 or 063 or 065 or 066 is good: sailor – Dewaruci

2010-05-22 Varna regatta parade 067 good sailor

2010-05-22 Varna regatta parade 069 helmeted drummer

2010-05-22 Varna regatta parade 073

2010-05-22 Varna regatta parade 074 smoker

2010-05-22 Varna regatta parade 077 officer

2010-05-22 Varna regatta parade 078 Africans? Crop

 

Kaliakra , even with our good starts and good sailing, doesn’t receive an award; other vessels, some of them slower, have eked out victories on a corrected-time handicap system. However, our ship is honored for historical contributions to the regatta, especially here in Varna. Captain Koludov and one of the female members of our crew go on stage to receive the trophy cup.

2010-05-22 Varna regatta awards 005 or 006

 

This award is not merely symbolic—far from it. Bulgarians are in their glory here. The band that had been behind us in the parade takes the stage, and folk dancers perform in front.

2010-05-22 Varna regatta awards 012 musicians and dancers

2010-05-22 Varna regatta awards 009 crop to dancers

 

The dance consists of holding hands with an adjacent neighbor and sidestepping in a circle, facing inward. Six maidens start the dance then reach out and invite others to join their ranks. Soon the number of dancers doubles then swells with officers, crew, and spectators.

Alexander, Kaliakra’s second mate and my watch officer, grabs a Bulgarian flag and joins the group. With his infectious enthusiasm, he is quickly the prime motivator, the most animated dancer—a proud Bulgarian, dancing to salute his heritage.

2010-05-22 Varna regatta awards 017 dancers and more

2010-05-22 Varna regatta awards 025 Alex with flag

2010-05-22 Varna regatta awards 038 Alex with flag

2010-05-22 Varna regatta awards 040 Alex with flag

 

With his right hand holding the flag pole, Alex has only his left free to grip that of another person. Thus, he becomes the spirited leader as the line grows and grows, twisting, turning, spiraling, doubling back in a delight of multi-colored, multi-costumed, multi-cultured, rhythmic frenzy until the music stops, Alex waves the flag high above his head and all others raise their hands and voices in momentous applause and cheers.

2010-05-22 Varna regatta awards 044 Alex leading the dancers

2010-05-22 Varna regatta awards 041 dancers

2010-05-22 Varna regatta awards 067 dancers

2010-05-22 Varna regatta awards 072 dancers

2010-05-22 Varna regatta awards 085 dancers applauding

 

The bagpipers and drummers from Shabab Oman then take the stage for a display of their cultural music.

2010-05-22 Varna regatta awards 095

And videos

 

They are followed by Dewaruci’s officers and elaborately costumed performers. Their pageantry is primal, depicting the Indonesia’s ancient heritage.

2010-05-22 Varna regatta awards 101

And videos: 2464 Shabab Oman, 2465 Shabab Oman 2, and 2469 Dewaruci 2 (not Dewaruci)

Stories within this chapter:

1. Regatta parade and awards
   
2. Regatta party
   
3. Landlubbing again
   
4. Trek to the resort
   
5. Cyrillic alphabet parade
6. Sea Garden
   
7. Fenced in in paradise
8. Fenced in in Bulgaria
9. Uh-oh, disconnected
   
10. Bulgaria Air, disconnected
11. Decisions and indecisions
12. Four hands on the beach
13. Dinner and folk dancing
14. Guiding icons
15. Varna Museum of Archeology
    
16. Dolphinarium
17. Tah-xees
18. Singing Sam
19. Auto removal
    
20. Marin, the shop owner
21. Jelly fish
22. Cyril, the taxi driver
23. Aladzha Monastery
24. Reservation canceled
    
25. Of credit cards and nationalism (an essay)
26. Departure 
27. Sofia in a whirlwind
28. The flight out 

Click on photos to view enlargements.