Doing The Tourist Bit (part2)

Directions From The Caves

Directions To And From Polski Trambesh

So having finished our teas and coffees, and also having made use of the facilities we left the Devetashka caves (Деветашката пещера) and headed for our next destination 17 kms away. We were off to see the waterfalls at Krushuna, again something which a lot of guide books seem to overlook. Given the amount of rain that we have had recently we were expecting a bit more than the dribble we saw at Kapinovo last summer. Finding the village itself is easy enough, but the signs directing you to the waterfalls are a bit on the small side, so keep a sharp lookout as you enter the village. In Cyrillic the signs will look something like this (Крушунски водопади). So for those who are using a SatNav, these co-ordinates might be of some use to you 43°14'33"N 25°02'01"E

You Are Here

Once you have found the signs it is plain sailing and if you follow them it will take you to the car park. Once again the entry fee is just 2 Leva per person, and this seems to include car parking fees, what an absolute bargain compared to some of the rip off attractions in the UK. From the car park head up the lane which is blocked off to unauthorised vehicles. There is a new open air swimming pool and bar on your right hand side. This was all being made ready for the up coming summer season, the weather was quite hot for us and it was looking inviting. After a couple of hundred metres you will see a new hotel/restaurant being built, and on the corner you will see this information board. I did notice something on there which said Krepost (Крепост), which to my understanding means castle. The closest that I can find to anything like that is the ruins of a 12th century Hesychast monastery. As we didn't actually notice this until we were leaving it will be something for us to investigate another time. We were heading for the main waterfall, known as Maarata, and this is the highest cascade fall in Bulgaria.

More Umbrellas Than People

Bearing in mind that there wasn't much in the way of food and drink at the caves, the waterfall is totally different. Although when we were there it was a case of there being more umbrellas than visitors. In one way that was good for us, as this meant that we were not holding anyone up when I stopped to take photos, and I did take more than a few. Anyway we were carting our picnic lunch with us, and we had been told that in amongst the trees we would find a picnic spot beside the river. The picnic area that we used even had a roof on, which acted as more of a sunshade due to the great weather. There is something nice and relaxing about having a picnic accompanied by the sound of the river on one side and birds singing up in the trees. We might have stayed there a bit longer than we did, were it not for a young couple getting a little frisky so we left them to each other.

The Picnic Spot Through The Trees

This picnic area is quite a way down the falls, but we could still here the water rushing past, as it tumbled over the terraces. By all accounts these terraces are made from something called Travertine, which is a form of Limestone. It is often found in either mineral spring or hot spring areas. It is a sedimentary rock and will either be white, cream or tan in colour. As you can see we had the tan version. Later in the year when there is not the volume of water coming down this pools are meant to be very tranquil spots in amongst the mossy rocks and trees. I would imagine that once the trees are in full leaf that it might get a little be humid. So to my mind we went at an ideal time, plenty to see a both venues, which were both open, no crowds so plenty of opportunities for photographs. As I mentioned earlier we have been to the waterfall at Kapinovo which was a little disappointing, and we have also been to the waterfalls at Hotnitsa and Emen. At each of, Emen, Hotnitsa and Krushuna you can follow a trail up and across the river and falls as it drops down. The main difference being that at Krushuna it doesn't look as though it is falling to pieces. If you have been to the caves you already have a good strong pair of shoes on, as there is a fair bit of climbing to do.

A Bridge

Glimpsed Through Trees

The higher you get the more impressive the falls get, and also the noisier it gets. There is something quite satisfying about climbing up beside a waterfall on a hot day. I realise that we are not talking Niagara Falls, but there is still plenty of water spray in the air to cool down. Remember to protect your camera lens by keeping the lens cap on until you are ready to take a shot. The bridges and walkways criss-cross the river, and as you follow the path climbing higher and higher you are treated to glimpses of the various cascades. The roaring of the water soon starts to drown out the sound of the birds singing, and although I didn't hear any I would imagine that it is quite a haven for frogs and toads.

There's Always One

The Top Of The Falls

The top most stage of the waterfall drops 20 metres, and if you are careful you can get to the open end of one walkway and almost touch the water. So if anyone is going to be taking small children please keep a close eye on them. The cool water splashing at the back of your heels is quite refreshing, even if you do end up looking like a prize pillock having your photo taken. Once you have made it to the top, all that is left to do is slowly make your way back down again. The good news is that it is all downhill. After scaling the various ladders, crossing numerous bridges and following the path as it winds its way either up or down the following day your legs will know all about it.

There Are Wet Caves

And There Are Dry Caves

In the karst limestone you will often notice caves of varying sizes, and this area is full of them. So if anyone is looking for further information about the area I would suggest having a look at the following http://www.devetakiplateau.org/

A Fungi In The Woods

It Looks Calmer Than It Is

As with a lot of mineral springs once upon a time they were viewed as being highly medicinal, and as such were venerated. perhaps that is one reason why the monastery was founded in this area, and who knows how far back this area was regarded as a special place. As you go back down the gradient slowly begins to level out, the noise of the water drops from a roar to a rumble and once again you can hear the birds up in the trees. Once you are on level ground you could almost think that the river is only moving slowly, but you can see just how much sediment is held in the water.

Rustic Facilities

Modern Facilities

Once you have made it to the paved areas you will find the 'facilities'. Here you get the choice, from quite rustic to a modern version. Fortunately no one in our party wanted to make use of either version, which prevented any repeat performances of the BBC sound effects department. So the final bit might have been a little more tiring, but what an absolutely wonderful day. I personally think that with both places being so close together it is definitely a day well spent, and neither cost a fortune.

That'll Be A Thumbs Up From Me 

Doing The Tourist Bit (part1)

Directions

Once the Easter break was over we had decided that it was about time we saw some more of what this country has to offer. It is a bit of a bugbear with me, but there is so much to see and do and it just doesn't get promoted. Yesterday was proof of the pudding. Now on checking the weather forecast the weather for the planned excursion looked like it was going to be wonderful. Ideal for nosing around leisurely, and also for having a picnic. Now with it being the Easter weekend we weren't too sure of which shops would be open on the bank holiday Monday as we wante everything to be as fresh as posssible. Fortunately, it seemed as though everything was open as normal except banks and municipal offices, but we didn't want either of them. One thing that we did notice was that the fields of Rapeseed, that stuff with the acid yellow flowers, were in full pollen production. It was even making me sneeze. So it was into town, get the various bits and bobs and then back home again. Most of the stuff was prepped the evening before, so it was just a matter of putting everything into insulated bags.

Getting Closer

So Tuesday morning and we had arranged to meet our guides at the square in Polski Trambesh. For some strange reason Polski seemed to be chock-a-block, and it wasn't even market day. As usual we had got there early, which gave us a chance for a coffee and a loo break. Our guides also had problems trying to park, but eventually we managed to find each other. A quick head count over coffee, and another nervous loo break, proved that we were all there. Now the outing was planned in two parts, and we had a choice about which we would like to tackle first. The caves won.

River Osam

Now these caves are said to be the biggest in Bulgaria, I could find dribs and drabs of information about them online, but nothing in any guide book which I checked. It is almost as though it's a secret. Sign posts for getting you there are virtually non existant, but it is 18 km NE of Lovech and 2 km from the village of Devetaki. Fortunately we had Madame Garmin doing the navigating for us, but we also had to rely on a bit of guesswork, when she suggested going down a road which was blocked off. So if you are going to be using a SatNav then these co-ordinates might be of some use to you 43°13'58"N 24°53'12"E

To The Bat Cave

There are over 9000 known caves and abysses in Bulgaria (not counting potholes), and as I previously mentioned this is the largest in Bulgaria. Even though many might not have heard of it, you might well have seen it as part of the Movie Expendables 2 was filmed here in 2011. This cave system is home to several bat colonies, an estimated number being 30,000 bats, and the filming was deemed to have disturbed the bats. There are also Rock Swallows which nest here too, and the whole site was declared a natural landmark in 1996. So the film people were not overly popular, but the bat population seemed to have recovered by the following year. I have read that the caves are closed in June and July as that is the bat breeding season. Even at the moment certain areas are blocked off for this reason. There is still plenty to see and high overhead we could see some of the swallows swooping in and out of nests. We might have seen some bats but it is difficult to say for certain.

The Rebuilt Bridge

At one time it is said that a railway line, used by the miltary actually went into the caves, but over the years that became redundant. The filming of the movie led to a new bridge being built, which now connects the small car park with the caves. Previously access was via a footpath alongside the River Osam. It was a wonderful day weather wise for us, with the sun warming the air. It was actually quite nice to get inside the caves where it was nice and cool. There were constant drips of cold water coming from the ceiling high up above us, well I hope that it was water. Even the entrance into the cave is impressive, it is 30 metres high and 35 metres wide. As you head further into the cave it all just opens out in front of you. One piece of advice for anyone intending on visiting here, wear shoes with a decent grip. The floor is a bit 'muddy' with the constant dripping of water from the ceiling, and flip-flops would not do you any favours.  

A Sense Of Scale

This will start to give you an idea of the scale of the caves, in some areas of the main chamber the average ceiling height is 60 metres, but in some areas this increases to about 100 metres. They even do bungee jumping, but fortunately that attraction wasn't there yesterday. The first archealogical digs were carried out in 1927, which lead to the first Neolithic tomb being found here. Serious exploration of the caves didn't occur until the 1950s. During that time Pavel Petrov explored the river which runs through the cave system, using small wooden boats. As you gaze up at the ceiling you will notice that there are holes which allow sunlight to illuminate the cavern, also acting as entrance and egress points for bats and birds. There are seven of them, and they are called Okna. The largest of these holes is known as Kilika, and measures 73x48 metres. So there is plenty of sunlight reaching into the main chambers. As you go further into the cavern you notice evidence of modern man.

Modern Man Was Here Too

Over on the right you will notice a man made wall, with a couple of archways in. When you go through the arched tunnel you notice that there are large stone rings on the floor. Reading various things gives me the impression that storage tanks for either fuel or oil once stood there, possibly during the times when it was being used by the military. Unfortunately we couldn't go much further as the bats had put out do not disturb signs. I can safely say that I was impressed by these caverns, and the entry fee was all of 2 Leva a head. I did read somewhere that there are reductions for large groups and that pensioners get in free, but in the UK you couldn't even park your car for that.  

The Ticket Office

The Facilities

The facilities are almost non-existant, if you had anyquestions there didn't seem to be anyone around who you could ask. The chap in the green caravan only seemed to be responsible for taking the entrance fee. There is no cafe there, so take your own bits and pieces. We take plastic cups, thermos jugs full of boiling water those fruit teabag things and several 3in1 coffee things. You might think it strange that I have included a photo of Doctor Who's Porta Loo, but this is also the extent of the 'facilities'. However fear not as they were functionally tested. They were clean, didn't smell and had loo rolls in them. The only downside being that they are a bit echoie so everyone knows what you are doing. Possibly not helped by strange Brits blowing raspberries on their arms and laughing like a bunch of kids. Before I forget ladies, just on the left as you go in this is not a hand basin, and possibly not an ideal place to rest your handbag. I will let you work it out from there.

Looking Towards The Entrance

Anyone For Bungee Jumping?

The Cave Comes With Running Water

 

 

Outstanding Views