I will travel by bus from Veliko Tarnovo to the town of Ruse, which is on the border with Romania.

When I arrived in Veliko Tarnovo from Sofia, I arrived at the South Bus Station. When I asked the staff about the bus to Ruse, they told me to "ask over there." When I went to the window they indicated, the person there seemed to be angry at me ("It's not something you should ask me"), and they slammed the door shut and even locked it. When I asked at other windows, they seemed confused, and I wondered if the staff at the bus terminal didn't understand English. Finally, I found a notice and confirmed the times were 9:00, 13:00, and 15:00, so I left without asking any further questions on the day of my arrival, but it seems I should have inquired more.

This is because:
- The 13:00 bus that is listed on the notice seems not to exist (the 9:00 bus is unknown).
- It seems that the bus departs from the West Bus Station, which is 3km away, and not from here (the South Bus Station).

I tried to confirm on the day of my arrival, but I had to go through the process again because of the rude staff. Sigh.

↓ South Bus Station. The arrival point for buses from Sofia.↓ The West Bus Station is here.I found out about that on the day of departure.

There were only typical bus staff who were indifferent to anything other than their own work. When I asked if there was a bus between the bus terminals, I was told, "No. Take a taxi." I couldn't bring myself to take a taxi just because of such rude staff, so I walked, but it was terribly hot. I have to be careful not to get heatstroke. Actually, there are buses running. Buses were constantly passing by me. When I looked at the route map, I saw that they were running normally. Although the number of buses is small. There may not be any buses between the terminals, but the regular buses are running, so if you walk a little to the bus stop, you can take them. What a mess. That staff member is being careless. They have a bad attitude. They are a mix of being troublesome and careless. Well, I didn't expect much anyway, so I guess that's how it is. It's completely different from the capital, Sofia. In the end, I walked the whole way.

Actually, I was planning to take the 1:00 PM bus, but even though I arrived at 12:30, I couldn't buy a ticket until 3:00 PM. The person at the ticket counter didn't speak English, so I couldn't understand the situation. I don't know if there are no buses today, or if the timetable is wrong. So, in the end, I had to wait for 2 and a half hours.

↓ West Bus TerminalThe fare is 11 leva (approximately 750 yen).

We finally departed, but we stopped at the same bus terminal where we started. What is this? Should we have just waited at the first place? That staff at the bus terminal, who seemed unmotivated and had a bad attitude, made us go through a lot of trouble. We might not have even needed to move. It's quite something. I guess the administrative capabilities in Bulgaria are like this. I reevaluated the capital, Sofia, but the administrative capabilities in rural towns seem to be at this level.

However, since the bus stopped on the side of the road without entering the bus terminal, people who are not familiar with it might miss it. In that sense, it's not entirely wrong to guide travelers to the West Bus Terminal. Even so, the staff's attitude was bad. I probably overthought it, and they probably just don't understand much. I also read in other blogs that the information staff at the bus terminal often give answers like "I don't know." The administrative processing capabilities in this area seem to be at that level.

After about 2 hours, we arrived in the town of Ruse.

At the bus terminal where we arrived, I made a reservation for the next shuttle to Bucharest (Romania). It seems that only 8 people can ride. It costs 22 leva (approximately 1,500 yen), and you can pay a little early on the departure date.

PEGASUS company
www.pegasusbg.com
There were 3 departures: 7:00, 12:45, and 18:00, so I booked the 12:45 departure.

Then, I checked into a nearby hotel. The accommodation here is as follows:

National Hotel
Twin room, single occupancy, 2 nights for 27.5 euros (approximately 3,690 yen), including breakfast.
1,845 yen per night.Bulgaria is a place where alcohol is also cheap, and a 500ml can of beer sells for the equivalent of 70 to 100 yen. It's interesting that beer is also sold in 2L bottles (although I wouldn't buy a 2L bottle). Even though I don't drink beer often, I sometimes try beer or something like a "panache" (beer mixed with lemonade). Because the altitude decreases and it gets hot, if you drink it during the day, it feels very watery and you can suddenly feel dizzy. I sometimes think that water might be better, but the next day, when I drink a panache in a hot park, it's really delicious. With beer, I get too drunk and feel sick, but panache is suitable for drinking while sightseeing.

For me, I only feel that beer is really delicious when I'm traveling. Normally, it doesn't taste that good.

Also, I tried eating and drinking some yogurt, but some of the yogurt had a unique flavor, and I felt that it might not be suitable for Japanese people unless you get used to it. There are also many yogurts that are similar to those in Japan, and I was surprised to see that Japanese yogurt is doing well. Although I haven't tried many, I haven't encountered any of the tasteless and unpleasant yogurt that you can find in Japanese supermarkets, so maybe I'm just lucky? I think there are good yogurts in Japan if you choose them carefully. Also, I haven't had a headache from any of the yogurt here. In that sense, the food here seems generally safe. Japan has a lot of additives. In Japan, I'm more worried about yogurt drinks than regular yogurt. Drinking Japanese yogurt drinks makes me a little sleepy. That doesn't happen here.

I briefly strolled around the town of Ruse.

I went to the Rousse Museum of History (Regional Historical Museum) in the center of Rousse.
It is quite well-equipped for a small town, and I am satisfied.

I stopped by the Pantheon of National Revival Heroes (The Tomb of Bulgarian Revivalists), located on the outskirts of town.
Like in many countries, a solemn atmosphere pervaded this place, and it was no exception here.

There is a National Museum of Transport and Communication near the Danube River in Lucerne, which uses an old station building. I went to visit it.

The staff, an elderly woman, didn't speak English, and I could only understand her vaguely, but she continued to talk in her local language. I wonder if she thought I understood?

That elderly woman opened the door of a train car and allowed me to see inside a car that looked like a sleeper car.
It is old and made of wood, but it is in very good condition.
Moreover, it is made very solidly. This is wonderful. You can feel the atmosphere of the old days. It is small, but I recommend it if you are nearby.

Finally, take a walk along the Danube River.



There were some exhibits that looked like sand sculptures.
One of them seems to be a work by a Japanese person. Wow.