In Summer 2003, when Dude Girl plans were coming together, I was invited, along with 15 other American guests, to join the first mountain bike eco-tour in Bulgaria. We launched for the Rila Mountains in August with our 5 Bulgarian guides and fearless leader, Jared Hardner, who can really take the credit for this Bulgarian journey I’m on now. Learn more about Jared and his work in conservation, environmental management and resource stewardship at www.hg-llc.com.

It all started in the Rila Mountains, where we rode remote tracks that summer… some led to inspirational places like the beautiful and historical Rila Monastery, where some of us even slept in the monastery in the monk's quarters! Some took us to cozy mountain lodges where we were welcomed with tea and rakia – tea is usually better to drink when you are mid-ride and the descent is yet to come, although one day it hardly mattered, as I remember the hillside littered with innocuous crashes and laughter. Other trails tempted us with berry fields on either side – one day I think we saw more bellies in berry fields than riding, and that's just a small taste of what makes Bulgaria so special…

Why Bulgaria? Because when you bike through town, the locals will look at you like your from Mars, and then they'll reach out to you. And you'll reach back. And soon you'll be invited into their home, or into the back of their truck, or they'll offer you a drink and it could be anything at any hour!

Because you may end up in a high, remote mountain lodge that seems as if time has just passed it by, and the hosts will greet you and invite you in for something warm to drink, and you will enter the hall, surrounded on all sides by beautifully carved wood walls and ceiling and realize that you are somewhere very special — an ex-communist guest house in the mountains. Eerie, and seductive, as the fire beckons guests to sit around an enormous table that outstretched arms can't even reach across. The place tells stories, and it invites you to tell stories of your own.

Because Bulgaria is a spiritual place, and you may even be lucky enough to have a wonderfully gifted woman "read" your coffee grounds after a delicious cup of Turkish coffee. But don't make the mistake I made and thank her afterwards — you do not thank a person who reads your grounds.

Because Bulgaria is warm — the people have little financially and yet they are rich, and you can’t help but be touched deeply by their appreciation for the little things — not even things that we take for granted, but things that we simply lost somewhere in the frenzy of trying to manage our hyper-paced American lives. Bulgarians are consummate hosts and have a rich love for their country and its beautiful natural resources. They will share it and themselves with you, and you will never forget.

Kim McElhinney

2006 Rila Mountains Trip Details

2006 Rhodope Mountains Trip Details