Dangers &
annoyances
Bulgaria is a peaceful country. If you can handle yourself in the big cities of Western Europe, North America or Australia, you'll certainly have little or no trouble dealing with the seamier sides of Bulgaria. You'll be fine if you look purposeful, keep alert and take the usual safety precautions.
Theft is a problem as it is in some other countries, but obviously look after your belongings and watch out for pickpockets in busy markets and on crowded buses. Prime targets for thieves are parked cars, especially those with foreign licence plates and/or rental-agency stickers. Never leave things inside the car;
always lock them in the boot, or take them with you.
Bulgarian drivers can be extremely reckless at times, and pedestrians should be very careful when crossing roads, especially in Sofia. Cars regularly park on pavements, blocking them for pedestrians. Inevitably, footpaths in towns throughout Bulgaria are often crumbling and under sporadic repair.
Beggars ply their trade around some churches and larger squares, but most are in real need and are very rarely aggressive or demanding. Be wary, however, of gangs of children who work the streets of big cities such as Sofia and Varna: they are often professional pickpockets.
Bulgaria has very harsh drug laws, being a common route for drugs (and arms) smuggled in from Turkey, Russia and Armenia and then across the continent. Don't attempt to buy, sell, transport or use drugs here unless you want an extended stay in Bulgaria's fearsome prisons.
Foreigners are sometimes set up for minor monetary rip-offs, but these are fairly obvious and easy to avoid: taxi drivers at airports, train stations and beach resorts normally overcharge outrageously, and money-changers on the street sometimes offer ridiculously high exchange rates. (Changing money on the street is both illegal and unnecessary.)
Bulgaria is a major producer of tobacco, and smoking seems to be the national pastime. Cafe's bars and restaurants are often poorly ventilated, but this is less of a problem in summer when most patrons sit outside.
Construction work along the Black Sea currently resemble vast, dusty building sites. New hotel and holiday-home developments are springing up at various locations though the area around Sunny Beach (Slnchev Bryag) accounts for around a third of activity and concrete and cranes dominate some existing resorts such as Sveti Vlas and parts of Pomorie. The ski resort of Bansko is also undergoing major building development. It's not easy to know when current work will be finished and where new projects are about to begin, but by law construction should not be taking place during the peak tourist seasons. For now, if you want to avoid the mess completely, you'll need to scout around for somewhere more to your liking;
there are still quiet nooks to be found.
Mosquitoes can be an irritant in some areas during the summer, but sprays, creams and plug-in repellents can be bought cheaply at pharmacies and supermarkets.
While you're there
Availability of health care
Every city and major town has a government hospital albeit not of an excellent standard, as well as more up-to-date private clinics. Smaller towns and villages may have a clinic, but for serious complaints you should travel to a larger town or ask your embassy/consulate to recommend a hospital, clinic, doctor or dentist. Dental clinics are easy to find in big cities and apteka (pharmacies) are common. Doctors at bolnitsa (government hospitals) are well trained and some speak English and/or German. However, equipment can be lacking and outdated. Staff at the more expensive poliklinika (private clinics), such as in Sofia, are more likely to be fluent in English and German, and equipment is normally of a higher standard.
Tick borne encephalitis
This is spread by tick bites. It is a serious infection of the brain and vaccination is advised for those in risk areas who are unable to avoid tick bites (such as campers, forestry workers and walkers). Two doses of vaccine will give a year's protection, three doses up to three years.
Typhoid &
hepatitis 'A'
These are spread through contaminated food (particularly shellfish) and water. Typhoid can cause septicaemia;
Hepatitis A causes liver inflammation and jaundice. Neither is usually fatal but recovery can be prolonged. Hepatitis A and typhoid vaccines can be given as a single-dose vaccine, Hepatyrix or Viatim.
Rabies
This is a potential concern considering the number of stray dogs running around Bulgaria. If bitten, seek medical attention immediately (most main hospitals will have a rabies clinic), but don't panic;
while rabies is transmitted via the animals saliva, the rabies virus is present in saliva only during the final stages of the disease in the animal, often only in the last week of the dogs life. It is therefore a relatively rarely transmitted disease. Still, do not take any chances and seek medical attention. Any bite, scratch or even lick from an unknown animal should be cleaned immediately and thoroughly. Scrub with soap and running water, and then apply alcohol or iodine solution.
Traveller's diarrhea
If you develop diarrhea, be sure to drink plenty of fluids, preferably an oral rehydration solution (eg Dioralyte). A few loose stools don't require treatment, but if you start having more than four or five stools a day, you should start taking an antibiotic (usually a quinolone drug) and an antidiarrhoeal agent (such as loperamide). If diarrhea is bloody, persists for more than 72 hours or is accompanied by fever, shaking, chills or severe abdominal pain, you should seek medical attention.
Air pollution
Due to the large number of old, poorly maintained vehicles rattling around the roads in Bulgaria, the build up of traffic fumes can be unpleasant in Sofia and other big cities, and may affect those with respiratory problems. Thankfully, its easy enough to escape the urban sprawl and get some fresh air in the country. Cigarette smoke, however, is harder to avoid. Bulgarians are notorious chain-smokers, and restaurants and bars can get particularly foggy.
Sat Aug 15, 2009 4:24 pm
