So! All you would be Bulgaria bound people!
Do you really want your Bulgarian Dream to be a dream? If you do,then stay in the UK and just do that! The reality of this place beggars belief in so many ways. NOW,before someone jumps on me from a great height,let me say i have been a resident here for nearly 5 years,and to a great extent can speak with honesty about this Country.
The main problem here is the majority of the ethnic population. They cannot lie straight in bed! So if you insist on joining us over here,please be prepared to be conned,robbed and deceived like you wouldn`t believe. And as for animal cruelty,a lot of them have it down to a fine art. Especially in the villages,where most of you would like to realise your dreams. Yes,i do live in a village! Yes,i do know what i am talking about too. My work with poor creatures over here bears witness to my words.
So,if you do get here,please remember to get yourself a really big and nasty dog first. This i assure you should be a priority,to protect your property from all the thieving chappies that abound here. The chances of you being done over bigtime is very very good! Being English/British makes you a target from day one.
Now,as for the driving around,well thats gonna really do your head.In my opinion,they are one of the worst drivers ever. Once again,i speak from experience. In my life,i have been to over 80 different Countries,so can speak with authority on this one. I swear that in Varna,there must be a Driving Licence shop. It works like this. A BG goes into the shop,exchanges his/her brain for a Licence,and roars off in a 100mph car with a 10mph mind! Simple eh? 20miles down the road,they join the pile of bodies in the morgue in Varna.
As for the local Bobbies,well thats a laugh too.Make sure you carry some 20lv notes with you.This is their wages dont you know! Like most things here,corruption is rife.Sorry,i mean corruption is life.
Builders! what can i say? They dont exist! Jobbers do!
Real Estate Agents? 99% are as crooked as they are in the UK.
For God`s sake folks,dont come here and get a "
Builder"
to work on your property while your in the UK. And NEVER pay up front. Cos when you return,the job aint been done,the "
Builder has done a runner with your hard earned cash. Ah! i hear you say,"
I have a contract"
,well just remember this, people. The word Contract starts Con,as does the word Conman! A bit similar actually to the word Builder. That starts with Bu, as in Bull****.
Oh you poor people over there in good old Blighty,your Bulgarian Dream is waiting for you.
Dave Smith

PS. Dont forget to pick up your big and nasty dog from the nice honest man at Varna Airport.

Oh yes,before i forget.
You will find that a lot of "
Fine upstanding Citizens"
from the UK,can beat the BG`s hands down at conning etc. I have the pleasure of having one in particular here in my own village.
Have a nice day!
Dave Smith

Hi again Dave,

well my friend you made me laugh much. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] I was nearly wetting my self. Seriously though, I agree with all of your comments, with no exception. I feel as you do, but will not change anything, because I love living here. Fight firer with fire and it will stop it spreading.

I too call a spade a spade and I am honest speaking, speak as I find. You'll see as time goes by, you and I have a similar view point about life here. Sadly I have found to my cost it is not a bed of roses, as most REA's will have us all believe it is.

But I have to say others here will tell you it is not like that in their village, well it is here in this one and the srounding area too!!!

As Ashley said, this is what the forum is about, honest life here and how we can enjoy our dream and get around the problems.

I too have been here for nearly 5 years, or is it 5 years now, not sure as time goes by so fast. It would see, you and I ,can share some very hard experiences, to pass on to others coming here. We can still make it our dream, but with our eyes open, not shut as most are, who come here. We all need to know the truth about living in BG.

So no worries about your comments being deleted or edited.

Well having lived here now for over 13 years every word that you have said is true, I have always posted on any forum how life is here in Bulgaria, but do people take any notice no, and they just jump on you and say how lovely it is and how nice everyone is, well all I can say is they must live in a different Bulgaria to me then. Please dont misunderstand me Bulgaria as a country is beautiful, but there are many many many flaws.

Hi June,

Yes I'll agree with you as well, maybe we as brits can eventually help show that this can be an even better country. It is so beautiful and there is so much here. But I think it is a legacy from communist past, that gives the problems here. In my village many are still staunch communist. But they have little else to give them reasons to change. They see us all as stupid rich beyond their dreams and an easy target. It is on the TV's that we as Brits here are mostly stupid and easy prey to those who think they can just rip us off and get away with it.

I have showed them in my village what we Brits are like and not like they think. There is still a communist doctrine on the TV's trying to brain wash the BG's into believing how we are.

For me living in Bg is like going back in time. With all the problems I still love it here. I think many off us feel the same. But it is not an easy place to live and is very hard for most of the time. I have heard it said, if you can make it here for 3 years you have cracked it and will survive in BG. The first 3 years are the hardest for us Brits.

so with that in mind, I'll wish you all a good and happy day, [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Well all I am going to say is I must have cracked it as I have been here for over 4 years now.

My father asked me why on earth I was moving to Bulgaria and I said 'simply it is like stepping back 100 years"
and it is.

Yes I have had my ups and downs as we all have, but it is still easier than life in the UK was when I left, probably no different than life in the UK was 100 years ago and it will improve ...the only way is up.

It will take a while for the old communist ways and ideals to disappear, but they will eventually, new laws will be made and enforced, eventually and life will improve for people and animals alike, but not now

As for builders, so many people come here with their eyes closed or rose coloured glasses on, believe the first person they meet and make decisions they would never make without good advice back home ...result ..ripped off, shoddy work, everything costing twice as much as it should
I have found a competent, trustworthy builder who does guarantee his work and I will recommend him to all expats I meet, but many go off at a tangent, do their own thing and sadly come unstuck.

But as for living here, it is exactly what I expected, old-fashioned, archaic, corrupt, barbaric in some instances, as well as being hospitable, generous, beautiful and an experience I would not have missed for the world.

As for savage dogs, the burglars answer to them here sadly is to throw them poisoned meat, so maybe a gun would be a better option ...not so easy to disable, and I have 7 noisy dogs, whom I protect as much as my property.

Hi all,

Diana, have some updated news for you regarding guns. Aneta now has one as well. So there is more to tell, if your interested.

Best wishes,

Thanks just dashing off to bazaar will PM later

Having lived in Bulgaria for only a short time and then moving back to the uk for health reason, I can say that the time I spent there was incredible and I loved the people there so much, and the freshness of the countryside was amazing in some ways it took me back to my childhood "
Happy Days"
I know there is all-sorts of problems in Bulgaria and there are also problems wherever you go, I have also lived in Cyprus, Bangladesh, Germany and Sweden and I have to say they all have their own set of problems, but they are only problems to me because I wasn't bought up in that culture or environment but I bet my Grandparents were here in the uk so it all a case of time and I am sure that Bulgaria will one day get it right, if it wasn't for my health I would be back there tomorrow, I still have my house out there and I have just had it all repainted and got ready for the winter, so who knows one day I may get to live my Dream as I had planned. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Sorry to hear that you have health problems netsniper but I wish you all the best for your future [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I know a few people out in BG and they are all very happy all I can say to the odd one that feels they made a mistake is change things then [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] it's ok moaning about it but unless people like you do something to help the change it will take even longer? I know that sounds easy but let’s not forget that the uk and the rest of the so called western world was once the same and its only through people pushing for change that things are better, and let’s not forget that BG was once part of a communist culture and to an extent still is so the people themselves will find the change difficult, but I believe that the younger generation will bring about the change in Bg but a little help from shall we say those of us who think we know better or indeed perhaps we do, should do all we can to help and not moan about it, so in short we either put-up or shut up or do something about it no offence intended to anyone but stuff like this does anger me, why on earth do people moan about their own mistakes and then blame everyone else?

Well said with the positive comments here I agree that there will be problems but my god which country hasn't got problems [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] at least if you go with your eyes wide open you can't then blame anyone else can you it's good to hear both sides as this does give a real balance of the situation so thanks to all of you really but I have to say that if you find the heat in the Kitchen too much then GET OUT [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

People read posts in different ways. What the OP wrote is very true and I believe he was trying to warn people about coming with a 'dream' of a perfect life. Its not and going to live abroad anywhere will be fraught with difficulties. It is for people to come to Bulgaria with their eyes wide open and read posts like this one and take it in, not just go off to read about all the wonders of life here. Life is what you make it anywhere. I have read about the problems of thieving in Klimentovo so people should take this on board and be careful of where they choose to live. Buying a beautiful house at a cheap cost is not the only criteria to take on board. Its about time we heard some of the downsides of life in some Bulgarian villages and how some Bulgarians can be. I am one of the lucky few in choosing our crime-free village but in the past when we have tried to point out the advantages of life here I have been met with comments ranging from 'we have done all our research on the internet' to 'its too expensive'. I rest my case. Good thread by the way! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

the letters I have just read I absalutely agreewith from our experiece all bulgarians are scammers and rip off merchants cant be trusted with the simplest of jobs you think you have a friend ha ha even the docs as bad who do you trust no one just keep your wits about you at all times having said that we like the country and know it must change eventually hopefully for the better.. junenan

While I agree to some of what is said I can not agree with your comments that all Bulgarians are scammers ? I have quite a few Bulgarian friends who I would have no hesitation in trusting in fact I allow some of them to stay at my house as they please, I have always found with the Bulgarians that I have come across that they would rather give than receive maybe its a regional thing I don't know ? the Bulgarians that I know live in and around Yambol so I can only voice my opinion on those, but I think that what your saying here could also be said for so many countries around the world? I have lived in many countries and I have found that there is good and bad, where ever you go, so while I respect your opinion I have to disagree from my own personal experience I love the Country and I also love the Bulgarians that I know :Salute: