Thursday 11th September. Day 7.

Day 7 and we have arrived in Sofia at last!

After 7 days driving we have finally arrived in Sofia after another eventful day..

We left our motel at 6.00am and for the first half an hour drove in darkness until the sky started brightening from the east just as we reached a large lake on the border between Romania and Serbia. The road wound round the lake and we then continued south towards the Bulgarian border. About 70 kms from the border we had some further slight navigational problems which meant half the convoy took a slightly longer route to the border but we were all there and across the river by lunchtime.

Arriving at the border we had grown men banging on the windows of our cabs demanding that we give them teddies from the dashboard. When we ignored them they got aggressive and started banging harder on the windows and trying to rip the teddies off the side of the van that are strapped on with cable ties. They were quite aggressive but thankfully we were soon through to the ferry boarding area that they couldn't follow us into. Giving teddies to kids who have nothing is one thing but grown men who were quite clearly just looking for things to sell is another thing altogether.

The river ferry crossing was interesting – only a short crossing from the Romanian bank to the Bulgarian bank about 300m metres downstream. Getting on and off the ferry was a bit hairy but we all made it. Apparently there is EC funding in place to build a bridge but the 2 countries cannot agree where it should start and end. The bridge has to go straight across the river but that means one of the countries has to build a 300m access road from the bridge to the border point. Why they cant just agree to share the cost of the access road whichever side of the river it is I just do not know.

Anyway despite navigational difficulties we were all through Bulgarian customs (very easy) and fed by 1.00pm when our guides from Sofia arrived to take us back to Sofia so no harm done with the detour!

The journey to Sofia took about 5 hours and we left our vehicles in a secure compound on the edge of town. Our host then took us to our hotel in minibuses borrowed from the Bulgarian government and we arrived at the hotel at about 8.00pm.

Tomorrow is really what the trip is all about when we deliver our aid to the orphanages and children’s hospitals,

The convoy will be delivering to 4 institutions in total although I can only talk in detail about the one Ricki and I are going to along with 2 other crews . Pleven where we are headed is about 3 hours away and it houses kids from newly born up to about 10 years old.

Dr Irgina Kostova the Director of the Pleven home for Medical and Social child care said in her letter of welcome to the CWUHA:

‘It is unfortunate that such establishments as ours exist. We would like nothing more than to be able to say that there is no need for such homes. However the reality is different and the children who will benefit from your tremendous gestures of generosity and kindness will always be grateful. They are the unfortunate ones and we all live in hope that one day they can walk freely into a life where they are no longer dependant on others’

Talking to Alex Pearson from the CWUHA charity tonight I know tomorrow is going to be deeply upsetting but we must come away knowing we have made a difference to the little kids lives.

All being well I will tell you all about it tomorrow.

P