Nothing on this page was included in any of the letters sent to Shirley.
Two pictures of Kyustendil from the hills that border it to the east. My “host family” (The Miladinvi’s – Ivo, Silvia & Svetly) at the Peace Corps swearing-in and party (I think I’m about half in the bag). There was a younger daughter (Adi) that did not come not did the Grandparents or the brothers family (we all lived in a three story family house). My study desk in the children’s room; they were moved out so the family could get the money for my staying there. Everything I had with me was in the large bag on the floor to the left rear.
There is at least one letter missing between 26 Jun 1996 and this letter, probably 2 or 3. The OFC is a group of “older” bicyclists that rode the x-country and or the Western Tour. I was assigned to serve my two years as a Volunteer in Zlatograd, a town in the south central part of Bulgaria on the border with Greece. I worked for the Zlatograd Community Development Center “CDC” a Bulgarian non-governmental organization. The Executive director, his assistant Milka, who was my counterpart/translator, and myself staffed the Center. In one of the missing letters I probably explained that I had to go to Peace Corps headquarters in Sofia each month to receive my living allowance.
The picture on the top left is the “Main Street” on the right bank of the Verbitsa River that I walk every day from home to my office.
The next picture shows the Municipal Building, with it’s “square” just over the tree limbs. I lived in one of the shorter “blocks” that are below the tall ones at about the center of that picture. The Verbitsa River flows out of the canyon to the upper right and you can see the Alamotsi joining it to the left of the Municipal Building.
The third picture shows the town on both banks of the Alamotsi to the left of the Municipal Building.
The fourth picture is the town on the left bank of the Verbitsa or to the right of the Municipal Building.
The two pictures of the Municipal Building: In the first my office is up the steps and on the left. The second picture, bottom left, is the Municipal Building right side ‘wing’ .
We went on a “field trip” to Rila Monastery which is a must see in Bulgaria. I took more pictures than these four but the developing in Zlatograd was so bad that the prints are almost worthless (this is the best Photoshop job that I can do on them).
The group picture was taken on another Peace Corps “field trip” to Samokov that was intended to teach us how to travel in Bulgaria. That is Kristina (Bulgarian Language Teacher) in the center with Elisabeth to her right and Vangie to her right rear. I’m behind Kristina with Bob on my right and Bret to my left. The other boy and girl were our servers for this evening meal.
