The day before yesterday I flight back from Eindhoven to Sofia Bulgaria. Thanks God I had a safe flight with a low cost ticket bought from Wizzair. I spend the last 4 months in Holland so I had some impressions still from Holland. There was no huge culture-shock after landing but of course there was new impressions as well as I haven't been in Bulgarian shops and among Bulgarians so I felt the culture difference.
In Bulgaria, even from the very beginning of landing and getting out from the Sofia Airport (SA), everything was very, very simple, an ATM few information and hire taxi kiosk desks, arriving passengers standing that's all. I had to wait for a friend (Mitko), to pick me up from airport cause he kindly accepted me to sleep in his apartment like always (for which I'm mostly thankful!). During waiting in Terminal 1 (Sofia Airport has Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 (old and new terminal – and terminal 1 is the old one), there was few things that impressed me. First it was the waiting-room. If compared to Eindhoven's airport Gateway waiting-room and lodge was dirty also it was funny noone take care for green decoration plants with started withering :).
There was a coffee / tea vending machine with a bit of expensive prices for Bulgaria standards (2 lv – 1 euro) – for foreigners it is very cheap. however as the main people stream is Bulgarians I think 2 lv is a bit high, so in my view if they just make it 1 lv much more will buy and hence the company that placed the Vending machine will generate more revenues. In terminal 1, thanks God there was a Toilet, which of course was little dirtier than toilet in Eindhoven (in Bulgaria – it seems investments for hygiene are very cut due to the crisis). It seems a bit idea even though the crisis, that people managing Sofia airport decide to invest money in cleaning, hygiene is essential since it is the first impression for Bulgaria arrivels gets. If Bulgaria has to be a good tourist destination as it is often advertised in many European TVs it is good foreigners leave with good impression. I bring out my laptop in hope to use some internet, but though there was two open Networks one of which Vivacom, I couldn't connect to none of them. Well from one side it is good, because we don't allow open hole for Hackers or abusers to use the internet for bad. Also it is my presonal opinion that not encouraging excessive use of internet is not necessery and destructs real communication between people. I was asked on a few occasions if I need taxi or a cheap bus for 6 lv leading to bus center and I rejected cause I was about to be taken by my dear friend Mitko. The attitude of people in Bulgaria was also evident, not so smiling and happy like western europeans but this is normal, since the economy of Bulgaria is almost unworking and about 23% percent sadly in my home land are jobless and even the working are working for a money enough just for basic survival.