Anton & Zari Mandeville were adopted from Bulgaria. Zari was almost 4 years old & had spent his whole life in the Shumen Dom Maika I Dete until he was united with Terry & Bob in 1993. Anton was just 3 years old when he was united with Bob & Terry in 1995. He was raised in the Sofia Dom Maika I Dete until he was 2 ½ years old, & then moved to the Gabrovo Dom Maika I Dete for 6 months. He had had some contact with his birth-dad & birth-siblings over that time.

Going to visit Bulgaria was never an “if”…it has always been a “when”. The boys have always talked about going back. We have incorporated Bulgarian food, customs, words, arts & crafts, & music into our lives & have made many good Bulgarian-American friends.

By 2006 we had finally saved up the money & the time off to actually do it. Anton would get to meet his birth-siblings (unfortunately his birth-dad passed away two years prior) & both boys would get to see their first “homes” (orphanages). Bob would get to stay home with the dog & some well-deserved peace & quiet.

We purposely planned on visiting three separate areas of Bulgaria: the capital city, the seaside, & Veliko Tarnovo, an ancient city in the heart of the Balkan Mountains. Spaced in there we planned to visit our Bulgarian Adoption Social Workers (Karl & Adriana), Anton’s birth siblings, the three “Homes” that the boys had lived in (Sofia, Gabrovo, & Shumen), & the boys’ birth cities (Sofia & Novi Pazar). We wanted to be largely on our own so that we could really get to know the country, but did hire drivers & interpreters for the “Home” visits.

Sofia's Russian Church

July 17-18, 2006 We flew out of Sea-Tac Airport on Monday, July 17, 2006. Bob took us to the airport. We got on a 747, British Airways & left at 9:25 pm to Heathrow. The flight was over 9 hours long. They played the same boring movies over & over. We sat together & Zari got the window seat. None of us slept much…we were so excited, & it was so surreal.

When we arrived at Heathrow we had to get in a long line for passport checks. We had to grab all our bags & go outside into the hot London air to find the hot stuffy bus to Gatwick Airport. Once at Gatwick we exchanged money & got 2000 lev & some pounds. We had to wait at Gatwick a long time for the flight to Sofia. No one knew what gate we were leaving from. Finally we boarded another British Airway plane, a small 737. There were snacks of egg sandwiches & water. Finally we landed at Sofia, climbed down the stairs into a bus, & went in to the terminal.

July 18-19, 2006 From the Sofia terminal, at 4:30 in the morning, we went through a brief passport control, got our luggage, & went out into the airport. Quickly a man approached asking if we needed a taxi. Seeing the taxi desk dark & empty, & people quickly departing a darkening airport - we bartered for a fee of 10 lev. He turned out not to be an official taxi, didn't have a meter, & appeared to give a nearby policeman a bribe so he would not hassle us. Not much room in the car for luggage.

We wound through 1-way streets, past crumbling apartment blocs. The memories were all so clear for Terry from a decade ago. This was the same area of Sofia that little Zari, Bob, & Terry had walked & explored when they first met. Anton & Zari, however, thought Terry was out of her mind. The area looked frightening, like the bad side of town. We got to the hotel in the dark. No one around, we pounded on the door & woke the desk clerk. The driver demanded 10 euros instead of leva & there was a tense moment trying to get that settled as we had no euros.

But the wonderful desk clerk let us in & let us have a deluxe suite for half price until our real rooms were ready. We slept! It was so wonderful. At about 11am we got up & changed rooms. Zari & Anton had a room on the 5th floor with a view over the rooftops of neighboring apartment buildings. Terry had a room all to herself on the 3rd floor. Knowing Anton’s tendency to find trouble & push his brother’s buttons, this sounded slightly risky… but it worked.

The hotel was located in a mostly old section of Sofia, with lots of crumbling old apartment buildings, & narrow cobble stone streets. It was only a few blocks from where Terry & Bob had stayed when they 1st picked up Zari. The hotel had a little elevator, a little lobby with a TV, a safe we could get in ourselves, & a indoor/outdoor great restaurant. The desk clerks, housekeepers, & restaurant staff were all very friendly & helped us with our Bulgarian. We ran into another American family with 2 kids who had been adopted from Bulgaria who were just checking out. Unfortunately we did not have any time to get together before they had to leave.

In the late afternoon on our first day in Sofia we did contact our friends from Oregon whose daughter was adopted from Shumen. They were visiting family in the Lozenets area of Sofia. We took a taxi to visit them, & managed to snag an official taxi this time. We felt kind of anxious to venture off by ourselves, & at the same time it was a real adventure.

July 19-21, 2006 We spent several days just walking around Sofia, buying souvenirs at a shop in the pedestrian underpass, drinking coffee & soda at a cafe in Yuzhen Park, eating at great restaurants, shopping at the Hali Market, seeing the churches & tourist sites. We ate at the Italian restaurant at the Tsum, the Happy Bar & Grill (kind of a Bulgarian Dennys), & 2 different MacDonald’s. None of this was here when Terry was here 13 years ago. The best restaurant was the restaurant at the Niky Hotel. It had a stream with turtles, cages of birds, & great food. Shopska salad, Kuyfet, thin steaks, friend potatoes, Orange Fanta, Bulgarian Merlot, & much more.

During the whole time, the memories of 13 years prior were very clear for Terry! Visions of walking with that new little boy Zari down Vitosha Boulevard, as he touched every single car he walked passed, called out to the stray dogs, & babbled away in Bulgarian toddler talk. And here it was, all right there where we had left it, the same streets and everything…only now it was with Zari as an almost-grown young man!

July 22, 2006 On the weekend we had the great privilege to meet Anton's birth siblings. His half-birth-sister came to meet us at the hotel. Anton was so excited all day, it was really hard for him to contain himself. His half-birth-sister is in her 30’s & has become a well-known journalist in Sofia, like her mom. We walked a bit around Sofia - to the book market, past where she works, & finally to a traditional Bulgarian restaurant where we met the rest of the family. The restaurant had great National Bulgarian food, including Raikaya Brandy, & sour yogurt drink. A woman came & sang some Bulgarian folk songs.

Anton's younger birth-sister and birth-brother arrived next. This birth-sister is in her 20’s & works in the same building as the older birth-brother. She is the glue of the family, working hard to make sure that the "boys" keep on track & move towards their goals in life. The younger birth-brother is 16 & goes to the English Language High School in Sofia. He works hard at tennis & one day hopes to be an international tennis star. The older brother arrived late. He has a shaved head with a mustache and just put out a Hip-Hop/Rap album.

Anton and Velizar on the Yuzhen Park Bridge

Anton & his birth-siblings look so very similar; copper highlights in their dark brown hair, the younger ones all have the same dark semi-sweet chocolate colored eyes, & they all have the same drive & energy (& here we thought it was just Anton’s ADHD!)

July 23, 2006 We messed around Sofia a bit, then Anton's half-birth-sister came & we got a taxi to Lozenets again. We got out in the heat, crossed a busy street, & tried to find the first orphanage that Anton had been in, the big Sofia Dom. We finally found it hidden by a fence, but could not find a way in. This was Anton’s first home! Finally they climbed over the fence of the “Home”, talked with some staff & took some pictures. There were a few little kids from the orphanage outside playing but they were not allowed to go inside. It was a bit of a disappointment for Anton, but having his half-birth-sister there to see a bit of the grounds was very supportive. She shared her memories of when Anton lived there, even though it was painful for her. She talked about how difficult life was at that time in Bulgaria & for her family

Then we walked a long way in the summer heat & finally caught a tram for one stop to Anton's birth-siblings' apartment. It is in a newer concrete bloc style building with a little elevator, & they have decorated it very nicely. It has a little balcony. They even have a dog named Rorko.

Anton went with his birth-siblings to the old family apartment (where his half-birth-sister now lives). This was the apartment where their family had lived when Anton was born! We all met up again later at the Niky for dinner. It was a nice little party. We talked & ate & had fun.

Anton says that meeting his birth-siblings has filled a hole in his life that he did not know was there! Velizar had been kind of worried about meeting Anton’s birth-family, fearing he would feel like an intruder. He had alternated between not wanting to go to Bulgaria at all, & really wanting to go. Up until the last minute he was refusing to meet them. Now he says he is glad he met them because he feels like he has another family in Bulgaria.

These wonderful young people welcomed us into their lives; it must have been scary for them too. But they received us warmly, & it was such a totally unbelievable experience. We are so very glad that we forged ahead with this.

July 24, 2006 Sadly, this was our day to leave Sofia. We packed up all our stuff, & bid farewell to our comfy rooms. We checked out of the Niky Hotel & got a REAL taxi to the Central Bus Station. We had a lot of time to kill, waiting for the bus, but didn't want to get lost... so we just explored around the bus station & train station next door. Both places were very stark, very reminiscent of the old Soviet days. It cost 20 stotinki to use the restroom which was down in a tunnel below the street. There was an old woman stationed there at the bottom of the stairs collecting the coins. We were hungry but the MacDonald’s at the train station only had ham sandwiches - so we got greasy pizza from a little café in the station instead.

Finally we got on a nice, air-conditioned, big red bus. Comfy chairs. We wound up & out of the Sofia valley. Miles & miles of pretty good highway, farm land, & villages. Some carts being pulled by donkeys. Fields of sunflowers & new mown hay. Old factories. Low villages with red tiled roofs. Old worn mountains.

When we arrived at Veliko Tarnovo the bus made all kinds of turns, & stops, & finally pulled into a bus station. Terry instantly flashed back 13 years again! Riding in Karl & Adrian’s car after being united with Zari in Shumen, we were flying through the night, trying to get back to Sofia. We had hit a deer! Bob, Terry & Zari had hitched a ride to Veliko Tarnovo & spent the night. It was such a beautiful place, & Terry had vowed to come back some day. And…here we were!

Gurko Hotel in Veliko Tarnovo

We were met by Rosina, our interpreter & took a taxi to our wonderful Hotel Gurko on Gurko Street, the oldest hillside street in Veliko Tarnovo. We were tired & dusty. Had to walk up one flight of stairs... but we had the most fantastic room. Three beds... & a view that was magnificent... down across the winding Yantra River Valley.

After a rest we walked around the beautiful town, taking picture, meeting stray cats, & soaking it all up. We walked up to the top of the hill for a view of Tsarevets, an ancient walled fortress on the next hill. It was spectacular! Everyone told us we should go there in the evening for the “light show”, but we were too tired to stay up that late.

July 25, 2006 After a grand breakfast in the hotel of sausages & cheese, Rosina came to get us for our day trip to Gabrovo. Nika was our driver. He also worked at the hotel so we kind of knew him already. We took off south to Gabrovo. Anton was the only one of us who had ever been to the “Baby Home” in Gabrovo, & of course he did not remember anything about it. He was united with our family at the airport in Seattle, having been escorted to his new home by stages. So once we got to the town we had to ask many people how to find Anton’s 2nd “Baby Home”. It turned out to be on the outskirts of town, in some hills, down a long dirt road, past farm houses. We went on & on….& all of a sudden there it was, a big tall concrete building in the middle of nowhere.

After a lot of knocking on the door, a stern faced woman reluctantly let us in. She said Dr. Genova, the orphanage director, was on vacation. We finally convinced her that we were expected & talked her into calling the director. A kindly staff person took pity on us & showed us around outside. Anton passed out American/Bulgarian flag pins to all the staff. When Dr. Genova arrived she remembered Anton more from his situation than actually remembering him, as he had only been there for six months. We got the grand tour & met lots of staff; some said that they remembered Anton. We saw some of the preschoolers were playing in the yard, & we saw the babies sleeping in their cribs. We donated $75 from the FRUA, INC Grow Bag program.

beds at Gabrovo Dom

After spending some time at the orphanage, socializing, & taking pictures, we left for lunch. We went to Etura, a museum town in Gabrovo. The lunch was wonderful Bulgarian food. Each house in the town demonstrated different traditional Bulgarian houses & crafts. Suddenly two very loud fighter jets flew right over us at very low height! It was a bit scary, & reminded us that we were in an unfamiliar land far away from home. We wondered if there was some military conflict going on. However, that was quickly forgotten as we drove back to Veliko Tarnovo & our hosts took us up to the top of Abernassi hill for a view of the town spread out below us. It was breathtaking! Then they let us off at the post office on the main street of Veliko Tarnovo & we walked around the busy street, full of European tourists. Our hotel was only a few streets below, but there was a great difference in the activity level & atmosphere.

The hotel restaurant was booked for dinner. Actually they only had one seating, because you never know how long the party will occupy the table, & Bulgarians tend to stay & socialize for hours. So we climbed back up to the main street & ate traditional Bulgarian dinner at the Mustang Bar & Grill. On the way there we went through Veteran’s Park, with statues of unfamiliar soldiers in unfamiliar wars.

July 26, 2006 After a last yummy free breakfast & thick Bulgarian coffee at the Gurko Hotel, we had to leave way too soon. Three days was definitely not nearly enough time in Veliko Tarnovo. We got an early taxi to the Avtogara Yug (South Bus Station) & after a wait, got on the bus to Varna. Another 3 hour journey through sunflower & corn fields; lots of factories around Shumen. Same big red, comfortable, air-conditioned bus. We got to Varna about 1:30 & there was a taxi driver holding a sign with our name. Unfortunately the taxi was small (taxi drivers all seemed surprised that we had luggage). We ended up having to hold most of our luggage on our laps for the 40 minute ride to the Golden Sands resort & our hotel.

The driver let us off at the Helios SPA Hotel. We tried to check in, but they did not seem to have our reservations! The motioned us over to the side & ignored us for awhile. After a moment of panic in this over-crowded resort a bell boy came to lead us through a labyrinth of elevators & halls to the Helios PARK hotel... as they tried to explain how some way it was the same complex, same hotel, but different hotel.

July 27-28, 2006 This is a true resort for the masses. Busses coming & going, dressed up “ladies” walking the street, venders trying to drag people into their stores, & non-stop partying. We rented an umbrella & chairs on the beach & spent one whole day "vegging" out in the sun. We did not meet anyone from the USA. We ate lunch & dinner mostly at the local bar & grills... good Bulgarian food. It was something to actually swim in the Black Sea, but 5 days at this “hot spot” was too long. Next time we either go farther south where it is less touristy, or not venture this far east at all.

July 29, 2006 Met our interpreter, Rosina, early in the morning, before breakfast, & she drove us away in her little red sports car. Zari could not fit in the back (he is too tall) so Terry sat back there with her head bouncing on the ceiling. It was freeway the whole way to Shumen. The “Dom” was Zari's home for almost 4 years. Again, the memories were so clear for Terry; the winding dirt road in the poorer part of town, the soviet-concrete style orphanage building, the dusty & weedy parking lot. Women working at the windows below ignored us. Rosina asked them to let us in & they said to knock. We did, again. Finally, finally someone came.

Of course Dr. Bitsova, the director, was not there. Of course the assistant said she was on vacation. They said they would call her & we waited & waited. We found Zari’s photo on the bulletin board. Finally Rosina called the director’s cell phone & she came in. Then everything changed! The director gushed over Zari & showed us his old photos. She brought out food, coffee, & cocoa. She gave Zari a ceramic dish. The woman who had been Zari’s preschool teacher appeared, Terry remembered her well - she was in all of our old photos. The teacher lives in Novi Pazar, the town Zari was born, & her daughter was born about the same time as Zari.

We got the deluxe tour, met a bunch of staff, held babies, & spoke to toddlers, who stared at us with big eyes. We gave out shoes donated by FRUA INC, money from the Fungs, candy for the kids, & flag pins for the staff. We toured every floor, & every room. One of the staff women remembered Zari & gushed over him. Zari was beaming!

Giving shoes to the kids in Shumen Dom

When we finally had to leave, we did so reluctantly. We then drove to Novi Pazar & looked around the town while Rosina bought sunglasses. It was a small town, a wide pedestrian street, & lots of run down apartment buildings. We took the back roads back to Varna because Rosina could not find the way back to the highway. She drove the same fast speed as she had on the freeway, passing cars on curves & hills, & hitting lots of potholes as Terry’s head bounced against the car’s ceiling.

July 30, 2006 Our last day in Bulgaria! We ate the inclusive ho-hum breakfast in the hotel, walked down to the beach, & swam in the pool. The boys played baseball with a plastic soda bottle on one of the hotel decks. We bought souvenirs, including a big ceramic guyvetch pot (to make a Bulgarian baked stew) which we don't know how we will get home in one piece.

The climax of the day was when we got to be reunited with Karl & Adriana in the hotel. They are our old friends & helped with the adoption of Anton & Zari. It was so good to see them again. They had their kids with them, Krystian & Gabriella. It was wonderful to see them again. We talked for a long time until they had to go.

Golden Sands sunset