Paul's Blog

Lamborghinis and cows in cars

27/1/2016

I have just realized it has been a few years since I updated my blog -- My bad. So to keep Googles spiders happy here's a quick one.

Bulgaria is a country of contrast -- mountains / beaches / skiing / countryside -- you name it and Bulgaria's got it. There's also a world of difference between the cities and the villages. A villagers transport tends to be very different from the city high flyer's. Personally give me the donkey transport over the Lamborghini any day.

I lied.

The first photo was taken in Sofia -- the other pictures show more 'rural' forms of transport !

Best,
Paul

Abhorrent Abuse and Time Travel

11/9/2012

Even though this is a bit of a belated bog they still keep coming ! After many months of hard work and a summer in BG I have just got back to the UK. I have been inspired by all my customers and would like to express my gratitude to you all. 2012 was a great year for Emerge.

Part of what I do is meet and spend time with my customers - I have met some great people. Andrew was one (not his real name). Andrew told me over dinner that he was a time traveller from the future (he was very serious about this) and was able to travel backwards and forwards in space and time and explore new worlds etc. He was very excited about the whole thing and had been burning the midnight oil in the Middle Ages the night before.

This set me thinking.

If Andrew could travel back in time why not go back to pre communist Bulgaria when you could buy a house for a few hundred pounds. He would save 1000s on his property and he could buy a few for me too. All he needed to do was travel back to 1989 and come back to the present time with the deeds (I could sort the paperwork out) and bingo - we would both be quids in. I suggested this after a few beers but Andrew said something about it upsetting the space time continuum so it was a nonstarter.

Some you win some you lose.

For those who think Eastern Europe is a bed of roses - think again. I watched a young gypsy lad, maybe 7or 8, begging in Bucharest on the boarder of Bulgaria. When he was given some money he took it straight to (I assume) his father who was sitting by the side of the road drinking beer. The man took the money and went into a shop to buy more alcohol. The guy had the thumb missing from his right hand. Gypsies are known to cut off the thumb from the right hand of a new born baby to make it easier for them to pickpocket in later life. This to me amounts to serious child abuse. It is a fact that only 10% of gypsies go through secondary education - what chance in life do these children have.

Without further ado I will sign off. Until the next time........

Best,
Paul

A Drunk Policeman and The Nude Motorcycle Girl

21/10/2011

I am back in the UK after spending a wild summer on the Black Sea Coast. I had a few days in Amsterdam on the way back and have only been back in England for a few days....Fed up already.

As always, I continued to work night and day to make buying property in BG better for you. But long days at work aren't bad -- I'm excited and energized by meeting all my clients.

OK lets kick off with the drunk policeman - you couldn't make this stuff up. A friend of mine was driving home from the village pub when this 50 year old lada with a blue flashing light pulls him over. The village policeman gets out and produces a breathalyzer. The test was negative. The village cop seemed annoyed and said the breathalyzer must be faulty. He picked up a stone and starts bashing the thing and asks my friend to blow again with same result - negative. The village cop grabs the breathalyzer and blows into it - you can guess what happened next. It went straight to red - a POSITIVE reading. The policeman shouts 'arrrgh работи работи' (arrrgh it works it works) staggers back to his lada and heads back in the direction of the bar.

Only in Bulgaria - I love the place - No Police and Criminal Evidence Act here.

Anyone read Viz ? A few years ago they featured a comic strip called Nude Motorcycle Girl (I had a crush on her in a weird sort of way) . The real Nude Motorcycle girl was photographed in the centre of Sofia recently (picture below). This photo was taken just by the Lion Bridge by the main train station (at least she was wearing her crash helmet).

I really appreciate your support and am working every day to make Emerge better for you. I have some exciting plans for the weeks and months ahead. Thanks again for all of the great feedback you've been sending my way -- as always, keep it coming.

Best,
Paul

The Viz nude motorcycle girl

The real nude motorcycle girl - available for your airport collection (I wish)

A Fight in Serbia Gynacologists and a Crap Menu!

25/3/2011

Just got back to England from a fantastic couple of weeks away. It was my funnest trip yet - Remember Monty Pythons Flying Circus?

I decided to fly to Serbia and spend a few days there before traveling on to Sofia - What a great country and so funny. Belgrade is an interesting place and worth a visit. I decided to go 'down town' and found what must have been the most hazardous bar in Zemun. I stuck out like a sore thumb and had people continually asking me for money or if I would like some 'company' (offers came from men / women and a guy without any legs but thats another blog). All of a sudden the barman vaults over the bar and starts throwing punches at this guy who has asked for a beer. The resulting punch up seemed to spur others into action and the only person not involved in the fight was me - even the guy without any legs was throwing haymakers at anything that moved. The police turned up and everyone went back to their beers as though nothing had happened - stop the weirdness please!

I would only recommend the bar if you're very kinky and like a fight - plus the beers cheap. The next stop was Bulgaria after an 11 hour train journey through Serbia.

I met up with a friend who had just taken his car in for its MOT. Apparently the mechanic asked him to open the bonnet took one look at the engine and said the car had passed - 40 lev please. He went on to explain that next time there wasn't any need to bring the car - just the log book - and the charge would be a mere 20 lev. Only in rural Bulgaria...I love the place. I wanted to blog about this in honor of non-political correctness and how laid back village life is.

Next week on Pauls blog - where to get a medical certificate qualifying you as a Gynacologist for 50 lev and a goat.

The last stop was Romania for the flight home. I stayed in the Denisa Hotel close to the airport but the menu was a bit suspect and didn't really work for me.

Menu

Crap prajlt cu mamaliguta 250g
Fried crap with polenta 250g

Saramura de crap cu mamaliguta 250g
Salty crap with polenta 250g

I still recommend this place if you have an early flight from Buchareast. There is a free airport transfer from the hotel operating all night.

DENISA HOTEL, Bucharest-Otopeni, Romania - 62 Drumul Garii Street

Happy spring holidays everyone (The Bulgarians celebrate Baba Marta). To get you in the mood remember to wear your Martenitsa if you visit Bulgaria in March.

I consider myself very lucky to have the nicest friendliest and most awesome customers in BG - see you all soon!

Best,
Paul

The Denisa Hotel. Great place but food a little suspect !

The Nude Beach Bar Kiss Me Quick and Village Life

31/8/2010

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I have just spent an awesome month in Bulgaria in what turned out to be the hottest summer on record. After my last entry this one is going to be a little more light hearted!

Brad (see past entry) was supposed to be coming over after visiting Berlin. I received a text from him saying he couldn't make it because a dog had bitten his ear off! I won't go into the rest of the story because the circumstances of how it happened, are shall we say, a little embarrassing to say the least! (He was enjoying the company of a young lady at the time)

Now moving on......

I spent the last week of my visit in a Bulgarian village close to Ruse. In fact, it was so cool, I would recommend it to anyone. Bulgarian villages are very much like England was 50 years ago. The people are friendly and the prices are amazing. I had dinner with some English friends who live in the village - they live on 40 pounds a week! They pay all their household bills, run a car, have internet connection and eat well. We went to the local bar where a beer cost 40p and a large brandy 25p. It was great to wake up and see the goat herder every morning - this really was going back to basics and is why so many turn their backs on the UK and start a new life in Bulgaria. My favorite memory was seeing all the Bulgarians turning up at the bar in a horse and cart. It is said that this tradition will die with the older generation - I hope not as it is a part of Bulgarian heritage that should not be lost.

Now the Nude Beach Bar. Bulgaria is known for its liberal attitude towards nudism and there are a number of nudist beaches along the coast - they are pretty hard to miss. Some have their own nude bars and I walked into one by mistake (honestly). It was hilarious...The bar was having a happy hour at the time on cocktails of all things! But the funnest thing I saw was this massive guy walking about completely naked except for a pair of black ankle socks and a kiss me quick hat. It was gross - he looked like a cross between Moby Dick and the Blues Brothers !

As always, I really appreciate your support

Until the next time

Best,
Paul

Going to the local bar the 'Bulgarian way' and the village

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Nicolae Ceauşescu's Legacy - Children Living in Sewers

30/6/2010

This blog entry is about a very sad situation that I think people should know about. I often fly to Bucharest and travel down to Ruse. I know Bucharest quite well and sometimes stay for a night or two. Bucharest certainly has a sense of being an upwardly mobile city ready for full EU membership in a few years time. Not so. During my last visit I was talking to a Romanian who told me about the sewer children. These young people live in the sewers in Bucharest and there are 1000s of them. The children can be as young as 3 or 4 and are orphaned without love or care. They are often forced into prostitution and many die due to Aids or malnutrition

The response by Romanian officials has been a programme of sealing up the tunnels - in Bucharest at least - mainly to stop negative publicity. The orphans soon find their way in again, and council departments lose interest in constantly evicting sewer residents, and having to reseal entrances.

I think this situation is a disgrace and Romania should not be allowed into the EU until it is resolved. The answer is to stop EU funding - hit them where it hurts.

The next time I travel to Bucharest I am going to buy some food and give at least a few of these children a proper meal. If you would like to make a donation please contact me - I invite everyone to participate - just a few pounds each will make a difference and fill a stomach for a few days.

You can donate directly to

www.operationhelpchildren.org

This is an organization that provides help to Romanian children who need access to food, water, education, & health care.

Many thanks

Paul

Riggers Writers Octopus and Volcanoes

18/5/2010

To kick off this months blog, I have to say I love traveling and my last trip was no exception. However, I think this was my most crazy visit yet!

There were six people due to visit Bulgaria - Only two arrived. The volcano in Iceland made sure of that. The people who did visit were Simon, who wants to open a writers retreat in Bulgaria (Good luck with that Simon)....

....and Brad !

I flew to Sofia and spent a few days with Simon viewing property and enjoying the capitals nightlife. Next stop was the Black Sea Coast and then on to Ruse to meet Brad. After sorting out the paperwork with Brad there was very little left to do. My flight was delayed and without other viewings to arrange I spent a few days with Brad. I am sure Brad will not mind me telling you that he likes a beer or two! Brad works on an oil rig in Africa and was on leave for a few weeks. We spent the whole time drinking Rakia and had a wicked time. I still have the hangover to prove it ! I think the only thing we had to eat in three days was a small tin of octopus and some cold chips.

Never again

On a more serious note. You may have gathered by now that the USP for Emerge (UK) ltd is that we encourage clients to seek legal advice. Why is this important? Buying a property abroad can be a minefield and a lawyers fee in Bulgaria is a fraction of the cost in the UK. Every time I travel to Bulgaria, I meet English people who have had to return to sort out problems. It tends to be a problem with the land not being regulated or the price has gone up etc etc. There are contact details for two English speaking lawyers on this site....use them, it will be money well spent and I am happy to recommend either of them.

Time to sign off but I would like to say thanks to all my customers. I really appreciate your support and work hard every day to make Emerge (UK) ltd the best property around.

All best,
Paul

PS see you in about 6 weeks Brad. Next session in Sunny Beach as promised - Whose round is it anyway?

Pridnestrovie and Cold Beer on the Beach

23/3/2010

I have a number of exciting things to write about today. The past couple days have been particularly productive, and Emerge is nearing ever closer to selling property in Pridnestrovie (see the section listed about Pridnestrovie on my site). In my mind, the primary goal of Emerge (UK) ltd is to make buying property abroad easy for everyone. I therefore intend to travel to this exciting new country in a few weeks time to explore the possibility of buying and selling development land in Tiraspol. It's a gamble, a bit like playing the lottery with better odds, and buying in Pridnestrovie may not appeal to cautious investors. However, the potential is enormous. Not many people have heard of Pridnestrovie let alone visited the country - yet it is part of Europe! It is going though transition very much like Bulgaria has over the last 20 years. Remember BG was under communist rule until 1990. It is also worth noting that 20 years ago you could buy development land in Sofia for a few hundred pounds - now the same plots are worth a few million. There isn't any middle ground with this one - you will either make money or you won't - but the potential as one of the first foreign investors is definitely worth pursuing !

So, with my new vision out of the way, let’s get on with the news.

The summer season in Bulgaria starts in a few weeks. A lot of my summer will be spent on the Black Sea Coast in Sunny Beach and Nessibar. I tend to be an early riser and always start my day with a strong coffee or two. The working day in Bulgaria seems to be shorter than we have in England - Bulgarians often don't start work until 10am and in Sunny Beach many places are shut until midday. I have often finished my working day when everyone else is getting up - welcome to Bulgaria! If I am not viewing with clients, I catch up with paperwork and emails, then its off to the beach for some sun and a cold beer. I know this sounds idyllic but often the day is long with little sleep.

Anyway, there is some good news for existing clients - Bulgaria might switch fully to the euro very soon. The market will become open and banks will expand by opening new branches around the country. Property prices are likely to see a dramatic rise - 2010 really could be the ideal time to invest for those new to buying property in BG - Bulgaria is very well prepared because of the currency board and the fixed EUR/BGN exchange rate. This means that although property prices should go up, the cost of food and other necessities are likely to remain low compared to prices in the UK.

My next post will be from either Bulgaria or Pridnestrovie

Until then
Dovizhdane

This a great place to eat in Sunny Beach. The food is tasty but expect to queue at peak times

The hotel Globus just by the main square in Sunny Beach. A nice place to stay but make sure you ask for a quiet room if you want any sleep. There's a bar / disco at the front of the hotel that stays open all night!

Late night bar on Sunny Beaches main square

Having fun

Pridnestrovie

Minus Twenty and the Power of Speech

27/1/2010

I have just returned to the UK after a fantastic week in Sofia. The only downside was how cold it was during my visit. Nearly minus 20 which believe me is a little chilly. However, its a different kind of cold, if that makes any sense. Somehow it is very dry and you soon seem to warm up once you are out and about. Also the weather changes very quickly - It might be a cold winters day in the morning and warm and sunny in the afternoon.

I found some great places to eat in Sofia. £2 for a hot meal and a Shopska salad. A Shopska salad is the Bulgarian national dish and very simple to make. Most villagers grow the ingredents themselves and make their own cheese for the topping. Try one when you visit and wash it down with a rakia - this is a strong Bulgarian brandy which is normally home made and very strong!

Everytime I visit Bulgaria I realise just how much a little goes a long way. For example, making an effort to learn a few words of the langauge will really make a difference to the way you are treated. It needn't be anything fancy... just a simple hello/good morning/good bye/thanks etc will be sufficient. The Bulgarians will really appreciate your efforts and go out of their way to welcome you if you do this. Let me give you an example. There is a bar in Rousse which I use everytime I visit the area - it's not posh - the toilet comprises of a hole in the floor (but the beers good!) it's very Bulgarian and the atmosphere is great. The staff who work there are always polite, but we do of course, speak a different langauge. One night when I ordered a drink I asked how everyone was in Bulgarian (All you say is kakcte pronounced kak-see...worth remembering). The drinks were on the house for the rest of the night and I was given a bottle of home made whiskey to take home when I left. We have been friends ever since...

Just one word made that difference.

Thats it until my next post

Blagodarya (thats the second word to learn - it means thank you)

Best,
Paul

Winter in Bulgaria - Borovets

It may be cold in January but Bulgaria is still beautiful
Winter in the ski resort of Vitosha

Sin City and Snow

12/1/2010

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I have decided to start a blog at long last! I travel to Sofia this weekend (16/1/2010) and will keep you updated about my time there! I will be stopping at the Hostel Mostel for a few nights - I highly recommend this place if you stay in Sofia. 44 lev a night for a clean room including breakie and beer. How good is that!

On arrival its off to my favourite night club in Sofia 'Sin City' to dance and drink the night away. I might post some pictures when time allows!

The one thing I am a little worried about is that my passport has less than 6 months to run until it expires - hope they let me through border control! I checked with the Embassy and they said that as Bulgaria is in the EU it should be OK...We will see.

The weather in the UK is really bad today and we are snowed in. Just heard on the news that Gatwick is canceling flights to many destinations. Sofia airport always manages to keep the runways clear and they have more snow than us - why can't we keep ours gritted? Its the same in the villages, they get snowed in but everyone works together and clears the roads. Over here everything comes to a stand still...I can see why many of my customers buy in BG in order to emigrate! There is also a major lesson I've drawn as an observer of these people, the danger of forcing political correctness on everyone. To me, this was the start of a slow decline, and why so many have moved on and started a new life abroad.

Just had a look at the webcam in Rousse and the sun is out. The weather in Bulgaria is much better than the UK this year (So far!). Bulgaria is known for its hot summers and cold winters but the last few years have seen better winters than we have had here. Roll on the weekend....

Thats it for now..Chow chow

The night club 'Sin City'

The Hostel Mostel

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Paul is the founder of Emerge (UK) ltd a property company that deals in real estate that doesn't suck. He's a travelling enthusiast who bores everyone with tales about his adventures abroad and the time he nearly got shot in Romania. His hobbies include playing chess and reading.

Lamborghinis and cows in cars

Abhorrent Abuse and Time Travel

A Drunk Policeman and The Nude Motorcycle Girl

A Fight in Serbia Gynacologists and a Crap Menu!

The Nude Beach Bar Kiss Me Quick and Village Life

Nicolae Ceauşescu's Legacy - Children Living in Sewers

Riggers Writers Octopus and Volcanoes

Pridnestrovie and Cold Beer on the Beach

Minus Twenty and the Power of Speech

Sin City and Snow

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