Kulo nyaka ndihambe nosapho lwam ukuze ndiphumle eBulgaria. I-Burgas inyule, iSixeko sihle kakhulu, imibala emininzi enomdla, amaxabiso aphantsi, ulwandle olufudumeleyo. Konke okudingayo ukuphumla. Ewe, kungekuphela nje elunxwemeni ilele mihla le, ufuna uhlobo oluthile lweyantlukwano, ukubona into, hambani esixekweni, uyonwabele ukubona.
Uninzi lwazo zonke ndizithandile uhambo kwisiqithi se-Saint Antostasia, ekwaselwandle abamnyama, iikhilomitha ezintandathu ezivela eBurgas. Unokufika apha ngaphandle kweengxaki, uthatha nje isikhephe esihambahambayo, esiya kuyithatha kanye kwesi siqithi, kwaye isikhokelo siya kubalisa ibali, iya kubonisa yonke eyona nto inomdla apha.
Okubangela umdla kukuba, esi siqithi ngokwayo yecawa yaseBulgaria, nakwintsimi yayo kukho icawe ye-Orthodox kunye nendlu yokukhanya. Apha ungahlala ubusuku, kuba kwakhiwe ihotele, kukho ivenkile yokutyela. Ngokubanzi, isiqithi sihlala indawo encinci kakhulu, inokudityaniswa ngaphantsi kweyure.
Intle kakhulu apha, esi siqithi sinika umbono omuhle we-burgas kunye nemimandla ekufutshane. Neentaba ezibonakalayo. Umboniso uyamangalisa. Kwaye kwesi siqithi uqobo, indalo entle kakhulu, ngokuthe cwaka nangokuzola, kuphela isandi solwandle kuphela. Ungahlala elunxwemeni kwaye uyonwabele ukuthula kunye nokuthemba kwamaza malunga namatye.
Isiqithi sinebali elide. Ngexesha lamaSoviet, wabizwa ngokuba nguBolshevik, yaye ngo-1924 kwakukhona inkampu yoxinaniso apha. Ngoku imali ebonakalayo ityalwe kwesi siqithi, kwaye ifumana ukuthandwa minyaka le. Izihlwele zabakhenkethi zihlala ziza apha, kwaye ndamangaliswa kukuba kukho abantu abaninzi apha kuloo ntsimi encinci.
Ewe kunjalo, amaxabiso kwindawo yokutyela kunye neendleko zobusuku aziyoxabiso eliphantsi, kodwa ndiyakholelwa, kufanelekile. Ndicinga ukuba ngokuqinisekileyo andizukuphoxeka, emva kokuhlala apha imini.
Kwiimpazamo, ndingabizwa ukuba kungekho lunxweme apha, ke ukuhlamba akubonelelwa. Kwaye ke, qwalasela isibakala sokuba ngexesha lohambo lokuya esikhepheni apho, kulula ukutshisa, ngenxa yoko andiceleli ukuya kwesi siqithi ngeentsuku zokuphumla.
Ndiyithandile apha, le yiParadesi esemhlabeni, ihle kakhulu apha, eyona ndawo ikhethekileyo. Ndincoma kakhulu apha ukuba ndiza kuye wonke umntu oya kuphumla kule ndawo.