Bulgaria
Bulgarians are less formal than Western Europeans from dress to the manner of their business contacts. Meetings, including lunches or dinners, are used as an opportunity to get acquainted and as a basis for developing a relationship of trust. Companies use stand-up evening receptions at hotels, restaurants, trade shows, and even museums and auto showrooms for public relations and to solidify business relationships.
Businesspeople may go without a jacket or tie or wear casual clothes in summer. One charming but confusing custom is that head movements indicating agreement or disagreement are reversed in Bulgaria. The rocking of the head from left-to-right, often with a slight smile, means "yes" while nodding up-and-down indicates "no." But with foreign language fluency growing, some Bulgarians will use head movements in typical western fashion. Therefore, it is best to clarify the situation by obtaining a verbal response.
There has been a rise in street crime, much of which is directed against foreigners. Pickpocketing and purse snatching are frequent occurrences, as is theft from automobiles, where thieves smash windows to remove valuables left in sight. There have been a number of incidents in which tourists have accepted offers of help or coffee from "friendly people" met by chance at the airport, bus stations or train stations and have been drugged or assaulted and robbed. Incidents of pilferage of checked baggage at Sofia airport are common; items of value in checked luggage are at risk. Automobile theft is also a frequent problem, with four-wheel drive vehicles and late model European sedans the most popular targets. Most stolen vehicles are reported shipped to other East European or former-Soviet countries and very few are ever recovered.
Organized crime is probably the country's number one problem. In conjunction with organized crime, the drug industry is also a growing concern in Bulgaria. Over 1,600 Bulgarian citizens have been involved in the drug trade and some 112 Bulgarian firms have been used as covers for international drug trafficking, according to statements by an interior ministry official. The official was quoted by news agencies as saying that international crime groups were involved in the operations and that growing drug consumption was contributing to crime in Bulgaria.
In Sofia, there are two international class hotels in Bulgaria, the Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan and the Kempinski Hotel Zografski. A Hilton was recently completed. Other hotels include the recently built Ambassador Hotel and Castle Hrankov Hotel (both 15 minutes from the city-center) and the Park Hotel Moskva. The Maria Luiza and Gloria Palace are two other good hotels centrally located. The Pliska, Bulgaria and the Grand Hotel Sofia are lower in price but vary substantially from the top tier hotels in terms of services, comfort and quality. The Princess Hotel (formerly Novotel) is currently under new management and renovation.
Telephone IDD is available to main cities. The country code is 359. The outgoing international code is 00. Calls from some parts of the country must be placed through the international operator. There are many public telephones in the main towns. Fax facilities are available at BTA (Bulgarina Telegraph Agency) offices.
Electricity is 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are the 2-pin-type.
220 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are two-pin.
C,F
The main meal is eaten in the middle of the day. Dinner is a social occasion, with dancing in many restaurants. Food is spicy, hearty and good. A lot of meals include meat, potatoes and cheese. Fruit is particularly good and cheap throughout the year. There is a wide variety of national dishes, as well as Western European standard dishes, which can be chosen on the spot at any restaurant. All good hotels have restaurants and there are many attractive folk-style restaurants and cafes throughout the country.National specialties:
• Tarator (cold soup made from cucumber,
walnuts and yogurt.).
• Kavarma (individual casseroles of pork or veal, onions and mushrooms).
• Shishkebab (stuffed vine or cabbage leaves and moussaka).
• Kebapcheta (small, strongly spiced, minced meat rolls).
• Banitsa (pastry stuffed with fruit or cheese).National drinks
• Coffee, heavily sweetened, is particularly popular.
• Drinks made from infusions of mountain herbs and dried leaves, particularly lime.
• White wines include Evksinograde, Karlouski Misket and Tamianka.
• Heavy red wines include Mavroud and Trakia.
• Liquors include mastika and rakia. Tipping:
Until recently not applicable but some restaurants now include a 10-12 per cent service charge.Nightlife
Some restaurants have folk dancing and music. Opera is performed at the State Opera House in Sofia; other classical concerts include the National Folk Ensemble. There are nightclubs with floor shows and dancing in Sofia and in Bourgas, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora and Varna, etc; other classical concerts include the National Folk Ensemble. There are nightclubs with floor shows and dancing in Sofia, as well as in most major towns and all the resorts.
