Village Bezvodno: On the Edge of the Rhodopes
S. Bezvodno is one of the last villages before the border. I felt like we were at the edge of Bulgaria. It is located in the Chernoochene municipality, 26 km from Kardzhali. In the eastern part of the Western Rhodopes. Close to the Borovitsa dam.
Water everywhere in Waterless
The village itself was surely named by some prankster, because five spouts of water were flowing from the stone fountain, at full capacity.
The faucet plate says something in Turkish.
Aren't we in Bulgaria?!
Crossing the village, we came across numerous stone cisterns full of water.
Beautiful stone houses and a disappearing population
The view is unique. The village itself is at 930 meters above sea level. Beautiful stone houses are perched on a steep slope.
Unfortunately, they’re all deserted, with their shutters nailed shut. Today, about ten people live in the village; at the last census, there were 84, and that was in 2011. The population peaked in 1956 at 1,982 people. Which means that about 90% of the population is gone…
It has become dry „without escort“.
Meeting with the people of Bezvodno
The mayor, the local drunk, and the hodja's assistant arrived at the bus stop. To liven things up and have a chat with the driver.
On the way to Cheleken Peak
We headed towards Mount Chelyaka, 1459 m.
The waterfall near Bezvodno
Near the village there is a beautiful waterfall 25-30 meters high.
Rock niches at Kovan Kaya
And in the area „Kovan Kaya“ we found many carved rock niches, which were also the subject of the walk.
Beauty was everywhere. Tired after the sights and steep elevation changes, we trudged through the village towards the minivan.
Unexpected guests in a Rhodope yard
Our guide stopped in front of a wooden fence, saw an old man in a terraced field, and asked him if we could cut through his yard.
Our grandfather invited us.
Life between the garden, the stable, and memories
We set off. A beautifully maintained yard, where everything necessary was planted. Not a single weed.
From the house – a tidy, poor house – the hostess emerged. We asked the grandfather if he had any tobacco, because the smokers had run out of cigarettes. He gladly opened his pouch. And the grandmother, with gestures, invited us into her home.
Word for word, it turned out that there were both of them, the 5 children had long since left the village. Three daughters and two sons.
There was a stable by the house. With a calf. And a satellite dish.
When a smile is enough
The grandmother didn't understand a word of Bulgarian. She was in a local uniform: colorful shalvars, a blue dress, and a headscarf – she nodded and smiled kindly. The grandfather turned out to be a good translator. They bustled about and invited us into the guest room.
But we didn't want to bother them, so we stayed outside their house.
The most delicious slice in the Rhodopes
And then the grandmother took off her galoshes and brought out a freshly baked wedge of wood-fired bread and a basin of yogurt from the house. An improvised jar, full of spoons of all sizes. And the grandfather made us ayran.
I've never tasted a more delicious wedge...
The pot had at least half a finger's worth of thick yellow cream. And since we were starving, the tourists started reaching for more. I asked them to just try it. Because the old folks hardly had anything else to eat.
Food from the yard and the housewife's hard work
The grandmother explained that all the products were from the yard. Except for the flour and rice.
The pastry, with its masterfully rolled crusts, came from her chapped, hardworking hands.
With farm-fresh eggs, cheese, butter, and „greens“ from the yard. With a side of ayran, it was the most delicious culinary catharsis I've ever experienced.
The generous soul of the Rhodope dweller
Which of civilization would let 11 strangers walk through their yard?.
Will you treat him to freshly prepared, „clean“ (organic, as is trendy now) food, invite him into your home, share your tobacco, and chat about life, family, and the village?!
The generous soul of the Rhodope people.
Warmth, kindness, and ease in this God-forsaken and state-neglected village. Picturesque.
Waterless – the village you remember for a long time
Silently we set off towards the soulless luxury and alienation of so-called “civilization.“.
See more Author Maria Radeva here
