I had been walking past this gyro stand called Alex Foods, for days. The gyroโs looked so delicious and every time I passed, there was a line up for the food. I knew it must be good. I havenโt had the best luck with food in Plovdiv, the language barrier has proven to make purchasing and ordering quite difficult. Eating gyros at Alex Foods is a perfect example of this.
Fun Travel Story
I was walking into the centre of town, planning to take in a free concert. Being dinner time, I thought I would try a gyro at Alexโs. My biggest method of communication here in Plovdiv, has been to simply point at what I would like. But at Alexโs, there is no ordering from the counter, thus no pointing.
Instead, there are self serve screens on the side of the restaurant. Here you choose what you want, then join the line for pick up. Well try as I might, I could not get the screens to work fully in English, even though this is an option. Not uncommon here, for online or computer systems to simply not work properly.
Not one to give up, I asked people around me if they could help. Two young lads motioned that they would. I tried to point to the gyro meat then point to the screen. The fellas nodded and showed me what button to select. Press I did, then I chose the cheapest drink option, thinking it would be a small bottle of water. Water is usually the cheapest thing on the menu or so my reasoning went.
When I got to the front of the pick-up line my ticket was taken and I was directed by a hand gesture to go to the next window. Here a woman gave me a white drink in a flimsy plastic cup I could hardly grasp. No water for me it seems. ๐
Without any further direction provided, I returned to the food window. There I stood for about 5 more minutes. Everyone else was being handed gyroโs but not me. I waited and waited while scrumptious gyros passed by my face and were placed into others outstretched hands. I couldnโt understand why I was not being given one. Eventually I was handed something that did not resemble a gyro at all, it came from a deep fryer in the back and was bright red.
Unsure what this was, I pointed to the gyro meat. The man took the red meat thing and eventually gave me a gyro instead. He shrugged his shoulders and off I went.
Oh man, I was feeling so defeated and helpless at not being able to communicate. I walked away thankful that I at least had a gyro. I found a place to sit on a dirty sidewalk curb. Tasted the white drink, warm liquid plain yogourt. No bueno, Iโm lactose intolerant. I dived into the gyro and I have to say it was sooooo delicious. Albeit messy with the warm garlicky sauce oozing out of every nook and cranny.
Travel
This small silly story encapsulates my time here in Plovdiv. It has been challenging. I havenโt felt connected to this society or the people at all. I feel defeated after many of my attempts at interactions. That is probably just me being uber sensitive though.
What I can say is this has been a terrific learning experience. It has made have to think outside the box when it comes to asking for what I need or want in a society that I cannot communicate with.
Lessons Learned
I have learned that the assumptions made during the research phase of travel can be very different than the actualities faced on site. Thank goodness my miniature problems have been just that, miniature and insignificant. A wrong food ordered, a mystery meat or three, nothing too serious.
I have learned that if you are a traveller staying outside a tourist zone, and not in a hotel, the likelihood is high that you will not come in contact with people who you can communicate with. I need to remember this the next time I am researching places to stay. Its one thing to be on holiday at a resort or staying at a hotel and only visiting tourist sites for a few days. Its another animal entirely to be living somewhere short term, and having to function with a society that you cannot communicate with at all.
