After a visit to the remains of Tsarevets fortress I caught a train to Triavna. I was expectant to meet who promised to be the grumpiest hotel manager in the world. The hostel lady who acted as intermediary on the phone had in fact ended the call with a perplexed expression. She reported the man was not at all keen to take me as a guest because he speaks no English. I could understand his hesitation on that account, but when he threatened that if I turned up later than 7 pm it would not be worth going at all, I wondered whether I had made a good choice.
When I rang the bell a shirtless man opened the door. His hairy chest and bulging belly were not the nicest of sights as a welcome, and I thought this unconventional appearance was in line with his manners on the phone. However, the half naked man turned out to be only another guest, and a helpful one too. He went up to call his girlfriend who had some English and got in touch with the ratty owner. This said he would be back after 6 pm, so my encounter with him was put off till later.
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