Ivan Kasabov

During my 4 days visit to Sofia, I was inspired to try a new way of seeing the city by hiring a private tour guide with the aim of deepening my understanding of ordinary people's life in the city. I reached out to Ivan who accepted the challenge. Ivan spent 8 hours showing me the city including his home, and meeting with his son and his mother in a park. Throughout the 8 hours, we talked non-stop about everything ranging from the lives of young people in the city, to the job opportunities, to the weather, and geopolitics. Through these frank discussions, I feel that I gained some understanding and achieved my goal. I must say that I was very lucky to have Ivan, a young man with no "baggages" who is at peace with himself as my guide. Ivan has earned my respect. I imagine the experience would be hard to duplicate with just any tour guides. During the tour, we have visited four districts of the city, each with its own characteristics. Ivan has also treated me with coffee, doner, and tea tasting at the shop of one of his longtime friends. All in all, this has been a very precious experience for me, which I will be bragging with my friends for a long time to come. My sincere appreciation to Ivan, an excellent tour guide.