Keep to the left …
31st July 2017
If we ever move to Bulgaria full-time one of the first things I’ll buy is a Lada Niva, one of the most underrated 4×4’s ever built. They’re cheap, easy to fix, small enough to get around most of the trails and tracks in Bulgaria, great in winter, and fun to drive.
In the meanwhile, as I can’t justify getting one for just a few weeks of the year, I’m making the most of trundling around our local forests and hillsides with Andy – a friend of ours who runs a fantastic guest house in Runya – and our sons, Mario and Finley.
![Keep to the left ... / Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8, Fujifilm X-T1, Bulgaria [1920px XT10925 1 1024x683]](https://chromasia.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/1920px-_XT10925-1.jpg "Keep to the left ...")
![Keep to the left ... / Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8, Fujifilm X-T1, Bulgaria [1920px XT10931 1 500x333]](https://chromasia.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/1920px-_XT10931-1.jpg "Keep to the left ...")
![Keep to the left ... / Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8, Fujifilm X-T1, Bulgaria [1920px XT10933 1 500x333]](https://chromasia.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/1920px-_XT10933-1.jpg "Keep to the left ...")
[All images shot with: Fujifilm X-T1 & Fujinon 16-55mm f/2.8]
So, with oil in the engine, air in the tyres, a chainsaw in the boot, and a cooler of beer we set off to drive the 5, maybe 6km off-road route from Runya (Andy’s village) to Ganchovets (our village), with a planned stop en route to chop up a tree that had fallen across the track. What could possibly go wrong?
![Keep to the left ... / Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8, Fujifilm X-T1, Bulgaria [1920px XT10969 1]](https://chromasia.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/1920px-_XT10969-1.jpg "Keep to the left ...")
After Andy chopped up the tree, we had a quick beer before driving down to the river.
![Keep to the left ... / Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8, Fujifilm X-T1, Bulgaria [1920px XT11022 1 1024x1024]](https://chromasia.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/1920px-_XT11022-1.jpg "Keep to the left ...")
![Keep to the left ... / Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8, Fujifilm X-T1, Bulgaria [1920px XT11037 1 1024x683]](https://chromasia.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/1920px-_XT11037-1.jpg "Keep to the left ...")
We then drove up to a hunter’s lodge on the hillside.
![Keep to the left ... / Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8, Fujifilm X-T1, Bulgaria [1920px XT11046 1 1024x576]](https://chromasia.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/1920px-_XT11046-1.jpg "Keep to the left ...")
![Keep to the left ... / Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8, Fujifilm X-T1, Bulgaria [1920px XT11058 1 1024x683]](https://chromasia.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/1920px-_XT11058-1.jpg "Keep to the left ...")
From there it was a fairly gentle drive down to the top of our village, then round to friends of Andy’s for a chat and another beer before heading back towards Runya.
As we drove out of the village Andy asked me if I’d like to drive.
Everything was fine up until …
“Keep to the left” said Andy, …
“No, not that far … !“
![Keep to the left ... / Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8, Fujifilm X-T1, Bulgaria [1920px XT11099 1 1024x576]](https://chromasia.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/1920px-_XT11099-1.jpg "Keep to the left ...")
At this point, having bottomed-out the car, we swapped seats, and …
![Keep to the left ... / Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8, Fujifilm X-T1, Bulgaria [1920px XT11101 1 1024x683]](https://chromasia.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/1920px-_XT11101-1.jpg "Keep to the left ...")
![Keep to the left ... / Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8, Fujifilm X-T1, Bulgaria [1920px XT11109 1 1024x683]](https://chromasia.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/1920px-_XT11109-1.jpg "Keep to the left ...")
Me: Did you mean to go backwards?
Andy: No …
Me: I thought not.
Finley volunteered to go back down to the village for help.
![Keep to the left ... / Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8, Fujifilm X-T1, Bulgaria [1920px XT11121 1 1024x683]](https://chromasia.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/1920px-_XT11121-1.jpg "Keep to the left ...")
![Keep to the left ... / Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8, Fujifilm X-T1, Bulgaria [1920px XT11134 1 1024x683]](https://chromasia.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/1920px-_XT11134-1.jpg "Keep to the left ...")
Plan A was a good one – angle the tow rope around a stump and pull the Lada out of the ditch. Mario approved …
![Keep to the left ... / Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8, Fujifilm X-T1, Bulgaria [1920px XT11129 1]](https://chromasia.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/1920px-_XT11129-1.jpg "Keep to the left ...")
Plan A failed, as did Plan B …
![Keep to the left ... / Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8, Fujifilm X-T1, Bulgaria [1920px XT11152 1 1024x683]](https://chromasia.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/1920px-_XT11152-1.jpg "Keep to the left ...")
So – in the absence of any further ideas, larger and heavier vehicles, helicopters, or cranes – we gave up for the day …
![Keep to the left ... / Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8, Fujifilm X-T1, Bulgaria [1920px XT11180 1 1024x683]](https://chromasia.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/1920px-_XT11180-1.jpg "Keep to the left ...")
![Keep to the left ... / Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8, Fujifilm X-T1, Bulgaria [1920px XT11124 1 1024x683]](https://chromasia.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/1920px-_XT11124-1.jpg "Keep to the left ...")
That was two days ago. Reinforcements arrive tomorrow, at which point we’ll head back to rescue the Lada.
You Might Also Like ...
-
![Keep to the left ... / Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8, Fujifilm X-T1, Bulgaria [buzludzha 2017 f 275x148]](https://chromasia.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/buzludzha_2017_f-275x148.jpg "Keep to the left ...")
A shot of the Buzludzha monument, one of the most striking buildings in Bulgaria. Built to commemorate the formation of the Bulgarian socialist movement, it's now abandoned, neglected, and for the most part ignored.
18th August 2017 -
![Keep to the left ... / Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8, Fujifilm X-T1, Bulgaria [1920px venice carnival 2016 2 275x148]](https://chromasia.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/1920px-venice_carnival_2016_2-275x148.jpg "Keep to the left ...")
A brief summary and gallery of images shot with the Fujinon Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR, Fujifilm's standard zoom.
27th June 2017 -
![Keep to the left ... / Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8, Fujifilm X-T1, Bulgaria [1920px mind the cracks 275x148]](https://chromasia.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/1920px-mind_the_cracks-275x148.jpg "Keep to the left ...")
A brief summary and gallery of images shot with the Fujinon XF 14mm f/2.8 R, one of the best Fujinon lenses for landscape and architectural photography.
27th June 2017
What a fun day, but how did we end up in that position?
I think the first problem was that both of us overrated my off-road abilities. The second was you heading off at 60mph in reverse 😉
Great story! I hope you are going to document the next leg of the adventure 😀
Will do 🙂