Heat, gypsies on horses, zakuski and even more horses

The closest city from Shipka is Kazanlak (30 minutes bus ride away). Speaking, pardon, writing of buses, one of the many unusual things here is the order how people have to pay for a bus ride. Passengers have to do payment after they get into the bus and sit down. After every stop during the ride one person with a fanny pack around its waist while trying to keep a balance goes to each new passenger to charge money. Certainly this is the reasoning for such frequent rides between Kazanlak and Shipka (every half an hour on working days).
 
My first bus ride to Kazanlak was quite interesting. In the bus seats sitting well tanned people, mainly with dark hair, chatting in language I don't understand, outside the window the sun in serene sky shining brightly, bushes of wild roses passing by, some dry lavanda fields, dry agriculture land looking more like savanna with some eagles circling above it, unenviable shepherd with its flock of sheep in abnormal heat, some gypsies riding with horses, and over it all the bluish Balkans... And to make the first ride even more odd in the background radio was playing something like this.
 
  
Somewhere in the center I jumped out of the bus and just went along the streets. First thing which surprised me and made me smile were the old-school telephone cabins. Yet another thing which made me feel like traveling back in time!
One side of Kazanlak is particularly occupied by gypsies. Near the supermarket Lidl I observed how cars were riding along the horses with carriages on the same road.
Everywhere, literally one after another there are placed banicharnicas and zakuski or in other words pastry and junk food shops.
  
Kazanlak is not only full with zakuski, but also with second-hand shops. As it wouldn't be enough strange for one city to have countless cloth shops, what's even more weird, they sell these clothes per kg! Therefore in many places on shop windows there are similar posters like in 3rd picture.

Accidentally found Pazar. Went through it trying to look as much like local as I could. Anyway, I had to reveal myself when using international sign and smile language I bought some veggies and watermelon.
    
Every genuine Bulgarian have this straw broom, with which they sweep dirt of their porches.
 
The ride back to Shipka was not less interesting. Actually the wait for the bus was quite a venture. While I was waiting alone in the bus stop two taxes stopped by me insistently offering a ride. Of course not wanting to pay overcharged price for a ride I refused in simple russian explaining I have a person which I am waiting and so on...