Border: an unforgettable journey to a nearly-forgotten land

There are few on this planet who could have written this wonderfully insightful book.

Who among us would have undertaken a journey into almost forgotten border regions where Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey come together (though “together”, at times, has been something of a misnomer)? 

Who would have gone into bear caves, located almost-forgotten streams of religious significance, ventured into villages in their death throes and sought out the flotsam of history in an effort to understand the meaning of life in this backwater?

The opening page of Border – A Journey to the Edge of Europe by Kapka Kassabova carries this sentence “Dedicated to those who didn’t make it across, then and now”; its poignancy will stay with me forever.

There has always been a flow of humanity in this area and it shows no signs of abating; the only difference is the point of origin, these days mainly Syria, but oppression has come in many forms over the years and it was the cruel Russian version that led to Kapka ending up in Scotland after her family initially went to New Zealand from Bulgaria. Other conflicts such as the Baltic, Greek Civil, Ottoman, World wars and more have infected this area, most times with negative outcomes but, amazingly, there’s an undercurrent of humanity, below the oppressive ruling classes, throughout this work that leaves cause for some optimism at least.

There are words you’ll come across at the commencement of each chapter that you’ve never heard before; my favourite is komshulak, which means neighbourliness or the spirit of being next door peacefully. The one that counters that is klyon, the term for the alarmed barbed wire fence employed by the Russians, which brings a wave of sadness to me every time I read it now.

Her many ventures into the forests of the mountain ranges (Strandja, Sakar, Rhodope) that have served as the borders is illuminating and somehow grabs your heart with nostalgia for what could have been. Where once the Thracian peoples lived is now so divided, where ancient religions once thrived but are now a memory, places famous for silk, tobacco, potatoes, watermelons and other crops are still there but the populous are mainly gone. The most interesting plant for me was the rosa damascena, the only rose from which rose oil comes, and it is only available in this region.

The in-depth encounters with locals add a realistic flavour and background to the many sagas that have taken place here. Before Darius and through to the Greek, Roman and how many other ancient societies there were remnants but, alas, they are so few in number now. Invariably ignorant males searching for treasure, on hunting parties, doing military service and getting bored or just plain vandals have ruined a gross of sites and we are all the poorer for their recklessness.

The gypsies also get a mention; just when you think everyone is doing it tough, the Roma always seem to be another rung further down the ladder. Kapka’s conversation with Tako, a gypsy who looks after an ancient church free of charge, is particularly enlightening.

There are so many variants of lives lived in this book, so many stories of hardship, so much resilience, so many misplaced people making do with what little they have yet being only too willing to share, I constantly felt despair and hope emanating from the same page.

Those into travel will find much between the covers also though it’s so much more. A fascinating insight into a world less travelled and how it arrived where it is today.

Border – A Journey To The Edge Of Europe by Kapka Kassabova is available now from Dymocks. Click here to learn more.