The "Magic Caravan" travels the world, by land and water, with a variety of vehicles and always hitchhiking. The journey started in April 2015 from Bulgaria and continues to this day. Over the past three years, they have traveled the "Silk Road" to the Far East, the "Spice Road" to the Indonesian archipelago, visited Papua New Guinea and the island countries of Melanesia, and reached South Korea after 6 months of sailing across the Pacific Ocean.
Magi and Tsvetin are the two travelers from the "Magic Caravan" who are on the threshold of a new expedition called "In the Footsteps of the Proto-Bulgarians". They will set off in May 2018. Here is what they will tell us about the journey ahead of them.
What is travel for you?
When we travel, we come into full contact with the earth, nature, people, and we realize the word “alive” in a new way. On the road, we have a wide open heart and senses, and thus we experience the very existence of the world with every cell of our body. After years of traveling, this is the only way of life that inspires and excites us, so that each subsequent journey is an answer to the call of our hearts to freedom and to explore the wonders of the earth.
What is the project "In the Footsteps of the Proto-Bulgarians"?
For the last 3 years we have traveled over 40 thousand kilometers, mainly on land and some of them on water. At one point we realized that the ancient Bulgarians also traveled thousands of kilometers on foot and on horseback through steppes, deserts and mountains, with their families and household goods, and this at a time when there were not even some of the modern conveniences and the roads were full of dangers. The way we travel and that of our ancestors are similar in some ways and inspired by the past we decided to follow the ancient Bulgarians in their footsteps from Central Asia to Europe.
Our attitude is one of exploration and travel, and so we plan to travel this theoretical route of several thousand kilometers overland, stopping at important historical sites and capturing photo and video materials about the regions and ethnicities along the way.
We plan to make a photographic project with an interactive map, where we will follow the gradual change of phenotype (or how people's facial features change) along the route. We hope to find archaeological and historical information through conversations with local people, visit museums and pass through places where there might be information about the Proto-Bulgarians. We will look for the connection of local beliefs, customs, lifestyle and culture with our ancestors. We will regularly publish stories and photos about the development of the project on the blog: www.bgmagickervan.com and on our Facebook page.
Our desire with the project "In the Footsteps of the Proto-Bulgarians" is to awaken the nomadic streak, genetically embedded in every Bulgarian, urging us to explore unknown lands and brave adventures, and to remember the greatness of our ancestors, who undertook this amazing journey that gave rise to each of us.
What are the countries and places you plan to visit during this trip?
The planned route passes through western China (Uyghur Autonomous Region), Mongolia and the Gobi Desert, southern Siberia (Lake Baikal and the Republic of Buryatia), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan (Pamir and Tianshan Mountains), Uzbekistan, the Caspian region, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey (as part of the theoretical routes related to the Iranian origin of the Bulgarian ethnic group) and a final return to Bulgaria. The project is planned to last between 8 and 10 months, starting in May 2018.
Where will you find information about the Proto-Bulgarians and their route?
We hope to unite the maximum number of people around the project, who will contribute ideas, advice and information about the exact route and sites to visit. We will be happy to the project should generate high public interest and discussions on the topic.
For now, our sources are friends from our close circle, enthusiasts, and historians.
How will you travel?
Since we want to get as close as possible to the way the ancient Bulgarians got around, we will travel a lot on foot, we will try to cover part of the distance on horseback, and of course we will hitchhike - our favorite way of traveling.
How will you finance this project?
The ancient Bulgarians did not need funding to reach our lands. Similarly, for the "Magic Caravan", the focus of this trip is not to seek funding, but to realize our dream, for which intention and determination are much more important. We will travel with a minimal budget as before (5 leva per day per person).
Of course, if anyone is willing to support us financially through our website, the funds will be used for support along the way and improving the quality of the project.
So far, you have been tens of thousands of kilometers from your homeland among Pacific islands and Papuan tribes, are you tired of the exotic?
In our opinion, it is impossible for a traveler to get too much of the exotic. The world we live in is a true miracle and a gift for each of us. We are sure that walking the path of the ancient Bulgarians will be no less exotic than Papua New Guinea, the Pacific islands, the deserts of Rajasthan or the Himalayan peaks.
After three years of traveling, we decided to return to Bulgaria. Coincidentally or not, the steppes and mountains of Northern Asia have always been close to our hearts. This, and the fact that our way of life under the open sky and constantly on the road, seems to be closer to the life of the ancient Bulgarians than to that of modern man, naturally determined the birth of this project.
What do you think you will discover during this journey?
More about the human soul and true human relationships, one's own mind and heart, the wonders of the northern lands and of course, to become more deeply aware of the connection of nomadic peoples with the steppe, yurts, horses and constant movement on land, the roots of the Proto-Bulgarians and their history.
When are you following in the footsteps of the ancient Bulgarians?
We are currently in Vietnam and preparing. The project officially started at the beginning of May, when we entered China, but for us the journey has already begun.
Why do you call yourself the "Magic Caravan"? What is magical to you?
Our magic is a reflection of the magic of the world around us. We hope that our readers see reflected in our blog the magic that each of us carries within ourselves.
The "Caravan" uses a map and a compass and constantly generates incredible events and adventures. The time for travel is unlimited, and the road is always winding through unknown and unplanned places. Our home moves through mountains, deserts, medieval exotic cities, beaches, rocks, every day in an unforeseen place, in a tent or under someone's benevolent roof of kind local people.
What is your mission?
To experience the world and people, to merge and immerse ourselves in the endless magical realities of the planet, and to break our stereotypes through knowledge and getting to know different cultures.
