Introduction

At the present time Bulgaria is one of the most popular country of the Balkans. More newsworthy than the former Yugoslavia, and heavy touristed like neighbouring Greece and Turkey, it's a place that brings few distinct images to mind. Despite being the site of extensive Black Sea package resorts and the source of several good wines, it's all too often dismissed as the dour place it was before 1989, when it served as one of the Soviet Union's most loyal East European allies. As with many little-known destinations, however, there's a great deal to discover here: much of Bulgaria is like an open-air museum of Balkan culture, with beautifully decorated churches, fine mosques, wonderfully preserved rustic villages and a great deal of enduring folklore. The mountainous interior makes it one of the top hiking destinations of Europe, while over on the Black Sea coast, the white-sand beaches are just as magnificent in reality as they look in the tourist brochures.

Facts:

• Bulgaria is a country of 7.5 million people located in the extreme southeastern corner of Europe, sharing borders with Romania, Yugoslavia, Macedonia, Greece and Turkey.
• Roughly 85 percent of the population is made up of Bulgarians, who speak a Slavic language akin to Russian and Serbo-Croat, and practise the Orthodox Christian faith.
• There is also a sizeable Muslim population (13 per­cent of the total), compris­ing both Pomaks (Bulgari­ans who converted to Islam from the sixteenth century onwards) and ethnic Turks. Bulgaria also plays host to as many as 500,000 Gyp­sies or Roma, many of whom represent the poor­est segment of the popula­tion.
• Much of Bulgaria's industry collapsed, along with the Communist system that developed it, after 1989, and the country is nowadays known for natural products such as fruit, vegetables, wine and yoghurt - along with tobacco, a mainstay of the rural south.
• Bulgaria's Black Sea coast was earmarked for intensive tourist develop­ment as early as the 1960s, although recent years have seen attempts to encourage village tourism and hiking holidays in the country's mountainous interior.

Bulgarians are frustrated by their country's lack of a clearly defined image abroad. Heirs to one of Europe's great civilizations, and guardians ot Balkan Christian traditions, they have a keen sense ot national identity distilled by centuries ot turbulent history. In a constantly repeating cycle of grandeur-decline and national rebirth, successive Bulgarian states have striven to dominate the Balkan peninsula before succumbing to defeat and foreign tutelage, only to be regenerated by patriotic resistance to outside control.

  

The Bulgarian nation was formed in the seventh and eighth centuries when the Bulgars, warlike nomads from central Asia, assumed the leadership of Slav tribes in the lower Danube basin and took them on a spree of conquest in southeastern Europe. The resulting First Bulgarian Kingdom, after accepting Orthodox Christianity as the state religion, became the centre of Slavonic culture and spirituality before falling victim to a resurgent Byzantine Empire in the eleventh century. Recovery came a century later when the local aristocracy broke free from Constantinople and restored past glories in the shape of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. However, the rise of Ottoman power in the fourteenth century ushered in the 500-vear-long period of Tursko robstvo or "Turkish bondage", when the achievements of the medieval era were extinguished. Bulgarian art and culture recovered during the nineteenth-century National Revival, and the emergence of a potent revolutionary movement prepared the ground for Bulgaria's eventual Liberation in 1878, achieved with the help of Russian arms. However, Europe's other Great Powers conspired to limit the size of the infant state at the Berlin Congress of 1878, the first of a series of betrayals which denied Bulgarian claims to a territory which had long been considered an integral part of the historical Bulgarian state. Macedonia. In die twentieth century alone. Bulgaria went to war three times (in the Balkan Wars of 1912-13, World War I and World War II) to try and recover Macedonia, only to be defeated on each occasion. By 1945 it seemed like a country that had somehow missed out on its destiny, and rapidly turned in on itself during the subsequent deep sleep of Communism

Monasteries

During live centuries of Ottoman rule, Bulgarian national traditions were kept alive by its monasteries, which had been centers of Bulgarian-language learning since the Middle Ages. Often hidden away in mountain valleys -both lot defensive reasons, and because old the tranquility thereby offered to hermits -the monasteries went on to provide the populace with both spiritual and political leader¬ship during the nineteenth-century upsurge of patriotic feeling known as the National Revival. For today's visitor, the monasteries offer a unique atmosphere of sanctity and peace, as well as the chance to peer inside some wonderfully decorated churches. Rila, Troyan and Bachkovo are the three most-visited foundations, welcoming a steady stream of pilgrims all year round and attracting crowds of celebrants on major saints' days.

Much of Bulgaria is like an open-air museum of Balkan culture

Today, while undoubtedly more open to the outside world and more visitor-friendly than ever before. Bulgaria remains a country in transition. Back in the momentous winter of 1989, it looked as if it was dragging its feet on the road to democracy while others forged ahead. The Communist Party-ditched a few of the old guard, changed its name to the Socialist Party and promptly won the first multiparty elections for more than forty years, remain¬ing the country's most coherent political force until the elections of April 1997. when the SDS took over. Despite stabilizing the economy, the SDS failed to stamp out corruption, and were swept aside four years later by a new movement, the NDSV, centred around (the former Tsar of Bulgaria, Simeon of Saxe-Coburg Gotha. With the Tsar installed as Prime Minister, and a Socialist (ie former Communist) occupying the post of President. Bulgaria is in for some interesting times.

Since 1989. market economics have been introduced more cautiously than in the more developed former Communist states, but the steady growth of private enterprise is making its mark nonetheless. Locals are quick to point out that the move towards capitalism has meant poor conditions for many. Full employment and job security arc things of the past, and the new business culture is riddled with corruption and organized crime. While these problems shouldn't affect your enjoyment of an invigorating and little-experienced culture, it's a good idea to remain sensitive towards such issues.

Folk festivals

Traditional folk music is still very much alive in Bulgaria, and is celebrated in numerous festivals across the country, especially in summer. The biggest bashes of them all are the Koprivshtitsa festival, which attracts performers from all over Bulgaria, and Pirin Sings (Pirin Pee), which concentrates on the rich folklore traditions of the southwest. Both festivals feature an organized programme on a series of stages, as well as a host of unofficial performances by village musicians gathered around the festival fringes, making these occasions more like medieval fairs than modern cultural manifestations. Traditionally, both take place only every four or five years, but such is their popularity and importance that smaller, scaled-down versions of the main events are now organized annually. In addition, there's a whole host of local festivals in villages right around the country, often using traditional feast days such as St Elijah's Day (llinden) or the Assumption (Galyama Bogoroditsa) as an excuse for a day or two of dancing and drinking - ensuring that you stand a good chance of catching something whichever part of the country you're in year round.

Where to go and when

Bulgaria has a continental climate, with long, hot, dry summers and - in the interior at least - bitterly cold winters. July and August can be oppressively hot in the big cities, and a little crowded on the Black Sea coast - elsewhere, you won't have to worry about being swamped by fellow visitors. Using public transport is reasonably easy throughout the year, although the highest cross-mountain routes will be closed during the coldest months.

Bulgaria's most obvious urban attractions are Sofia, a set-piece capital city whose centre was laid out by successive regimes as an expression of political power: and the second city Plovdiv, home to what is arguably the finest collection of nineteenth-century architecture in the Balkans. Both are increasingly cosmopolitan places, offering a range of street cafes and nightlife opportunities in short supply elsewhere in the country. They each form important cultural centres, being well endowed with museums and galleries, and are good bases from which to visit the rest of the interior. Yet it's in the countryside rather than the cities that the real rewards of inland travel are to be found. You'll come across some of Europe's finest highland scenery in the Rila, Pirin, Balkan, Sredna Gora and Rhodope mountain ranges, whose valleys harbour the kind of bucolic villages which have all but disappeared in Western Europe. Many of them are time-consuming to reach by public transport, but if traditional architecture and goat-thronged, cobbled alleys appeal, any effort will be rewarded. While the villages of Bansko. Koprivshtitsa - a living memorial to the 1876 April Rising - and Melnik have the best tourist facilities, more rustic out-of-the-way spots such as Brashlyan, Kovachevitsa and Zheravna are also well worth seeking out. In addition, the highland regions display Bulgaria's rich spiritual traditions in the shape of its many monasteries: Bachkovo, Rila, Rozhen and Troyan are the big four, although any number of smaller foundations make worthwhile destinations. Also in the mountains, a burgeoning winter tourist industry is taking shape in resorts such is Bansko, Borovets and Pamporovo. although the latter two are purpose-built package resorts which lack the charm of the former. Snow is thick on the ground from late November through to mid-March, and in summer the mountain resorts are taken over by climbers and ramblers.

However, most foreign visitors still make a beeline for the Black Sea, formerly the summer playground of the entire Eastern bloc. That said, big purpose-built resorts like Sunny Beach and Golden Sands tend to be rather characterless and isolating: though package tours based at these resorts present a cheap and easy way of getting to Bulgaria, it's best to steer clear of them once you arrive. The main resort-city of Varna is the liveliest place along the coast, while small peninsula settlements like Nesebar and Sozopol, though crowded in August, provide traditional fishing-village architecture as well as enticing stretches of sand. Indeed, beaches are on the whole magnificent, especially in the south, and private enterprise is more developed here than anywhere else in the country, ensuring a plentiful supply of private rooms and good seafood restaurants. Although the climate remains mild all the year round, the Black Sea becomes deserted outside the main tourist season (June—Sept), when many tourist attractions and hotels shut up shop.

Elsewhere, although few places are geared up to cater to Western-style, consumer-oriented tourism, the rugged highlands that cut across the centre of the country are the best places to explore the heartland of Bulgarian history and culture. The crafts towns and monasteries of the central Balkan Range were the places where Bulgarian culture recovered during the nineteenth-century National Revival, and are easily explored from the dramatically situated, citadel-encrusted town of Veliko Tarnovo, medieval capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. Shumen, main town of the northwest, is dour in comparison, but allows access to the remains of the Bulgarian states first two capitals, Pliska and Preslav. Between the Balkan Range and the Sredna Gora, with its countless reminders of Bulgaria's nineteenth-century struggles against Turkish oppression, lies the Valley of the Roses, lined by a string of historic market towns and home to Bulgaria's renowned rose harvest in late May.

The mountains

The topography of inland Bulgaria is characterized by a series of dramatic mountain chains, which together offer some of the most exciting and varied hiking opportunities in Europe. The Pirin mountains, in the southwest, are the wildest, most picturesque range in Bulgaria, with 45 peaks over 2590m, deep valleys, karstic massifs and numerous glacial lakes. Immediately to the north, the Rila mountains are characterized by magnificent coniferous forests and alpine scenery abloom with wildflowers all year; here Mt Musala, at 2925m above sea level, stands as the highest peak in the Balkan peninsula. Both these ranges abut the Rhodopes, arguably the loveliest range in Bulgaria, with a mixture of pine forests, crags, highland meadows and villages of stone houses. All three ranges are crisscrossed by well-maintained, well-marked paths, with a network of mountain huts, or hizhi, providing basic but cosy accommodation.

Agerage Temperatures in Borovets, Plovdiv, Sofia and Varna

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	June	July	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec
Borovets
oF	30	33	41	48	59	65	71	74	61	54	42	33
oC	-1	1	5	9	15	19	22	23	16	12	6	1
Plovdiv
oF	33	34	44	54	62	73	74	76	65	55	45	36
oC	1	3	7	12	17	23	23	24	19	13	8	3
Sofia
oF	30	33	41	51	60	66	73	75	61	54	42	33
oC	-1	1	5	10	15	19	23	24	16	12	6	1
Varna
oF	36	43	43	54	62	70	75	74	68	60	49	39
oC	3	6	6	12	17	22	24	23	20	16	10	4

Beach Holidays

The drawback to package holidays on the Black Sea coast is the nature of the principal resorts. The purpose-built complexes are often over-large and some distance from the nearest town or village, ensuring that you experience little of Bulgarian life. Beaches, however, are generally spotless, and coastal waters warm, clean and safe. Sunny Beach (Slanchev Bryag) and Golden Sands (Zlatni Pyasatsi) are the biggest (and most soulless) of the complexes, chock full of restaurants, bars and discos, while Albena is almost as huge but rather more stylish, with excellent sports facilities. Sveti Konstantin is smaller, surrounded by woodlands and coves, while villa complexes and holiday villages such as Dyuni or Elenite will appeal to those in search of something more tranquil. You could also stay in the attractive fishing port of Nesebar, either in a hotel or an apartment in the old or new town. Currently, Balkan Holidays is the only tour operator offering summer beach packages. Peak-season prices for holidays in Sunny Beach, Golden Sands and Albena hover around £325-435 for one week, £409-550 for two, though prices can be £100 lower in May and September. For a hotel in Sveti Konstantin or a self-catering studio at Elenite, you're likely to pay between £415-545 for seven nights. Apartments in the old houses of Nesebar cost about £329 per person for seven days in high season, dropping to £265 in May or September; apartments in the new town cost slightly less.

Skiing Holidays

From December to March, Balkan Holidays. First Choice, Neilson and Crystal all offer one- and two-week winter holidays at the Rhodfope resort of Pamporovo, where British tourists make up about 75 percent of the foreign guests, and Borovets in the Rila Mountains, where they account for a staggering ninety percent. Bansko in the Pirin range Is more international but only on offer from Balkan Holidays, while Malyovitsa in the Rila Mountains and Mount Vitosha outside Sofia aren't featured at all.

While skiing rules, snowboarding increasingly popular at the three main resort. The cost of the packages depends on date (Christmas, New Year and mid-February are the most expensive times), the type and standard of accommodation (hotel or chalet) and fees for lessons, equipment and lift passes. For example, seven nights at Borovets cost between £249 and £265 from Balkan Holidays, £228-340 from Inghams, and £309-406 from Crystal, while their respective ski "packs" are £93, £87 and £83.

Mountain and lake holidays and hiking

From May to September the three resorts become centres for mountain and lake holidays: packages combining guided walks, entertainments and optional excursions - which can be a good way to indulge in some independent travel as well. Though large operators like Crystal used to feature Bulgaria, the only firm that currently does is : Balkan Holidays, which has diverse pack ages based on Pamporovo, Borovets and/or Bansko, with Sofia, Melnik, Plovdiv or Varna as bolt-on extras. While the possibilities for walking are equally good at all three resorts Bansko and Pamporovo have more to offer in terms of public transport than Borovets does, and Bansko itself has more charm and historic interest than the other two put together.

Despite great opportunities for serious hiking in the Rila, Pirin and Rhodopes, the only UK tour operator featuring Bulgaria at present is Exodus - though Interchange can arrange individual itineraries and there are several reliable companies in Bulgaria that welcome direct bookings by email.

Hitching to Bulgaria

Quite apart from the obvious, and very real, dangers involved, hitching to Bulgaria is not simple. Even before the wars of the 1990s, the road down through Yugoslavia was notoriously bad for hitching, and the route through Hungary and Romania is, if anything, worse. However, approaching from Turkey or Greece is feasible. Otherwise, the best idea seems to be to hitch as far as you can on the Western European highway network, heading through Germany and Austria as far as the Hungarian border and making for Budapest, from where you can complete the journey reasonably cheaply by bus or train. It is worth looking into the possibility of sharing a lift at least part of the way. You can consult the noticeboard or post your own notice at Nomad Books, 781 Fulham Rd, London SW6 5HA (©020/7736 4000), or check the "Connections" page in the travel magazine Wanderlust, where you could put your own free advert by writing to PO Box 1832, Windsor, Berks, SL4 1YT, or posting it on ®www.wanderlust.co.uk.

Health

Though no inoculations are required for travel in Bulgaria, embassies advise visitors to check that they've been vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, typhoid and hepatitis A, and recommend that anybody planning to spend a lot of time walking in the mountains be inoculated against tickborne encephylitis. However, most visitors suffer nothing worse than diarrhoea or sunburn, so stock up on preparations like Diocalm before you leave home, and protect yourself with a good sunscreen. While salads and fresh fruit are quite safe, it's risky to eat grilled snacks in provincial restaurants with a slow turnover. Tap water is safe to drink in all parts of the country.

Minor complaints can be solved at a pharmacy or Apteka, but if you require a doctor (lekar) or dentist (zabolekar) head for the nearest Poliklinika or health centre, whose staff might speak English, German or French, and will almost certainly understand Russian. Urgent cases go to hospitals (bolnitsa) courtesy of the barza pomosht or ambulance service (150 in most towns, service free), and emergency treatment is free of charge although you must pay for medicines. Although Bulgarian physicians are well-trained and competent, the equipment, facilities, auxiliary staff and aftercare in hospitals falls well below the standards to which Westerners are accustomed, so it's best to fly home in the case of anything serious. Bear in mind that many pharmacies are not as widely stocked as at home, so you should bring with you a supply of razor blades, favoured brands of contraceptives and tampons, not to mention any specific medication that you require. Bulgaria has a strong tradition of herbal medicine (though none, curiously, of homeopathy), and most towns will have a Bilkova apteka or herbal pharmacy offering a wide range of natural remedies. However, you'll need to speak Bulgarian, or enlist the help of a native speaker, if you want to understand what you're being offered.

Insurance

Although emergency health care (but not the cost of medicines) is free of charge in Bulgaria, you'd do well to take out an insurance policy before travelling to cover against theft, loss and illness or injury. Before paying for a new policy, however, it's worth checking whether you are already covered: some all-risks home insurance policies may cover your possessions when overseas, and many private medical schemes include cover when abroad. In Canada, provincial health Plans usually provide partial cover for medical mishaps overseas, while holders of official student/teacher/youth cards in Canada and the US are entitled to mea¬gre accident coverage and hospital in-patient benefits. Students will often find that their student health coverage extends during the vacations and for one term beyond the date of last enrolment.

After exhausting the possibilities above, you might want to contact a specialist travel ihsurance company, or consider the travel insurance deal we offer (see box over). A typical travel insurance policy usually provides cover for the loss of baggage, tickets and - up to a certain limit - cash or cheques, as well as cancellation or curtailment of your journey. Most of them exclude so-called dangerous sports unless an extra premium is paid: in Bulgaria this can mean scuba-diving, Whitewater rafting, windsurfing and trekking, though probably not kayaking or jeep safaris. Many policies can be chopped and changed to exclude coverage you don't need - for example, sickness and accident benefits can often be excluded or included at will. If you do take medical coverage, ascertain whether benefits will be paid as treatment proceeds or only after return home, and whether there is a 24-hour medical emergency number. When securing bag gage cover, make sure that the per-article limit - typically under £500/US0 - will cover your most valuable possession. If you need to make a claim, you should keep receipts for medicines and medical treatment, and in the event you have anything stolen, you must obtain an official statement from the police.

Costs, money and banks

Bulgaria always was a relatively cheap country for tourists and, despite the shift to a market economy, most of life's essentials cost considerably less here than they do in the West. The outlook is less bright for Bulgarians themselves, whose living standards have been eroded by inflation, and who count themselves lucky if they earn US a week.

While visitors to big cities or package resorts could probably subsist on a mixture of bank cards and travellers' cheques, anyone planning to travel around the country - especially in rural areas - will need to carry the bulk of their funds in cash (preferably US dollars and/or Deutschmarks, in a mixture of high and low denominations). To minimize the security risk, always carry your funds in a discreet moneybelt worn under your clothing, Visitors to Bulgaria must declare foreign currency in excess of US00 on arrival and departure. Failure to do so will result in a fine, confiscation and possible prosecution.

Costs

Despite price rises and comparatively high costs in Sofia, Plovdiv and along the coast, the essentials remain inexpensive. If you're camping and buying food in local markets, you can live on US a day. Staying in modest hotels or private rooms and eating out regularly, US-50 should be sufficient, while on a daily budget of US or above you can enjoy a very good life, staying in mid-range hotels and taking taxis every where. Only if you require business-class accommodation will you need more than that.

The most unpredictable factor is the cost of accommodation, which varies from region to region, as well as depending on the facilities, age and ownership of the place in question. Private rooms and B&Bs can cost anywhere from US-20 per person and hotels are equally variable, with two-star places costing from US-30 per person, three-star hotels from US-80, and four-and five-star establishments from US-150. There is less variation in the cost of hostels (USS5-10), mountain huts (US-10) and campsites (US-6), but their standards vary even more.

Once you've sorted out a bed for the night, your remaining daily costs can be very low. Public transport is cheap, with flat fares of about US.40 on most urban transport and inexpensive rates on intercity buses and trains: travelling second-class by train, you can cross the entire country from east to west for US, though international services to neighbouring countries are another matter (see p.33). Providing you avoid deluxe hotel restaurants, eating should likewise prove economical. An aver age evening meal with drinks will set you back US-12, less if you stick to standard local food such as simple grills and salad. Drinking Bulgarian wine or spirits (about US and US a bottle respectively) will hit your liver harder than your wallet, and snatching a quick cup of coffee or a sand wich won't set you back more than about US.60.

Most museums and tourist attractions charge foreigners about five times the amount paid by the natives, and with rates averaging US-2, and a few places charging as much as US, they can become a significant expense if you're on a very low budget. Note also that museum entry fees less than US are not cited in the guid

Currency

The Bulgarian currency is the lev (plural leva), which is divided up into 100 stotinki. In response to the runaway inflation of the 1990s, the currency reform of 1999 knocked three noughts off the value of the lev (so that 1000 old leva became 1 new lev), and you should bear in mind that pre-1999 notes and coins are no longer legal tender. Try and familiarize yourself with the new notes as soon as possible, thereby minimizing the risk of being fobbed off with old ones in exchange bureaux or market stalls. Notes come in denominations of 200, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 leva; while coins come in denominations of 2 and 1 leva, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 stotinki. In 1999 the lev was pegged to the Deutschmark (at a rate of 1:1) and, minor fluctuations aside, has remained relatively stable against Western currencies ever since.

Although almost all goods and services can be paid for in leva, hard currency (known as valuta) is often required when buying international bus and airline tickets. In the case of hotels, however, although they may quote prices in US dollars or DMs, many prefer payment in the leva equivalent. For simplicity, we give dollar prices through out the guide; note that US is currently equivalent to 1.5Lv).

Banks and exchange

Although the value of the lev is now determined by market forces, it remains a non-convertible currency, unavailable in banks outside Bulgaria. Inside Bulgaria, you can change money in banks, tourist offices, at reception desks of the bigger hotels, and at private exchange bureaux. There's usually a slight difference in the rates offered, with private bureaux offering the most generous terms - though beware of hefty commission charges, usually written in very small print so you don't notice initially. Hotels offer the worst exchange rates, and should be avoid¬ed unless absolutely necessary.

Bulbank is the biggest of the high street banks, with branches in most Bulgarian towns. Opening hours are usually Monday to Friday 9am-4pm. Private exchange bureaux are usually open until 5 or 6pm (longer in summer), and sometimes 24 hours. Wherever you change money, it makes sense to request a receipt (smetka) - which can, in theory, enable you to re-exchange surplus leva for hard currency at the frontier before leaving, but don't depend on it. You can usually buy US dollars (and, on occasion, DM and sterling) from bureaux with your excess leva, but the exchange rate may be disadvantageous.

The black market

The realistic exchange rates now available in banks and private bureaux have all but demolished the appeal of the black market to visitors, but the demand for hard currency among Bulgarians remains strong. "Freelance" moneychangers may well offer you a slightly higher rate than the best of the exchange bureaux, but it's best to resist the temptation - the vast majority of them are either performing a sleight-of-hand trick or offering you a wad of now worthless pre-1999 leva.

Travellers' cheques and credit cards

While it's a sensible precaution to carry a percentage of your funds in the form of travellers' cheques, they are certainly not convenient for everyday use, except in Sofia and the coastal and ski package-resorts. Elsewhere you'll be lucky to find a private exchange that will touch them, and even banks can be reluctant to accept any but the particular brand to which they're affiliated. Moreover, the only firm with affiliates in Bulgaria which can issue replacements for lost or stolen travellers cheques is American Express (c/o Megatours, ul. Vasil Levski 21, Sofia; ©02/988 4953, ®megatours@techno-link.com). If you can't find a branch of Bulbank (which accepts any brand bearing the Eurocard or Mastercard logo), a three- or four-star hotel is your best bet for changing cheques. In holiday resorts, be prepared for a commission charge of up to five percent.

Credit cards can be used to pay for car rental, and at top-notch restaurants and hotels in the major cities and resorts, but can only be used throughout most of Bulgaria as a means of obtaining cash from an ATM. You can in theory get cash advances in leva with Eurocard, Access, Visa, Diners Club and Mastercard, but most banks are still either inequipped to deal with the procedure or simply can't be bothered. Again, Bulbank is likely to be able to handle transactions more efficiently than other banks. Almost all cards can also be used to get cash from ATMs, which are relatively plentiful in city centres but much rarer out in the sticks.