Booze, Bar Crawls & Bulgaria Stacey Dooley Investigates


Booze, Bar Crawls & Bulgaria

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Transcript


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This programme contains strong language.

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Every year, millions of young Brits head abroad to party.

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So I'm travelling to some of our most notorious holiday

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destinations to find out what really happens when the sun goes down.

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# Come on! #

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It's quite deep, actually. It's quite a lot of blood.

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Tonight, I'm in Sunny Beach, Bulgaria...

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-THEY CHANT # Sunny, Sunny, Sunny

-BLEEP

-Beach! #

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..where the cheap hotels and even cheaper booze

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means this resort is fast overtaking Kavos and Magaluf

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as Europe's most explosive party paradise.

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-HE SHOUTS We're going to get

-BLEEP

-tonight!

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But how much do we really know about this new holiday hotspot?

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THEY CHANT Down it! Down it! Down it!

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What are the consequences of 24-hour binge drinking?

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I swung the chair at you because someone pushed me.

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-I am going to

-BLEEP

-swing at anyone. I don't care how big they are.

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What else is on offer here to tourists?

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Drugs, over-the-counter, as many times as you like.

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And what's life really like for the thousands of locals

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who have to pick up the pieces?

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This is the result of Sunny Beach.

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Everybody come, pees over here, pees on my ice cream.

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-When they're drunk?

-Yes.

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Everybody's drunk here. Everybody.

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The whole atmosphere has just got a bit ridiculous.

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There are people having sex in the pool.

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-THEY SHOUT OVER HER

-It's insane! It's crazy!

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# Come on! #

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Sunny Beach is situated on Bulgaria's eastern coast,

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next to Turkey.

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Just over a three-hour flight from the UK.

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Super sunny, massively hot.

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I can't wait to go and see Sunny Beach.

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Wish me luck - I'm going to need it!

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Stretching over five miles of Bulgaria's Black Sea coast,

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Sunny Beach is a purpose-built resort, with over 200 hotels

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and over half a million visitors a year.

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Visually, it's massively different to what I was expecting.

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It's very similar to a typical Mediterranean destination, I guess.

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And I think when you think of Eastern Europe, Bulgaria,

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with it being one of the poorer countries in the EU,

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you imagine it to be quite desolate and quite grey and industrial.

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But it's not like that at all. It's beautiful.

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But this summer, Sunny Beach began making tabloid headlines

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as a rival to Magaluf for out-of-control binge drinking.

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So I'm keen to find out why.

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So today, I have come to have a play on the beach,

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and it's absolutely heaving.

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I've got to be honest, it's so, so busy.

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I've come here to find out why

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this is the new contender for the 18-30s market.

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I'm going to speak to people who've come here to holiday,

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see what it's all about,

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but also, speak to people that are working here,

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grafting behind the scenes and looking after us.

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-How are you?

-Afternoon!

-Afternoon! Very civilised!

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Why have you come to Bulgaria?

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-It's cheap.

-Yeah, I would say it was cheap.

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-How much did you pay for that beer?

-Er, 2.50, which is about £1.25.

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It's insane. That's SO cheap, isn't it?

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There's a bar we saw up there, an offer,

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-10 tequila shots for 10 levs, wasn't it?

-Yeah.

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How much do you reckon you'll spend on this holiday?

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I reckon I'll be all right with £400 over here.

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When I go to Ibiza, I take £1,500, and I spend all that in a week.

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You seem quite compos mentis. You're not that boozed. You seem OK.

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-Yeah, we're good drinking, that's what it is.

-Practice?!

-Pros!

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With an exchange rate of around two Bulgarian levs to the pound,

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it's obvious why it cash-strapped young Brits are flocking here.

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How much have you had to drink today? How come you're so boozed?

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A couple of tequilas, a couple of vodkas, a couple of beers.

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-How long have we been out?

-Two hours.

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Is it because it is so cheap here that you're drinking more?

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-Yeah, yeah. It's cheap as

-BLEEP.

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Although this cheap booze in Sunny Beach is a major draw,

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it's the organised bar crawls I hear most about,

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as being bigger and wilder than in other resorts.

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So tonight, I'm going to tag along.

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I'm going to get involved in one,

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and see for myself what all the fuss is about.

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-Hello!

-Hello!

-I'm Stacey.

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-Hello, Stacey.

-Are you...?

-I'm Ashley.

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Ashley, lovely to meet you,

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-and thanks ever so much for having me tonight.

-No problem.

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So, talk me through very briefly what the plan is.

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Every bar that we go to, we do things like champagne races,

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drinking competitions.

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We've got non-stop drinking,

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-we've got entertainment, all that jazz?

-Yeah.

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-And that's starting now?

-Yes.

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-So I'm all right to jump in?

-Yes, come on, then.

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-We'll give you free drinks, no problem.

-Thank you.

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Over 400 partygoers have paid the equivalent of £6 each

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to join the crawl tonight.

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Anybody from England?

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THEY CHEER

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First, the staff rev up the crowd.

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Everybody put your hands in the air like this. The other arm like this.

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Jump around like this, scream and shouting,

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-# Let's go

-BLEEP

-mental! #

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-THEY SING BACK

-# Let's go

-BLEEP

-mental!

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# Da-da-da-da, hey!

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# Da-da-da-da, hey! #

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And then, the drinking games begin.

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Three, two, one, go!

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THEY SCREAM

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After 40 minutes, we are swept along to the next venue.

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Thank you.

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So we've left where we initially started, and this is the first bar.

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Oh!

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As well as a free shot on entrance,

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the reps constantly remind the revellers of the cheap drink offers.

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A drink with a quadruple shot of alcohol is just £2.

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With only an hour at each venue,

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the crowds are encouraged to drink as much as they possibly can.

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They're already half-cut, and the night is still so young.

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And because the drink here is so cheap,

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it's so tempting to just completely lose your mind.

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CHANTING AND SINGING

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Bar crawls are big business here.

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Numerous companies run events at the same time,

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and the intense competition means

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they are constantly trying to outdo each other

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with better booze deals.

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With each crawl hitting at least five bars and a club,

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I want to see the state of the punters by the end,

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so I'm joining a different crawl on its final stop.

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So right now, I'm outside an empty bar.

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Around the corner, you can almost hear, like...

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a HERD of hundreds of bodies heading towards this bar.

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HE SHOUTS All right, everyone,

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come up here right now, and let's get close and personal!

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-THEY CHANT

-# Sunny, Sunny, Sunny fucking Beach!

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# Sunny, Sunny Sunny fucking Beach! #

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-HE SHOUTS We're going to get

-BLEEP

-tonight!

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THEY CHEER BACK

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Many have been drinking for more than eight hours,

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including this group of 18-year-old girls

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on their first holiday together.

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God, I think I'm going to be sick if I have this one.

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I'll be fine.

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-How many tequilas do you reckon you've had tonight?

-That's my 17th.

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-Shut up!

-I've been counting.

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Are you serious? 17?!

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I'm fine.

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You're only 18, and you've had 17 tequilas!

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With it being so cheap, does that just mean you drink more

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-and more and more and more?

-Yeah.

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If it was more expensive, do you think you would drink less?

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I don't think I would go for tequila. Like, I don't like tequila.

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But only because it's cheap, I'm like, tequila, tequila, tequila.

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-It's like an incentive?

-Yeah.

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Because it's cheap, we just can't not come here.

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I've seen tonight just how much

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the bar crawls dominate the nightlife here.

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For sure, they've created this hedonistic, crazy,

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party atmosphere, but equally, I've gone on to learn just how

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much alcohol some of us are consuming, and it's outrageous.

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It goes without saying that, inevitably,

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when you're drinking that much, that quickly,

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all guns blazing, there's going to be consequences.

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Brits seem to love the bar crawls here,

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but do the bar workers who have to host them think?

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I'm going to go and do a stint

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with a girl who works in one of the beach bars

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- she's Bulgarian, Dejana -

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and hear what it's like for her to work in such a crazy environment.

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-Hello! Dejana?

-Yes.

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-Hello, I'm Stacey.

-Hello, nice to meet you.

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-Really, really nice to meet you. How are you?

-Very well.

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-Good!

-Working, and busy all the time.

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That's good news, though, that's what you want!

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Who are you expecting in tonight?

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Have you got any bar crawls or parties?

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Yeah, usually today, we have only bar crawls. We have five bar crawls.

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One by one, they come in, it's full, 200 people...

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the party is...big!

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And these bar crawls are unique to Sunny Beach,

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in the sense that they are constant.

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There is always more than one bar crawl. How do they work?

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We have our special offers. In every bar crawl, we have offers.

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One, get one free, and special happy hour on five cocktails.

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But everybody loves the Sex On The Beach!

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Making the bar crawl list

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is essential to a bar's survival in Sunny Beach.

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If you don't make the cut, you may end up an empty bar.

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Dejana has to pull out all the stops to draw in the crowds

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and make them part with their cash and keep them coming back for more.

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Enjoy the party!

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Oh, Dejana! Look at her go!

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-So bar crawls are SO popular here.

-Very popular.

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They are a massive part of the Sunny Beach.

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If you can put your bar in the bar crawl list,

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you are one of the famous bars here.

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So you're saying, the bar crawls are quite powerful, in a sense that

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they have all the tourists and they can decide where they go?

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Yeah, every day, every tourist is on some bar crawl.

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So it's important that you have the bar crawls onside,

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because then the bar crawls will bring all the tourists to your bar?

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-Yeah.

-OK, and how does it work?

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Do they pay you, or do you pay them?

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We pay them.

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Once upon a time, they paid to us. Now, we pay to them.

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It's amazing, but that's the life.

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Because she has to pay out to be on the bar crawl,

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managers like Dejana are under pressure

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to sell as many drinks as they can

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before the crawl moves on to the next stop.

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How many Sex On The Beaches will you serve on a busy night, typically?

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Oh, more than 100.

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-More than 100?

-Mmm-hmm.

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One of my favourite bar crawls is the English bar crawls,

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because they are very fun, they drink a lot.

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They order our four-litre, big glass,

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and they order it all the time, this glass.

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So you do a drink...

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-Yeah, four litres.

-..which is four litres?

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-And our big straw!

-My God!

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So it's pretty standard for you to serve drinks of this size?

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Yeah, everybody loves this. Yeah, of course.

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This is what I put my flowers in at home!

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I've got a vase at home similar to this,

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so it has loads of flowers in it. I'd never have a drink out of it!

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I'd be off me swingers! I'd be in hospital!

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With so much money to be made,

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is no surprise bar crawls are now happening in the day too.

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So I want to see if things are just as crazy as they are night.

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-Hello, how do you do? I'm Stacey.

-Hello, Stacey. I'm Spence.

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-How are you doing?

-Spence, you work with the bar crawls.

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Talk me through what's going on this afternoon.

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This afternoon, we've got staff for a foam party here for one hour,

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while we're waiting for all the customer to come along.

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Sort of get everyone together.

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And then we're going to take the coaches up to the Palma Hotel, just down the road,

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and then we'll go to a pool party with a three-hour free bar.

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Perfect! Well, I'm going to come on this bar crawl, no?

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Yeah, of course you can. Help yourself.

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-OK, here she goes.

-Are you ready?

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-Let's get you a drink!

-As ready as I'll ever be!

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This event offers unlimited booze for just £9.

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DANCE MUSIC PLAYS

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THEY CHANT # Sunny, Sunny, Sunny fucking Beach!

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# Sunny, Sunny Sunny fucking Beach! #

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Staff are employed to escort the group to the next venue,

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and bar crawl reps Cookie and Scott

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keep them entertained every step of the way.

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So they're in charge of looking after this massive crowd of people.

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I wouldn't trust them to take the rubbish out!

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-SHE LAUGHS

-It's nuts. Utterly nuts!

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Hey!

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And it's on the overcrowded coach to the next venue

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that I begin to question if anyone is actually in charge.

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THEY CHANT Down it! Down it! Down it! Down it!

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THEY CHEER

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Topless chicks?

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OK, whoever gets their tits out gets a fucking free bar crawl.

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THEY SCREAM

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THEY CHANT AND CHEER

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Fucking fried eggs!

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LAUGHTER

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-Cookie, is this a standard day for you?

-Yeah.

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-This is your job?

-Yeah.

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-All day, every day?

-All day, every day.

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Same shit, different day.

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HE CHANTS Same shit, different day!

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-THEY JOIN IN

-Same shit, different day!

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THEY SHOUT AND CHANT

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I've just got off the world's most dangerous coach journey.

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It was absolutely ram-packed.

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We're just waiting outside to get into the pool party now.

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It's going to be three hours of free drinks,

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drink to your heart's content.

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One of the girls on the coach, she got her boobs out,

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and then everyone was slating her for her boobs,

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and I really felt for her, and I think she was a bit embarrassed.

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It was a massive audience.

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The two guys that are looking after this massive crowd,

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they are the craziest by a mile. They're completely nuts.

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I'm just expecting more of the same.

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Utter carnage.

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MUSIC: "Pass Out" by Tinie Tempah

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It's not just an open bar.

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Everyone is encouraged to drink as much as they can.

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THEY CHEER

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THEY CHANT Down it! Down it! Down it! Down it!

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Getting your kit off seems to be standard on bar crawls.

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But considering it's the middle of the day, and a family hotel,

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I'm genuinely shocked by how far some are going.

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-Were you having sex in the pool?

-Yes.

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-Did you use a condom?

-No.

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What an idiot. What are you doing?

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I didn't spunk or owt like that.

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Yeah, but you don't know who she's had sex with.

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You don't want to get an STD.

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Well, I can go home and I can sort that out then.

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The whole atmosphere has just got a bit ridiculous.

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There's people having sex in the pool. It's insane.

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-THEY SHOUT AROUND HER

-It's crazy.

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The atmosphere's really changed.

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Down it! Go on!

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Staying around the pool are dozens of families on holiday.

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I want to see what they make of this behaviour,

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so I'm heading inside to see who I can find.

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SHE KNOCKS ON DOOR

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-Hello!

-Hi!

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-I'm Stacey.

-Hi!

-Nice to meet you.

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-Can I come in?

-Yes.

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The Stanicz family from the Czech Republic

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have travelled to Sunny Beach

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for what they thought would be a quiet family holiday.

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How do you find the party?

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This is...this is problem.

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-It's a problem?

-It's problem.

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The children are not having...

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not sleeping.

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-The children are not sleeping?

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

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Drinking alcohol, sex...

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-You can see them having sex in the pool?

-Yeah, yeah.

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-And the babies see?

-Yeah.

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See you keep the babies in,

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so they don't see the...in the pool?

0:16:380:16:41

Yeah.

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Would you come back to Sunny Beach next time?

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No.

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DANCE MUSIC BLARES

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I think this is a really hard mix to get right.

0:16:490:16:54

Of course, young people need to come on holiday, let off steam,

0:16:540:16:56

let their hair down.

0:16:560:16:58

They work hard all year.

0:16:580:17:00

But also, you've got to put into the equation

0:17:020:17:06

the fact that families come here for a family holiday.

0:17:060:17:10

And the reality is, there's a girl down there having rampant sex

0:17:100:17:14

in the pool, and mum and dad have had to put the kids in the bathroom.

0:17:140:17:19

Because obviously, you don't want your babies seeing that. So it's...

0:17:190:17:24

..two very different scenes.

0:17:270:17:29

After two hours of solid drinking, things are starting to get messy,

0:17:310:17:36

and it seems some of the staff are in the same state.

0:17:360:17:39

No, fuck off! I told you.

0:17:390:17:42

-No, Josh! Josh!

-I told you...

0:17:420:17:46

You've had too much to drink. Go home.

0:17:460:17:50

I told you three times, I've broken my fucking foot, yeah?

0:17:500:17:54

And you kept dancing, and you pushed me when I was walking away.

0:17:540:17:57

I didn't know who it was. I grabbed the chair, and I swung.

0:17:570:18:00

I don't care who it is. No, I don't care.

0:18:000:18:03

I swung the chair you,

0:18:030:18:04

because you fucking hit my foot on the floor again.

0:18:040:18:06

If someone pushes me, I'm going to fucking swing at anyone.

0:18:060:18:09

I don't care how big they are...

0:18:090:18:12

But the disagreement between these two reps soon dies down,

0:18:120:18:15

as another member of staff collapses.

0:18:150:18:17

-You have to get her home.

-Yeah, I know.

0:18:190:18:22

Where are you staying? Tell me.

0:18:220:18:24

-No, please, don't be sad.

-She's SO drunk.

0:18:240:18:27

SHE SQUEALS

0:18:270:18:29

So, shock horror, a couple of hours into the free bar,

0:18:290:18:31

some people are bit worse for wear.

0:18:310:18:33

One of the girls was worryingly drunk.

0:18:330:18:36

She doesn't know where she is. She can't talk.

0:18:360:18:38

She's a wreck. She works here.

0:18:380:18:40

It definitely feels a bit less fun and carefree,

0:18:400:18:43

and a bit more sinister.

0:18:430:18:45

Moments later, someone else passes out.

0:18:450:18:48

This time, one of the holidaymakers.

0:18:480:18:51

We need to get him out. Get him over there.

0:18:510:18:53

-No, look at me.

-Here you are, love. Drink it. Swallow.

0:18:530:18:56

Drink, drink, drink.

0:18:560:18:58

-Drink, drink, drink.

-You're going to have to swallow.

0:18:580:19:01

The boy has been sick, and his friends say he's a diabetic,

0:19:010:19:04

so an ambulance is called.

0:19:040:19:05

After being assessed, he is rushed to hospital for treatment.

0:19:080:19:11

SIRENS BLARE

0:19:130:19:16

For me, I guess, stood here sober,

0:19:210:19:23

I've just seen how rapid the deterioration is.

0:19:230:19:25

You know, one minute, everyone's on top form, the beer's flowing,

0:19:250:19:29

the sun's out, and the next, people are really in a real state.

0:19:290:19:33

When you're in this kind of environment,

0:19:330:19:35

where there's this massive pressure to keep up with everyone else,

0:19:350:19:38

and there's a certain attitude

0:19:380:19:40

towards people who don't drink enough,

0:19:400:19:42

it's hard not to get caught up in that.

0:19:420:19:45

Three, four, five, six, seven, eight!

0:19:450:19:49

I'm still taken aback at how quickly

0:19:590:20:01

the pool party spiralled out of control.

0:20:010:20:04

Right now, I'm going to go and speak to one of the owners

0:20:040:20:06

of the bar crawl that put on that event, and have a chat with him.

0:20:060:20:09

I'm just keen to hear what he thinks,

0:20:090:20:11

what his take is on everything.

0:20:110:20:12

-Hello.

-How are you?

-How are you?

-Fine, nice to see you.

0:20:190:20:22

Lovely to see you.

0:20:220:20:24

Jelo Kochev has been running events in Sunny Beach

0:20:240:20:27

for the last three years.

0:20:270:20:28

The staff that work for Bar Troopers are supposed to be there

0:20:280:20:32

to look after the tourists.

0:20:320:20:35

How can they look after the tourists if one of them is in the pool,

0:20:350:20:38

supposedly having sex, one of them is fighting, one of them

0:20:380:20:42

is passed out on the floor?

0:20:420:20:44

They're in no position to be able to make calls that need to be

0:20:440:20:47

made if some of the tourists are in that state.

0:20:470:20:50

It's difficult because you have to create this hedonistic vibe

0:21:060:21:09

going on but 300, 400 tourists is a massive responsibility

0:21:090:21:15

and if someone is encouraged to binge drink,

0:21:150:21:19

accidents are going to happen.

0:21:190:21:21

And do you worry that some people are drinking themselves

0:21:290:21:32

into oblivion and having to be put in the back of an ambulance?

0:21:320:21:35

That's a step too far, surely?

0:21:350:21:37

I had a really frank chat with him.

0:22:030:22:05

I think he was very open, very honest about the fact that

0:22:050:22:09

things as they are now, are far from perfect.

0:22:090:22:12

Realistically, he wants to make changes

0:22:120:22:14

because he totally acknowledges.

0:22:140:22:17

But as things stand, potentially, so many accidents could happen.

0:22:170:22:23

I want to spend a night with some of the medics who have to

0:22:310:22:33

pick up the pieces when Brits end up worse for wear.

0:22:330:22:37

I've seen for myself first-hand at the pool party, the kinds

0:22:370:22:40

of incidents that can occur that require an ambulance, so tonight,

0:22:400:22:43

I'm going to spend some time with that specific ambulance team

0:22:430:22:46

and try and find out a lot more about what it's like to

0:22:460:22:48

work in Sunny Beach alongside tourists on a day-to-day basis.

0:22:480:22:52

Hello. Hi, I'm Stacey.

0:22:520:22:55

-I'm Jordan, nice to meet you.

-Jordan, pleasure to meet you. Hello.

0:22:550:22:57

-Hello.

-What's your name?

-Doctor.

-Doctor, lovely to meet you.

0:22:570:23:01

I'm Stacey.

0:23:010:23:02

I actually saw you come to help a young lad that was very, very sick.

0:23:020:23:06

It was a difficult case.

0:23:060:23:08

That guy, he was drinking hours. He'd been feeling sick

0:23:080:23:13

and looked very bad.

0:23:130:23:15

But now he's all right. Everything is OK.

0:23:150:23:20

And this kind of thing, you know, people becoming massively

0:23:200:23:25

intoxicated, is that pretty standard here?

0:23:250:23:28

Is it ever slightly frustrating that so much of your time

0:23:390:23:45

and effort is being taken up by alcohol-related cases?

0:23:450:23:52

No, it's our job.

0:23:520:23:53

Yeah, we're doing this all the time. We're here for this.

0:23:550:24:00

It is quiet tonight.

0:24:190:24:21

Over the next two hours, we aren't called to a single case.

0:24:210:24:25

The ambulance I'm in, is attached to a private medical clinic

0:24:250:24:28

but there are at least 10 other private clinics also

0:24:280:24:32

operating their own ambulances on the five-mile Sunny Beach stretch.

0:24:320:24:36

-Another ambulance here.

-Yeah, doing nothing.

-Maybe waiting.

0:24:400:24:45

All of them waiting. Everyone waiting.

0:24:460:24:49

-Another ambulance.

-Yeah, staying.

0:24:500:24:54

-Another ambulance.

-Yes.

0:24:540:24:55

-Medical care. Another poster there.

-Yes, you'll see a lot of them.

0:24:570:25:02

Medical centre. 24 hours health centre, Sunny Beach.

0:25:020:25:09

So there are so many ambulances based here in Sunny Beach.

0:25:090:25:12

Do you ever clash?

0:25:120:25:14

The tourists, they've got not just the phone numbers of our hospital,

0:25:140:25:20

when they start ringing, they are ringing to all emergency numbers

0:25:200:25:26

and for five minutes, maybe two or three ambulances can go in one place.

0:25:260:25:31

-All ambulances come to the one place?

-Yes.

0:25:310:25:35

-How do they decide who takes the patient?

-Whoever is going first.

0:25:350:25:39

Apart from one public hospital,

0:25:430:25:46

all other medical centres serving Sunny Beach are private

0:25:460:25:49

and charge either the patient or their insurance company.

0:25:490:25:53

It's comforting to know that there is such wide access to health care

0:25:530:25:57

for tourists, but I'm interested to know at what cost.

0:25:570:26:01

So I speak to some of the Brits out here who've had medical treatment.

0:26:010:26:05

I fell over, one beer bottle went flying,

0:26:050:26:08

the other one split my hand open.

0:26:080:26:11

Tulley injured his hand after a night out drinking.

0:26:110:26:15

I got the stitches and that and bandaged up

0:26:150:26:18

-and received 452 lev.

-452 lev?

-Yeah. That's with insurance.

0:26:180:26:22

-How much is that in English?

-About £250.

-For what?

0:26:220:26:27

-A couple of butterfly stitches?

-Yeah, literally, two stitches there.

0:26:270:26:31

-So you had insurance, fully covered.

-I thought I had good insurance.

0:26:310:26:35

-£70 but obviously...

-Not enough.

0:26:350:26:39

Tell me, before you came out here, are you familiar with

0:26:390:26:42

the clinics and the ambulances and how they work?

0:26:420:26:44

No, literally I just went for the closest one.

0:26:440:26:47

Nightclub worker, Andy, collapsed at a party

0:26:490:26:51

and woke up in a private hospital.

0:26:510:26:54

-They treated me for maybe four or five hours.

-So you now owe money.

0:26:540:26:59

-How much?

-1,300 euro.

-1,300 euros?

0:26:590:27:05

But at the moment,

0:27:050:27:06

I have no way of paying the private hospital down there.

0:27:060:27:08

Andy's treatment at the private clinic wasn't

0:27:080:27:11

covered by his European health insurance card.

0:27:110:27:13

This is only valid at state hospitals.

0:27:130:27:16

When you go out and you get booze and get massively on it

0:27:160:27:18

and you find yourself in a state needing a doctor,

0:27:180:27:21

you went to the first person in uniform or the first person

0:27:210:27:25

near a cross and all of the rest of it because you think,

0:27:250:27:28

I need help, I need help. You panic.

0:27:280:27:29

If you come over here and you get drunk

0:27:290:27:31

and you fall asleep on the street or what have you, you're

0:27:310:27:34

probably going to be screwed out of money if you need to go to hospital.

0:27:340:27:36

Without a doubt. I know this from experience.

0:27:360:27:39

I've never heard of so many medical services

0:27:400:27:43

competing for business in one holiday destination.

0:27:430:27:46

I'm keen to go and have a chat with a doctor from another

0:27:460:27:48

ambulance crew and try and get his take on things.

0:27:480:27:51

-Hello, I'm Stacey, very nice to meet you.

-Dr Petrov.

-Dr Petrov.

0:27:530:27:57

Dr Petrov has worked in Sunny Beach for eight years.

0:27:570:28:00

For tourists, there are so many medical centres,

0:28:000:28:03

medical clinics and ambulances on tap if they need it.

0:28:030:28:07

How would I know which organisation to go with?

0:28:070:28:10

There is a big difference between the medical services around.

0:28:100:28:14

Although there are so many,

0:28:140:28:15

not all of them are acting in such a professional way.

0:28:150:28:19

A lot of them don't work with the insurance companies

0:28:200:28:24

and they don't accept the insurances.

0:28:240:28:27

It's very often that the patient's need to pay unreasonable

0:28:270:28:31

amount of money for a medical service that may be professional,

0:28:310:28:36

but probably is not so expensive.

0:28:360:28:39

So you're saying there are people that are using

0:28:390:28:42

-this as a moneymaking machine almost?

-There are such services.

0:28:420:28:46

Hopefully there are not so many, but there are.

0:28:460:28:49

Private clinics are free to charge as much as they want for treatment,

0:28:490:28:53

which means the total bill isn't always covered by insurance.

0:28:530:28:57

They can also demand payment from the patient and leave them

0:28:580:29:02

to try and claim it back.

0:29:020:29:05

I think you know the paramedics I've spent time with, seem to

0:29:050:29:08

genuinely love their job and I think they're in it

0:29:080:29:10

because they want to help people.

0:29:100:29:12

But you've got to also acknowledge the fact that it is a business.

0:29:120:29:15

It's a lucrative business around here

0:29:150:29:16

and a lot of these privatised organisations are charging

0:29:160:29:19

seemingly extortionate amounts of money to treat the tourists.

0:29:190:29:24

I'm keen to meet the hotel workers who cater to tourists

0:29:300:29:33

after their night comes to an end.

0:29:330:29:35

I'm here to spend some time with a guy called Mario.

0:29:400:29:42

He manages this hotel that is popular with the Brits.

0:29:420:29:44

I've seen what we're like on the strip, seen our behaviour

0:29:440:29:47

on the beach, but I'm keen to have a chat with him.

0:29:470:29:50

I'm going to work alongside him and see what it's like

0:29:500:29:52

to look after the British on a day-to-day basis.

0:29:520:29:55

Before I even get a chance to say hello,

0:29:550:29:58

Mario has an incident he has to deal with.

0:29:580:30:00

So Mario, where are we going right now?

0:30:010:30:04

We're going to show you something that wasn't there last night.

0:30:040:30:07

This is something that usually happens inside the rooms,

0:30:080:30:11

but this time it's outside of the room

0:30:110:30:13

-and a little bit bigger than we expected.

-OK.

0:30:130:30:15

And this is the result of Sunny Beach.

0:30:180:30:22

-That's quite big, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-That's ridiculous.

0:30:220:30:26

So you think someone's put their fist through that?

0:30:260:30:28

-Or their whole body.

-Or their whole body.

0:30:280:30:31

How often are you finding holes in your walls?

0:30:310:30:33

Like, every check-out day. Every Monday and every Friday.

0:30:330:30:36

-So twice a week.

-Yeah.

0:30:360:30:38

And the doors as well. Let me...

0:30:380:30:41

This is a small one, and it has been already repaired,

0:30:410:30:44

but usually it's somewhere here, and it has been made with a kick.

0:30:440:30:48

Trying to get into the door cos they haven't got the key.

0:30:480:30:51

They have got the key but they just can't unlock the door.

0:30:510:30:53

It's not very complicated, they're just too drunk to do it.

0:30:530:30:56

'In fact, there are so many drunken incidents at the hotel,

0:30:560:30:59

'Mario shows me a list of fines they've made to act as a deterrent.'

0:30:590:31:04

Everything here has already happened.

0:31:040:31:06

-Running naked is number one.

-Yeah.

-Is that pretty standard here?

0:31:060:31:10

It used to be, before we enter the charge "running naked".

0:31:100:31:14

-And particularly British, I'm that the British love...

-Very fond of running naked around the place.

0:31:140:31:19

Throwing towels from the balcony.

0:31:190:31:22

We had cases like, the whole couch is being out of the balcony.

0:31:220:31:26

-Are you serious?

-Of course I am.

0:31:260:31:29

I wouldn't joke with that because it's very dangerous actually. You can kill somebody.

0:31:290:31:33

'Although sofa throwing is rare, Mario tells me urinating is not.'

0:31:330:31:37

Two days ago, one of the rooms over there, we looked upstairs,

0:31:370:31:40

a guy was pissing from the balcony.

0:31:400:31:43

We asked him, "Why did you do that?" And he answered, "What am I supposed to do?"

0:31:440:31:50

Go to the toilet, what's the matter with you?

0:31:500:31:53

-Did you say "Go to the toilet"?

-Apparently he didn't like it.

0:31:530:31:55

But that must be really frustrating for you, because like you say...

0:31:550:31:58

and I know they don't always behave like this at home

0:31:580:32:01

so for them to come over here and think it's OK to just

0:32:010:32:03

completely dismiss you, and disrespect your space...

0:32:030:32:07

I think we are very badly representative that we're

0:32:070:32:09

a country from the Third World, and sometimes they don't respect us a lot.

0:32:090:32:15

And it's sad, it's not a very nice thing to communicate with

0:32:150:32:19

somebody that completely ignores you and disrespects you.

0:32:190:32:23

'We end our chat there, as Mario needs to deal with the day's fines.'

0:32:230:32:27

They're just paying a fine now, they've just got it together.

0:32:270:32:31

-Boys, you're checking out now.

-Yeah.

-Have you had any fines so far?

0:32:310:32:35

Yeah, he got fined 50 levs for...

0:32:350:32:37

-Weeing.

-Where were you weeing?

-Just...

-Outside the hotel.

0:32:370:32:42

Could you not hold it, you couldn't make it to the room?

0:32:420:32:44

No, I... I don't really know!

0:32:440:32:47

Why would you take a piss

0:32:470:32:50

somewhere else than in a toilet?

0:32:500:32:53

Drunk.

0:32:530:32:55

-So now you understand why we have to...

-Yeah, yeah.

0:32:550:32:58

We just want to prevent that thing to happen, because we have kids here,

0:32:580:33:03

we have families here, and it's not very appropriate to see you weeing.

0:33:030:33:08

'Just after hearing about this bad behaviour from British tourists,

0:33:080:33:12

'Mario receives a call from the hotel's tour operators.'

0:33:120:33:15

HE SPEAKS BULGARIAN

0:33:150:33:18

'And we're told to stop filming.'

0:33:200:33:22

You're not going to believe it, I've been asked to stop filming, I've been asked to leave.

0:33:250:33:30

We had full consent from the hotel to film on their premises,

0:33:300:33:33

but the British tour operator who send all the clients here

0:33:330:33:37

have said that we're not allowed to film, they're embarrassed

0:33:370:33:39

about what we're filming, they don't want it to look bad on them - so they've pulled the whole thing.

0:33:390:33:44

I mean, I understand to an extent why they don't want us

0:33:440:33:46

to show what's going on, because there's certain things that Mario was saying

0:33:460:33:52

that are just...not, you know - really, really outrageous behaviour.

0:33:520:33:58

The idea that they're treating these people like

0:33:580:34:01

they're Third World citizens and completely dismissing everything they say,

0:34:010:34:05

they're throwing sofas of their balcony, pissing everywhere...

0:34:050:34:10

It's not something that the British tour operator wants to show.

0:34:100:34:13

'I'm beginning to realise there's a darker side to Sunny Beach,

0:34:130:34:17

'and back on the strip it's clear to see.

0:34:170:34:19

'In between the souvenir shops and supermarkets

0:34:230:34:27

'are more sex shops than I've ever seen in a family resort.

0:34:270:34:29

'I catch up with some tourists on the strip to see what they make of it.'

0:34:340:34:38

Hello! What's your name?

0:34:390:34:42

-Sarah.

-I'm Kel.

0:34:420:34:44

-I'm Stacey.

-How you going, Stacey?

0:34:440:34:46

-Nice to meet you both.

-Lovely to meet you. How you going?

0:34:460:34:48

I'm good. Listen, tonight I'm having a nose at the sex shops. Tell me what you know about them.

0:34:480:34:54

OK. Well, you can get whatever you want in the sex shops...

0:34:540:34:57

'And I soon realise he doesn't just mean sex toys and DVDs, but illegal drugs.'

0:34:570:35:03

You can get MCAT, you can get speed...

0:35:030:35:07

Magic is just like another amphetamine that you can take,

0:35:070:35:10

but it's completely illegal back home.

0:35:100:35:14

So you go in the sex shop, and you just quite ask quite blatantly...

0:35:140:35:18

Blatantly "I'm after speed" or "I'm after MCAT" which is an amphetamine.

0:35:180:35:22

And it's...every sex shop, some sex shops...?

0:35:220:35:26

Every sex shop. Every sex shop, you'll get it.

0:35:260:35:28

'Surprised at what I've heard, I see if other tourists have found the same thing.'

0:35:280:35:33

Anything you want, you get from there. Anything.

0:35:330:35:35

-What do you mean?

-Like cocaine, Mandy...

0:35:350:35:38

If you want that they've got it for you.

0:35:380:35:40

There's this other pill called magic...

0:35:400:35:42

So you're saying that you can go into numerous sex shops here,

0:35:420:35:45

-and they'll offer you certain drugs - coke, Mandy, magic...

-Yeah.

0:35:450:35:50

Basically I've been told by numerous people

0:35:500:35:53

that some of the sex shops out here are selling drugs to tourists,

0:35:530:35:56

they're readily available, so I'm keen to go into a couple of them myself

0:35:560:35:59

and find out what's really on offer.

0:35:590:36:01

'The first shop I enter sells all the usual sex paraphernalia,

0:36:070:36:10

'and the strongest things I'm offered are poppers, herbal Viagra

0:36:100:36:14

'and caffeine tablets.'

0:36:140:36:15

And everything here's all legal?

0:36:150:36:18

But some people DO sell illegal...

0:36:330:36:36

Thanks again. Take care.

0:36:410:36:43

He did acknowledge that other sex shops in the area perhaps

0:36:450:36:49

weren't all on the same page as him, so I'm keen to go

0:36:490:36:52

and see them for myself, and find out what is on offer elsewhere.

0:36:520:36:56

'I want to know if the sex shops are selling drugs to tourists.

0:36:560:37:01

'They won't sell me anything illegal if we're filming,

0:37:010:37:04

'so I'm going in alone.

0:37:040:37:06

'After 20 minutes, I find what I'm looking for.'

0:37:090:37:12

So I've just come out of that particular sex shop

0:37:120:37:15

and I guess what has become apparent fairly quickly is that I could have bought

0:37:150:37:20

an array of things from them, one of them being magic.

0:37:200:37:23

'Magic is a street name for mephedrone,

0:37:230:37:26

'a stimulant that's similar to amphetamine

0:37:260:37:28

'and is illegal in Bulgaria and the rest of the EU.

0:37:280:37:31

'In the last two years, it's been linked to over 100 deaths in the UK alone.'

0:37:330:37:38

She said that one packet was 50 lev,

0:37:380:37:40

and that would look after two or three people.

0:37:400:37:43

The guy then told me that it was stronger than speed,

0:37:430:37:45

and it kept him up for a couple of days when he did it.

0:37:450:37:49

It's a worrying thought that so many British tourists and tourists generally

0:37:490:37:52

are able to go into a sex shop, buy magic,

0:37:520:37:55

and take something that they know very little about. It's a dangerous drug.

0:37:550:37:59

'A man hanging round in the shop also said he could get me

0:38:000:38:04

'anything I wanted, from cannabis to cocaine.'

0:38:040:38:07

When I asked about the legalities, he said don't worry,

0:38:070:38:10

because you're British, you're a tourist,

0:38:100:38:12

the police will leave you to it, they won't search you.

0:38:120:38:15

It's a scary thought that if you go looking for it,

0:38:150:38:18

seemingly you'll find it quite easily here.

0:38:180:38:21

'It's unnerving to think how easily accessible drugs are here in Sunny Beach.

0:38:320:38:37

'And I'm surprised that I was told I didn't need to worry about the police as I'm a tourist.

0:38:370:38:42

'I was told by Bulgarian police that they don't tolerate any criminal activity, regardless of nationality,

0:38:420:38:49

'but so far this year, no British person had been arrested for possession of drugs in Sunny Beach.'

0:38:490:38:54

'Keen to see the police in action, I'm joining two Sunny Beach officers on their shift.'

0:38:560:39:03

Do you have much interaction with the tourists?

0:39:090:39:12

Describe to me their behaviour,

0:39:200:39:23

when they're drunk or when they're mixing the drink with the drugs.

0:39:230:39:27

-No control.

-Yes, without control.

0:39:290:39:31

'It's a busy night on the strip, and the drunk tourists are out in force.'

0:39:390:39:43

DRUNKEN SHOUTING: When in Rome...!

0:39:430:39:47

'As we walk down the strip, to my right I spot an incident

0:39:490:39:52

'between an ice cream seller and two tourists.'

0:39:520:39:54

What happened? I saw him push someone.

0:39:550:39:58

He came over, very drunk, to take money, I don't know what...

0:39:580:40:03

I said, stop, stop, stop. Everything falls down. Money...

0:40:050:40:10

Is it difficult to work on the strip when everyone's so drunk?

0:40:110:40:14

Very difficult. They can't stop drinking.

0:40:140:40:17

Everybody come piss over here, I have ice cream, they piss on my ice cream...

0:40:170:40:22

When they're drunk?

0:40:220:40:23

Everybody is drunk here. Everybody.

0:40:230:40:26

Only who are working is not drunk. And the police of course.

0:40:260:40:30

They have to stop this alcohol.

0:40:300:40:33

12 o'clock in the evening, stop, and that's it.

0:40:330:40:37

Six o'clock in the morning, there is people sleeping over there,

0:40:370:40:41

and they are singing like they're in a football game.

0:40:410:40:44

In a stadium. Not on the street.

0:40:440:40:46

-Nice to meet you.

-Thank you very much. Please do something for us.

0:40:460:40:49

-It's not my job!

-I know it's not your job, but please you can help us.

0:40:490:40:53

When it comes to the law, is everybody the same,

0:40:560:41:00

or do you make exceptions for tourists?

0:41:000:41:03

'Despite the strip being incredibly busy with tourists this evening,

0:41:050:41:08

'the police decide to stop a lone Bulgarian man.'

0:41:080:41:11

What are you doing?

0:41:110:41:13

Why him?

0:41:130:41:14

But everybody is drunk here.

0:41:170:41:19

My question is, he was walking very calmly down the street.

0:41:210:41:25

He doesn't seem particularly drunk or intoxicated.

0:41:250:41:28

Why have you singled this man out

0:41:280:41:30

as opposed to everybody else on the strip?

0:41:300:41:34

Do you know why the police have stopped you?

0:41:410:41:44

I don't know.

0:41:450:41:47

You take care. Bye. Nice to meet you.

0:41:480:41:51

'The man is free to go, and we continue patrolling by car.

0:41:510:41:55

'Some of the main problems Sunny Beach police have to deal with

0:41:570:42:00

'are pickpocketing and robbery.

0:42:000:42:02

'And minutes later, they are flagged down by a local security guard.'

0:42:020:42:06

-What was he saying?

-His job is security here.

0:42:240:42:30

He said that three, four, five Gypsies, they make problems.

0:42:300:42:38

'This is the first time I've heard of Gypsies in Sunny Beach,

0:42:400:42:42

'so I ask the officer to explain more.'

0:42:420:42:46

How do you know this?

0:42:590:43:01

You believe the majority of pickpocketers here in Sunny Beach

0:43:120:43:18

are of Gypsy descent? Is that correct?

0:43:180:43:21

And why do you think

0:43:230:43:25

people from the Gypsy community

0:43:250:43:28

are perhaps stealing?

0:43:280:43:31

Are they...

0:43:340:43:36

You think they choose to live like that?

0:43:380:43:42

'I feel, personally,

0:43:540:43:55

'like there's a bit of a two-tier'

0:43:550:43:59

system going on here.

0:43:590:44:00

I feel like you're allowed to run riot if you're a tourist,

0:44:000:44:03

shout, scream, get drunk, do your thing, and nothing really happens.

0:44:030:44:08

You can get a fine,

0:44:080:44:09

but that's probably as far as it goes a lot of the time.

0:44:090:44:12

But if you're a Bulgarian, some local Bulgarians, sounds like,

0:44:120:44:18

get the brunt-end of the deal.

0:44:180:44:21

After hearing what some of the police

0:44:220:44:24

thought of the Gypsy community,

0:44:240:44:26

I want to know if any Brits have experienced any problems,

0:44:260:44:29

or what they've heard.

0:44:290:44:30

'Rory has been working here for two months as a bar-crawl rep,

0:44:320:44:35

'he tells me it's couples on the beach

0:44:350:44:37

'who are most vulnerable to being robbed.'

0:44:370:44:40

You can go down to the beach, with a nice lady.

0:44:400:44:42

If all your clothes suddenly fall off....

0:44:420:44:45

You all get naked, clothes are off.

0:44:450:44:47

You're all in the sea, and then they've disappeared,

0:44:470:44:50

because some Gypsy's just robbed your shorts.

0:44:500:44:53

-And that's quite common?

-Most of the time

0:44:530:44:56

it is Gypsies who will rob you.

0:44:560:44:58

But that's just how it is out here.

0:44:580:45:00

And why do you think the Gypsies -

0:45:000:45:02

if they are the ones doing the robbing - why do you think that is?

0:45:020:45:05

To be honest, it's just an easy way of life, really.

0:45:050:45:09

You know, you don't have to go out and work for your money,

0:45:090:45:11

you can just go up and intimidate someone enough

0:45:110:45:13

just for them to give you their money.

0:45:130:45:15

'We head down to the beach to see who we can find.'

0:45:150:45:19

'As we look around,

0:45:220:45:23

'I don't see anyone who seems to be acting suspicious,

0:45:230:45:26

'but we do spot a number of couples looking cosy.'

0:45:260:45:29

I mean, the worrying thought, Rory, surely,

0:45:290:45:32

is that there's so many people walking past

0:45:320:45:34

and they're totally oblivious to the fact.

0:45:340:45:36

They don't even know we're stood here with a camera and a massive light.

0:45:360:45:39

So far they've been lucky, from the looks of it, it's just tourists,

0:45:390:45:42

but if a Gypsy walks past... bag, clothes - gone.

0:45:420:45:47

-And that's what tends to happen.

-Yeah.

0:45:470:45:49

If you're going to get lost in the moment, do it in your hotel room.

0:45:490:45:52

I think that's their bag, Rory, no?

0:45:520:45:55

Guys, your bits are here.

0:46:020:46:04

-Don't lose them, love.

-Yes, and... OK.

0:46:040:46:09

-Don't lose this, darlin', cos you'll get robbed.

-OK, thanks.

0:46:090:46:13

'What Rory's saying'

0:46:130:46:14

makes perfect sense.

0:46:140:46:16

People come down here to have sex, to do whatever they want to do.

0:46:160:46:19

So I'm not surprised that they're coming down here to do that,

0:46:190:46:22

what I am surprised at is the idea that there are loads of people

0:46:220:46:26

waiting to...effectively rob them, when they're down here.

0:46:260:46:30

I didn't see anyone stealing tonight,

0:46:300:46:33

and it's not clear who's responsible when it does happen,

0:46:330:46:37

but some police and tourists think Gypsies are to blame.

0:46:370:46:39

There are 700,000 Roma Gypsies living here in Bulgaria.

0:46:440:46:49

84% of them live below the poverty line.

0:46:490:46:52

So far everything I've heard regarding the Gypsies here

0:46:540:46:57

has been derogatory.

0:46:570:46:58

People have said they're a massive nuisance,

0:46:580:47:00

they're thieves, they're always robbing.

0:47:000:47:02

So I'm quite keen to try and find someone from that community myself,

0:47:020:47:06

have a chat with them, and see what it's like for them living here.

0:47:060:47:10

'We head to the outskirts of Sunny Beach,

0:47:120:47:14

'a place tourists don't see on their holidays.'

0:47:140:47:18

Here we are, here we are.

0:47:180:47:20

How are you? I'm Stacey.

0:47:320:47:35

So, can I ask, what's your name?

0:47:350:47:36

You live around here?

0:47:380:47:39

So, can I ask,

0:47:390:47:41

what community are you guys from?

0:47:410:47:43

TRANSLATION:

0:47:430:47:45

And can I come and spend some time with you?

0:47:450:47:49

Where are we going now?

0:47:540:47:57

So, generally, are you constantly on the move?

0:47:590:48:02

So this is your boy's bed?

0:48:210:48:23

This is your bedroom?

0:48:270:48:28

Tell me how you wash. You have a shower, you clean yourself nearby?

0:48:280:48:34

And every single person that lives on this camp

0:48:400:48:44

uses this one can as a shower.

0:48:440:48:46

The reason I was so keen

0:48:510:48:53

to come and listen to what your family had to say

0:48:530:48:56

is because you almost have this reputation in Sunny Beach -

0:48:560:48:59

all Gypsies rob, all Gypsies are thieves, all Gypsies are bad news.

0:48:590:49:05

How does that make you feel?

0:49:050:49:07

'They tell me that they do legitimate jobs

0:49:220:49:24

'like woodcutting and fruit picking.'

0:49:240:49:26

Is that the only way you get money? Are there other ways?

0:49:260:49:30

Do any of you have the opportunity

0:49:500:49:51

to work within the tourism industry that exists here?

0:49:510:49:56

If someone said, "All right, I'm going to give you a go",

0:50:080:50:11

how would that change your family's life?

0:50:110:50:14

'Of course, the vast majority of time I've spent here in Sunny Beach

0:50:310:50:35

'has been down the strip, near the beach,'

0:50:350:50:37

with the tourists, it's lights, action, fun,

0:50:370:50:41

music, drink, all that jazz.

0:50:410:50:43

You only have to walk a few minutes down the road

0:50:430:50:47

to stumble across...

0:50:470:50:49

this kind of scene.

0:50:490:50:51

You know, poverty exists everywhere,

0:50:510:50:53

but this is extreme poverty.

0:50:530:50:55

It's nice to think that some people are able to benefit from tourism

0:50:550:50:59

and they're getting decent jobs, they're able to feed their kids.

0:50:590:51:03

For me, it's just massively unfortunate that some locals,

0:51:030:51:07

some Bulgarians, like these people,

0:51:070:51:09

like people associated with the Gypsy community,

0:51:090:51:12

will never be given the option or the chance

0:51:120:51:14

to also benefit from Sunny Beach.

0:51:140:51:16

I think very few tourists will ever, ever be made aware

0:51:180:51:23

of...this kind of scene.

0:51:230:51:26

It's a very different story.

0:51:260:51:28

Having spent a fair amount of time here,

0:51:450:51:47

I've obviously seen things

0:51:470:51:48

that are problems that do need addressing.

0:51:480:51:50

And so I've come to have a chat with the Mayor,

0:51:500:51:53

he's one of the guys in charge.

0:51:530:51:54

I'm keen to hear what his plans are to improve things in Sunny Beach.

0:51:540:51:57

I'm here observing why so many tourists

0:52:000:52:02

are coming to Sunny Beach.

0:52:020:52:06

Tell me why you think it's so popular.

0:52:060:52:08

I'm sure the architecture is fascinating here,

0:52:200:52:24

but I'm almost certain

0:52:240:52:25

that the vast majority of tourists that I've spoken to in Sunny Beach

0:52:250:52:29

haven't come here for that.

0:52:290:52:30

I think they've come here

0:52:300:52:32

because the alcohol is so outrageously cheap

0:52:320:52:35

and the rules are very lax.

0:52:350:52:38

Do you appreciate that's a massive draw for lots of people?

0:52:380:52:42

Surely it's in your interest

0:52:590:53:02

to know what is going on in Sunny Beach.

0:53:020:53:05

You're saying that everything is fine and dandy -

0:53:050:53:07

everything is not fine and dandy in Sunny Beach.

0:53:070:53:09

But I'll tell you what I've witnessed over the past few weeks.

0:53:090:53:12

Excessive drinking.

0:53:120:53:14

It's very easy to buy drugs here in Sunny Beach,

0:53:140:53:18

there's robberies on the beach. The list could go on and on and on.

0:53:180:53:21

I'm really surprised that you're not aware of these issues

0:53:210:53:25

if you're the Mayor of that particular area.

0:53:250:53:27

Just so I'm completely clear,

0:53:450:53:47

you're saying you're not particularly interested

0:53:470:53:50

in managing the current tourism that exists here.

0:53:500:53:55

So you don't necessarily want people coming here, drinking, taking drugs,

0:53:550:53:58

you want them to come to look at the heritage and the architecture?

0:53:580:54:03

I'm surprised that you feel offended

0:54:140:54:16

that I'm trying to discuss the bad things,

0:54:160:54:19

because I thought, "I'll go to the Mayor

0:54:190:54:21

"and see what he thinks."

0:54:210:54:22

Thank you. Thank you very much.

0:54:350:54:38

Nice to meet you.

0:54:380:54:39

SHE SIGHS

0:54:410:54:43

Ridiculously frustrating.

0:54:440:54:46

Him and I were just going

0:54:460:54:47

round and round in circles at one point, you know.

0:54:470:54:50

Understandably he wanted to focus

0:54:500:54:52

on the beautiful, historical part of his region.

0:54:520:54:55

He almost didn't even want to entertain the fact

0:54:550:54:57

that there were problems that existed in Sunny Beach.

0:54:570:55:00

He started asking me what the problems were, and he's the Mayor.

0:55:000:55:02

It's...

0:55:020:55:05

outrageous to think that somebody in that position

0:55:050:55:08

is seemingly so out of touch with what goes on.

0:55:080:55:11

The Mayor may want tourists to come here for the culture,

0:55:130:55:16

but with more high-rise hotels going up all over Sunny Beach,

0:55:160:55:19

it looks to me like it'll be the bars and clubs

0:55:190:55:22

that'll be getting busier.

0:55:220:55:23

And unless they curb the binge-drinking and bar-crawling,

0:55:230:55:27

I can't see this place changing any time soon.

0:55:270:55:30

I think it's worth bearing in mind

0:55:300:55:32

that Bulgaria is one of the poorest countries in the EU,

0:55:320:55:35

so of course any tourism, any serious money

0:55:350:55:40

flocking into a certain area is a really positive thing.

0:55:400:55:43

But the cheapness of the drink here is both a blessing and a curse.

0:55:430:55:48

You know, on the one hand, it adds to Sunny Beach's appeal,

0:55:480:55:51

but on the other hand, for sure it's the main reason

0:55:510:55:55

why so many negative things are happening here on the resort.

0:55:550:56:00

'Next time I travel to top stag destination Prague,

0:56:010:56:05

'to investigate what really goes on on a man's last night of freedom.'

0:56:050:56:09

-Semen on the ceiling?

-Semen on the ceiling, yes!

0:56:090:56:12

'I get the low-down from the women who entertain British stag parties.'

0:56:120:56:16

-He wants to eat me.

-He wants to eat you? I bet he does!

0:56:160:56:19

'And track down the criminals who prey on them.'

0:56:190:56:21

They are like prey.

0:56:250:56:27

Prey for the night creatures.

0:56:270:56:30

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0:56:490:56:53

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