22.05.09

Slovenia. I have so many great things to say about this small country. I call it the gem of the European Union. Slovenia has a population of only 2 million and it is only 20,000 square kilometers in size, but they have it all. In Slovenia you can go skiing in the Alps in the morning, spelunking in the caves in the afternoon, relax on the beach for sunset, then party in the college city of Ljubljana that night. The economy seems to be thriving since they declared their independence from former Socialist Yugoslavia in 1991, and it seemed as if the tough economic times in the world right now aren’t affecting tourism in Slovenia.
On a side note: It was very interesting hearing the opinions and views of the different generations of Slovenians. All the younger generation (my age) that I spoke with was extremely happy about Slovenia’s independence from Yugoslavia and happy to be a part of the European Union (since 2003). They were hungry for opportunity and excited to talk to an American to share ideas. The older generation was not so happy with their economy today. In fact I heard on more than one occasion from several people that they felt better off under Yugoslavian rule and Tito (1945-1980). They say Tito took care of the working man, industrialized Slovenia, and was responsible for economic development in the early 50’s thru the late 70’s (until he died in 1980). He rewarded hard work with good wages and everyone I spoke with said their families were better off financially under the rule of Tito. They all felt as if they are working a lot harder now for less money. They are unhappy about being a part of the European Union, and would prefer to be back in the good old days in the Republic of Socialist Yugoslavia. Socialism is an entirely different way of thinking, and you would be surprised how many Eastern Europeans prefer a socialist economy. I just listened to what they had to say, and in theory Socialism is a decent idea for some places. I’m not quite sure how to digest this, but I will keep you posted.

I arrived in Ljubljana (the capital of Slovenia) after a grueling 15 hour commute from Poland so I went strait to bed (its hard sleeping on the train because you have to keep a close eye on your belongings. Sometimes your stuff gets off at a different train station than you do, if you’re not careful) and didn’t wake up for 12 hours.

My first Day in Ljubljana I set out to explore with a young traveler named Erin, from Canada (who spoke great English). I met her in my Hostel (she was traveling alone too). We both wanted to see the castle so that was the first stop; one thing I have noticed is that castles are usually much more impressive from the outside. The castle was originally a twelfth century construction (yea… it’s really old). After the earthquake in 1511 it was remodeled so it resembles more of 16th century construction now, and it was pretty cool. We visited the museum, climbed the clock tower and skipped the funicular railway because the views from the walk were the best part. We took some great photos at the castle and headed back to town.

In town I found a guided walking tour to explain the history of Ljubljana and the culture as we explored the city on foot and by boat. It was neat learning about the architecture, why the three bridges were built instead of one large bridge, and the baker’s bridge was cool too. They named it the baker’s bridge because way back when, bread was always sold in the same size square for the same price. The easiest way to explain it is to compare it to gas. When we have more oil the price goes down, when we have less oil the price goes up. Well the same theory applies with grain. But bakers all sold the same size squares for the same price so they used a different method to adapt the fluctuating prices of grain. When the price of grain went up they baked the bread less dense (so it would still be the same size) and when the price of grain went down they made the bread more dense. Well any baker caught cheating the people and not baking the bread the right density was lowered up and down into the river off “Bakers Bridge”. They were dipped over and over into the rancid water. Supposedly it was really disgusting water from all the dead fish, rotten meat and feces that ran off the bank, so this was a horrible punishment. We saw the library where the windows all resemble books and there isn’t one repeating brick pattern on the entire building. Ljubljana still has 126 libraries’ that are used frequently by the locals. I guess they haven’t caught onto Google yet. Then on the way to the college we passed over Dragon Bridge (the city’s symbol). Supposedly the four dragons wag their tails every time a virgin walks over the bridge. Our guide told us there must not be any virgins left in Slovenia because the stone statues of dragons never wag their tails. I didn’t see them wag their tails once and I watch hundreds pass over the bridge. We walked by the college campus and I learned something interesting about Slovenian educational system. College is free for all Slovenians. Not only is school free, but as a student you don’t pay taxes and just about every cost associated with living is ½ priced for students, from food to lodging. It’s not unusual for students to study into their late 20’s while working (no taxes). We also learned about a Slovenian poet, his forbidden love, and the statue of him that stares into her window down the street. The last stop was St Nicholas cathedral. The building was impressive to say the least. I was told it is the best preserved of the city’s ecclesiastical buildings. One last interesting point about Ljubljana is that in 2003 the oldest wooden wheel in the world was discovered there. The wheel is over 5000 years old and dates back to 2000 BC! After exploring the city I sat down to have a couple Slovenian beers with a local guy that I met in passing. We shared some stories about our lives and it was amazing how much we had in common.

The next day I headed to Postojna. It’s about an hour by bus and cost 6 Euro to get there. Once I arrived at the bus station I was really excited to get to the caves. I followed the signs and shortly after I started my brisk walk (about 1 ½ kilometers) I arrived at the entrance. There was no way to mistake the huge dark abyss in the side of the mountain that was surrounded by ivy, as the entrance. I boarded a railcar and whizzed thru a preliminary system of caves before the 1.5 kilometer walking tour started, I was in awe. The caves of stalagmites were breathtaking. The air is a consistent 8 degrees Celsius (about 44 Fahrenheit) and the humidity is around 95%, it’s quite chilly so bring a jacket when you go. I wanted to leave the group and go exploring so badly, but I didn’t. My mother would have killed me if I got lost in a cave in Slovenia. Instead I just took lots of pictures and didn’t venture to far away from the group. The 40 meter (roughly 130 feet) high concert hall at the end of the tour was the coolest part. The acoustics are amazing in the concert hall. They use to have concerts and events all the time, but the humidity of the cave ruins the equipment so they stopped having events.
After all this I needed a vacation from my vacation so I reserved a room in Piran on the beach and packed my bags for yet another journey. After another 90 minute bus ride I was on the coast of Slovenia in Piran. I learned that Slovenia only has about 45 kilometers of coast (the same distance from moms to dad’s house). Once I learned that I had to walk from Croatia to Italy. I walked for about 7 hours and saw the entire coast of Slovenia, and I was walked thru 3 countries in one day. Most people can never say they have done that, and a lot of locals I have spoken with have always wanted to walk the coast but never have. I took several dips in the Adriatic Sea on the way and saw some of the most beautiful countryside I have ever seen. I took it easy Friday; after all that walking I rented a scooter and decided that would be the best form of transportation for the rest of my stay in Piran. I scheduled my spa day at the Terme and Wellness Palace (a 1000 square meter sauna park) and played a little black jack at the casino in Portoroz with a group of Italian guys (one of which was Eli Ellesera and that’s spelled wrong). They were in town for a big poker tournament that starts 26.5.09 (I am really bummed that I am not going to be here to play).
This morning I got up, had a great traditional Slovenian breakfast (cream filled doughnuts), and went to the sauna park. This sauna park was like no other complete with an ice cave (it’s exactly what it sounds like). They had every sauna you could imagine; saunas with aroma therapy for every ailment, saunas with mood lighting to enhance the body and mind, saunas with an exfoliating salt you apply to your entire body before exiting into the carwash style rinse off, several gradual saunas designed to slowly increase your body temperature which is good for the circulatory system just to name a few options available. After I got over the fact that the sauna was a fully nude facility, I entered into the sauna jungle full of people you don’t want to see naked. The Turkish spa on the first floor was by far my favorite. The Turkish spa had the salt sauna and a series of rock ponds to walk thru for stress on your feet. I spent an hour just massaging my feet in the various sized and shaped rocks, and I can’t describe how good that felt, you have to experience it for yourself to know. After about four hours in the spa park I had a 40 minute deep tissue massage and I felt like a million bucks again. Tonight I am going to have a few drinks with my friend Kasspar, Jernaj (Jeremy) and Mitch (real name is Mitsuh or something like that but everyone calls him Mitch. He loves America so his friends Americanized his name, which is great for me). They are great guys and I promised Mitch if he ever makes it to America (his dream) he can stay with me for a few days and I will show him around. Mitch is one of the most genuine people I have ever come in contact with. He would literally give you the shirt off his back if he is your friend, and he took me under his wing as if I was his brother. He is very ambitious and if given the opportunity to make a better life, I have no doubt he would succeed. I will stay in touch with him for years to come. He even invited me to his birthday (but I will not share the date of his birthday, that is up to him), and as you will read below it is a big deal in Slovenia to be included in a Birthday celebration. We became very close in a short time and it will be difficult to leave these guys behind. I will see him again, I am sure of it.
Things to know:
In Slovenia never tell anyone it’s your birthday unless you are prepared. It’s customary for the birthday boy/ girl to buy drinks for everyone on their birthday (opposite of America) so they always celebrate in private with a small group of extremely close friends. Mitch told me about his friend Zeekie’s birthday and I made the mistake of wishing him a happy birthday, at the bar, in front of a large group of his friends/ acquaintances. Zeekie was put in an awkward position and I couldn’t help but feel responsible. Luckily he was really understanding of the cultural differences and accepted my apology (with some translation from Mitch).
Reiterate from previous posts: never trust a taxi driver that approaches you. And..FYI.. All countries have some form of identification for taxi drivers and real taxi drivers will not be offended of you ask them for identification.
If I could live anywhere in the world I have been thus far, Slovenia would be the place. I know it’s surprising but this place truly is special to me now.
Personal Note: After I spoke with mom last night it occurred to me that I might even be part Slovenian (or at least from somewhere in this region of Europe). A lot of the local people had similar dark skin tone, dark hair color and similar features. A few times I passed guys and girls that looked like they could have been my siblings. Food for thought…