we are currently in Bratislava [think the movie 'Eurotrip' - "oh my god, we're in eastern europe!"] and, well, it is pretty cod-ordinary.
dont get me wrong, there is a pretty looking castle and some nice old buildings in the old town, but we have been here not even 24hours [most of which have been sleeping] and already we have run out of things to do. so far we have just walked around the old town finding all of these strange statues located everywhere and taken silly photos of ourselves with them all. The only thing left on my list of things to do is to go to the themed KGB bar where you can drink with lenin and stalin. The train to Budapest tomorrow morning cant come quick enough.
After we left Zacopane and crossed the slovakian border on foot we arrived in the little resort town of Stary Smokovec [right next to Horny Smokovec] at the bottom of the Tatra Mountains. After leaving nearly all of our worldly possesions [our bags] behind a curtain in a small sports shop we proceeded up to the fenicular railway which climbed half way up the mountain, only to find it closed for repairs. The fancy sign at the front of the station promptly stated that it would "close at the end of the tourist season: 18th of November". It was the 30th of September.
So scratching our heads at the slovakian sense of time, we headed back down to another town where we caught a cable car up to another point on the mountain, where we could hike to the chata [cabin/hotel thinga] where we would be staying for 2 nights. It actually turned out to be a better optin, as the hike was only one hour and all downhill..
We arrived at our chata to find that it was something straight out of a fairytale. It was a 2 story log cabin, surrounded by big green pine trees, had a stream flowing in front of it and the outline of jagged mountains behind it. We were even fed well and dined of sauerkraut and gulash that night.
The next day after a breakfast of salami, cheese, cucumber and really really dense bread we tied our shoelaces on our not-so-hiking-boots and headed off for a hike along the valley and half way up a mountain to another chata. Along the way we past countles europeans decked out in all the latest hiking gear. Gore-tex jackets, big hiking boots, walking pole things, fancy backpacks, you name it they were probably wearing or carrying it. Meanwhile we were in normal clothes and everyday shoes. We managed fine, so I really think all that gear is just for showing off and looking like a wanker.
So the views were absolutley amazing. After we emerged from the tree line, the valley opened up and we folowed the path along the bottom, slowing heading upwards. We were surrounded by steep rocky peaks [over 2000m high] and some still had snow on them, even at the end of summer.
The final ascent to the chata stared to get a bit difficult. The track turned more into piles of rocks that you had to clamber over. At a few points there were chains attached to the side of the rock ledges, as if you slipped, you would fall to at least a very very bad injury.
Eventually after a few hours we rounded the corner and saw our final destination in the distance. A small building perched on top of a rocky plateu in between the peaks.
Over a lunch of cabbage soup, boiled poatoes and fried cheese [and beer] we wondered how on earth they got supplies up here. We eventually decided on a helicopter. In the chata where we were staying there were numerous photos over the walls of men with kegs strapped to their backs, hiking up the mountain trails. We werent sure if this was the method of transportation or simply some type of contest. Either way, I made sure to enjoy my beer.
Although it was downhill nearly all the way back, by the time we got back, our knees were jelly and we were ready for a nice hot shower and to crawl into our soft comfy beds. That night though we were treated to soup, slovakian dumplings and a ice-cream sundae of all things.
Then the next morning we packed our bags and hiked back down the mountain to civilisation. Luckily the sports shop was still in existance and even better, our bags were just where we had left them, contents included.
We caught the train down to the city of Poprad which our guidebook described as "a transportation hub for the mountains, but otherwise skip the city". It sounded promising. And as we had 2 hours to kill before our train to Bratislava we spent most of it sitting in a park outside the train station adjusting the straps of morgan's pack, or trying to find something to eat.
Along with a strange sense of time/date, the slovakians seem to have a strange sense of the words cafe or bistro. Although you may think of food when somebody says these words, but in slovakia it seems to mean "a bar". We tried to get food at a "bistro" that had a big picture of a hot dog on the wall, but they only seemed to serve alcohol. There was a cafe type of place in the train station, but i was too scared to go in there, as there was a very fierce looking lady behind the counter with a head of shockingly bright purple hair and a fag hanging out of her mouth. Next we tried a cafe nearby which was straight from the 1930s. No food, only booze there. But the "lady" working there took us outside and pointed down the road, which is where we went.
Eventually we came across a pub type place and there were people eating inside so we knew we had to find something here. While the customers all seemed to be staring at us with some fascination, the staff meanwhile seemed to be scared of us and it took a bit just to get a menu - all in slovakian of course. By this time it was getting close to train time so we ordered the only recognisable thing - chips and coke. After leaving our human zoo, we were soon Bratislava bound.
The first thing we did when we got here? find out what time the train to Budapest leaves and go online to book a hostel there. My body is looking forward to the turkish baths after all that hiking.
