Got up real early today ( for yet
another rest day ) after having slept on the veranda of the
Bratislava Canoe Club. It's up on the first floor of a huge wooden
building which the members of the club built themselves in 1935.
People here are treating me very well indeed. I have even been given
a key to the facility!! Kayak is kept in the boatshouse, no need to
pitch a tent just sleep on the balcony. Not really any hardship
considering the temperature. Plus I get to look right at the big
dipper – my favourite constellation probably cause it's the only
one I can tell apart from the rest. Anyway, I'm up at seven and
looking at all my gear - anything that's not been used in the last
three weeks has to go. One pile for food, one pile for disposables
(rubbish!!) and one pile for goods to be sent back to the isle. Five
minutes to wash self and an hour to wash all my clothes – nope I
don't carry more than three T-shirts they were all just very ....
unclean?
Tramming it into the center I can even
remember where I had seen the post office on my way home last night
and I take note as I'm walking by the German Embassy who is flying
it's flag at half mast today. Somehow they always seem to be able to
get a really nice building where ever they fancy putting in an
embassy.
My first encounter with Slovakian
bureaucracy is not a happy one. Of course I hadn't filled out the
necessary forms to send a parcel to England. And why is there no
address for the sender on the parcel?
She explains to me in Slovakian which
is very similar to Polish, perhaps not surprisingly. I try English,
German, Spanish (it had worked well at the newsagents) and even throw
in the odd Japanese word for good measure. We agree to disagree in
all the afore mentioned languages although she speaks none of mine
and I'm none of hers and in the end I'm sending it from my address in
England to my address in England seeing how I'm homeless at present
and I doubt that the lady behind the counter would take Seal – GB
as my present abode. How she manages to charge me fifteen pounds for
this I will never know. Ohh, and thank you soo very much to the
lovely lady who came out of nowhere rescuing me from filling in
that nasty form – in triplicate, of course...
Also bought some new supplies from
Tesco, Bratislava – very elegant and stylish! In fact I'd
thorougly recommend this city to anyone who is looking to teach
abroad. Rarely have I seen such beauty both architecturally or in the
streets. Loads of tourists here and a very cosmopolitan feel to it
all. Do check out the old part of town – you won't be
disappointed!!
Off to Budapest tomorrow – apparently
very little chance of replenishing food supplies and drinking water.
Should be there in four or five days.
Although things are getting a little
less organised both on the river and off, I'm enjoying the change in
language and currency as well as the cultural differences on offer.
