Blogs from Presov Region, Slovakia, Europe

After the 1989 Velvet Revolution and subsequent 1993 partition of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, it seems apparent that the Czech Republic took the nicer cities in Bohemia and Moravia while Slovakia got the gem of the Tatra Mountains. Hard to say who got the better deal. Spent a few days climbing in Slovakia's High Tatra Mountains National Park and checking out a castle. Today I arrived in Vienna. $1 ≈ 0.79€ Mt. Rysy I had previously contacted a guide through the Tatra Mountains Guide Service about day climbs of Rysy and Gerlachovský štít, the highest peaks in Poland and Slovakia respectively. Ervin called me at the pension after my arrival last Thursday and we established a pickup time of 7:30 am Friday morning which was nice as it allowed me to get breakfast ... read more

The snow began to fall when we were about half an hour shy of the Slovakian border. The falling snowflakes made the darkened landscape look surreal and dreamlike as they fell softly onto the windshield. I was hypnotised, but only until I realised that snow down here meant deep snow in the High Tatras. Having grown up in Australia, snow is a novelty that turns me into a 5 year old with ADHD. There is of course snow in Australia but seeing it usually requires a minimum 2 hour drive into the mountains. My excitement grew as the road rose and fell over the three small mountain passes that stood between us and Poprad. We made slow progress on serpentine roads that wound through snow covered pine forests, the only source of light coming from ... read more

Happily the bus from Zakopane, Poland to Poprad, Slovakia showed up on time but there was a huge traffic jam on the way to the border as apparently the road to the border is shared with one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Zakopane area, the lake Morskie Oko. The traffic jam wasn't stop and go; it was more like stop and stop. Luckily the bus passed the jammed part of the road and it delivered me at Poprad Aquacity water park, and the first thing I did after checking into my hotel was head back to the water park. This isn't really a Kapolei-style water park. It doesn't have nearly as many different types of attractions and the water slides are lame. It's more about relaxation and there are a number of thermal ... read more

It was freezing the day that we found ourselves in Levoca. I think it was the day when the voices of those who had said, 'what, your travelling through Europe in the middle of winter - your crazy' reverberated through my head. However, the numb cheeks, dry mouth and chilled bones were all worth the while. My one regret though, was that I couldn't convince my partner in crime to walk up the hill to the massive church that overlooks the town. Although having said that, I was quite happy to jump on the first heated bus that came by...... read more

So after Christmas Eve in Bratislava, it was Christmas Day transversing Slovakia with an Italian in a train, while it was snowing. An interesting way to spend Christmas, but suprisingly not so bad either. We made the most of it and treated oursevles to some very good Slovak beer, while watching the snowfall over half of Slovakia, which in December at least, consists of different shades of white. 7 hours or so later I found myself and my rumbling stomach at my last stop over, so I headed off to find a restauraunt. It appeared that everything was going to be shut on Christmas Day as well and I was about to give up as time was of the essence, when two young ladies walked up behind me at the traffic lights I was waiting at. ... read more