Adka's Place

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We arrived in Košice, Slovakia Wednesday night (4 nights ago) and we were greeted warmly with smiles. Then we were driven to our new home in Prešov by our new family and treated to a homecooked meal. All we wanted, really, was something to drink.

I can tell you right now, if you plan on traveling long distances by train and you can't manage to negotiate trading money from the wrong country to the person serving liquid refreshments on the train in a foreign language, then you'd better pack a few bottles of water. The air on trains is quite dry and sleeping in awkward positions with your neck bending in ways you never imagined it could and trying to find things to do to pass the time will tend to make you quite thirsty. In those rare but desperate times where you don't mind contracting diseases with names you can't pronounce, you can always drink the water from the faucet in the bathrooms on the train.

Over the next few days we explored the sites of Prešov. It is a small town with old, colourful, large buildings that make it seem bigger and more vibrant. It also contains within its boundaries an impressive salt extraction and preparation complex that is now a collection of buildings that remain only for historical purposes.

We had the pleasure of a personal tour through the salty buildings in English. The first building we entered had a rather large contraption to which eight horses would be attached and walked in circles to lift two hefty, leather bags of salt water from a shaft 150 meters down. Another of these interesting buildings held large containers constructed with no nails, only large boards of wood held together by the sap from pine trees. The reason for this sappy fabrication is based on the harsh, erosive nature of salt water on the metal used to make the nails that would have otherwise been used. Impressive.

During our walks through the town, we frequently stopped at cafes and restaurants for some tea and a bite to eat--we feel fat. We were also able to climb over 270 stairs to the top of a rather old church, from the top of which we were able to look out on all sides over the town. The view was amazing.

Yesterday, we took a family trip to the Tatra mountains. These mountains are, without a doubt, quite beautiful and also quite large. We took two ski lifts to the top of the second highest peak (2,634 meters)--100 meters shy of the highest peak. The view from this rather spectacular vantage point was, to say the least, cloudy. We were told it was a wonderfully picturesque view, though. While we waited in a small eatery for the next lift down the mountainside, our Slovakian father decided it would be a great idea to get us drunk. In this event he purchased three varieties of vodka, one of which was made from a flower that grows only in these particular mountains. After a few drinks, they start tasting the same. Later, after some food and drink, the guys spent two hours in AquaCity, a park filled with all the uses of water you can imagine, while the girls strolled through the town amidst the flurries of snow. Then...we ate again.

If there's one thing we can say, it's that we were never hungry. Backpackers shouldn't eat so well.

Tomorrow: destination Budapest, Hungary.

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Photos

Adka eating and driving (yea...it is a scary thought)!
Yea...our little Slovak princess is all grown up now and can drive a manual!!! We can't even drive a manual!!! Of course you can clearly see that she is eating while she is driving...so all you Slovakian drivers....beware!!!

Our first Jewish Synagogue
Since Chris is part Jewish we decided to go to the local Synagogue turned museum.

Bax the Dog
The family dog...and Chris's playmate in Slovakia.

Materina dúška
Adka selling Chris some Materina dúška (some herbs that are really good for your stomach) at a museum in Prešov.

New Friends!
Clockwise...Adka, Tina, Miloš, and Anushka.

Spišský Hrad (Castle)
A castle in ruins about 50km from Prešov.

Comments

[Akima]

We miss you guys!
Hey, Kevin and I miss both. we can't wait to see you when you come back. Hope you keep having this much fun. It will give us all something to talk about when you come see us in Spain! (yeah, we're moving).