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Published: July 24th 2006
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Hiya
I'm in a town called Roznava in the Slovak Karst. I went for a walk today near a place called Silica to see a cave. Felt v. brave walking by myself through the forest. The forest was at first appearance alot like English woodland - broadleaf, lots of beech but just there's an awful lot more of it. Huge tracts of land - glacial valleys, steep hillsides as far as the eye can see is all carpeted with this ancient forest. It occurred to me after a while that it wasn't at all like England because of the sheer size of it. It's probably how England was. I started imagining that a boar might suddenly appear from the undergrowth and wondering what I would do if that or a bear showed up. That thought was a bit un-nerving plus I was being eaten alive by bastard mosquitoes. I wondered where the other walkers were (in hindsight they must have seen the weather report). Everything is very well sighnposted here and all the trails and directions are well marked. Slovaks must be really into their walking (loads of walking books and maps in the local tourist office - all in Slovak
unfortunatley).
Got to the cave and it was the most eerie place; this huge yawning cavern from which cold mist was rising. Despite the heat where I was standing there was a huge icilce hanging, dripping from it's roof. I could feel the clammy draft of the cave-mist on my face. It took a fair amount of courage to go down to the cave mouth and it felt as if I was looking into the bowels of hell (this thought didn't compfort me I might add as I started thinking about the hellmouth in buffy the vampire slayer and the fact that I was right in vampire country). The only sound I was aware of was the dripping water on stone - as if the atmosphere wasn't oppressive enough! At least there was respite from the mosquitoes down there in the coolth and gloom. The temperature difference just walking a few metres down towards the cave was dramatic. It was it's own microclimate. I was wonderring if the plants were stratified according to temperature - in same way that the mosquitos wouldn't venture down. That's the geek in me I guess that I forgot to be spooked and
wondered about the bio-geography of the place!
Leaving the cave I came up to the path then was confused as to which way to go. There were two directions - North West or North East. I'd been walking South West so to turn back it made sense to got North East but it didn't make sense on the map (I'd followed signs not the map to get there). I decided to follow the map then came across an intricate spider's web across the path so I knew I hadn't been that way. I decided to follow the path anyway and sliced the suspending strand and walked through but I must have missed some strands as the spider and web started dancing towards me and I felt spider's silk across my face and arm. I must admit I freaked a bit at this point and though fuck this and headed back the other direction.
At this point the sky closed in and sound of thunder started. It began raining heavily though there was some cover from the trees but more alarming there was a full on thunder and lighting storm. It was really dark at this point and unfortunatley
mist over the Slovak Karst
This was taken from a moving bus so not great pic the whole business with my compass and the woods made me think of the Blair witch project. Anyway, cursing my over active imagination, I fought down the panic as the storm was getting closer and closer - I was counting the seconds between the thunder and lightining strikes until there was no gap at all and I could see the flash in the trees ahead - it mad me start involuntarily a few times and I surprised myself of the effect it was having. A forest isn't the best place to be in an electric storm... The storm didn't pass as I expected but seemed to be all around, like it was working iteslf up for something really special. Just as I thought it was moving away there would be a sudden flash and bang and it was right overhead again. It was about half an hour back to the village according to one of the signs. There were two open spaces on the way back and each time it was such a relief to be out in the light and it was with a certain amount of dread that I went back into the forest (partly because of the
danger of being under trees during an electric storm and partly because the atmosphere was so oppressive). I started singing to myself which did actually help. A lightning crack almost in front of me had me running and trying not to slip over. Out at last from the forest there was an uphill slope unfortunately there was a power cable running the length of it so I just sprinted up there - water steaming down it, mud everywhere. Felt huge relief when I got there at last. Phew! The storm was still ever present though which meant I couldn't wait under the metal bus shelter but had to stand out in the rain hoping I didn't look like a lunatic for doing so! Waited bloody ages for a bus and by the time it came I was gibbering with cold but at least I had my lunch of cheese, ham, tomatos and rye bread which was good. Would have killed for a steaming mug of tea! Haven't had a decent cup of tea on this trip. when you do get tea it's in such a ridiculously small dainty cup that you just whet your appetite for the refreshing brew and it's gone in a couple of sips! Rum do indeed!
The bus journey back was stunnning - mist rising over the forest, winding through the valleys. I had thought that the forest here would be like it is in Germany - all pine forest which I don't like. It's really beautiful here.
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