Lake Bohinj

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During the bus journey from Trieste to Lake Bohinj (via Ljubljana) I had planned to read a considerable amount of my novel; however, the stunningly beautiful scenery of Slovenia held me captivated and Jules Verne's descriptions of life under the sea had to take a back seat as I took in the sights of Slovenia. Lake Bohinj is located in the Julian Alps, which are in the north-west of this tiny European country and it is one of a number of glacial lakes in this region of Slovenia. The grumpy bus driver dropped us off 5km from the camping ground, so we pulled on our backpacks and began the walk along the eastern shore of the lake. During this walk I got quite a shock when I glanced at the ground and my eyes alighted upon a snake who was keeping warm on the path! Just when heart rates started to return to normal, we got excited again when we thought we saw the site of the camp, but were disheartened when we discovered it was a boy scout camp and that the one we were searching for was a little further down the road. Before long, we arrived at camp and after setting up our tent we went to the open air camp restaurant and enjoyed some delicious pizza, accompanied by a beer and a game of chess.

The following day we got to fully appreciate the dramatic beauty of Lake Bohinj. We hired bicycles for the day and gradually made our way around this pristine lake which stretches along a lush valley. We would occasionally stop for some food or a cold drink or to simply sit upon the shore and take in the glorious scenery. During the morning I was content to simply watch the mist and clouds rise from the woods that surround the lake, feeling as if I was watching the earth awake during the epoch of its creation. In fact, the entire area possessed a mythical aspect that caused me to feel completely invigorated, yet with an inner peace at the very same time.

As we returned back to camp some light rain began to fall, which rapidly became a torrential downpour and it became immediately apparent how this pocket of the world was so green and densely vegetated. This rain was soon accompanied by lightning and some rolling thunder that was more deafening than any I have ever heard. I felt my own body shake due to the vibrations of this thunder, which must have been triggered as the air passed over the mountain tops and met with the air that was sitting in the valley. I thoroughly enjoyed bearing witness to the power of the elements in such a majestic setting, despite my worries about our tent flooding. These worries were later justified, as twelve hours of torrential rain can test out even the the most hardy of tents.

The following day we packed up our drenched belongings and went to wait for the bus that would take us to Kranj, where we had previously organised to meet up with a Slovenian guy whom we befriended during our time at Ha Long Bay in Vietnam. As excited as I was to be seeing him again, it was with a tinge of regret that I left Lake Bohinj, which I think would be a natural feeling amongst all people who visit places of such remarkable beauty.

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