Slovenia – a huge little country

You’re probably smarter than we are.  More then likely you know more about the small central European country of Slovenia then we did.  The only thing we knew about Slovenia before traveling was that it was part of the former Yugoslavia.  We asked ourselves, Do we really want to go to Slovenia if we’re going to Slovakia?  Aren’t they the same?  What could this tiny country offer in the way of culture and fun?  Expanding our horizons is one of the main reasons we’re traveling, so because we knew very little about it, it was added to our itinerary.   Hoards of tourists will soon discover it too.  Slovenia has lots to offer.  The country is small in size, but feels much bigger. Geographically it’s in central Europe, south of Austria, east of Italy and north and west of Croatia.  The influences from each of it’s neighbors mixes up just right to create a wonderful Slovenian vibe.  From the scenic beauty to an upbeat capital city; we fell in love with Slovenia.

It seemed to us that the capital city of Ljubljana has a good sense of humor about itself.  A pole vaulting exhibition in the main square and the art work around the city (see the weird squatty horses on the fountain?) created a light hearted feel.  The historic buildings, museums, café scene, castle on the hill and picturesque river running through the town makes for a tourists dream and we enjoyed it all.  And the city seems to be preparing itself for mass tourism.  Much of it is under going renovation. We’re very glad we saw it before more people discover the delights of Ljubljana.  We took the construction in stride and saw the city from end to end.
 
     
How can you not love a country with a capital city that celebrates its annual white water festival by hanging kayaks decorated as lips, shoes, flutes, a fountain pen and a fish?

Just about an hour from the metropolis of Ljubljana are the Julian Alps.  Yes, Alps.  Hills and mountains make up a large portion of Slovenia’s geography.  We could have stayed several more weeks in the Soca River valley, which has the most amazing blue-green water we‘ve ever seen.  There is no lack of things to do in this area - hiking, white water rafting, mountain biking, paragliding, gawking at picturesque towns, drinking world class wines.  We even learned  that the Julian Alps were a major battle front line of WWI.  Many bloody battles were waged between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Italians here.  Too many young men were lost from the region.  So besides all the outdoor activities available, there is a ton of war history too.  We twisted and turned our way through the Alps of Slovenia, oohing and aahing at every curve.  If you like scenery and history, it’s a don’t miss on a Slovenian itinerary.
       
Another day in the Slovenian countryside was spent visiting an extraordinary underground canyon, otherwise known as a cave system.  The Skocjan Caves are in Southwest Slovenia and are spectacular. There are stalagmites and stalactites like we’ve never seen. It was fascinating to see the Reka River flowing from the outside, and then sinking to the inside of the cave where it is still carving out this underground wonderland.  We were so impressed by the giganticness of the cave system. The only creatures in the caves, besides the tourists were bats. And they let us know that we were disturbing their sleep by screaming at us. Loud little buggers!  No pictures were allowed inside the caves as the light from the flash stimulates green moss to grow. We wouldn’t want that!  The photos from the inside of the cave are from the brochure and look just like what we saw. 


From the nature-made to human-made all in one afternoon.  Just one town over from the caves is the home of the famous Lippizzan horses.  They are the horses that were bred and trained, since 1580, for the Austro-Hungarian royals.  400 regal Lippizzans are bred and trained at the sprawling, luxurious farm.   They are known to be steady, sturdy and speedy and we saw them showing off these characteristics in an impressive performance.  We also took a tour of their stud farm.  Oh baby!  Stud farm.  That’s fun to say.  Amy had to bring up the topic of reproduction.  She was the only one in the group to ask a question and it was about that!  She got an interesting answer though.  Up until 2 years ago the means of reproduction was artificial.  Now the horses have been, once again, allowed to make babies naturally.  Under supervision, of course.  Unfortunately there was no horsey action on the tour that day!  As you can see, Steve was trying to get something going.   
 
Even if you are smarter then we are and know a bit more about this tiny country then we did, and no matter what your interests are; we think you’ll like Slovenia.  Their tourism marketing slogan is very apropos “We Feel Slovenia”.

Communism and Beyond…

Humbled, speechless, surprised, stimulated, embarrassed, relieved….a wide range of feelings came up as we journeyed through former communist Europe.  The Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia - now that we have traveled to the last former communist country on our itinerary we are prepared to write about our perspectives and interactions.

It’s hard to believe it’s only been 20 years since the Berlin wall fell and only 10 years since Slobodan Milosevic (Serbia’s communist leader) was ousted.  In our eyes all of the countries have come a long way in a very short  amount of time and  are doing a fantastic job of transitioning to democracy and a more capitalist way of life.

There were many times when we shook our heads at the bland buildings and factories with huge smoke stacks that remain from that era.  The ugly, blocky, massive statues and monuments erected during that time mystified us.  How could artists not be permitted to be creative? 

The biggest eye openers, though, came from our discussions with the people that are making the difficult change from communism to democracy.  We were really surprised to hear that, for as bad as life was; restricted freedoms, all sorts of controls, a large # of deaths to people that opposed the party; that life under communism for many people was pretty good.  Some even think that a few of the policies from then are better then today's.

We also learned more details on how the Communist system was practiced in Poland and the Czech Republic,  as opposed to in Hungary, as opposed to in Tito’s Yugoslavia and Milosevic‘s Serbia.  Before our travels we pretty much thought that communism was communism was communism. 

In Prague we spoke with Dana who participated in the “Velvet Revolution” that occurred in the city in 1989.  We were  fascinated as she told us of being one of the 300,000 demonstrators that risked their lives in Wenceslas square demanding an end to the repression.  The police hid in doorways and rooftops and used all types of violence to stop the protestors.  She told us how proud she was to participate.  We pondered whether or not we would  have joined and decided that, yes, we probably would have.  It surprised us when she referred to the period as “Totalitarianism”, not Communism.  We both noticed that she didn’t once use the word communism. 

Her parents are part of the “lost” generation and are still struggling 20 years later as their whole way of life (and financial stability) changed dramatically.  It’s awful to think that there are still around 15% of voters that check their ballots for a Communist candidate.  But, then again, who can blame them.  For many it was all they knew.  Change is hard for most people.  (Who moved my cheese?)  Dana, who is  approximately our age, is embracing Democracy and Capitalism, but is working her buns off to make a decent living.  We got a real sense that she is happy with the changes, but is hoping that the new era will bring economic benefits and more prosperity then before.

In Budapest, Hungary we spoke to Charles and Gertrude who both said that the “freedoms” they had under Communism were pretty good.  They had the opportunity to travel to the West, for work and shopping excursions, and always returned.  We heard that the  Hungarians enjoyed the most freedoms of any of the Soviet satellites.  Hungary was described as the “Happiest Barrack” in all of the Soviet system. 

It was hard for us to comprehend that Charles and Gertrude liked many communist ideals - that everyone was essentially equal and had a secure living.  And although the jobs weren’t great; unemployment was non existent.  Today, there is a much wider gap between rich and poor and a much larger number of homeless and beggars.

Both Petra from Slovenia and Dennis from Croatia said that the version of Communism as practiced by Tito allowed them to have small independent businesses, but when it came to buying day to day  stuff, the choices were very limited.  For example shoes were available in black or white only.  Remember, this was in 1988!!

Some of our new acquaintances actually made very good money by smuggling various goods on the black market.  Baby diapers and cigarettes were financially worth the risk of crossing the border with illegal items.  Dish washing soap was a really low quality, so a better brand was typically smuggled in from Austria as well.   People had to do what they could to make a difference for themselves.

Traipsing through former communist Europe illuminated our lack of knowledge and highlighted our misperceptions about a regime and a time that we were taught to think was about as awful as it could get.  It was exhilarating to see and hear other perspectives.  Learning about an era that ended in our lifetime reinforced why we decided to set out on our year long adventure. 

We wanted to be exposed to alternative ways of thinking, living, eating, praying, etc.  And former Communist Europe did just that.  Much more then either of us thought it would.

We hope that the wonderful countries we visited and the brave people we met won’t have to create more graveyards for future Totalitarian leaders.  To a bright future for a beautiful land and people. 

Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail…

What does the city of Ljubljana, Slovenia have in common with The Galapagos islands?  A postcard!  To be exact, a postcard from Post Office Bay on the island of Floreana, Galapagos.  We participated in the great postal tradition from this island and hand delivered a postcard addressed to a fun couple in Ljubljana, the capital of the beautiful country of Slovenia.
A barrel on Floreana Island has been the mail box for buccaneers, whalers, convicts and colonists for the last three centuries.  No stamps were required as the mail was hand delivered by travelers destined for the address on the mail.  Today, tourists carry on the tradition and we have new friends because of it!  The idea is the same as it was although most people write a postcard to themselves, drop it in the box and then see how long it takes to be hand delivered.  And if you’re bound for an address on a postcard, you take it.  
In July we picked up a postcard that was bound for Ljubljana, Slovenia; in September we carried out the Galapagos tradition. 
Through rain, wind and hail (literally) we set out to deliver this special mail.  The parking lot of the apartment complex was practically empty and we almost just put the postcard in the mail slot, when, at the very last minute, we decided to ring the intercom bell. 
 
Low and behold, a voice said hello.  After we explained our reason for ringing, without hesitation, we were invited in.  We were lucky, Petra just happened to be home from work to eat lunch.  Her husband, Magedie, wrote the postcard so she called him and over the wire we were introduced.  We briefly shared Galapagos memories and made plans to get together for dinner.
An intelligent, well traveled couple; he’s from South Africa and she’s from the countryside of Slovenia.  Over Mexican food and margaritas we discussed the black market for diapers (nappies) in the late 80s, American politics (term limits), the breakup of Yugoslavia, life when Tito was in power and that salsa dance is the  reason they’re together.

There’s one more thing that Slovenia and the Galapagos Islands have in common - Petra and Magedie’s yet to be born baby.  A Slovenian baby made in the Galapagos!  Awww…
The time we spent with our new salsa dancing friends was the cherry on top of a few wonderful days in the fantastic city of Ljubjlana.