Category: Slovenia

Tyke’s travel tips

Tyke tips

Here are some travel tips for those planning a trip to south america.

1- NEVER ARRIVE AT NIGHT – chances are you’ll be making those gruelling 20 hour plus bus journeys, the last thing you want is to be wandering round a strange town with all your stuff at the dead of night.

2- YOU WILL GET ROBBED – depending on your outlook, this may be funny, mildly annoying or a personal tragedy. Keep you passport and sexually integrity intact, these things are more difficult to replace.

3- BRING A RUCKSACK NOT A SUITCASE – it may have handles, but I’m afraid that won’t cut it. Lima doesn’t have a Marriott, holiday inn, motel 8 or McDonald’s. Expect to get sand in your wheels and strange looks.
my advice buy a nice purple rucksack (like mine :)).

4- LEARN TO SPEAK SPANISH – better than waving your arms around, you can make friends and get yourself out of trouble, converse in shops etc. etc.
it costs nothing.
invaluable.

Slovenia – Costs involved

If you are planning to go to Slovenia expect to take the following basic costs into consideration:

ESSENTIALS

> Flight to and from Ljubljana

(£124.98)

Booked through – easyjet

> Accommodations in Ljubljana & Bled (5 nights accommodation)

(£105.64)

Booked through – lonelyplanetexchange.com

> 1 Pizza

(£4.30)

> 1 Beer

(£1.19)

> Bus ticket

(£0.78)

OTHERS

> Walking tour

(£4.68)

This is assuming you stay in Ljubljana eating beer and pizzas every night. Obviously, the more illustrious your weekend becomes, the more you can expect to pay.

Till next time…

5 Days in Slovenia – Summary

In future Ljubljana’s leafy boulavards are sure to bring competition to the likes of Prague, Budapest or Bratislava as a cheap weekender for a few drinks.

However, Slovenias best attractions lay outside the capital; in its hills, mountains, lakes and rivers. This is where you are likely to find the ‘real’ Slovenia and those attractions which make it stand out as a unique and worthwhile destination.

Ljubljana Walking Tour

TUESDAY

Taking a walking tour is usually a good idea in a foriegn city. Meeting a real local gives you the opportunity to get information first hand, tap them for info. on good bars or nightspots or other aspects little known outside the locality.

Our tour guide was a Slovenian fine art student.

We took a walk from the town hall down to the cathedral, through the market and into the main square where we caught a miniature train to take us up the hill castle overlooking the town.

Our guide was more reflective than flambouyant, but the tour was enough to draw conclusions about the Solvenian capital, the country and its history and heritage.

Lake Bled and Postojna Caves

MONDAY

Have found my way down to the lake Bled and managed to pick up a rowing boat. The weather is hot and sunny.

I am going to find this easy.

Bled is surrounded with mountains some of which are the alps. In the middle of the lake stands a geographical anomoly, (island), on top of which they decided to build a church.

Over the years the church and island have often been independent from the locality. At times of fuedalism and war, the church and has remained a seperate enclave.

I took my boat and decided to row out to investigate this church.

Opposite from the town, if you walk round the lake, is a hire place where you can hire a rowing boat to make your way around the lake independentely.

Being a bit of an independent type, i decided to hire this boat.

Disembarked on the island and climbed up to the mystical church.

As mentioned in previous post, this church has a bell with some mysterious properties.

A wishing bell.

Having hired the boat rowed to the island and climbed to the church and reached the rope, I pulled and pulled again nothing happened. Not wanting to embarrass myself I left it.

I got back to my boat, I thought perhaps they had decommisioned it or it had jammed or something gently putting together what had gone wrong in my head.

No sooner had I pushed off when I heard the bell sounding in the background.

Couldnt think of a decent wish anyhow. Im pretty well kitted out as it is (thanks mum)..

TUESDAY

Must investigate caves of Postojna.

Here we will find the human fish.

Deep within the caves of Postojna lives the human fish feeding on prawns, snails and what remains it can find.

As well as that, the caves are the second deepest in Europe spanning to a depth of 20km.

Took a guide with with a huge group of Germans.

Must say I was duly impressed.

We took a train down for 3km down to the river ljubljana, and investigated these 3 levels of formations. Some where pure white, others pink and a few brown and other coloured devices dotted around.

Luckily there was none of this talk of faces of famous people, Martin Luther King or Monica Lewinsky appearing from the formations, which so often happens.

The guide pointed out one mysterious camel to us right at the end but luckily we were spared the pleasure of gawping at non existant shapes and faces. I swear people that spot these shapes should stick to their lituim, or share their drugs with the other visitors before going into the caves.

Have made my way back to Bit Centre and intend to get drunk and have a pizza.