Liptovsky Peter - Day 1... or lack there of.Our goal was to get to Liptovsky around 2PM. We set off around 11AM to make sure we'd have plenty of time. The roads here are so very easy to get around, none of them majorly confusing. Crossing over Novy Most for one last time on our way out, we got onto the 'D1' highway and we were on our way. Nearly an hour in, we ended up in Trencin. A very beautiful place. I know now why Eva and Maria want me to visit there with them. The castle perched up on the mountain left a beautiful landscape.
Right past Trencin, we stopped at a small resturant on the side of the road. I immediately sent a text message to Maria and told her that she would be so proud of me. I walked in and asked our waitress (in Slovak, of course) if she spoke English. Of course, she didn't. So I proceeded to order our meals in Slovak, asking her for two Kofolas and two grilled chicken meals with french fries. I can't remember what I said, but I felt so comfortable saying it. And she understood me! Another sense of accomplishment!
From there, I hit the 'trip reset' on my GPS to know how far out past Trencin our cottage was. We went so very far. We ended up in the High Tatras. So very far out from Trencin and civilization. I quickly decided that my place to move had to be somewhere in the Trnava/Trencin/Bratislava area.
While the High Tatras are very very beautiful, I doubt I would come back up this way unless it was for a holiday. I could see me inviting the girls up here some time to go skiing or snowboarding (two items which I've never ever done, but would one day like to try).
We arrived at the cottage (finally) around 4:30PM. Nearly 300 miles PAST Trencin. *sigh* .. Regardless, we made our way to the cottage. The landlord spoke zero English, but we managed. He was a very nice man, and kept a very wonderful home. Our private cottage was absolutely gorgeous. Walking in, I knew that this was the perfect size for my home here in Slovakia. It consisted of only a few rooms. You have a small foyer for coats and such, then it enters into one main hall. In front of you, you have the WC (water closet - consists of a toilet and a small sink). Slightly veered to the right was the main bathroom which consisted of a large tub and sink, a washer (yay! a washer! you have no idea, but the clothes from Amsterdam's sweating fest from walking were surviving in thier own private bag because they.. eh.. weren't very clean, nor smelt good), and a water heater. To the right of the bathroom was a small dining room area. Opposite the foyer was a large living room area that had three beds, a double-closet, and a television (with..what's this? cable TV!? YES!). To the left of this room was the modestly sized kitchen which consisted of all the standard conviences, including a sink, stove (w/ range hood), microwave, coffee pot, and fridge. The next room just past that was the full size bedroom which consisted of a large bed and closet. The place is very very beautiful, and you can tell the owners keep it in nearly mint condition.... I can only hope we leave it the way we found it.....
I called Maria and explained to her that we had made it safely. She was confused as she expected us to be here much earlier. Unfortunately, getting lost in the High Tatras didn't help! She told me to be safe, and try to enjoy myself. This would be my conception of technological cleansing. Not much to really 'do' here, so I have to make amends with the questions plauging my mind of what's going on all around me. There's so much in my head right now, including what will come in the weeks to follow (which I will go into detail of in a later post).
Uhhgg.. No Internet connection here either though. We decided to head out towards Liptovsky Mikulas in search of food (since all we ate for the entire day was the grilled chicken meal) and possibly an Internet connection. By this point, it was late on a Monday evening, and many shops were closing up. I decided to stop at the Orange and expand my credit on my phone. Seeing my short 10 minute phone call with Maria prompted nearly a 70sk loss of my 300sk credit, I knew I needed to boost it up some. I went into the store and immediately asked my first primary question in Slovak, "Hovorit' po anglicky?" (which means 'Do you speak English?'), the girl at the desk responded 'Nie.. maly anglicky' (which means 'No, only a little English). Yet amazingly, with the help of one of her co-workers, we were able to acertain that I was there to credit my phone with another 1000sk. So, there's still a bit more of a language barrier here, but I'm managing, and I'm slowly being able to speak a bit more fluently.
From here, we headed towards the hypermarket in Liptovsky Mikulas. Arriving there, it was quite interesting to go inside and see all the things they had to offer. My main confusion is the lack of men's clothing in any of these stores (even Tesco was very limited). My only thought process to this is that since most people who I see shopping are women, they provide the widest selection to the woman's needs. I may be wrong, but I'd sure like to find some nice clothing stores (which, BTW, there is an Armani in Old Town Bratislava.. I need not look further, no? .. except, once I move here, I doubt I could afford it!).
We went around the entire store, and made our grocery purchases. I was a bit disappointed with the prices, as Tesco was much less. I even commented about how much I already missed Tesco. Once complete, we headed back to the cottage, with a meal ready to go (one fresh cooked chicken, some potatoes, and some corn - a perfect welcoming meal). As we got back, I turned on the television to watch my absolute favorite show, House....only all in Slovak. No major concern, as I could easily pick out a majority of the words that were spoken. The oddest thing is listening to the people who they use as voice-overs. I never pictured Dr. House with such a strong german-sounding accent!
Afterwards, I went to go get a full night's sleep. I turned my music down low, and went to sleep for the night. Over the night, I tossed and turned thinking about different things. Trying to re-analyze my ideas of Slovakia, and what would be coming in the weeks to follow. Between this, and the chill from outside, I didn't sleep very well at all again. Unfortunately, I was without a blanket, so all I had to keep me warm was a sheet. Many times throughout the night I woke up so very cold, but then I thought about my adventures from Bratislava, and immediately fell back asleep with a smile on my face.
The next few weeks shall prove rather intersting.. I will definately have many stories to share with anyone willing to listen!
