Slovenia-Here reality feels like a dream and fantasies are lived on precariously stationed lone benches that offer surreal views of Lake Bled and the surrounding Julian Alps!
The alluring natural beauty of this first-country-to-break-free from former Yugoslavia, led me to spend another night at the London Stanstead airport before an early morning flight out to the capital city of Ljubljana (Lu-bl-IA-NA;)). Not long had gone by before my feet started hurting and I cuddled against my backpack for a little more warmth. Personally I hate wearing boots. In another season I would have comfortably hiked in my slip ons, but end of March still felt unbearably cold. The thing is, I can never get my pair right. Even the so claimed 'good-ones' give my toes an ache. But as I tried to recall which among the 3 pairs that I own I find most comfortable, I could barely recreate the awful hurt in my toes. Instead flashes of my past adventures filled my mind and a smile crept on my lips, unmindful of the hurting toes that were excited to be on the move, once again.
Flying into Slovenia offered unrivaled views of the mountains; just what I needed to tend to the fatigue from a sleepless night. The days were spent scaling peaks and chasing frozen waterfalls, followed by evenings in cozy chalets. Slovenia also happened to be the first place where I chose to spend a night in a homestay. But the location, off the tourist trail left me a bit unnerved. A late night arrival in the Slovenian hamlet, Kobarid with the hosts suggesting that I rest in my room while they take a look at my passport for identity verification instinctively turned me defensive. I insisted on hanging around until they completed the procedure. Later the unintentional rudeness towards the genuine natives merely offering to be hospitable to a guest after her long journey hit hard. What was even more heart warming was their kind demeanor that did not change in the least bit afterwards. The bright smiles lingered until they bid goodnight. An explanation and apology to the hosts the next morning led to a discussion about the precautions to be taken while travelling solo. Better safe than sorry! But surely sorry for taking leave from the lovely family that offered the best tips on the things to do around their little town. After unwinding and hiking by the emerald river Soca, it was time to make the long bus journey to the capital. The last night, supposed to be a quiet evening in a backpacker's hostel dormitory in Ljubljana however, turned into a memorable racket. Ljubljana was lively by the night, made even better in the company of the people from Spain, Serbia, Ukraine, Cyprus and Morocco. Ughwaitz (Chukki) from Spain and Aasia from Morocco became my closest companions from our little group. Having only one more day to spare in Slovenia, the three of us decided go road tripping in Chukki's car. With no hard and fast plan in place, we played a silly Spanish game (beyo beyo, ke-bis), sang Bollywood songs and played Moroccon music all the way. The day went by, appreciating the endless beauty of the Triglav National Park until it was time to drive back, but via Italy! Upon exiting the Slovenian border, Chukki broke it to Aasia and me that we were on an illegal permit :D. Both of us had a flight to catch in the next 24 hours, but the splendid views of the Italian alps kept us from panicking about the thought of landing in Slovenian prison. Chukki drove like a boss and got us safely to the airport, well in time. As the sun went down and as the airplane took off, yet another adventure came to an end. Hvala-Vam Slovenia-you piece of heaven!
DIY ITINERARY
DAY 1
a. Plansarsko Jezero
b. Lake Bled
c. Vintgar Gorge (open only May-October)
Stay option
Guest House Mlino (slightly pricey, but good for it's proximity to Lake Bled)
Public Transport
Bled -> Kranj (bus), Kranj ->Plansarsko Jezero (bus)
DAY 2
a. Try a day tour with http://www.slovenija.eu.com/ (Especially helpful in winters). Covers:
-Lake Bohinj
-Savica waterfall
-Complementary Snow-shoeing at the Vogel Ski Centre.
-A drive through walls of ice in the Pokljulka plateau
DAY 3
-Explore Kobarid, a hamlet in Northern Slovenia with stunning views of the Soca river. Also don't forget to indulge in some cottage cheese bruschetta!
Places to visit:
-Napolean Bridge
-Hanging Bridge enroute Slap Kozjak
-Slap Kozjak
Stay option:
Apartments Masera
Public Transport
Bled -> Most Na Soci (Train)
Most Na Soci -> Kobarid (bus)
DAY 4
a. Ljubljana
Places to visit
-Triple bridge across river Ljublianica
-Dragon Bridge and Ljublajana castle
Stay option (backpacker):
Hostel Sleeping Beauty
DAY 5
Road Trip to Triglav National Park from Ljubljana. Visit:
-Waterfall Pericknic
-Lake Jasna
-Bovec
BEST TIME TO VISIT
Spring/Autumn (Mar-May), (mid Sep-Nov)
For a snow-capped scenery of Bled and for still-warm, comfortable days in the North (Kobarid)