Ljubljana & Zagreb

Wow i was in heaven when i got to the train i had a whole compartment to myself. These are big over here not like in Ireland, the train is divided up into compartments with 6 seats which fold down to make a bed!I got into my sleeping bag and folded down the 2 seats beside the window and boy was i cosy!! Again i couldnt sleep though because the view was AMAZING!! The train stopped at Klagenfert station for about 20 mins and i was half thinking maybe i should check if i need to change trains as this place was at the border of Slovenia and Austria but i was just SOOOO COSY! When the train started moving again it was going backwards the direction we came! I thought oh dear back to Salzberg...but thats not such a bad thing. Anyway what seemed like the same amazing scenery were eventually some signs for stations and buildings with strange accents and squiggles over the letters so thank god we were in Slovenia!




I checked into Zepplen hostel as i couldnt stay awake and didnt want to be just going to bed as soon as i met the couchsurfer i was staying with. The hostel was plain but nice. I dumped my bag and went for a walk, it was snowing very heavily how exciting!! I couldnt stay awake, i think i was in bed for about 8pm!



The next day....so much snow ive never actually been in a place where the snow is about 10 inches high! I had a bit of a problem though...very unsuitable shoes so my mission for the day was to find cheap boots.

Arent they lovely!!!





I didnt buy these ones but i may have if they were the cheapest and given them a shave! So like a little child jumping in the snow i headed to the university dorms where i would be staying with couchsurfer Ursa. Ursa has travelled to Ghana on her own and is a big fan of hitchhiking. Ghana sounded really tough going but a great experience...maybe after i return from India ill take a trip there! She made delicious fried cauliflower and we had some homemade nut flovoured liquer i think her grandmother made before heading off to the club where Ursa worked at the ticket office.

Ljubljana is full of dangers.....







It was gay night at the club. I seem to be having a lot of gay-related encounters on my travels so far!! While she sold the entrance tickets i went into overdrive giving out the free condoms with a nice smily gay sailorman picture on the pack! It was so funny when i handed them out to the really butch lesbians their face just strewn with utter disgust the thought of being with a man!!! Also quite funny were the young straight guys on the pull not realising it was gay night, Myself and Ursa would look at each other saying `not gay`, count to about 10 then the guys came back up to us looking for their money back! They got free gay sailorman condoms regardless. And i think i came home with about 20 packs in my bag!

Back at Ursa`s place her friends had been drinking the whole time we were gone and were running around in the snow with no shoes....oh to be a young wan again! My stomach was empty i didnt feel like drinking whiskey....am i loosing my irishness!?

The next day it was raining and the snow was melting, god damn and my boots stills so shiny and new!! I checked into another hostel a really nice one beside the river and right beside Red N Hot Horse Burger... Ljubljanas speciality! If i had been in the mood for a burger i might have sampled some horse but anyway no regrets!






This is Dragon Bridge



The view from the top of the castle



Lights shining into the river


I spent the next 2 days just relaxing ,climbing up to the castle, roaming the streets. It was so lovely there, a real Christmas feel and the people there were so friendly. I was also sharing my hostel room with a friendly Chinese guy called Packy who had a strong cockney london accent despite never being in London and his english teacher was Japanese! The strap from my bag broke and i was wandering around a market that was selling cheap bags, the guy that was selling the bags fixed mine for free how nice! He put a big smile on my face that day i hope he sells a lot of bags!

On now to Zagreb...

Torrential rain was starting. I checked into a hostel a little bit out from the centre, nice place but really strange guy in my room! He looked like E.T. and actually sounded quite like him too. He just walked or more stumbled around like he was in a lot of pain and making funny noises!

I didnt do much that day the rain was heavy and everyone seemed to be grumpy and rushing around. I called up to couchsurfer Sara`s house for a beer. I new i was going to like this girl the moment she opened the door! Her house was a little haven from the horrible weather and depressed feeling people outside. Her friend called over and we had a few beers it was really good! Headed back to my hostel, back to that strange guy...he set his alarm for 6.30am, started grumbling and whining when the alarm when off, pressed snooze, few minutes later it went off again, same thing, grumbling, whining press snooze, this kept going on and on i had no choice but to get up. Its times like this i really appreciate couchsurfing! I sure made plenty of noise when i was packing my bag...opening and fiddling with anything in a wrapper...dropping my shampoo bottle a few times...revenge!

Here is the only photo i took in Zagreb!



You climb under the railing and walk across the track to get to the other side!
Sometimes there is a train coming. My backpack caught in the railing when i was going under, it was torrential rain, i was on my hands and knees crawling trying to pull myself free i must have looked a right state i had crazy tired eyes and dragged-through-a-bush-backwards hair...oh i was also laughing manically just at the whole situation....i needed coffee! I got to Saras house, she was at work, i just got cosy and didnt move from her house!

Sara was wonderful company, it was a pity i had already booked my train ticked for Belgrade as i was missing out on a protest and a great party that weekend, and i REALLY liked the comfort of Saras house! Sara: i hope sometime you get that fish what a wonderful life he will have! She introduced me to my now favourite movie Buffalo 66.

The next day was pretty much the same torrential rain, i did venture out for an hour or two but i didnt make an effort, the rain put me in a really lazy mood. So lazy in fact i wasnt in the mood for meeting up with a couchsurfer for some food but im glad i did. Nenad was a lovely friendly guy and as he picked me up right outside Saras house i couldnt really refuse! We met his friends for coffee then on to a nice place for the most delicous food i have eaten this whole trip. YUM! He was a very interesting fellow with endless funny stories and a great of humour, they tried to fill me with hot wine after i mentioned that i had to take a few layers of clothes off i was so hot the last time i drank it! It really lifted my spirits after the depressing weather and it was a lovely end to my stay in Zagreb. I said my goodbyes so Sara in the morning and caught the train to Belgrade.

Oh i lied i took 2 photos, just as i was leaving...heres the view from the station! Yes my favourite part of Zabgreb...the amazing bakery at the station!