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Wednesday 13th August

Managed to get on the tram to my hostel in Zagreb but boy was it busy at 7am; mostly by fat middle-aged woman who couldnt be arsed to walk the distance to the next stop. I got promptly jammed into many people, pissing them and myself off. Now I know the hostel was slightly out of town but a 15min tram journey was more than I thought (and 50 minutes walk back as I found out later). Good directions and I was able to fresh up and use the internet straight away so not all bad.

Sorted myself out for Ljubljana and Budapest stays before walking into town to see the sights. Yet another quaint UNESCO protected old town (yawn) and not too many sights. I visited the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (top of Kapitol Hill) but mainly for the strange crucifixation statue inside . Then across the way to Gradec Hill (the other of the twin Zagreb centres) to see the St. Marks Cathedral and Parliament but both were under restoration and hence not visitable. Lunch was a great goulash at Mali Medo and a lovely dark wheat beer (Dva klasa).

I tried to find some transport out of Zagreb but no buses to neighbouring countries so I was stuck with the train to Ljubljana the next day. Weather was a scorcher and I went back ot the hostel for a nap and some relief. Also allowed me to catch up with blogs and other things.

Now some strange things were, banks dont change Bosnian or Serb money, just other international currency.Then the money changers well... I thought I had ask to do naughty things to the kantor's daughter the way they reacted to Serb money... guess the war isnt over: DO NOT think about changing dinars out of Serbia. Also the Croat Slavs are starting to look less slavic. Maybe some mixing with the germanic races or Italiens but I didnt see as many typical Slavs here in Zagreb compared to Sarajevo/Beograd.

Also I am not sure if its just a Slav thing but I noticed a strange fashion here. Bum bags or little pouch bags (like a camera case worn round the neck or a mini-satchel) seem to be on all the Slav men (so not just tourist thing). I was going to put it down to a Slav quirk until I started to notice western guys also wearing this... I hope these were just western tourists and it's not the new fashion in europe as its almost as daggy as shell suits.

My evening, I cooked at the hostel, chatted to the girls (most of the guests here female) and had a look round the centre as I had spent up my Croat money and not in the mood to sit alone in a bar. Moderately early night as I hadnt really slept on the train and bed by 23:00.

Thursday 14th August

Up and thankfully got some stuff for brekkie the previous day. Got a tram to the station (again I'd had the forsight to buy a spare ticket whilst I had croatian money left) and managed to get in a quiet part of the train to Ljubljana. The normal tickets inspection on three occassions, border checks but as I'm now back in the EU no stamps . Oh well its all old Yugoslavia to me. I had a bit of an arguement with the ticket guy in Slovenia as my ticket was 2nd class and I was sure I was in a 2nd class seat but he seemed to think the single seats were 1st (no signs though)... I used ignorant tourist and no speakie BCS (bosnian/croatian/serbian is almost the same language and can be classified as BCS, I'm sure Slovenian is part of the same language too) to get away with it but I'm still sure I was right .

Oh well, day trains are always fun and I couldnt really sleep in the 150 mins to my next destination (I lost my book in Beograd at some stage so have been Steven Fry less since the first chapter!). I gave up when I arrived and just bought a ticket on to Budapest from the train station (there were no buses anyway) before off to my YHA/HI accommodation.

Four bedded dorm but this time in what looks like student dorms (I would hate to be a student in this uni as the halls are crap!). No common room and a lowsy small kitchen. Laundry of one machine and bloody expensive at that, plus the place was crammed full and a mix of groups/ families with young kids. Definatley not the place as a single traveller to meet other people. Bugger I was on my own here... it may explain my mood at the moment. I am a bit down and maybe its because I have not really met anyone new in the last few places that I could hang with or maybe I've been on the road too long and ready to come home. Actually maybe I've got used to these little hostels and the groups of people you meet there. HI hostels are too big and impersonal.

Oh well I walked up to Ljubljana castle and the museum/tower were closed but there were some interesting free modern art exibitions on in the compound. Yes I know, but I enjoyed a few of them. The park land (Grajskigric) round the castle is nice for a walk and strange how quiet things can be in the middle of a city. Strange set-up but nice place if you havent been to quaint old town before (yep UNESCO again!).

I followed the rivers round the city and fell in love with the Dragon bridge (it's just impossible to get a good photo of it). Presernov square has its own weather (until you fine the secret sprinkler hidden in the electric cables). Three bridges quaint but again impossible to photo properly. I also found the doors of St. Nicholas Cathedral amazing art works but I just stayed outside this church for a change. Continued round the town to the sports grounds at Kodeljevo but well out of the tourist zone so I returned on the other banks and got some mexican dinner in the old town.

Evening was a bit disappointing. No-one to go out with and the centre is a mixture of cafes or bars set up like cafes (tables but no bar area as such:- the time I went up to try and bar surf, a waiter grabbed me and sent me to a lone table to take my order... definately not the best place for singles). The one bar I did like was called Pr'Skelet; its a skeleton theme bar (but I didnt have my camera that evening), full of couples or spanish groups so no joy in joining any conversations... bum. I continued to bar surf until I gave up (even the student bar of Zmavc was empty as its out of term time).

Friday 15th August

Yep you get free brekkie, maybe the only bonus of Hostel Tabor. However today is a new Bank Holiday in Slovenia so nothing is really open and the laundrettes are all closed (I was sent on a wild goose chase to a district well out of the centre Siska andthen back again). Thankful I found a supermarket open in Siska. I made the mistake of ordering two take-away coffees at a cafe (but thankfully needed both!). Boy again was it hot so I popped via the hostel for shorts and singlet rather than my standard jeans (I really was almost out of clean clothes again!).

Now I wanted out of quaint town and headed the 85 minutes to the Sava river bridge and to the pebble beaches on the river front. Yep, in the quiet places, clothing was optional but with my previous sunburn, it wasnt for me. I just relaxed by the river, enjoyed the peace away from everyone (and tourists) before walking back for a burek mesni and beer take-a-way.

I almost had a heart attack on my way back and think I may have out stared the local... I've been wondering what natural blonde and brown eyes would look like as it is not a combination I've seen on my travels (the girl I saw in Slovakia wasnt natural blonde lol!). I saw this young man with the Slav features but this combination cycling by and I was stopped in my tracks. It was striking and looked amazing. Sorry for this bizarre interlude but its been on my mind for ages and I always wondered what I would have looked like if I'd stayed blonde through puberty (rather than my cheap dye jobs that never worked... yep I admit it now that times moved on),

As I got back the heavens opened and wouldnt stop for the rest of my stay in Slovenia (although it was warm rain, just lots of it!). My night was spoilt as the main clubs in the Hippy area of Ljubljana are closed in summer so I was left with these cafe bars again and no company! Damn the summer holidays (and the useless Lonely Planet guidebook!)

I watched the rain under shelter and enjoyed the humidity dropping from the air. But no joy for my Friday night after some more failed bar surfing I called it a night before midnight especially as my train was at 7am the next day (I would have stayed up if these blasted clubs had been open but Bank and Student holidays cursed me, in UK things would have been busy for a Bank Hol, but not here in Slovenia).

Right I'll continue another time. Gremskie x