Awesome Road Trip
Trip Start
Apr 18, 2010
1
31
47
Trip End
Jul 07, 2010
Where I stayed
Bratislava, Slovakia
Thursday, May 27, 2010
While on my awesome road trip, the weather changed dramatically. I left warm sunny Venice in shorts, and arrived in Vienna freezing my ass off in the cold rain. Originally I was planning to spend a couple of days there, but after my extremely expensive visits to Cannes and Venice, I decided it would be better to just continue on to my next destination, Bratislava, Slovakia.
As I officially crossed the border into Slovakia, I couldn't help but remember the last time I was there when I was 10 years old. It was 1980, and I remember the Soviet Border Guards making everyone get off the bus and go into a small building where they thoroughly searched all our suitcases, and extensively questioned my Father about the purpose of our visit. Now it was just another European Union border crossing with absolutely nobody around. I didn't even actually see the border because it wasn't even marked! It's been like that my whole trip really. At least when you leave California and enter Nevada there's a sign. You would think that when you leave Spain and enter France there would also be at least a sign, but I haven't seen one anywhere.
I arrived in the rain at the Bratislava train station. It was the most deserted, dark, depressing place I have ever seen! So I decided it was best to just get the hell outta there and get to my hotel, fast. My hotel, was actually a Botel! That's right, I booked a room on a floating boat hotel on the Danube River! I was skeptical at first but after checking in I realized that this place was awesome! Nice clean room, free WiFi internet, and a free breakfast buffet, all with a great view of the river and within walking distance to downtown Bratislava. And for $33/night you can't beat it.
They had a bar and restaurant on the boat, so since I was exhausted from traveling all day I just decided to lay low and grab a bite to eat there. Little did I know that I had stumbled upon the ONLY INDIAN RESTAURANT in Bratislava. I love Indian food! But again I was skeptical. After all, how good could an Indian restaurant in the middle of nowhere Slovakia be? It turns out, REALLY GOOD! And cheap too! After dinner I slammed down a couple 1€ Original Czech Budweiser beers and I was off to bed….
Comments
This is where it's gonna get good...show time, Babs!
When do we get to Dracula's castle? I want to see some blood and vampires
Cheap beer + Eastern European women = 1st installment of the "Johnny Cabo Private Newsletter"
Johnny B Good! ... Your too good! Just find yourself a European babe
and do the Wild Thing! I was never lonely in Europe! -- there has to be
Plenty of hotties around -- lets call James Bond he will know!
I want hear about the Polish & Russian babes....
Hey, I'm Slovak and I am extremly offended by some of the comments above.
1. Slovakia is a beautiful, educated, and civilized country that still manages to keep its culture (with enthusiasm). Just because we stick to our culture we're out of it and barbaric?
2. Dracula lived in Transylvania which also happens to be in ROMANIA. ROMANIA!!!!! Not anywhere near Slovakia. Slovakia isnt anything like Romania: our people are better off and more worldly, we have less gypsies, etc.
3. Show time? WTF? Slovakia isnt some Viking society alright people? Slovakians, especially those living in towns or larger cities know more about EVERYTHING than any dumb American will ever know (sorry that I pick on American's especially but there IS a stereotype of them being the most ignorant of all people).
4. Eastern Europe??? Women? What age do you live in? Slovakia is in Central Europe not Eastern Europe (most Slovaks will be VERY offended if you say they are from Eastern Europe because the East is considered less worthy and poorer) and just like anywhere else women are completely normal, dignified people. We do not go around sitting on tables and swinging large glasses of bear while singing the Russian national anthem. So why stereotype us as this? And if you want dominating prostitutes go to Amsterdam.
5. Slovakians are VERY proud of their food and the large servings.
6. Train station? Well I'd like to see how fast you get back up after years and years of communism and isolation.
7. You know that movie Hostel? Yeah, that one. The one rhat made everyone fear Slovakia. The one that was also coincidentally filmed in Czech Republic.
SHAAAMEEE!!!
8. the language, Slovak, which has gone through many problems (invasian by the Turkish, the Hungarian, German speaking countries) has still been preserved and was recently found to be the hardest language in the world.
See? This is how it is to pick on other countries, alright? Every country has some stereotypes, but it is important to realize they are usually not true and people should keep an open mind when dealing with these things because someone is bound to be offended.
Thank you and greetings from Slovakia, the best country in the world!!!
Justina, I think you've misunderstood some of the comments here. John, who IS Slovakian, has the utmost respect for his family history and culture there. He STILL talks fondly of his trip back there, and can't wait to return for another visit. I'll speak to my comment first. SHOW TIME was a reference to John's promise that he was going to find the 'love of his life' in either his native Slovakia, Romania, or in Russia. He planned for this trip well over a year before he went, was down on his luck, lost his house in the economic recession, and we were all vested in his journey via his journals. I'm not sure how SHOW TIME got mixed up as a reference for some VIKING society (not even sure how the two are related), and stereotyping Americans as being ignorant IS just as bad as your accusation of someone stereotyping Slovakians: for whom I have many friends. Your comment about having cultural sensitivity is well taken, though, and I promise nobody here meant to offend you. Apologies if it was interpreted that way.
Ohhh, and one more thing. my wife's family is from Ukraine, and her grandfather took quite a bit of offense to the fact that you consider Easter Europe less educated, and was INSULTED that you'd never want to be associated with that region.
I just read what i wrote the other day. I cant believe i actually said that, and I regret it. I had a particularly bad day and several people had made fun of Slovakia. Still I had no right to take it out on this blog and I sincerely apologize. There is no excuse, I know, and even though I promise not to troll on the blog ever again an apology is definitely necessary (even though i understand if it isn't accepted, and I realize it might not be enough). I'm glad Bratislava was enjoyable though. And, coincidentally one of my grandparents is from Ukraine as well and I didn't mean those things I said. I apologize for that specifically. In fact most of the stereotypes aren't my specific views and I had just been proving a point, that there are bad things that can be said about all people.
Which I shouldn't have been trying to say anyway.
I hope we can forget about this, and I wish you the best of luck for the rest of your life, and please don't base your opinion of me or other Slovaks on the above angry rant.
Once again, I'm very VERY sorry,
Justina