SLOVEnia: Land of happiness and good times

Okay, the national slogan of Slovenia is I Feel sLOVEnia, that is just an auspicious start. We were tired and a smidge downtrodden when we got in to Ljubljana after being disappointed in Croatia, tired of rain and tourists and just tired after an overnight train, hanging out in Zagreb for 6 hours and another 2 hour train… Phew, I’m tired just writing it. We were not terribly encouraged when we got to the train station where an unhelpful (Again, gruffable) woman sort of helped us book a private room at a hotel that also ran a hostel. However, the hostel was great, good value, clean, nice comforters, actually better than some hotels we’ve stayed in (more on this later). We headed out to find dinner and explore the town a bit. We found a fun typical dinner where we ate some tasty animals of the forest (boar & venison) dressed in fruits of the forest (wild cherries and mushrooms) and a fun cheese roulade thing because among other things Slovenians slove is cheese. God I love Slovenia.


The next morning we ended up joining a free tour run by their chamber of commerce. It was a lovely and very informative tour. Our tour guide gave us great insight into the former Yugoslavia (and Slovenian independence, one of their other awesome slogans: Slovenia, since 1991). Ljubljana is a student town (partially because they have really great government subsidies and consequently 1 in 5 residents are students), and it lends itself to having fun stuff going on in the street, adorably mediocre singer-songwriters in bars and fantastically cheap food because students won’t pay for anything! Did I tell you that I slove Slovenia?

The following day we headed up to Lake Bled for some R&R. Who needs R&R on a 9-month trip? We did, we were tired and seriously, there is a lot of planning & travel & bag carrying on a trip like this (not to mention the train, two buses and a taxi that it ended up taking to get us there). Worry not, it was totally worth it. Lake Bled is the main recreational destination for Slovenia, but it wasn’t overcrowded, it was adorable.

Another plus of Bled? Their trademark is cream cake! Half custard, half whipped cream topped and bottomed with puff pastry. You can rest assured that we tried it at multiple locations for scientific research purposes.

We spent our days walking around the 6km lake track (gorgeous), we rented a boat and Mike rowed us out to the little island in the middle with a church on it (hilarious, I mean, skillful), we ate amazing American style Chinese food (twice), we read (Mike found me ‘The World Without End’, he must really love me!), we lounged, it was great.

We also did some activities at the hotel. The hotel it should be noted was awesome, out of town, gorgeous views, tasty breakfast, amazing value. The hotel was apparently the first one built in Bled, built because it was a property next to the railroad from Austria that they built in like 1906 and it was a good stopping point for Franz Joseph, so they built him a hotel. It was closed for like 20 years starting with the former-Yugo wars and just reopened 18 months ago. One night we decided to do a tasting of Slovenian wines in their cellar. It consisted of 3 wines (one of which our guy said was mediocre, but very representative of what Slovenians like, ha). Like the rest of Slovenia, our wine guy Daniel could not lie. Also, when we tasted wines, he tasted them also and told us the right answer (which Mike always got wrong, ‘uh, this one tastes sweet?’ ‘NO, it is Very Dry’, double ha). That guy has a great job, drink and mildly abuse tourists in a charming way, I’ll take it.

The next day we opted to do their price fixe dinner, also not a bad deal, and because the weather was bad, very private. Our waiter was gruffable and hilarious, also a non-liar. Actual conversation:

“this is a pumpkin soup with smoked trout. It is the best soup you will ever have”

“is it the best soup you’ve ever had?”

“Eeehhhh, it is very good.”

Ha.

The food was delicious, and while I’m not sure the soup was the best I’ve ever had it was really good.

In short. Slovenia ruled. It was just what we needed, and were hoping for out of Croatia, and an amazing way to really process our experience, it a breathtaking setting.

Now don’t all of you go at once, if it gets crowded next time I go, I blame you. Oh yeah, and of course I bought a t-shirt, because when you can have a t-shirt that says I’m in SLOVEnia, you have to, I think it’s a rule.

Soundtrack to a Journey

For anyone who has the burning question, what songs do Debbie & Mike feel really represent their trip? Here ya go! A few of them were just haunting, particularly in New Zealand where we could only get like three radio stations, and they only had Michael Buble, Train & Jason Derulo on repeat... But mostly they are just fun songs that remind us of fun places. Not a bad playlist if you ask me.

Michael Buble – Haven’t Met You Yet

Train – Soul Sister

Sean Kingston – Replay

Sean Kingston – Fire Burning on the Dance Floor

Adam Lambert – What Do You Want From Me

Lady Gaga – Bad Romance

Jason Derulo – In My Head

Black Eyed Peas – Tonight’s Gonna Be a Good Night

Jay Z – Empire State of Mind

Jason Mraz – I’m Yours

Lady Gaga – Fernando (Mike refuses to call it Alejandro)

Eminem feat. Rihanna – Love the Way You Lie

Elvis Crespo – Suavemente

Timbaland feat. Katy Perry – If We Ever Meet Again

Favorite Cities Addendum

I intentionally left Jerusalem off the list of our favorite cities, as it sort of goes without saying that it ranks pretty highly for both of us. But lest anyone think otherwise, Jerusalem is an amazing city -- beautiful, with incredible ancient sites, good shopping, interesting people, and apparently delicious pizza and bagels. Watching the sunset, as it turns the Jerusalem stone across the city a glowing red, is an amazingly gorgeous sight.

I hadn't intended to leave Kyoto off the list, though, so imagine the following paragraph as part of the previous cities post.

Kyoto, Japan

As Lonely Planet puts it, Kyoto is where you can find the Japan of your imagination. The center of town is quite modern, but the edges of the city climb up into beautiful mountainsides that are chock-full of Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, palaces, rivers, gardens, and walking paths. With 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites, Kyoto has so much culture that it's nearly impossible to see it all. And I'd be lying if I said that we could still differentiate the dozen or so sights that we saw from one another. But here are some of highlights as we recall them: Kiyomizu-dera temple, the Golden Palace, street treats, Geisha hunting in Gion, the Path of Philosophy, a temple full of stone lanterns whose name escapes me, and the bamboo grove in Arashiyama. We loved Kyoto, and think you will too!

Places to Stay

Looking for housing recommendations? Here’s our list of the best places we stayed around the world, in rough order from least fancy to fanciest. If there’s anything special of note about a place, we’ve thrown it in for good measure.

Hostels & Pensions

Apollo Bay Eco-Beach YHA – Apollo Bay, Australia (This eco-hostel on the Great Ocean Road is relatively new and has great facilities, including the nicest hostel kitchen we’ve ever seen…and an herb garden that they encourage you to use. The only downside is that none of the rooms have en-suite bathrooms, but the communal ones were pretty nice. Sunset drinks on the roof deck are a must ).

Franz Josef YHA – Franz Josef Village, New Zealand

Grand Aygun Hotel – Cirali, Turkey (This place is really a pension, not a hotel. But it’s run by a lovely family who serve a good, if a bit overpriced, home-cooked dinner. Our room was decent enough, and had a large balcony with great mountain views. Breakfast was also included).

Melbourne Metro YHA – Melbourne, Australia

Massada Youth Hostel – Masada, Israel (Right at the foot of Masada, and thus perfect for early-morning climbs, this place is nearly a hotel. Beautiful facilities, great rooms, and an awesome pool. All for a really cheap price).

Hotels

Hotel Babis – Santorini, Greece (This family-run hotel is 10-15 minutes outside the main town of Fira, but they provide free transportation into town and it’s a pretty easy walk back. Babis and his family were among the nicest hosts we had, and they would do just about anything for their guests. Plus his dad is a little crazy and a lot deaf and it’s cute. Breakfast was included and was pretty solid. Oh, and they have a beautiful outdoor pool).

Hotel SO – Christchurch, New Zealand (This eco-hotel has very compact rooms, but they’re modern and comfortable, you get free wi-fi, and you can choose whether or not to pay for certain amenities such as maid service. With no add-ons, we only paid $59 a night, which is quite a deal. Also, you operate the entire room through a digital bedside console. Wicked!).

Hotel Vina – Hue, Vietnam (One of the best breakfast buffets we experienced on the road and they upgraded our room without asking).

Hadrianus Hotel – Antalya, Turkey (A bit hard to find, and the owner barely speaks English and wears an awkward fanny pack everywhere, but once you’ve gotten past that, the rooms are beautiful and cheap and include a decent breakfast in a really pretty garden setting).

Angkor Pearl Hotel – Siem Reap, Cambodia (A 10-15 minute walk from downtown Siem Reap, this was still one of the best deals we got on our trip: $25 for a nice suite with TV, wi-fi, breakfast, and a pick-up at the bus station. They also provided us a driver for the Angkor temples for a mere $50 for the three full days).

La Strada Traditional Hotel – Rethymno, Crete, Greece (It was mostly staffed by a chubby 12-year-old, but as long as his Facebook usage didn’t interfere with your needs the hotel was really lovely).

Arenal Observatory Lodge – outside of La Fortuna, Costa Rica (If you’re going to see Arenal Volcano, we strongly suggest you avoid La Fortuna and stay here for amazing volcano watching).

Hanoi Elegance Hotel – Hanoi, Vietnam

Paradise Resort – Koh Phi Phi, Thailand (Stay in the ‘New Rooms’…they are gorgeous and well priced. A little paradise on earth).

Pyrgos Adrachti Hotel – Kastraki (Meteora), Greece

Ancient Hotel – Luang Prabang, Laos (Overlooks the main street and consequently the nightly market on the street. You can also see the alms procession from the balcony if you manage to wake up at the right time).

Hotel Triglav Bled – Lake Bled, Slovenia (One of our favorite hotels, we booked a room on Hostel Bookers, but this is fully a four-star hotel. Cozy, remote, with great views of the lake and a staff that goes above and beyond. We did wine tasting in their cellar and also sprung for an amazing four-course dinner at their restaurant one night. The perfect place for a mountain retreat).

Saigon Dalat Hotel – Dalat, Vietnam (Don’t go to Dalat. But if you do, stay here).

Bali Hyatt – Sanur, Bali, Indonesia

Kyoto Hyatt – Kyoto, Japan

Croatia: A study in meh.

We arrived in Croatia, called our apartment guy and he came to pick us up. Here begins a theme: Croatians are gruff, sometimes they warm up to lovably gruff, sometimes not. He was lovably gruff, he cheerfully informed us that his daughter studies in the US, she plays basketball for New Jersey Tech. Ha.


Split is a cute town, although when we got there we had some trouble grasping it, we realized hours later (when we suddenly liked it much more) that apparently the cruise ships leave around 6. Here begins a theme. Croatia is PLAGUED by cruise ships. We’ve been in two towns, Split and Dubruvnik which are both mainly walled old cities with populations around 20,000, and a bit outside the walls. However, each has no fewer than 2, sometimes more like 4 large scale cruise ships a day, even now, at the outside edge of tourist season. This means that tiny cities swell, primarily with tours with yelling guides, numbered stickers and ladies wandering off to take pictures of… nothing.

So, once the cruise ships peaced out, Split was lovely. We spent two days enjoying, mucking about, figuring out the oddities (the guidebook said that Croatia has a great ‘Café culture’ by which they mean there are HUNDREDS of café/bars that serve beer, wine, spirits and coffee and NO FOOD. There is an occasional restaurant, but they are sort of few and far between and generally expensive. Your option generally for breakfast and lunch is to stop at a bakery or pizza by the slice place and take it to a café where you can get a drink, weird? YUP). My favorite? When we spent 2 dollars to climb the bell tower of the cathedral. What was at the top? 3 tourists taking pictures and 2 Croatian 20-somethings smoking an ENORMOUS blunt (for those of you not from California, a blunt is essentially a cigar-sized mix of marijuana and tobacco, for the two of them it looked like enough to make a mid-sized horse high for 2 days). It was a genius plan, clearly they would never know anyone up there and it’s dead in the middle of town, and with a nice view. Smart for potheads, really, and what is a tourist going to do or care about it? Genius. Our last day it raaaained, so we took shelter in a café, enjoyed the day off and uploaded about 400 pictures to our flickr account (thanks free Split wireless!).

The following morning in a storm that can only be described as wrathful, we hopped on a bus to Dubrovnik hoping for better weather. Little did we know, to get to Dubrovnik you have to drive through like a half hour of Bosnia! Random right? They check your passports and everything. We got out both times hoping for a Bosnia souvenir, but apparently no one has jumped on that market yet…

For the most part the weather was better (although still sort of gloomy with a chance of crazy pants rain for the better part of our time there), what wasn’t better? Cruiseshippers. I almost punched a couple…. No joke, the tours are just so invasive in small places. We were in a teeny tiny museum and twice a tour guide came up with her little number sign, set up riiiiight next to my face and beckoned in 40+ people to talk about something only vaguely related to the museum at all. There were definite highlights, the city walls were lovely, the Franciscan monastery has the oldest public pharmacy in Europe (cool, they still run one too), we also went to a war photo museum which was interesting and not just about the Yugoslavian conflicts, it put things in good context. There was lovely seafood and we met some great people (Thanks for hanging out Nanci & Steve!), but Croatia only made an okay in our book.

Next time we do it, we would rent a car and go to smaller places (well, small places that tours don’t go), although we did end up spending 6 hours in Zagreb and decided that was more our kind of town. It felt homey and European and grand in a nice Austrio-hungarian way. Oh, also? For all of you who put like 3 extra packets in when you make hot chocolate? Head to the former Yugoslavian nations, their hot chocolate ranges somewhere from extra packet to hot chocolate pudding. Wowza.

Tune in soon for a much cheerier Slovenia post, and lots of wrap up bits before we get back in a few days!

Our Favorite Cities

Well, folks, as our time on the road comes to a rapid end, we'll be offering a few posts summarizing, slicing, dicing, analyzing, listing, dissecting, tallying, and otherwise processing our 9 months out of the country. Without further adieu, here's the annotated list of our favorite major cities (in the order that we visited them):

Sydney, Australia

Although it’s expensive as all get-out, Sydney is a really gorgeous city. There’s lots to be said for it, including great weather and beautiful beaches, but our favorite part was the stunning Sydney harbor, complete with harbor bridge and opera house (which, attractive and iconic as it is, actually looks like bathroom tile up close…but we still loved it). The ferry back to Circular Quay from Manly beach provided an amazing view of the harbor…we highly recommend it as a cheaper alternative to a harbor cruise! We also really enjoyed the Sydney Jewish Museum, where a 90-year old Holocaust survivor named Eddie gave one of the most moving tours we’ve ever been on. And we loved the Sydney Aquarium, home to lots of fun marine animals, including the hitherto-unknown-to-us Dugong. I’ll also add that arriving in Sydney felt a bit like discovering life on another planet: you travel such a long distance to get there, and yet you step off the plane into a city that isn’t all that different from home, except that everyone speaks with a funny accent, shortens every word, and adds a “y” sound to everything they say. No ozone layer though, so don’t forget to bring your “sunnies!”

Melbourne, Australia

We keep saying that if Sydney is like a gorgeous model, Melbourne is the all-around good girl you bring home to mom. Which is not to say that Melbourne isn’t beautiful – it’s physical beauty is simply subordinate to its rich culture, including fantastic museums, cafes, bohemian neighborhoods, international flair, and an unhealthy obsession with Australian Rules Football. Highlights included the Melbourne Museum, where we got a personal tour (since no one else showed up) of the museum’s Aboriginal wing by a cute and friendly elderly Australian lady who is clearly fascinated by Aboriginal culture and sort of smelled like my Grandma Dottie. This was preceded by a personal tour of Melbourne by our friends Nicki and Nick, which included coffee at a St. Kilda café, Coopers Sparkling Ale (Nick’s favorite) at a pub, and 360 degree views of the city from the Eureka Tower. We also enjoyed getting to see infamous bushranger (i.e. outlaw) Ned Kelly’s armor at the state library, Bollywood dancing at the international food festival, Debbie getting kissed on the lips by a fat, sweaty comedian, and, of course, the "footy" game (St. Kilda Saints v. Western Bulldogs) that we went to with Nicki – complete with meat pies and beers. We even managed to follow the game, which is something considering the nonsensical rules! Oh, and we loved that the Saints’ fight song is “When The Saints Go Marching In.” Bloody original.

Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo is a large and complex city and we never managed to completely get our bearings, but that didn’t prevent us from truly enjoying it. We went from neighborhood to neighborhood, and each one demonstrated the disparate and conflicting elements in Japanese culture: ancient Buddhist temples and palaces, towering skyscrapers, manga (comic) shops where you can get a room for hours on end to read comics, surf the internet, and sleep, capsule hotels (our friend Becky described it as a bit like sleeping in a coffin), maid cafes (see below), love hotels (don’t ask), Harijuku (kids who dress up in fantasy-esque costumes and parade about), Western stores and restaurants (including Shakey’s pizza!), kabuki theaters, and, of course, the largest fish market in the world. A fascinating mix of very traditional and very modern, with a good bit of conservative and quirky thrown in. We loved the delicious street foods (red bean-filled fish-shaped pancakes, among other goodies), particularly in Asakusa. The @home Café, our maid café in Akihabara (where, yes, we were served by a maid and got to watch the maids sing while awkward, lonely Japanese men competed for prizes and attention), was a definite highlight. And sashimi bowls with tons of fresh fish for super cheap in Ueno. However, nothing will beat walking through a sliding glass door out of the rain on our first night in Tokyo, and being warmly welcomed and asked what level of pork fat we wanted in our Ramen soup. Still perhaps the best meal we’ve had on this trip!

Shanghai, China

Forgive me for saying that Shanghai doesn’t feel like a Chinese city, clearly owing to its international background. As a long-time open port city and then the scene of vying economic and political maneuvering by the British, French, Americans, and other Western powers, Shanghai is a modern city in a country that is anything but. The Bund feels like Wall Street on the water, and the French Concession is an adorable little European neighborhood, with cafes and tree-lined streets. We had a great night carousing and eating with two Americans from Georgia who we met at a bar. We also enjoyed the Shanghai Jewish Tour (even though there’s not so much to see anymore, and it’s a bit overpriced for what it is…but the history remains fascinating). And, of course, the World Expo, odd experience that it was…we still have to give Shanghai credit for being able to say we’ve been to one...and we got quoted in an AP article! Our biggest regret from our entire 9-month journey is that we had the pork soup dumplings that they sell at little stands on the street (a Shanghai specialty) only once. Don’t make the same mistake, people.

Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region (SAR) China

Hong Kong is stunning. Leave it to the British to build a city straight up a mountainside. How many cities can boast the world’s longest escalator (800 m), which people actually use to commute to and from work?! We’ve described Hong Kong as a bit like Chinatown in any American city, but inside-out – a feeling particularly striking in Lan Kwai Fong, the totally Western enclave that feels a bit like Adams Morgan for adults. Of course, you have to imagine the whole thing plopped down in the middle of a steamy jungle to get the full effect. Highlights included the Star Ferry across the harbor, the Victoria Peak tram, the Mid-Levels escalator, dim sum at City Hall, the Hong Kong History Museum, Ten Thousand Buddhas monastery, and the cable car ride to the Big Buddha on Lantau island. There’s also lots of outdoorsy stuff to do, making Hong Kong a great place for nature-lovers – and there are absolutely gorgeous views everywhere. Oh, our favorite part of the city: being able to check in (including luggage) for your flight at the metro station downtown, before you even get to the airport! We can only hope that innovation catches on elsewhere.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

In a country that we found somewhat loud and abrasive, it’s ironic that we wound up really enjoying Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon, as everyone but the government calls it). Filled to the brim (street, and frequently sidewalk) with motorbikes, and bustling with commercialism, HCMC often turns off those who start their Vietnam journeys there. But compared to maneuvering in Hanoi’s old quarter, we found it downright spacious. Filled with some decent museums, good food, fascinating history (the highlight of which was the Reunification Palace, where North Vietnamese tanks busted through the gates to end the Vietnam War in 1975), and a stellar view from the rooftop bar of the Sheraton, HCMC was the perfect end to our stay in Vietnam. We highly recommend the Lonely Planet walking tour, which was how we made our way around town. It even included an 11am ice cream break, where Debbie had a sushi-shaped ice cream platter!

Istanbul, Turkey

It’s often said that as a secular Muslim country, Turkey stands at the crossroads between the West and the Middle East. Turns out that’s also literally true, as Istanbul is divided by the mighty Bosphorus river, one side of which is the European continent and the other of which is Asia. Home to two extraordinary landmarks, Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque, and teeming with life, good food, and beautiful views, Istanbul is a fun and interesting city. In addition to these two beautiful houses of worship, highlights included the bakalava at Karakoy Gulluoglu (including the chocolate bakalava, which we are determined to import to the U.S.), strolling on Istiklal street, fresh fish sandwiches from swaying boats on the Golden Horn, our amazing dinner at Hamdi Et Lokantasi, our Bosphorous cruise, and our mehane dining experience (small plates and lots of raki) with Jenny & Christopher. We’ve also never consumed so much tea in our lives!

Ljubljana, Slovenia

It’s a bit hard to rank Ljubljana with these other cities, particularly since we considered putting it on our “favorite towns” list. But the truth is, Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, is a charming little city. It’s not a flashy place (their tourist brochure even admits that they don’t have any major attractions), but it is full of charisma, interesting architecture, an adorable old town, and a vibrant student population (anywhere from a quarter to a sixth of the city’s total population). We did a free walking tour, which lasted over two hours and was extraordinarily informative. We also enjoyed wandering around on our own, particularly across the dragon bridge (with fierce-looking dragons serving as the protectors of the city) and along the waterfront. One evening we saw a great little jazz band playing at an outdoor café, and both nights we enjoyed some delicious traditional Slovenian meals, including goulash, fried chicken, and a venison plate. Plus, how can you not love a place whose national tourist slogan is “I Feel SLOVEnia” or that has t-shirts boasting "Slovenia...since 1991"?!

Croatia: In Photos First...

View of Split from the bell tower

Inside joke for Dragosta Din Tae lovers... Hajduk is their soccer team

Split waterfront

Mike in BOSNIA!! Pretty right?

Dubruvnik harbor from the city ramparts (i heart ramparts)