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Backpacking 2022Backpacking 2022
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A 26-day public-transport-crazed backpacking tour of Central/Eastern Europe: the Tatras to the Balkans Read more
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  • Backpacking 2022
    Day 6

    Hrabusice

    July 10, 2022 in Slovakia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    [JJ] Today has been a fairly low-key event; Thomas felt fairly ill this morning so slept in while I chatted to Cleo and Olive, a pair of interrailling teens from Cornwall, as well as a friendly Polish woman in our dorm for a few hours. By midday we checked out and headed into Zakopane for the final time, where we refueled with lunch and said a final goodbye to Poland in what has been a thoroughly enjoyable visit. We then retraced our steps of yesterday, taking two buses before arriving in Poprad, oddly our third time (at least) entering Slovakia this trip. A final train ride was sandwiched by sightings of giant snails, which seem to be abundant here in Slovakia!

    We are now settling in at Villa Vraji and prepping for a trek through some gorges in Slovak Paradise tomorrow.    Read more

  • Backpacking 2022
    2
    Day 7

    Sucha Belá

    July 11, 2022 in Slovakia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    [JJ] We entered Slovak Paradise National Park early this morning and our first action was exploring sucha belá, an epic gorge with lanky via ferrata-esque ladders and platforms on a route twisting through the chasms above a crystal stream and deep below pristine pines.Read more

  • Backpacking 2022
    1
    Day 7

    Tomásovsky View

    July 11, 2022 in Slovakia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    [JJ] After a stroll through the Slovakian woods, we emerged into a clearing with the ruins of an abandoned monastery dating back to 1299. It was only after rooting around there that we soon discovered a self-service beer dispenser in the middle of nowhere! And as tourists we felt obliged to do as the locals do, so naturally we stuck our heads right under the tap and necked the local lager straight! (Disclaimer: no locals did this.)

    We then took an atmospheric hike up to Tomásovsky View, experiencing the second up close sighting of a chamois on the trip. We joked about how a near death experience with a bear would make great reading for this blog and continue the theme of almost killing ourselves but unfortunately no bears obliged on this particular day. The remainder of the walking led us through more wacky gorge trekking while we found a way to fit 'chleb' into every word possible. Our best attempts included: Chlebanon, John McEnchleb and Chleibig condenser (don't ask, too much explaining needed.)

    Finally, we returned to Hrabusice after the local Coop closed so we feasted instead at Restauracia U Hudaka, where I can honestly say I had some of the best restaurant food I've ever eaten, it was amazing, and pretty cheap too!    Read more

  • Backpacking 2022
    Day 8

    Bratislava

    July 12, 2022 in Slovakia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    [JJ] We got up at 4:50 am this morning to walk into Vydrnik in time to catch our train to Poprad, then onto Bratislava. We never even intended to stop in Bratislava but our train was delayed so we couldn't catch our connection onto Vienna on time. Luckily they go every hour though, so we went on a mad dash from the train station up to Slavín, a cool world war two memorial with scenic views over the city. 52 minutes later and we are back on the train and I think we've enjoyed most of what this city has to offer!Read more

  • Backpacking 2022
    1
    Day 8

    Vienna

    July 12, 2022 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    [JJ] We packed a hell of a lot into our day trip to Vienna. First, we emerged from the hauptbahnhof and walked into the city centre via Belvedere Palace gardens. We then explored the area around the Hofberg and Spanish riding school, before a general explore took us to St Stephen's Cathedral, where we climbed the north tower and saw views over the city. Once we figured out how to navigate the metro, we found ourselves at Schönbrunn Palace, something of a lidl deluxe version of Kingston Lacy, and probably the most impressive attraction of the day. Finally we darted back to the main train station to collect some shopping and dinner to eat just in time for our train off to Budapest.

    Vienna was very pretty, filled with ornate pastel coloured architecture.    Read more

  • Backpacking 2022
    1
    Day 9

    Budapest

    July 13, 2022 in Hungary ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    [JJ] (13/07) This morning we walked into the city, exploring St Stephen's Basilica, where we went up to see some beautiful panoramic views. We then wandered across Erzsébet híd bridge to the other side of the Danube beneath Gellert Hill before going onto Buda hill, through the castle and Fisherman's bastion which looks down delightfully on the pretty Hungarian Parliament Building. Then we strolled along the river and made it to the train station hilariously in sync and just as the doors shut, after Thomas was buying tickets while I was buying ice creams from a local spar.

    (12/07) And we are heree. Budapest. We are staying in Szakuranbo, a tiny Japanese hostel, where everyone else is Japanese and speaks, well... Japanese.

    More updates tomorrow which I anticipate will be just as much of a whirlwind as today.    Read more

  • Backpacking 2022
    Day 9

    Duna-Ipoly Nezmeti Park

    July 13, 2022 in Hungary ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    [JJ] Following a whistle-stop tour of Budapest's main attractions (see previous), we took a train then bus out to Pilisszentlászló, a tiny but quaint village in the forested national park which felt a million miles from the sprawling city we'd just emerged from. We hiked through a dry, remote forest to Predikáloszék lookout, where we looked out upon the vast Danube bend, then messed about on the hills' rocky outcrops as we descended down into Dömös. Our luck of catching public transport against the odds finally ran out though as we lacked the foresight to actually bring forint (cash) to pay for the bus back, and in spite of our incomprehensible pleas for the bus driver to take our Euros. As a result we were forced into an eastward trek through middle-of-nowhere Hungary for an hour to Visegrád along large roads, trying to avoid angry Hungarian farmers' land and what we later learnt we threatening 'do not trespass' signs. Naturally, our reward waiting in Visegrád was a cash machine and an industrial quantity of fanta.Read more

  • Backpacking 2022
    Day 10

    Belgrade

    July 14, 2022 in Serbia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    [JJ] Hahahah, well things certainly just got interesting. I guess this is proper travelling now. Our plan today was to catch a coach first from Budapest to Belgrade, then immediately onto Skopje having already bought tickets for both journeys. But as sod's law teaches us, what could go wrong definitely will go wrong. Our coach was delayed by almost 6 (SIX) hours after a combination of long waits at the EU border crossing, and a heavy crash on the main motorway into Belgrade. We attempted to distract ourselves by discussing the nuances of swimming the Shropshire Union Canal, but ultimately reality hit us hard and fast when we finally set foot in the Serbian capital.

    Belgrade is most definitely the most alien feeling place either of us have ever been by a longgg way. Honestly it felt like stepping back in time, and neither of us were (or still are) able to use the internet without incurring giant roaming charges either, so working basically anything out was out of the question. Somehow though we blagged our way into buying a ticket on another bus despite not even being able to read the alphabet, never mind understand the language. In fact, we comically didn't even understand how much we'd paid for the ticket (our best guesses were by comparing with prices of sandwiches). Then we might've even bribed a guy at the ticket gates but we're not entirely sure? Regardless, we're here, wherever here is (some random service station with cafe WiFi), and heading out of Serbia (thank god) !    Read more

  • Backpacking 2022
    Day 11

    Skopje

    July 15, 2022 in North Macedonia ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    [JJ, 5 AM] Well I can't help but notice that we are in Skopje. And only over 8 hours later than planned! I have to say, North Macedonia's capital has an infinitely better feel to it than Serbia's, and we found our way easily through the empty, dawn lit streets to Get Inn Hostel.

    [JJ, 12 PM] We love Skopje! There's something endearing about its somehow quiet but chaotic nature. There are giant statues literally everywhere, motorbikes driving on the pavements, a bus ticket station inside a broken down bus. Yet there is some oddly beautiful architecture here too.    Read more

  • Backpacking 2022
    511
    Day 11

    Vodno

    July 15, 2022 in North Macedonia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    [JJ] After a delightful Skopje wander (see earlier), we rocketed up Vodno on a ridiculously cheap cable car. Our mission now is to hike along the ridge to get to Matka canyon. We are absolutely loving North Macedonia! Thomas is enchanted in butterfly diversity heaven and the views aren't bad either. I'm not even from here yet I feel as though I'm proud to be Macedonian!?Read more

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