You can checkout any time you like, But you can never leave!

Monday:

From Vienna, Austria the Bob and I take a train further east… to Bratislava, Slovakia. We make it for our train and find a seat in a quad section. For most of the ride we quietly talk back and forth as to which stop to get off on and from across the aisle a rather large and rather jolly Austrian women pipes up… “War is it dat you will be gowing?”… We explain that we are going to Bratislava and then the girl sitting across from us pipes in and tells us that we need to go to the Hlavna Station… She also commented that I did not look American… Why? Because I didn’t have an American accent and because I am too pale… oh and my hair isn’t blonde…she thought I must be from the UK… she didn’t comment on the Bob

So after a stop the Austrian woman gets off and bids us well, also letting us know that we are about to cross the border. Another stop comes and the Slovakian girl gets up to leave and tells us that we have one or two more stops… about 10-15 minutes… So the Bob and I wait. The next stop comes and the train doesn’t want to leave. So we wait a total of 10 minutes, all the while looking out the window frantically trying to find a sign which tells us the station’s name. Then I said, “Bob we have to find where we are... let’s get off.” As soon as we get off we see that we are indeed at the right station. Because of some previous reading and my astute worldly knowledge, we figure that the Euro is the currency at the station and not the Slovak Koruny (crown). We manage to buy tickets for the tram/bus system but have trouble finding the proper tram… After aimlessly walking around we spot tram 13… only the lights are off and he won’t let us board. So we walk to the end of the platform and see that he will pick us up in 2 minutes from that point… come on!

We eventually made it to our hostel and made friends with the front desk gals. Marched up to our room, dropped our stuff, and made our beds. Then next thing we needed was a beer! So we went to a little place called Slovak Pub (recommended by WikiTravel and the hostel). Bobby and I tried the local beer and some dumpling things (hulusky) in an alfredo sauce... it was pretty good. After we were stuffed we decided that the only thing left to do was to go back and fall quickly asleep.

Tuesday:

Just like any other morning… the alarm goes off at 8 am. We finally got out the door by 830 getting funny looks for the front desk guy (apparently shorts aren’t worn in Europe Bob, especially not in the winter). Off we go again on one of our runs. Our goal was to run through the historic center and then up to Bratislava Hrad (castle). Well we kind of ran to the river and had to make a quick judgment to get us back to the center. From there we weaved our way in and out of tiny little cobbled streets and through amazing little plazas… We kept catching glimpses of the castle but had no idea how to get around the huge highway that cut through the city… We finally cross a bridge and head up the hill to find the entrance and the castle covered in fog and scaffolding L

Ahh, whatever… it’s still a castle… in Europe! We jogged around the grounds and took a few foggy pictures… By then it was time to go because we needed to be back at the hostel by 10 so we could vacate the room by 11.

After we got ready, we stowed our bags, and checked train times for our next leg it was time for food… The Bob wanted Slovak pub again! I obliged… we had another beer, garlic soup in a bread bowl, and some perohi… I ordered all in broken Czech/Slovak…The Bob was uber impressed… I taught him how to ask for the check and we were out of there to see the town and the SUN!!! It was out in Bratislava! You have no idea how glorious the sun is…especially in eastern Europe.

We walked around the rest of the historical center and saw the city w/o fog. We also stopped by the American embassy… which was a little weird. They said they would let us in but only in 20 minutes… so we kept walking, maybe next time?

After a couple of hours of seeing the town we went back to the hostel to grab our goods and headed to the train station… OMG! There was a train leaving as soon as we got there, but Bob didn’t want that train because it wasn’t the train he saw online… the only other one leaving the station was one at 19:50… Oh shiza! We messed up! So we sit around the worst, smelliest, grossest station you could ever imagine… Then we saw an internet bar in the station and it was time yet again for a beer and wifi!

We found Bob’s so called train (at the other station) and another train leaving in 45 minutes at that same one. We downed our beers (Budweiser Budvar at about 60 degrees) and rush to the bus that took us over the bridge to the other station. We get off the bus at the right stop and follow the mob underground and up to the station entrance. We look around for a sign to tell us the times for our train but don’t see it anywhere… So I wait in a line that might give us some answers and the Bob checks the station… he finally gives up to join me in line… there must have been obvious frustration and confusion in our voices because the man behind us asks us if we need help… of course we did! He spoke with us awhile to figure out our deal and then talked to the lady at the window for us... he then offered to show us the bus to take back to the other station… that’s right. So, we followed him like puppies and had him explain which bus to take… well we didn’t take it… we got on another bus but it still got us back to the station…

So with a little under 2 hours to kill till our train, we found a restaurant that looked semi decent. We ordered a couple beers (I feel like this is becoming a pattern, t.g.f. the running) and dinner, which turned out to be the best meal in Slovakia! We head back to the station and see that our train is on platform 2… we walk to platform 2 and find no train nor information for our train… We head back to the board to check and then back to the entrance of platform 2 where we find a group of people looking just as confused… I ask Budapest?? The lady says no… do you speak German? (in German) I say nine… then this long, pony tailed Hungarian hippy pipes up in English stated that he is having the same problem…

Then God speaks over the loud speaker (in English) telling the group that our train is on the way… platform 2, track 4.

We are now safely on the train from where I write this blog…Moral of the story? See Bratislava, but come by plane!

the internet connection here is slow to post pics in the blog so check out pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/allen.lorna/20090303_BratislavaSlovakia#