Adventures of Saj

After being sick and tired of being sick in Vienna, it was time to make the 6-hour train journey from Vienna to Ljubljana. And what a train ride it was - train wound its way around the Southern Austrian Alps, revealing snow-capped mountains and hidden villages. I found out later that at least one of those remote villages had the staple of any good town - a kebab shop!

I made my way to my Ljubljana digs - a former military prison that was converted to a youth hostel! Talk about a bohemian part of town - this place was covered in graffiti, with weird people loitering around at night-time. But the nightlife in the area was crazyness - good times were had by all!

Ljubljana was an interesting place - tiny laneways snaked their way between grand buildings. Being a university town, many bars and cafes spilt onto pathways bordering the river. Yet, perhaps because it was still bitingly cold, it lacked atmos. There was charm, certainly, but Ljubljana would be one smoking hot town during summer! Having met some crazy Dutch people in town for the Euro 2008 qualifiers, I tried (but failed miserably) to get tickets along to the game. To drown my sorrows, I smashed my first kebab on continental Europe!

After a few days checking out the intracacies of Ljubljana, I made my way to Piran, a wedge of land that jutted into the beautiful Adriatic coast. A place set up by the Venetians, the views were positively spoofin - three sides were surrounded by water, with the Croatian and Italian coastlines in the distance! A daytrip a couple of hours outta Piran were the Skopjcan Caves, where sensational underground gorges were carved out by an underground river. Covered by UNESCO, these caves were gigantic!

Back in Piran, it was here that I met a couple of Aussies that were driving around Eastern Europe. Over a cup of coffee, we decided to throw our plans in the air and head to Bosnia! With a Brit in tow, that is what we decided to - to tackle Beautiful Bosnia. Watch out for the next instalment!