Edition 11 - Three Countries, No Passport Checks
I’m starting my migration south, and I’m happy to have you with me on this journey. The weather is getting nicer here in Europe and I’m finally able to break out some shorts and T-shirts - I might even need a new bottle of sunscreen soon because I’ve been so diligently applying (you’re welcome, mom). On that note, welcome to Hungary, Slovenia, and Croatia!
Hungary
April 5 - 8
Budapest
I arrived in Budapest the morning of Friday, April 5th after my very first overnight train ride. I was in a sleeper car in the middle bunk (of 3 total bunks in my room). I asked a few people at my previous hostels about their past overnight train experiences… basically, I was told to expect minimal sleep and your body moving around with any increase or decrease in train speed. They were right!
Before the 19th century, Buda and Pest were two separate cities in Hungary with Buda being the capital. Then, in 1873, the cities combined and became the new capital of the country. The city and country have some very fascinating (and troublesome) history, particularly when it comes to monuments.
Located in Budapest’s Liberty Square is the Memorial for Victims of the German Occupation which has sparked a lot of controversy within the Hungarian population as the memorial seems to suggest that “all Hungarians were innocent victims of the Nazi Occupation" without acknowledging that "Hungarian citizens were complicit in the process of rounding up Jews and putting them into ghettos and onto trains to be transported to camps." This memorial was a part of my general Budapest walking tour and our guide took the time to explain the controversy over the piece. When it comes to this part of Europe, it has been incredibly interesting to see how each country decides to commemorate dark periods in their history, if they decide to accept blame, or who they decide to memorialize from the past.
Overall, here are some highlights from my time in Hungary:
Post-walking tour lunch with new friends
Running into some familiar faces at the Chabad of Budapest
Relaxing at the Széchenyi Thermal Baths with some friends I met just outside the entrance
Slovenia
April 8 - 11
Ljubljana
I arrived in Ljubljana around midday on Monday, April 8th after almost 7 hours on a FlixBus. Crossing countries within the Schengen Zone is wild. When we arrived at border patrol, we were asked to take out our travel documents (in Hungarian, I only knew what the driver was saying because everyone else took out ID cards and passports… I took a wild guess). Nobody ended up getting on board the bus to check. They checked the bags under the bus, and the bus journey documentation, and shortly after we were on our way.
Slovenia is a special place with a deep history and some really funny, ironic stories. Most cities that I’ve set foot on this far are riddled with statues or monuments of fighters and strong leaders. Ljubljana is different - the capital city has a statue of a poet, France Prešeren. This shows something very interesting and different about the priorities of the nation. When it comes to history, Slovenia is much more connected to language, culture, and literature rather than wars. Since 2007, the old town has been pedestrian-focused and free of vehicles (except for free golf cart taxis paid for by the dimes of the mayor).
My time in Ljubljana was incredible thanks to the wonderful people I found in my hostel. People ask me if I ever get lonely while solo traveling but the truth is that you are rarely ever truly alone. After setting my bags down in my hostel, I met a girl in the other room and invited her to the free walking tour I was going on in an hour. When we returned, we found 3 guys hanging out and chatting in the kitchen - we all went to dinner. We explored the city and surrounding areas together. It’s so special to have the ability to bond so quickly with people from different places and stages of life.
Bled
I arrived in Bled late at night on Tuesday, April 9th after a long day exploring castles and caves outside of Ljubljana. I was excited to just bask in the beautiful nature of Lake Bled and the surrounding areas. Plus, my friends that I made in Ljubljana decided to come to Bled so it was lovely to keep exploring with them.
Similar to my experience in Ljubljana, I had truly amazing people in my hostel that I seemed to click with. I met someone who works at the UK office of an agency that I used to work at (we bonded very quickly, she will become a main character in this newsletter), someone from Canada who has been playing professional hockey in Sweden, someone from New Zealand who works in software but has a side hobby of photography… the list goes on. The views in Bled were amazing, but the people were even more so.
Overall, here are some highlights from my time in Slovenia:
Dinner on my first evening in Ljubljana with new friends I had just met maybe an hour ago
Exploring the Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle alongside friends from my hostel - plus meeting a wonderful person along the way who quickly became a part of the group
The first full day in Bled consisting of a row boat into the center island of the lake, walking around the full lake, and hiking up to a beautiful viewpoint
The last full day in Bled beginning with a sunrise hike back up to the viewpoint and a beautiful hike to the Savica waterfall
Croatia
April 11 - 15
Zagreb
While chatting with the woman from the UK from my last hostel in Bled, we discovered that we both had plans to travel to Zagreb on the same day - so, we decided to take the train together on Thursday, April 11th. We arrived pretty late and went to our respective hostels with plans to meet in the morning for a free walking tour. Naturally, we learned a lot about Croatian history (both deep history as well as fairly recent events) and spent the majority of the rest of the day exploring and trying traditional Croatian dishes.
Formally, Zagreb became Zagreb in 1850, however, it is fairly uncertain how Zagreb got its name. Naturally, a legend was created to tell this story - this legend included a military commander, a magic sword that happened to draw water from the dry ground, and a beautiful girl by the name of Magdalena. The city is filled with other interesting quirks as well! The main Cathedral (which is currently under construction, like most of the city) is adorned with beautiful chandeliers… that were donated by a Las Vegas Casino! Unfortunately, Zagreb was hit with a tough earthquake in 2020 which has left the city in a massive state of reconstruction - most buildings in the city center are undergoing some sort of fixing because of the impact. Nevertheless, the city was wonderful and there was lots to explore!
Split
I arrived in Split via FlixBus around midday on Sunday, April 14th. I knew that my UK friend had arrived in Split late Saturday night, so we made plans to get a late lunch and explore the city together. My time in Split was relaxing - I decided to get an Airbnb to have some time away from a hostel dorm room, did my laundry, and enjoyed walking around the city alongside my friend. Overall, Split was just a wonderful regroup for me before the last month-ish of my backpacking adventure.
Overall, here are some highlights from my time in Croatia:
Wonderful bonding talks on long train rides from Bled to Zagreb
Another great experience at a Chabad House over Shabbat
Sitting in the Zagreb botanical gardens surrounded by chirping birds while journaling
Beautiful overlooks of Split from a viewpoint that felt like it was on top of a million stairs
A sad goodbye to my UK friend who became a large part of my experience here in this part of Europe
Coming Up Next
Where am I off to next? Well, the next newsletter will be set somewhere:
with one of the largest orthodox shrines in the world
home to spectacular mountains
known for their medieval villages
See you in Montenegro!