December in Slovakia
Dumb Luck
I was never much of an optimist. At least when it comes to my life. So imagine my surprise when I found that there was a program that could help me travel.
The story starts three months ago, in the middle of September. Me, with a 25 kilos bag, arriving at 6am in Thessaloniki. Not really having a plan but then again, plans never really worked for me. I had booked an Airbnb a few days prior, to crash there until I figure out my next move. Little did I knew though that the Airbnb I booked was actually an EVS Organization.
EVS (European Voluntary Service), as they explained it to me there, is a program that helps young people till the age of 30 exchange knowledge, understanding and culture. Both among ourselves and the local community.
Since I love to travel and I want to learn and teach new things I knew that applying was the perfect thing for me. But I quickly grew discouraged since most of the call for volunteers asked for CV which I didn’t have. At least one that would get me in. Just as I was to give up, I got a message from an organization in Slovakia to have an interview. Three months and a lot of paperwork later I held in my hands the ticket to Slovakia.
22 hour journey
The train to Thessaloniki went by very quickly. I made sure to have a lighter bag this time so I don’t look like a cripple when I walk. After I concluded my meeting with the organization and headed to the airport though, things didn’t go as planned. I used a bus and arrived half an hour before the plane was taking off. Since the baggage doors were now closed I literally run through the airport to hopefully catch the plane. And I did thankfully. Two hours later I was in a bus in Bratislava heading to the train station.
On a Sidenote: I’ve got to admit; I expected a lot more hassle in the border. The plane as a transport system is very intrusive in a persons personal space. But I went through the border quickly after all.
The little I saw of Bratislava on my way to the train, it is a beautiful city. At least comparing to Athens in Greece. It is much more spacious and buildings have room to breathe. But, she too has cars in the center of the city which for me is a negative by itself.
When I arrived at the train station I finally realized what I always knew. People are friendly. My fears where unfounded. It didn’t matter whether I wasn’t local or I didn’t know the language. I met a lot of one-time friends and figured out my way to the train.
Slovakian trains are a pain though. First, I had a seat to a non existent wagon so I had to be standing for about an hour and a half. Second, there is no announcer like in Greece. Either you read the signs which are scarce or have a map application. Either way there is going to be a lot of anxiety involved whether you lost your stop or not. For me which I had slept less than 3 hours in the last 32 hours, I was too tired to keep my eyes open. The time though the ticket said was accurate. I didn’t notice any delay in my train or others in Bratislava.
Snow
When I got out of the train at 8pm and show the snow I was surprised. Even though I knew Slovakia was way north than were Greece was, I still didn’t expect snow. Not yet anyway.
There I met my coordinator for the project, Eva. A very warm person that really cares about the work the organization does, but most importantly about the volunteer themselves.
Trstena: First Impressions
Trstena, is beautiful. There are trees everywhere. The second day, I walked at a forest that was close by. In Athens this is just not possible. The architecture of the buildings is very colourful and they seem to be build with attention to design and not out of necessity like in Athens.
One thing that I noticed is how much Communism is still apparent after years of Capitalism Culture. In some parts of town there are big building complexes that except from the colour outside, seem very poor and it is obvious workers used to live there. There are also these speakers around town for music and sometimes news; like relics from Slovakia’s Communistic past.
The local cuisine is very simple with a lot of things being based on cheese. The few restaurants that are in town are empty with people preferring to eat homemade food rather that fastfood. There are also no Malls here since Capitalism isn’t really suitable for this place. The only signs of Capitalism you will find are the Banks in the Central Square. While everything else looks and feels local, banks have gone for the more international look. As a result, when you go inside you feel like you are in a whole different country.
The young people are very warm and very eager to learn and to do new things. Since I am from the south, people are looking curiously to how different I look. They have less inhibitions than western society and talk more openly. This is stark contrast to older people who are tend to be more closed. All of this makes sense though since they don't see a lot of tourists around these parts.
The best thing about Trstena though, in my opinion, is that there are no tourists. There are only local shops and small supermarkets. It definitely has some getting used to but in the end it is worth because you see a town almost untouched by tourists and the shopping experience. To be honest I never expected what I got from the few days I am now in Slovakia. Problems that have long been present are gone. Everything became much more clear in my head. In these few days I met people from all over the world, I am more productive. In a way I wish I could have done this sooner. It was time I started walking.