the trip with a thousand rainbows and too many cheese-stuffed steaks

So I am currently embarking on my slavic trip now (save Bratislava in Slovakia which had little or no slavic ties) and it is regrettable that I am only updating it now, what with the end in sight. can't blame me really, it has been such the whirlwind trip and lack of virtual connectivity in most of the hostels that I was putting up with. And now some Slavic dance music comes on and I feel obliged just to type faster so mind not my rambling and prolix updates. Also to set some minds at ease that I haven't been shot by some Serb nationalist and dragged off to Kosovo to be a human flag post.

I am currently in Ljubljana, Slovenia after a almost 9 hour train ride from Split down on the Dalmatian coast. It was a rather welcome, even more so considering we had almost perfect weather the whole 5 days in Croatia. my regret was just that I couldn't quite be that beach whale given it was still rather cold and even the water sports centre was closed until May. at least there was the sun to give some comfort. Seafood! it was as if no one back home knew the trick to perfect calamari is fresh squid and the fish was so nicely grilled, you won't feel how much you are actually downing. However by territoral feel, Split was more compact and more historical to feel that much less touristy than Dubrovnik which felt like it was built just for tourists. given its beaches and weather, it had to be in a way. but the peopl here were the friendliest- maybe it really has a direct correlation with the amount of sunshine, considering the Hungarians were rather minimalist with their services and help rendered.

Budapest was probably the prettiest thus far though, the Danube dramatically splitting (pun really unintended) hilly Buda and flat Pest, oresenting a most varied and memorable landscape which was atopped by neo-Gothic and neo-Baroque architecture that was on the brink of being truly breathtaking. Bratislava was a depressing piece of post-Communist blues and the picture of the cafe selling 'Depresso' will agree with me. I haven't seen much of Ljubljana but judging from its petitness and bland landscape, it wouldn't be terribly exciting but the general feel of the city at first experience was rather comforting.

More to come and pictures of course, meanwhile back to my cell of a hotel room: I'm staying at a converted prison. for experience sake.