Exploring an eastern european country in ...
Trip Start
Jun 01, 2002
1
6
20
Trip End
Aug 22, 2002
Bratislava,
Slovakia
Wednesday, June 12, 2002
Travelling constantly presents lessons in tolerance and patience. I do try, but when faced with travel companions who speak of Slovakians in condescending tones, "these poor, poor people", who constantly push their faith onto others and who expect everyone to speak English, I canīt help but feel exasperated. Unfortunately our hotel was in a seedy area so safety was in numbers, especially with my propensity for losing myself on public transport.
1. Afternoon concert
But off the soapbox and forward to city description. Bratislava is a sprawling city, strangely quiet and spacious. The small city centre is a display of smart European-style buildings and cobbled squares. Cafes line the street and in the warm summer nights, everyone sits outside until late. Bratislava is less ostentatious and grand then Prague, but still has a few cultural attractions. Apparently many Austrians come to Bratislava for the theatre, it being cheaper here. The Bratislava Opera House is one highlight of the city - cream building with colonnades and a silver domed roof. Unfortunately, all performances were sold out, so culture was veiwed from outside.
We stayed at the seedy Sport-hotel Trnavka. As I said, cheap accomodation being in short supply. The platinum blonde receptionist warned us about Bratislavaīs Gypsies:
"They will snatch your bag. Hold tight. Yes, they will cut the straps. It is very dangerous here."
Given the shady character of the inhabitants of her hotel, Gypsie muggings were the least of our worries.
Over 500,00 Romany people, Gypsies, live in Eastern Europe and are reputedly theives and neīre-do-wells
2. Crazy architecture
. One of the women I was staying with was absolutely obsessed with seeing and photographing Gypsies, and was disappointed at not having "spotted" any as yet. She seemed to think of them in stereotype: the old woman in Bohemian clothing with warts on her nose, sitting beside the road and begging to tell a fortune, or a swarthy man in a brightly coloured waistcoat lying in wait to snatch her bag. This woman must be the only person dismayed at not being mugged on her travels. I was careful not to point out any Romany people to her for fear of being asked to translate her queries and "word" into Slovakian. I am happy to muddle along and attempt directions and conversation, but evangelising is not one of my pastimes.My tolerance levels rapidly deplete when I meet people, particularly evangelical types, who travel under the guise of exploring others cultures and sharing ideas, but who in reality are seeking converts to their faith and dismiss the viewpoints of others out of hand. There seems no point in travelling if lessons are not learnt, ideas formed, discussed or digested. The worldoe media hounds on about extremist groups of Muslims who convert people to their beliefs, but are not some Christian groups doing similar? Could they not be judged radical? Perhaps their actions are judged more socially acceptable......
But back off the soapbox again
3. Main Square
.Thanks to Glendaīs Eastern European course at Sydney Uni, I was able to counter some comments and observations with a few historical facts. Rather than "poor, poor people", Slovakians are incredibly lucky in comparison with their neighbours and have to be some of the friendliest people I have met on this journey so far - even the receptionists.
Slovakians gained their independence from Czech Republic fairly smoothly in 1993. In 1989 the former Czechoslovakia removed forty-one years of communist rule without a single shot being fired. Compare that with the anti-communist strife of Romania and Hungary and it proves to be an incredible feat for a nation in this area of the world.
I can agree that much of Bratislava, save for the city centre, isnīt aesthetically pleasing, but the beauty lies in the culture, the history and the people of this city. Musicians and artists herald the arrival of summer with exhibitions and free concerts in the town squares. We were invited to an art exhibition by complete strangers and music was playing constantly in the streets.
The highlight for me was unexpectedly coming across a Special Olympics Ceremony. From what we could discern, Bratislava is hosting these Olympics. The atmosphere was fantastic, the ceremony moving and simple. In European style, Bratislavaīs brown-suited mayor addressed the crowd from a balcony overlooking the square.
The ceremony culminated in two hundred people, of all abilities and ages, spontaneously dancing to Strauss "Waltz of the Flowers". It was an appropriate end to the ceremony and my interesting time in this quiet city on the banks of the Danube.
