No Regrets!

Woke up early for a day trip to the mountains with Emerald River Adventures. Our guide for the day was the typical guy you normally see running these kinds of tours: skinny, happy-go-lucky, ill-fitting outdoorsy clothing that says he’s cool and laid back, flip-flops, wrap-around sunglasses, arrowhead necklace, and facial hair that suggests that he smokes a lot of weed when he gets off work at the end of the day. Though I’m working with a very small sample size, Slovenians have that Slavic look, with wide-faces, high cheekbones, spacey eyes, and small teeth. They seem like a mostly happy, friendly people.

We headed into the Julian Alps, and the cool, crisp morning air was the freshest I’ve ever smelled.

We drove up and down the mountains and enjoyed the rugged scenery around Lake Bled and in the Julian Alps. It was another hot day today. Everywhere we go, people say it’s the hottest day of the year.

One of our hikes took us through the Trenta Valley and up a mountain called Šnita to a crack in the rock filled with blue, mineral-rich water. This was the source of the Soča River and a beautiful spot. Kneeling down, I cupped my hand and took a sip of some of the coldest, freshest mountain water I’ve ever had.

While the others stopped for a rafting trip down the Soča, I chilled out on the river’s bank near a non-English speaking tourist and her non-English speaking Doberman mix. I would throw a rock in, and the dog would take off for it, dunk his head into the icy water, and return a rock that looked nothing like the one I threw in. Cute.

After a dip in a waterfall, we loaded onto a car train and headed back to Bled.

After returning to Bled, I walked up to Bled Castle for a panoramic view of the town below.

After dark, I met up with David and Kirtan for some drinks. We played the name game where one person says a celebrity’s name, and the first letter of the last name gets passed to the next person, and he has to think of another celebrity whose first name begins with that letter. It’s the kind of game that’s fun at first but sucks if you’re really good at it and it draws out too long.

Tomorrow, our trip ends in Venice.