Banska Bystrica

By the time we got to Banksa Bystrica it was night time and we really had no idea where we were going. So we got out my Lets Go Europe and picked a hostel to stay at and attempted to make our way over to it. The train station is a terminal stop for the buses that come so we had to wait a while before getting on one to what we thought was the main square of the city, but we were wrong. We got off the bus and couldn't anything that was helpful so we ducked into the Apotheke to get directions [Beeler remembered Jan saying that pharmacists usually know English because they have to use it in their learnings]. He was very nice and drew us a map and even called to make sure the hostel was there. So we said our thanks and went on our way, but when we finally arrived we couldn't get into the hostel. We're not really sure why, even now, but we left to try and find some place else. We found a nice little pension that we decided was a little expensive but worth it because we were so tired of walking around with our bags. It was in a perfect spot, right by the actual main square of the city. For dinner we decided on a pizzeria which turned out to be a mistake, and got even worse when Beeler ordered Mexican food. After dinner we called it an early night, went back and read, followed quickly by sleep.


Next morning we woke up early to walk around and find another place to stay. So we explored the area surrounding the main square and found a fresh flowers market and a cool church. For breakfast we went to a little cafe and got huge balls of chocolate marzipan and Viennese coffees. Not the most healthy, but very delicious. After breakfast we headed over to the new hostel which had a kitchen, so we went to the market and bought some food for dinner. Then we decided to explore around more. We walked all over BB and found the National Uprising Museum.

Apparently, BB was home to the underground resistance after the Nazis breached the Slovak border. The museum is freaky shaped and there are all sorts of tanks, anti-aircraft artillery, and even a plane outside. It was really cool. We also met a very amiable Slovak girl right outside. She spent her holidays in Scotland and so when she heard us speaking English she stopped to chat and she told us she has a friend studying in Prague. After the museum it was getting pretty cold and dark so we headed back and made some dinner before crawling into bed and reading for a while. Another early night. Suprised?

Next morning we were planning on going to the castle Bonjice but it didn't work out so we spent a while, many hours actually, in the BB train station before catching a train to Budapest, Hungary. The train wasn't bad and I made friends with a little Slovak boy. We listened to Coldplay together on my iPod, it was pretty funny.