The dirt on living in Costa Rica and backpacking Europe. If you want pretty descriptions of beaches, green tree frogs, and 'pura vida' reflections this is the wrong place.
Additional irreverent travel advice includes hitchhiking disasters, getting drunk with locals, four-hour border crossings and other fun topics.
I don't like to write for tourists. I wrote this for my friends.
The concert took place inside Espresso Planetka pub. But that's not where the party was.
My musician friend, Robo Patejdl, and I hosted a great hour-long concert with many old and new friends on that warm August night in Bratislava, Slovakia. After that we had to relocate. Anyone who has been out with me in that neighborhood will tell you that bars, restaurants and houses that we drink at are all just filler. The heart and soul of our Ružinov parties is Drinking Hill.
Where are the other pictures?
I don't remember most of the concert, since I'm always in a nervous, panicked blur before I perform. I do remember people taking pictures and filming, but for some reason only one picture has surfaced from that night. It's my skinny ass...probably singing Lady Gaga for the millionth time. If anyone has more pictures from that night, please send them. Deki moc!
Rather than try to recall the events of the particular concert, I'm just going to wax nostalgic about Ružinov Drinking Hill. *sigh* People accuse me of many faults: excessive drinking, womanizing, fear of commitment, inability to grow-up, being easily distracted...
Uhhh, where was I? My worst addiction would be nostalgia. Nostalgia for places, experiences and, most importantly, people. I constantly think of the good old days with friends and how I can relive them. Traveling feeds this addiction. Somewhere down the next road is something better and more exciting than what I have already experienced. Every time I return to Ružinov I hope that the next party will be better than the previous ones...
Here is nostalgia at its worst. In pictures, this the legend of Ružinov Drinking Hill:
First we gather lots of alcohol. Russians are famous for their drinking, but their Slavic brothers in general (of course Slovaks) have an amazing capacity for drink. In the United States I'm called an alcoholic. In Slovakia I'm a "weak bitch."
"Alcohol Poisoning!"
Czech-Slovak Beer served American House Party Style
Bring lots of food and start grilling in the park. This would seem logical to any American (ahem 'Murican). However big, American-style outdoor barbecues are not a part of Slovak culture...yet.
Parky a Paprika
The "front yard" of my Ruzinov flat
Take the party back inside your Communist-era panelka flat. Since barbecues aren't normal in Slovakia, the police often saw it as a danger and would break up the party. Or the weather would suddenly change. This only encouraged the bad behavior.
The Smoking Section
The Toast with Fancy 'Murican Imported SOLO Cups
Take the party back OUTSIDE the apartment. Slovakia has a law that prohibits loud noise in buildings after 10pm (22:00). Around 9:50pm we had to stage a massive exodus for our drunken troops. A little hill in an adjacent park became our refuge since it possesses a magical ability to hid people from the police...
10:00pm - Ready to Begin the Drinking Hill Voyage
Heading to The Secret Rendezvous Point with Buckets of Beer
Party at Ruzinov Drinking Hill. I can't tell you what happens at Drinking Hill...most likely because I'm too black-out drunk to remember. There was usually a Slovakian lady and a lot of alcohol involved. Everybody who has been there has their own debil story about the people they met or the stupid things they did. All I know is at some point the next morning I would return there after some wild voyage around Bratislava's bars to collect evidence of the party. There was never much left...
One Lonely SOLO Cup Is All That's Left
I miss these times and the people who were there. Bratislava, Slovakia is not a place that most people put on their Top Ten travel lists, but for me it's one of the best. And it's all thanks to the people who are there. This song is for you guys. I played it at the Ružinov Concert and I will play it the next time I see you, because I always gotta feelin'...
There are a lot of nice beaches around Bratislava.
That sounds pretty stupid, doesn't it? When my Couchsurfer told me she was taking me to the beach for the day, I though she had perhaps drank too many slivovica shots. Slovakia is a landlocked country known for its mountains and snow. The thought of a beach here sounds absurd.
Use your imagination. Go to Bratislava in the summer and there are several nice places where you can lay your towel in the sand, grab a cold drink, get a nice tan and then cool off later with a dip in the water. And don't worry, there will plenty of nice girls to look at. This is Slavic Europe.
1. T-com Beach T-Com Beach is on the opposite side of the Dunaj River from downtown Bratislava. If it's not June, July or August don't go looking for it because it doesn't exist in the winter. During the summer months construction crews dump several tons of sand on the riverside and contain it all in wooden partitions. After that they set up beach chairs, umbrellas and several fancy, stand-alone cafes on top of the sand. If you want to feel glamorous and have a good view of the Old Town, cross the New Bridge and pick out a spot.
2. Zlaty Piesky Zlaty Piesky is a small resort with a lake located on the city limits of Bratislava. Whenever I felt inspired to pull out my guitar and write a song, I would go out here to clear my head. Take the red tram line 4 all the way to the last stop where Tesco is. This lake is more relaxed and less glamorous than T-com, but is a great area for camping, picnics and the occasional music festival like the Uprising Reggae Festival. If you don't feel like jumping in the lake, the surrounding park has places for volleyball, street hockey, tennis and mini-golf.
3. Čunovo Lake Čunovo is an excellent choice for a short day-trip to get away from the "big" city. From the city center you can take any connecting route to Bus 91 and you will be at the lake within 50 minutes. If you want a more scenic trip, rent a bike and follow the Dunaj River south from Bratislava. I was fortunate enough to have a Couchsurfer with a car. During the trip south I was looking at a map and realized the road on the other side of the tree grove was where I had painfully crossed the Hungarian-Slovak border the previous day.
It was a hot August day and after parking the car, we immediately jumped into the cool lake. My host told me that the lake isn't natural and used to be an old rock mine that was later filled in with water. This may explain an island which is unnaturally located in the exact middle of the lake. We were both feeling fit and decided to swim to the island. It took some some effort but eventually we made it to the shore and laid down to dry off in the sun.
Since Couchsurfing is by nature a traveling network, people often meet at random, talk briefly and then leave so quickly that they hardly have time to get to know each other. You feel like a pinball bouncing from place to place without ever truly stopping. Barely 24 hours had passed since I had hitchhiked from Budapest, arrived at her place exhausted, made introductions and then promptly passed out on her guest bed. She had been kind enough to take me down here to this pleasant, scenic corner of Slovakia that only yesterday had looked like hell on earth. I took a moment to look at this lady and consider exactly who she was.
But not too many moments. She's in a swimsuit and that would be weird...*ahem*...
She was what I would call a classic Slovak lady: tall, thin, and quiet with a pretty face which made her look much younger than her years suggested. She had lived in the United States for a while and it had given her a different perspective on the rather traditional life of Slovakia. We chatted about our respective travels but spent much of the time in quiet reflection. Čunovo Lake will do that to a person.
I needed the peace and quiet. In another 24 hours I would be hosting my own, rowdy Bratislava Reunion Concert.
"But I only planned for one day in Bratislava! There's nothing to do there!"
Really? The Ružinov neighborhood of Bratislava was my home for a year and a half and I never got bored. So when I received a Couchsurfing offer in that neighborhood in the summer of 2011, I didn't hesitate to accept. The apartment I stayed at was no more that 5 blocks from my old apartment. Ružinov is a jumbled labyrinth of streets, parks and apartments that makes getting lost a pleasure rather than a task.
But really; why should you visit Ružinov? Ružinov is the neighborhood of flowers. The entire neighborhood is one giant, grassy park where many of the streets are named after flowers. Hidden among the parks and colorful Communist-era panelka flats are many small restaurants, cafes and "krcma" or family pubs, where you can feel like a local. For all of you backpackers who want to brag about a "local" story here's your chance. And even at this short distance from downtown, the prices drop noticeably. All it takes is a quick 10 minute ride from Old Town on the "Eletricky" Line 8 or 9, and little explorer's spirit to find yourself in a world totally different from downtown Bratislava. For those who need a little help, I have some recommendations.
1. Strkovecke Jazero Strkovecke Jazero is the perfect place for a picnic on a sunny day or a few hours of fishing. Bring a blanket, a couple of sandwiches and few liters of Corgon beer (or Kofola) and pick on spot on the shore. If you're too lazy to pack a lunch there are two good restaurants located right on the water. I've spent many evenings with lovely Slovak girls watching the sunset over this scenic urban lake.
2. Hostinec u Deda Restaurant
Like many neighboorhood pubs in Slovakia, Hostinec U Deda is well-hidden among all the flats and forests of Ruzinov. When you're close enough you'll easily recognize it by the commanding deda (grandpa) standing guard over the entrance. The inside is a kaleidoscope of Slovak books, posters, furniture and other random things hanging from every inch of the walls. Once you take in the decoration of course you have to eat the food. The menu features traditional Slovak cuisine, like brnzovy halusky, and a great selection of cheap Slovak beers on tap.
3. Kastiel' Prievoz
I frequently roll my eyes and joke that you can't walk more than a block in Europe without running into yet another castle. Prievoz Castle doesn't sit high on a noble mountain or isolated in a rolling field, but sits unassumingly in the southern part of Rusinov on the appropriately named Krasna Street (Krasna means beautiful.) It's a little, historical gem in the middle of the Communist-era suburban mess of Bratislava.
4. Espresso Planetka Pub
Hahaha! If you find this place, send me an email and I will personally buy you a beer wherever we happen to meet: rb2mcmullen@hotmail.com Planetka Pub looks traditional on the outside and wonderfully kitschy on the inside. It has some of the best pizza I've found in Bratislava and a giant patio that's perfect for sharing many drinks with friends on a nice day. This pub (and the nearby park) is the location of many of my most memorable parties during the year and a half I lived in Ruzinov. That summer of 2011 it also served as the concert venue for a special show I put on with a friend as part of a "Slovakia Reunion Tour."
It's very easy to get lost in Bratislava, but that's half the reason you traveled here anyway. Here's a Google map of the locations mentioned: Ruzinov Map
