between Gabon and Congo

In The Footsteps Of Jurgen Schultz
"But you must know Mr. Jurgen, he is your brother”, said the immigration officer excitedly. I was led into a thatched hut where a large ledger was opened in front of me “Voila”, said the officer, pointing to an entry on one of the pages.
It was true. Jurgen Schultz, nationality — German; mode of transport — foot, had, indeed, crossed the border between Gabon and the People's Republic of the Congo. But what connection did this have to me, standing in the same place, nearly three years later?
I looked down at the ledger again. It was a list of all non-African border crossers.
There were no entries between Jurgen's name and my own, which was now being inscribed. “Ah, yes,” I nodded, “Mr. Jurgen.”
This wasn't the first indication of the remoteness of my location I had received.
Traffic had become increasingly scarce since my departure from Libreville, the Gabonese capital, four days earlier. Although I was on the main international route between West and Equatorial Africa, I had waited all day for the vehicle which brought me to the border. Now, I faced a 20 kilometre walk to the first Congolese town.
David Bennett
to be continued

Vintgar Gorge, Bled

Shaped over the millennia by the raging waters of the River Radovna, the Vintgar Gorge slices through 1.6 km (one mile) of the Boršt and Hom hills in northwestern Slovenia.
First discovered in 1891, the narrow, winding river gorge was then impenetrable thanks to the vertical erosion of the limestone rock, but two years later a sandy trail and wooden pathways were built along the canyon length to open up its awesome waterfalls, icy cold pools and boiling rapids to visitors as it repeatedly crosses the river.
A stone arch of the Bohinj railway bridge, constructed in 1906 is hanging 33.5 meters above the river.
The trail ends at the impressive Šum waterfall, spewing 16 meters into a pool at the head of the gorge. From Šum , walkers can retrace their steps along the gorge or make a circular tour towards the east, walking over the peak of Hom, past the pilgrim church of St Catherine and on down to Bled.
Vintgar has become a magnet for adrenaline‐fueled whitewater rafters.

Practical information:
The gorge is open daily in April to November from 8am to 7pm.
Admission adults €4, children €2.
Gorje, near Bled. Vintgar Gorge is 4 kilometers north of Bled and accessed by bus from the main bus station, by car or on foot in about an hour.

Planica and Kranjska Gora

Avoid mass tourism for a day and visit the famous mountain resort Kranjska Gora and Planica valley, in the middle of Julian Alps, right on boarder with Austria and Italy.

Enjoy these stunnings views of the Julian Alps and the picturesque natural surroundings in Kranjska Gora and also visit Planica valley, where the finals in ski jumping World Cup take place every March.

Kranjska Gora, where you can enjoy the fresh alpine air and the stunning views of a mountain range, called the Julian Alps. Kranjska Gora is a picturesque alpine town under mountains, where you can feel pure nature and enjoy a day away from madding crowds.

You will be able to visit the peaceful lake Jasna in the vicinity of Kranjska Gora.
The modern  Planica Nordic Centre is transformed into a ski jumping venue during winter, where the world famous finals are held annually.

There you will have the opportunity to fly over the world highest ski jump with the help of the most spectacular zip line.

In addition, you can also visit the Planica Museum, dedicated to the history of ski jumping. At the end of the day you will return to Bled full of wonderful memories.

Bernardin/ Piran

Wau 3 Beyond Description

No one else did, but then, since the train was still sitting in the station the next morning, this was understandable.
Around 7 a.m. eight Sudanese who also had the wisdom to travel second-class crowded into our compartment, and the train chugged out of the station.
Although initially annoyed about the overbooking of second class, we were pleased with our choice when we saw the conditions in the third and fourth classes. Third class consisted of a carriage filled with wooden benches. The benches were jammed, and every square inch of floor space was also covered with squatting people and their luggage. The luggage racks were filled with children. Fourth class, a cattle car, was beyond description.

The corridors of the second-class carriages were crammed with people, making passage impossible.

David

to be continued