Congo 4: My heart sank

I awoke the next morning with a crushing headache. It eased as the day became a repeat of the day before. We visited several villages and covered 100 kilometres by nightfall. Unfortunately, I was still not at my destination as 50 of those kilometres had been side-trips to villages off the main road.

Once again, Pierre took me to visit his wife and children. “I suppose you have a wife in Makabana, to,” I said jokingly. “How did you know that?” said Pierre, surprised. Then a glint of recognition came to his face. “You've been talking to Jurgen, haven't you? He must have told you.”

Now that I understood Pierre's timetable, I awoke the next morning confident of reaching my destination. We travelled quickly until, outside a large town called Kibangou, we were stopped at a police checkpoint. A stern-faced officer perused my passport. “You didn't get your passport stamped in Lobo.” he said, referring to a forgettable village 80 kilometres back down the road. “You will have to return there to get it stamped.”

My heart sank.

David Bennett 
(to be continued) 

Piran - a pearl of the Adriatic coast.

Discover this small and charming town, also known as the pearl of the Slovenian coast.
The town is situated on a peninsula that ends in the promontory Punta Madonna, which used to be populated already in pre-Roman times.
The origin of its name derives from the Greek word PYR (fire)  for there was always a fire burning on the promontory to warn sailors at sea.

Places to see:
* Tartini Square, which is dedicated to the most famous citizen of Piran, the municipal palace, Venetian palace and the church of St. Peter.
* Franciscan monastery with a baroque cloister.
* Don' miss the Maritime Museum & Aquarium.

* Punta or Cape Madonna. On Punta you can enjoy in the view over both – the Gulf of Trieste and Croatian Savudria.
* 1st May Square which was once the main square of Piran. On the square you can find a large stone cistern, which was once used to collect rainwater from houses around the square.
* Church of St. George from the 17th century with baroque interior, where you can find interesting statue of St. George in battle with a dragon.

One of the greatest treasures of Piran can be found behind the altar: the Piran crucifix which dates back to the 14th century (usually you can see the interior of the church only through a fence. To enter the church you have to pay admission in Parish Museum of St George).
On a clear day you can enjoy the great view from the church terrace all the way from the Gulf of Trieste in the front, to the Julian Alps and even the Dolomites.
* You will get an even better view if you have enough energy to climb the famous Piran Ramparts. 

Slovenian

Slovenes

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