September 29, 2021: The last two days of Slovakia were filled with more hiking, souvenir shopping, good food, and rafting! We were glad that the sunny weather held out the whole time we were there, and it was nice to have a break from the fast-paced city life in Prague.
After the difficult hike on Friday, most of us weren’t feeling up to another long hike. A handful of people went on a five-hour hike with Ken, while Bryn (a Carleton alum) led a 3-hour and a 1-hour hike for other students. A few students (including me) used the free time to rest, recover, and explore the towns surrounding our hotel instead.
Those of us staying in town walked around Starý Smokovec, a resort town filled with cute coffee shops, outdoor shops, and nice restaurants. Hisui and Sara tried to get a glimpse of the inside architecture of the Grand Hotel, only to be told that it was currently reserved for a medical conference. Hisui, Sara, Rebecca, and I also rode the tram to Štrbské Pleso, the town at the base of the Tatras Mountains. We explored the stalls selling wood carvings, hats, slippers, and other forms of art. It was nice to get some souvenir shopping done!
Joey, Diana, Maddy, Grace, Minneh, and Ken went on the five-hour hike. Out of curiosity, they waded into a lake along the way, which was (predictably) very cold. For lunch, they were able to eat at a chateau in the mountains—Joey accidentally ordered dessert as his main course. It’s not your average hike when you get to enjoy a beer and some food midway through your trek! The group also spotted an iconic sight in the Tatras: people carrying huge cases of beer up the mountain to sell to hikers along the way. Personally, I have a hard enough time carrying a couple of water bottles with me while I’m hiking, so I’m impressed.
On Sunday, we checked out of our hotel and headed on a bus to the Dunajec River, which forms the water border between Slovakia and Poland. At the river, we boarded wooden rafts, which are created from narrow, canoe-like boats tied together with rope to seat around 15 people. The weather was just right, allowing us to take a relaxing hour and half trip down the river. Along the way, Bryn translated for our Slovak tour guide, who pointed out areas of interest on the shore of the river. The views were amazing, and our group attempted some amateur birdwatching (read: looking at ducks).
Given that the river divided Poland and Slovakia, we tried to ask our tour guide about which country had jurisdiction over crimes committed in the river (completely hypothetical, of course), but unfortunately “jurisdiction” didn’t really translate very clearly. From the boat, we also had a chance to wave to pedestrians and bikers on the bridge that connects Poland and Slovakia.
At the end of the rafting trip, we docked at shore only 50 feet from the land border between the two countries. Naturally, we all took the opportunity to jump between Poland and Slovakia or stand with one foot in either country. Ken offered to distract the guards, which was much appreciated but ultimately unnecessary.
After rafting, we ate lunch at a nearby restaurant before heading back to the train station for our trip back to Prague. It felt a little longer than the overnight train since we were awake the whole time, but a lot of people took advantage of the long trip to catch up on some homework before classes the next day.
Stay tuned for more news from the Prague Blog, including our upcoming day trip to Kutna Hora on Friday. As always, thank you everyone for contributing their photos!