Today, Andrej and I decided to do some tour on our own. We woke up fairly early as usual and made our way towards Postojnska Jama (Postojna Caves). The Postojna is a karst (limestone) cave and the second longest cave system in Slovenia. I was very excited to explore this place because other than Lake Bled, these caves were always touted as one of the best things to see in Slovenia on the internet. Of course, Andrej wouldn’t necessarily agree with me on this as he doesn’t appreciate any place that is too touristy or commonplace. I used to read a great deal about karst caves in my Geography classes and how stalagmites and stalactites are formed. I thought it would be really interesting to see such natural art with my own eyes. When we reached the place, I decided to check out the small souvenir shops and kiosks that were lined up in the street corner. We got our entry tickets for the main cave and skipped the Proteus Cave that had exhibition of living cave dwelling animals and the Predjama Castle. Like any other tourist hotspots, the Postojna cave authorities seemed well versed in the art of marketing and enticing tourists to spend their money. As each of us walked towards the cave entry, professional photographers played paparazzi and took photos of each visitor. I remember the same kind of tactic were played by photographers at the Taj Mahal and the photos came out so good I could not hold back from buying them at whatever rate they sold them for!
We walked into the cave and we were informed that the temperatures would drop to 10 degree centigrade. I had brought with me a light sweater and didn’t care much as I knew what to do if I got cold—hug the person sitting next to me! We boarded the tram and soon the engines began to roll and took us into the subterranean cave system. I could barely contain my excitement as I looked around the natural beauty around me. The stalagmites and stalactites looked so amazing under the skillfully lit lamps that it almost appeared to be an artificial creation at a theme park. I was tempted to take pictures of every sight I saw inside the cave but Andrej kept urging me to relax, put down my camera and enjoy the moment. When we arrived at the heart of the cave, we got off the tram and our English speaking tour guide began to explain the history of the cave and its significance. There were plenty of passages inside and we charted through each and every one of them, with each and every rock formation looking better than the previous one that we saw. I began to feel the chilly air in my bones from time to time and Andrej offered me his sweatshirt which I constantly refused to accept. Instead, I decided to use the pocket of his jacket as my hand glove. The surrounding beauty, the mysterious atmosphere, the dim lighting inside the cave was all very enchanting. More than candle lit dinner at some fancy restaurant, I thought this was my ideal of a “romantic date.” This was also the first time that Andrej and I ever held hands in a public place. I felt a bit silly at first but then got used to it soon enough. Besides, it was getting colder and I felt the need to get closer to my date of the day and steal some of his body heat.
The cave evoked much imagery from literature ranging from Coleridge’s “Kubla Khan”… “In Xanadu did Kubla Khan/A stately pleasure-dome decree/Where Alph, the sacred river, ran/Through caverns measureless to man/Down to a sunless sea…a sunny pleasure dome with caves of ice” to Freudian exposition on the phallic stage and phallic symbols. I kept telling Andrej how much these subterranean cavern and the stalagmites and stalactites represented phallic symbols and how disturbing they could be construed as by feminists such as I. I heartily accused him of bringing me to this place on purpose so he could torture me mentally and perhaps psychologically too! (wink) We also got to see a salamander in the cave’s aquarium. They seemed to thrive there healthily as they would in their natural environment. It made me realize how much effort the government must put into conserving and preserving this natural site. After touring the length and breadth of Postojnska Jama, we picked up a couple of souvenirs and made our way back to the tram to hark back to “civilization.” On the way out, I picked up a two pictures, one single of mine and another of me and Andrej that the cameras installed inside the cave captured. We then had some food and drinks at the restaurant outside the cave before heading towards our next destination- Lipica Stud Farm.
The Lipica Stud Farm is situated in a sprawling more than 200 acres farm. Pedigreed horses are bred and reared in the farm, naturally as well as artificially. They are used for performing as well as for other special occasions. Because of my love for animals, I was elated to be looking at these horses. We were greeted by our warm tour guide who spoke English fluently but with the most adorable accent. She took us through the stables and explained to us the ways in which the horses on the farm were looked after and what purposes they served. I was expecting to see some grand looking horses but the animals appeared to me as pony-like. Perhaps, the ones for public viewing were only those that no longer worked for shows. It got me thinking that Arabian horses were grander looking than the ones I saw in Lipica. The tour ended soon after. I picked up a few more souvenirs from the souvenir shop and we sat down for some water and soda at the restaurant. Andrej decided to show me the Adriatic Sea and the beach where most Slovenian “cool” wannabes hung out. So off we went to Portorož.
During our journey, he lost track of the way and we entered into the Italian soil. I found this incident highly amusing as European countries with its porous borders appeared so at ease with their neighbors. If only India and her neighbors could enjoy the same level of trust and maturity I thought. We made our way back to Slovenia and soon came to realize that the weather was turning against us with rainclouds enveloping the skies. It began to drizzle but we continued to drive towards the beach hoping that the rain would eventually stop by the time we arrived at Portorož. However, it began to pour more and we became convinced it would be impossible to check out the beach properly this time around. We went ahead anyway, parked the car and walked towards the beach. We picked up a slice of pizza and took shelter. We tried to walk towards the sea but the high wind and torrential rain made it nearly impossible. So we decided to drive back to Ljubljana. As much as our plans to enjoy the beach failed, I thought braving through the pouring rain and eating pizza with Andrej while looking to the sea with its raging waves was rather romantic and quite the memorable moment.
We then went to check out an Indian restaurant downtown. Andrej wanted to eat some Indian food. I was obviously very welcoming of the idea. This was going to be my last day in Slovenia and I insisted that I take a few more pictures of downtown Ljubljana before we left as I didn’t get to do that the first time around. The walls of the “Namaste” Indian restaurant had warm orange tones and boasted Indian décor. Andrej asked me to order Indian food of my choice for us so I picked Mutton Rogan Josh, Mattar Paneer, butter Nan bread and some Basmati fragrant white rice. We were served Papad as appetizers which awkwardly had some veggies strewn on top of that. This innovative idea made the Papad appear more like a Mexican delicacy than an Indian one. The food tasted very good except for the Rogan Josh which was a far cry from the mutton curry we prepare back home in India. Overall, it was a good meal and we were also able to pack some leftovers for Andrej’s Mom. We walked around a bit more in the vicinity and beyond. I got to see the Slovenian Opera house as well as Tivoli Park. We sat at a park bench under a gigantic tree, talked and kissed and drove back home. As we were to leave the next day for Vienna, I wanted to say goodbye to Andrej’s Dad who usually left home for work at 6 AM. I thanked him for the amazing hospitality and gave him my word that I would remind Andrej to keep him posted about our whereabouts during the course of our trip to other parts of Central Europe. As much as I wanted to have more of Slovenia and hang out with Mr. and Mrs. Poljanec, I was secretly overjoyed that I would finally be alone with Andrej and would no longer have to engage in clandestine meetings in their home.
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