This last piece of our "Eastern Europe" exploration has been surprising.. not because of all the odd communist anachronisms we might have expected from a country named "Slovenia" but more because of how western and forward-looking this country is.
We first arrived in Ljubljana we barely knew how to pronounce the name, let alone what it might be like. (as for pronunciation, j's sound like i's or y's in most slavic languages, so now we know it is Lyoob-blee-an-ah) Imagine how surprised we were to find clean, modern and on-time trains, friendly people who speak to us clearly in english before we even try to say "Dobr den." Upon exploring the city, we discovered a lively cafe culture, orderly streets, beautiful colorful architecture, and an incredible depth of tourist information produced by the national tourist board.
Our guidebook mentioned that Slovenia prefers to be thought of as a part of central Europe, similar to Switzerland, Italy, Germany, etc. (well, maybe not Germany given the history there..) Their independence from Yugoslavia was early (one of the first 2-3 countries back in 1989/90) and clean. (a 10 day attack from Yugoslavia, resolved by a cease-fire) The country's attitude seems to be one where they agree the past was horrible, but its best to just move on.
The first stop upon getting off the train or bus in a new city is often directly to the tourist information office (where the universal symbol of a blue times-roman font "i" is like a fast-food lover's big yellow "M") Sometimes they are helpful, sometimes not. Ljubljana fell into the former category.
Even in the friendly places, there is often some confusion about what we're looking for:
Us: What kind of hostels or private accomodation is there?
Tourist Office: There is a hostel. It is over there (pointing)
Us: Well, we need a double room, do they have doubles?
Tourist Office: Oh, then you should go to Hostel <hostel name>
Us: Where is that?
Them: Nearby. They have dorm rooms, is that ok?
Us: No no, we need a private, double room.
Them: Oh, then you need a hotel.
Us: What about private accomodations?
Them: Oh, yes, I have one here..
etc.. friendly, but between the language barrier and our own specific requests, there is usually a lot of confusion. Ljubljana went something like this:
Us: We're looking for a room, in a hostel or private accomodations.
Them: Private accomodations are far from the city center and I would recommend a hostel. This one is very nice..
Us: Great, are there other hostels in town?
Them: Yes, one other, but it doesn't have private rooms. You want a private room, I am guessing?
Us: Yes! Thanks.
It seems that this country has learned to anticipate what it takes to become a first rate country, and exploit its natural resources without, well, exploiting them. It seems that the entire train system has recieved a complete overhaul, and all trains within the country are quiet, comfortable, electric trains. Internet access is everywhere - hotels and hostels usually have a free internet jack in each room. Every library has multitiudes of free computers. The tourist information office even distributes "e-points" - a book which lists every known public internet access point (from libraries, to universities, to internet cafes) in the country! In anticipation of joining the EU, most hotels and restaurants are already accepting the Euro.
We've also traveled to Maribor and Bled where we've found this consistent attitude, demonstrating it is not just something unique to Ljubljana.
Its all been rather surprising and it has worked out very nicely for us, because the last week of this trip includes some planning for Africa. We have been able to browse multiple bookstores carrying english-language books to shop for Lonely Planet guides, and lots of free internet access to research our next steps.
Of course, one thing Heather and I both worry about is that they will become just another westernized country, and loose their identity. Its too early to tell where that is going, but they do seem to have carved out a niche for the country's character as a very welcome place for visitors with a unique mix of slavic and western european cultures. They love the outdoors and between the alps and the lakes, make a great place for anyone to visit, but they also maintain a unique attitude that is somewhere between smooth efficiency and laid back charm.
And to think that only a year ago, I wouldn't even have known that a country called Slovenia even existed!