The two lovers I had seen and briefly addressed walked by as I set about trying to figure out how to get down from the castle. Really, only two options presented themselves, the first of which being to try to navigate down the rocky slope I had used to ascend (the prospect of which I did not relish), and the second was to take the little road and follow the sign, and hope that I could somehow find my way back to the train tracks at Visnove where I would have to wait until 4 a.m. for my train back to Novo Mesto nad Vahom (a prospect which sounded daunting and rather unpleasant as I was already soaked with sweat, the temperature was dropping radically, and 4 a.m. would still be 9 hours away). Considering that I didn’t really like either option, I asked the couple if they spoke Russian, German or English, and the man indicated that he spoke a little English. After a couple of minutes, he told me that he had a car at the base of the road, and that he would be happy to take me to Chactice, the next neighboring town, so that I could catch an earlier train to Novo Mesto if I wanted. I thanked him vigorously, and then the three of us began walking down the rocky little road on the back side of the castle. I introduced myself, and the man told me his name was Rene, and his companion’s name was Dasha. After about 150 yards, a little Alfa Romeo was parked, and we all piled in for the rest of the trek down the mountain road. Rene told me that if I couldn’t get a train from Chactice, he would just take me all the way to Novo Mesto, and while I knew that such was a good 10 km away and didn’t want to be a bother to them, he insisted. When we arrived at Chactice, it was quite obvious that no one was operating the little station. Rene asked some teen aged boys who were smoking cigarettes in the dark when the next train would be coming by, they responded (I couldn’t understand them), and then Rene looked at me, smiled, and said, “well, Jack, I will be your taxi this evening.” I told him I didn’t mind waiting, but again, he waved me off and so I piled back in his car. 10 minutes later, I was at the door to my hotel here in Novo Mesto, and waving goodbye to him and Dasha. They were really sweet people, and honestly, angels in disguise as I have (after winding with them through the roads in Rene’s car) no idea how I would have re-located the train line or found my way back to Visnove without them. I’d probably still be stumbling around in the darkness trying to figure out where the heck I was, and watching over my shoulder for a woman clad in white (note: female vampires are ALWAYS dressed in white… at least so the mythology dictates before about 1950) with long, pointy teeth quickening her step behind me. Thanks, Rene and Dasha!
Monday, October 08, 2007
New Friends: Rene and Dasha
The two lovers I had seen and briefly addressed walked by as I set about trying to figure out how to get down from the castle. Really, only two options presented themselves, the first of which being to try to navigate down the rocky slope I had used to ascend (the prospect of which I did not relish), and the second was to take the little road and follow the sign, and hope that I could somehow find my way back to the train tracks at Visnove where I would have to wait until 4 a.m. for my train back to Novo Mesto nad Vahom (a prospect which sounded daunting and rather unpleasant as I was already soaked with sweat, the temperature was dropping radically, and 4 a.m. would still be 9 hours away). Considering that I didn’t really like either option, I asked the couple if they spoke Russian, German or English, and the man indicated that he spoke a little English. After a couple of minutes, he told me that he had a car at the base of the road, and that he would be happy to take me to Chactice, the next neighboring town, so that I could catch an earlier train to Novo Mesto if I wanted. I thanked him vigorously, and then the three of us began walking down the rocky little road on the back side of the castle. I introduced myself, and the man told me his name was Rene, and his companion’s name was Dasha. After about 150 yards, a little Alfa Romeo was parked, and we all piled in for the rest of the trek down the mountain road. Rene told me that if I couldn’t get a train from Chactice, he would just take me all the way to Novo Mesto, and while I knew that such was a good 10 km away and didn’t want to be a bother to them, he insisted. When we arrived at Chactice, it was quite obvious that no one was operating the little station. Rene asked some teen aged boys who were smoking cigarettes in the dark when the next train would be coming by, they responded (I couldn’t understand them), and then Rene looked at me, smiled, and said, “well, Jack, I will be your taxi this evening.” I told him I didn’t mind waiting, but again, he waved me off and so I piled back in his car. 10 minutes later, I was at the door to my hotel here in Novo Mesto, and waving goodbye to him and Dasha. They were really sweet people, and honestly, angels in disguise as I have (after winding with them through the roads in Rene’s car) no idea how I would have re-located the train line or found my way back to Visnove without them. I’d probably still be stumbling around in the darkness trying to figure out where the heck I was, and watching over my shoulder for a woman clad in white (note: female vampires are ALWAYS dressed in white… at least so the mythology dictates before about 1950) with long, pointy teeth quickening her step behind me. Thanks, Rene and Dasha!
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