As the adventure goes, every great adventure has a wealth of trials that drive you to push past your comfort zone and explore parts of you that were long dormant or unseen. During this trip, I ventured across the seas to a far-off land that I knew very little about. A place where I didn't understand the language and far away from the routines of my world.
Four days after my arrival, the little village of Borinka would experience 4 months' worth of rain in 3 days. Massive flooding struck the town and the only road in or out turned into a river. Meanwhile, the small creek in the backyard turned into a violent raging vortex of water that would carve a chunk of the mountain away over the few days I was there. Wind and rain hammered the house causing several leaks to form.
Using the problem-solving skills I was born with I managed to build a makeshift dam to redirect the river away from the house and back to the creek. We had two pumps running full-time to keep the water out of the basement and keep the house safe. Cracks in the basement turned to geysers as water spewed up from them.
While the storm only lasted 3 days the damage to the small village was pretty severe. I spent the next 4 days helping neighbors take loads of waterlogged carpets, destroyed boxes of memories, and other water-damaged belongings to various dumpsters the city put out for residents. I took over 100 bags of trash between the neighbors to the dumpsters.
In the process, I met several of the neighbors, a few of them even knew more English than I knew Slovak. Regardless of if the language barrier, I could see the thanks and appreciation on their faces and it became clear that I was in the right place at the right time. Many of the residents in the village are elderly and have no way of doing this alone.
This was a great introduction to Slovakia and the perseverance of its people. This country has endured so much. Yet it's culture and passion is so great. What often is mistaken as loud and aggressive, I have found mislabeled as a deep-rooted passion that literally seeps out of every pore. Slovaks are passionate people and don't hide their emotions. The kindness radiates from them like a beacon, but if you wrong them you will feel the scorch of the sun burning away your soul. Everything is intense there and it's remarkably beautiful. It's life amplified.
The heritage of Slovakia began with the Celts. The region would be constantly under fire from some of the most feared warlords of all time. These included Marcus Aurelius, Attila, Napoleon, and Hitler. To survive so much and still hold onto your traditions, culture, kindness, and passion is remarkable. Slovakia has an intense past which gives way to a fierce people. Surviving so much and thriving in the process.
The rest of my trip I spent exploring Slovakia and meeting a whole lot of people. I explored the streets of Bratislava and sampled a wealth of local foods and drinks. I had my first Kofola and discovered the most wonderful pastry ever called a Trdelnik. Some of my favorites were Zemiakové Placky, Lokše, Langoše and Fašírka. We visited many of the major landmarks. From castles to the 100 kilometer spiritual journey that ends in Borinka, the beauty of humankind is ever so present in this country. Embracing a wealth of cultures, religions, and people with open arms.
I took time to tour the Opera House my mother-in-law spent over 30 years singing in. I saw the Madame Butterfly at the new opera house built upon the rubble of the factories the Americans bombed in World War 2. I saw the buildings adorned with cannon balls sent by Napoleon that now stand as beautiful flowers in the walls of the buildings they were embedded in. A wonderful way the people of Bratislava said "Keep trying bro" to the short lil man in his failed attempt to capture the city. I got to see the UFO bridge and the local food fair. Supermarkets were a high-tech wonderland and the buildings were a work of art, not just a 4 walled cinderblock with a logo.
All in all the trip was a wonderful crash course into the culture of Slovakia and I look forward to returning again.
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