Around the world

the last day in Slovenia A lot is left to do
For today we originally planned to do just a couple of things, but then we thought it might be good to not drive all the way back to CH on the Italian motorways, this would allow us to save 200km while adding “only” 5 passes to our already longish pass list .
So there we go, like Japanese tourists, we start around 8.30 with a daylight visit of the beautiful Piran, we then drive to the Skocjanske caves, a UNESCO listed classic Karst cave. After a run to catch up with the group (only guided tours allowed) we start walking into the large cave, we pass very beautiful passages in the dry cave, but the nicest part is the canyon where the river (60m below the walking path) is still active shaping the cave. The most impressing passage is a Khazad-dum like bridge (you know the bridge where Gandalf fights the Balrog in the lord of the rings – I even tell Sarah “you shall not passss” – very LOTR insider over the roaring canyon. After the cave we walk back to the car passing through a huge Doline.
Our next stop is another cave, the Postojnska jama, the most visited cave in Europe (over 32 millions people since 1818). As such it is organized almost like Disneyland, you go in for 2Km on a little train, then walk around and take the train back. Although iper-touristy, the cave is absolutely gorgeous and worth visiting, in fact even the little train ride in is quite amusing. Beside the cave itself, we came here for the Proteus. The what!? Proteus, an amphibian cave dweller, that is found only in classic karst (i.e. Slovenia, Croatia, …) caves. the Proteus is just plain fantastic, it is totally adapted to live in caves up to 100 years and can survives few years without food.
Our third target for the day is the Predjama Castle, a castle half build in a cave over a cliff in late middle age. The fortress was build by a Bandit to have a safe harbour after his “works”. It was then sub-sequentially renewed and expanded by new owners. A pretty amazing building. Only disappointment, we arrived to late to use our super duper tourist combined entrance ticket to the cave below the castle, which we then gave to some super happy Spanish backpackers.
wow, 6 o’clock and we did it all… not quite there is still a visit to Misja Pec for some climbing on the plan, we drive there and well, it was definitely worth!!!
I get in four routes and then nichgsfalls and we start driving toward Italy. At one in the morning we arrive at the Lago di Garda, where we would like to camp. First camp no night guard, second neither, third YES!!! “ups sorry I’m full like all other around here…” , crap! He then suggests us a parking by the lake where we might sleep in the car (the JUSTY), well doesn’t sound promising but then Sarah has an idea, what if our air bed fits in the car? we try and it does, so we rearrange the baggagesss so that they form a flet surface, push the materass on it, hang some clothes on the window and the perfect pocket size camper van is ready for a earnenightht sleep!!!