The Várys own a cottage in a small village in the mountains called Huty. Huty is in the high Tatars and is a pretty remote and isolated place. The drive there is not a short one, it was about five hours from Bratislava. When we were about two thirds of the way to Huty we were able to see the Tatras looming above us, they were capped with white snow and looked almost as if they were about to fall on us.
 |
| The Tatras |
As we drove through the village I saw a whole lot of chickens. Apparently everyone that lives there year round raises chickens. There were very many old building that were made out of wood and had a very distinct type of architecture. There were also plenty of new fresh looking houses.
It is a remote village and it being remote means its hard to get running water up there so all the water is in one facet outside. The water from this facet was the coldest water I have ever felt, by far. There is also a latrine with a huge spider in it.
We pulled up to the Várys cabin or hut or whatever you want to call it. Me and Šimon got out of the car and opened a large picket wooden gate. After fumbling with the lock for about five minutes we finally got rusty hinges to grind out, then back into place after the car had driven inside the fence.
 |
| This is the hut. |
 |
| The village, taken from the hill behind the house. |
The immediate yard of the house was not very big, behind the house was a small wooden table. There is a little stream that runs behind the house, behind that his is an extremely short, but steep hill and behind that more small hills covered by tall grass.
I walked up the five or six steps into the house into a small room that slightly resembled a kitchen. There was a table in the left of the room and another right next to the door but the one next to the door was covered by a hot plate and other cooking utensils.
The next room was every image of what a cozy cabin cottage should look like, there was even a rocking chair. When you walked in through the door on you right was a small table with a pitcher of water or tea and glasses or mugs. Next to the table was a door to another room the next to the door was a heating oven powered by wood, then next to that was a shelf with assorted liquors and a radio sitting on it.
On the left was a small table with two benches and three chairs around it, next to that was a dresser with a mirror on top and lastly a sofa. In the next and final room were three beds another wood stove there was also another dresser with a fold-out bed on top of it.
Being that we arrived late in the day we didn't do anything but read and relax or chill or whatever for the rest of the day. The next day we woke up, Žofka had difficulties waking up so Šimon and Maroš went and got a pitcher of that frigid water from the facet outside, they came back inside and brutally assisted her.
After everyone was awake we had breakfast. After breakfast we all piled into the car along with the Várys dog Tory. We came to a parking lot which apparently housed more cars then anybody had thought could fit into such a small village we found a parking spot on the grass and got out of the car. There a smooth path made from small pebbles that was next a very small river.
After walking down the path for a good while we came to some old mill houses which were now big attractions of the village. There were lots and lots of people around the mills, being the same as everybody else we took out our cameras and started taking pictures.
 |
| On the way to the mills. |
 |
| The mills |
 |
| I never knew goats could be so interesting. |
After looking through the mills and enjoying the wonderful outdoors we went back home ate and fell asleep.
The next day we woke refreshed and anew, well everyone but Žofka who needed help in the same way as she needed it the day before, Šimon and Maroš gladly helped her. Soon everybody was awake. We ate as we had the day before took the dog for a quick walk and then piled into the car again.
 |
| Maroš was more than a little annoyed. |
 |
| Šimon realised. |
We drove off and soon arrived under a ski mountain which being in the Tatras still had a little snow. The place were were at was called "Tarzania" it was a very peculiar looking ropes course. After a brief training session on how not to fall down and die we started on the ropes course. Surprisingly we did not fall down and die.
There were many things I have seen before in this ropes course and many things I doubt I could have imagined. There were some very easy obstacles which I just ran across and one or two where I got frustrated and simply climbed the cable my swiss seat was attached to.
After me and Šimon finished (we had been the first two to go) we talked with the guy who has in charge of making sure we didn't die. As it turned out he happened to be an excellent freestyle semi-pro skier, we talked about skiing, skis, snow and things of that nature.
After we finished we said goodbye to the employee we had been talking to and drove back to the cabin. Once we got back to the cabin we ate and fell sound asleep.
The next day was Easter. Slovakia, being such an old and historic country has many traditions. My favourite tradition of all is the Easter tradition. On Easter the men take could water and pour it over the women's heads after they pour the water they beat them with whips. The women are not allowed to retaliate in anyway, they must serve the men good drinks and food. The best part about all this is that its true. Somebody, I can't remember who, but it was somebody important said "Without traditions people wouldn't be people."
I watched as Šimon and Maroš practised tradition very vigorously. After all our traditional ceremonies we drove five hours home. We arrived and stumbled, almost zombie like to our beds and fell asleep. Everybody was extremely tired.
 |
| Žofka and Maroš taking a picture of us. |
No comments:
Post a Comment