Interlude

Coffee in Bratislava old town, a day before I was due to come back to east Asia

I realise I'm still woefully behind - almost hilariously so - on my travel entries. I'm only halfway through continental #6, and I just got back from continental #7, and I've got all that to sort through. The good thing about continental #7, I guess, is that I don't have that many proper camera photos, mostly phone photos. Also continental #7 was a bit different to any of my previous trips. But it didn't stop me from enjoying the things I've previously enjoyed, such as being on the road, coffee on my own, walking to my own tempo and listening to my own music and not having to answer to anybody else.

A quick preview of what's to come in the rest of continental #6 - the former Yugoslavs, including Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, and Bosnia & Herzegovina. It's cliche, but I got the best photos in Croatia, especially along the coast. I didn't care for Zagreb that much. Slovenia was all right, but by the time I got there it was deep winter and foggy and freezing and not really much to see. It was deep winter in Croatia too, but adriatic Croatia is rather mediterranean, one of those places that never really gets too cold. I was only in Kotor in Montenegro, but I fell completely and absolutely in love with that place, and this is not a word I use too lightly. I would like to return to Montenegro the same way I left - through snowy white mountains, in the light winter drizzle, by myself, my heart light with the burden of no baggage. This was one trip which I sincerely wanted to never end; I met a lot of good people on this trip and I know that my story is not finished yet with some of them.

As for continental #7, expect Bulgaria, Athens (can't say 'Greece' in good conscience because it really was only Athens, which I didn't care for that much), and Istanbul. And of course Budapest again. I was in Budapest for about a week this time. It must have been my 5th or 6th time in Budapest, and every time I go there it's a different Budapest and a different mood and everything is different and yet the same.

In other news, this was also the first time I visited Bratislava old town properly, and I was pleasantly surprised. This is much more like the Europe of yore that I'm used to. They also have a brand new bus station which I am incredibly impressed with.

I don't like whinging or blaming other people or circumstances, but the reason I've been so behind on continental #6 really is because I still haven't found a suitable photo editor in lieu of Photoshop, and I can't find it in me to upload entries with subpar pictures, let alone write good content to go with the photos. It just doesn't compute for me.

In the past three weeks or so I must have taken about 6 different flights, if not more, and in a few hours I'm off to take another few. Back to Europe it is, then. I am a little numb, and I'm very different to the person I once was, back when I first started this blog. Nevertheless, I'd like to think that there are still a few things that are unchanged about me, the good things.

Onto the next chapter of my life, then.