RARECATION 13: SLOVENIA - Bovec

This morning, the camper van seems to be empty. Abang Rashid and Kak Mona continued their journey from Venice straight to Prague or was it Budapest. Anyhow, this couple had traveled far and wide. During our trip, they would talk about their Switzerland trip, how they enjoyed Verona and their next visit to Jordan to visit the eldest of their children. It will be sometime when our path will cross again...InsyaAllah (Allah willing)

Anyway, the ladies and 2 men (Januar and Anz) were nice enough to cook breakfast for the whole lot of us. I think it was spaghetti and nasi lemak. Yummy!!!

coconut rice

the ladies hard at work...that must be
Che Mun's batik sarong

The top part of the small California van,
enough space for 2

Travelling to Bovec today, in Slovenia! It will be a slow and easy drive there. Not rushing over anything, the next activity will be Night Photography...certainly at night. 

We took the highway towards Udine, the home of the football team Udinese. We did not enter the city, instead we took the state road and we throughly enjoyed the view. Passing along river and streams, took turns to use the bridge..stopped along the way to snap some photos and making sure everyone is aboard before we depart.

K, Tasha, Dinie, Arifah, Coke, Sab and Didit...
doing their best to hold their bladder...hahaha

This area is quite famous. Known as the Predel Pass there's a monument erected to the fallen soldiers of a battle in 1809. You can take a look at the monument here.

I had the picture but must be lost among the many files of photos which i've yet to sort out. Not far from the monument... a lone sign board indicating that we are in Slovenia. So far we've been in and out of many Euro countries and the arrangements that you may pass the borders without showing my papers is excellent! 

Slovenia!

In Bovec, we parked at a camper van friendly spot. It's great to see these sort of things are everywhere. 

Water, Electricity and Chemie

Bovec, near a gondola lift which opens
only in winter

the gondolas at the station

We waited till it was quite dark when as usual, one by one we set our camera on tripod and aim at the heavens. Try as I might, I achieved nothing. It was after tinkering with the camera's setting, only then I managed to get my first picture. Early attempt at night or even astro photography...it was OK to me. At least I know my mirrorless could actually take photos at night...oh ya discovered it had 'BULB' setting too! Yeay! 

after a few attempts, getting the hang of it,
except the weather wasn't permitting...

We were looking the darkest area possible, and that's when someone decided we go for a walk to an area we passed during the day. Full of trees to provide cover from light...we agreed to go together. It was truly dark and we remembered there was a barn. It will be nice to have it in the picture....only there's one problem. We felt something was not right and unfamiliar sound came from the barn as we came closer. 

Didit tried to become the hero and investigate further...but the rest just scampered away back to the car park! We ran...I mean we walked fast, away from the place till we felt safe. 

'RARECATION 13'
number 3 was written backwards

We continued taking pictures but this time, Syibli had a small torchlight with him. We tried few things with it. Basically we had fun until it rained that night. 

First thing in the morning, Syibli and SN with a few of the early risers took up a spot not far from us. Sunrise! All this are new to me...early morning was the time to think what you want to have for breakfast..or stuck in traffic on the way to work...but to take pictures? 

It was still early in the morning when we could hear 'clanging' sound very faintly at first, and then louder and louder until we finally saw what made the sound. Sheep! Lots of them and in orderly fashion. They waited at the end of the field where we were, patiently, waiting for "farmer Joe" to guide them to their breakfast. Must be a field somewhere nearby. But it was amazing to see them in behave so well. I mean...these are sheep but just look at the pictures below...

Farmer Joe in the white car...and I kid you not..
the flock followed him! 

We broke camp and head for the main attraction not far from where we were. A water fall, actually. We drove into Bovec town and it felt like a ghost town. Only in winter, these places would burst into life. The road to the waterfall was quite challenging. This time, we had to send the small van first to see if the camper van would make it through the small road ahead. 

See the signboard? On the left...

Slap Virje / Waterfall Virje

FYI, this waterfall is one of many in Bovec. The Virje Waterfall is 12m high and 20m wide. The water? It was freezing....But I think it was either Januar or Anz and some of the girls took a dip in the clear green pool. I did took a sip, it tasted like water..duhhhh...

the waterfall...

nice clear green water...and i forgot to take picture of this waterfall  using long exposure technique..sigh....

The waterfall is at the bottom of a hill...and now, to walk all the way up to the camper van. Luckily, these guys were infront of me...

guess?

ouch...that's a tad too close for comfort

Austria next! It will be our last destination before we head back for Munich, Germany. Long journey ahead and the weather doesn't look that cheerful. It was mostly cloudy. In another few days....back to reality.