Day 37, Continued - Blissful Bratislava

My spot in Medická záhrada (a park)

To get from Vienna to Bratislava (a distance of about 60km), you can take a bus ride of about an hour and a half. Even better, a ticket on such a bus will only set a person my age back by 6 euros and 90 cents. Bargain, for an international bus trip. 

The ticket window didn't accept credit card (don't ask me why an international bus terminal doesn't have an EFTPOS machine. T-shirt stores in eastern european city squares have EFTPOS machines). Anyway, I only had 6.50 in my wallet (remaining from past busking success). The ticket vendor very graciously let me off the last 40 cents and gave me my ticket.

I cheerfully strolled over to the bus and started to load my luggage into the bus's hold. I got my big suitcase in, and was just about to put my guitar in when the bus driver stopped me and said something about 1 euro. I took this to mean that to put the rest of my luggage into the (almost empty) hold would cost me 1 euro. So I grudgingly picked up my stuff and mounted into the bus, awkwardly slotting things into the luggage racks, and propping the guitar up next to me.

It was about 15 minutes into the bus ride, when we'd stopped at some traffic lights, that the bus driver turned around and repeated to me something about 1 euro. I told him I didn't speak German, to which he replied, "Luggage. 1 euro."

It seems that in the cost of a ticket on the bus is not included the cost of wanting to take anything on the bus with you. I understand that 6.90 is a rock-bottom price for a bus ticket, but I really would rather settle my costs at the ticket window, rather than have to explain to the bus driver mid-journey that I used all my coins to buy the ticket.

This is the bus driver



He seemed very disrguntled, so I decided to scrounge at the bottom of the pockets in my bag. I managed to find 25 cents, which I gave to him, saying that it was all the money I had on me, unless he accepted credit card.

"THAT'S OKAY !" Says Mr. Bus Driver, "THERE'S AN ATM AT OUR NEXT STOP WHERE YOU CAN DRAW THE REST OF THE MONEY !"

So, at the next stop he instructs me to go find an ATM to withdraw his 75 cents.

Great afternoon :)

The rest of the journey was without incident. In fact, my whole stay in Bratislava has been great. I've done some exploring, as well as some busking. Busking was lovely today, with great weather and lovely listeners.

Thank you to those who bought a CD today :)

I've quite enjoyed Bratislava, especially the fact that I can buy groceries to last me two meals from the Tesco across the road for under 5 euros.

Just a note to other travellers, though: I was told that everybody in Bratislava speaks English very well. The person who told me this piece of information was misinformed. Practically nobody speaks English.

That's not a problem, though. It enriches the experience. It does mean that I once again am treated (probably rightly so) as an ignorant western tourist.

So, tomorrow I return to Austria, to see what Salzburg is like. I'll remember to bring enough money for the bus. And for my luggage.

:)

Tim