Sunday, May 27, 2007

Cool it Down

























The weather in Bratislava has been unbearably hot. Last week, temperatures got as high as +33C.The sweltering heat is far too much for me. I find it difficult to sleep and concentrate. I decided that I needed to cool down. One of the best places to cool down in Slovakia is Dobsinska Jaskyna (Dobsinska Ice Cave), which is situated in Slovensky Raj national park. All year round, Dobsinska Ice Cave enjoys cool temperatures of at least -1C. It has an impressive display of permanent ice and limestone, which makes it one of Slovakia's finest natural wonders. It looks like something from a setting of a science fiction film.
When in the cave, one can feel the cold, so it is advisable to wrap up warm. I felt my hands go totally numb for about 20 minutes, which made it difficult to operate my camera.
However, it is not that cheap. It costs 180sk for a 30 minute guided tour in Slovak and costs an additional 300sk (8GBP) to take a few pictures. Camera tripods in the cave are strictly forbidden, so don't expect to take any postcard-quality pictures. While I am used to paying extra in museums and caves to take pictures, 300sk seems a little pricey to take a few mediocre pictures on a digital camera. It is better value for money to enter the cave and buy a souvenir book with professionally taken pictures at 100sk.

No comments: