It was Gavin's idea to visit Slovenia. Actually, he just gave me a choice between Slovakia and Slovenia, and being the superficial person that I am, I felt that the country name Slovenia just sounded much better. And like the sweet sound of its name, the country would prove to be visually beautiful as well. It reminded me of the Italian countryside.

The most striking quality of Slovenia was that it did not at all seem like an Eastern European country. As we were informed by a friendly local on the plane ride in, Slovenians enjoys a rather high standard of living and their country probably should be considered as a Western European country. He was quite the patriot.

People: Gavin and I, plus fellow backpackers Anna and Maria.

Memorable Moments: Walking for 45 minutes in the dark on our way to a bonfire festival, meeting blond Sweedish twins, and a minor altercation with Gav about itinerary.

Interesting Stuff: The Slovenian language includes a plural form that refers to only two people.

Personal Notes: I should have really booked ahead for that ex-prison hostel in Ljubljana.

Firsts: First time eating fried rice in Eastern Europe.