Slovenia

The Yugoslav vs Slovenia war was only ten days and thus people really don't feel too bad about it. They are fairly open about things and feel/know that they have benefited more so than the other states of the former Yugoslavia.

The actual place is a mixture of East and West, with influences from Austria, Italy and the East (Soviet States).

The landscape is beautiful, the cities look nice, if just a little warn by the functions of weather and time.

The capital -Ljubljana (pictured) is relatively clean, safe and luxurious like Italian tourist towns.

The people are open and friendly (if just slightly cold when you meet, they warm right up)
and many people speak multiple languages including English.
The accommodation is a little expensive (roughly the same as Italy) but the food is much cheaper and transportation East is also cheap.
The people here go on vacation in Italy or Croatia and seem to have taken full advantage of the less expensive states of Bosnia and Serbia.

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Metelkova is the area in which my hostel is and its a small city less than a block really... made up of converted military barracks and a small prison. The artists and musicians of the city took it over after the war, promised by a very "giving" new government which quickly changed their minds prompting the artist to squat there for two years without water or electricity --which is apparently guaranteed by their constitution anyway. The place is the cultural capital of the country and home to the alternative scene and way of life -ten music clubs and plenty of open galleries all within a tiny area.
The problem for me is the peace loving alternative scene (though I felt at home) isn't the best example of the greater area.

In a packed reggae bar tonight I saw one black guy who was DJing but plenty of dread-locked Slovenians.
In a club not 50 yards away I saw a Roma band playing semi traditional music with amps and a dancing cheering crowd who knew all the words singing along and encouraging the tourists to sing too

 

This is a rainy Thursday night and tomorrow and Saturday are supposed to be even wilder with people wrapped around the blocks waiting to get in.
The age range was about 15-60 it was quite beautiful.




The band is playing a cover of the song "Mostarski Ducani" by Mostar Sevdah Reunion
For the studio version (along with a picture of Mostar)  click here