At 5PM I reached Ribcev Laz, the village at Bohinj Lake. The sight that broke before my eyes
took my breath away. I knew immediately that was the perfect place I had been searching for.
I was lucky to get a room at "Bellevue" hotel, just above the village, overlooking the entire area.
Who could have asked for more. When the night fell and the fireworks began (local fire brigade
celebration), I was sure I found myself in Heaven.

To walk around the lake you need a whole day. I took this 14 kilometers long walk.
Every twist, every bend of the lake shore revealed a different, yet unforgettable scene.

The third day after I had an extraordinary peaceful breakfast on the "Jezero" hotel terrace,
I went rowing. Stayed 3 hours. Got very shaky afterwards and could hardly climb the steep slope
leading uphill towards my hotel.

I visited one of the most extraordinary sceneries. I felt the spirit of the place and the divine creation in one.
I also witnessed the shallowness and superficiality of human beings. What a devastating opposition !

	The place was alive. Neither pristine, nor divine,
	and yet, both. And more, much, much more. "Savica Waterfall"
	was the most beautiful place I have ever seen.
	It came rushing down the vertical, moss-grown
	rocks, appearing  from within the stoney heart of 
	the mountain. A deafening noise and the chilling 
	moisture aroused feelings I have never experienced 
	before. If God existed, s/he was there, s/he was
	all of it; the magnificent mountain, the lacy waterfalls, 
	the green velvet moss, the crystal clear pool beneath, 
	the steep slope descending into the valley,
	the foggy mist hiding the sun, the sensuous 
	smell of the pine woods stirring desires of 
	the soul's heart. I was so small, so insignificant, 
	so overwhelmed. The time stood still in an 
	everlasting present. The Now of the thundering 
	water drops, so vulnerable in one, so frightening 
	in abundance. I breathed in the spirit of the place,
	I was the spirit and the energy and the spark of life.

	I saw a rainbow in the water and realized that 
	neither the roaring sound of the water, nor this 
	game of colors within the tiny drops,existed  without  
	me standing there, my eyes seeing,  my ears 
	hearing and my heart feeling. Nothing exists 
	without me, without any of us. I am, we are the Nature 
	looking at itself in the mirror of our eyes.
	
	The magic was broken the moment humans arrived. 
	The loudest apparently had the greatest fun.
	"Fun" being the key word of their experience.
	The shooting session  began.  
	
	"Smiths will die when they see this !"
	" Gosh, this will beat Parker's snap shots from
	 the last year's  holidays."
	" Make me look wonderful."
	" Wait until I put some lipstick on."
	" No, not from that angle, my nose is too long."
	" Hurry up!"
	
	They ran around jumping like the baby goats.
	Mothers shouted at  their kids not to climb the fence, 
	fathers were showing off by doing exactly the same
	things they forbade to the youngsters; a few sandwiches 
	were eaten, a lot of wrapping paper left behind, 
	shrieks, crying, calling names, ...then silence. Finally!
	They were gone with one last glance at the map: 
	
      "What else is there to be seen?"
	" Let's have some lunch first."
	" Hurry."
	
	They left the magical waterfalls without noticing the magic.
	 Went away to see something else, to "shoot" something
	else somewhere else, to increase the collection of  fun,
	to consume another sight,  to 'buy" another experience 
	to beat their neighbors with.
	
	For them, Nature is a big mall where they come 
	to buy and fill the bag full unaware that their bags
	have big holes.
	
	They'll never know that seeing is not the same as
	looking at. That having is not the same as being. 
	That all the snaps in the world can't replace one second 
	of true merging with the nature. They'll never know.
					

Beautiful photos on this page are taken from original web pages of Slovenia.
Copyright for all the photos belongs to Mat`Kurja. They are used only as links and for the sole
purpose of giving credits to this beautiful area.

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