We awoke to beautiful sunny skies. During our card game the night before, Marian, Lubos' father, phoned around and secured a car so that we could sightsee a little more easily. Zuzka convinced us that a trip to the caves (Demanovska Jaskyna Slobody - The Demanovska Cave of Freedom) and to the Besenova Thermal Water Park to warm up afterwards would be very worthwhile. We agreed, so with Zuzka as our lively tour guide, the five of us set off. She pointed out castles, mountain ranges, dams, and many towns and industries along the way and we really enjoyed the drive. The highways here are wide and smooth, and the scenery ever-changing and very beautiful. The castles we saw were easily viewed from the car, as they were built for defensive purposes along the same mountain passes now used by the roadway. Slovakia's long and violent history resulted in more fortified castles than anywhere else in Europe! But castles were not the only sights. We saw a real working shepherd and enjoyed many picturesque towns and villages along the way.

After an hour, we arrived at the cave. We were too late for the 1:00 tour, so Zuzka signed us up for the 1:30 tour in Polish. Zuzka interpreted for us, and we proceeded to walk down the equivalent of 8 storeys into a diverse and stunning landscape, full of colourful, shining, shimmering, multi-dimensional and ever-changing stalagtites and stalagmites. The same mineral filled water drops that formed these wonders occasionally dripped on our heads! Very well organized - with timed commentary, music, and spotlights that kept even Connor engaged - these caverns were a definite highlight of our trip.

Zuzka was right in suggesting that we would want to warm up after our walk through the cave, so we headed for the Thermal Park. When we arrived, it was interesting - to say the least. In Canada, our mineral springs are filtered, clear, and look just like a normal swimming pool. Not here. Because of the high iron content, the water is reddish-brown. It looked very strange to our Canadian eyes, but in we went! In addition to the three main pools (cool, warm, hot), there are also waterslides and entertainment supplied by the "Animation Team", who played great music such as 'YMCA' by the Village People and other party favourites. They also ran fun events for kids and adults alike, including doing the 'locomotion' dance through the pools and competing in the limbo contest. When Connor, Tessa, and Zuzka did so well in the limbo contest and won chocolate bars, everyone cheered loudly. This place had it all and we all had a blast!

When we got back to Emilia and Marian's, we went to a local pizzeria where everyone ordered something different. Although Connor and Tessa had pizza, the rest of us had traditional Slovak food. We tried each other's dishes, and we realized that we could easily become Slovakian! We had meant to leave early the next day, having experienced castles, caves, thermal pools and authentic food, but we hadn't seen 'nature', yet. So, we agreed we wouldn't leave until the next afternoon.