How a Japanese met Slovakia, part 2

(Original notes of Nat)

Next day, I didn´t know what to do ´till my bus leaves but I checked out my hotel and headed to Náměstí Republiky. From there I wondered around and around and I reached the national museum when I realized. I wasn´t going to see it so I started to head back to Náměstí Republiky. When I got to the bus depot, it was still 2 pm. How was I going to kill another 6 hours in the city in which I had no interest in then?! So I decided to find a bench to park my caboose ´till my bus comes. For six hours I was watching people coming and going; families, friends, couples, people with dogs. Watching people like this helped me kill some time. After a couple hours, hours began to go by so quickly. It also shows how bored I was, doesn´t it? And when I realized, I had to get ready for my bus in one hour. I had to use the bathroom and get something to eat before getting on the bus. So I went to the bathroom. I learned yesterday when I picked up my ticket and also from watching people there that I have to pay for the use of the bathroom at the depot. I didn´t know how much but I had some change so I was confident that I wouldn´t have any trouble using it and coming back out. I was bit nervous but the machine accepted my change and there I passed the gate and came back out successfully. Oh, I felt like I accomplished something there. What a big deal, right? Just using a public bathroom, man!
I made sure of the waiting point earlier so I was confident that I was at the right place but I asked a young guy at the same place who might understand English just to double check it. I said to him, "Is this bus for Bardejov?" So he replied, "Yes." Instantly I thought to myself, "Oh, he speaks some English so he would help me if I need any help on my way." However, a second later he started saying something to me in Slovak or Czech or who knows what it was. What I knew was that I didn´t understand a word that he was saying to me. It looked like he was trying to tell me something, so I followed him to the other side of the bus. There I found that I was supposed to store my bag in the bus from that side. I thanked him and we got back to where we were and started to get on the bus.
I saw people paying to the bus driver as I was waiting to get on. I was wondering about it. I paid the fare already so I wondered what they were paying for. So my turn came and went up to the driver. He said something but of course, I didn´t understand what he said. So I showed him all the change I had on me, and he took some change as he said a few more words but you know - I had no idea.
Then I was looking for my seat. When I got my ticket yesterday, the guy behind the glass asked me if I wanted a window seat or an aisle seat. So I bought a window seat. But when I found my seat, some guy was fake-sleeping like a dead man already. So I didn´t bother to ask him to move and I sat down next to him. Plus, it was night; I couldn´t see anything through the window anyway. And I thought I would fall asleep soon. I tried to talk to this guy but he didn´t understand what I said in English and I couldn´t say anything in Slovak or Czech. So that was it with him.
20 to 30 minutes into the bus trip, a movie began. It was a Hollywood movie, but I don´t remember what it was, but it was played in a language I didn´t understand without any subtitle. So there was one more reason for me to fall asleep. Because I was tired from waiting at the bus depot, it was a matter of time when I fall asleep. I don´t know when but I fell asleep. And when I woke up, we were already in Slovakia. My cell phone also notified me of it.
After the bus entered Slovakia, I couldn´t sleep. I tried but I failed while most passengers were peacefully asleep. Not being able to sleep wasn´t a problem because it wouldn´t hurt me if I skip a sleep. And I knew I wasn´t only one who´s been up all night. She was up working on a night shift, so it didn´t bother me at all. However, this is when I first said to myself, "Where the xxxk am I?", "what the hell am I doing here with a bunch of strangers with whom unfortunately I can´t communicate at all around me on the bus to a small town in the then still strange country for 11 freaking long hours?!", "Am I doing the right thing?", "Was it worth while coming here?" Thoughts like these came to me several times after that, to be honest, until the dawn started to break and I figured out my location on my cell phone which told me I was very close to my ultimate destination. And when I received a wake up text message from her, though I wasn´t asleep, I forgot all those words repeated in my mind in the last few hours. And I began to get extremely excited about the fact that I was going to meet her soon. And the bus finally arrived at the back of the Bardejov station.
Well, this is how my travel began. Everything I did, whether it was major or minor, was an interesting challenge to me. Maybe many things wouldn´t have been any trouble if I had known some Slovak. I didn´t know the language. I knew close to nothing about the country. I was pathetic and helpless. Who wouldn´t wish time would fly faster than it should in these circumstances? And more importantly, who would imagine this trip would turn out to be worth lifetime?