Today was a much lighter day of cultural touring and our last before
the conference begins. Not going to lie, it’s going to be hard to get to
work at the conference after nearly a week of awesome sightseeing in
Europe.
Bouzov Castle
Touring castles is one of my favorite
things to do in Europe, and though this one didn’t stack up to
Chenonceau or Chambord, it had a cool Eastern vibe and completely
different architectural style that was still really beautiful.
Built
in the 14th century, this is the oldest castle I’ve toured, and it has a
lot of neat Medieval elements, such as a moat, drawbridge and iron gate
in front of the entrance. Fun fact: It was taken over by the Nazis
during World War II, so there are many 20th-century pieces incorporated
into the design as well.
The castle was absolutely beautiful, and
from its place on top of a hill, it offered a great view of the village
below. I’m always struck by the intricate details not only in the
structure of the building, but the decorations inside. Buildings simply
aren’t built that way anymore. An opportunity to see something like a
castle, which really can’t be found in America at all, is one of the
reasons I love Europe so much.
Javoricko Caves
Arkansas has
amazing karst landscapes, so I didn’t expect to be impressed with the
caves. Thankfully, I was wrong. The cave had several large basins,
created when the ceiling collapsed in several places, that were filled
with stalactites and stalagmites. Some of the formations were so thin
they looked like sheets or blankets, and when the light would shine
through, they glowed red. Hundreds of bats lined the ceiling, which was
really cool and really freaky at the same time.
The drive to the
caves was amazing as well. A light blanket of snow covered the ground as
we drove through the rolling hills and mountains of the countryside.
Once we arrived, we hiked a short distance through a forest of evergreen
tress as the morning sun shone through. I’ve really enjoyed the cold
weather here, which will surprise anyone who knows how much I like to be
warm. The cold weather just seems to fit here and confirms all my
stereotypical, preconceived notions about frost-covered crops in the
Czech Republic during the Soviet era. In any case, it also puts me in
the mood for Christmas.
After the beautiful drive through the country and the visit to the cave, I left with the impression that Mother Nature is boss.
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Read more from Jaime at http://jaimed03.tumblr.com/
Learn more about past Model United Nations conferences at http://waltonblog.uark.edu/2015/01/26/national-model-united-nations-rome/
