In the picturesque Slovak mountains, what started as a peaceful 12-kilometer hike turned into an unexpected journey through time, courtesy of an elderly former Communist party official. The encounter left several families cutting their trip short, unable to bear the relentless stream of controversial commentary.
The protagonist of this peculiar mountain tale was a septuagenarian known as Laci, a former chair of the District National Committee in Orava. His presence transformed the serene mountain path into a verbal time machine, transporting unwilling listeners back to the era of Communist rule.
Laci’s unfiltered reminiscences painted a stark picture of the past. “When someone didn’t work, we made them. All it took was raising your voice. They knew!” he boasted. His rhetoric, devoid of any sugar-coating, shocked the hiking families into stunned silence.
As the hike progressed, Laci’s monologue intensified. He spoke of the “golden days” when they knew how to “deal with reactionaries,” and praised the “iron fist of the party” that could “tame the rabble.” His critical comments about current political figures like Fico and Orbán, juxtaposed with his nostalgia for communism, created an atmosphere of growing discomfort.
The breaking point came after an hour and a half of this historical deluge. One by one, families decided they’d had enough. Some sat on rocks, waiting for the group to move on, while others turned back altogether. In the end, those who remained quickened their pace, finally escaping the surreal walking history lesson.