I'll preface with this blog entry with an apology for dropping off the face of the blogging planet! After Cambodia I was in Australia for a few weeks before I headed home and completed my circumnavigation of the globe! I'm now picking up again from the trip to Egypt and Jordan with my best friend Dan!
As I write this we are on our way to Abu Simbel which is a town in southern Egypt by Lake Nasser, about 40km from the Sudanese border. We woke up bright and early at 2:30am because the only way to get access to Abu Simbel is by police convoy and the only convoy leaves at 4am! It’s actually pretty peaceful to watch the stars outside the window of the minibus, that is, if you can forget the gazillion other tour buses on the same convoy! In reading about the city, there appears to be two main highlights, both temples built by Ramses II, and then the lake of course.
Last nigh (August 27th) we had a nice ride down the Nile to a small island town. Until a few years ago, the island was uninhabited but when they built the High Dam and flooded the Nubian land, they gave the island to the Nubian people. We hiked around the island and viewed an amazing sunset from the roof of a primary school and then headed to the home of a Nubian man for dinner. The dinner was great, even if I didn’t know what half of the dishes contained! There was a dish involving potatoes in a tomatoe sauce of sorts that was delicious! I am going to have to see if I can find the recipe for that and Nubian bread somewhere.
We arrived in Aswan about 11:30am on the same day. This, after a relaxing 14 hour night train from Cairo. Other than the frigid air con and some jolts that seemed as if we’d hit a cow on the tracks, it really wasn’t too bad. I even got a few hours of uninterrupted sleep!
Still working my way backwards, we arrived in Cairo on the 25th. Our hotel was one street away from the Nile and had some amazing city views from the restaurant on the 10th floor! We did the quick tourist run through Cairo, seeing the pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, and the Egypt Museum. Dan and I paid to go into the Great Pyramid which was pretty cool. When I say cool, I definitely don’t mean the temperature! The inside of the pyramid was warm and muggy and I was sweating by the time we finished the climb to the last chamber. It was well worth it though. The chamber had amazing acoustics and your echo seemed to go on forever. I want a room like that in my house some day!
When we first arrived at our hotel, Dan and I decided to take a walk around town. We were quickly cornered by a friendly Egyptian man. By the way, if you ever meet a man in Egypt and forget his name, there’s a good chance it’s Mohamed. This isn’t a stereotype, we have had two taxi drivers, our tour guide and this man from the street tell us the same! (They were all Mohamed!) Anyway, Mohamed did a great job of reeling us in with his schpeel and we ended up back in his shop where he and his cousin sold Papyrus scrolls with paintings on them. Who knows if they were real or fake, I took one for the team and ended with one in my hands. Hopefully I can get in back into the US!
Anyway, that’s all for now. I’m going to eat my boxed breakfast and enjoy the stars!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Why I Don’t Want To Become An Expat
I had an interesting day today. I spent the first half of the day seeing the sights of Phenom Penh, the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda and the killing fields. What I love and hate about already about SE Asia is the bombardment of moto, tuk-tuk and taxi drivers at every corner. My moto driver, Paul (most likely just a random English name that he picked to tell tourists), was an excellent guy. The great thing about moto/tuk-tuk service is that they basically wait for your at every place you go and in the end of the day it costs you about $10. The annoying part is dealing with the other thousand drivers that want to compete for your service.
The Royal Palace was impressive. Massive, multi-roofed buildings that blot out the sun with their gold and silver leafed tiles. If it weren’t for the scorching heat, I might have stayed a little bit beyond the half an hour that is took, running from patch of shade to patch of shade within the palace grounds. Paul and I then headed out to Choeng Ek, or the killing fields. To bring you up on Cambodian history, basically this guy named Pol Pot took power with a group known as the Khmer Rogues that slaughtered anyone who was thought to be educated. It’s thought that 1.7 million people were slaughtered and the killing fields were one of the mass grave sights. It was a very chilling experience, especially the monument that holds 8,000 skulls that were excavated from some of the graves.
I spent the afternoon with some crazy expats, both named Gary. Gary #1, originally from New York, walked up to me and had to rave about my random pins on my backpack. We spent the next half an hour standing by the Mekong, while he tried to convince me that a meteor hit Cambodia and was the source of all life on earth…yep, it was amazing! We decided to mosy on over to the local pallet wetter where we met Gary #2, original from jolly old England. We had a few beers and while Gary #1 was off trying to score some dope, I found out that Gary #2 had lived in Encinitas in the 70’s. We swapped stories of the old and new days in SoCal and I got some tips that included some supposedly good Mexican food in Siem Reap! I left pretty soon after Gary #1 came back with his stash. I must say though, it was a memorable afternoon in Cambodia.
The Royal Palace was impressive. Massive, multi-roofed buildings that blot out the sun with their gold and silver leafed tiles. If it weren’t for the scorching heat, I might have stayed a little bit beyond the half an hour that is took, running from patch of shade to patch of shade within the palace grounds. Paul and I then headed out to Choeng Ek, or the killing fields. To bring you up on Cambodian history, basically this guy named Pol Pot took power with a group known as the Khmer Rogues that slaughtered anyone who was thought to be educated. It’s thought that 1.7 million people were slaughtered and the killing fields were one of the mass grave sights. It was a very chilling experience, especially the monument that holds 8,000 skulls that were excavated from some of the graves.
I spent the afternoon with some crazy expats, both named Gary. Gary #1, originally from New York, walked up to me and had to rave about my random pins on my backpack. We spent the next half an hour standing by the Mekong, while he tried to convince me that a meteor hit Cambodia and was the source of all life on earth…yep, it was amazing! We decided to mosy on over to the local pallet wetter where we met Gary #2, original from jolly old England. We had a few beers and while Gary #1 was off trying to score some dope, I found out that Gary #2 had lived in Encinitas in the 70’s. We swapped stories of the old and new days in SoCal and I got some tips that included some supposedly good Mexican food in Siem Reap! I left pretty soon after Gary #1 came back with his stash. I must say though, it was a memorable afternoon in Cambodia.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Durian…Why Would You Ever Eat Something That Smells Like Rotting Corpse?
Thailand is a feast for the senses. Not necessarily always a decadent one, but overwhelming none the less! I arrived in Phuket to a beautiful crimson sunset which I attempted to capture over the wing of the plane without much luck! The view from the air was incredible as there are so many small islands off the coast and more jungle to be seen than cityscape.
I walked out into the sticky evening air and was quickly bombarded by taxi drivers. I’m sure they work off of commission or something but I’m still amazed that twenty people, wearing the same shirt, appearing to work for the same company, can get so violent as they compete for business. In the end I closed my eyes and pointed. After a few quick stops, one to sign some paper behind dark glass and then again to pick up some oil, my taxi finally arrived at the Phuket Center Apartment and the smiling face of my friend of Alissa. She has been living in Phuket for about eight months now and is a master at charming her Thai neighborhood. She knows enough Thai to joke with the vendors and bargain down a motorbike price. Anything else just doesn’t seem necessary! We ate, talked and sweat the night away.
The thing that tourists need to know when visiting Thailand is that they shouldn’t expect anything like Europe. There are three things to do here, eat, go the beach, do nothing. There are no museums and very few historical sites worth visiting. On a rainy day, Thai people stay inside. So my time in Thailand has been that of relaxation. A place to read books, cry over spicy curries and attempt to minimize sunburned areas of skin.
After loading up on books at a local used book store, I headed to Phi Phi Island. I mentioned that Mt. Fuji was close to paradise but that’s because I hadn’t been to Ko Phi Phi. I can sum it up in five words: beach, beer, books, beauty and hammocks. Yeah, I’m bummed that hammocks ruined the alliteration too. The resort had its own private beach and I was one of about 15 guests. And just when you thought it couldn’t get better, you win a free dinner in a raffle. So what if there were only 4 tickets in the bucket…I plan to go back to Phi Phi. I got back from Phi Phi just in time to spend the weekend gallivanting around Phuket Island with Alissa!
Besides being a honeymooners paradise, Thailand appears to be somewhat of a haven for white males with the average age being over sixty. This was especially apparent at The Free Bird. Picture this if you will, a bar about the size of your average living room, open air but with a nice corrugated tin roof. The front gravel area is packed with motorbikes that surround a life size statue of a swan (breaking free I suppose). Bunches of twinkly lights hanging in globs from every available nook providing the only light except for the magenta fluorescents above the pool table. Friday nights are free potluck style meal nights so the expats are in full swarm, each drag along with Thai mamas. The food was good. The company…well the food was good.
On Saturday was made out way to a National Park and did some hiking. Rarely will you ever hear my admit to being excited to seeing multiple snakes and a spider the size of my palm. Other than rolling my ankle 3 minutes into the hike and having to limp and hobble around for the rest of the afternoon, I would call it a successful day.
I flew to Bangkok on Monday and can honest say that there doesn’t appear to be anything worth seeing here. If you are going to be in Thailand, head to Chang Mai or Phuket. Luckily, I fly to Phnom Penh in Cambodia tomorrow! The adventure continues through Siem Reap (Cambodia) and Vientiane (Lao) before I head to the land down under!
My picture taking has slowed significantly since I left Japan but I will post some new ones soon!
I walked out into the sticky evening air and was quickly bombarded by taxi drivers. I’m sure they work off of commission or something but I’m still amazed that twenty people, wearing the same shirt, appearing to work for the same company, can get so violent as they compete for business. In the end I closed my eyes and pointed. After a few quick stops, one to sign some paper behind dark glass and then again to pick up some oil, my taxi finally arrived at the Phuket Center Apartment and the smiling face of my friend of Alissa. She has been living in Phuket for about eight months now and is a master at charming her Thai neighborhood. She knows enough Thai to joke with the vendors and bargain down a motorbike price. Anything else just doesn’t seem necessary! We ate, talked and sweat the night away.
The thing that tourists need to know when visiting Thailand is that they shouldn’t expect anything like Europe. There are three things to do here, eat, go the beach, do nothing. There are no museums and very few historical sites worth visiting. On a rainy day, Thai people stay inside. So my time in Thailand has been that of relaxation. A place to read books, cry over spicy curries and attempt to minimize sunburned areas of skin.
After loading up on books at a local used book store, I headed to Phi Phi Island. I mentioned that Mt. Fuji was close to paradise but that’s because I hadn’t been to Ko Phi Phi. I can sum it up in five words: beach, beer, books, beauty and hammocks. Yeah, I’m bummed that hammocks ruined the alliteration too. The resort had its own private beach and I was one of about 15 guests. And just when you thought it couldn’t get better, you win a free dinner in a raffle. So what if there were only 4 tickets in the bucket…I plan to go back to Phi Phi. I got back from Phi Phi just in time to spend the weekend gallivanting around Phuket Island with Alissa!
Besides being a honeymooners paradise, Thailand appears to be somewhat of a haven for white males with the average age being over sixty. This was especially apparent at The Free Bird. Picture this if you will, a bar about the size of your average living room, open air but with a nice corrugated tin roof. The front gravel area is packed with motorbikes that surround a life size statue of a swan (breaking free I suppose). Bunches of twinkly lights hanging in globs from every available nook providing the only light except for the magenta fluorescents above the pool table. Friday nights are free potluck style meal nights so the expats are in full swarm, each drag along with Thai mamas. The food was good. The company…well the food was good.
On Saturday was made out way to a National Park and did some hiking. Rarely will you ever hear my admit to being excited to seeing multiple snakes and a spider the size of my palm. Other than rolling my ankle 3 minutes into the hike and having to limp and hobble around for the rest of the afternoon, I would call it a successful day.
I flew to Bangkok on Monday and can honest say that there doesn’t appear to be anything worth seeing here. If you are going to be in Thailand, head to Chang Mai or Phuket. Luckily, I fly to Phnom Penh in Cambodia tomorrow! The adventure continues through Siem Reap (Cambodia) and Vientiane (Lao) before I head to the land down under!
My picture taking has slowed significantly since I left Japan but I will post some new ones soon!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Japanese People Say Thank You A Lot
NEW PICTURES YAY!
I miss bread. If there is one thing that I really miss from Europe is the variety of and deliciousness of bread. Japanese bread consists of white bread in the Texas toast style of being about 4 inches thick. Rice just doesn’t cut it! I think I just might survive though. Fortunately I have curry and delicious red bean paste sweets to hold me over!
Wow. Japan is amazing. It’s just what I thought it was going to like and nothing like what I thought it was going to be like. I arrived in Tokyo after two long flights on Air China, uneventful other than the hyped up security at both the Beijing and Tokyo airports to keep all of the terrorists from bringing Swine Flu into their country! When I say I arrived in Tokyo, what I actually mean is that I got to Narita Airport and then spent two hours actually getting to my couchsurfing host. The important thing in the end is that I got there, to some random suburb of Tokyo on that rainy May night.
Now let me tell you a little bit about this CS situation…it was quite a show. I think that my host must dream of owning a hippie commune or a hostel of his own someday. Unfortunately it won’t be a good one. He lived in a two room apartment the total of which was probably about the size of the average US living room. Which would have been completely fine if it weren’t for the fact that I was sharing it with, at one point, 15 other CSers. You read that last sentence correctly. We filled up every last inch of the floor from kitchen to hall and bedroom. Yes, it did smell like a freshman guys dorm room. It was an experience, I will give it that. I survived three nights of sardine style living before I booked myself a room in a hostel.
Tokyo Transportation
Tokyo is a HUGE city. You can get anywhere using public transportation if you can unravel the circuitry of the train/metro map. You can’t really be in a hurry to get anywhere when you use public transportation. At least as a novice like me. I suppose the one good thing that came out of these extended ride was the fact that I feel like I learned a lot about Japanese people that use them everyday. First and foremost, when you ride the rail at rush hour, the Japanese lose their polite and shy tendencies in order to pack as many people into each car as possible. Don’t expect the granny to wait for the next train if she can squeeze into the crack between you and corner!
Another thing that observed was the amazing ability for Japanese people to sleep while standing up, either holding a handle or not. And if they aren’t grabbing a cat nap, they are texting, or in the case of all males under the age of 30, playing on their PSP or other gaming device. I didn’t manage to do much more that listen to my Ipod and try to pay attention to the screen showing the next stop! Though by the end of the week I was proudly making trips to the city center without having to consult my map…more than once.
Tokyo Fashion
In what appears to be blatant rebellion against all that is shy and humble, the Japanese love to wear crazy clothes. It is not uncommon to see a school girl dressed up in all her anime best or a guy to be wearing his zoot suit and alligator shoes looking ready to riot. From what I can tell, gaudy clothing and karaoke are the only forms of distressing that happen in Japan. I have to work from 10-12 hours a day? Fine…but I’m going to do it wearing a neon green suit and with my hair looking like a raging campfire! Have to take grandpa on a walk in the park? Okay…but I’m wearing my sailor dress and we are stopping by Karaoke Box on the way!
I have to admit that not every man, woman and child in Japan has such a voracious appetite for plaids, short skirts and six inch heels. Shopping for expensive but rather bland brand name clothes seems to a trend for the older generations. It might be a plain with shirt but it says Gucci and I paid an arm and a leg!
More About Tokyo
While I was in Tokyo I did plenty of people watching. I also did plenty of city watching from different viewpoints around the city. The Japanese sure know how to do a skyline. Especially at night. I won’t even try to describe it though because I’d rather you looked at the pictures! It’s funny that the Japanese are know for always being at the head of the pack for new inventions while their cities are covered with replicas and copies of things from elsewhere. The French have the Eiffel Tower, Tokyo has Tokyo Tower. We have the statue of Liberty, the Japanese have one too…Disneyland…time square…the list goes on.
Fuji Five Lakes (Kawaguchiko)
My paradise. When it’s sunny and cloudless, this area could keep me happy for a long time. Unfortunately, I don’t think the weather works like that…
Mount Fuji is spectacular! Unfortunately the climbing season doesn’t start until July. Way too much snow! I spent a nice peaceful few days walking around this small lake town. I was happy to be able to visit the Itchiku Kubota Kimono museum! I had seen some of these amazing pieces of art in San Diego while it was touring and it was nice to be able to see the whole thing! Some of you are getting post cards with these on them!
Just an quick update since it’s been a while! I’m in Kyoto now and I’ll be heading to Hiroshima and the island of Kyushu next! I’m also getting really excited about Thailand and the rest of SE Asia!
I miss bread. If there is one thing that I really miss from Europe is the variety of and deliciousness of bread. Japanese bread consists of white bread in the Texas toast style of being about 4 inches thick. Rice just doesn’t cut it! I think I just might survive though. Fortunately I have curry and delicious red bean paste sweets to hold me over!
Wow. Japan is amazing. It’s just what I thought it was going to like and nothing like what I thought it was going to be like. I arrived in Tokyo after two long flights on Air China, uneventful other than the hyped up security at both the Beijing and Tokyo airports to keep all of the terrorists from bringing Swine Flu into their country! When I say I arrived in Tokyo, what I actually mean is that I got to Narita Airport and then spent two hours actually getting to my couchsurfing host. The important thing in the end is that I got there, to some random suburb of Tokyo on that rainy May night.
Now let me tell you a little bit about this CS situation…it was quite a show. I think that my host must dream of owning a hippie commune or a hostel of his own someday. Unfortunately it won’t be a good one. He lived in a two room apartment the total of which was probably about the size of the average US living room. Which would have been completely fine if it weren’t for the fact that I was sharing it with, at one point, 15 other CSers. You read that last sentence correctly. We filled up every last inch of the floor from kitchen to hall and bedroom. Yes, it did smell like a freshman guys dorm room. It was an experience, I will give it that. I survived three nights of sardine style living before I booked myself a room in a hostel.
Tokyo Transportation
Tokyo is a HUGE city. You can get anywhere using public transportation if you can unravel the circuitry of the train/metro map. You can’t really be in a hurry to get anywhere when you use public transportation. At least as a novice like me. I suppose the one good thing that came out of these extended ride was the fact that I feel like I learned a lot about Japanese people that use them everyday. First and foremost, when you ride the rail at rush hour, the Japanese lose their polite and shy tendencies in order to pack as many people into each car as possible. Don’t expect the granny to wait for the next train if she can squeeze into the crack between you and corner!
Another thing that observed was the amazing ability for Japanese people to sleep while standing up, either holding a handle or not. And if they aren’t grabbing a cat nap, they are texting, or in the case of all males under the age of 30, playing on their PSP or other gaming device. I didn’t manage to do much more that listen to my Ipod and try to pay attention to the screen showing the next stop! Though by the end of the week I was proudly making trips to the city center without having to consult my map…more than once.
Tokyo Fashion
In what appears to be blatant rebellion against all that is shy and humble, the Japanese love to wear crazy clothes. It is not uncommon to see a school girl dressed up in all her anime best or a guy to be wearing his zoot suit and alligator shoes looking ready to riot. From what I can tell, gaudy clothing and karaoke are the only forms of distressing that happen in Japan. I have to work from 10-12 hours a day? Fine…but I’m going to do it wearing a neon green suit and with my hair looking like a raging campfire! Have to take grandpa on a walk in the park? Okay…but I’m wearing my sailor dress and we are stopping by Karaoke Box on the way!
I have to admit that not every man, woman and child in Japan has such a voracious appetite for plaids, short skirts and six inch heels. Shopping for expensive but rather bland brand name clothes seems to a trend for the older generations. It might be a plain with shirt but it says Gucci and I paid an arm and a leg!
More About Tokyo
While I was in Tokyo I did plenty of people watching. I also did plenty of city watching from different viewpoints around the city. The Japanese sure know how to do a skyline. Especially at night. I won’t even try to describe it though because I’d rather you looked at the pictures! It’s funny that the Japanese are know for always being at the head of the pack for new inventions while their cities are covered with replicas and copies of things from elsewhere. The French have the Eiffel Tower, Tokyo has Tokyo Tower. We have the statue of Liberty, the Japanese have one too…Disneyland…time square…the list goes on.
Fuji Five Lakes (Kawaguchiko)
My paradise. When it’s sunny and cloudless, this area could keep me happy for a long time. Unfortunately, I don’t think the weather works like that…
Mount Fuji is spectacular! Unfortunately the climbing season doesn’t start until July. Way too much snow! I spent a nice peaceful few days walking around this small lake town. I was happy to be able to visit the Itchiku Kubota Kimono museum! I had seen some of these amazing pieces of art in San Diego while it was touring and it was nice to be able to see the whole thing! Some of you are getting post cards with these on them!
Just an quick update since it’s been a while! I’m in Kyoto now and I’ll be heading to Hiroshima and the island of Kyushu next! I’m also getting really excited about Thailand and the rest of SE Asia!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Europe, the Last Days and Final Thoughts
As I write I’m sitting on the train from Vienna to Frankfurt. This is my last taste of the European railway system as in 24 hours I will be flying enroute to Tokyo. Before I offer up any closing remarks about my overall time in Europe though, I suppose I better get you caught up on my past ten days or so on the road.
I left Brasov, Romania on a rainy night and took my first and last night train. I won’t go into details but let’s just say I’d rather not know about the stains on my sheets or why we were two and half hours late getting into our final destination, Budapest. I’d like to say that great things about Budapest as it seems to enjoy a mystical quality whenever people talk about Europe these days. Unfortunately for me, and for Budapest, it appears to be a city of second bests. Although there are plenty of enjoyable churches, museums and theatres, every place I visited seemed like I had been there before. I did enjoy a night with the Budapest Philharmonic. It will forever stick in my mind as an orchestra made up of familiar faces as there appeared to be look-alikes of not only Kern Holoman and my Genetics academic advisor but also celebrity figures such as Hurley from the TV show lost (he happened to be the violin soloist) and Martha Stewart. As I walked through a mall on a rainy afternoon I also got a laugh at a “Niagra Falls”-esque waterfall built as a millennial gift from our northern neighbors to the Hungarian people…way to go Canada.
I stopped in Vienna for a night on my way to Prague. Eva was a great host as always! I then made my way to Prague, the new capital of culture in Europe these days it seems. Prague is a city that I would love to go back to. I was there for four days and saw only a piece of what the city had to offer. The palace and old town are incredible and there is no end to the impressive architecture. Unfortunately Prague was the first place that I really experienced my worst enemy. Prague was packed wall to wall with tourists. I hate them. I realize that technically I’m one of them but I like to think that I’m slightly more conscientious and slightly less stupid. I’ve decided on a rule of thumb. If it takes me more than 20 minutes just to cross the main square, I leave and come back another day. But, like I was saying before, Prague seems like a great city and I would love to go back at a different time of year.
I had a slight change in plans after leaving Prague. Initially I had intended to go north to Dresden in Germany and then head to Frankfurt. Excitingly though, Nick, the cousin who has given me such great contacts throughout Europe, was in Vienna! He got a job and he was there for a few days meeting his coworkers. I hadn’t seen Nick in about ten years and needless to say, we both had changed slightly. Although we only had about 24 hours to hang out, it was great to catch up and I already can’t wait to go back to visit him in my favorite Austrian city!
One of the questions I’m asked frequently now by my hosts is my favorite place visited. I’m notoriously bad at choosing a favorite anything though. Some of the highlights have been Berlin, Austria, Croatia and Greece. Even as I write that, I feel a pang of regret at all of the other amazing places that I left out. The one common denominator of all the places though is the people. You can only really get to know a city through the people that live there. The excitement of an individual for their home can do wonders, especially to a lone traveler. I also find that these places acted like a temporary home for me. If any of my hosts are reading this, I appreciate every conversation!
My next message will be another third of the way around the globe! Auf Wiedersehen to Europe and Konnichiwa to Japan!
I left Brasov, Romania on a rainy night and took my first and last night train. I won’t go into details but let’s just say I’d rather not know about the stains on my sheets or why we were two and half hours late getting into our final destination, Budapest. I’d like to say that great things about Budapest as it seems to enjoy a mystical quality whenever people talk about Europe these days. Unfortunately for me, and for Budapest, it appears to be a city of second bests. Although there are plenty of enjoyable churches, museums and theatres, every place I visited seemed like I had been there before. I did enjoy a night with the Budapest Philharmonic. It will forever stick in my mind as an orchestra made up of familiar faces as there appeared to be look-alikes of not only Kern Holoman and my Genetics academic advisor but also celebrity figures such as Hurley from the TV show lost (he happened to be the violin soloist) and Martha Stewart. As I walked through a mall on a rainy afternoon I also got a laugh at a “Niagra Falls”-esque waterfall built as a millennial gift from our northern neighbors to the Hungarian people…way to go Canada.
I stopped in Vienna for a night on my way to Prague. Eva was a great host as always! I then made my way to Prague, the new capital of culture in Europe these days it seems. Prague is a city that I would love to go back to. I was there for four days and saw only a piece of what the city had to offer. The palace and old town are incredible and there is no end to the impressive architecture. Unfortunately Prague was the first place that I really experienced my worst enemy. Prague was packed wall to wall with tourists. I hate them. I realize that technically I’m one of them but I like to think that I’m slightly more conscientious and slightly less stupid. I’ve decided on a rule of thumb. If it takes me more than 20 minutes just to cross the main square, I leave and come back another day. But, like I was saying before, Prague seems like a great city and I would love to go back at a different time of year.
I had a slight change in plans after leaving Prague. Initially I had intended to go north to Dresden in Germany and then head to Frankfurt. Excitingly though, Nick, the cousin who has given me such great contacts throughout Europe, was in Vienna! He got a job and he was there for a few days meeting his coworkers. I hadn’t seen Nick in about ten years and needless to say, we both had changed slightly. Although we only had about 24 hours to hang out, it was great to catch up and I already can’t wait to go back to visit him in my favorite Austrian city!
One of the questions I’m asked frequently now by my hosts is my favorite place visited. I’m notoriously bad at choosing a favorite anything though. Some of the highlights have been Berlin, Austria, Croatia and Greece. Even as I write that, I feel a pang of regret at all of the other amazing places that I left out. The one common denominator of all the places though is the people. You can only really get to know a city through the people that live there. The excitement of an individual for their home can do wonders, especially to a lone traveler. I also find that these places acted like a temporary home for me. If any of my hosts are reading this, I appreciate every conversation!
My next message will be another third of the way around the globe! Auf Wiedersehen to Europe and Konnichiwa to Japan!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Dracula Did Not Live In A White-Washed House…
Picture endless streets of communist era apartment blocks. Now picture these apartments covered in humungous advertisements that leave only the bottom windows unobstructed. This is Bucharest, Romania. I wish I could say something more about this Eastern European capitol city but there isn’t much to it. I had more fun with my hosts, an apartment full of fabulous French people, than seeing much of city! In quick summary, I visited a village museum full of houses picked up from all around Romania and reassembled in a park in the middle of the city and I attempted to tour the parliament building which was closed. Romania, or so I’ve been told, is not very interested in entertaining it’s tourists at this time. You’ll find just enough English signs to get by, and nothing more. Unless, that is, you happen to walk into an Indian restaurant. Yep, I had Indian food in Romania. I also enjoyed some good Chinese food…and of course, a night of food and dance at a local Romanian restaurant. (No, it wasn’t me dancing!)
Speaking of Romanian food, can I get some salt please??! Traditional Romanian food is peasant food which means two things: it is packed with as many carbs as possible because you’re supposed to be working out in the fields all day, and it lack an seasoning whatsoever. An example, and a meal that I could probably only eat once a year is called mamaliga cu branza si smantana. Basically, corn porridge, or polenta, that is then smothered in sour cream and cheese. That’s it. And the polenta is sort of a side note. Can you had your heart-attack today??
I’m currently in a town called Brasov. Some of you may have heard of Brasov for it’s close vicinity to Bran Castle, better known as Dra-Vlad-cula’s Castle. When you first arrive in the town of Bran, it looks like a Halloween town. Dracula, swords, skeletons, wigs, capes, you name it, you can buy it. The only problem is, and I hate to kill anybody’s spirit but, there is no factual evidence that Bram Stoker (the author of Dracula) was ever aware of the castle. Unfortunate as well is the fact that Vlad the Impaler never lived here either. It was until recently a museum of furniture collected by the Queen of something or other.
Basically what I’m trying to say is, don’t worry about getting here any time soon. In fact, the castle is now empty or the aforementioned furniture because next month it is being given back to the original owners and being used as a house once again. Bye-bye bloodsucker fans!
Tonight I’m leaving on a night train to Budapest, perhaps is will fill my Hungar for some seasoning. Yes, I just did just go there.
Speaking of Romanian food, can I get some salt please??! Traditional Romanian food is peasant food which means two things: it is packed with as many carbs as possible because you’re supposed to be working out in the fields all day, and it lack an seasoning whatsoever. An example, and a meal that I could probably only eat once a year is called mamaliga cu branza si smantana. Basically, corn porridge, or polenta, that is then smothered in sour cream and cheese. That’s it. And the polenta is sort of a side note. Can you had your heart-attack today??
I’m currently in a town called Brasov. Some of you may have heard of Brasov for it’s close vicinity to Bran Castle, better known as Dra-Vlad-cula’s Castle. When you first arrive in the town of Bran, it looks like a Halloween town. Dracula, swords, skeletons, wigs, capes, you name it, you can buy it. The only problem is, and I hate to kill anybody’s spirit but, there is no factual evidence that Bram Stoker (the author of Dracula) was ever aware of the castle. Unfortunate as well is the fact that Vlad the Impaler never lived here either. It was until recently a museum of furniture collected by the Queen of something or other.
Basically what I’m trying to say is, don’t worry about getting here any time soon. In fact, the castle is now empty or the aforementioned furniture because next month it is being given back to the original owners and being used as a house once again. Bye-bye bloodsucker fans!
Tonight I’m leaving on a night train to Budapest, perhaps is will fill my Hungar for some seasoning. Yes, I just did just go there.
I Would Walk 500 miles and I Would Walk 500 More, Just To Be the Man Who Walked 1,000 miles…
As I was nursing my blistered feet after a long day’s walk I got to thinking about all the walking that I’ve done so far. I’m slightly obsessed with calculations when it comes to exercise and nutrition so of course I brought a pedometer with me. I haven’t written it down or anything but I’ve been averaging about 10 miles a day just walking around towns. Did you know that the average American walks less than a mile a day and stands for less than an hour? At first I laughed these statistics off but then I got to thinking about what the average American does with their day. They get up, get ready, hop in the car, walk into the building, sit at a desk all day, drive home, sit and watch TV, go to bed.
I’ve been gone for 92 days up to this point. That means I’ve walked around 920 miles. About that equivalent of me walking from Davis to San Diego and back or from Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon. Now for the nutritionist in me. If you consider that you burn an average of 100 calories per mile, that’s 92,000 calories and if you consider that there are 3,500 calories in a pound of fat, I’ve burned off about 26lbs just from walking. If only it actually worked like that…the traveler’s diet will be discussed by in another entry perhaps. Maybe then I’ll be able to explain that extra 10lbs!
I’ve been gone for 92 days up to this point. That means I’ve walked around 920 miles. About that equivalent of me walking from Davis to San Diego and back or from Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon. Now for the nutritionist in me. If you consider that you burn an average of 100 calories per mile, that’s 92,000 calories and if you consider that there are 3,500 calories in a pound of fat, I’ve burned off about 26lbs just from walking. If only it actually worked like that…the traveler’s diet will be discussed by in another entry perhaps. Maybe then I’ll be able to explain that extra 10lbs!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Turkey-land - The Friendliest Place On Earth!
Turkey is a lot like Disneyland. You are everybody’s “my friend”, there are countless Japanese tourists, and you always end up spending more money that you had planned. It is a country where even the poorest people seem to have something to sell! On my first day in Istanbul, I literally did feel like I was in the magic kingdom…Between St. Sophia and the Blue Mosque, there is an immense garden filled with well manicured flowerbeds in day-glo colors, delightful meandering paths and even an nice fountain. St. Sophia and the Blue Mosque are awe inspiring. The tile work in all of these structures is incredible. I eavesdropped on a guided tour and heard that they actually had tile theft problem at the Mosque because each tile was worth a couple hundred dollars! Then you leave the area and you begin to see the real Istanbul. It’s still focused on tourism, but it has a little bit for of an edge!
The entrance to the Grand Bazaar, or one of the many, is reminiscent of the cave of wonders (I know…I can’t seem to stop with these Disney references!). You walk in with a mass of other people and are swept up in the colors and sounds of hundreds of shops squashed together in a massive building. Now let’s get one thing straight, there are hundreds of shops but only about five different types of apparel.
You’ve got your carpet shops: I figured I needed the full experience so I let myself be led into one of these fine establishments. We chatted for a bit about Obama/Bush, how I was good looking and should find myself a nice Turkish bride, how he wasn’t like all of the other pushy vendors, how his carpets had been featured in national geographic (like two or three others I’d heard…) and how my mom would love some dusty old carpet for her floor. In the end, I made it out with just his card and a promise that if I should want to buy a carpet that I would come back!
The knock-off brand name clothes and shoes: If you are every looking for cheap anything…this would be the place to buy it.
Knick-knacks: These shops were probably the most interesting to me. They had everything from tea cups to lamps and chess sets. The problem with these stores is that there was WAY too much going on to ever be able to make a sale. They had things piled high and I was normally afraid to get close enough to actually inspect their wares! I did end up buying a nice wooden travel chess set. You will be impressed to know that I was able to bargain it down to half the price first offered! I still probably get ripped off…
Turkish sweets: Everything from baklava to Turkish delight. I must say that the Turks know how to make their desserts, although Turkish delight, especially the traditional “rose-water” flavored one, is not something that I plan on needing to try again.
And finally, jewelry stores: The one shop that I wasn’t actually ever ushered in to…mainly for the ladies I would assume.
Here is your history trivia for the week: What is ANZAC day?
A day that means thousand of Australians and Kiwis come to Turkey and fill up all the hostels so that you have to stay in a hotel. Okay, so there is a little bit for to it. ANZAC stands for Australia New Zealand Army Corps. During WWI there was a battle on the Gallipoli Peninsula where the Australian and New Zealand forces landed in the wrong spot along the coast and got slaughtered because the ground was so steep. There is a tour of the area. Don’t do it. Although it was fascinating to hear about it for the first hour and interesting to visit the first memorial cemetery, the following 4 hours of reiterated facts and identical monuments can get monotonous. It was a sad time and worth learning about, but you might as well just read about it on Wikipedia and mark it as a time to avoid Turkey.
Ephesus, oh Ephesus! What an amazing place! It was great to finally be able to see an mostly complete ancient city! I especially enjoyed the cows grazing amid the ruins of St. Mary’s Church. Troy, on the other hand, is an bunch of walls from different time periods. Honestly, playing with the puppies under the Trojan Horse replica was the most enjoyable part of that trip.
Maybe one day I will come back to Turkey and see the other 95% of the country! Until then though, other people will have to buy the carpets.
The entrance to the Grand Bazaar, or one of the many, is reminiscent of the cave of wonders (I know…I can’t seem to stop with these Disney references!). You walk in with a mass of other people and are swept up in the colors and sounds of hundreds of shops squashed together in a massive building. Now let’s get one thing straight, there are hundreds of shops but only about five different types of apparel.
You’ve got your carpet shops: I figured I needed the full experience so I let myself be led into one of these fine establishments. We chatted for a bit about Obama/Bush, how I was good looking and should find myself a nice Turkish bride, how he wasn’t like all of the other pushy vendors, how his carpets had been featured in national geographic (like two or three others I’d heard…) and how my mom would love some dusty old carpet for her floor. In the end, I made it out with just his card and a promise that if I should want to buy a carpet that I would come back!
The knock-off brand name clothes and shoes: If you are every looking for cheap anything…this would be the place to buy it.
Knick-knacks: These shops were probably the most interesting to me. They had everything from tea cups to lamps and chess sets. The problem with these stores is that there was WAY too much going on to ever be able to make a sale. They had things piled high and I was normally afraid to get close enough to actually inspect their wares! I did end up buying a nice wooden travel chess set. You will be impressed to know that I was able to bargain it down to half the price first offered! I still probably get ripped off…
Turkish sweets: Everything from baklava to Turkish delight. I must say that the Turks know how to make their desserts, although Turkish delight, especially the traditional “rose-water” flavored one, is not something that I plan on needing to try again.
And finally, jewelry stores: The one shop that I wasn’t actually ever ushered in to…mainly for the ladies I would assume.
Here is your history trivia for the week: What is ANZAC day?
A day that means thousand of Australians and Kiwis come to Turkey and fill up all the hostels so that you have to stay in a hotel. Okay, so there is a little bit for to it. ANZAC stands for Australia New Zealand Army Corps. During WWI there was a battle on the Gallipoli Peninsula where the Australian and New Zealand forces landed in the wrong spot along the coast and got slaughtered because the ground was so steep. There is a tour of the area. Don’t do it. Although it was fascinating to hear about it for the first hour and interesting to visit the first memorial cemetery, the following 4 hours of reiterated facts and identical monuments can get monotonous. It was a sad time and worth learning about, but you might as well just read about it on Wikipedia and mark it as a time to avoid Turkey.
Ephesus, oh Ephesus! What an amazing place! It was great to finally be able to see an mostly complete ancient city! I especially enjoyed the cows grazing amid the ruins of St. Mary’s Church. Troy, on the other hand, is an bunch of walls from different time periods. Honestly, playing with the puppies under the Trojan Horse replica was the most enjoyable part of that trip.
Maybe one day I will come back to Turkey and see the other 95% of the country! Until then though, other people will have to buy the carpets.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Crete in three parts (The People, The Food, The Places)
New Pictures!
I arrived in Crete at 5:30am. Overnight ferry rides, although better than their railroad counterpart, are not meant for sleep. For ninety percent of the passengers, the eight hour ride is a chance for a caffeine and nicotine induced frenzy! Drum circles and dancing in the hallway and raucous card games accompanied by 20 Euro bottles of “house wine”! Or, if you are silly enough to try to get some sleep, a dark room where fore-mentioned sounds are slightly muffled by the lawnmower sleeping in the bunk next to you.
Upon arrival in the port of Heraklion, I waddled along the dark waterfront and made my way to the central square. The good thing about a regular ferry arriving at 5:30am is that some cafes are smart enough to be open for sleepwalkers like me. I grabbed a cappuccino and some bougatsa (don’t ask…I’m not really sure what it was other than tasty!) and drowsily watched the bunches of tourists file past to their hotels, already being forced to listen to historically jargon spit out by their guide. Around 8:30, I was picked up by my guide, a fantastic woman, and family friend. After depositing my gear in the flat, she proceeded to take me to her bookshop where I had maps and guidebooks thrown at me from all directions. I have to stop for a second and laugh because this moment seems stereotypically Greek to me. Picture three middle-aged Greek women sitting in a creaky old bookshop smoking and chatting about the latest gossip. They great me as a member of the family and quickly brief me on what is worth seeing on their island. And I take their word for it.
Okay…so, I almost feel bad making this analogy but you really have to imagine “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” to completely understand how this next part worked…it was amazing. Shortly after 9pm, I’m ushered out the door and into the cobbled street. We are off to dinner. But not just any dinner, a Greek dinner. What is a Greek dinner? Picture a table piled with so many dishes and glasses that you don’t know where to start and then add a waiter that keeps coming back to replace them. Cheeses and salads, cooked greens and fish, calamari and mussels with rice, bruchetta and tzaziki, baklava and flan, custard and Turkish pastries. I can’t even remember it all, just that it was delicious. The trend of stuffing me to the maximum was continued throughout each meal over the next few days. It was definitely worth the kilo gained.
Greek island are like snowflakes. There are many, and they are all unique in their own way. Santorini, with it’s incredible mountain high town is just one of these fantastic spots of rock. The town is balanced on the plateau of island, divided by a volcano. Just the bus ride from the ferry port was worth the trip. Once you make it past the mobs of rental car hawkers that is. I wouldn’t drive a car up that road if you paid me. To view the artistic dance of buses as they weaved their way up and down the steep cliff, millimeters from the edge and the micrometers from the cliff face was incredible! Santorini is known for it’s wine and I have no complaints. They also have a peculiar way of growing the vines. As you make your way to the city center, you drive past fields of what look like bird nests on the ground. They actually grown the vines in circles…don’t ask me why.
I’d like to end their dissertation by posing a question…how do Greeks keep their buildings so nice and white?
I arrived in Crete at 5:30am. Overnight ferry rides, although better than their railroad counterpart, are not meant for sleep. For ninety percent of the passengers, the eight hour ride is a chance for a caffeine and nicotine induced frenzy! Drum circles and dancing in the hallway and raucous card games accompanied by 20 Euro bottles of “house wine”! Or, if you are silly enough to try to get some sleep, a dark room where fore-mentioned sounds are slightly muffled by the lawnmower sleeping in the bunk next to you.
Upon arrival in the port of Heraklion, I waddled along the dark waterfront and made my way to the central square. The good thing about a regular ferry arriving at 5:30am is that some cafes are smart enough to be open for sleepwalkers like me. I grabbed a cappuccino and some bougatsa (don’t ask…I’m not really sure what it was other than tasty!) and drowsily watched the bunches of tourists file past to their hotels, already being forced to listen to historically jargon spit out by their guide. Around 8:30, I was picked up by my guide, a fantastic woman, and family friend. After depositing my gear in the flat, she proceeded to take me to her bookshop where I had maps and guidebooks thrown at me from all directions. I have to stop for a second and laugh because this moment seems stereotypically Greek to me. Picture three middle-aged Greek women sitting in a creaky old bookshop smoking and chatting about the latest gossip. They great me as a member of the family and quickly brief me on what is worth seeing on their island. And I take their word for it.
Okay…so, I almost feel bad making this analogy but you really have to imagine “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” to completely understand how this next part worked…it was amazing. Shortly after 9pm, I’m ushered out the door and into the cobbled street. We are off to dinner. But not just any dinner, a Greek dinner. What is a Greek dinner? Picture a table piled with so many dishes and glasses that you don’t know where to start and then add a waiter that keeps coming back to replace them. Cheeses and salads, cooked greens and fish, calamari and mussels with rice, bruchetta and tzaziki, baklava and flan, custard and Turkish pastries. I can’t even remember it all, just that it was delicious. The trend of stuffing me to the maximum was continued throughout each meal over the next few days. It was definitely worth the kilo gained.
Greek island are like snowflakes. There are many, and they are all unique in their own way. Santorini, with it’s incredible mountain high town is just one of these fantastic spots of rock. The town is balanced on the plateau of island, divided by a volcano. Just the bus ride from the ferry port was worth the trip. Once you make it past the mobs of rental car hawkers that is. I wouldn’t drive a car up that road if you paid me. To view the artistic dance of buses as they weaved their way up and down the steep cliff, millimeters from the edge and the micrometers from the cliff face was incredible! Santorini is known for it’s wine and I have no complaints. They also have a peculiar way of growing the vines. As you make your way to the city center, you drive past fields of what look like bird nests on the ground. They actually grown the vines in circles…don’t ask me why.
I’d like to end their dissertation by posing a question…how do Greeks keep their buildings so nice and white?
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Somehow, Graffiti in Greek Doesn’t Seem As Bad…
I realize that it has been forever since I’ve written…so basically this is a short hand version. Some of the random things that have stayed in my mind about the past places that I’ve visited! For those of you who enjoy my longer rants, I'm going to try to be better and stay on top of it! Enjoy!
Zagreb:
-Old people like to go up on the mountain in crazy hiking outfits. Is it beneficial to wear socks that go up past your knees in bright colors??
- Good hostel. Stay at Hobo Bear if you are ever in Zagreb
Sarajevo:
- Don’t try to buy one onion because the store owner will yell at out in Bosnian and chase you out of the store…
- The ugliest Holiday Inn in history…yellow and brown and tacky…any right next door to the street that’s nicknamed “Sniper Alee”…
- If you’re going to beg on the streets, learn to cry more realistically (heartless…I know).
Belgrade:
- Don’t stop in the middle of the pedestrian zone to shake someone’s hand or the cops might detain you
- how many guns can we fit inside a castle wall? Only enough that you leave room for the tennis and basketball courts!
Sofia:
- Don’t worry! They don’t dub movies in Bulgaria…oh, except for animated movies because the target audience doesn’t know English yet…
- You can bounce a ball on your head along the side of the road for a living
Thessaloniki:
- Hrmmm…nothing to say.
Athens:
- Meat is always better when you can see the whole animal. There is nothing like walking through a whole building full of pig/chicken/lamb carcasses. I guess I’m just too used to refrigerated meat…how long have these goat innards been hanging sir? Only 7 hours? Perfect! Ripe to perfection!
- Grecian beggars seem to have fewer limbs than those of other Balkan countries.
- who decided that sticky/splatting jelly tomatoes were popular? I can understand the water, umbrellas and postcards being sold…but who decided that jelly tomatoes and other amoebile (yes I know this isn’t a word!) sticky toys would be a popular sell on the Acropolis??
Random travel insight:
- vapor wick socks don’t really work in waterproof shoes…It’s a little hard for your socks to get rid of moisture if your shoes are sealed! How can you deal with this? What is better? Wet feet because of your sweat is trapped inside or wet feet because the gutter/rain water splashed into the mesh or your breathable shoes??
Ciao
Zagreb:
-Old people like to go up on the mountain in crazy hiking outfits. Is it beneficial to wear socks that go up past your knees in bright colors??
- Good hostel. Stay at Hobo Bear if you are ever in Zagreb
Sarajevo:
- Don’t try to buy one onion because the store owner will yell at out in Bosnian and chase you out of the store…
- The ugliest Holiday Inn in history…yellow and brown and tacky…any right next door to the street that’s nicknamed “Sniper Alee”…
- If you’re going to beg on the streets, learn to cry more realistically (heartless…I know).
Belgrade:
- Don’t stop in the middle of the pedestrian zone to shake someone’s hand or the cops might detain you
- how many guns can we fit inside a castle wall? Only enough that you leave room for the tennis and basketball courts!
Sofia:
- Don’t worry! They don’t dub movies in Bulgaria…oh, except for animated movies because the target audience doesn’t know English yet…
- You can bounce a ball on your head along the side of the road for a living
Thessaloniki:
- Hrmmm…nothing to say.
Athens:
- Meat is always better when you can see the whole animal. There is nothing like walking through a whole building full of pig/chicken/lamb carcasses. I guess I’m just too used to refrigerated meat…how long have these goat innards been hanging sir? Only 7 hours? Perfect! Ripe to perfection!
- Grecian beggars seem to have fewer limbs than those of other Balkan countries.
- who decided that sticky/splatting jelly tomatoes were popular? I can understand the water, umbrellas and postcards being sold…but who decided that jelly tomatoes and other amoebile (yes I know this isn’t a word!) sticky toys would be a popular sell on the Acropolis??
Random travel insight:
- vapor wick socks don’t really work in waterproof shoes…It’s a little hard for your socks to get rid of moisture if your shoes are sealed! How can you deal with this? What is better? Wet feet because of your sweat is trapped inside or wet feet because the gutter/rain water splashed into the mesh or your breathable shoes??
Ciao
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Deciding America's future from Amsterdam and to Paris And there's a slow, slow train comin' up around the bend.
We boarded the train to the patter of rain drops. The car count: three. The passenger count, not much greater. As we left the Croatian cityscape, the patter quickly faded but the view from the window quickly blurred with a paler mana. I, along with my Viking of a friend, Sigi, from Iceland were leaving Croatia behind and looking forward into the bleaker countryside of it’s southern neighbor. One of my first insights of Bosnia was the frequency of small villages and the fact that I couldn’t tell one from the other. It was as if some giant child had taken a village mold and filled it with Play-do and then spent the day pumping them out. The same twenty of so recycled brick houses with the small domed church in the center.
Around hour three or four of our nine hour train ride, the snow flakes increased to the size of cotton balls. Not the way I thought I would see Bosnia…but a unique experience that will stick in my mind. It was around this same time the we had an unexpected stop. It wasn’t until one of our compartment-mates gave us some insight that we learned that apparently the driver had stopped for a beer run. A comforting thought, a three car train, in the snowy countryside with a driver under the influence…haha! Luckily, other than some disturbingly screechy breaks, the rest of the trip was uneventful.
We arrived in Sarajevo somewhere around the time the my stomach was crying out for sustenance beyond the ketchup flavored cheese puffs and pretzel sticks that I had brought onto the train. Unfortunately, it would have to wait while we trudged through the dark and slushy streets of downtown Sarajevo. We quickly caught a tram (okay…so we actually waited for forty-five minutes) and counted out the five stops that would take us near our hostel. Near our hostel, that’s the key. As we exited the tram, it may have been my imagination, but it appeared that that snow was now coming down in like a curtain. We asked some giggling girls at the tram stop for directions only to receive more giggles and some shrugs. I think the count was around ten when we finally found someone who pointed us to the street where our snow-less haven awaited. Shivering we climbed up the three floors through a cramped stone staircase that brought us to our hostel door. We had made it, and our pants were only soaked up to the knees.
If you have been paying close attention to this blog you will quickly notice that I haven’t written anything of my time in Zagreb. I have things to say about that amazing city but I felt the urge to write about my Bosnian train ride first!
Around hour three or four of our nine hour train ride, the snow flakes increased to the size of cotton balls. Not the way I thought I would see Bosnia…but a unique experience that will stick in my mind. It was around this same time the we had an unexpected stop. It wasn’t until one of our compartment-mates gave us some insight that we learned that apparently the driver had stopped for a beer run. A comforting thought, a three car train, in the snowy countryside with a driver under the influence…haha! Luckily, other than some disturbingly screechy breaks, the rest of the trip was uneventful.
We arrived in Sarajevo somewhere around the time the my stomach was crying out for sustenance beyond the ketchup flavored cheese puffs and pretzel sticks that I had brought onto the train. Unfortunately, it would have to wait while we trudged through the dark and slushy streets of downtown Sarajevo. We quickly caught a tram (okay…so we actually waited for forty-five minutes) and counted out the five stops that would take us near our hostel. Near our hostel, that’s the key. As we exited the tram, it may have been my imagination, but it appeared that that snow was now coming down in like a curtain. We asked some giggling girls at the tram stop for directions only to receive more giggles and some shrugs. I think the count was around ten when we finally found someone who pointed us to the street where our snow-less haven awaited. Shivering we climbed up the three floors through a cramped stone staircase that brought us to our hostel door. We had made it, and our pants were only soaked up to the knees.
If you have been paying close attention to this blog you will quickly notice that I haven’t written anything of my time in Zagreb. I have things to say about that amazing city but I felt the urge to write about my Bosnian train ride first!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
LEE-YOU-BLEE-YANA
**I made two separate posts so don't forget to read the one below this!**
Ljubljana. A great city that nobody has heard of and even fewer can pronounce. Embarking into Slovenia was the first time that I really felt foreign. After being in so many German speaking regions, it was a complete change of pace to start hearing the Slavic tongue. I arrived at the train station and within an hour of arrival found myself at another concert. This time they were American…and they were old. The Eagles of Death Metal looked more like the Eagles of Yester Year. The lead guitarist had a delightful double chin that jiggled along with the music while the light shined off his shiny scalp while the bassist looked like some Emo caveman. Don’t get me started on the lead singer…they might have picked him up along the road somewhere…
But enough about old men. I spent the next day in Ljubljana simply walking the streets and snapping photos. Hopefully I will have the patience to go through them and pick a few key shots. I was fortunate to be in the artsy mood because there isn’t much else to do in Ljubljana except drink. That’s why I made a trek away from the city the next morning to the beautiful Triglav National Park.
Something that I’ve already picked up on about Eastern Europe is the lack of fear in the bus drivers. The drive to Triglav took us down barely paved roads that could fit about and a half cars and around blind bends that could very well have led to the death of some poor cow or farmer that may have been walking along the road. Thankfully, we made it without any casualties. I arrived at the tourist information only to find out that the hiking trails in Triglav have a sad way of starting in the middle of nowhere (I.e. nowhere near the town) so I enjoyed a walk around the lake as well as a daring dance along a rocky river shore. And there was plenty of time to sleep on the bus on the way back as the bus broke down about a twenty miles from anywhere important enough to have a mechanic. Needless to say, we made it back, and I roam on.
Ljubljana. A great city that nobody has heard of and even fewer can pronounce. Embarking into Slovenia was the first time that I really felt foreign. After being in so many German speaking regions, it was a complete change of pace to start hearing the Slavic tongue. I arrived at the train station and within an hour of arrival found myself at another concert. This time they were American…and they were old. The Eagles of Death Metal looked more like the Eagles of Yester Year. The lead guitarist had a delightful double chin that jiggled along with the music while the light shined off his shiny scalp while the bassist looked like some Emo caveman. Don’t get me started on the lead singer…they might have picked him up along the road somewhere…
But enough about old men. I spent the next day in Ljubljana simply walking the streets and snapping photos. Hopefully I will have the patience to go through them and pick a few key shots. I was fortunate to be in the artsy mood because there isn’t much else to do in Ljubljana except drink. That’s why I made a trek away from the city the next morning to the beautiful Triglav National Park.
Something that I’ve already picked up on about Eastern Europe is the lack of fear in the bus drivers. The drive to Triglav took us down barely paved roads that could fit about and a half cars and around blind bends that could very well have led to the death of some poor cow or farmer that may have been walking along the road. Thankfully, we made it without any casualties. I arrived at the tourist information only to find out that the hiking trails in Triglav have a sad way of starting in the middle of nowhere (I.e. nowhere near the town) so I enjoyed a walk around the lake as well as a daring dance along a rocky river shore. And there was plenty of time to sleep on the bus on the way back as the bus broke down about a twenty miles from anywhere important enough to have a mechanic. Needless to say, we made it back, and I roam on.
Friends and Fry-masters in Östereich
Have you ever had those moments where you are walking down the street, listening to you Ipod and all of the sudden a song comes on that perfectly fits your mood. It’s kind of like a soundtrack for you life for a few minutes…This has happened a few times on the trip so far and I love it! It seems to work like de ja vu for me though. After it happens I forget what the song was so when I try to tell someone about it it just turns out lame. And that folks is your moment of Zen for the evening.
I was sad to leave Salzburg. I won’t lie. But my trip was taking me towards more friends and they were waiting for me, so I moved on! I don’t have too much to say about Linz. It was a nice picturesque university town…that’s about it. Luckily I was staying with another of my cousin’s Tanzanian muchachos so that made it a lot more fun. Daniel is getting close to finishing up his thesis at the University of Linz. There are a few memories that I have of my short stay here. The main themes are food and music. I’ll start with the food.
Daniel and his roommate Luke have this amazing machine…it’s called something like the fry-o-matic. Basically it crisps up and cooks food with out drowning it. It looked like a big donut and you could even watch the food spinning around…needless to say, we had great chicken nuggets with our spaghetti and amazing sausages and chips, all thanks to the help of our fry-friend. I was also fortunate enough to have a traditional Austrian meal when I was invited to eat at Daniel’s parent’s place. I provided a delightful excuse for him to bring his girlfriend to meet the fam without it being too weird. Go me! Anyway, we had roasted pork parts (different parts…I forget) along with some for of craut and dumplings. Delicious…yep, even the oinker.
And what better way to digest any well cooked meal (Besides the traditional schnapps or two of course!) ? Well, go to an industrial-esque concert with screaming men that try to look like Marilyn Manson of course! It was some British band named I AM X and although they could put on a show, it was a show that I would be happy enough never to relive. Slightly up from this was the “Dress like an animal” themed birthday party at a local bar. No, I did not ever actually meet the birthday boy himself…but I enjoyed the rocking the house with bears, ants, pigs and elephants, among other woodland creatures. At the my friends is Linz in a nutshell.
On to Vienna. A spectacular city which comes in at a close second to Berlin of my favorite European cities. I arrived in Vienna to the smiling face of my Nick’s girlfriend, Eva. Eva lives with some amazing roommates and I felt at home in their flat. We cooked, we walked, we watched (movies, but that doesn’t fit into the alliteration). Austrian spaetzle and nectarine and raspberry cobbler was the highlight of our cooking ventures while riding the Ferris wheel and seeing the city from above provided the most entertainment of the sights. Some artists I enjoyed: Egon Schiele and Ernst Barlach. You should check them out.
Did you know that the word Schmuck means jewelry in German? Neither did I and it became a great inside joke for the rest of my stay in Vienna. We laughed all the harder when it was mentioned in “Milk”. Great movie. Sean Penn. Wow.
Oh yeah, and do as Mr. T says and “Respect your Mother!” (Youtube it…hilarious)
I was sad to leave Salzburg. I won’t lie. But my trip was taking me towards more friends and they were waiting for me, so I moved on! I don’t have too much to say about Linz. It was a nice picturesque university town…that’s about it. Luckily I was staying with another of my cousin’s Tanzanian muchachos so that made it a lot more fun. Daniel is getting close to finishing up his thesis at the University of Linz. There are a few memories that I have of my short stay here. The main themes are food and music. I’ll start with the food.
Daniel and his roommate Luke have this amazing machine…it’s called something like the fry-o-matic. Basically it crisps up and cooks food with out drowning it. It looked like a big donut and you could even watch the food spinning around…needless to say, we had great chicken nuggets with our spaghetti and amazing sausages and chips, all thanks to the help of our fry-friend. I was also fortunate enough to have a traditional Austrian meal when I was invited to eat at Daniel’s parent’s place. I provided a delightful excuse for him to bring his girlfriend to meet the fam without it being too weird. Go me! Anyway, we had roasted pork parts (different parts…I forget) along with some for of craut and dumplings. Delicious…yep, even the oinker.
And what better way to digest any well cooked meal (Besides the traditional schnapps or two of course!) ? Well, go to an industrial-esque concert with screaming men that try to look like Marilyn Manson of course! It was some British band named I AM X and although they could put on a show, it was a show that I would be happy enough never to relive. Slightly up from this was the “Dress like an animal” themed birthday party at a local bar. No, I did not ever actually meet the birthday boy himself…but I enjoyed the rocking the house with bears, ants, pigs and elephants, among other woodland creatures. At the my friends is Linz in a nutshell.
On to Vienna. A spectacular city which comes in at a close second to Berlin of my favorite European cities. I arrived in Vienna to the smiling face of my Nick’s girlfriend, Eva. Eva lives with some amazing roommates and I felt at home in their flat. We cooked, we walked, we watched (movies, but that doesn’t fit into the alliteration). Austrian spaetzle and nectarine and raspberry cobbler was the highlight of our cooking ventures while riding the Ferris wheel and seeing the city from above provided the most entertainment of the sights. Some artists I enjoyed: Egon Schiele and Ernst Barlach. You should check them out.
Did you know that the word Schmuck means jewelry in German? Neither did I and it became a great inside joke for the rest of my stay in Vienna. We laughed all the harder when it was mentioned in “Milk”. Great movie. Sean Penn. Wow.
Oh yeah, and do as Mr. T says and “Respect your Mother!” (Youtube it…hilarious)
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
The Hills Are Alive….with Big Busted Eateries and the Sound of Improvised Melodies
***New Pictures***
Something I’ve noticed in Europe is that it appears that one in every ten people is using some for of crutch or cane. At first this took me as odd…just because I didn’t think that there were that many more fragile walkers on this side of the Atlantic. Then the reason struck me. I’ve only seen at total of about five people in wheelchairs. Europeans are just more sturdy and hardcore than Americans and can walk everywhere instead of being wheeled around by a sulking relative. Yet another way that Europeans appear to be in a healthier state than Americans!
But now back to thee prime time event that is the actual traveling experiences. I believe I last left off in Bern, so that brings us to Interlaken. The picturesque cliché mountain town in the middle of the Alps. You wake up each morning with either a breathtaking view of a lake or a mountain. You really don’t have a choice because you are surrounded. Suffice it to say how to surprised I was then, to walk down the street and see the unmistakably familiar sign of the local Hooters! Not to say that there is any lack of attractive women…but c’mon people! There are plenty of breathtaking views if you look up a little higher! It may also have been due to the observation of a middle-aged women doing lines off of a newspaper in front of the train station…but my impression of small town Switzerland was slightly marred.
Upon my emancipation from the high hills, I arrived in Zurich. That’s about all I have to say about the town. It has the largest clock face in Europe…and…is supposedly nicer in the Spring (along with most of the other places I’ve been so far!). The real enjoyment that I had in Zurich was in getting to spend time with my host. I was fortunate enough to be able to stay with a friend of my Aunt that she met while traveling through Europe herself as a youngster! Manuela was an amazing host and chef! I am happy to let you know that I have now tried Veal and some kind of smoked Swiss meat because of her! It was also great to swap travel stories (Manuela had been on an around the world trip when she was about my age) and she even made me a birthday torte with candles and everything! In my final day in Zurich, I took an amazing train ride through the Alps to the town of St. Moritz. St. Moritz is a posh mountain ski town that also hosts the snow polo world cup on the frozen lake in town. Unfortunately, when I actually got to the town, it was snowing so hard that my camera wouldn’t even focus on the blurry forest around me so I enjoyed a cappuccino and some apple strudel along with a good book.
From there my journey sent me into Austria! I stayed in Innsbruck for a few uneventful days. Innsbruck was nice (although I realized that I’d actually been there on a previous trip!) but it was very similar to some of the other small mountain towns I’ve described so I’ll save you the gory details. I did so an amazing jazz performance on a whim! It was the only thing playing in town so I decided to check it out. I think I must be drawn to a cappella or something because this concert involved a trumpet and a beat boxer. The trumpet was sub par in my opinion but the beat boxer was one of the best that I’ve ever been blessed to hear. Both the trumpet and beat boxer looped their tracks to layer the sounds and make sweet sweet music!
Now I find myself in Salzburg. The hills are not as alive in the winter time, but still beautiful and full of music if you know where to go. I met my host at the train station and he took me directly to one of his favorite lakes. We trudged through half a mile of snow covered path to get to it…but it was worth the view! Salzburg has nice cobbled streets and a very welcoming atmosphere. There are two things that this town is famous for: Mozart and…you know that one musical…they sing a lot of favorite things and do re mi’s…So of course I made it my goal to see as many of the famous sights having to do with both. Mozart was done by midday on my first day. The Sound of Music provided a little bit more of a challenge…as in most movies, there wasn’t one place that it was set. They use the back of this castle and front of another and then they use the gate from one nunnery, while they use the lake from a completely opposite side of town than the backyard that is supposedly facing it. In the end, here was the count: The front of the house, the back of the house with the balcony, the cemetery where they hide from the Nazis, the gate where there children beg to see Maria and the theater where the Salzburg festival is held. I almost made the trip to the gazebo, famous for 16 going on 17, but I’d had enough of trespassing on private castle properties for the week…so I decided to skip it!
Last night we went to an amazing alternative bar. Well, okay, the bar wasn’t really the amazing part. The amazing part was that Monday nights are jam sessions! Half of the bar got up on stage and one point of another…and I had even had enough beer to free style on some bluesier tunes! Tonight was are heading to a jazz club where hopefully we will actually hear people who are made to jam…I head to Linz tomorrow and then Vienna in a few days! After that…who knows!
Peace in your hoods.
Something I’ve noticed in Europe is that it appears that one in every ten people is using some for of crutch or cane. At first this took me as odd…just because I didn’t think that there were that many more fragile walkers on this side of the Atlantic. Then the reason struck me. I’ve only seen at total of about five people in wheelchairs. Europeans are just more sturdy and hardcore than Americans and can walk everywhere instead of being wheeled around by a sulking relative. Yet another way that Europeans appear to be in a healthier state than Americans!
But now back to thee prime time event that is the actual traveling experiences. I believe I last left off in Bern, so that brings us to Interlaken. The picturesque cliché mountain town in the middle of the Alps. You wake up each morning with either a breathtaking view of a lake or a mountain. You really don’t have a choice because you are surrounded. Suffice it to say how to surprised I was then, to walk down the street and see the unmistakably familiar sign of the local Hooters! Not to say that there is any lack of attractive women…but c’mon people! There are plenty of breathtaking views if you look up a little higher! It may also have been due to the observation of a middle-aged women doing lines off of a newspaper in front of the train station…but my impression of small town Switzerland was slightly marred.
Upon my emancipation from the high hills, I arrived in Zurich. That’s about all I have to say about the town. It has the largest clock face in Europe…and…is supposedly nicer in the Spring (along with most of the other places I’ve been so far!). The real enjoyment that I had in Zurich was in getting to spend time with my host. I was fortunate enough to be able to stay with a friend of my Aunt that she met while traveling through Europe herself as a youngster! Manuela was an amazing host and chef! I am happy to let you know that I have now tried Veal and some kind of smoked Swiss meat because of her! It was also great to swap travel stories (Manuela had been on an around the world trip when she was about my age) and she even made me a birthday torte with candles and everything! In my final day in Zurich, I took an amazing train ride through the Alps to the town of St. Moritz. St. Moritz is a posh mountain ski town that also hosts the snow polo world cup on the frozen lake in town. Unfortunately, when I actually got to the town, it was snowing so hard that my camera wouldn’t even focus on the blurry forest around me so I enjoyed a cappuccino and some apple strudel along with a good book.
From there my journey sent me into Austria! I stayed in Innsbruck for a few uneventful days. Innsbruck was nice (although I realized that I’d actually been there on a previous trip!) but it was very similar to some of the other small mountain towns I’ve described so I’ll save you the gory details. I did so an amazing jazz performance on a whim! It was the only thing playing in town so I decided to check it out. I think I must be drawn to a cappella or something because this concert involved a trumpet and a beat boxer. The trumpet was sub par in my opinion but the beat boxer was one of the best that I’ve ever been blessed to hear. Both the trumpet and beat boxer looped their tracks to layer the sounds and make sweet sweet music!
Now I find myself in Salzburg. The hills are not as alive in the winter time, but still beautiful and full of music if you know where to go. I met my host at the train station and he took me directly to one of his favorite lakes. We trudged through half a mile of snow covered path to get to it…but it was worth the view! Salzburg has nice cobbled streets and a very welcoming atmosphere. There are two things that this town is famous for: Mozart and…you know that one musical…they sing a lot of favorite things and do re mi’s…So of course I made it my goal to see as many of the famous sights having to do with both. Mozart was done by midday on my first day. The Sound of Music provided a little bit more of a challenge…as in most movies, there wasn’t one place that it was set. They use the back of this castle and front of another and then they use the gate from one nunnery, while they use the lake from a completely opposite side of town than the backyard that is supposedly facing it. In the end, here was the count: The front of the house, the back of the house with the balcony, the cemetery where they hide from the Nazis, the gate where there children beg to see Maria and the theater where the Salzburg festival is held. I almost made the trip to the gazebo, famous for 16 going on 17, but I’d had enough of trespassing on private castle properties for the week…so I decided to skip it!
Last night we went to an amazing alternative bar. Well, okay, the bar wasn’t really the amazing part. The amazing part was that Monday nights are jam sessions! Half of the bar got up on stage and one point of another…and I had even had enough beer to free style on some bluesier tunes! Tonight was are heading to a jazz club where hopefully we will actually hear people who are made to jam…I head to Linz tomorrow and then Vienna in a few days! After that…who knows!
Peace in your hoods.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Switzerland: Do They Overwork Their Cows??
This is just a brief prelude to my actual blog. It was actually inspired by my desire to insert something about the title of this particular entry so that it would make sense. Here goes…I’m AMAZED at how much of the supermarket is made up of either cheese or chocolate! What is even more amazing is the apparent lack of obese individuals walking around when you consider that Swizterland is one of the top chocolate consuming nations in the world…something around 25lbs/year. I’m surprised that they haven’t figured out a way to make some sort of chocolate covered cheese delicacy that would combine both of their loves. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a cow strike in the near future though…I’m sure they weren’t being paid well even before the world economy went down the tubes!
And now, the real deal: I arrived in Geneva and had a lazy but lively night in the so called “Critical Mass” Co-op style house. An awesome group of international students/interns living in Geneva. It reminded me a lot of Davis and I even felt at home sleeping on the floor!
The next morning I was fired up to go visit some of the many international headquarters that polka-dot the city of Geneva. Lucky for me, Geneva has some amazing themed walks and maps that you can pick up at the tourists office. The one I chose was called “Spirit of Geneva - Of Dialogue and Peace” which just happened to take me past the UN, WHO and WCC headquarters! Unfortunately, I soon found out, most of these buildings aren’t open to the public…and most of them aren’t even that interesting to look at! I guess I should feel fortunate that most of these organizations are supposedly spending their time fixing problems rather than fussing over tourists! I did find a warm welcome at the World Council of Churches Headquarters though. This organization is made up of churches across the global that work towards global unity through religious similarities. Pretty awesome! The site is home to made cool organizations like the Lutheran World Federation and the World Student Christian Federation. I even ended up attending an ash Wednesday service is their chapel. A unique experience that required singing in German, French, English and Korean…
Oh YEAH!!! I know you’re all wondering where I decided to spend one of the world’s most important holidays…my birthday! I’m offended that you even needed to wonder…obviously I chose to spend the weekend in Bern, Switzerland. They even saw fit to throw me a weekend long carnival!…So yeah, I was in Bern for my birthday! Carnival was a crazy mixture of Halloween and battle of the bands. Actually, the closest thing that I can think of to compare it to would probably be a Star Trek Convention (Don’t get too excited Sugar D!) For the more mature individuals it appeared that you had to dress up in the gaudiest, frilliest,…ugliest jumpsuit you could get your hands on and then paint your face to match. For the young adults, something raunchy or suggestive of course! And for the kiddies, cowboys, pirates, clowns, you get the picture.
As far as the bands go, there were about 40+ marching bands, marching around the crowded street belting partially in-tune renditions of everything from California Girls to Country Roads and Angels. The main requirement to be in one of these bands appeared to be that you own an instrument…not that you necessarily had ever played it before. Oh yeah, and there was a bear too!
Right now I’m sitting here in bed and brainstorming about how I could potentially make this blog more interactive. One of the things that I have come up with is to ask you guys for suggestions of things to do and see. Now, I’m not saying I’ll do everything that you suggest (No I will not desecrate relics or ruins with my bodily fluids!) but I think my writings (and photos) could potentially be more exciting that way!
La la la!
And now, the real deal: I arrived in Geneva and had a lazy but lively night in the so called “Critical Mass” Co-op style house. An awesome group of international students/interns living in Geneva. It reminded me a lot of Davis and I even felt at home sleeping on the floor!
The next morning I was fired up to go visit some of the many international headquarters that polka-dot the city of Geneva. Lucky for me, Geneva has some amazing themed walks and maps that you can pick up at the tourists office. The one I chose was called “Spirit of Geneva - Of Dialogue and Peace” which just happened to take me past the UN, WHO and WCC headquarters! Unfortunately, I soon found out, most of these buildings aren’t open to the public…and most of them aren’t even that interesting to look at! I guess I should feel fortunate that most of these organizations are supposedly spending their time fixing problems rather than fussing over tourists! I did find a warm welcome at the World Council of Churches Headquarters though. This organization is made up of churches across the global that work towards global unity through religious similarities. Pretty awesome! The site is home to made cool organizations like the Lutheran World Federation and the World Student Christian Federation. I even ended up attending an ash Wednesday service is their chapel. A unique experience that required singing in German, French, English and Korean…
Oh YEAH!!! I know you’re all wondering where I decided to spend one of the world’s most important holidays…my birthday! I’m offended that you even needed to wonder…obviously I chose to spend the weekend in Bern, Switzerland. They even saw fit to throw me a weekend long carnival!…So yeah, I was in Bern for my birthday! Carnival was a crazy mixture of Halloween and battle of the bands. Actually, the closest thing that I can think of to compare it to would probably be a Star Trek Convention (Don’t get too excited Sugar D!) For the more mature individuals it appeared that you had to dress up in the gaudiest, frilliest,…ugliest jumpsuit you could get your hands on and then paint your face to match. For the young adults, something raunchy or suggestive of course! And for the kiddies, cowboys, pirates, clowns, you get the picture.
As far as the bands go, there were about 40+ marching bands, marching around the crowded street belting partially in-tune renditions of everything from California Girls to Country Roads and Angels. The main requirement to be in one of these bands appeared to be that you own an instrument…not that you necessarily had ever played it before. Oh yeah, and there was a bear too!
Right now I’m sitting here in bed and brainstorming about how I could potentially make this blog more interactive. One of the things that I have come up with is to ask you guys for suggestions of things to do and see. Now, I’m not saying I’ll do everything that you suggest (No I will not desecrate relics or ruins with my bodily fluids!) but I think my writings (and photos) could potentially be more exciting that way!
La la la!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Guinness, Gaudi and Good Times!
New pictures in "Some Pictures!"
The last 11 days have seen me pass through five countries. Unfortunately, riding a train through half of those countries doesn’t really count! I last spoke of Cologne and there is where the tale will resume.
I left Cologne in the early morning hours to make the long journey west and across the water to the land of green and Guinness. I already told you of the disgustingly tiresome hours I spent traveling by train and boat so I will skip to the better parts.
I arrived in Dublin to the warm welcome of my friend Liz. Liz and I met “way back” mid-college when I started attending Newman Catholic Student Community (to do what else but sing in their choir!) at Davis. She is currently getting her MBA at Trinity College. I have to say that unfortunately Dublin is lacking in a few things: interesting sites, an efficient public transportation system, and wireless internet access. All things that I have come to depend on throughout my trip. Some highlights though, included the Guinness Storehouse with it’s “Gravity Bar” that gave a great view of the surrounding city and St. Patrick’s Cathedral where I happened upon an a cappella choir at practice. The rest of my time in Dublin consisted of catching up with Liz, most often at a pub with her classmates where one was forced to pay a ridiculous 5 Euro (~$6.50) for a pint. This came as a surprise to me coming from Germany where a half liter could come as cheaply at 0.45 Euro. Needless to say, I was sad to say goodbye to Liz but happy to return to the mainland and cheaper drinks!
But I get ahead of myself. How could anyone travel to Ireland and not lean upside down to kiss a stone on the top of a castle ruin?? The Blarney “Castle” has unfortunately been turned into somewhat of a “Disney-esque” theme park ride. For only 10 Euro you can take home a red faced picture of yourself kissing the glorious stone. They have even stooped so low as to compare the stone to a “Harry Potter - like sorting hat” on one of the parks many comedic informational signs. Blarney isn’t exactly a city of easy couches so I spent a night in Cork where, along with my day trip to Blarney (Do they sanitize the stone?), spent the evening watching a quirky production of Samuel Beckett’s “Endgame”. I also spent a relaxing day in Killarney National Park. When you think of Ireland, you probably think of the rolling green hills of Killarney. Killarney also offered some entertainment in the form of ridiculously costumed and wigged girls staying in my hotel. I guess the Irish have a tradition of looking like oversized Barbies when they compete in Irish dancing.
After the exceptional two day experience of getting to Dublin I decided to fly back to the mainland. My airline of choice was Ryanair. You have probably heard of it as the amazing airline that gives you flights for 1 penny. This is true, until you begin to read the fine print. When I arrived at the airport at 5:30am I was still satisfied with the $50 that I had paid for my flight to Madrid. Here is the problem. Unless you plan to travel with a bag that contains practically nothing, you get the delight of paying excess baggage fees! In the end my ticket price doubled…and Ryanair lost a customer. The flight was uneventful, as was the train ride from Madrid to Barcelona.
Barcelona! A city with many cool sights and (the better part for me) warm weather! I arrived in Barcelona and checked into my hostel with plenty of time for an evening stroll to La Sagrada Familia. Of the sights, I focused mainly on the Gaudi. Park Guel was amazing, even with the hundreds of tourists swarming around. The Pedrera, with it’s serpentine roof had a great Gaudi museum and amazing sights of La Sagrada Familia in the setting sun.
Glad to be back in the land of cheap drinks, I spent my evenings in Barcelona playing loud card games with my loud and raucous American/Australian/Irish hostel mates , watching a great selection of Spanish dubbed American movies and obtaining free entrance to clubs with the hostel. It’s still amazing to me that you can walk into any club in Europe and get transported back five or ten years with the music selection!
I had an enjoyable morning walk to the train station with a fellow American traveler as we headed to Montpellier, France. Don’t ask…it was basically the only place in France that I could find a train to. And here I sit in a McDonald’s using their free wireless. I’m staying in Montpellier for a few days to plan out the next few weeks of my trip. It looks like I will be heading through Switzerland and Austria.
Until next time….Au revoir!
Peace in your hoods.
The last 11 days have seen me pass through five countries. Unfortunately, riding a train through half of those countries doesn’t really count! I last spoke of Cologne and there is where the tale will resume.
I left Cologne in the early morning hours to make the long journey west and across the water to the land of green and Guinness. I already told you of the disgustingly tiresome hours I spent traveling by train and boat so I will skip to the better parts.
I arrived in Dublin to the warm welcome of my friend Liz. Liz and I met “way back” mid-college when I started attending Newman Catholic Student Community (to do what else but sing in their choir!) at Davis. She is currently getting her MBA at Trinity College. I have to say that unfortunately Dublin is lacking in a few things: interesting sites, an efficient public transportation system, and wireless internet access. All things that I have come to depend on throughout my trip. Some highlights though, included the Guinness Storehouse with it’s “Gravity Bar” that gave a great view of the surrounding city and St. Patrick’s Cathedral where I happened upon an a cappella choir at practice. The rest of my time in Dublin consisted of catching up with Liz, most often at a pub with her classmates where one was forced to pay a ridiculous 5 Euro (~$6.50) for a pint. This came as a surprise to me coming from Germany where a half liter could come as cheaply at 0.45 Euro. Needless to say, I was sad to say goodbye to Liz but happy to return to the mainland and cheaper drinks!
But I get ahead of myself. How could anyone travel to Ireland and not lean upside down to kiss a stone on the top of a castle ruin?? The Blarney “Castle” has unfortunately been turned into somewhat of a “Disney-esque” theme park ride. For only 10 Euro you can take home a red faced picture of yourself kissing the glorious stone. They have even stooped so low as to compare the stone to a “Harry Potter - like sorting hat” on one of the parks many comedic informational signs. Blarney isn’t exactly a city of easy couches so I spent a night in Cork where, along with my day trip to Blarney (Do they sanitize the stone?), spent the evening watching a quirky production of Samuel Beckett’s “Endgame”. I also spent a relaxing day in Killarney National Park. When you think of Ireland, you probably think of the rolling green hills of Killarney. Killarney also offered some entertainment in the form of ridiculously costumed and wigged girls staying in my hotel. I guess the Irish have a tradition of looking like oversized Barbies when they compete in Irish dancing.
After the exceptional two day experience of getting to Dublin I decided to fly back to the mainland. My airline of choice was Ryanair. You have probably heard of it as the amazing airline that gives you flights for 1 penny. This is true, until you begin to read the fine print. When I arrived at the airport at 5:30am I was still satisfied with the $50 that I had paid for my flight to Madrid. Here is the problem. Unless you plan to travel with a bag that contains practically nothing, you get the delight of paying excess baggage fees! In the end my ticket price doubled…and Ryanair lost a customer. The flight was uneventful, as was the train ride from Madrid to Barcelona.
Barcelona! A city with many cool sights and (the better part for me) warm weather! I arrived in Barcelona and checked into my hostel with plenty of time for an evening stroll to La Sagrada Familia. Of the sights, I focused mainly on the Gaudi. Park Guel was amazing, even with the hundreds of tourists swarming around. The Pedrera, with it’s serpentine roof had a great Gaudi museum and amazing sights of La Sagrada Familia in the setting sun.
Glad to be back in the land of cheap drinks, I spent my evenings in Barcelona playing loud card games with my loud and raucous American/Australian/Irish hostel mates , watching a great selection of Spanish dubbed American movies and obtaining free entrance to clubs with the hostel. It’s still amazing to me that you can walk into any club in Europe and get transported back five or ten years with the music selection!
I had an enjoyable morning walk to the train station with a fellow American traveler as we headed to Montpellier, France. Don’t ask…it was basically the only place in France that I could find a train to. And here I sit in a McDonald’s using their free wireless. I’m staying in Montpellier for a few days to plan out the next few weeks of my trip. It looks like I will be heading through Switzerland and Austria.
Until next time….Au revoir!
Peace in your hoods.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Trains...the devil's work
WARNING - The first paragraph may not be comprehensible and is full of malice…you can skip it if you want!
Oh *&%$…what a day. I’m tired and just ready to sleep but I still have a train ride to London and then I have to figure out how to get to Notting Hill…I’ve been traveling for about 15 hours now. That includes a train that was 70 minutes late from Cologne, a missed train in Brussels that then required a 3 hours wait for a train to a place that was half an hour away…once there I ran to catch a train to Calais and then once in Calais, I paid for a cab because I didn’t want to miss a boat that ended up being not for foot passengers anyway. Oh, and the bloody UK passport officials that took half an hour to decide to stamp my passport because of my lack of ticket out of their stupid country (I don‘t want to stay in your expensive and snotty country anyway!). An hour and a half on the boat from Calais to Dover and then I get to Dover only to find that the last bus left ten minutes before I got there…so I try to take the bus that goes to the train station…oh but I forgot to change money so I don’t have any pounds and therefore must make the 20 minute trek on foot to the train station…at least I made the train….*sigh* Next time I fly…
The past week or so has been packed full of fun things though! I must repeat, I love Germany! When we last met, I was still in Gottingen. From Gottingen I made my way to the tiny town of Salzgitter. The ride to Salzgitter was uneventful. I got lucky with a bus and ended up at the right street where my host lived. Unfortunately my phone didn’t have service in the middle of nowhere, so I sat by his door for an hour while he sat at the train station for an hour waiting for me! You may be wondering why I was in Salzgitter (and I was wondering the same thing at points). This is where my a cappella obsession comes into the picture. For my one night in Salzgitte, I sat in the front row of an a cappella concert put on by Maybebop, a German a cappella group that I’d heard of in America. It was Amazing. So was my host Nyamkhuu. He returned from his break in Berlin to host me!
From Salzgitter I headed to Hamburg. Hamburg…great people, not the most amazingly interesting city. Although I did try to see it all in one day. I spent my first night in Hamburg with the Hamburg couch surfing group. We met up at a really chill bar with couches everywhere. I’m convinced that Hamburg deserves a second chance at some point when I can spend a little more time! I saw a nice rendition of La Traviata at the Hamburg Opera house on my second night. I also spent some time envisioning the Hamburg Philharmonie building that looks amazing on paper, but may never actually be finished.
On to Cologne I went! I have to say, and I mean no offense to all of my wonderful hosts so far, but I think I had the most fun with Maria and Florian! Maria and Florian met through couch surfing and got married soon after! (Don’t worry Mom! I’m not really looking…too hard) On my first night we went out to a Brewery and had some Kolsh, which is the local beer of Cologne and played some Skat! I was worldly though and I had already had some in Leipzig with David! The next morning, Maria and I started out on my tour of Cologne. It was raining lightly, so we brought umbrellas as we made our way to the Kolner Dom. Cologne’s Cathedral is either the biggest in Germany or Europe…I forget. I have to honestly admit that I enjoyed the Berliner Dom and lot more. The Kolner Dom is just a little too Gothic and dark and cold for me. And then have a modern stain glass window which sort of ruins the mood…haha! Upon leaving the Dom, we made our way to the Lintz Chocolate Museum with some stops at a few more churches along the way. All I have to say is Yum. This is where things got interesting. While we were inside the delectable museum, someone pissed off the weather gods…we walked out into a gale of snow/slush. It was like walking into a cold, horizontal shower. Needless to say, we quickly made our way to the nearest tram and headed home to a warm and dry flat. The night was spent playing with cats, watching Underworld and eating delicious pizza. Such a great couple!
This brings us to the end of this episode of the Klilight Zone…I’m almost to London and tomorrow will be a better day!
Peace
P.S. - Oh yeah, my next stop is Dublin to see my friend Liz…that’s the only reason I even made the trek through the UK.
Oh *&%$…what a day. I’m tired and just ready to sleep but I still have a train ride to London and then I have to figure out how to get to Notting Hill…I’ve been traveling for about 15 hours now. That includes a train that was 70 minutes late from Cologne, a missed train in Brussels that then required a 3 hours wait for a train to a place that was half an hour away…once there I ran to catch a train to Calais and then once in Calais, I paid for a cab because I didn’t want to miss a boat that ended up being not for foot passengers anyway. Oh, and the bloody UK passport officials that took half an hour to decide to stamp my passport because of my lack of ticket out of their stupid country (I don‘t want to stay in your expensive and snotty country anyway!). An hour and a half on the boat from Calais to Dover and then I get to Dover only to find that the last bus left ten minutes before I got there…so I try to take the bus that goes to the train station…oh but I forgot to change money so I don’t have any pounds and therefore must make the 20 minute trek on foot to the train station…at least I made the train….*sigh* Next time I fly…
The past week or so has been packed full of fun things though! I must repeat, I love Germany! When we last met, I was still in Gottingen. From Gottingen I made my way to the tiny town of Salzgitter. The ride to Salzgitter was uneventful. I got lucky with a bus and ended up at the right street where my host lived. Unfortunately my phone didn’t have service in the middle of nowhere, so I sat by his door for an hour while he sat at the train station for an hour waiting for me! You may be wondering why I was in Salzgitter (and I was wondering the same thing at points). This is where my a cappella obsession comes into the picture. For my one night in Salzgitte, I sat in the front row of an a cappella concert put on by Maybebop, a German a cappella group that I’d heard of in America. It was Amazing. So was my host Nyamkhuu. He returned from his break in Berlin to host me!
From Salzgitter I headed to Hamburg. Hamburg…great people, not the most amazingly interesting city. Although I did try to see it all in one day. I spent my first night in Hamburg with the Hamburg couch surfing group. We met up at a really chill bar with couches everywhere. I’m convinced that Hamburg deserves a second chance at some point when I can spend a little more time! I saw a nice rendition of La Traviata at the Hamburg Opera house on my second night. I also spent some time envisioning the Hamburg Philharmonie building that looks amazing on paper, but may never actually be finished.
On to Cologne I went! I have to say, and I mean no offense to all of my wonderful hosts so far, but I think I had the most fun with Maria and Florian! Maria and Florian met through couch surfing and got married soon after! (Don’t worry Mom! I’m not really looking…too hard) On my first night we went out to a Brewery and had some Kolsh, which is the local beer of Cologne and played some Skat! I was worldly though and I had already had some in Leipzig with David! The next morning, Maria and I started out on my tour of Cologne. It was raining lightly, so we brought umbrellas as we made our way to the Kolner Dom. Cologne’s Cathedral is either the biggest in Germany or Europe…I forget. I have to honestly admit that I enjoyed the Berliner Dom and lot more. The Kolner Dom is just a little too Gothic and dark and cold for me. And then have a modern stain glass window which sort of ruins the mood…haha! Upon leaving the Dom, we made our way to the Lintz Chocolate Museum with some stops at a few more churches along the way. All I have to say is Yum. This is where things got interesting. While we were inside the delectable museum, someone pissed off the weather gods…we walked out into a gale of snow/slush. It was like walking into a cold, horizontal shower. Needless to say, we quickly made our way to the nearest tram and headed home to a warm and dry flat. The night was spent playing with cats, watching Underworld and eating delicious pizza. Such a great couple!
This brings us to the end of this episode of the Klilight Zone…I’m almost to London and tomorrow will be a better day!
Peace
P.S. - Oh yeah, my next stop is Dublin to see my friend Liz…that’s the only reason I even made the trek through the UK.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Pictures
I fixed the picture links so they should be accessible for anyone!
I posted a link to some pictures...for right now you have to have facebook to see them though! Sorry to those of you that don't! I'll try to change it soon. You can find the links in the left margin.
As to the spot tracker...it seems to track when it wants to and just sit there blinking at me more often than not. It seemed like a cool thing but it doesn't seem to function well.
I posted a link to some pictures...for right now you have to have facebook to see them though! Sorry to those of you that don't! I'll try to change it soon. You can find the links in the left margin.
As to the spot tracker...it seems to track when it wants to and just sit there blinking at me more often than not. It seemed like a cool thing but it doesn't seem to function well.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Luther and Tigers and Bach, Oh My!
It’s been an eventful past few days. My last few days in Berlin consisted of a personal tour of the Turkish district (where according to my guide/friend, you can basically find the best/cheapest food of any kind), a band advertised as a pirate band blast psychedelic sea shanties (they turned out to be 45 years old and didn’t look like pirates at all…), and dance at a reggae club until the wee hours of the morning. I have to reiterate, I love Berlin!
Upon leaving Berlin, I took my first real Eurail ride to Lutherstadt Wittenberg, which is the town famous for…you guessed it! Martin Luther. Unfortunately, I was not meant to make a timely entrance into the city as I missed my stop and then had to take a slower train back the other way…I finally got to LW and walked to the pension that I had booked. They were full. I was not happy. Long story short, I ended up paying more than I wanted for a room. Luckily it was only one night.
I woke up bright and early on a Sunday morning and went to a service at the City Church of St. Marien, the church were Martin Luther preached. There was even special music by the children’s choir. I felt very at home. After the service I visited the only two other things open in the whole town, the Castle Church (Luther nailed the theses here as well as the site of his grave) and the Lutherhouse museum. Apparently Sunday in the middle of winter is not the best time to do things in Wittenberg as not even the grocery store is open.
That brings us to my current place of residence, Leipzig. Leipzig, although few people seem to have ever heard of it, is important for many reasons. It was the home of Bach as well as being home to the sight of the peaceful prayer gatherings at St. Nikolas’s Church that are many attribute to a being an important influence in the fall of the Berlin wall (you can read more about this yourself if you want). After visiting St. Nikolas’s Church, I made my way to St. Thomas’s Church in which Bach acted as Cantor for the last 25 years or so of his life and in which his body was laid to rest.
After a few days of visiting churches, what would be the obvious place to go next, you ask? Well, the Leipzig Zoo of course! I spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the zoo and getting some pretty cool pictures of animal. Nothing like a frozen savana or elephants enclosed in an building with and Indian Temple theme!
How is my couch surfing host in Leipzig? David is pretty awesome. He is fluent in Arabic and headed to Morocco in a few weeks to do work on his PhD study nomadic tribes. Our evenings have consisted of my learning a German card game called Skat. Let’s just say I went out and bought my own deck.
Tschuss!
Upon leaving Berlin, I took my first real Eurail ride to Lutherstadt Wittenberg, which is the town famous for…you guessed it! Martin Luther. Unfortunately, I was not meant to make a timely entrance into the city as I missed my stop and then had to take a slower train back the other way…I finally got to LW and walked to the pension that I had booked. They were full. I was not happy. Long story short, I ended up paying more than I wanted for a room. Luckily it was only one night.
I woke up bright and early on a Sunday morning and went to a service at the City Church of St. Marien, the church were Martin Luther preached. There was even special music by the children’s choir. I felt very at home. After the service I visited the only two other things open in the whole town, the Castle Church (Luther nailed the theses here as well as the site of his grave) and the Lutherhouse museum. Apparently Sunday in the middle of winter is not the best time to do things in Wittenberg as not even the grocery store is open.
That brings us to my current place of residence, Leipzig. Leipzig, although few people seem to have ever heard of it, is important for many reasons. It was the home of Bach as well as being home to the sight of the peaceful prayer gatherings at St. Nikolas’s Church that are many attribute to a being an important influence in the fall of the Berlin wall (you can read more about this yourself if you want). After visiting St. Nikolas’s Church, I made my way to St. Thomas’s Church in which Bach acted as Cantor for the last 25 years or so of his life and in which his body was laid to rest.
After a few days of visiting churches, what would be the obvious place to go next, you ask? Well, the Leipzig Zoo of course! I spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the zoo and getting some pretty cool pictures of animal. Nothing like a frozen savana or elephants enclosed in an building with and Indian Temple theme!
How is my couch surfing host in Leipzig? David is pretty awesome. He is fluent in Arabic and headed to Morocco in a few weeks to do work on his PhD study nomadic tribes. Our evenings have consisted of my learning a German card game called Skat. Let’s just say I went out and bought my own deck.
Tschuss!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Couchsurfing in Berlin = For the Win, While Potsdam is Not S’dam Great
Well, that was my first skipped day or two of the trip. The good thing is the fact that if I don’t write, it probably means I’m having too much fun doing something else. This was definitely the case in the past few days. The best part was my first experience in the couch surfing network. For those of you unenlightened by the couch surfing idea, it is a website that lets you request to stay on peoples couches in cities all around the world for free, rather than staying in a hostel. I think I’m in trouble because I’m going to always compare every other host to Micha and he was probably one of the most generous and interesting guys in Berlin. Micha has his masters degree in engineering of some kind hand he is now doing work with short films. I was joined by another couch surfer, Peter, from Australia, also I prime pick for a guy that I had to share a floor with. I don’t want to bore you to death with background about people that you don’t know and therefore probably don’t care about but Peter was a very an awesome guy. He was from Australia, but his parents were from the Netherlands and Spain. You would never know he had Spanish blood because he has bright red hair and definitely resembles the Dutch side, which makes it really funny when he speaks perfect Spanish as well. It was great to be able to have real conversations with people again! And now I have an open invite to Australia!
Yesterday, I broke down and Peter and I ended up taking a tour of some of the sites that I’d already seen but not taken the time to actually learn about like the German Parliament, Holocaust memorial, Checkpoint Charlie, the site of Hitler‘s suicide and also the square of the famous book burning (Unfortunately this square was covered over by a stupid white tent for Fashion Week). There is a great tour company in a lot of major cities in Europe that offers “free tours” and the guides work strictly off tips. Our guide, although a little monotone, was very informative and a down to earth guy. It was funny because his accent sounded so American that I had to ask him and it turns out that he’s from Amsterdam but his mom is American. I’m not sure if I’ve ever come across any Europeans with “American-English” accents.
As I write this I’m sitting in a coffee shop in the train station in Potsdam. I literally only got here about four hours ago but I’ve seen what I want to see of this city. Unfortunately it’s not quite “Germany’s Versailles” in the winter months. The main attractions are the great gardens and parks that also house a few summer palaces. The garden’s were brown and bare. I guess I should do more research! Luckily it’s only about 45 minutes outside of Berlin by train. I’ll be staying with my newest CS (this is what I’m going to call “Couchsurfing from now on) host, Jo-hannes for the night and then probably heading back to Berlin for another day or two.
I’m hoping to finally make my first attempt at uploading some pictures in the next few days. And everyone knows that pictures are worth a thousand of these damn things.
Yesterday, I broke down and Peter and I ended up taking a tour of some of the sites that I’d already seen but not taken the time to actually learn about like the German Parliament, Holocaust memorial, Checkpoint Charlie, the site of Hitler‘s suicide and also the square of the famous book burning (Unfortunately this square was covered over by a stupid white tent for Fashion Week). There is a great tour company in a lot of major cities in Europe that offers “free tours” and the guides work strictly off tips. Our guide, although a little monotone, was very informative and a down to earth guy. It was funny because his accent sounded so American that I had to ask him and it turns out that he’s from Amsterdam but his mom is American. I’m not sure if I’ve ever come across any Europeans with “American-English” accents.
As I write this I’m sitting in a coffee shop in the train station in Potsdam. I literally only got here about four hours ago but I’ve seen what I want to see of this city. Unfortunately it’s not quite “Germany’s Versailles” in the winter months. The main attractions are the great gardens and parks that also house a few summer palaces. The garden’s were brown and bare. I guess I should do more research! Luckily it’s only about 45 minutes outside of Berlin by train. I’ll be staying with my newest CS (this is what I’m going to call “Couchsurfing from now on) host, Jo-hannes for the night and then probably heading back to Berlin for another day or two.
I’m hoping to finally make my first attempt at uploading some pictures in the next few days. And everyone knows that pictures are worth a thousand of these damn things.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Das Phantom Der Oper not quite there inside my mind...
Oh what a day! The highs and lows were tremendous but in the end, it worked itself out. I had a little freak out this morning. Those of you that travel can probably relate to homesickness in the first few days. I found myself lying in bed in the wee hours of the morning and contemplating ridiculous things like flying home…then I slapped myself and chatted with a few of you who happened to be on face book (Thanks Steve and Jennie!) who let me vent a little. I’m glad that’s over.
Normally I like to stay pretty chronological with my writing but I think I will stick with themes for this entry. The other relative low of the day. I was looking for something musical and cultural and of course…what could be more German than Das Phantom Der Oper. Okay fine, I guess Andrew Lloyd Webber isn’t very German but that didn’t really matter because this rendition of Phantom was a little different. I was regretfully not informed by anyone that this version of Phantom would have no songs in common with the original. Yes mom, the first time I go to see Phantom live its in German and has songs more reminiscent of Mamma Mia. The one good thing is that I somehow ended up paying a student price that was less than a third of the cost of the ticket and sat in the 5th row center.
I was not as fortunate in seating for the church service that I attended at Berliner Dom. Luckily they had an “International Visitors” section which had archaic headsets that provided a play by play English translation. I felt like a member of the UN. It was a good service but I would probably have been just as happy not having any clue what was going on and just listening to the angelic voices of the choir filling the massive dome.
As I finish this up, I am very proud to say that it is 1am and I haven’t slept since 8am this morning! I made it through the whole day without a nap! Maybe this jetlag thing isn’t going to kill me…cheers
Normally I like to stay pretty chronological with my writing but I think I will stick with themes for this entry. The other relative low of the day. I was looking for something musical and cultural and of course…what could be more German than Das Phantom Der Oper. Okay fine, I guess Andrew Lloyd Webber isn’t very German but that didn’t really matter because this rendition of Phantom was a little different. I was regretfully not informed by anyone that this version of Phantom would have no songs in common with the original. Yes mom, the first time I go to see Phantom live its in German and has songs more reminiscent of Mamma Mia. The one good thing is that I somehow ended up paying a student price that was less than a third of the cost of the ticket and sat in the 5th row center.
I was not as fortunate in seating for the church service that I attended at Berliner Dom. Luckily they had an “International Visitors” section which had archaic headsets that provided a play by play English translation. I felt like a member of the UN. It was a good service but I would probably have been just as happy not having any clue what was going on and just listening to the angelic voices of the choir filling the massive dome.
As I finish this up, I am very proud to say that it is 1am and I haven’t slept since 8am this morning! I made it through the whole day without a nap! Maybe this jetlag thing isn’t going to kill me…cheers
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Begrüßen Sie Berlin!
I’m writing this blog in a jet lagged blur. This may or may not be similar to my continued posts...you will have to see. Before I get into some random topics, let me be horrible negative for a second. I’m tired (but I can’t go to bed because it’s 6:15pm), sore (I guess I use different muscles carrying around this backpack), and I forgot my jacket liner at home (haha!).
Okay, I’m done. This morning I got up and showered and stepped out into the brisk 6am morning air. Of course nothing was open yet so I walked around for an hour or so and then headed back for a nap. I most likely annoyed my roommates with my crazy sleep pattern. I’m rooming with a Australian couple and a dreadlocked Scottish guy. No complaints.
After my brief morning nap I headed off on the U5 (subway) to Alexanderplatz. Now, I know this is going to sound random but why do people bring their dogs on the subway? This morning when I got on there were two dogs. One of which looked scared to death and just kept looking up at it’s owner. And the other, a crazy dog who kept howling and trying to walk while the subway was moving. Now don’t get me wrong, I really don’t mind dogs, but can’t you just walk you dogs on the street instead of taking them who knows where…which leads to my next point. Be very careful where you step at night on streets in Berlin. There is very little grass so I guess the rule for dogs is that as long as they crap somewhere near the “dirt” areas along the sidewalk, you can just leave it.
Getting back to Alexanderplatz (Alex for short!), I spent most of the day in two Churches. St. Mary’s Church is the second oldest church in Berlin. It’s a fixer upper with some humorous carvings and some cool mosaic tile scenes. The second one, Berliner Dom, is the main protestant church in Berlin. It has a fantastic dome that has a great view of a lot of the city. It also has an incredible organ. I think I’ll try to try to go to a service there tomorrow.
Okay, I’m done. This morning I got up and showered and stepped out into the brisk 6am morning air. Of course nothing was open yet so I walked around for an hour or so and then headed back for a nap. I most likely annoyed my roommates with my crazy sleep pattern. I’m rooming with a Australian couple and a dreadlocked Scottish guy. No complaints.
After my brief morning nap I headed off on the U5 (subway) to Alexanderplatz. Now, I know this is going to sound random but why do people bring their dogs on the subway? This morning when I got on there were two dogs. One of which looked scared to death and just kept looking up at it’s owner. And the other, a crazy dog who kept howling and trying to walk while the subway was moving. Now don’t get me wrong, I really don’t mind dogs, but can’t you just walk you dogs on the street instead of taking them who knows where…which leads to my next point. Be very careful where you step at night on streets in Berlin. There is very little grass so I guess the rule for dogs is that as long as they crap somewhere near the “dirt” areas along the sidewalk, you can just leave it.
Getting back to Alexanderplatz (Alex for short!), I spent most of the day in two Churches. St. Mary’s Church is the second oldest church in Berlin. It’s a fixer upper with some humorous carvings and some cool mosaic tile scenes. The second one, Berliner Dom, is the main protestant church in Berlin. It has a fantastic dome that has a great view of a lot of the city. It also has an incredible organ. I think I’ll try to try to go to a service there tomorrow.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Okay...so it's been two months
It's been almost exactly two months since my initial post about my reasoning for making the what some people my call impulsive gesture of buying a one-way plane ticket to amazing times. Although I have spoken to many of you about my updated status concerning my trip, I figure there are some of you who would appreciate a written update (if you haven't already forgotten about this blog!).
These past few month of have been full and yet, looking back, somewhat empty. They have been packed with trying to make progress on trip preparation as well as trying to see as many people as possible before I made the transition home. They seem empty though, as I slowly leave behind some of the closest and inspiring people in my life. Even though I know they're not permanent goodbyes, they have still been hard. People keep asking me how I am going to cope with the loneliness the comes with a solo journey and I'm never sure exactly how to answer. I don't necessarily think loneliness is a bad thing, but I definitely plan on taking advantage of the social atmosphere of the backpacker community as well as the friends/family that people have so generously been providing for me.
I'm now completely moved out of Davis and I will actually be living at home for the longest period of time since I left for college! The first thing that I did when I came home was to clean out all the crap that has been piling up in my room for years. For those of you that don't know, I have never actually "resided" in my parents current house as they moved into it while I was already away at college. The result was 5 trashbags of old clothing as well as a few more of trinkets and toys that had been stuffed away in my closet for five years. My room is now bursting with bookshelves that comprise most of what I brought down from Davis with me.
Christmas was amazing! I love my family! Even if all the festivities required three back to back days of drivint to Orange County. I'm so fortunate to have parents that are as excited as I am about my trip! Along with a new backpack and two-man tent, I also recieved my trikets for my survival and I surprise "Early Birthday Present" of a new Nikon D40 SLR which I am trying my darndest to figure out how to use before I head out!
If I have talked to you about foreign contacts or meeting your abroad and I haven't yet emailed you to get further information, PLEASE email me, I don't want to miss anybody! My email is atkloehn@gmail.com.
Probably the most exciting update is about my itinerary. Due to the high volume of inquiring individuals, I decided to make a month-to-month plan that would give people an idea of what area of the globe they could expect to find me in. So here it is, the official broad itinerary:
January-April - Eastern/Central Europe
May-June- Russia, Japan
July-August - SE Asia, India
September - Egypt, Israel, Jordan
October - Who knows!
WARNING (I am going to go into detail here so if you are happy just knowing the general intinerary, scroll down to the line of "*".)
As you know, I will be flying into Berlin and spending a few days acclimating and seeing this amazing city. From Berlin I plan to head south in a path that will take me through the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Switzerland and Potentially a little bit of Northern Italy. From there, I will move along the Mediterranean coast through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, etc to Greece. Upon my departure from Greece I will head up through Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, and continue all the way up to Baltic Sea where I will head either through Sweden and Finland or the Baltic States to St. Petersburg.
From St. Petersburg, I plan to take the train to Moscow where I will embark on my journey east on the Trans-Siberian Railway to its termination in Vladivostok. Along the way I plan to stop in Novosibirsk and Irkutsk, the capitals of Western and Eastern Siberia as well as some other smaller destinations.
Vladivostok offers a limited number of exit strategies. Right now, I'm planning on taking a two day ferry to Toyama, Japan. Once in Japan, I would love to spend a month or so exploring the different regions and trying to encourage my limited Japanese skills to come out of storage!
The next part of the journey will take to Thailand ( Yay! I get to stay with a friend who is teaching English there!) as well as Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, hopefully Myanmar, Bangladesh and India.
From India, my plan is to fly to Cairo, Egypt where I will meet my best friend Dan and we will travel for about three weeks! Somewhere in here I plan on making it to Jordan and Israel where I may get to see another friend who is living abroad!
Pending whether or not I still have money, I would love to continue to travel around Europe and see Spain, Portugal and spend more time in France, England and Germany through Christmas 2009.
******************************************************************************************
I can't tell you blessed I am to be surrounded by so many supportive people! I appreciate all the prayers and messages! I hope that they continue as I make my way!
Alex
These past few month of have been full and yet, looking back, somewhat empty. They have been packed with trying to make progress on trip preparation as well as trying to see as many people as possible before I made the transition home. They seem empty though, as I slowly leave behind some of the closest and inspiring people in my life. Even though I know they're not permanent goodbyes, they have still been hard. People keep asking me how I am going to cope with the loneliness the comes with a solo journey and I'm never sure exactly how to answer. I don't necessarily think loneliness is a bad thing, but I definitely plan on taking advantage of the social atmosphere of the backpacker community as well as the friends/family that people have so generously been providing for me.
I'm now completely moved out of Davis and I will actually be living at home for the longest period of time since I left for college! The first thing that I did when I came home was to clean out all the crap that has been piling up in my room for years. For those of you that don't know, I have never actually "resided" in my parents current house as they moved into it while I was already away at college. The result was 5 trashbags of old clothing as well as a few more of trinkets and toys that had been stuffed away in my closet for five years. My room is now bursting with bookshelves that comprise most of what I brought down from Davis with me.
Christmas was amazing! I love my family! Even if all the festivities required three back to back days of drivint to Orange County. I'm so fortunate to have parents that are as excited as I am about my trip! Along with a new backpack and two-man tent, I also recieved my trikets for my survival and I surprise "Early Birthday Present" of a new Nikon D40 SLR which I am trying my darndest to figure out how to use before I head out!
If I have talked to you about foreign contacts or meeting your abroad and I haven't yet emailed you to get further information, PLEASE email me, I don't want to miss anybody! My email is atkloehn@gmail.com.
Probably the most exciting update is about my itinerary. Due to the high volume of inquiring individuals, I decided to make a month-to-month plan that would give people an idea of what area of the globe they could expect to find me in. So here it is, the official broad itinerary:
January-April - Eastern/Central Europe
May-June- Russia, Japan
July-August - SE Asia, India
September - Egypt, Israel, Jordan
October - Who knows!
WARNING (I am going to go into detail here so if you are happy just knowing the general intinerary, scroll down to the line of "*".)
As you know, I will be flying into Berlin and spending a few days acclimating and seeing this amazing city. From Berlin I plan to head south in a path that will take me through the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Switzerland and Potentially a little bit of Northern Italy. From there, I will move along the Mediterranean coast through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, etc to Greece. Upon my departure from Greece I will head up through Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, and continue all the way up to Baltic Sea where I will head either through Sweden and Finland or the Baltic States to St. Petersburg.
From St. Petersburg, I plan to take the train to Moscow where I will embark on my journey east on the Trans-Siberian Railway to its termination in Vladivostok. Along the way I plan to stop in Novosibirsk and Irkutsk, the capitals of Western and Eastern Siberia as well as some other smaller destinations.
Vladivostok offers a limited number of exit strategies. Right now, I'm planning on taking a two day ferry to Toyama, Japan. Once in Japan, I would love to spend a month or so exploring the different regions and trying to encourage my limited Japanese skills to come out of storage!
The next part of the journey will take to Thailand ( Yay! I get to stay with a friend who is teaching English there!) as well as Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, hopefully Myanmar, Bangladesh and India.
From India, my plan is to fly to Cairo, Egypt where I will meet my best friend Dan and we will travel for about three weeks! Somewhere in here I plan on making it to Jordan and Israel where I may get to see another friend who is living abroad!
Pending whether or not I still have money, I would love to continue to travel around Europe and see Spain, Portugal and spend more time in France, England and Germany through Christmas 2009.
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I can't tell you blessed I am to be surrounded by so many supportive people! I appreciate all the prayers and messages! I hope that they continue as I make my way!
Alex
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