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.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
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.
******************************************************************************************
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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