I took off from my hostel in London, got to the airport three hours early, made it through the rigorous but surprisingly quick (One hour. It's relative to my expectations.) security checks, sat down for some fish and chips (last meal in London, could I really have anything else?), perused the abundant and over-priced duty free shops and got on my plane. After some barely made connections and misdirections from well meaning but hardly competent airport staff, I got back to Yellowknife.
It's raining. And it's cold.
1 summer. 92 days. 17 countries. 35 cities. 1207 pictures. Hundreds upon hundreds of new people. Thousands of conversations.
Man....
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
London
I only spent one night in London. Having been there on multiple occassions before, I felt no real need to see the sites (again). After a brief visit to the National Portrait Museum (going through the last day of my trip and not seeing at least one museum would have been just wrong somehow) I spent the rest of the afternoon in London shopping and then decided to see a movie.
And then the least likely thing to ever happen, happened.
I bought my ticket to A Scanner Darkly (if you like Philip K. Dick, then go see it, or if you just do a lot of drugs, go see it, or if you just really enjoy high concept cartoons, go see it) and walked into the lobby. I walked past someone who looked vaguely familiar, but seeing as how I have met hundreds, upon HUNDREDS of people this trip I am very used to seeing familiar people around, so I ignored it.
I sat down in the exact center of the theatre, as I could determine it, for the best audio quality (simulating audio accurately is very difficult, and impossible with multiple listeners, so theatres calibrate their audio according to one point in the theatre, typically the very centre of the theatre seating. Movie geek aside - Done). After a few minutes the familiar looking man walks in and sits a few rows in front of me.
"Huh" I think.
"That guy looks like Barry.", Barry being my old roommate from Yellowknfe.
"Actually, that guy looks A LOT like Barry."
"...."
I get up, walk down a few rows and look over to the man. He looks back. We just stand there for a few minutes. Slowly a look of complete and total disbelief takes over both of our faces.
IT IS BARRY!
Barry had just finished working the summer in Gambia, Africa as a biomedical technician and was spending sometime in London before heading to Edmonton and then back up to Yellowknife.
So after randomly wandering London (Pop. 7.5 million), and picking any old movie theatre to go into, I run into my roommate from halfway across the world.
And that was London.
And then the least likely thing to ever happen, happened.
I bought my ticket to A Scanner Darkly (if you like Philip K. Dick, then go see it, or if you just do a lot of drugs, go see it, or if you just really enjoy high concept cartoons, go see it) and walked into the lobby. I walked past someone who looked vaguely familiar, but seeing as how I have met hundreds, upon HUNDREDS of people this trip I am very used to seeing familiar people around, so I ignored it.
I sat down in the exact center of the theatre, as I could determine it, for the best audio quality (simulating audio accurately is very difficult, and impossible with multiple listeners, so theatres calibrate their audio according to one point in the theatre, typically the very centre of the theatre seating. Movie geek aside - Done). After a few minutes the familiar looking man walks in and sits a few rows in front of me.
"Huh" I think.
"That guy looks like Barry.", Barry being my old roommate from Yellowknfe.
"Actually, that guy looks A LOT like Barry."
"...."
I get up, walk down a few rows and look over to the man. He looks back. We just stand there for a few minutes. Slowly a look of complete and total disbelief takes over both of our faces.
IT IS BARRY!
Barry had just finished working the summer in Gambia, Africa as a biomedical technician and was spending sometime in London before heading to Edmonton and then back up to Yellowknife.
So after randomly wandering London (Pop. 7.5 million), and picking any old movie theatre to go into, I run into my roommate from halfway across the world.
And that was London.
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Rotterdam/Brugge/Ghent/Brussels
Alright, long time no update...
Rotterdam
Boring, but met some cool people, rained the whole time. The hostel staff was very friendly and helpful. Got taught a new drinking game by some Dutch girls.
Brugge
I had been saying that Cesky Krumlov was the most beautiful town in Europe.... nope, it's Brugge. Absolutely stunning town. I have TONNES of pictures from there because everything is photo-worthy. I am glad I had three days there, even though it is a small place and you could do it in one or two days.
I stayed in a hostel (supposedly the best in town) for one night and then a cheap hotel the next two nights (a room to my self... such luxury to a backpacker), but went back to the hostel bar every night. Hung out with Belgian girls who I think were mocking me the entire time the first night, but as the Belgians speak English, German, French and Dutch I could never keep up to make sure. I went to bed early the second night. The third night I hung out with some really cool Aussies and Kiwis who were on a busabout tour, and had a chat about first impressions with a property analyst. Tried a couple dozen different kinds of beers. Paid for it the next mornings.... But developed a good rapport with the bartender.
They really like spareribs there.
I kissed a vial of Jesus Christ's blood.
Top notch street musicians.
I think that's it...
Ghent
On my way from Brugge to Brussels I stopped in Ghent, since it is almost exactly half way. It was also a very pretty town, I just wandered around it for five hours. But don't trust the tourist info lady, she has no idea where internet cafes are.
Brussels
Kinda dull.... definetly second-rate compared to Brugge and Ghent. However I have met some fun people. Spent last night with some English people who are travelling around for a week. "I fucking love this shit" "... and this is the Brussels of church." Mixed with late night street calamari, it was Good Times. Today I walked around town. Met up with some Canadian girls who were going to the train station, so ended up walking all the way across all of central Brussels chatting with them about the nature of backpacking. Other than that... checked out ANOTHER cathedral, saw the Grand Place.... not very interesting stuff, really.
Tomorrow I am off to London for a night, and then home! CRAZY. It's going to be strange making the switch from a backpacking lifestyle to being in the same place for more than three days... I am looking forward to it and also not.... My own room and space will be nice, and I am pretty tired, but not being able to pack up and go to another country whenever I feel like it.... it will be different, that's for sure.
PS - oh, I never blogged about Munich, did I? Lots of beer gardens, hungout with some cool Jews.
Rotterdam
Boring, but met some cool people, rained the whole time. The hostel staff was very friendly and helpful. Got taught a new drinking game by some Dutch girls.
Brugge
I had been saying that Cesky Krumlov was the most beautiful town in Europe.... nope, it's Brugge. Absolutely stunning town. I have TONNES of pictures from there because everything is photo-worthy. I am glad I had three days there, even though it is a small place and you could do it in one or two days.
I stayed in a hostel (supposedly the best in town) for one night and then a cheap hotel the next two nights (a room to my self... such luxury to a backpacker), but went back to the hostel bar every night. Hung out with Belgian girls who I think were mocking me the entire time the first night, but as the Belgians speak English, German, French and Dutch I could never keep up to make sure. I went to bed early the second night. The third night I hung out with some really cool Aussies and Kiwis who were on a busabout tour, and had a chat about first impressions with a property analyst. Tried a couple dozen different kinds of beers. Paid for it the next mornings.... But developed a good rapport with the bartender.
They really like spareribs there.
I kissed a vial of Jesus Christ's blood.
Top notch street musicians.
I think that's it...
Ghent
On my way from Brugge to Brussels I stopped in Ghent, since it is almost exactly half way. It was also a very pretty town, I just wandered around it for five hours. But don't trust the tourist info lady, she has no idea where internet cafes are.
Brussels
Kinda dull.... definetly second-rate compared to Brugge and Ghent. However I have met some fun people. Spent last night with some English people who are travelling around for a week. "I fucking love this shit" "... and this is the Brussels of church." Mixed with late night street calamari, it was Good Times. Today I walked around town. Met up with some Canadian girls who were going to the train station, so ended up walking all the way across all of central Brussels chatting with them about the nature of backpacking. Other than that... checked out ANOTHER cathedral, saw the Grand Place.... not very interesting stuff, really.
Tomorrow I am off to London for a night, and then home! CRAZY. It's going to be strange making the switch from a backpacking lifestyle to being in the same place for more than three days... I am looking forward to it and also not.... My own room and space will be nice, and I am pretty tired, but not being able to pack up and go to another country whenever I feel like it.... it will be different, that's for sure.
PS - oh, I never blogged about Munich, did I? Lots of beer gardens, hungout with some cool Jews.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Amsterdam
- I went to a coffeeshop. I had a latte, it was nice. I don't get what the big deal is.
- Free tour guides are awesome.
- I stayed in the most ghetto, sketchy hostel. It was appropriate for Amsterdam.
- A two person outing can quickly become a dozen person adventure.
- Germans continue their streak of being friendly in a really, really weird way.
- Heinekein Experience well worth experiencing.
- Elementary school teachers do coke? I feel my innocence draining away...
- I hate my hair SO, SO MUCH. Semi-fro = not cool.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Dresden and Berlin
Dresden
Didn't do much. A lot of sleeping. Wandering around old buildings, that weren't actually old since they all had to be reconstructed after the firebombing.
Berlin
Great, great city. Very funky architecture, lots of history. Did a walking tour one day and say the place where they had the book burnings and the Riechstag and the Bradenburg Gate and stood on top of Hitler's bunker. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews in really something. It's made of uneven solid black columns, approximately 12 feet in height and in a depression. You wander between the tightly packed columns, never knowing if someone is around the corner... the designers point was to simulate the paranoia and fear that the Jews in Germany felt... I'd say it works.
I now have some very excellent photos.
Went on a pub crawl that night too, and I must say Berlin has some very interesting clubs... one was underneath train tracks and the entire place rumbled and shook with every train that passed. It was a 'authentic' East German bar. I suppose it might have been authentic 18 years ago, but now the tourist shtick on the wall kinda ruins the ambience. Other than that, lots of bars within bars and wonderfully sarcastic Yale English lit majors...
The next day I just wandered around Berlin, through this huge outdoor festival of bad DJ music, bratwurst and beer, in through the Sony Centre which is supposed to be a glass and metal Mount Fuji.
Munich
Berlin made me really, really tired. 4am bedtime the first night, 5am the next, took it easy with just a 2:30am night the next. Plus hours and hours of walking, so I haven't done a lot in Munich yet, except of course visit a beer hall last night. So I just booked another day, because today I have just laid around and read. Those days are nice too sometimes.
Didn't do much. A lot of sleeping. Wandering around old buildings, that weren't actually old since they all had to be reconstructed after the firebombing.
Berlin
Great, great city. Very funky architecture, lots of history. Did a walking tour one day and say the place where they had the book burnings and the Riechstag and the Bradenburg Gate and stood on top of Hitler's bunker. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews in really something. It's made of uneven solid black columns, approximately 12 feet in height and in a depression. You wander between the tightly packed columns, never knowing if someone is around the corner... the designers point was to simulate the paranoia and fear that the Jews in Germany felt... I'd say it works.
I now have some very excellent photos.
Went on a pub crawl that night too, and I must say Berlin has some very interesting clubs... one was underneath train tracks and the entire place rumbled and shook with every train that passed. It was a 'authentic' East German bar. I suppose it might have been authentic 18 years ago, but now the tourist shtick on the wall kinda ruins the ambience. Other than that, lots of bars within bars and wonderfully sarcastic Yale English lit majors...
The next day I just wandered around Berlin, through this huge outdoor festival of bad DJ music, bratwurst and beer, in through the Sony Centre which is supposed to be a glass and metal Mount Fuji.
Munich
Berlin made me really, really tired. 4am bedtime the first night, 5am the next, took it easy with just a 2:30am night the next. Plus hours and hours of walking, so I haven't done a lot in Munich yet, except of course visit a beer hall last night. So I just booked another day, because today I have just laid around and read. Those days are nice too sometimes.
Friday, August 11, 2006
Berlin
During Drinking Poker last night in the hostel bar, amidst the standard misbegotten collection of travellers you get in such places, it occured to me to write a breakdown of the different types of backpackers:
Australians: Laid back, friendly, loud, they will claim that they feel they are most like Canadians even though they are perhaps more like Americans, but you forgive them for that fault because, well, they're not Americans.
New Zealanders (Kiwis): Almost EXACTLY like Canadians, if a bit quieter.
Americans: Fall into either the category of "Offensively obnoxious" or "Polite Darlings", with no variations in between. Most likely to be the ones the rest of the group is embarassed by around 3am in the bar.
Mexicans: Continually smiling and cheerful, most likely because they are thinking "Oh, thank God I am not in Mexico".
English Boys: Quiet and reserved until you get a few drinks into them, and then.... well, they're still quiet and reserved, but at least then they're a bit racist too, which is entertaining.
English Girls: See "English Boys", but add "sluts".
Scots: They hold this silent intensity about them (that only maginfies after a few drinks). Their accent ranges from "muttering and incomprehensible" to "primal grunts and moans".
Irish Guys: I've been told that Irishmen are allowed to take a break from drinking whiskey and sheep farming to travel, but I've never seen any evidence to the fact. I also haven't been looking very hard, because who cares when you have....
Irish Girls: Charming, winsome and as lovely as a group of unbelievable drunks can be.
Spaniards: They will smile, nod and laugh for a good 30 minutes while you're talking to them before you realize they don't speak a word of English. Prone to forming impromptu dance parties to whatever music happens to be playing at the time.
Italians: Really not as degenerate as everyone would have me believe.
Germans: Friendly in a very weird, weird, sort of way. Never trust the ones who look normal, the punks are the much more endearing of the species.
Canadians: Conceintous, friendly and beloved the world over. Except for French Canadians. No one likes French Canadians.
Japanese and Argentinians: Miserable bastards who will wake you up early in the morning (11:15) with their inconsiderately loud packing after a night of Drinking Poker, right when you're hangover is gaining steam, but past when all the tours you were thinking of doing have already gone past, forcing you to waste time writing up cultural stereotypes on your blog.
Australians: Laid back, friendly, loud, they will claim that they feel they are most like Canadians even though they are perhaps more like Americans, but you forgive them for that fault because, well, they're not Americans.
New Zealanders (Kiwis): Almost EXACTLY like Canadians, if a bit quieter.
Americans: Fall into either the category of "Offensively obnoxious" or "Polite Darlings", with no variations in between. Most likely to be the ones the rest of the group is embarassed by around 3am in the bar.
Mexicans: Continually smiling and cheerful, most likely because they are thinking "Oh, thank God I am not in Mexico".
English Boys: Quiet and reserved until you get a few drinks into them, and then.... well, they're still quiet and reserved, but at least then they're a bit racist too, which is entertaining.
English Girls: See "English Boys", but add "sluts".
Scots: They hold this silent intensity about them (that only maginfies after a few drinks). Their accent ranges from "muttering and incomprehensible" to "primal grunts and moans".
Irish Guys: I've been told that Irishmen are allowed to take a break from drinking whiskey and sheep farming to travel, but I've never seen any evidence to the fact. I also haven't been looking very hard, because who cares when you have....
Irish Girls: Charming, winsome and as lovely as a group of unbelievable drunks can be.
Spaniards: They will smile, nod and laugh for a good 30 minutes while you're talking to them before you realize they don't speak a word of English. Prone to forming impromptu dance parties to whatever music happens to be playing at the time.
Italians: Really not as degenerate as everyone would have me believe.
Germans: Friendly in a very weird, weird, sort of way. Never trust the ones who look normal, the punks are the much more endearing of the species.
Canadians: Conceintous, friendly and beloved the world over. Except for French Canadians. No one likes French Canadians.
Japanese and Argentinians: Miserable bastards who will wake you up early in the morning (11:15) with their inconsiderately loud packing after a night of Drinking Poker, right when you're hangover is gaining steam, but past when all the tours you were thinking of doing have already gone past, forcing you to waste time writing up cultural stereotypes on your blog.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Dresden
The guy at the front desk looks like David Bowie! Phew, man, I have been trying to figure that out for days.
Monday, August 07, 2006
Prague (cont.)
Alright, so more on Prague.
I left Cesky Krumlov with reluctance, since I had met some really fun people there the night before I left. And I still HAVE NOT gone rafting, and they were going the day I left. I am going to stop talking about it because it makes me sad.
I made my way to my hostel, The Boathouse. Turns out it is way out there. It took half an hour to get there from the train station, and for a European city that is a lot. It was an odd kind of place... First of all, it was in the middle of a golf course. We constantly had golfers walking in front of the hostel. The building itself seemed like an old club house, or a yacht club that was no longer being used. The old lady who ran it, Vera, was really nice and fun. I got in during the late afternoon and hoped to meet up with some cool people and go czech out the Prague club scene ('Czech'? Get it?! Man, I am SO funny). Unfortunately all I could find were Americans. Oh well. We went out anyway.
We started at this little bar with numerous shots of absinthe which is DISGUSTING. Then we tried to get to the famous five level club in Prague but the line was an entire block long, so instead this guy took us to a club where the locals go. Which is cool because you can meet the locals, but not so cool when they (for the most part) do not speak English.
After a while I got bored and wandered off (as I do) in search of a kebab. And I swear, THERE ARE NO KEBABS IN PRAGUE. I spent over an hour wandering around looking for one. It was ridiculous, at this point I began to seriously question what kind of backwards society I found myself in.
The next day I went to Prague castle for the day. It was alright. The cathedral there was filled to the brim with art, which was interesting. The 'castle' itself is actually more like a small village. It is a massive complex. I probably would have been more impressed with it a couple months ago, when I started this trip. I am just too worldly now for my own good.
That night everyone in my room was leaving and looking to get rid of all our change. Beers were really cheap (20 crowns for a half liter, which is about one Canadian dollar) so we each bought a half dozen or so and just hung out with some Irish girls.
Today I caught a train with two of the guys from my room who are on their way to Berlin. Now I am in Dresden, hanging out in the lounge, looking to meet people for the five millionth time this trip. I hate socializing...
PS - It is STILL raining..... Been going solid for a week now....
I left Cesky Krumlov with reluctance, since I had met some really fun people there the night before I left. And I still HAVE NOT gone rafting, and they were going the day I left. I am going to stop talking about it because it makes me sad.
I made my way to my hostel, The Boathouse. Turns out it is way out there. It took half an hour to get there from the train station, and for a European city that is a lot. It was an odd kind of place... First of all, it was in the middle of a golf course. We constantly had golfers walking in front of the hostel. The building itself seemed like an old club house, or a yacht club that was no longer being used. The old lady who ran it, Vera, was really nice and fun. I got in during the late afternoon and hoped to meet up with some cool people and go czech out the Prague club scene ('Czech'? Get it?! Man, I am SO funny). Unfortunately all I could find were Americans. Oh well. We went out anyway.
We started at this little bar with numerous shots of absinthe which is DISGUSTING. Then we tried to get to the famous five level club in Prague but the line was an entire block long, so instead this guy took us to a club where the locals go. Which is cool because you can meet the locals, but not so cool when they (for the most part) do not speak English.
After a while I got bored and wandered off (as I do) in search of a kebab. And I swear, THERE ARE NO KEBABS IN PRAGUE. I spent over an hour wandering around looking for one. It was ridiculous, at this point I began to seriously question what kind of backwards society I found myself in.
The next day I went to Prague castle for the day. It was alright. The cathedral there was filled to the brim with art, which was interesting. The 'castle' itself is actually more like a small village. It is a massive complex. I probably would have been more impressed with it a couple months ago, when I started this trip. I am just too worldly now for my own good.
That night everyone in my room was leaving and looking to get rid of all our change. Beers were really cheap (20 crowns for a half liter, which is about one Canadian dollar) so we each bought a half dozen or so and just hung out with some Irish girls.
Today I caught a train with two of the guys from my room who are on their way to Berlin. Now I am in Dresden, hanging out in the lounge, looking to meet people for the five millionth time this trip. I hate socializing...
PS - It is STILL raining..... Been going solid for a week now....
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Friday, August 04, 2006
Cesky Krumlov
I only have a little over three weeks left!! AHH!!
Cesky Krumlov is supposed to be one of the most beautiful towns in Europe. I would say that is accurate. It tiptoes dangerously close to be cheesy, since it is very touristed and pretty, but manages to walk that razors edge. Next year it will probably be crap.
It would be even better if it would STOP RAINING. I have been blessed with fantastic (if overly hot) weather this entire trip, with next to no reason to use my rainjacket or sweater, and I was beginning to resent carrying them around for two months, but huzzah, at last, in one town, I have had occassion to use both! I was actually rather happy to use them for the first time (s?), because I'm a dork, but now the novelty has worn off and I have been informed by Australians that the 'Roots' that is emblazoned on my sweater means 'sex' in Australia, so I may be advertising the wrong (right?) message.
And the penultimate reason I would really like it to stop raining is because in Cesky Krumlov (pop. 15,800), after you've spent half a day seeing the castle, there are only two things to do. Dance to Gypsy music at night, and float down the river during the day. However, when it is cold and drizzling (not even real rain, DRIZZLE. I hate weather that can't make up its mind) getting together a group of people to spend the day on the water, under the water, is difficult.
But the wandering of the town and the reading I have accomplished has been nice and mild. I just finished off Salman Rushdie's 'The Satanic Verses' and feel very close to figuring out what it was about any moment now.
Next on the list is the Prague of No Expectations and then Dresden, and then the oft recommended Berlin. There is so much left and so little time!
Cesky Krumlov is supposed to be one of the most beautiful towns in Europe. I would say that is accurate. It tiptoes dangerously close to be cheesy, since it is very touristed and pretty, but manages to walk that razors edge. Next year it will probably be crap.
It would be even better if it would STOP RAINING. I have been blessed with fantastic (if overly hot) weather this entire trip, with next to no reason to use my rainjacket or sweater, and I was beginning to resent carrying them around for two months, but huzzah, at last, in one town, I have had occassion to use both! I was actually rather happy to use them for the first time (s?), because I'm a dork, but now the novelty has worn off and I have been informed by Australians that the 'Roots' that is emblazoned on my sweater means 'sex' in Australia, so I may be advertising the wrong (right?) message.
And the penultimate reason I would really like it to stop raining is because in Cesky Krumlov (pop. 15,800), after you've spent half a day seeing the castle, there are only two things to do. Dance to Gypsy music at night, and float down the river during the day. However, when it is cold and drizzling (not even real rain, DRIZZLE. I hate weather that can't make up its mind) getting together a group of people to spend the day on the water, under the water, is difficult.
But the wandering of the town and the reading I have accomplished has been nice and mild. I just finished off Salman Rushdie's 'The Satanic Verses' and feel very close to figuring out what it was about any moment now.
Next on the list is the Prague of No Expectations and then Dresden, and then the oft recommended Berlin. There is so much left and so little time!
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
The Internet Lies
So I am in Prague right now... even though I should be in Cesky Krumlov. The internet lied to me, and told me that there were buses out of Prague to Cesky Krumlov after 6pm. Apparently this is not the case.
So after finding this out I tried to wander through Pragues streets, looking for a hostel my guide book recommended that is right by the bus station. Prague has the most complicated road system EVER. It is horrible, I think it was designed by Escher. So after wandering around the same 5 block area for an hour I just went inside a building with a huge HOSTEL sign outside (never a good sign, by the way) and got a room for a night. This is one of the worst hostels I have stayed in so far, which actually still is not that bad. And I have a ticket for 9 am tomorrow to get to Cesky Krumlov. I might even run into MEgan and Chrissy, who are also going to Cesky Krumlov, but opted for the night train rather than the day one. Smart girls....
I am not impressed with what I have seen of Prague. I just got back from wandering around for a while, and it all seems to be casinos and neon lights... not so charming. Coming back from Cesky Krumlov I will stay give it a couple days before heading to Germany, but I will not be expecting much.
So after finding this out I tried to wander through Pragues streets, looking for a hostel my guide book recommended that is right by the bus station. Prague has the most complicated road system EVER. It is horrible, I think it was designed by Escher. So after wandering around the same 5 block area for an hour I just went inside a building with a huge HOSTEL sign outside (never a good sign, by the way) and got a room for a night. This is one of the worst hostels I have stayed in so far, which actually still is not that bad. And I have a ticket for 9 am tomorrow to get to Cesky Krumlov. I might even run into MEgan and Chrissy, who are also going to Cesky Krumlov, but opted for the night train rather than the day one. Smart girls....
I am not impressed with what I have seen of Prague. I just got back from wandering around for a while, and it all seems to be casinos and neon lights... not so charming. Coming back from Cesky Krumlov I will stay give it a couple days before heading to Germany, but I will not be expecting much.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)