Did You Know...

I originally thought of naming this blog "A Tramp Abroad." But I wasn't sure if people would get it.

Images of a Shanghai Market

A bustling market:

All kinds of different crazy meats. Chicken feet and heads are common all throughout China

Cured meats hanging all over this alcove:

More of the dried meats:

And finally, the piece de resistance, the pig face in a bag:

Shanghai

I started writing about Shanghai right after I put up my last entry vowing to get my thoughts down about the China trip. Unfortunately life has a way of taking control of your plans sometimes and I found myself attending to more important things. Our family friend who has been battling lymphoma took a turn for the worst over the past few weeks and eventually died a couple of days ago. Lucky for me the universe aligned and sent me my best friend up for an unexpected visit right when it happened, which gave us a lot of strength and something to keep our minds off of this terrrble loss. Today I finally got a chance to take a look at the little bit I had written about Shanghai and decided to post it. I'll do my best to get some more up soon.

When I used to imagine what Shanghai was like, I always had this 1920s image in my mind. I imagined art deco façades with an Asian flair; wealthy colonizing elites having their Asian adventure in posh clubs. I’d always imagined it as one of those world cities – a crossroads where cultures came together.

In many ways, the place I had imagined was there. During our trip, we found that Shanghai was in fact the most Western of the cities we visited and home to a plethora of global corporations and businesses. In its recent history, Shanghai had been broken apart into districts by its colonizers – the French, the British and the Americans. The most famous of these is the former French Concession, an area that still causes the Chinese to lose ‘face’ when discussed. It was an area the French had controlled and is characterized by the strong French architectural influence but, like everything in China, is slowly being overtaken by time, development and change – that ubiquitous lady busy defining modern China.

The thing that seems to stay the same in this city - and define it, really - is that indescribable global flavor of a big city. It’s that posh thing about Shanghai that you can’t quite put your finger on, the thing that makes you know you’re somewhere special. No surprise here, I liked it. It was the kind of place I could wrap my head around. But I guess that's to be expected from a city girl at heart.

Where Have All the Blogs Gone!?

So in case you haven't noticed, I never got the opportunity to update my blog in China. Unfortuntely the Chinese government blocks a number of website including blogs and Facebook. It's a glaring fact of a country in which personal freedom is tightly controlled in order to maintain governmental power. Very sad. I'd like to say that I was an excellent little blogger and maintained a journal despite the lack of internet access, but I've never proved to be that diligent in the past, so why start? ;) Now that I've been able to get some perspective on the trip, I'm going to start jotting down the experiences to share. So keep and eye out for it, ok? Oh, and here I am on the Great Wall of China (in a snow storm!)

And We're Off!

It's been a wild couple of days leading up to our departure date, what with mom, dad and Katy S's birthdays and one of the biggest Halloweens I've experienced in recent years all in one week. So I got all packed up and ready to go today. I hope I have everything I need, but I have the feeling that if there is something essential, I'll be able to find it in China (as opposed to when we were in India! - nothing was easy to find there!) I'll try to update as much as possible, but I have no idea how the internet will be and what kind of access we will have. Fingers crossed that it's easily accessible!

Until then...

Up Next

Well, I guess I'm going to China pretty soon. I've wanted to go to China for quite a while, so I'm excited to finally check it out.

Pictures from Salzburg

So now that I've had time to reaclimate and upload my photos on the computer, I thought you might like to see some of the places I've been writing about. So lets start with Salzburg.
There's something about the color of Salzburg that caught me off guard. I'd say it was the green, but that doesn't quite do it justice. It's the color of the water here: opaque, seafoam, Baroque. It penetrates everything, the whole glow of the town. You feel bright and fresh, soft and warm when you walk down the streets. Like so many places we visited, Salzburg was lovely. The kind of beautiful that you don't often see at home. The kind that represents a whole part of time where people loved light and swirls and beautful things just because they were beautiful. Maybe that was because everything else was so seemingly dark.

While we were sitting in one of the Baroque churches, Emily joked to me that it was so pink and full of swirls, that it was funny that a man would have designed it. That made me laugh. But she was right, you know?

At the fortress on top of the mountain, there was this random bull, so of course, we got on and took pictures on it, haha:

We also went into the marionette "museum" on the fortress grounds, which consisted of one room and a couple of posters you could stick your head through. I figured, 'when in Salzburg...'

I'm Lame

Ok, so I realize that I've done a terrible job of writing on this thing. I can't say I'm going to make up for it just yet. I'll be heading home tomorrow and once I get a good computer to work on, I will put up some pictures and other thoughts, so stay tuned!

Amsterdam

Emily and I spent a pretty uneventful night in Cologne. Most of the city was destroyed in the war except for the big Cathedral which, after almost 2 months in Europe wasn't much to write home about. The rest of the city is big and generic and in general, I can't see going back any time soon. So on to Amsterdam....

I've had a lot of thoughts about being in Amsterdam. Most people, when you mention that you are going to Amsterdam smile and give a knowing look, as in 'I know why you're really going to Amsterdam!' and sure, while there is the whole coffee shop culture, I feel that it is an unfair assessment of the city as a whole. Amsterdam is an incredibly beautiful city with a rich history of tolerance. After walking around much of it, it makes me think twice about the way pot is viewed. While I do agree that it is probably a better use of the government's time and money to focus on harder drugs to crack down on, I find that much of the marijuana culture sullies the rest of the city. I think this happens in part because the city has become a haven for people coming to smoke, rather than just a city in which pot is tolerated. I think about a place like San Francisco and the people there who would like to see pot legalized, but after being in Amsterdam, I think I would be opposed to it. To federally address the subject is something different, but I would hate to see San Francisco's beautiful streets and cafes fill up with people who were just interested in doing drugs.

Cologne

Emily and I are in Cologne now! woo!

Strasbourg was a lovely city. Our first day there, we got a good lay of the land and walked to the Cathedral (there's always a Cathedral, isn't there?). It is known for its original stained glass which is old school and VERY beautiful.

After, Emily and I decide we wanted to tour the Kronenbourg factory which is located in Strasbourg. For those of you who are not as well informed on the beer situation in France, Kronenbourg is sort of like the national beer of France. We had a great time learning all about the history and process of the beer making and then got to have a petit degustation at the end! Very enjoyable, indeed.

The next day, we decided to head to Colmar, a small city just outside of Strasbourg that is known for being in the Alsatian wine region. Again, we had a look around and enjoyed a tasting of the local wine from a local Alsatian producer. It was very informative and Emily and I both patted ourselves on the back for our fine upbringing in destinguishing the flavors of the wine (lol).

In the evening in Strasbourg, we happened upon the Cathedral and to our surprise, saw a great light show on the facade of the building. It was an entire light spectacular set to classical music. What a great thing to see!

We have just arrived in Cologne and it is very hot and muggy here. We will be heading for the Cathedral, which apparently was one fo the few things to survive the bombings in the 2nd world war. Only one night here and then off to Amsterdam tomorrow!

Oh, and the food is pretty good! Lets just say the budget is low for that sort of thing, but it is easy to have something good to eat when you are in France. Always good cheese and good bread!!

Strasbourg

Emily and I ahve arrived in Strasbourg and boy is it beautiful! No more time to update, although there's not a lot to say yet.

à Cannes

So after a long journey in which Emily and I went from outside Interlaken all the way to Cannes in the South of France, we arrived, hot, sweaty and tired au collège. It's great to be back here. Since Emily was a boursier last summer, she definitely knows more people who are here now than I do. But in typical collège fashion, everyone has been laidback and nice and I feel just as at home as ever. As a result of getting back into the groove, we have decided to extend our time here and cancel our plans to go to Lyon. This will allow us more time in Cannes and an opportunity to save some money, as our accomodations for the second part of Cannes will be in the home of a family friend of Emily's. We will still be going to Strasbourg and neither of us was committed to Lyon. I think we are at a point in the trip where resting and being at a place that we recognize is just what we need.

There likely won't be a ton to update on as I'll probably just be hanging around and beaching it up.

Hope you are all well. Me

If Heaven Isn't What It's Cracked Up to Be, Take Me Back to Gimmelwald

...At least that's how the saying goes. It's pretty easy to believe, since Gimmelwald is an incredibly beautiful place nestled amongst the clouds in the Berner Oberland region of Switzerland. One stop up on the Gondola station and without any major roads for cars to drive up, the town of Gimmelwald is obscure enough to bring an entirely different clientele to the hostel in this one street town. This isn't a place to party in a club, but rather to get up early and go hiking in some of the most beautiful country in the world. Gimmelwald sits at the base of the Schilthorn Mountain, which while being incredibly high, is also well known for being featured in the James Bond film 'Her Majesty's Secret Service.' When Emily and I arrived, we spent most of our time checking out Gimmelwald and hanging at the hostel since we were limited by the rainy weather. By the next morning the sun came out and the clouds had parted and we could see the spectacular Swiss Alps before us. We decided right then to take the Gondola up to see the views and then hike down. This was probably the best decision we've made while here, since we were actually able to see the view from the top of the Schilthorn (most people haven't been able to ).

The hike down was STEEP and both Emily and I have felt it for the rest of our time here.

The one of the best parts about our time here has been the really cool people we've met, most of whom have extended their stays at the hostel. While here I met, a pro baseball player, a guitarist who used to play for a Norweigan pop star, and an inordinate number of Canadians.

Once again there is a line forming for the computer, so I guess I better go.

Off for a long travel day tomorrow, but we'll finally be in Cannes, I'm SO EXCITED.

Off to Lucerne Today

Emily and I on our way to Lucerne in Switzerland today. I'm so excited! We are having good weather in Munich and hopefully that will follow us to Switzerland as well.

'Mad' King Ludwig's Castle

Yesterday Emily and I made the trek out to Neuschwanstein Castle, the home of ´Mad´ King Ludwig of Bavaria. It takes a full day to go out there so we got a pretty early start. The ticket lines are notorious for this famous castle, since it was the one that Walt Disney used as a model to design the iconic Disney castle. After stadnign in line for about and hour, we got our tour time for 4:40pm. With three hours until we got to go in, we decided to picnic lunch it and then walk around the town that sits just below the Castle. We ended up going to the Lake, Alpensee and taking a really beautiful hike around it. It always amazes me how beautiful and blue the lakes are in this area of the world, and this lake was no exception.

The tour of the Castle was good, if short, and the rooms were unique. I was hoping we would learn a little more about king ludwig since he has a reputation for being crazy, but it was cool to see the rooms we did. All in all, I was glad to have gone, but dont think I will have to go back again an time soon.

Once we were done with the tour, we realiyed that if we hurried down the hill, we might be able to make it onto the bus that could get us to the station in time. Since going to Füssen take two trains and a bus minimum, if we could catch this one, it would get us hoem at a much more reasonable time.

We hustled down the hill and checked the schedule for the bus. It was supposed to arrive any minute! Yes! So we waited. And waited. I started to worry that even if the bus came, we wouldn't be able to make it. Finally, the bus pulled up and everyone loaded up....great, maybe we actually can make it! we'll leave in a second, right? Oh, we're waiting for people who are running up?! Ahh, come on if we don't go now, who knows if any of us will make it? Finally, the bus takes off and as we arrive at the station, everyone sprints for the train...and we MADE IT! Yes! Despite having to sit on the floor of the train for most of the trip, it was worth it, and we got in around 8:45pm.

After that, Amaranth, a friend of mine since we went to Orangevale together, met up with us and took us to a traditional Bavarian restaurant. I tried the Knüdle, which are bread dumplings and SOO delicious. Very good choice!

Overall, it was a good, busy day in Bavaria.

Now in Munich

I feel bad because I´ve neglected to update in a few days. I dont have a lot of time on the computer, but I´ll try a quick Salzburg business.

Salzburg is the kind of European town that feels like your are walking in on a movie set. Theres something about the way the light hits the soft green buildings and the opaque green river that flows through the city that makes you inderstand why Freuline Maria sang about the hills being alive with the sound of music. It really is beautful there, will rolling hills in the background and a peaceful sort of feeling.

Emily and I spent quite a bit of time getting to know the city by walking it. There are a lot of churches, a cemetery and a funicular train leading up to a fortress. We checked it all out over two days. We also got a chance to meet some interesting people who were staying at our hostel. There was Ariana from California, Becki from England, and Ryan from Canada. All really interesting people who were traveling by themselves. I have to say that I dont know if I would have the wearwithall to do it, but they seemed to have met so many new people and have so many great experiences that I have no doubt that it was worth it.

Yesterday we arrived in Munich and met up with an old friend of mine, Amaranth, who has been living in munich. It was great to get to see her, and she took us to a couple of her favorite places to get a drink in the city.

Tomorrow we are going to try to do Neuschwanstein Castle. I hope it doesnt rain!

Arrived in Salzburg

Yesterday, Emily and I spent the day walkng around Prague, getting to know the city. Since I´ve spent a lot nore time there than Em, I left it to her to choose what to do. We took one of the free walking tours, solidified our train plans, walked to the castel, and then crashed at our hostel. We spent some time chatting with our hostel roommates, Matt and Sam, who were from Australia and SUCH nice guys. They are younger than Em and I and Matt is doing his gap year in the UK. They were teaching me all about the band Kings of Leon after they discovered that I am incredibly old and inept for my age and had absolutely no idea who they were. They claimed they are the best band out there - I think they are pretty good.

This morning Emily and I had to get up and take the 7:14am train to Salzburg. We ended up getting on one of teh cars that doesn´t go the whole way. The conductor told us we had to go to the next car up, so for about an hour, we ened up squished in the middle seats of separate compartments. Fortunately, we ended up being able to sit together, so it all worked out in the end.

We arrived in Salzburg at around 2pm and started walking around the city to get our bearings. We popped into an Irish pub that Emily was fond of, and ended up getting a drink and meeting a couple of legitimate Irish kids. We had a good time talking to them and hanging out for a while until they had to catch the bus back to the nearby town they were staying at.

Now we are just hanging at the hostel, feeling tired but ready for a full day of Austria delights! haha!

Prague part deux

So I am at my hostel in Prague and anxiously awaiting the arrival of my friend Emily this evening. The hostel itself is in a pretty obscure (yet central) location. When I was here a couple weeks ago, we decided to try to find it and actually found it quite quickly. I have a pretty good visual memory, so I wasnt worried too much about finding it again. WELL, before I put my backpack on to make the trek over there this morning, I decided I had better just check out where it was, in case it wasnt so obvious. Oh man, I literally spent an hour trying desperately to find it. I eventually ended up going back to my hotel and looking up on the internet how to get there. Luckily, when I went out with my backpack on and directions in had, I found it easily...it was RIGHT THERE. What a dope!

It is a very hostelly hostel, Id say. There are some guys from Australia in our room who look like theyve been thoroughly enjoying Czech beer for the days theyve been here. They were pleasant enough, but I will be happy to have my traveling companion with me so I can have someone to do things with! So that is that. I will update later, until then, adieu.

Krakow Updates

So I wasnt able to write on my blog in Krakow, which is why I havent responded to any of your lovley comments! Sorry about that. I guess I will try to sum up how Krakow was.

I had heard that Krakow was the new Prague, so since I had just been to the Old Prague, I was looking forward to see if it was actually true. I cant say that I agree with the thought. Krakow seems like a nice place to live and is generally pleasant, but I didnt think that it had the same charm or the same variety of things to do as Prague. I wouldnt say that I was disappointed, but I also dont feel the need to come back ASAP.

Our first day, we looked around a bit and realized that there wasnt a lot of action going on in the main square (it was raining) so we decided to head for the famous salt mines just outside the city that are a UNESCO world heritage site. They are cool in a Disney sort of way and completely unlike the silver mine we had visited earlier in the trip. They had huge caverns carved out and there were entire chapels and restaurants down there. They used to have areas for cocktail events and things like that. You can actually get married in the main chapel! I thought it was enjoyable and our tour guide was pretty cool. The tour is long though, so afterwards we ate at the salt mine restaurant. I would like to say it was good, but mom and I both accidentally ordered tripe soup...funny how much tripe looks like chicken (but doesnt taste like it!)

The next day we decided to take the long trip to Auschwitz Birkenau concentration camp. Suffice it to say, it is a sad, depressing place to visit. We had considered not going, but in the end felt that it was the most notorious of all the camps and we wanted to have a look at what was there. One of the unique things about the camp was the tour groups of Israeli students, most of whom draped the Israeli flag over their shoulders. One of the smaller groups began playing music from a handheld cd player (Id say boombox, but it wasnt really). I have to say it didnt feel apropriate to me and I made me feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Beyond that, our tour guide (for another long tour, 3 hrs) was excellent and full of information about the camps. Amongst the most touching and shocking things for me was one of the exhibits which filled a room with soley human hair. The Nazis had shaved the womens heads and kept all the hair in order to make it into things like blankets. Beyond being disgusting, it was beyond sad to think of each woman and her hair. I imagine myself and how my hair is a part of my identity and so much a part of who I am in a strange way and I think of all the women who were dehumanized in this way. An entire room filled with hair, and this is only a small portion of what had survived the SS attempts to cover their tracks at the end.
Of course there are no words to describe such a place.

Our final day in Krakow involved a quick look around the old Jewish quarter of the city. We popped into a couple of the Synagogues, but didnt spend too much time since weve seen plenty of Synagogues in Prague. We walked around a bit and also visited Wawels Castel, which was mostly closed, but from everything I read, not really worth much of a visit anyway. One thing that was fun was the fire breathing Dragon sculpture, which is based off a legend about the city in which some guy defeats a dragon to protect the city. The scuplture actually had fire coming out of its mouth which was pretty cool.

Yesterday was a full travel day from Krakow back to Prague and we met a couple with a baby who were interesting. We chatted them up for a good portion of the trip, which helped to pass the time.

Oh and in case you are wondering, the keyboard here is different so I cant find the apostrophe key or the quotation marks anywhere. So until I either figure it out or get to another computer, youll just have to live in an apostrophe free world (well, at least on my blog...which is really all you need to be reading anyways...)

Splish Splash I Was Taking a Bath

I've always been a bit hesitant with the idea of a going to a bath. I don't mean actually bathing, I tend to do that on occasion with no problem. I mean bath as in ROMAN BATH. The thought always conjures up the thought of lots of steam, old naked people, and too much body hair...ick! So when I read in the Rick Steves' book that going to the baths in Budapest was THE thing to do, I was ready to pass...I'm just not a fan of public nudity (especcially in the bright shiny light of day). But Rick assured me that I could keep my bathing suit on, so with a bit of hesitation we went off to the Budapest Baths.

I think a better descriptor of a bath is really just a public pool. I was able to keep my bathing suit on the whole time and basically go from pool to pool and lounge in the water. There are baths ranging form very cold (I skipped those) to very hot. I must say that I enjoyed it quite a bit. Even though I ended up with a bit of an unfortunately looking burn as well as a cut on my foot, I don't regret having done it. One of the best parts was the whirlpools that have jets that shoot you around the pool in a big circle. Everyone, young and old loved to be zipped around a giant pool, myself included.

Budapest, mon amour.

The only interaction that I had ever had with any Hungarian culture was my high school chemistry teacher, Mrs. Hart, who was ancient, blind and had been a real beauty whne she was young. She was refined and active and a generally nice person. Even so, that wasn't much to leave me with much of a preconceived notion about what Budapest would be like. I had in my mind a sort of industrial city with a not a lot of heart... I was going to Budapest to learn more than to enjoy.

Boy was I wrong. Budapest, it seems, is on the brink of a Renaissance, and behind the layer of grime is a city worthy of being a great European capital. In a way Budapest is everything that Vienna was not. It is beautiful and charming, a place that feels good to be in. There are parks and boulevards and a lot of reconstruction. Before being hit hard by WWII and Soviet rule, Budapest was a city worthy of visiting in the giant Austro-Hungarian Empire. Now, as a new member of the EU (but not yet on the Euro) Budapest is being rebuilt and refurbished to bring back the luster that was once present. While there is still a lot of work to do, I think that if kept on the right track, Budapest might just be the new place to be.

Shortie

I wish I had more time to give really good detailed accounts of what we've been up to, but for the most part the internet is limited, so I've been doing my best to get a quick picture of the events.

Today was a complete turnaround from yesterday, and was ice cold and raining! I mean DOWNPOUR! Imagine the worst day in winter at home and that's what is was here today. Eeeck!

SO a quick recap:

Went to Schönburg summer palace which was somewhat repetitive, but learned a bit more baout Maria Terasa, a very important Empress of the Austro-Hungarian empire.

Went to St. Stephens Cathedral which was pretts stardard but nice. Overall enjoyable.

Hopefully more time later, and hopefully the weather will turn around for the better!!

Vienna Palace, Opera and Ice Cream

Yesterday in Vienna was easily th hottest day by far. It started out early at around 3 am, when the fire alarm in the next building went off. I would sy that it woke me up, but that would suggest that I was actually asleep. My bed could possible be make out of rocks, but th jury is still out, so I was already awake trying desperately to find a non-rock part of the bed when the alarm went off. For about an hour, the alarm kep us up as we checked to see that it wasn't actually our building, and as we stuck our heads out of the window looking to see if a) the fire department was going to come or b) people were going to start running out of the building. I'm pretty sure the fire department came, although I don't think that anything was actually on fire. It kind of reminded me of when the fire alarm would go on in the dorms at college, except less of a social event and therefore less fun. Finally, dad whipped out the earplugs and we managed to get back to sleep for the rest of the night.

That morning whilest at breakfast, we met two women who were from Connecticut, Brenda and Robin that were staying at our pension. They had been there for a Convention and were staying in the pension for about a week after to check out Vienna. We chatted them up, they made fun of my ET internship and generally a good time was had by all.

We ended up heading for the Hofsburg palace where the Hapsburgs, the rulers of the Austro-Hungargian Empire had lived. We took the tour that included the silver/porcelain dinnerwear collection (which by the way is ridiulously huge) and then the tour of Apartments that included a section devoted to Elisabeth AKA 'Sisi' the Empress of the Empire and a very famous and generally loved figure in Austrian history. Her story was pretty fascinating. Sort of a Princess Diana type story of a young beautiful, but tortured woman. She was pretty obsessed with her beauty and was about 5'8" and 100 pounds. Very thin.

We also got to see the rooms of the palace and learn about some of the other rulers. All in all I thought it was a cool place with a lot of ornate details in each room.

After this we got to see the opera, which reminded me a lot of most theatres that I have visited, but was still exciting to go to because it is probably one of, if not the most famous opera houses in the world. We aren't able to see a show, since they are in their off season.

For dinner we decided to eat at the same restuarant as the night before, a nice place a bit off the beaten track, with an unusually nice waitstaff.

We also got a chance to have ice cream at the famous Zanoni & Zanoni ice cream shop where we had DELICIOUS and BIG ice cream creations. YUUM!!

Updates on Prague, Cesky Krumlov

Hey everyone! I'm sorry it has been so long since I've updated! As I've said before, the internet was very limited at our Prague hotel and was nonexistent at our next destination of Cesky Krumlov. After we went to Kutna Hora, we spent our last day in Prague looking at the Synagogues of the Jewish quarter there. Prague once had one of the largest Jewish populations in the whole of Europe prior to World War II, there were 118,000 Jews in Czechoslovakia, now there are only 10,000. This is mainly in part because of the extermination by the Nazis, but also due to the presence of the Soviet Union and their antí religious doctrine.
The synogogues are very interesting in Prague because they were actually preserved during the War by Hilter because he wanted to create museums out of them to showcase an 'extinct race' ie., the Jewish people. Isn't racism and bigotry strange?
Probably one of the most powerful things we saw while there was one of the synagogues which had handwritten the names of all the people in Prague and other parts of the country that had been murdered by the Nazis. It had the last name, the first names and the date they were born and died. It literally covered all the walls floor to ceiling. It was moving and shocking, an overwhelming experience when you imagine that each name represented an entire world, an entire set of hopes, dreams, ambitions, and talent. What a terrible waste.

We then set off to the town of Cesky Krumlov (Cesky is pronounce 'ch') which dad discovered in his research that the tour company we used for India went to. It is a small town in the Czech Republic, known for its castle and charming town, but mainly for the rafting and surrounding protected lands. It is a fairly untouched area that is still being discovered by tourists and we had a blast. With our one full day there, we managed to fit in everything we wanted to do: tour the brewery, visit the castle, and raft the rapids.

The brewery was particularly cool because it received funds from UNESCO in order to use ancient brewing techniques. We learned all about how the Master Brewer had to tastes the beer at all its different stages, how they grew the yeast, and the entire process. We also go to taste the special wheat beer right from one of the HUGE barrels. Apparently, since the yeast is active, it cannot be bottled and can only be tasted on site.

The castle was your typical castle, and I won't go into any details.

The rafting was definitely fun as well. We met a couple of Australians while at breakfast and decided to share the raft with the husband, Neil. Apparently Wendy had a bad back, and the idea of riding around a raft in cold water wasn't her idea of fun... Anyway, we got into the raft and went down the rapids, which was very WET! During the first rapid, dad almost went flying, but all in all, we managed to stay in the boat, but came out soaked. Only mom managed to not get wet, so of course, about 10 minutes before we were going to be done (and safely past the rapids) it started to RAIN! Sorry mom! We all ended up walking through a down pour and looking like 'old wet dogs' HAHA!

Now we are in Vienna and whave walked around a bit. Not much to say on that yet.

PS. No way to post pics...sorry!

Kutna Hora

Hi guys!! So, today we took a day trip out of Prague to kutna hora a small town about an hour train ride away. It was recommended by Rick Steves and was a good trip. We started early today and were out the door by 8:30. It was going to be our first encoutyer ewith the metro so we wanted to make sure there was plenty of time for us to get to the train station and get our tickets. The metro proved to be easy and the only real difficulties come from the language barrier. Czech looks nothing like english or any other Western European language becuase it is Slavic in origin and is littered with all sortd of accents. An interesting note about the metro is that it was built by the Soviets as a metro, but also as a bomb shelter in case of Capitalist bombing! Who knew ?

The main station is a classic 1970s Soviet Bloc style building which means it's basically lots of cement, very dark and very foreboding looking. We got our tickets and after a normal amount of confusion about where to go, we set off. About an hour later, we hopped off in the town and headed for the Silver mine which is the reason this town existed.

(Ok, apparently there is a line to get on the ONE computer for the hotel...oops! I'll make it really short!)

We endedup touring the mine, which was cramped and kind of scary, having a delicious lunch nearby and then heading to the skull church. It is a church that is decorated in human bone and is creepy/sacreligious/kinda cool all at the same time.

Now we're home and resitng after LOTS of walking and LOTS of fun.

In Prague!

Alright, so our hotel has free internet, but only one computer which means that there is almost always someone taking it up. I guess technically this is day three in Prague, which is kind of hard to believe...I feel like we've been here longer.

After a long long LONG trip over here, I finally made it at around 2:30pm. I was probably the most tired I have ever been on a trip, mainly because it took three flights to get there. I went from SFO to JFK to London to Prague - Phew! my flight out of JFK sat on the tarmac for 3 hours! It didn't help that I was sitting next to the world's strangest woman ever. She had two HUGE bags with her, one of which was fillled with all sorts fo bag of chips and food. I think she might have been from Jamaica or somewhere similar because it sounded like she was speaking another language, but every once in a while there was English there too. Who knows...

Yesterday we took a walking tour of the city where we saw all the major sights and took a boat ride on the river. Our tour guide was bizarre. He refused to tell us his name, or any other details that might have given us an indication of his actual life. WEIRD! The river boat cruise guide on the othe hand was named Steve, and generally knowledgeable and funny. Good times.

So there's a quick update for you. Off to the Castle and the ghost walking tour today. Until next time!

And We're Off!

Here we go kids, the fun's just starting.

Why I Like America

So, in the spirit of the Fourth of July AKA American Independence Day, I am going to list a few reasons why it is awesome to be American/live in America.

The First Amendment, ie. Freedom of Speech
Salads the size of your head
New York City
Canadian Irish Jewish German English American, but mainly just American
Stand Up Comedians
The library
"In America, it doesn't matter where you come from, but where you are going"
brownies
Feminism
Hollywood movies
community college
democratic elections
Freedom of Religion, including freedom from religion
ranch dressing
lots of peanut butter
The Stars and Stripes
The Napa Valley

That's just a quick list off the top of my head...Happy Fourth of July Everybody!

Only a few days!

So it's only four days until we leave for the big trip. I'm trying to get everything together, but boy is it hard to pack for 2 months in one backpack. I've always found packing for Europe to be harder than say, India or Southeast Asia because I'm more worried about looking 'cool.' I want to be comfortable, but also a bit stylish.

In India, I basically wore the same shirt/pants/tennis shoes combination for 3 weeks, which was so boring by the end I thought I would die. But I never once cared that I looked like a vagabond and/or stupid wearing my white tennis shoes. I was just glad to have my feet protected from the ubiquitous cow poo. Since my run-ins with cow poop will probably be significantly less than in India, I went ahead an bought a pair of sketchers than are pretty cute. If you know me at least a little, you've probably heard me whine about my high maintenance feet. Buying shoes is a pain, so I was glad to find some that seem like they are going to work *crosses fingers*

Another must have item for Europe is a scarf. I find that here in the States, you either wear a scarf as an occasional fashion statement or because it's so damn cold you think you might die without it. I guess it counts as a fashion statement in Europe, but it's so prevalent that I'd call it more of a staple - people just always wear a scarf. I'm probably going to bring two, a black one that I bought the last time I was in Europe, and a maroon one I bought in India (pure wool and silk - only $4! haha! yeah right...)

So yeah, 1 bag, 2 months...we'll see how it goes.

The Beauty of Yosemite

There are only handful of places in the world that can continue to take my breath away over and over again. Yosemite is one of those places. Like my mom, I've grown up coming to the Yosemite Valley, hiking its trails, hearing the Native American folklore, yelling to Elmer the bear, sitting by the campfire with my family. This place is so inextricably a part of my life and my childhood, that it is difficult to see it through an unbiased lens.

For several years when I was a kid, my entire family - aunts, uncles and cousins - would pack up our gear and head for a camping trip in the valley. So many of our family stories have come from our times there. The night me, my brother and my cousin Jillian stayed up late to try to see a bear, only to sleep through the moment when it finally made the inevitable trek into our campsite and smashed out the window of our car. Our hikes up the Falls, and our swims in the perfect clear water rolling off the granite cliffs. My aunt's old blue and white striped tent that we nicknamed, "the circus tent" and how it miraculously seemed to defy gravity, despite missing a few parts.

This year my brother and I went for a weekend. Although things may change in our lives - some people move, others die, and still others get caught up in the struggles of life- the Valley doesn't change so much. It is our memories that live on every trail and in the trees and the sky and the granite faces. Yes, Yosemite is undeniably one of the most beautiful places in the world, but it is these memories that keep me coming back for more; all these beautiful surroundings that are a part of the story of my life.

Yosemite

This weekend I took an unexpected trip to Yosemite...more on that soon.

Itinerary Thoughts

So I’ve been trying to come up with a good itinerary for the Europe trip. I will be spending about 4 weeks backpacking with my friend around Europe, and I want to come up with a trip that will be fun, interesting, and fairly new. We are both pretty seasoned when it comes to our travel experiences in Europe since Emily lives in Scotland and I have been going to Europe since I was a kid.

The trip officially starts for us when I separate from my parents in Prague. From there I have considered a route that looks something like this:

a couple of nights in Prague (I don’t think Emily has ever been there, so it seems fair to stay extra in a city that, from all accounts is a pretty cool one)
Salzburg
Munich à day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle
Luzern
Gimmelwald
Cannes
Paris
London

The only problem with this itinerary is that it doesn’t account for almost a week of our time on the road. I don’t want to end up with a schedule that is too heavy on one country, like Switzerland, or too heavy on places we’ve already been (which are pretty numerous at this point). I’m actually not sure about this itinerary at all –maybe we should do some of Northern Italy, too? Hmmm….well, any comments or suggestions on great places to see in that general region would be welcome.

Safety in Europe - You'll be OK

The first time I traveled to Europe was with my parents when I was eight years old. After getting some rare overtime hours at work and setting it aside, my parents decided - rather courageously, I think - to take their three kids on a three-week European vacation. There were some stipulations for us on this trip: you could take one carry-on size bag (this is pre-9/11 airport security), a backpack, and you had to be able to carry all of you stuff by yourself. So that’s what we did.

Nearly fifteen years later and the trip rules have changed only slightly, but now Europe isn’t some mysterious and distant land, but rather a place that feels as much to me like home as home does. So it surprises me when I hear that people are worried about the safety of going to Europe. When my mom suggested to a family friend that her daughter join in on the backpacking trip I’m taking later this summer, she expressed a lot of concern about our safety. Since I have been so emotionally connected to Europe and the travel experience as a whole, I continually keep my ears open about issues of safety and civil unrest around the world. Because of this, I know that Europe, including Eastern Europe is actually incredibly safe. In fact, things like violent crime are much more likely to occur in the United States than in Europe (there are approximately 10,000 people killed by handguns in the States compared to fewer than 400 in Britain, France or Germany*). But because she questioned our safety (which is always a fair question when travel is concerned) I decided to do a little research into what some major guidebook sources have to say about it all.

My go-to guide for any European travel is first and foremost Rick Steves. Rick Steves has been traveling to Europe since the mid 70s, and when it comes to European travel guides, there is currently no one out there more legit than Rick Steves. So I turned to his 2008 Europe Through the Back Door to see what he said about safety in Europe. Rather than refer to the chapter in his book as ‘Safety’ it is entitled ‘Perspectives’ which I think is more suitable, since he delicately assuages the reader not to worry too much about things essentially beyond their control. Issues like terrorism and political unrest are a constant no matter where you live in the world, and often tourists aren’t the targets of such attacks if they do happen. Rick’s main suggestion is also the most common – blend in. Rick suggests not taking fancy luggage or getting too high-profile in the way you travel as not only a safety suggestion, but as a style of traveling that will make the experience more exciting and profound. I think Rick sums up my feelings about it really well when he says, “Travel is a celebration of life and freedom. Terrorists will not take that away from me. My mission in life is to inspire Americans to travel, one by one…to absorb and savor the wonders of Europe.” –Well said, Rick!

My other reference guide is Let’s Go, a travel guide series written by Harvard grads, giving travel options for people on ‘shoestring’ budgets. Why only Harvard grads are capable of dispelling this kind of information is beyond me, but until those of us less blessed with the right Alma Mater start producing our own guidebooks, I’m still relying on the Let’s Go books to tell me where the grocery store is in Liechtenstein. In the 2009 version of Let’s Go: Europe they cover the safety basics hard and fast suggesting what I would consider the ‘common sense’ safety advice that most travel books offer. Respecting the local culture in dress, familiarizing yourself with the location, and walking with an air of confidence are all things the books suggests. Carrying a money belt and bringing a lock with you are other good tips the book offers up.

All in all I think these books offer good advice for calming the average person’s fears about traveling to a European country. I think the best way to stay safe anywhere is to pay attention about what is going on around you. If you wouldn’t walk down the street at night alone while at home, why would you do it in a big European city? If all the other women were wearing a skirt inside the local Cathedral, wouldn’t it seem appropriate to do the same?

All in all, I’d say I’ve had many things happen to me while abroad that weren’t part of the plan. I’ve stumbled upon anti-American protests in Thailand, I’ve had my luggage stolen out of the car in France, and I’ve lost my passport while parasailing (again in Thailand) and the most important thing I’ve learned is this: I’m OK.

If you keep your wits about you, you’ll find - as I did - that you will be OK. If you keep quiet and go down another road, the protesters won’t bother you, and you will be OK. If you go to the police and file a report of stolen luggage, sure you’ll miss that new pair of jeans you had in there, but you will be ok. And, if you ask for help from the locals, you can get yourself to the nearest consulate and have your passport replaced. Sure, you will have lost some cool traveling stamps you acquired along the way, but you will be OK. Having lived through these hardships I have come to realize that most problems we face while on vacation are inconveniences, nothing we can’t look at later on and say to our friends that it was wild, bizarre, upsetting, but after all of it we are, well, we’re ok.

*Rick Steves’ Europe Through the Back Door 2008

City Streets and the People Who Drive on Them

The traffic in a major city can say so much about where you are. It isn’t just that your cab driver speaks the language of the town you’re in, it’s something more that can tell you about the way people there live, the way life is run. The French refer to it as a mode de vivre, a way of living. And in a sense, I guess, riding in a car with a French person can tell you as much about their life as driving on a rickshaw in the middle of Delhi, India.

The traffic circle surrounding the Arc de Triomphe is probably best known for its fender-benders than anything else, but I think it’s as good a place as any when examining the driving phenomena. It takes a little bit of insanity (or stupidity, depending on who you are) to get into a car in the first place. After all, it is a two-ton ball of metal hurtling across the road and it can just as easily helmed by someone as cool as Barack Obama, or as foolish as your just-turned-sixteen- kid brother ready to take the world by storm. Turning your car onto a notorious jumble of terrified and slightly maniacal drivers may be crazy. But it doesn’t surprise me so much when I think about it.

If you were to look at Paris from a bird’s eye view, you’d see a couple of things. You’d likely notice that there is a river, the Seine, more precisely, cutting across the city. Then you’d probably notice the distinctive color of a city whose buildings are awash with elegant facades of white plaster, paying homage to Napoleon and his attempts to beautify the city. You’d see the way the rays of the gray clouds covering the city give a mystery to old buildings. The history, it seems is built right into the sunshine here, and you may suddenly feel deeply in you that the city of light isn’t just a reference to the electric lights of the 20th century, but also a call to the beauty of a great city covered in its own unique light. Then you’d notice that this city is designed in a giant circular flow, a snail’s gray shell, rather than a perfect grid. All of its streets come together at the base of the Arc de Triomphe. A grand meeting of points at Arch of Triumph.

There’s something about the way the French live their lives, they call it the joie de vivre, the joy of living, and I think it says everything about what it means to be French. It means to enjoy all the little things in life, to savor the best – from the best coffee to the best bread, to the best – whatever. It means, too that what is central to life is not the acquisition of things, rather but moments that define our happiness in life. So, to some, they may look upon the wild ride of a French driver and label him a madman for driving just a little too fast. Or they could see that this driver isn’t just speeding out of impatience, but because every part of him is living in this moment, enjoying the power behind the wheel of his Citroen and nothing will get in his way from performing this act at full tilt – living this moment full speed.

It doesn’t surprise me that the French always seem to be driving at full keel, not one bit. Driving fast and furiously is one of those ingrained things – kind of the way the American can’t help but be the loudest person in the room. The French have never done anything half way, so it’s no shock that they would get in their cars and go go go, like there was no tomorrow.

So perhaps circling the Arc is just a wild dash to the other side of town, but maybe, just maybe, it’s just the French being, well, French.

Prized Possession

Alright, I'll admit it: I'm a history nerd. It's actually no surprise if you really think about it. I mean I love books, I love traveling and I love a great story. History is putting all those things together and then admitting that it's all real in the end. Amazing. Nothing better. So when I stumbled upon this baby, you know I was flipping out with excitment.

This a 1961 version of Arthur Frommer's Europe on $5 a Day that I found at a hotel in India. Yes, India. During the middle of our trip, the hotel we were staying at (I hesitate to use the word hotel here, since there would probably be some sort of association with an opulence that didn't exist) had a 'take a book, leave a book' shelf that included an inordinate number of German-language books and very few interesting English-language books. But when I found this little gem, I nearly jumped with excitement over it.

Despite the fact that the cover is missing and it is in delicate shape, I'd say this book is a treasure trove of information as a primary source document. After all, Arthur Frommer wrote the book (literally) on accessible travel to Europe. When it comes right down to it, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone as influential as Arthur Frommer in the modern travel industry.

Some highlights from the book:

*Frommer's suggestions of both Berlin and Madrid as destinations.

In the Berlin section he says "You can glimpse first-hand the meaning of tyranny simply by staring across the street into the Soviet zone...the contrast between the bleakness in that area, and the life of West Berlin, is startling" Nearly twenty years after the fall of the Berlin wall leaves young people my age with little to no memory of the Berlin Frommer describes. Berlin today is a testament to growth, change and the possibility to the end of tyranny.

Of Madrid he says, "..the economic backwardness of Spain and the poverty of its people...the amazingly low prices are not the product of progress, but of decline. " He continues, "...it is the fervent wish of this book that the Spanish people will have a better future, and that Spain, in years to come, won't be so darn easy to visit on $5 a day."

It's hard to believe for someone of my generation that these places were so terribly distraught and it is even more incredible to imagine the progess that has been made since 1961 for so many people in Europe. Spain today is on the cutting edge of just about everything and its membership in the EU is the benefactor of its progress.

*The packing list for ladies (by Mrs. Arthur Frommer ;))

Remember Ladies, don't forget your petticoats and travel suits!

The Plan

So there are two parts to this little trip to Europe of mine. The first part will be with my parents and we're going to do a loop of Eastern Europe which will probably include: Prague, Krakow, Budapest, and Vienna (I'm not sure if that's all of them). Basically, my dad is fully in charge of that part of the trip and I'm focusing on the part after my parents leave, when my friend Emily and I will be backpacking around. I'd like to do some Germany and Switzerland, because I haven't spent much time there. We also want to got o the South of France to see our friends in Cannes. I have to admit that the idea of travelling to the Cote d'Azur in August is frightening, mainly because apparently the whole of France jumps in their citroen and decides to go to the beach. We'll see what the exact itinerary will be after Miss Emily is done with her exams.

A Lil' Update

Almost two years ago I spent a semester of college studying abroad in the South of France. For purely academic reasons (seriously) I decided after a lot of consideration to studying the tiny town of Cannes, most known for its glamorous film festival that draws some of the biggest stars from around the world for a couple of weeks to this otherwise insignificant city on the French Riviera. After studying at the College International de Cannes and interning at the festival, I strapped on a backpack and traveled the fabulously diverse Europe with two friends I'd made while abroad. You can read all about it here: http://www.katieincannes.blogspot.com.

Fast forward two years later and here I am, back in California and getting ready to venture back to one of my favorite parts of the world. I decided to make a blog that was more of a "catch-all" for my travel adventures - which tend to be numerous - than my old blog was. In addition to the travels abroad I take, I'll also blog about the small trips I may take around California or the rest of the good old ol' US of A.

"Not All Who Wander are Lost."

“It’s a dangerous business going out of your door. You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.” --J.R.R. Tolkein