Monday, January 25, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
malaysian layover
While waiting at the airport to board my plane to Kuala Lumpur, I fell asleep with my ipod on, Devendra Banhart lulling me to sleep. A lovely Australian couple, whom I had gone through security with, shook me awake and told me we were boarding-without them, I would have been forced to wait another day and night in the airport. Finally, at 11:00pm, I arrived in Kuala Lumpur. While collecting my baggage a Japanese guy of the Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift variety asked me if I wanted to bus to town with him. We journeyed together to the bus stop and hopped on the hour bus ride to Pudu Raya. He told me that he had been in India for four months and that in that time he had shit blood (overshare for a blog, I know, but this was an overshare for me as well) and at this point constantly wanted to quarrel with Indian people whenever he heard them speak. Things to look forward to...We got off the bus, found the bar that Jon had told me to meet him at, and parted ways. I stood, with my huge pack, two-day old clothes and slicked back hair, debating whether to enter the bar in this manner when I felt a tap on my back. It was Gabe. A long-haired Jon came out of the bar shortly after. So good to finally see them!
The next day, we slept until we had had enough and hopped on a bus to the island of Penang. We remained there for almost a week. On Penang, we were awakened every morning by the chanting of the monks with sunrise. We spent our days exploring waterfalls and caves, swimming in the ocean and lounging. We saw monkeys in the wild and magic shows on the beach. It was our "holiday before our holiday." It was nice to have some time to unwind and catch up on the sleep that had escaped me the last few days. By the time we left we had a breakfast joint where we could order "the usual" and would be brought an omelette and steamed rice. We bonded with travelers from Sweden, Canada and the UK who were staying at Baba's Guest House with us. And we met a well-traveled, 11-lingual (?), firedancing, painting, scuba diving, any other skill you can acquire in a lifetime, Malaysian man who we called The Lion. He gave us travel tips and stories for days. We spent our afternoons with him and our evenings dining at our favorite food market with our newfound friends over Tiger beer, fresh squeezed fruit juice and chocolate-peanutbutter-banana pancakes. On our final night, we rented wave runners and hit the market for dinner.
Before we knew it, we had our packs on our backs and were navigating our way to the bus stop through the bustling streets, avoiding all of the "special deals" for us. "Sunglass for you miss, special deal for you!" From there, we took a bus, hailed a cab to the bus station and by 10:00pm, we were on a bus back to Kuala Lumpur, lounging in the Lazy Boy style recliners. We got in at 3:00am and made our way to Wheeler's Guest House, the boys' guesthouse of choice in KL. In our short time in there, we saw the Petronas Towers, a few movies and the Batu Caves. On our final night, we had to switch rooms. When I went to exchange keys for the new room, the ladyboy at reception told me "you guys will really like this room. It's much bigger so there is more room to jump around." We were thankful for the upgrade-we had been robbed of this freedom in our other room. The next day, I was off to Calcutta, India and the boys headed to Menaka to await the processing of their visas.
Jon and Gabe with The Lion
Gabe playing frisbee at sunset
Baba's Guest House Crew
Batu Caves
Petronas Towers
Magic Tricks on the beach
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Jon asked me if I want to go to India and I say Oui
"Sanitation and hygiene are bad. Close your eyes to those things if you want to enjoy India...if you want to see deep India" -an Indian man at the Newark Airport
Back on the ole' blog. At 5:00am on Jan 13 my dad dropped me off at the Portland Airport. I hadn't slept-I have a slight procrastination problem and so spent my final night in the U.S. packing. I got to the airport looking as if I had been hit by a train and eyes that could rival Courtney Love's-after a show. When I got on the plane, I was elated to have some uninterrupted sleep. Just me, the TV screen in front of me, and the occasional offering of soda and food.
Fast forward 22 hours and a layover in Newark. Arrived at the Delhi International Airport at 9:25pm. Felt clueless and exhausted. Slept through a majority of the international flight-not good sleep unfortunately because the behemoth of a man behind me urged me to keep my seat at a 90 degree angle so as to avoid crushing his legs. I complied and woke up every so often and shot an envious glare at the man lounging in the neighboring seat. When I got to India I wandered easily through customs, through uniformed men armed with M-16s and a sea of staring Indians. I sat down to catch my bearings and figure out my next step. My next flight wasn't until 6:25am the following day-so the big decision was, sleep in a corner of the international airport or sleep in a corner of the domestic airport. I chose the latter, which required the arrangement of a ride. There were very few airport workers to point me in any direction, so I approached the first man I saw in uniform. He was part of a driver service. The man told me that a ride to the domestic airport would cost 1000 rupees. I frantically searched for a sign with the exchange rate, obviously sweating because I do that with nerves. Roughly 45 rupees to the dollar. Like a savvy traveler, I told him I wanted to investigate other prices. Like an idiot, I took his word when he lowered his price to 900 rupees and told me that cabs charge 800. It's interesting going about this alone-Danielle was always so prepared for this sort of situation.
Our drive was quick. The night air under the street lights was thick, like looking through wax paper. Drivers ignored any lines or markings, weaving in and out of each other. Although it appeared chaotic, there seemed to be a known rhythm between them. I spent the ride with the driver explaining to me how lucky I was to have taken his car because he would keep me very safe and that people who take cabs get kidnapped more often. Thanks guy. When we got to the airport, it was 11:15pm. I went to the door, which was heavily guarded, and handed the guard my ticket. He just stared at it. No questions or comments. Just sat there, staring, as if it were his first encounter with a plane ticket. I don't know if he even knew what he should be looking for. Luckily, two other westerners showed up-a couple. The women told the guard that she had called and had been told that the airport was open all hours of the night. He gave her the same blank stare and then pointed outside. After a short conversation, he told us to go to the ticket counter. I snagged my ticket from his clutch and went with them. I found out seconds into our conversation that they were here adopting their second child...and that you should never pay more than 300 rupees for that cab ride. Good to know. I couldn't sleep that night.
At 3:00am we were allowed into the airport for check-in. For women, going through the security scanner, they have a curtained in room where a lady sits on a stool and lazily runs a hand-held metal detector over you. Upon completion of this, she stamps your plane ticket. I had 3 hours to kill until my flight, with nothing open, so I read and wrote. A Danish girl (24-years old) next to me sneezed, I said bless you, and that's when I met Karen, my travel mate for the next 14 hours. We chatted up until our flight to Kolkata, separated during the flight, and rejoined at baggage. We cabbed into town together because I didn't have to catch my flight to Malaysia until 4:00 pm. I was glad to have met her-we had much in common and she had been to India before as a volunteer so was comfortable with the language and the people. We got into town and went to the "backpacker" area, Sudder Street. India is unlike any place I've seen-it has familiar qualities-the filth of Mexico, poverty of Cambodia and the hustle of Morocco-but they are more drastic. There is human excrement on the streets, rickshaws pulled by people and beggars at every turn. It is full of contrasts-dry, cracked roads lined with lush plants; men in soiled, canvas clothes, women in elaborately patterned saris. After a short while in town, I had to return to the airport to board my final flight for a little while. Off to Kuala Lumpur...
Back on the ole' blog. At 5:00am on Jan 13 my dad dropped me off at the Portland Airport. I hadn't slept-I have a slight procrastination problem and so spent my final night in the U.S. packing. I got to the airport looking as if I had been hit by a train and eyes that could rival Courtney Love's-after a show. When I got on the plane, I was elated to have some uninterrupted sleep. Just me, the TV screen in front of me, and the occasional offering of soda and food.
Fast forward 22 hours and a layover in Newark. Arrived at the Delhi International Airport at 9:25pm. Felt clueless and exhausted. Slept through a majority of the international flight-not good sleep unfortunately because the behemoth of a man behind me urged me to keep my seat at a 90 degree angle so as to avoid crushing his legs. I complied and woke up every so often and shot an envious glare at the man lounging in the neighboring seat. When I got to India I wandered easily through customs, through uniformed men armed with M-16s and a sea of staring Indians. I sat down to catch my bearings and figure out my next step. My next flight wasn't until 6:25am the following day-so the big decision was, sleep in a corner of the international airport or sleep in a corner of the domestic airport. I chose the latter, which required the arrangement of a ride. There were very few airport workers to point me in any direction, so I approached the first man I saw in uniform. He was part of a driver service. The man told me that a ride to the domestic airport would cost 1000 rupees. I frantically searched for a sign with the exchange rate, obviously sweating because I do that with nerves. Roughly 45 rupees to the dollar. Like a savvy traveler, I told him I wanted to investigate other prices. Like an idiot, I took his word when he lowered his price to 900 rupees and told me that cabs charge 800. It's interesting going about this alone-Danielle was always so prepared for this sort of situation.
Our drive was quick. The night air under the street lights was thick, like looking through wax paper. Drivers ignored any lines or markings, weaving in and out of each other. Although it appeared chaotic, there seemed to be a known rhythm between them. I spent the ride with the driver explaining to me how lucky I was to have taken his car because he would keep me very safe and that people who take cabs get kidnapped more often. Thanks guy. When we got to the airport, it was 11:15pm. I went to the door, which was heavily guarded, and handed the guard my ticket. He just stared at it. No questions or comments. Just sat there, staring, as if it were his first encounter with a plane ticket. I don't know if he even knew what he should be looking for. Luckily, two other westerners showed up-a couple. The women told the guard that she had called and had been told that the airport was open all hours of the night. He gave her the same blank stare and then pointed outside. After a short conversation, he told us to go to the ticket counter. I snagged my ticket from his clutch and went with them. I found out seconds into our conversation that they were here adopting their second child...and that you should never pay more than 300 rupees for that cab ride. Good to know. I couldn't sleep that night.
At 3:00am we were allowed into the airport for check-in. For women, going through the security scanner, they have a curtained in room where a lady sits on a stool and lazily runs a hand-held metal detector over you. Upon completion of this, she stamps your plane ticket. I had 3 hours to kill until my flight, with nothing open, so I read and wrote. A Danish girl (24-years old) next to me sneezed, I said bless you, and that's when I met Karen, my travel mate for the next 14 hours. We chatted up until our flight to Kolkata, separated during the flight, and rejoined at baggage. We cabbed into town together because I didn't have to catch my flight to Malaysia until 4:00 pm. I was glad to have met her-we had much in common and she had been to India before as a volunteer so was comfortable with the language and the people. We got into town and went to the "backpacker" area, Sudder Street. India is unlike any place I've seen-it has familiar qualities-the filth of Mexico, poverty of Cambodia and the hustle of Morocco-but they are more drastic. There is human excrement on the streets, rickshaws pulled by people and beggars at every turn. It is full of contrasts-dry, cracked roads lined with lush plants; men in soiled, canvas clothes, women in elaborately patterned saris. After a short while in town, I had to return to the airport to board my final flight for a little while. Off to Kuala Lumpur...
Monday, August 3, 2009
London Calling
With Brad in London
Hanging out with the flatmates
Reunited with Caren
Seeing the Sights
Weak attempt at Abbey Road crosswalk picture
The Changing of the Guards
The three of us got into London around 9 in the evening and took the tube to our Marriott. When we got out, we discovered that we had gone to the wrong stop but opted to walk instead of get back on the tube, thinking it would be very close. We thought wrong. We walked in circles for a short while until some locals offered their assistance and called the Marriott on their phones for us and gave us directions. Friendly place. By the time we checked in and cleaned up, it was nearing 10 o'clock and Brad only had a short time to see the city, so we hit the town. We got dinner at a kebab place (what are we going to do without these?) on Great Portland Street! and followed local's advice to go to Picadilly Circus for a beer. After beer and some dancing, we went to see the sights in the wee hours of the morning. Some local people who had missed their bus offered to show us around. In a matter of hours, we saw Trafalger Square, Big Ben, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace and some other tourist destinations. When we got back to our hotel, we were exhausted and slept in nearly until checkout the next day. When we checked out, Brad hopped in a cab to Heathrow to catch his flight home. Rachel and I went to Abbey Road and tried to recreate the Beatles album cover, however, it is much harder than you would imagine, because not only were there only two of us, but you have to have a random take the picture across the street and mind the cars that are speeding by. Needless to say, we didn't get the best shot off. That night, we took our huge bags and went to Clapham Common to meet up with a friend from New Zealand whom we had met in Greece, but was now living in London named Sam. He was very hospitable and let us stay with his flatmates (all from NZ) and him for most of our week in London. It was great to have a group of people to hang out with. We played rugby in the park, attended birthday parties and watched big rugby games at the local pub, rooting for the All Blacks (NZ team). We managed to see sights during the days, taking a river cruise and riding one of the double deckers through the city. Whilst on the double decker, riding by Big Ben, we saw Caren (a friend from middle school) out the window. We hadn't planned to get out at this stop, but our plans quickly changed as we hopped from our seats and ran for the door screaming her name. It was crazy to run into her in such a big city. That night, we all met up at Hyde Park to catch up, and ended the night in Camden town. The rest of our trip was spent viewing museums, parks and popular neighborhoods and markets and catching up with friends. Steph gets into town today, so we will continue discovering this great city. Molly leaves tomorrow for the good old USA and Rachel heads on to Lagos for round two with Steph. It's hard to believe that it is all coming to an end, but neither of us predict this being our last big global exploration in the coming years.
Hanging out with the flatmates
Reunited with Caren
Seeing the Sights
Weak attempt at Abbey Road crosswalk picture
The Changing of the Guards
The three of us got into London around 9 in the evening and took the tube to our Marriott. When we got out, we discovered that we had gone to the wrong stop but opted to walk instead of get back on the tube, thinking it would be very close. We thought wrong. We walked in circles for a short while until some locals offered their assistance and called the Marriott on their phones for us and gave us directions. Friendly place. By the time we checked in and cleaned up, it was nearing 10 o'clock and Brad only had a short time to see the city, so we hit the town. We got dinner at a kebab place (what are we going to do without these?) on Great Portland Street! and followed local's advice to go to Picadilly Circus for a beer. After beer and some dancing, we went to see the sights in the wee hours of the morning. Some local people who had missed their bus offered to show us around. In a matter of hours, we saw Trafalger Square, Big Ben, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace and some other tourist destinations. When we got back to our hotel, we were exhausted and slept in nearly until checkout the next day. When we checked out, Brad hopped in a cab to Heathrow to catch his flight home. Rachel and I went to Abbey Road and tried to recreate the Beatles album cover, however, it is much harder than you would imagine, because not only were there only two of us, but you have to have a random take the picture across the street and mind the cars that are speeding by. Needless to say, we didn't get the best shot off. That night, we took our huge bags and went to Clapham Common to meet up with a friend from New Zealand whom we had met in Greece, but was now living in London named Sam. He was very hospitable and let us stay with his flatmates (all from NZ) and him for most of our week in London. It was great to have a group of people to hang out with. We played rugby in the park, attended birthday parties and watched big rugby games at the local pub, rooting for the All Blacks (NZ team). We managed to see sights during the days, taking a river cruise and riding one of the double deckers through the city. Whilst on the double decker, riding by Big Ben, we saw Caren (a friend from middle school) out the window. We hadn't planned to get out at this stop, but our plans quickly changed as we hopped from our seats and ran for the door screaming her name. It was crazy to run into her in such a big city. That night, we all met up at Hyde Park to catch up, and ended the night in Camden town. The rest of our trip was spent viewing museums, parks and popular neighborhoods and markets and catching up with friends. Steph gets into town today, so we will continue discovering this great city. Molly leaves tomorrow for the good old USA and Rachel heads on to Lagos for round two with Steph. It's hard to believe that it is all coming to an end, but neither of us predict this being our last big global exploration in the coming years.
Amsterdam
When we got to Amsterdam, we stayed at a Marriott again. This time, we were in the center of the city. We were astounded by the number of bikes that were everywhere, and when there wasn't room for another in the alloted bike parking space, people just stacked their bikes on top of the other ones. Amsterdam was very pleasant, a bit like Venice with how many waterways ran through the city. Our second day there, we went to the train station to meet up with Brad. We got there early so that we wouldn't miss him. When we were reunited we all hugged hello and then headed off for the LONG trek to our "centrally located" hostel. With sore backs and tired legs, we checked into our room and headed out to grab some dinner and explore the town. It was funny exchanging travel stories with Brad because we had been to a lot of the same places and had to deal with similar complications. Amsterdam had a lot to offer, from night life to parks to museums. On our final day, we went to the Van Gogh museum and then boarded our train to London...Molly's final stop.
Home sweet...Belgium?
Mannequin Pis
The Atomium
We stayed in Brussels for four nights, apparently much longer than most backpackers ever stay. By the time we left, we had seen the city, mastered the bus system and even had the people that worked at one of the Kebab shops waving at us when we passed...practically locals. We started out on the outskirts of town at a Marriott. We happened to arrive just in time for Belgium's Independence Day. We spent the day in the main square with the rest of the town sampling the beers, chocolates and cheeses (healthy combination...) and preparing for the firework and light show that were to take place that evening. The show ended just in time for us to catch the last bus back to the Marriott. The next day we decided to stay at a hostel closer in town. We went to a bar called Delirium, which is in the Guiness book of World Records because it has over 2000 different types of beer. On our final full day in Belgium, we ventured to see the Atomium, a large scale atom model that was built for an exhibition in 1958-apparently it is Brussel's equivalent to the Eiffel Tower. When we returned to our hostel, the owner told us that he had double booked our room, but that they had a back up room in the basement. So we got a room to ourselves in the end and paid much less than we had expected-their oversight definitely worked in our favor. We left the next afternoon after seeing the Mannequin Pis and scouring the city for the best chocolate. By three in the afternoon, we were on a train to Amsterdam...
The Atomium
We stayed in Brussels for four nights, apparently much longer than most backpackers ever stay. By the time we left, we had seen the city, mastered the bus system and even had the people that worked at one of the Kebab shops waving at us when we passed...practically locals. We started out on the outskirts of town at a Marriott. We happened to arrive just in time for Belgium's Independence Day. We spent the day in the main square with the rest of the town sampling the beers, chocolates and cheeses (healthy combination...) and preparing for the firework and light show that were to take place that evening. The show ended just in time for us to catch the last bus back to the Marriott. The next day we decided to stay at a hostel closer in town. We went to a bar called Delirium, which is in the Guiness book of World Records because it has over 2000 different types of beer. On our final full day in Belgium, we ventured to see the Atomium, a large scale atom model that was built for an exhibition in 1958-apparently it is Brussel's equivalent to the Eiffel Tower. When we returned to our hostel, the owner told us that he had double booked our room, but that they had a back up room in the basement. So we got a room to ourselves in the end and paid much less than we had expected-their oversight definitely worked in our favor. We left the next afternoon after seeing the Mannequin Pis and scouring the city for the best chocolate. By three in the afternoon, we were on a train to Amsterdam...
Sunday, August 2, 2009
paris j'taime
A top the Eiffel Tower
The Tower at night
In front of Notre Dame with Steph
The bus ride was surprisingly tolerable as far as 14 hours of sitting goes. There were movies, mostly Czech, with the exception of Mr. and Mrs Smith, music and refreshments. We got in to Paris where we were greeted by Steph! Although five months has passed since we last saw her, it only felt like days. The three of us got on the crammed metro, Rachel and I attempting not to hit anyone with the many items hanging from our bags. When we emerged from underground, we had a clear view of the Eiffel Tower. Welcome to Paris! We proceded to the apartment where Steph is an Au Pair and met the family she has been living with for the last month. We sat down to dinner the first night with the family and exchanged travel stories. They have lived all over the world so we enjoyed hearing their experiences and perspectives. After dinner Steph, Rachel and I decided to check out the Eiffel tower at night because it sparkles every hour. While we were there, we found ourselves stuck in the middle of a sudden wind and rain storm that sent us running for cover under a nearby bridge. The next day we decided to go to Mont Martre to enjoy the view and some live entertainment. We got crepes and hiked up a hill to a monument. On the stairs overlooking the city, a band was playing. We quickly made friends with them-Rachel was even called up to dance in front of the audience. By the end of their set, they were inserting "we love Oregon" into the musical interludes of their songs. We spent the rest of our time in Paris doing some sight seeing, riding the ferris wheel, viewing museums and enjoying Steph's company. It was nice to get out of hostels for a few days and stay with a family. Next stop, Brussels.
The Tower at night
In front of Notre Dame with Steph
The bus ride was surprisingly tolerable as far as 14 hours of sitting goes. There were movies, mostly Czech, with the exception of Mr. and Mrs Smith, music and refreshments. We got in to Paris where we were greeted by Steph! Although five months has passed since we last saw her, it only felt like days. The three of us got on the crammed metro, Rachel and I attempting not to hit anyone with the many items hanging from our bags. When we emerged from underground, we had a clear view of the Eiffel Tower. Welcome to Paris! We proceded to the apartment where Steph is an Au Pair and met the family she has been living with for the last month. We sat down to dinner the first night with the family and exchanged travel stories. They have lived all over the world so we enjoyed hearing their experiences and perspectives. After dinner Steph, Rachel and I decided to check out the Eiffel tower at night because it sparkles every hour. While we were there, we found ourselves stuck in the middle of a sudden wind and rain storm that sent us running for cover under a nearby bridge. The next day we decided to go to Mont Martre to enjoy the view and some live entertainment. We got crepes and hiked up a hill to a monument. On the stairs overlooking the city, a band was playing. We quickly made friends with them-Rachel was even called up to dance in front of the audience. By the end of their set, they were inserting "we love Oregon" into the musical interludes of their songs. We spent the rest of our time in Paris doing some sight seeing, riding the ferris wheel, viewing museums and enjoying Steph's company. It was nice to get out of hostels for a few days and stay with a family. Next stop, Brussels.
Friday, July 24, 2009
PRAHA
We got into Prague around dinner time and made the trek from the train station to our hostel. We got a Eugene vibe almost immediately; first approached by a wiry haired old man telling us how to get to our hostels and that we should walk instead of cab, and shortly after, while looking down at a map, we were told by a student with dreads that it's better to see the world looking up...thanks for that. We made it to our hostel, which we later found out was a squash playing hostel-that explains why it was lights out at 11 and we were surrounded by people in swishy pants. Prague was incredible. After we checked in and situated, we went to find a place for dinner. We decided on an Italian restaurant that served delicious pasta-and we were presented with a gift of sorbet from the chef. After dinner, we set out to see the city. Around the corner from where we ate dinner there was a huge castle that looked like a haunted house. The buildings in Prague all look like they were once occupied by Kings or witches. And, it was cool because it ws uninhibited by most of Europe, even still using their own money system (a bit of an inconvenience for us to only use for a day, but cool nevertheless). After viewing castles we went to bed. We woke up to rain and thunder. We quickly found comfort at a cafe called Bohemia Bagel where they served breakfast sandwiches and unlimited coffee. The rain cleared in the afternoon so we decided to walk to a castle armed with a map. We hiked up a hill and had a great view of the city. As the sun got brighter, the water looked enticing, so we rented a paddle boat to see a different view of the city. On our way back to our hostel to get our bags from the luggage room, we stopped at a modern art showcase and got the best Belgian chocolate covered bananas of our lives. After a full day of activity, we grabbed our bags and walked to the bus station to board a 14 hour bus to Paris to meet up with Steph.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Austria and Munich
INNSBRUCK AND MUNICH
From Venice, we took a train through the Alps and into Austria. Our friend, whom we had met in Australia, Olivia, was from there. She welcomed us with open arms and let us stay at her apartment in Innsbruck. It was great to see her again and she acted as our tour guide, taking us to the home of Swarovski Crystals, Crystal World, to the highest European bridge and on a hike in the Alps, where we enjoyed Weiss beer and traditional Austrian food. The next day, we got the genius idea of renting a car, which we figured would also double as a place to stay for the nights we had it. Our first day with our portable home, at the suggestion of Olivia, we decided to drive to Munich. When we got there, we realized that we had arrived during a huge gay pride parade, so the city was bustling and there was much beer to be had. After a day enjoying Munich-the Hoffbrau Haus, the parade and a flea market, we made our way back to Innsbruck to join Olivia and her friends at a graduation party. We spent the night dancing and were dubbed by one of her friends as "special edition Americans." We think it was a compliment...The next day we said our goodbyes to Olivia, packed up our car and headed to Salzberg.
SALZBERG
Salzberg was beautiful. We had no map or travel plans, so we parked the car and explored the city by foot. We had a little idea of what was in store-Mozart's birth place and Sound of Music landmarks. We found these things and much more. We stumbled upon castles like a bum stumbles upon cans at Autzen at the end of a big football game. When it came time for us to find a parking place to sleep for the night, we quickly realized that most cities don't encourage homelessness, so the spot next to a lake overlooking the city that we had dreamed about never materialized. Instead we settled on a well lit parking lot next to a park. It ended up working out pretty well, and the sun woke us up early enough to prevent passersby from seeing us and gave us time to see all of the buildings and Sound of Music sights that we had missed on the previous day. We decided to leave around noon for Vienna so that we could explore some of the Austrian country side. Right outside of Salzberg, we found a lake called Lake Mondsee where we pulled over for a swim and some relaxation. It was gorgeous with crystal clear water and a view of the Alps. After a picnic and some downtime, we were back on the road to Vienna
VIENNA
Now Innsbruck and Salzberg were small, rustic towns, so going into Vienna looking hagard from the lake, we assumed it would be similar. We were so wrong. We pulled in to a big city-and if Salzberg was difficult to find a place to park the car, Vienna was nearly impossible. We drove around looking for parking, only to be informed that there wasn't a place to buy a parking ticket, so even if we found a spot, we could be towed. We finally found a garage and decided to leave the car there until parking ws free. We walked around the city a little during the night but were tired from our sparse sleep in the car the previous night. So, we returned to the car to find a spot to sleep. This one was a little harder, so we ended up on a normal street. Maybe homeless with a car wasn't such a good idea...We returned our home on wheels to Hertz the next day and walked around the city looking at churches and the elaborate buildings. We left in the evening for Prague, but we haven't had our fill of Austria.
From Venice, we took a train through the Alps and into Austria. Our friend, whom we had met in Australia, Olivia, was from there. She welcomed us with open arms and let us stay at her apartment in Innsbruck. It was great to see her again and she acted as our tour guide, taking us to the home of Swarovski Crystals, Crystal World, to the highest European bridge and on a hike in the Alps, where we enjoyed Weiss beer and traditional Austrian food. The next day, we got the genius idea of renting a car, which we figured would also double as a place to stay for the nights we had it. Our first day with our portable home, at the suggestion of Olivia, we decided to drive to Munich. When we got there, we realized that we had arrived during a huge gay pride parade, so the city was bustling and there was much beer to be had. After a day enjoying Munich-the Hoffbrau Haus, the parade and a flea market, we made our way back to Innsbruck to join Olivia and her friends at a graduation party. We spent the night dancing and were dubbed by one of her friends as "special edition Americans." We think it was a compliment...The next day we said our goodbyes to Olivia, packed up our car and headed to Salzberg.
SALZBERG
Salzberg was beautiful. We had no map or travel plans, so we parked the car and explored the city by foot. We had a little idea of what was in store-Mozart's birth place and Sound of Music landmarks. We found these things and much more. We stumbled upon castles like a bum stumbles upon cans at Autzen at the end of a big football game. When it came time for us to find a parking place to sleep for the night, we quickly realized that most cities don't encourage homelessness, so the spot next to a lake overlooking the city that we had dreamed about never materialized. Instead we settled on a well lit parking lot next to a park. It ended up working out pretty well, and the sun woke us up early enough to prevent passersby from seeing us and gave us time to see all of the buildings and Sound of Music sights that we had missed on the previous day. We decided to leave around noon for Vienna so that we could explore some of the Austrian country side. Right outside of Salzberg, we found a lake called Lake Mondsee where we pulled over for a swim and some relaxation. It was gorgeous with crystal clear water and a view of the Alps. After a picnic and some downtime, we were back on the road to Vienna
VIENNA
Now Innsbruck and Salzberg were small, rustic towns, so going into Vienna looking hagard from the lake, we assumed it would be similar. We were so wrong. We pulled in to a big city-and if Salzberg was difficult to find a place to park the car, Vienna was nearly impossible. We drove around looking for parking, only to be informed that there wasn't a place to buy a parking ticket, so even if we found a spot, we could be towed. We finally found a garage and decided to leave the car there until parking ws free. We walked around the city a little during the night but were tired from our sparse sleep in the car the previous night. So, we returned to the car to find a spot to sleep. This one was a little harder, so we ended up on a normal street. Maybe homeless with a car wasn't such a good idea...We returned our home on wheels to Hertz the next day and walked around the city looking at churches and the elaborate buildings. We left in the evening for Prague, but we haven't had our fill of Austria.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Water Water Everywhere
VENICE
Our last stop with the Park’s was the beautiful city of Venice. Venice is unlike any other place we’ve been to-cars were replaced with gondolas and boats, and buses were replaced with vaparettos. We stayed on the small island of Lido to avoid tourists and took a vaparetto into town each day. We spent our full day there exploring the city and looking at art. Rachel and Molly went to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and saw modern art while Geoff and Gail went to a gallery with renaissance art. We took quite a liking to a restaurant near our hotel, so we ate there both nights in Venice and got to know the waiter pretty well. He was hilarious and very attentive, making special recommendations and if we asked him a question about Venice he would say “ask me anything, I know everything.“ The food was delicious-we don’t understand how Italians aren’t fatter. On the afternoon of the 9th, we parted ways with Geoff and Gail, they moved on to Cinque Terre and we were off to Austria.
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