So I've arrived in Germany. One of the first things I did was grab myself a good pint of pilsner from the bar at the hostel I was at and it was good. Heidelberg is a great city. It's got this old quarter, where my hostel was, that has some real traditional buildings and what not. they have a massive castle at the top of the city with some amazing gardens as well. i went up there one day and spent a lot of time there. They also have a philospher's walk, as it's called, with a fantastic view of the city on the other side of the river that the castle is one. Yesterday I walked up there and took my time. I was eating some food, drinking a beer and readin my book the whole way.
Since I met that guy David in luxembourg he kinda sparked this fire in me to try to go out and meet new people. Just to take more initiative and talk with people more at first because that's what he had been doing for a couple of months. So in Heidelberg that's what I've been doing. the first night I struck up a conversation with 2 Americans who eneded up leaving but then I started talking with this Australian woman named Christina for about 2 and a half hours. She was pretty cool and we talked about politics and social work for a while. The next night I talked with another Australina named Emma just about traveling and what not for a while. Then the bartender about good German beer. The third night I talked to these two guys from Chicago about, guess what Chicago, and different cultural aspects between the U.S. and Europe as well as career prospects. One of these guys grew up in Heidelberg but moved to Chicago for a while. We also talked with this Brazilian woman for a while who was in my hostel but was also about to start studying in Heidelberg for her graduate degree in international medicine. After they left I talked with these 3 Asian girls who were studying in Berlin and 3 American dudes from Texas. So it's been a bit more social but Heidelberg was very relaxing as well. I got to sleep in every day and the prices they offered the food from the bar to the hostel goers was pretty damn cheap. And the food was damn good German food.
I find that just when I think I'm in some sort of groove some new idea or concept about how to travel comes my way and makes me try something new or completely abandon the way I was traveling/living before. Although, as much fun as I'm having I think I'm ready to get to Chicago and just get settled in some. I don't think I'll do another trip like this in a year. In time but not in a year from now. But no worries, I'm in Munich and in Europe now and that's something to be pretty positive about. I am definitely having a good time and I know there will be a lot more parts in the trip in the near future that should be pretty fucking awesome.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Luxembourg man
So, here I am in Luxembourg. I`m at a point in my trip now where things are starting to pile up and you just need to push through it. I have a few knicks, cuts and blisters that are wearing on me. I left my pocketknife in Paris and I`m just kind of soar from walking amd moving all the time, but that`s all part of the game. Soon I`ll just be used to it and it won`t be no thang. otherwise though I`ve been doing a lot. I moved on from Bruges to Liege, Belgium. Liege is the biggest city in Wallomia which is the French speaking part of Belgium and i happen to know two people there that are technically my second cousins through marriage. their names are julie and Laura and I just crashed at Julie`s place. They were really nice and showed me around a lot. We would call each other family some and Julie kept fooling me with her fucking sarcasm. they were calling me Doogy. Julie´s roommates all spoke little or no french so it posed an intersting but cool challenge communicating with them.
I liked Liege a lot. It was kind of like the Eugene of Belgium actually. I had lots of frites and other Belgian specialties. There was one point where Julie bumped into me on the street while I was sitting with a chocolate waffle and chocolate all over my face. hanging with them was really cool and made me think about random family connections and just the importance of family in general. I`m used to being around a bunch of my cousins because I`m the oldest of 10 but I don´t really have any that are my age so it was interesting to get a brief view of what that`s like. it sparked more of a desire to look into my own family heritage some. I don`t know much about it but what I do know I find very interesting.
No Luxembourg though. It is absolutly beautiful here. Incredible nature and architecture as well. It`s very quiet and peaceful. I`ve mostly just been relaxing, walking and taking in the views here. Last night though I met this guy in the hostel and we just talked about traveling, women and life for an hour and a half. Then we got a couple of drinks, talked about that for another hour and a half and realized that we hadn`t even exchanged names yet. then these Irish women in their 30`s started taking pictures of David and me so we took that as an opportunity to make a move. Within 5 minutes we were promptly shut down. It was good times though and we laughed about it on the walk back. Tomorrow I`m off to Heidelberg, germany and then to oktoberfest which should be crazy.
Peace out ya`ll
I liked Liege a lot. It was kind of like the Eugene of Belgium actually. I had lots of frites and other Belgian specialties. There was one point where Julie bumped into me on the street while I was sitting with a chocolate waffle and chocolate all over my face. hanging with them was really cool and made me think about random family connections and just the importance of family in general. I`m used to being around a bunch of my cousins because I`m the oldest of 10 but I don´t really have any that are my age so it was interesting to get a brief view of what that`s like. it sparked more of a desire to look into my own family heritage some. I don`t know much about it but what I do know I find very interesting.
No Luxembourg though. It is absolutly beautiful here. Incredible nature and architecture as well. It`s very quiet and peaceful. I`ve mostly just been relaxing, walking and taking in the views here. Last night though I met this guy in the hostel and we just talked about traveling, women and life for an hour and a half. Then we got a couple of drinks, talked about that for another hour and a half and realized that we hadn`t even exchanged names yet. then these Irish women in their 30`s started taking pictures of David and me so we took that as an opportunity to make a move. Within 5 minutes we were promptly shut down. It was good times though and we laughed about it on the walk back. Tomorrow I`m off to Heidelberg, germany and then to oktoberfest which should be crazy.
Peace out ya`ll
Monday, September 22, 2008
In Bruges
Hello everyone,
Well I am in Bruges. I had a plan of staying at a hostel here for 3 nights and maybe doing a day trip somewhere or something but at the last minute my parent's friend's daughter Julie e-mailed me and said I could stay with her in Liege, Belgium. that's the biggest city in the French part of Belgium and just south of Brussels. So I'm going there today and I'll stay with her for 2 nights and then on to Luxembourg. I'm just going to skip over Brussels because there are other places that I want to see and I'd rather see some of the smaller Belgian cities. Plus i talked to this guy last night that had just been in Brussels and he said it wasn't that fantastic. Nice city with things to do but it's not a gem or anything.
This hostel has already been better than the last one. I met this Canadian guy Josh right of the bat who works in graphic design in Toronto. I also met this couple from NYC. The guy runs a small business where he makes custom furniture for people and she handles all the legal work. plus people in the hostel room have just been friendlier to chat with. Yesterday when I arrived here I walked through town to the hostel and just chilled for a little bit. Then I went on a walk through the town before it got dark for a couple of hours. Got some frites, chocolate and beer. I came back and they have a happy hour at the hostel bar right below us so me and the people mentioned before sat for a little bit and had some drinks. Then the couple retired to bed and Josh and I went out to this hidden bar where only locals go. It didn't even look like there was anything in the alleyway but it was packed with people. They gave us recommendations on beer and chatted with us. it was a good crowd. We left early though because we knew we were getting up early.
So here I am. It's the morning and I'm eating breakfast. It's cool that I'm only staying one night though because a lot of the people that I've met here either decided to stay one night (because they thought it would be overun with tourists, like me) or last night was their last night. That's what makes the traveling a lot of fun is the people you meet and then the things you go out and do or see with them. That's why Amsterdam wasn't thrilling for me. So before I hop on the train a few of us are going to walk up the spiral tower in the center of town and maybe go to this museum briefly and then I'm out. No deep revelations this time. I've been to a few cities now and so I'm really into the traveling groove of moving around and taking in as much as you can. You sacrifice sleep, great quality food, your health a bit but it's all worth it. I have these fat blisters on a couple of toes on my left foot because it's bigger than my right foot. With all this walking around it's been putting some stress on it but that happened last time. I just need to build up a calus. Other than that though it's all grand man. Later.
Well I am in Bruges. I had a plan of staying at a hostel here for 3 nights and maybe doing a day trip somewhere or something but at the last minute my parent's friend's daughter Julie e-mailed me and said I could stay with her in Liege, Belgium. that's the biggest city in the French part of Belgium and just south of Brussels. So I'm going there today and I'll stay with her for 2 nights and then on to Luxembourg. I'm just going to skip over Brussels because there are other places that I want to see and I'd rather see some of the smaller Belgian cities. Plus i talked to this guy last night that had just been in Brussels and he said it wasn't that fantastic. Nice city with things to do but it's not a gem or anything.
This hostel has already been better than the last one. I met this Canadian guy Josh right of the bat who works in graphic design in Toronto. I also met this couple from NYC. The guy runs a small business where he makes custom furniture for people and she handles all the legal work. plus people in the hostel room have just been friendlier to chat with. Yesterday when I arrived here I walked through town to the hostel and just chilled for a little bit. Then I went on a walk through the town before it got dark for a couple of hours. Got some frites, chocolate and beer. I came back and they have a happy hour at the hostel bar right below us so me and the people mentioned before sat for a little bit and had some drinks. Then the couple retired to bed and Josh and I went out to this hidden bar where only locals go. It didn't even look like there was anything in the alleyway but it was packed with people. They gave us recommendations on beer and chatted with us. it was a good crowd. We left early though because we knew we were getting up early.
So here I am. It's the morning and I'm eating breakfast. It's cool that I'm only staying one night though because a lot of the people that I've met here either decided to stay one night (because they thought it would be overun with tourists, like me) or last night was their last night. That's what makes the traveling a lot of fun is the people you meet and then the things you go out and do or see with them. That's why Amsterdam wasn't thrilling for me. So before I hop on the train a few of us are going to walk up the spiral tower in the center of town and maybe go to this museum briefly and then I'm out. No deep revelations this time. I've been to a few cities now and so I'm really into the traveling groove of moving around and taking in as much as you can. You sacrifice sleep, great quality food, your health a bit but it's all worth it. I have these fat blisters on a couple of toes on my left foot because it's bigger than my right foot. With all this walking around it's been putting some stress on it but that happened last time. I just need to build up a calus. Other than that though it's all grand man. Later.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Amsterdam, Netherlands #2
Hey so I'm still in Amsterdam. It's my last night here and I'm kinda ready to go. The hostel I got stuck with ended up not being that great. They don't have a kitchen and a social area in general. So I haven't really had a chance to meet anyone too interesting. My room is about a 20 person room and a few of the dudes have some chronic snoring issues that are keeping people in that room up at night. Especially this one guy. I feel bad for the people sleeping right next to him because I always see them sleeping in until late the next day. I've been trying to stay pretty positive though. I've taken this time to just relax. Sleep in, plan some stuff, and do the slower paced things that can be relaxing on vacation.
As soon as I got in I did some internet stuff and then I went to just get a beer. As I was grabbing a seat and old Dutch couple asked if they could join me and I said sure. The husband ended up being a professor at a University in The Netherlands and he had given speeches at Stanford and Berkeley so we compared the education systems and culture of the U.S. and Europe. He bought me my beer and some cheese. Then a Canadian dude named Greg in his 30's joined us. He had just been in Belgium and gave me some good advice on things to look for in Belgium. On Saturday I just walked through the Eastern part of Centraal Amsterdam and then beyond. I got as far away from right downtown as I could. I sat by a big canal and read my book for a while. I had a cannabis lollipop that I bought at a street market and sat in a park on the southern part of town and finished my book. I also got a pretty damn good sandwich for cheap and just enjoyed some time outside in the sun.
Then today I woke up early and ate some "space cake" then went on a 7 1/2 hour trek through the Western and other Southern parts of the town. there was a lot more happening over there. First I walked into a church that was having a massive book fair inside it. I almost bought another book but I have plenty with me. The church was gorgeous and most of the books were in Dutch. Then I walked and found a giant ass cheese shop with hundreds of different kinds of cheese. I got some bread and cheese. As I was walking to find a place to sit a 500 person rollerblade parade just cruised past me with some techno blaring. I later stumbled onto the 5 block long Sunday market/fair of the Westerpark district in Amsterdam. I walked some more and found Vondelpark, the park for all the locals. It was packed with people but clearly all people from Amsterdam. I sat by the tame river next to a tree. On the otherside there were other people doing the same. There was also a BBQ with Arostifarian guys playing hacky sack with a soccer ball. Some old white dudes clearly just walked up and decided to join in and they were all just hanging out and having a good time. I sat and read the first two chapters of Barack Obama's "The Audacity of Hope" while drinking a beer. I found an all you can eat vegetarian falafel place that Pat and I found in Barcelona last year and I went to town there for about half an hour.
It's been rather quiet in Amsterdam for me, which I wouldn't have expected, but I've been able to chill out. I'm ready to go on to Belgium and with this other stuff that I've been booking. It sounds like I'm gonna have some more fun stuff to do ahead. It's definitely been good for me to not go get hammered for a few days and much less spendy. It has made me appreciate the process of meeting interesting people while traveling more and it's made me realize how I like to book things for traveling moreso as well. It's also made me appreciate the things that I have back in the States more and it's been kind of good to be reminded of them.
No serious regrets though. Amsterdam is a gorgeous place. The canals here are everywhere but it's really the first Midevil town that I've ever been too. It has a sort of cold dark feel that I'm not that down with but the biking culture is amazing. Any college town that reps there bike culture doesn't have shit on Amsterdam. There are certain streets where you never see any cars but just bikes and the occasional moped. The people riding bikes are all riding cruisers and have on normal clothes. They're just people getting errands done. I've been here 3 days and I can already distinguish the difference between the sounds of bikes, mopeds, small cars, trucks, public buses and trams in a split second without even having to turn my head. You have to look for all of these at once from different directions when you are crossing major streets.
Well I'm off to bed soon. It's been a long tiring day and I want to get up and get moving early tomorrow. Later.
As soon as I got in I did some internet stuff and then I went to just get a beer. As I was grabbing a seat and old Dutch couple asked if they could join me and I said sure. The husband ended up being a professor at a University in The Netherlands and he had given speeches at Stanford and Berkeley so we compared the education systems and culture of the U.S. and Europe. He bought me my beer and some cheese. Then a Canadian dude named Greg in his 30's joined us. He had just been in Belgium and gave me some good advice on things to look for in Belgium. On Saturday I just walked through the Eastern part of Centraal Amsterdam and then beyond. I got as far away from right downtown as I could. I sat by a big canal and read my book for a while. I had a cannabis lollipop that I bought at a street market and sat in a park on the southern part of town and finished my book. I also got a pretty damn good sandwich for cheap and just enjoyed some time outside in the sun.
Then today I woke up early and ate some "space cake" then went on a 7 1/2 hour trek through the Western and other Southern parts of the town. there was a lot more happening over there. First I walked into a church that was having a massive book fair inside it. I almost bought another book but I have plenty with me. The church was gorgeous and most of the books were in Dutch. Then I walked and found a giant ass cheese shop with hundreds of different kinds of cheese. I got some bread and cheese. As I was walking to find a place to sit a 500 person rollerblade parade just cruised past me with some techno blaring. I later stumbled onto the 5 block long Sunday market/fair of the Westerpark district in Amsterdam. I walked some more and found Vondelpark, the park for all the locals. It was packed with people but clearly all people from Amsterdam. I sat by the tame river next to a tree. On the otherside there were other people doing the same. There was also a BBQ with Arostifarian guys playing hacky sack with a soccer ball. Some old white dudes clearly just walked up and decided to join in and they were all just hanging out and having a good time. I sat and read the first two chapters of Barack Obama's "The Audacity of Hope" while drinking a beer. I found an all you can eat vegetarian falafel place that Pat and I found in Barcelona last year and I went to town there for about half an hour.
It's been rather quiet in Amsterdam for me, which I wouldn't have expected, but I've been able to chill out. I'm ready to go on to Belgium and with this other stuff that I've been booking. It sounds like I'm gonna have some more fun stuff to do ahead. It's definitely been good for me to not go get hammered for a few days and much less spendy. It has made me appreciate the process of meeting interesting people while traveling more and it's made me realize how I like to book things for traveling moreso as well. It's also made me appreciate the things that I have back in the States more and it's been kind of good to be reminded of them.
No serious regrets though. Amsterdam is a gorgeous place. The canals here are everywhere but it's really the first Midevil town that I've ever been too. It has a sort of cold dark feel that I'm not that down with but the biking culture is amazing. Any college town that reps there bike culture doesn't have shit on Amsterdam. There are certain streets where you never see any cars but just bikes and the occasional moped. The people riding bikes are all riding cruisers and have on normal clothes. They're just people getting errands done. I've been here 3 days and I can already distinguish the difference between the sounds of bikes, mopeds, small cars, trucks, public buses and trams in a split second without even having to turn my head. You have to look for all of these at once from different directions when you are crossing major streets.
Well I'm off to bed soon. It's been a long tiring day and I want to get up and get moving early tomorrow. Later.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Hello again. Well I am in Amsterdam right now but I will get into that later. So here's what happened in Paris. Like I said I went out that night with the California girls to the student drink special and the cost wasn't that special. It was 5 Euros a pint which is expensive but apparently extremely cheap in Paris. Fortunately these lovely ladies knew all about the drinking beforehand process so we all got cheap bottles of wine and downed those before and on the way to the bar. It was full of international students and we all just partied the night away. Several of the girls had massive hangovers the next day. I did not though and it was a fun time for sure.
The next day I woke up and took my time in the morning but I ended up going for one of my now coveted walks. This is where I just walk all over the city from destination to destination. That way I see all the tourist spots but I also walk through the little alleyways that are of the beaten path and burn some carbs. I walked through the Latin Quarter and found some awesome cafe's and little eateries. I was on a budget so I couldn't stop at all of them but I still peered in and saw all the locals going about their ways. I went to the Panthenon first and from there they have a great view of the Eiffel Tower. As soon as I saw that I said, "Fuck it, I'm B-lining it to right there." I didn't B-Line it but I came pretty close to. I went a couple of blocks out the way to see a few more sites that were on the way but my destination was clear. The Eiffel Tower is just one of those monuments that you always heard about and I wanted to get to the top. I also got distracted by the tour guide who saw me wearing my San Jose Sharks t-shirt and he stopped his tour to shoot the shit with me about hockey for 2 minutes. When I got to the Eiffel Tower it was a mob scene. It took forever to get up there and some of the tourists were just plain obnoxious. It was still totally worth it though and the view from up there is amazing.
I then went to the Louve to meet Allie, her friend Julie and Cassandra. Allie, Julie and I went and got falafels but Cassandra went home because she had quite the spending spree in Amsterdam. These falafels were pretty damn good. And we just chilled out that night. Some of the girls did homework while I was fooling around on the internet. There was talk of P.S. I Love You but alas, it didn't happen. Regardless though it was just a lot fun to hang out with Allie. I barely see her anymore and it was fun to meet some of her friends from UCLA and meet up with her after a day of events and just kick it or go out and tear the town up. Plus staying on her floor is free and that certainly helped the pocketbook.
The next day, yesterday, I had another walking tour of Paris. First I walked by the Bastille monument on the way to Notre Dame. It was pretty cool but honestly I enjoyed the fresh croissants I had on the way more. Then I walked to the Louve and got an eclair on the way there. The Louve is amazing. It wasn't just that there's an enormous amount of artwork there but I spent 3 1/2 hours there which 1. is more time then I like to spend in museums 2. is not nearly enough time to see a good amount of everything they have to offer and 3. is so amazing that I wanted to spend all day there. That's not typical for museums for me. I get worn out. The Mona Lisa is a mad house. No one is there really looking at it and appreciating it. Everyone is trying to take a picture of it with their zoom. I just took a picture of the mob crowd surrounding it. It's the only time in a museum where it's perfectly ok to be incredibly loud.
I continued on up to the Basilica de Sacre Couer. I stopped for coffee and relaxation and I had a tomato, brie and baguette sandwich. Delicious. After that the walk was great. I entered the northern part of Paris where there were next to no tourists and it was an international community. People from all different parts of the world were there but they were just living there. It might have seemed a little run down for Paris but I thouroughly enjoyed it and felt safe the whole way. The Sacre Coeur was beautiful. I have to go back at some point. There are people playing great music on the steps out front, the architecture of it is amazing, you get an unbelievable view of Paris and inside the actual building it was one of the most calming spiritual places I've ever been to. Outside I sat and chilled with people who were just relaxing for 20 minutes and I spent even longer sitting inside looking at the ceiling. It was one of my favorite places so far and definitely a place I HAVE to go back to. The crypt and the dome are fantastic as well.
It really made me think about what exactly I was doing on this trip and what I was doing with the last trip in relation to this one. I realized that on the last one I didn't really know what I was doing. I was looking for more self confidence, new experiences, meeting people from different backgrounds and places and pursuing something that I had always wanted to do but I didn't really know it at the time. Now I wouldn't say I know exactly what I'm doing but I think I have a better idea than before. I'm looking to establish more independence, have a few more wild times because I'm starting to lose the energy for all of this crazy shit I do sometimes, make more great connections with people but also establish a certain peace of mind. I'm always thinking and being analytical (to a fault sometimes) and there's something rather soothing to me about doing what I'm doing and enjoying it. A sense of accomplishment in making the most of the opportunities I have at hand and knowing/finding my place in this whole spectrum of things. Not just traveling either but with the move to Chicago and all the changes that are going on in my life right now as well. It's interesting but at least for the moment I feel like I know what I'm doing moreso.
After that I hustled back to Allie's for dinner then a bunch of us went out to what one of the locals deemed as the hottest club in the city. It was pretty crackin. That disco in Ireland was nothing compared to this. There was a wild ass party going on, the bouncers were rough and serious about letting people in but it was worth it. They were handing out cowboy hats so I snagged one up and danced the night away in that. Once again with little sleep though I got up and hopped on my train to the next city. I napped, read and talked with the people sitting next me on the ride to Amsterdam. I had heard of a hostel called Bob's hostel where they don't take reservations so you can just walk up and get a bed. I strolled into the living room area and there were tables of people lighting it up in many different ways but people were just chillin, talking, having a good time and not being lethargic at all (the way it should be). I thought, "Alright I can get down with this place". I strolled up to the front and requested a room but was promptly denied because they were all filled up. Fucking Bob's. Well I strolled around Amsterdam with my pack looking for a hostel for a couple of hours. I stumbled into the Red Light district where everytime I'd walk by a window they'd see some young dude with a giant pack and a travel book and start tapping at the glass like crazy calling me in. I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it and when I saw one window coming up I started to get ready for that same treatment but the woman was absolutly hideous and that put my arrogant ass in it's place. Don't worry though, I've got enough things on my regretful resume and I don't think I'll be putting paying for sex on it. I finally got settled in this other hostel and I'm liking it a lot so far. Good vibe, a little spendy but great spot and I can finally crash out now for a little snooze. So I'll talk to you all later.
The next day I woke up and took my time in the morning but I ended up going for one of my now coveted walks. This is where I just walk all over the city from destination to destination. That way I see all the tourist spots but I also walk through the little alleyways that are of the beaten path and burn some carbs. I walked through the Latin Quarter and found some awesome cafe's and little eateries. I was on a budget so I couldn't stop at all of them but I still peered in and saw all the locals going about their ways. I went to the Panthenon first and from there they have a great view of the Eiffel Tower. As soon as I saw that I said, "Fuck it, I'm B-lining it to right there." I didn't B-Line it but I came pretty close to. I went a couple of blocks out the way to see a few more sites that were on the way but my destination was clear. The Eiffel Tower is just one of those monuments that you always heard about and I wanted to get to the top. I also got distracted by the tour guide who saw me wearing my San Jose Sharks t-shirt and he stopped his tour to shoot the shit with me about hockey for 2 minutes. When I got to the Eiffel Tower it was a mob scene. It took forever to get up there and some of the tourists were just plain obnoxious. It was still totally worth it though and the view from up there is amazing.
I then went to the Louve to meet Allie, her friend Julie and Cassandra. Allie, Julie and I went and got falafels but Cassandra went home because she had quite the spending spree in Amsterdam. These falafels were pretty damn good. And we just chilled out that night. Some of the girls did homework while I was fooling around on the internet. There was talk of P.S. I Love You but alas, it didn't happen. Regardless though it was just a lot fun to hang out with Allie. I barely see her anymore and it was fun to meet some of her friends from UCLA and meet up with her after a day of events and just kick it or go out and tear the town up. Plus staying on her floor is free and that certainly helped the pocketbook.
The next day, yesterday, I had another walking tour of Paris. First I walked by the Bastille monument on the way to Notre Dame. It was pretty cool but honestly I enjoyed the fresh croissants I had on the way more. Then I walked to the Louve and got an eclair on the way there. The Louve is amazing. It wasn't just that there's an enormous amount of artwork there but I spent 3 1/2 hours there which 1. is more time then I like to spend in museums 2. is not nearly enough time to see a good amount of everything they have to offer and 3. is so amazing that I wanted to spend all day there. That's not typical for museums for me. I get worn out. The Mona Lisa is a mad house. No one is there really looking at it and appreciating it. Everyone is trying to take a picture of it with their zoom. I just took a picture of the mob crowd surrounding it. It's the only time in a museum where it's perfectly ok to be incredibly loud.
I continued on up to the Basilica de Sacre Couer. I stopped for coffee and relaxation and I had a tomato, brie and baguette sandwich. Delicious. After that the walk was great. I entered the northern part of Paris where there were next to no tourists and it was an international community. People from all different parts of the world were there but they were just living there. It might have seemed a little run down for Paris but I thouroughly enjoyed it and felt safe the whole way. The Sacre Coeur was beautiful. I have to go back at some point. There are people playing great music on the steps out front, the architecture of it is amazing, you get an unbelievable view of Paris and inside the actual building it was one of the most calming spiritual places I've ever been to. Outside I sat and chilled with people who were just relaxing for 20 minutes and I spent even longer sitting inside looking at the ceiling. It was one of my favorite places so far and definitely a place I HAVE to go back to. The crypt and the dome are fantastic as well.
It really made me think about what exactly I was doing on this trip and what I was doing with the last trip in relation to this one. I realized that on the last one I didn't really know what I was doing. I was looking for more self confidence, new experiences, meeting people from different backgrounds and places and pursuing something that I had always wanted to do but I didn't really know it at the time. Now I wouldn't say I know exactly what I'm doing but I think I have a better idea than before. I'm looking to establish more independence, have a few more wild times because I'm starting to lose the energy for all of this crazy shit I do sometimes, make more great connections with people but also establish a certain peace of mind. I'm always thinking and being analytical (to a fault sometimes) and there's something rather soothing to me about doing what I'm doing and enjoying it. A sense of accomplishment in making the most of the opportunities I have at hand and knowing/finding my place in this whole spectrum of things. Not just traveling either but with the move to Chicago and all the changes that are going on in my life right now as well. It's interesting but at least for the moment I feel like I know what I'm doing moreso.
After that I hustled back to Allie's for dinner then a bunch of us went out to what one of the locals deemed as the hottest club in the city. It was pretty crackin. That disco in Ireland was nothing compared to this. There was a wild ass party going on, the bouncers were rough and serious about letting people in but it was worth it. They were handing out cowboy hats so I snagged one up and danced the night away in that. Once again with little sleep though I got up and hopped on my train to the next city. I napped, read and talked with the people sitting next me on the ride to Amsterdam. I had heard of a hostel called Bob's hostel where they don't take reservations so you can just walk up and get a bed. I strolled into the living room area and there were tables of people lighting it up in many different ways but people were just chillin, talking, having a good time and not being lethargic at all (the way it should be). I thought, "Alright I can get down with this place". I strolled up to the front and requested a room but was promptly denied because they were all filled up. Fucking Bob's. Well I strolled around Amsterdam with my pack looking for a hostel for a couple of hours. I stumbled into the Red Light district where everytime I'd walk by a window they'd see some young dude with a giant pack and a travel book and start tapping at the glass like crazy calling me in. I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it and when I saw one window coming up I started to get ready for that same treatment but the woman was absolutly hideous and that put my arrogant ass in it's place. Don't worry though, I've got enough things on my regretful resume and I don't think I'll be putting paying for sex on it. I finally got settled in this other hostel and I'm liking it a lot so far. Good vibe, a little spendy but great spot and I can finally crash out now for a little snooze. So I'll talk to you all later.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Paris, France
So I am in Paris right now staying in Allie Swislocki's study abroad flat. It's pretty sweet but I'll get into Paris stuff later. For now I'll finish up the part of my time in Ireland (which only got better and better). So I left off with that wild night that I had in Dublin. After that I ended up having another wild night without even wanting to. I met these two Canadian guys in my hostel and we got to talking while we had a couple of pints. Then we were leaving to head back and crash for the most part when one of the guys, Trevor, decided to offer to help these two crazy drunk Irish people take a picture. They ended up getting us into the most elite club in Ireland (I shit you not) because the woman of the couple runs all the PR for people in Dublin and used to have a really popular TV show in Ireland. You can only get into this place if you're well known by people or have guests. We were the guests. There was a local rugby columnist, the chief editor of the magazine "The Dubliner", an Irish newscaster with his prostitute, an Irish soap star and an unbelievably wealthy American guy from Chicago who lived and did business in Ireland. The American guy and I bonded talking about politics (Barack Obama) and how the Irish don't understand American politics like him and I do. There was a table that was always reserved for Bono at all times in the off chance that he might show up because he is a regular there, but apparently he had quite a wild night there just two days earlier. There were also several Irish versions of the LA blonde ho who goes after the rich lonely guys who will by them expensive things. I got to talking with one of them for a while and got busy with her a little later, and I didn't even have to buy her a drink. I got her to get one of the rich guys to buy some extremely expensive champagne for her and then she poured us two glasses and turned her back to him. LOL!!!!!! It was so fucking funny and she thought it was hilarious too. She was actually a first officer for a plane company in Ireland I can't remember. She called me her American boy all night in response to that hit song that I can't remember. But goddamn alcoholic Irish women are a handful. I don't think we'll be seeing each other again.
After two hours of sleep I got up and went on a bus tour through southern Ireland. It was pretty touristy at times but completely worth it, and still not nearly as touristy as you'd think a bus tour would be. The people I met on the tour were amazing and we made all these great connections in such a short time. There was the tour guide Kevin, or as we called him towards the end Dr. Kev because we had an incredibly sarcastic conversation where he helped me sort through my feelings in front of everyone on the first night while we were a few pints deep. We figured out that it was ok for me to have feelings and express them. The driver Dave had a role in Braveheart as one of the guys who lifted up his kilt to moon the English and Dr. Kev and I decided he was suffering from little spoon syndrome on the first night of drinking. Next to me was Katie the Scottish nurse. She was a good sport the whole time while Dave made fun of her voice for sounding like Mrs. Doubtfire. "Oh Deary". There was Naill the chill hippie dude with dreads from Sydney who could rock the guitar. He also had a dirty rag handkerchief like Pat that he would use and put back in his pocket. Jen, the other Aussie from Sydney who had been traveling for 6 months and had quite the passionate kiss on the dance floor with a silly, but apparently cute, Irish man. She also walked around a wedding with her dress tucked in her underwear for 3 hours or so before anyone told her. Two Americans in front of me that were living in London but from Ohio (Kim and Becca). I yanked Kim out of the street when she was standing close to the middle because she didn't want to step in the mud even though a car was coming. She didn't get hit by the car or mud on her feet. A canadian mother and daughter (Kim and Megan) who would not stop asking me about my love life and pointing out that I looked like Ben Affleck. Joel and Brandi, the engaged couple from the LA area and Joel was fucking nuts when he got some drink in him. It was fun to say the least.
We met in Dublin but then went to an ancient monastic city on the Shannon River, then the cliffs of Moher (which were breathtaking and then we settled down in the small town of Doolin which had 2 stop lights and 4 pubs. We also went to a whiskey distillery where Joel and I popped our hands up immediately when they ask for tasting volunteers at then end of the tour. Doolin was a typical small Irish village in the countryside and it was beautiful. It was made more beautiful by getting many pints of Guinness that night. The next day we went to Dingle (a small fishing town) and the Dingle peninsula which was beautiful as well. It was cold and foggy but that didn't stop us from running down to the beach and dipping our legs in the water. I splashed just a little bit of water on the girls (some things will never change) but they got me back and I also climbed up on the giant rocks barefoot. We had a quick Irish coffee before we left to go to the Kerry mountains and take in the views. Dave drove off without Jen deliberately so she'd have to run after the bus. We all had a laugh and she was a good sport. Then we stayed in Killarney and had a nice dinner that night where we heard an authentic Irish story telling session. We then went to this Irish club with an Irish band. Then Naill and I were lead into the back with the girls we were with. All of the sudden the lights went dark, smoke started pouring out of the room, colorful lights were flashing. they had a giant disco floor in the back and the girls shouted "Oh my God let's go dance." So Naill and I danced out there with them for about 2 hours or so and Katie and I almost got kicked out for trying to put her on my shoulders. When we got back Naill kept shining his light on the girls while they were changing for bed. It was tasteful and the next day they were not offended. They all thought he was hilarious for it.
The next day we went caving, kissed the Blarney stone at the Blarney castle, went to the Rock of Cashel and got back to Dublin. Those of us that didn't have to leave until the next day went out and got blasted on last time in Dubin. Joel showed up having slammed down 5 beers in an hour beforehand thinking we would all be drunk but he was way far ahead of us and hilarious. He had a discussion with the bartender about how much head (beer foam) he was getting and how he wanted some head from him but not too much head. I had to give the girls grandpa kisses before I left so there was plenty to go around. I had been sleeping through my alarm some on the trip for periods of time that were over an hour but I didn't think it would be an issue this time. Well I'm pretty sure I slept through it again that Monday because I woke up and it was set correctly but it was well past when I needed to get up so I missed my flight to Paris. I ended up buying another one for more than I wanted to pay but it was just time to leave Ireland. Plus I had plans of meeting up with Allie so I just bit the bullet and will have to plan my fiances more accordingly from here.
So now I'm in Paris. I found my way to Allie's place and she made me pasta, green beans, bread and cheese while I chomped on some chocolate bread. I bought some of the food and the wine though and I also did the dishes. Then her, me and 5 of her abroad girlfriends went to the Arc de Triomphe jut before it closed. We all shared 3 bottles of wine. Today I got up off of Allie's very comfortable floor and showered, shaved and did laundry for her and me while she was in class. We met up and went to a fresh food market with her friend Julie Goldenrosen or something from the bay area and who also knows my friends Phoebe and Lindsay because she went to high school with Lindsay. Tonight they have student drink specials at some bar that is really cheap. After dinner with Julie at her place Allie, me and a bunch of California girls are going to get drunk, go to the drink student special bar and get drunker. Should be wild. Before that though I plan so sit at a coffee shop, read a book and chill while Allie takes a nap. It will all be very cheap but fun, just my style.
I find myself constantly thinking about what these people and events mean to me. I made some great connections with people on the bus trip but I have no idea how long they will last or what will come of them. We all could have been great friends if we were in the same area and some of them I will most certainly see again at some point. I am well aware that this is all part of life. There are times when you meet people and can share great experiences but it doesn't really last forever. There are always people out there in different areas that you can get along with and have good friendships with but I don't like how those connections can be temporary or lose importance. I never have and I never will but it's inevitable that it will happen sometimes when you don't want it to. Aside from the connections I'm having more trouble understanding where I am geographically. Before I could literally feel that I was in Spain or Portugal or other areas. Now I know where I am, I'm seeing all the sights, I'm going off the touristy path as well and just seeing what some of these places are like where there aren't many foreigners when I go exploring but it still all feels surreal to me. There's still just lots of thoughts about the future and how this all ties into my life goals and can I be 100% sure I'm doing to right thing in my life. I can't be 100% sure and I don't see how you can ever be 100% sure. You never know if a choice is exactly right because there are many choices that could work out amazingly. I just know that I'm enjoying myself and seeing and doing things that I've always thought would be cool and fun to do. I don't think you can have much more than that. It was nicer before when I was traveling and I could bounce these ideas off someone who was having the same experiences. I hope you're enjoying yourself out there Pat. And Spence, I really did mean it when you said you couldn't explain what your trip meant to you and I said, "I understand that completely." I gotch ya on that buddy. Well I'm gonna peace out now. This posting was incredibly long but I hadn't been able to write for a while so I had to make up for lost time. I hope everybody is making the most out of where they are and whatever they're doing and I'll talk to you all later.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Dublin, Ireland
Allo mates, (That's Irish for Hello friends)
Well I'm in Dublin now. I've been here for about 3 days. The first day I was just incredibly jet-lagged and when I got to my hostel they told it wasn't going to be ready for about 4 hours. So I had to walk around in Dublin with no sleep, but I made the most of it. I went to a couple of parks, museums and I went to this restaurant Cornucopia with vegetarian dishes that was recommended to me for some soup, coffee and bread. Then I napped and I really didn't go out and do much that night. I stayed in and read. Partly cause I was tired and partly because it took me a little bit of time to get into that travel zone. It's where you feel comfortable trying to start a conversation with people that you don't know at all. That took me well into my second day, so just last night for dinner, to get going. Before that I was just kind of hanging out by myself, which was relaxing in certain ways but annoying in others. Yesterday during the day though I went to the Guinness factory which is awesome. It's self guided but they got really creative with it to make it interesting. They even had a tasting room where you could have a free tasting of Guinness. I had 2. Then at the top of the building, which is shaped like a pint glass, they have a gravity bar which has a panoramic view of all of Dublin. Then I walked back to my hostel but stopped at a Catholic church on the way where I sat and listened to a sermon for 20 minutes. Great timing after a couple of beers.
Last night though was a lot of fun. I went out drinking with 4 Australian women and 1 French woman. We started at a Turkish bar but then moved to the touristy bar right next to our hostel where all the young travelers between 18 and 33 go to. I got hit on by 2 Irish guys that night while going to the bathroom but in separate situations who were just blasted. One of them offered to "hold it for me for 50 cents" while I was taking a leak. I explained to him the economic situation regarding the Euro and how at that price it wasn't worth my while. From what I saw a lot of drunk Irish men have no chivalry towards either women or tourist women because these guys were out of line. If you think I have ever said some bad stuff sometimes go to Ireland. By the end of the night these women I was with kept calling me Dad (which was ironic because I'm a couple of years younger than all of them) because whenever they needed to get away from some fool hitting on them they'd come find me and put their arms around me and say they were with me. Given that I'm taller than most of the Irish guys and for some reason they loved that I grew up in California, they tended to back off after that. After the bar closed it took us 2 hours to leave, walk a block to a store and walk right back so we could get to our hostel because there was so much drunk action going on. The streets were raging, and it was a Wednesday night in the beginning of the off season.
After that I don't know if I'll go out tonight. Those ladies left and I'm about to go on a 3 day bus tour through the southern parts of Ireland where there will be plenty of merrymaking. It will be the same group of people going to all the same places, staying at the same hostels and going out the the same Irish music bars/venues in the south. Should be fun and it cam highly recommended. I just read a lot the first night and I think I'll do that again tonight, but you never know. I feel like I've seen a lot of Dublin at this point. Today I was thinking about going to Belfast for a day but i decided that would be trying to squeeze too much in so I went for a walk north of the Liffey River for 3 hours or so. I stopped and got some Irish Stew and a Guinness for lunch. That hit the spot. Well that's all for now. Basically I feel like I'm in a good groove now. There's was just an adjustment period at first but I'm excited about going to all these places and meet a bunch of new interesting people. Having seen where a lot of people are right now that have just graduated, and then to actually be somewhere different it feels more right at this point to be doing what I'm doing. therefore, I'm not missing Oregon too much anymore. I'm still missing it but I'm having enough fun to not feel to bad about being away.
Peace be with you
Well I'm in Dublin now. I've been here for about 3 days. The first day I was just incredibly jet-lagged and when I got to my hostel they told it wasn't going to be ready for about 4 hours. So I had to walk around in Dublin with no sleep, but I made the most of it. I went to a couple of parks, museums and I went to this restaurant Cornucopia with vegetarian dishes that was recommended to me for some soup, coffee and bread. Then I napped and I really didn't go out and do much that night. I stayed in and read. Partly cause I was tired and partly because it took me a little bit of time to get into that travel zone. It's where you feel comfortable trying to start a conversation with people that you don't know at all. That took me well into my second day, so just last night for dinner, to get going. Before that I was just kind of hanging out by myself, which was relaxing in certain ways but annoying in others. Yesterday during the day though I went to the Guinness factory which is awesome. It's self guided but they got really creative with it to make it interesting. They even had a tasting room where you could have a free tasting of Guinness. I had 2. Then at the top of the building, which is shaped like a pint glass, they have a gravity bar which has a panoramic view of all of Dublin. Then I walked back to my hostel but stopped at a Catholic church on the way where I sat and listened to a sermon for 20 minutes. Great timing after a couple of beers.
Last night though was a lot of fun. I went out drinking with 4 Australian women and 1 French woman. We started at a Turkish bar but then moved to the touristy bar right next to our hostel where all the young travelers between 18 and 33 go to. I got hit on by 2 Irish guys that night while going to the bathroom but in separate situations who were just blasted. One of them offered to "hold it for me for 50 cents" while I was taking a leak. I explained to him the economic situation regarding the Euro and how at that price it wasn't worth my while. From what I saw a lot of drunk Irish men have no chivalry towards either women or tourist women because these guys were out of line. If you think I have ever said some bad stuff sometimes go to Ireland. By the end of the night these women I was with kept calling me Dad (which was ironic because I'm a couple of years younger than all of them) because whenever they needed to get away from some fool hitting on them they'd come find me and put their arms around me and say they were with me. Given that I'm taller than most of the Irish guys and for some reason they loved that I grew up in California, they tended to back off after that. After the bar closed it took us 2 hours to leave, walk a block to a store and walk right back so we could get to our hostel because there was so much drunk action going on. The streets were raging, and it was a Wednesday night in the beginning of the off season.
After that I don't know if I'll go out tonight. Those ladies left and I'm about to go on a 3 day bus tour through the southern parts of Ireland where there will be plenty of merrymaking. It will be the same group of people going to all the same places, staying at the same hostels and going out the the same Irish music bars/venues in the south. Should be fun and it cam highly recommended. I just read a lot the first night and I think I'll do that again tonight, but you never know. I feel like I've seen a lot of Dublin at this point. Today I was thinking about going to Belfast for a day but i decided that would be trying to squeeze too much in so I went for a walk north of the Liffey River for 3 hours or so. I stopped and got some Irish Stew and a Guinness for lunch. That hit the spot. Well that's all for now. Basically I feel like I'm in a good groove now. There's was just an adjustment period at first but I'm excited about going to all these places and meet a bunch of new interesting people. Having seen where a lot of people are right now that have just graduated, and then to actually be somewhere different it feels more right at this point to be doing what I'm doing. therefore, I'm not missing Oregon too much anymore. I'm still missing it but I'm having enough fun to not feel to bad about being away.
Peace be with you
Monday, September 8, 2008
Hey so I'm still in Boston but I'l be leaving in a matter of hours. I thought my flight was at around 2:00 pm but I checked last night and it's actually at around 7:00 pm so I was able to take my time a little bit more today. It's not necessarily a bad thing to have to kill some time in Boston on a nice sunny day.
Well the next day Colin and I went to the train station to go to Providence, Rhode Island but me just missed our train and the next one wasn't going to be until later. It was funny because we were running to try and catch a train but they were shooting a movie with Mel Gibson that was right in the middle where we had to run through. Everyone was looking at us because they had to stop shooting just so that we could run through...and then we ended up completely missing the train anyways. So we made due with what we had and we went north to the main beaches in the Boston area and went on a romantic walk until t started raining. Then we went under a safe covering to shield ourselves from the rain only momentarily. After that we came back to his lace and cooked my Chicken Caesar Casserole for al of his roommates, followed by some party hopping with them.
The next day was a fat BBQ with the Theater Arts people Colin has worked with for a couple of years now and that I've got to meet and hang out with several times since Colin has been out here. I always like hanging out with them because they're such a different artistic group than I'm used to hanging out with but we always go out and just tear the town up. it was fun and there was a pretty cool whiffle ball game. Then I went on a double date later that night where Colin's girlfriend Sara was my date...shhhhhhhh don't tell Colin and our counterparts were these two of Colin's classmates Alex and Ross. I always enjoy hanging out with Alex because he is just hilarious. We saw Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo. Very different than something I would normally do.
Now I'm going off to Ireland soon. This whole time it all hasn't hit me everything that I'll be doing but I think it's because most of the things I've been doing are thing's that I've always done and enjoy doing. These are all areas I've been to with people that I know and experiences that I've had. Now the part that's new and different begins and I can already feel the nerves. When I get on the plane it's going to hit me and hit me hard but I'll end up figuring it out and being just fine. As soon as I find my hostel in Dublin I know the excitement will kick in right there. Talking with Colin some this weekend helped me set my mind straight on some things so I'm not as upset about leaving things behind and really feeling more excited about what the future holds. Thanks bro. I'll write again at some point in Ireland so until then, toodles.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Boston
Hello all. Well I'm first writing from Boston, MA where I'm visiting my brother Colin. Before this I was in the bay area for 2 weeks and I was in Vancouver, BC for 5 days during that time. Vancouver is an awesome city. It doesn't really have hot summers but it was still very scenic. Also it's incredibly international. Walking around I heard several different languages being spoken from all different parts of the world. Plus there were tons of areas along the bay and river for outdoor recreation. Beautiful place and friendly people. Even before all of that I was on a road trip through the Western USA so I've just been seeing a lot in general lately and it's been tight.
The bay was tight as usual. It was awesome to see a lot of people that I grew up with but it felt like I was barely there. I've found that as time goes on the bay seems more and more distant. It doesn't even feel like home anymore. It feels like where I grew up and I'll always enjoy at the very least visiting regularly but at this point Oregon feels more like home.
I'm missing people from Oregon and the bay and I always will but I'm having a good time and looking forward. I always like visiting Boston and Europe and Chicago will be a lot of fun. Right now though I just have a few more things to take care of before I go so I'm worrying more about some of that stuff rather than just being excited the whole time and what not.
Anywhom, Colin should be getting out of class soon and then we'll just be goofing around in Boston for the day and going to a couple of beginning of the year parties for the CFA department of BU. We may even go to Providence, Rhode Island tomorrow but that's not for sure. Either way he's got some activities in mind. I just had a fresh shower and took care of some major errands so I'm ready to rollbounce. I'm gonna eat a banana get moving here.
Peace
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