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Wednesday, June 18, 2003
The end of another hectic day at work. I'm now on three new committees - wonderful! I volunteered to be on the subject guide committee at our reference dept. meeting last week. I guess one problem with us reference librarians is that we can pay too much attention to detail and analyze every single thing. This can include how to design a webpage that is intutitive for a student to easily navigate. I was on the last subject guide committee and the template that we hammered out was great. But now that the library will be creating a new template then we need to *revisit* the subject guides. Why bother?! It's done and works fairly well. But some people think that some subjects should have links like call numbers, subject headings, books, and websites placed in different orders. Students care more about websites on a topic than a call number to search on the catalog. Here's my computer science subject guide (I just realized that one link is duplicated (sigh)!).
ANYWAY a few days later my boss informed me that I will be on a hiring committee for an adult librarian for the library's public library dept. That's okay as I've not been on a hiring committee for a professional position before. I have a stack of resumes to read - some of these cover letters are pathetic! One short paragraph essentially saying they are applying for the advertised position. Yesteday the library's director asked me to *take over* the library's disaster preparedness committee. I'm to be the new head and edit the mammoth document. A committee was formed last year and we met a couple of times and my area to edit was quite large (get floor plans and fire extinguisher locations for the building). But the committee stopped meeting and somehow word got around that I'd be the best person to get the job done. They're right about that but I need one or two people to help me with this. I better get a good raise or I'll be pretty upset. I've done a lot of work for the department while others have slacked off. If we're all given a generic 3% cost of living raise then I will not be impressed. We leave for Toronto in two days - can't wait to get away for my working vacation! Here are my answers for last week's Friday Five:
What's one thing you've always wanted to do, but never have? Take up martial arts.
When someone asks your opinion about a new haircut/outfit/etc, are you always honest? I've had few people ask me this. If the haircut/outfit is really bad then I'll mention something like *not bad*.
Have you ever found out something about a friend and then wished you hadn't? What happened? Umm...no.
If you could live in any fictional world (from a book/movie/game/etc.) which would it be and why? Star Trek (but not the Enterprise show timeline) hands down because I'd like to explore new planets and meet new aliens. Our future is in space and there is life out there.
What's one talent/skill you don't have but always wanted? Hmm...I've wished for a while that I could play a musical instrument. The piano is my favorite instrument to listen so maybe that or the guitar.
On a sad note, my grandfather is not doing well healthwise. He was rushed to the hospital on Father's Day after appearing to be disoriented. He's been in poor health for a few years now but has managed to hang on. His wish was to die at home that he and my grandmother have lived in for 54 years. But know he's stuck in a hospital for god knows how long. I hope that he doesn't suffer too long there. Darcy and I will be visiting Spokane in a month. No one knows what things will be like by then. Well I better go home and do my laundry and work out. Later...
posted by Michael at 7:03 PM
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Thursday, June 12, 2003
I just got an email saying that the Library of Congress will not be attending the 2003 ALA/CLA conference in Toronto. Bastards! I understand the concern some people have about the Toronto SARS scare. But the thing, in my view has been overblown and is not like it is in Asia. I believe the L of C decision was political in nature - likely due to anti Canadian sentiment in Washington, D.C. I think the Bush Administration may have *encouraged* L of C staff not to go. Maybe I'm overreacting but I don't think that Americans would have the same paranoia and mistrust over New York, Chicago, or L.A having a Toronto type SARS issue. Just heard that the Canadian Loonie continued its upward spiral and is hovering around 74 cents to the U.S. dollar.
Well here are my Friday Five answers for June 6, 2003.
How many times have you truly been in love? Once
What was/is so great about the person you love(d) the most? Personality and being attractive
What qualities should a significant other have? Have a sense of humor and strong self esteem
Have you ever broken someone's heart? Yes
If there was one thing you could teach people about love, what would it be? Be honest
Hmm... these questions seemed better suited for Valentines Day. I FINALLY finished reading the book In Harm's Way. I've also been reading The Dilbert Principle - hilarious book! It's nice to have new carpeting in my bedroom - so soft! The squeaky wheel gets the grease. I could have fared much worse with the water damage the apartment suffered a couple of weeks ago. I'm still working out twice a week - Wednesdays and weekends. I'm not lifting as much weight compared to when I peaked four years ago but it's better than nothing. I am lifting more now than two years ago but have very little cardio workouts. My nightly walks around the block aren't enough! Hopefull our eventual move north will allow me to ride my bike. That's all for now...
posted by Michael at 7:21 PM
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Friday, June 06, 2003
This is my final entry from my journal. I suppose if it was really boring then you wouldn't be reading this entry! Or maybe you stuck it out and actually read the whole thing. At any rate my next literary project is to transcribe my Thailand trip journal. But that will take a while!
MY 2000 ADVENTURE (continued)
June 23 – 10:20 pm
I’m sitting on the top bunk at the supposed posh hostel at Fort Augustus. Foremost on my mind is the uncomfortable pain in my right leg. Is it sciatica? The pain is mainly in my butt and it really hurts. I began noticing it a couple of days ago. I don’t know if it’s the cold weather and/or the culmination of miles that I’ve walked over the last two months. Anyway I arrived in Edinburgh around 5:00 pm on June 22nd and paid a $180.00 for a three day Hagus tour through Scotland. It may be a bit pricey considering meals are extra. But it will likely be my only chance to see the rugged Scottish Highlands. I didn’t expect to go on another tour but our drop off point had the tour company’s regional office. I walked around central Edinburgh last night. This involved traversing famous Princes Avenue, around the castle and down to the Grass Market. I also walked around an immense hill. There are many old buildings and statues of people that included the founders of algorithms and anesthesia. I walked by the house where Alexander Graham Bell was born (1847). Eventually I found a McDonald’s and a grocery store.
Then I went to Easy Everything and I did emailing and web surfing for two hours. The hostel here is rather dodgey as the rooms and dorms and bathrooms were co-ed! I said goodbye to people from the Border Raiders tour and went to bed late. Woke up at 7:40 am this morning for the start of the Haggis tour. There were a lot of backpackers lined down the street waiting for four buses. Our bus was full and a bit uncomfortable compared to the Border Raiders bus. Our new tour leader, Sue, is colorful and is overtly patriotic like Penny was. I saw many sights today starting with The Hermitage. It’s a large park with many different types of trees that include the twenty-two foot Douglas Fir. The park was created by a fellow named the Duke of Atholl. Next on the agenda was briefly visiting the Gar(r)y River that was the sight of the famous 1689 Jacobite uprising against the English. The Scots hid up in the hills and then raced down, yelling and screaming, to start the long uprising against the British.
Next to see were the Balmuaran Cairns of Clava. It contained three ancient rock burial sites that dated from the Stonehenge period. Then we had lunch at the ski resort town of Aviemore. It’s near the highest mountain in the U.K. and thus attracts many mountain climbers. Later we spent time at the historical battlefield called Culloden. It witnessed the Scottish massacre by the English in April 1746 and altered Scotland’s history. The Scots treat the area like a modern battlefield as it had flags from the opposing groups encampments. Apparently the Scots attacked across an open marshy field and were slaughtered. The battlefield was open for the public to walk across and ponder events from over 250 years ago. Now I understand the origins of the Scots dislike with the English government. The last stop of the day was at Lochness! It was damn windy and cold – the coldest day that I’ve experienced on my two month long trip. I’ve only been in the U.K. nine days and am already sick of the damn cloudy and cool days. Take me back to the sunny Middle East! Only four days left in Britain now.
June 24 – 11:00 am
I just finished visiting the interesting but eery looking Eilean Donan Castle. It was built in 1214 and was destroyed by canon bombardment in 1719. It was subsequently occupied and rebuilt by the MacCrae clan. It’s the same family from which Lt. Col. John MacCrae wrote Flanders Fields. It overlooks fog enshrouded hills and there are two lochs that are part of the sea. Many motion pictures were filmed here including Highlander. The Battle of Laros (sp?) was in 1263 and witnessed the Vikings lose to the Scots. The reason for the victory was because it was difficult and noisy to navigate through the prickly thistle plant that surrounded the castle. It surprised the invading Vikings and woke up the sleeping Scots!
June 24 – 11:45 am
I just took a picture of a haidy coo (hairy cow) on the island of Skye. That was how our tour guide pronounced the animal. Crossing the long bridge to the island cost 23 pounds! Due to the expense many locals don’t cross the bridge frequently. I just dunked my face in the Skigahen Bairn. It’s part of an old clan feud story of a disfigured young woman who wanted to reclaim her beauty. We’re now on to the Skye capital of Portree.
June 24 – 1:30 pm
I just had a cheap but good lunch consisting of heated sweet corn. Then I went to a Celtic store and bought a neat spiral ring for 7.50 pounds or $18.00 Canadian. (I inadvertently left the ring behind in a motel room in North Dakota on my trip down to Fort Lauderdale). It’s not quite as hazy now but the sky is still grey and the temperature is cool.
June 24 – 4:30 pm
We climbed up the Quiriang and had a spectacular view of the area. It was also my first glimpse of the Atlantic Ocean. The hike up the hill was exhilarating in the midst of drizzle and slippery grass and muck. This was the furthest north that I traversed on my two month long trip. It was a good place to ponder all the places that I’ve seen and reflect on the southernmost place that I saw (Aswan, Egypt). Afterwards I took some water from a waterfall called Fairy Glen and dunked my face in the fabled Sligachan . Overlooking it was a large rock formation called Old Man of Storr.
June 25 – 9:15 am
My lift hip muscle hurts like hell – sciatic nerve again? It’s been bad for five days now. The hostel that we stayed at the village of Kyleakin was great. It was a huge building and I walked half way over the long bridge that connects the Isle of Skye with mainland Scotland.
June 25 – 10:45 am
We’ve stopped at the Speam Bridge Mill for a pit stop. We passed by Ben Nevis. It’s the highest point in Britain and only has about 40 days a year where one can see the mountain peak!
June 25 – 4:00 pm
We had lunch at Glencoe that was at the base of Ben Nevis. There were many mountain climbers about. Later we visited Balquidher (sp?) to see the grave of Rob Roy. A sort of Scottish Robin Hood, he died in 1734 at age 70.
June 26 – 2:10 pm
I had lunch in the city of Durham’s market area. I returned to Edinburgh on June 25th at 5:30 pm. I met up with an American at the Brodie Hostel. We went to The Last Drop pub for Haggis and a pint of 80 Schillings beer. The pub had been there for a few hundred years as it was a place where the condemned could get a drink. The three day Hagis tour was great and am fortunate to have seen Scotland! We’re off to York so I’ll write later.
June 27 – 11:45 am
I’m sitting beside a young but cute American girl. Anyway we just took a stroll through Sherwood Forest. It looked like any other group of trees but it was one of England’s largest and well known. It was made a royal forest by the Crown. There seems to be more folklore than fact about Sherwood Forest. I passed by the Major Oak. It’s estimated to be 800 years old, weighs 23 tons and has a 33 foot trunk. Many of the branches are propped up with wooden stakes and wires due to the immense weight of the tree. It’s hazy now but the sun is trying to peak through. York was a great place to visit and was a pity that I didn’t have more time to spend. There was much Viking, Roman and English history. The city seemed to rank only behind London in political and religious importance. York Minster was impressive as was the Yarvik Viking Museum. The latter had great life like displays and mannequins and smells too. The hostel was very clean and roomy. I had Yorkshire pudding for dinner for 5 pounds 85 pence. Now it’s off to Stratford Upon Avon.
June 27 – 12:30 pm
I’ve finished tabulating some statistics from my vacation. Total distance traveled on land has been over 13,000 kilometers. I stayed in 24 hostels and 12 campgrounds and traveled through 20 countries. They are in order: Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Austria, Czech Republic, Luxemburg, Germany, Leichenstein, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, France, England, Wales, Scotland. I also saw 11 capital cities: Cairo, Amman, Damascus, Beirut, Bucharest, Budapest, Vienna, Prague, Luxembourg (city)?, Vaduz?, London, and Edinburgh.
June 28 – 11:35 am
I’m sitting on the hostel front stoop and I’m packed and more or less ready to go. It’s D-Day! How is it possible that I’ve been traveling for 9 weeks? Except for a few screw ups (wrecked camera and money loss) the trip had no major problems. It’s wonderful to have so many memories and vivid pictures of far away places. I’ve just looked up in the grey, hazy sky and seen two jets descending to Heathrow Airport. An overcast sky with no rain clouds but it would be very warm if the sun was shining. Anyway after looking at the vehicles pass by on busy Holland Road I’ve noticed that people here are in the same work/life routine as other commuters are around the world. I just saw a weird looking Kia sub compact. Anyway it’s comforting to know that I’m now familiar with some far away places and would feel somewhat comfortable if I returned to visit. I’ve learned more about how to travel long distances (bring fewer items, be organized and able to follow maps and read directions).
I returned to London yesterday at 6:00 pm and settled back into the dodgey confines of the Holland Road Hostel. I stayed up until 3:00 am talking with Bob and Brian. They’re interesting fellows and that’s the part of traveling - meeting people, forming brief relationships and then parting ways. I purchased an Underground one way pass to Heathrow Airport for 2 pounds 20 pence – heck of a deal. I’ll leave in about an hour and am full of anxiety right now. I hope that my feet and back can hold with my heavy backpack. I’ve packed all my items carefully and have attached my two tubes of artwork to the outside of my backpack. My sleeping bag is tied to the top of my pack and not the bottom like when I started on my trip. I’m trying to balance the weight better. I have a lot of things to do when I return home before I head to Spokane so I’m getting pre-occupied with those items. The clouds are beginning to clear and the sun is appearing. I’ll write more later…
June 28 – 10:35 pm (London) or 2:35 pm (Vancouver)
I have been on the plane for 6 hours. The London Underground was ridiculously easy to take from the hostel to the airport. Trip took about 45 minutes and I got off at Platform 4 at the airport station. I then walked straight ahead to an elevator and got off on the second level to the British Airways check-in area. I had over an hour to relax before boarding the plane. We’re now likely flying over Eastern Canada. I’m anxious to return home and wish that I could return to Edmonton tonight. Although my pack is fairly comfortable to carry now I don’t feel like taking city buses to get to the Vancouver hostel. Dinner on the plane was very good and I watched the movie The Hurricane. My long trip is obviously dominant in my mind but I must start to focus now on finding a job.
June 28 – 11:20 pm
I’m comfortably settled in the downtown Vancouver youth hostel. I’m very tired and must get to bed. I’ll write more in the morning.
June 29 – 10:10 am
Well I’m still in Vancouver. I should have left a while ago but there are flight delays. I’ll back up a bit and discuss events from last night. I took a short walk around the neighborhood and had a filling Chinese dinner on Davies Street. I ate noodles with lemon chicken, vegetables and a large coke for $5.34. I enjoyed watching the More Much Music television show and couldn’t eat it all my dinner. There was a newspaper article on the restaurant window outside that spoke positively about the place. I couldn’t argue with it! Feeling full I then walked around a park that faced English bay. It was a beautiful warm evening and I soaked in the beautiful scenery. Many people were walking and exercising – a bustling place. Across the large bay was Jericho Bay and the hostel where I stayed in 1995. My last photo that I took was a granite statute called Inukchuk. It represented friendship and was placed there for Expo 1986. Further down the path was a group of young people who were singing, clapping, and apparently sparring with each other. Two people would be practicing in this circle of other people. Many stunts, including summersaults, one handed hand stands and a form of kickboxing, were done. I can’t remember the name of what they were doing but it was an amazing display of artistic and athletic prowess.
The hostel was arguably the most upscale that I’ve stayed anywhere! It had security door cards, a library, impressive television room, and kitchen. Beside the check-in desk there was a separate information desk. However, my dorm room was atrociously hot and thus I didn’t sleep well. I woke up at 5:00 am and walked across the street to Shoppers Drug Mart to get some supplies. I then caught the Airporter shuttle that was conveniently located close by at the Hill Park Hotel. I’m not very hungry due to anxiety and suffering from jet lag. I did my morning crunches and pushup exercises (abbreviated form naturally) and it felt good. But presently the flight to Edmonton is delayed and was just informed that a smaller plane is available and that we can get our snack vouchers. Airport staff have treated the passengers and situation well. It was a tense situation for a few moments. The engine malfunction and loud noise occurred at a precarious time just as the plane was taking off. A few people panicked. Due to this mess I’ll likely need to spend an extra day in Edmonton and leave for Spokane on July 3. I’ll need some rest before driving down with Mom. This extra waiting around brings a strange ending to my trip. (I returned home mid afternoon and was happily reunited with family and friends)
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posted by Michael at 11:54 AM
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MY 2000 ADVENTURE (continued)
June 16 – 5:00 pm
I sent an email to Mom and Rick. Here is an edited version:
Thanks for all the messages. My feet are aching right now! I must have walked 10 miles today. I left the hostel at about 11:00 am and walked to downtown and to the Imperial War Museum. Many things to see there. I spent 3.5 hours looking but could have easily spent the whole day. Then I walked by Buckingham Palace and saw the changing of the guard. Much pomp and ceremony with the guards strutting around and doing their various rifle adjustments, etc. Then the bagpipers and drummers led the troops out and marched to the horse guards building. Compared to other mansions and buildings that I’ve seen in Europe, I wasn’t that impressed by the front facade of Buckingham Palace. Westminster Abbey and the Parliament Building were impressive from the outside. I walked around downtown a bit and then up to Trafalgar Square. The Canadian High Commission (same as the embassy?) is located there!
I walked around the many parks (St. James, Green, Holland, and Kensington Gardens) in central London. The parks are surprisingly clean while the streets are windy, narrow, and thus cause wind gusts. There are many double decker buses and funny looking taxis. Actually the cabs resemble America’s version of Checker cab. (prolific and functional design that has been seldom updated). They still look like they were built in the 1950s. I’ll meet up with a bloke (Tony) from London that I met up on my Middle East trip. He may show me around the area tomorrow. The London Tube isn’t too bad. I’ve only used it twice by the brochures explain all the routes and zone prices. The train stations are also surprisingly clean. Although there are likely dodegy parts of London, the city as a whole seems much cleaner than New York City. Both cities are similar in geographic size and population.
The Kensington area where I’m staying is a self contained city/suburb within London. There are many stores to shop, restaurants, small grocery stores and hostels. Close by is the Earls Court district which has much activity due to being a popular hangout with the backpackers. My hostel is a bit off the beaten track but I’m only paying 55 pounds for five days! I was able to get a bed upstairs where it’s a bit cooler, cleaner and has more room for me to put my stuff. I was previously on the main floor and shared a room that included a couple of old men who lived there! They’re interesting to talk with but they had their shit sprawled all over and they chain smoked. I haven’t had a chance to really experience (drinking in a pub and watch a soccer game) London yet. I’ll probably do it tomorrow with Tony. I was able to alter my trip through Britain and Scotland a bit. I’m now staying an extra day in Edinburgh and will return to London on June 27. I depart the next day at 4:30 pm and arrive in Vancouver at 6:00 pm the same day. Then I leave Vancouver on the 29th and arrive in Edmonton at 11:35 am. It hasn’t rained here since I arrived but it has been slightly overcast. It’s been a bit humid during the day but it cools off at night.
June 19 – 9:30 pm
I just showered and washed my shirt and underwear in the clean YMCA hostel in Bath, England. I need to backtrack a few days to discuss what’s transpired. On the 16th I walked all the way down High Street in Kensington, past Buckingham Palace, St. James Park, Westminster Abbey, Parliament Buildings, across the River Thames and to the Imperial War Museum (whew!). The museum was excellent and had many displays that relating to British culture and other post World War Two conflicts. I believe that this visit was my closet inspection of World War One and Two displays. I spent over three hours there before heading back downtown, past 10 Downing Street, Trafalgar Square and Leichester Square. Very lively places! I went to McDonald’s but I couldn’t get a hold of Tony. So I walked back to the hostel and spent three hours at the Easy Everything store. I went to bed late again and woke up early.
By this time (June 17th) my body ached and my feet had blisters. It was very warm that day and I felt confident enough to finally take the Underground. I didn’t look carefully at the prices so I rushed to buy a weekend pass for all six zones for seven pounds. I hopped on and off at a few places (Marble Arch, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Monument Station). I walked across London Bridge (surprisingly ordinary looking bridge) and then took the Riverside Walk to Tower Bridge (very ornate). The latter bridge had a fantastic museum and was well worth the wait. Then I rushed to Covent Gardens to meet with Tony. We stood in a crowded bar for two hours and watched Germany play England. It was a good game and the pub erupted into cheers when England scored. The atmosphere felt like being in Edmonton and watching the Oilers in game seven of the Stanley Cup Final. But one difference was that people in the bar sang soccer songs – obviously steeped in English soccer history. After the game ended (England lost) we went to a pub called the Maple Leaf. I had a Fosters beer and relaxed. However, I was shocked to learn that many pubs in London closed at 11:00 pm. Just before closing I realized that I had lost all my money. I was stunned and had no idea what happened to it. I was obviously very upset as I bade farewell to Tony. My frustration continued as I then missed the last train by five minutes. So I had to take a double decker bus to get back to the hostel and didn’t get to bed until 3:00 am.
On June 18th I visited the Tower of London and was also very interesting. I obviously slept in that morning and thus didn’t get to the Tower until 1:30 pm. I could have easily spent all day there to experience the area. Seeing the Crown Jewels was a highlight too! Upon returning to the hostel I rushed to the Laundromat (hadn’t been in one since August 1998). The first laundromat I saw was closed and, combined with the heat, made me exasperated. Luckily there was another place nearby and I had an interesting conversation with a local. His name was Josh and was born in Malta. He despised the U.K. with its weather, high taxes, and over population. He never gave me a complete answer though as to why he wouldn’t move! He talked a lot about women and while he well traveled he seemed closed minded. The temperature reached a blistering 32 celcius that day so after I did my laundry I promptly had a shower. I don’t understand why the grocery stores closed early and in fact many stores weren’t open on the weekend. I suppose this was the case back home fifty years ago but profit and greed have changed corporate attitudes in North America. So I had to settle with having dinner again at McDonald’s. I got to bed at midnight but woke up at 5:00 am in order to call Dad from a payphone.
Today was another hot and humid day so it made it difficult to trek to the OVC Hotel with my pack. That was where I was to meet my next travel group. I had arranged to keep my Turkish carpets and papyrus in the Holland Hostel attic while I was gone. I had an interesting conversation with Brian who, like Josh earlier, complained about the decay of the quality of life in London. I was thoroughly exhausted when I reached the OVC Hotel this morning. My load was lighter but I was still drenched in sweat from walking in the heat. So I went to Tesco and got some supplies then met up with Penny. She was our Border Raiders tour guide and was very kind and outgoing. I had relaxed by this point and was ready for another tour. Our bus was a green Mercedes Blarney Bus and stood out like a sore thumb in traffic. The capacity was 24 people but the problem was there was no air conditioning! I don’t suppose many tour buses in the U.K. have a/c but we sure needed it today. But I was tired and dozed off and on while I gazed out the window and saw many small country- side villages with its old fashioned houses and windy roads. I’m tired again now and will resume writing tomorrow…
June 20 – 11:05 am
At the moment we’re parked at a Tesco store in the pleasant town of Chepstow, Wales. Earlier I paid 2 pounds to see the impressive medieval Chepstow Castle. Construction of it began in 1070 A.D. by William Fitz Osbern. Building continued through four stages over a couple of hundred years and much of it was still intact. Later we stopped and looked at the half demolished Tintern Abbey. Henry VIII’s army had shelled it in order to purge the Catholic Church in Britain. There has been a very fine misty rain today but it’s refreshing. I still feel discombobulated from all the walking I’ve done and not sleeping enough. I learned that rwyf in degaroo means I love you in Welsh.
June 21 – 9:10 am
I forgot to mention that while in the town of Bath we had dinner in a pub called Sorosen’s Head. Charles Dickens was a regular patron there and conceived of the Pickwick Papers. Other observations are the road signs in Britain: end of crawler lane, mind the gap, mind your head, and give way. We’re back on the Blarney Bus and listening to the Mystery Years show on the Radio One station. While waiting to leave Tesco yesterday there was a hilarious song on the radio. The main lyrics were: I know you want to do it. We can make sandwiches. I’ll be the bun and you can be the burger girl. It was a nice cool day yesterday. We took a nice walk up a hill to see a ruined castle in Wales called Wolforwyn. It had a nice view of the peaceful Welsh countryside. It was all green with many noisy sheep. Then we drove to the town of Llangollen and stayed in a large and supposedly haunted mansion (Uffington White House?). It had great facilities except that it had the smallest bathroom that I’ve ever seen! In the evening some of us walked into town. But it was almost deserted – perhaps due to the soccer game. Turned out that England lost to Romania! I only spent 5 pounds on lunch yesterday while I cooked dinner. I had a good sleep but am still a bit tired from all the walking that I’ve done. The top of the hill (St. George’s Hill) near the hostel had a ruined castle (St. George’s Castle) that ostensibly housed one of the knights that had the Holy Grail. There are thick, grey clouds this morning but no rain…yet.
June 21 – 10:50 am
We’re now in the town of Colne that used to be well known for having a large mining industry. There are many long rows of brick townhouses. It looks like scenes from the Coronation Street television show. Today is the summer solstice but it doesn’t seem like it here though – it’s grey and miserable.
June 21 – 4:10 pm
We just had tea at Aylsoarth Falls where scenes from the 1993 motion picture Robin Hood were filmed. We are still in the Yorkshire Dales National Park and it has interesting looking limestone scars. I just saw a clump of Scots Pines trees (Caladonian) that looked like Australian Eucalyptus trees. The English cut many done to construct buildings. Our tour guide is from the Fife area of Scotland – just across the bay from Edinbrough I think. We had lunch in the lively town of Skipton that was only fifteen miles north of Haworth. That is where Great Grandpa Wood lived in the 1880s. I went into the town’s little library and looked around. Afterwards we stopped briefly at Bunsall and I took a picture of an old bridge where the Wharf River flowed. The phrase e by gum means oh my gosh in Yorkshire.
June 21 – 9:00 pm
I’m sitting in the quiet room in the hostel – it’s rather cold outside so I’m relaxing inside. This hostel is an immense place with stairs that looks like Escher’s Ascending and Descending painting. It’s located outside the town of Ambleside in the Lake District. The scenery is hauntingly beautiful with ominous grey clouds and large, green hills in the distance. Right beside the hostel is a large lake that, when the weather is nice, must be pleasant to swim in. I was told that this area is a popular tourist area and common for the locals to relax. But I could not cope with this depressing, grey, rainy weather for more than a few weeks! So far it hasn’t rained heavily on the tour but there seems to be a constant drizzle. Perhaps this is what made Great Grandfather Wood (John Travers Wood) leave gloomy Yorkshire in 1889. With the exception of my meeting miscommunication this afternoon after lunch this trip has been great. I wish that I had one extra day as I could spend more time in Edinburgh. This means that I have to return to London on June 26th. I have a phone card so I’ll call Darcy in the morning.
June 22 – 9:00 am
At the moment we’re driving through misty Kirkstone Pass. The terrain is rocky and there are numerous streams flowing down the steep hills. The area is eerie and is a perfect setting for ghosts and ghouls lurking about. Our guide pointed out that unique flowers here are from Turkey and Greece and are called rollydendrins. They came from peacocks that were brought over from wealthy people who wanted birds in their gardens. We had tea by Ullsworth Lake (second biggest in the Lake District). I just saw a mother duck and her ducklings. We were skipping rocks and the ducks thought that they were food. Then it started raining so we dashed back to our bus.
June 22 – 11:50 pm
I just walked around and on the famous Hadrian’s Wall in drizzly Northumberland. It’s a desolate area and was the northernmost point that the Roman Empire. The Scots pride themselves in being the barbarians that were able to defeat the mighty Romans. I spoke with an elderly man who was traveling alone – amazing! We’re now passing near Halt Whistle that is the geographic center of Britain. The song Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer is now playing.
June 22 – 2:20 pm
We’ve entered Scotland and just left the town of Jedburgh. This is last new country that I’ll visit on my trip. Magically, as soon as we crossed the border into Scotland the clouds cleared and the sun appeared. Our tour guide spoke about the history of the Scottish flag with the cross. Apparently just before a major battle, a commanding officer saw the clouds form a cross in the sky. He figured that it was an omen, led his forces into battle and defeated the English. While in Jedburgh I bought a Feast ice cream bar and an Irn Bru. The latter is the most popular drink in Scotland and apparently the only country in the world where Coca Cola is not the most popular soft drink.
Soon after I emailed my family and friends, here is an edited version of the message:
This afternoon I arrived in Edinburgh after a four day trip upon leaving London. Day 1 was spent at Bath – a quaint little town with rare thermo mineral springs that have been in use since the Romans were there. We had a tour of the area and I paid 50 pence for a glass of the warm mineral water. It smelled and tasted a bit like sulphur but was because it contained 43 different minerals. The ancient baths area was under exploration and renovation and was very interesting. Our group also stopped at a place called the White Horse. It was an outline of a giant horse made of many small rocks and was estimated to be 2000 years old. The image is huge and is only clearly distinguishable from the air. Beside it was St. George’s Hill where St. George ostensibly slay the dragon. Also close by was the town of Avery and the Averyhenge site. It’s the largest (geographically) collection of stone monuments in Britain but is not as famous as Stonehenge. Sadly the latter is now closed to tourists due to vandalism. The area has beautiful green countryside with many sheep and narrow, windy roads. The towns are old but have well kept houses and stores.
Day 2 was spent at a hostel outside the town of Llangollen. A hill close by contained the ruins where supposedly one of the knights of the round table lived and guarded the Holy Grail. Day 3 was at the summer resort of Ambleside in the Lake District. The hostel was beside Lake Windmere, the largest lake in Britain. We drove through the county of Yorkshire and stopped at the town of Skipton. It’s a pleasant sounding name for a town. It was only 15 miles north of Haworth near where Great Grandfather John Travers Wood was born in 1878. He also attended elementary school where one of the famous Bronte sisters went. The Yorkshire Dales is beautiful but desolate country. It’s cool, windy, and cloudy and the rolling hills make a barren, lonely landscape. No wonder he left for North America in 1889.
Today we walked around, in the freezing rain, a portion of Hadrian’s Wall. It was completed around 100 A.D. on the order of the Roman Emperor Hadrian to keep the barbaric Scots at bay. The wall was 73 miles long but never served its original purpose. The Romans never conquered Scotland and our Scottish tour leaders were proud to mention this. It has drizzled for the last four days as we’ve driven north. This afternoon I was able to book a 3 day tour of Scotland. I leave tomorrow morning (June 23) and return on the 25th. It will be another whirlwind trip but it’s the best option for me to see the country. One highlight will be seeing the Isle of Skye that will take me to the northern limits of my long odyssey. It’s also great to have all the travel arrangements made. I’ve seen some of the sights in Edinburgh today. There is a huge castle perched on a cliff in the middle of the city. As usual my feet and back are sore from walking. I need to walk back to the hostel, have a shower, and go to bed. Then it’s early to rise tomorrow and another tour (my fourth now). I’ll check my email when I return to London on June 27th. Then I leave the following day for home.
posted by Michael at 11:51 AM
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MY 2000 ADVENTURE (continued)
June 12 – 10:15 am
We had a good dinner of schnitzel last night. Then I had a leisurely stroll partially up the hill behind the hostel with Shane. We came across a watch tower of sorts and from the top could see some of the valley. It was very green and peaceful there. The hostel and campground were nice with decent bathroom facilities. However, the dorm rooms were crowded and I had to share a room with six girls! I woke up at 6:30 am and the group took the boat tour from the town of St. Goar (established 7th century A.D.) to Boppard. There were a few castles dating from 1200 A.D. that dotted the river but I was amazed by the heavy traffic (barges) on the Rhine River. There were large hills alongside the picturesque towns and ubiquitous churches. From the boat I could hear the various church bells tolling. Our river tour guide pointed out one town that had a church that was attached to a pub. Even more incredulous was that the pub was only accessible through the church! I also noticed that the trains were electric powered. In sum southern German is an idyllic area with many campgrounds. A beautiful, sunny day today – on to Amsterdam!
June 12 – 1:05pm
I just had a McDonald’s lunch at Kalkenkirchen. I guess we’re close to the Netherlands border. We passed Dusseldorf and Arnhem (Bridge Too Far movie fame). Even though Germany is large vis-à-vis other European countries, travel is still fairly short compared to back home.
June 12 – 1:55pm
We’re now in the Netherlands/Holland and have departed the town of Venlo. I’m not sure how the Netherlands and Holland names are similar or different. The exchange rate is $1.00 Canadian to 1.50 Dutch Guilder. The German Mark was about 1.15 to $1.15 Canadian Dollar. I have only 61 Guilders to spend but I can use my credit card for big ticket purchases. The Netherlands has 15 million people and because of its small size is one of the most densely populated places on earth. It’s very flat and much of the county is below sea level. Hence there’s been much land reclamation.
June 12 – 2:40 pm
Another observation is that two popular small cars I’ve noticed are the Fiat Punto and a Smart. I just saw the new compact Volvo V40 station wagon. I also saw a Volvo 400 series hatchback – they are not manufactured and sold in North America.
June 13 – 11:00 am
Our group is just about to leave a clog and cheese making farm in the town of Katwoude. We’re now going to the town of Volemdam for everyone to dress up in traditional Dutch costume and pose for a group photo. I’m not in the mood for that and am short of money anyway. I bought a pair of miniature yellow wooden clogs with the three Xs. They symbolize fire, flood, and the plague that Holland has experienced throughout its tumultuous past. It’s a dull, grey day today like it was in Germany the day we left. It’s not that cold and as long as it doesn’t rain then I’m happy. After my tent flooding in Prague, I now hate being wet!
June 13 – 5:50 pm
I’m sitting in Dam Square in the heart of Amsterdam. My pen had just run out of ink so I ran to a Thomas Cook store where I got a free pen. Volemdam was a pleasant little fishing village and I walked around while the tour group did the group photo shoot. I suppose they think that I’m anti social. We stopped briefly at a large windmill where someone lived inside it! Apparently they are very rare now. I can’t believe the number of European Cup soccer paraphernalia here! There are banners hanging everywhere. I walked all around the heart of Amsterdam and down the twisting and narrow alleys. The Red Light District was interesting and obviously set up for the tourists. The rooms, with red lights and/or red walls, usually had a person (male or female) posing and in a thematic costume. I could smell the hint of marijuana in the air as I walked by a few of the cafes.
Had to make a decision to either visit the Van Gogh art gallery (world’s largest collection of Van Gogh’s works) or a sex museum. Of course I chose the former – he’s my favorite artist! But to make up for not seeing the latter I took the plunge and walked into a sex store. But there were many and they didn’t attract attention like the stores here do. So I casually entered and was amazed at the selection. Then I realized that I was running late so I quickly chose a magazine, paid for it, and ran to our group’s meeting place. I got turned around a few times as the city center is a maze of interlocking streets. So I’m now waiting for others so that we can head back to camp. Good bye Amsterdam!
June 14 – 1:00 pm
Our bus just passed a sign for Dunkirk. Sixty years ago almost to the day it witnessed a mass exodus of Allied soldiers heading back to Britain. How ironic! Unfortunately there’s no time for me to visit the area. Anyway our depleted entourage is traveling through the flat, green farmland and low lying grey clouds of Belgium. The Top Deck trip is almost over – where did the time go? ETA to London is 5:00 pm. I finally finished reading the book River God. It was fantastically written and the ending was emotional and brought a tear to my eye. I feel drained right now along with having anxiety about getting to the hostel safely. Since leaving Amsterdam I believe that this stretch of highway has been the longest and flattest since being in the Egyptian desert. Onwards…
June 14 – 2:15 pm
I’m on board the ferry Pride of Bugandy that was launched on May 16, 1992. The large ship is swaying gently in the rough waters. But it’s noticeable enough for a landlubber like me to feel queasy. I don’t think that I’ve traveled on a rolling ferry this long before. We made excellent time driving today so we caught the ferry early at 1:15 pm. Hopefully I can cash in my 291Pound money order. We should be in Dover soon. Goodbye to the European continent…
June 15 – 1:00 pm
I just had a cheap but decent lunch (sub for 1.80 pounds and three small yogurts for .99 pence in peaceful Holland Park. Its official name is Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.
June 15 – 1:30 pm
I’m now sitting in the beautiful Kyoto Japanese Botanical Gardens (opened in 1991). Spokane’s Japanese Botanical Gardens park is much bigger and prettier though. The park is well laid out and is peaceful to wander around. I need to relax and mellow out today after yesterday’s fiasco. I anticipated minor problems with arriving at the Youth Hostelling International (YHI) hostel. But what actually happened yesterday after arriving in London very nearly gave me a nervous breakdown! Being alone and lost in a strange city, exhausted and carrying a shit load of baggage is not a pleasant experience. There was some consolation when I saw Kate and Nikki both trying to find a place. I hung around for a while in bustling Earl’s Court, where Top Deck dropped us off, as I wanted to avoid taking The Tube. I was getting exasperated with walking around aimlessly. Then a polite fellow walked up to me and gave me his hostel card since one it had vacancy. I’m usually weary of solicitors but the price was only 10 pounds a night or 55 pounds for a week as opposed to 23 pounds a week at YHI.
The hostel was called Holland Hostel and had to be near the lowest scale for quality for all hostels in London. Tiny bathrooms, small, dark and messy dorm rooms that are stuffy and reek of smoke and sweat. But the staff has been tremendously helpful. There is at least one person, older gentleman, who illegally lives there as he has little money. A fascinating guy who has traveled the world but now, sadly his world has been reduced to living in a cramped hostel. Others play chess including Brian who works here. It’s clouding over again and cooling off - excellent weather for walking and not breaking too much of a sweat. I found a corner store close to the hostel and I bought supplies for 7.50 pounds. I returned to the hostel and showered and shaved. The latter was very difficult to do because there was no window, only a small, useless fan, so that the mirror was fogged. Afterwards I spoke with a few people in the hostel and then trekked (one mile?) over to Easy Internet. It was a huge, brightly colored orange and immensely cheap Internet Café. It only charged 1 pound for six hours for late night hours. I surfed the web, read news, and emailed for three hours and didn’t get to bed until 3:30 am. I woke up this morning at 9:30 and ate cereal, a banana, drank juice and then went out to explore the neighborhood. There is a large, modern grocery store nearby called Tesco. I will walk around a bit and buy a book called Monsoon by Wilbur Smith.
June 15 – 5:00 pm
I just read a short article about two long lost Egyptian cities (Herakleion and Menouthis) that sank after a powerful earthquake in the 8th century A.D. Here’s my email that I sent to everyone that night:
Hi everybody! My Top Deck tour of Europe has come to an end and I’m safe and sound in the crowded confines of London. The whirlwind 18 day trip through Europe was fantastic! We stopped (in order) Shumen, Bulgaria; Bucharest, Brasov, Cluj Napoca, Romania; Budapest, Hungary; Vienna, Austria; Prague, Czech Republic; Kirchberg, Austria; Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland; St. Goar, Germany; Amsterdam, Holland. It seemed like I saw more places in this short trip than I did on the five week Middle East trip. Perhaps I did but it was a great way to see Europe in a short period of time. I really enjoyed seeing the Austrian and Swiss Alps. The mountains look very similar to our Rockies but there are many more towns and tourists. Amsterdam was a hoot and we saw a soft core live sex show. I’m sure much of the famed Red Light District is geared for tourists rather than the locals.
I tried to buy a small souvenir from each county I saw that was representative of its culture and history. For instance, I bought a small pair of wooden clogs from Holland. They had the traditional yellow with three Xs (fire, flood, and the plague). Apparently these three famines have decimated the country over the centuries. Thus there were many black and white flags in Holland with three Xs. Euro 2000 (Europe’s World Cup soccer tournament) is currently playing. It’s a huge event here with many stores devoted just to selling soccer paraphernalia. The trip from Amsterdam to London went smoothly. Much of Holland and Belgium are flat and below sea level. Hence the name Low Countries. We took a ferry from Calais, France to the grey cliffs of Dover. It was a typical overcast day with very low lying clouds but it didn’t rain. I just found out that since it’s after midnight here now that the store charges one pound for six hours of Internet use! So I don’t need to rush with typing. Anyway upon arriving in London our group was subsequently shuttled to Earl’s Court in western London. It’s a popular place for backpackers to congregate. Many of us had tons of souvenirs that had to be somehow carted around. My bags were weighed down but I somehow managed. My anxiety quickly grew once the realization hit me that I was on my own in a huge, unfamiliar city.
To make a long story short, my reservation that I thought I had with a hostel in downtown London wasn’t actually in their database. So I was left scrambling around trying to find a place. I lingered around the Earl’s Court underground tube station and rested up my aching muscles. Then a bloke, who must have noticed my predicament, came up to me and asked if I needed a room. He was very helpful and gave me directions on how to take the train to the flat. I was very tired and frustrated and normally wouldn’t have taken advice from a stranger. The hostel was in the famed Kensington area where Princess Diana lived. But the building was in a rather dodgey area but it was close to the tube. I’ve talked to people from different parts of the world and they have a lot of street smarts. But I wonder why they are now virtually destitute. Anyway I have four full days to see London before I leave early on the 19th. I’ll be taking a week long Haggis Tour up to Edinburgh and back to London. Then I have a free day back in London to rest up before leaving on the 28th. It’s now 1:20 am and I’m tired but I want to take advantage of my time on the computer here.
I did some more Internet surfing and ended up sending another email. Here is an edited version:
I discovered a couple of days ago about President Assad of Syria dying. I’m glad that I’m not in that country now as it could be politically unstable. It’s late here (2:46 am) and I’m tired. Luckily I have a few days to rest in London before my next tour starts. My hostel has a laid back environment as people frequently play chess. I’m in a dark and dingy dormitory room with little space to store my stuff but I only pay ten pounds ($21.00 a night). I’m only a 45 minute walk to downtown so I can’t complain too much about things. Places I want to see in London are the London Eye (world’s biggest ferris wheel), see a theatre play in the acclaimed West End, and see many art galleries and museums. I only had time and energy to see the Imperial War Museum. I saw the Van Gogh Art Museum in Amsterdam. It was great and had the world’s largest collection of his works although there were only 200. He was only an artist for about ten years and he died so young (37). Unfortunately my favorite painting of his (Starry Night) is at the Metropolitan Art Gallery in New York City! I’d like to get a reproduction of it sometime. My camera ended up suffering fatal water damage from the tent flood in Prague. It may have been a tiny amount of moisture that got inside the camera. It was a good camera and lasted me ten years. I remember the day that I bought it at the Best store in Spokane in August 1990. So I bought three disposable cameras in the hope that they would last me the rest of my trip. Unfortunately I don’t know if I will be able to salvage the sixteen shots that I had on the roll of film in my old camera. I took many photos of the Hapsburg summer palace in Vienna.
posted by Michael at 11:42 AM
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MY 2000 ADVENTURE (continued)
June 1 – 1:40 pm
Welcome to June! We’re just leaving a town called Acatari. It’s a typical small, rural Romanian town with at least one church and many red shingled houses. The road is very bumpy so I’ll have to stop writing…
June 1 – 6:50 pm
We’re setting up camp just outside of the city called Cluj Napoca. It seems to be an industrial city with not many landmarks worth visiting. Thus we drove straight through it. I feel more relaxed now compared to this morning with me forgetting half my toiletries in Bucharest. I took a Tylenol 3 and it helped immensely. The rain earlier today gradually gave way to overcast clouds and finally to blue sky. The town of Sighisoara (birthplace of Vlad Dracul) was quaint. I bought more small gifts and some bathroom supplies to use up most of my Romanian money (I had 170,000 lei left). I just bought a phone card for 50,000 lei ($2.50 U.S) that has around ten minutes of use. So I’ll call Dad at 6:00 am tomorrow. Romania is beautiful. I’ve calculated that since I’m only about 150 miles Siret (birthplace of the Schreyers) that it must look very similar to the other towns I’ve seen. One day I would like to return to Romania and see Siret! Our campground here is in a shallow valley with lush green hills. It’s cool and windy so I believe that tonight will be a bit cold. After having bought many ice cream bars (Magnums) in Turkey at 750,000 lira (about $1.75 Canadian), I’ve bought none since. I’m trying to eat more healthy things by buying fruit and fruit juices. But I have caved into temptation and bought some junk food. I recently bought a coke, graham crackers, candy bars, a few beers, and a chocolate cherry liquor for only 27,000 lei for $1.50 Canadian! I can’t believe how inexpensive things are here. Dinner will be soon so I think I will put on my Detroit Red Wings sweater as a chilly wind has picked up.
June 2 – 9:30 am
We’re now in western Romania and passing though another small, quaint town. Last night was very chilly but I was comfortable with my tent and air mattress. Soon after writing my entry yesterday, I ran around the field with the soccer ball to burn off some steam and calories and warm up. I couldn’t contact Dad but I was able to talk with Mom for ten minutes before the phone card expired. We have one more stop before reaching the Romanian/Hungarian border. It’s a beautiful sunny day but my nose and sinuses are stuffed up. I don’t know if it’s just allergies or if I have a cold. Gummy our driver just turned on the a/c – good! We’ll be in Budapest for two days. I’d estimate that at least one third of all cars I see are Dacias. They are cheap and funny looking Romanian built cars.
The road signs have looked the same since we entered Syria. Best examples are that they always have an arrow pointing down to the right or left of a concrete traffic lane meridian. Plus every town we departed had a sign with the town name and a line crossed through it. Other Romanian images are seeing people toiling in the fields with their hoes and ploughs. Yesterday I saw two old women in what seemed to be traditional attire (including kerchiefs) trudging along the road with their hoes on their backs. The road yesterday between Brasov and Cluj had much construction. There were some machines but much of the work seemed to be done manually. Many men here wear hats (some are very tall) that appear to be made of straw. I could easily picture the stereotypical East/Central European man wearing one with a feather in it, smoking a pipe and holding a large beer. We just passed over a small river that had an earth dam.
June 3 – 4:30 pm
I just got back from a pleasant day of sight seeing in scenic Budapest. Woke up at 7:30 am, ate breakfast at 8:30 am and we left around 9:30 am. We took a train/tram to the Castle District that is on the Buda side of the city and then began our sightseeing at a place called the funicular. It was a gondola like ride up a steep cliff. I walked past a building or concert hall that Beethoven performed in 1800. Then we proceeded to the Buda Castle labyrinth. It’s a fascinating set of underground tunnels with music and sound effects emanating from hidden speakers. Many places were dark with water dripping from the ceiling; it would be a great place to have a Halloween Party! The tour ended at a place where there were controversial imprints from either an ostensibly old civilization or aliens. All designs looked like they had been carved from stone. One looked like a computer while another resembled a coke bottle! It was very unusual but I suspect that it is simply a prank. But apparently experts can’t get a date for these imprints.
Afterwards a small group of us walked across the famous Chain Bridge and entered the Pest (downtown) section of the city. We relaxed in a park and bought fruit juice in a grocery store. The prices were slightly higher than in Romania. I also noticed that there were many more tourist buses and visitors than in Romania. The transportation systems seemed more developed also and will likely improve as we approach The West. Hungary’s Parliament Building is impressive with its many spires and Eastern architecture. I saw a few monuments that were dedications to the failed 1956 uprising. The Fisherman’s Bastion was our first stop yesterday upon entering Budapest. The area was used by Hungarian freedom fighters battling the Nazis in 1944-45. They were aided by fisherman by using the building as a lookout tower. The Liberation Memorial and its view of the city were impressive. The St. Mathias Cathedral was beside the Fisherman’s Bastion. I would have liked to visit the Museum of War History but, like most places on my trip, there was just too much to see and not enough time. Anyway, after relaxing in the inner city park and observing people we crossed another bridge and walked the length of Margaret Island. The downtown area seemed deserted but the island bustled with activity (cyclists and sun bathers). It was refreshing to walk and get some sunshine. I noticed that buildings had different colors to complement the windy cobblestone streets. Old apartment buildings had locked front glass doors. I bought a small ceramic replica beer stein mug that has Hungary’s national crest.
June 4 – 8:00 am
I’m back on the tour bus bright and early. Our campsite was okay, centrally located, and situated near the river. FYI 270 Hungarian Forint equals $1.00 U.S. It’s a 3.5 hour drive to Vienna. It’s another hot, sunny day today with another full itinerary of activities. Budapest had an interesting concept of having advertising signs hanging from street lights. We’ve just left the city’s city limits – good bye Hungary. Next stop is Austria. I don’t want to cash more than $15.00 U.S. I stocked up on supplies last night but it means that I have more crap to lug around in my already full backpack. I’m tired after yesterday’s long trek but I need to now compose something in writing for my special friend (Taj). Each person drew a name as a way to promote friendship on the tour. We just passed a large IKEA store!
June 4 – 7:20 pm
We’re getting ready to go to the amusement park. I enjoyed our, unfortunately, very brief tour of Vienna. It has numerous impressive looking buildings (Palace, Parliament, Mayor’s Office, Fine Arts and Natural History Museums to name a few). Vienna is considered the classical music capital of the world with Mozart, Beethoven, List and many others having studied and performed there at some point in their lives. After walking around the downtown area we stopped at the Schnaps (sp?) Museum. Very interesting tour of how liquor is manufactured. There were many schnaps samplers to taste and some were very strong! I loved the strawberry ones. I convinced myself to purchase a bottle of gold flaked schnaps for 250 Austrian schillings. $1.00 U.S equals about 14.5 schillings and $1.00 Canadian equals 9.5 schillings.
June 5 – 8:05 am
We’re just pulling out of our campsite outside of Vienna. There were two other Contikki buses parked here as well. Obviously a popular stop for these tour companies. We had an excellent dinner last night but there was not enough for second helpings. I’ve become accustomed to not eating much. After dinner we went to the amusement park. I was impressed with the layout of the place. It did not seem as large as Edmonton’s Klondike Days but it had some great looking rides like the Superman and Imperator. Unfortunately due to my queasy stomach I did not go on any rides. The fair grounds played techno music. I hung out with the usual group of people from the tour. We went to McDonald’s but it was pricey since it resulted in being as expensive as back home. It cost 35 schillings for a burger or just under $4.00 and 25 schillings for a McFlurry or about $2.50. I got to bed about midnight and got up at 6:30 am. It was a warm night so it looks to be another hot /semi humid day today. Last night I noticed a large bump under my thigh and realized that it’s probably an insect bite. I’m not sure when I got bit because I never felt it. The swelling is has gone down a bit and it isn’t nearly as bad as Kathy’s horrible bit she got in Syria.
It’s Monday morning so we are stuck in morning rush hour traffic. There are many European cars (Volvos, BMWs, Mercedes, Audis, VWs), a few Japanese but virtually no American models. I’m still upset about the Jordanian sand bottle incident. I had bought the colorful bottle at Jerash, Jordan. I had never seen so many sizes of these colorful bottles of sand designs. Mine had camels and desert scenes and looked incredibly realistic. The process consisted of dumping layers of colored sand and then using a needle-like instrument to create images in the sand. I bought a small bottle due to my limited space but at some point the bottle cap came unglued. So all the sand got mixed around and destroyed the patterns. I had no choice but to throw it out but luckily it only cost me $1.00 U.S. I’m now accustomed to camping but would prefer a hotel once in a while and use all the accompanying amenities! But at least I haven’t had to share my tent like the others on the tour do. It’s nice to have privacy and extra room. We’re en route to the Habsburg’s Summer Palace and then off to Prague.
June 5 – 9:10 pm
I just had a filling dinner that consisted of wieners, cream mashed potatoes, vegetables and yogurt. It doesn’t sound that appetizing but it was good. As soon as we arrived at our new campground my allergies flared up again. I immediately took an allergy pill and it has helped. The Habsburg’s Schonbrum Palace was absolutely stunning. I could have spent half a day just leisurely walking around the immense yard and gardens. One hundred years ago the destiny of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was probably decided here. The royal family truly lived a life of luxury and opulence mixed with militarism. But it must have been a waste of resources, a drain on the country’s economy and a hindrance on promoting free thinking liberal values. No wonder my Schreyer ancestors left the country in the early 20th century! We arrived in Prague around 4:00 pm. The area is more mountainous than that around Vienna. The Czech Republic is more like Hungary by the prevalence of Skodas, Travants and Fiats. I really liked Vienna and will see how Prague compares to it. Our first stop here was aptly named Prague Castle. It is perched atop of the city with a nice view. There are many guards marching around so I and assume it is a symbolic gesture to the past. They don’t look like military soldiers. The exchange rate is 22 Czech Kroner to $1.00 Canadian. I just exchanged $15.00 for 462 Kroner but am not sure if that’s enough. I still haven’t acquired the knack for budgeting how much money is needed when staying in a new country for a short period of time. A popular comment is that beer is supposed to be cheaper than water here. Our group is almost ready to take the tram into town to go pubing…
June 6 – 5:45 pm
I’m sitting on the curb in Prague’s Old Town Square. It was an important trading area for merchants in the 18th century. Today is overcast but cool and refreshing. It poured last night and many of us, including me, got soaked. I’m battling flu like symptoms…
June 6 – 6:50 pm
I’m back at McDonald’s again. The Chinese restaurant that Toni took us was too damned expensive for me. The super sized McChicken deal cost 9 Kruger – comparable to what I’d pay back home. Anyway there’s much to write about since the night of June 5th. After dinner last night I went with a group to a tiny bar back in the old city district. It started pouring rain as we were frantically trying to find the pub. It was a neat place and had another Top Deck tour group there. But the beer seemed weak to me but it was cheap (16 Kroner or .75 cents) and was served in plastic cups. I chose not to go to a nightclub since the cover charge was 100 Kroner. It was tempted to go in as the place had an Internet Café. Despite wanting to email people I was just too tired! The cab ride cost 150 Kroner (I can’t remember if that was the total amount or per person).
I got back to camp to discover that my tent was half flooded with rain water. Everything was damp but luckily many things were in ziplock bags. It turned out that I had put the protective outer tent cover inside out! I didn’t sleep well (four hours) due to the damp sleeping bag and not feeling well. I woke up early to try drying things out a bit. The group left camp at 9:00 am and headed back into town. Our campsite is in a large field far from downtown. I wouldn’t be surprised if the old trams were the same ones used during World War Two! I found an Internet Café and spent 1.5 hours emailing friends and family. I hadn’t spent that much time on a computer since being in Kas, Turkey. I did much walking today and I hiked across the St. Charles Bridge a few times. I saw the inside of St. Vitus Cathedral that is located inside the city’s citadel – magnificent! Later I bought a ceramic artwork of the citadel (church/palace and bridge) for 340 Kroner. The Czech Republic is famous for its crystal so I scoured many shops to locate a nicely designed hunk. I finally found one (cost 350 Kroner) geometrically cut palm sized. It’s interesting to look at and see the mirror like illusions inside the crystal. (It’s made a nice coffee table piece!) Feeling a bit achy now – probably from the miles that I trekked today. I have just over 70 Kroner left – not bad for budgeting this country!
Here’s my email that I sent to everyone:
It’s been days since I’ve had the chance to email people – my apologies. Most of the cities that I’ve seen have been whirlwind trips with little time set aside for e-mailing. This is our second day in Prague so I have the whole day to do whatever I want! It’s a beautiful city with many old buildings and a long history. It’s cooled off since we entered the Czech Republic and it poured last night. I got rain in my tent and things got wet. Luckily I kept many things in Ziploc bags (thanks Mom!) I really enjoyed Vienna but we were only there for one full day. That was not nearly enough time to see the major sites. I was impressed by the Habsburgs summer palace (Schonbrunner Palace). Vienna is considered the classical music capital of the world with a long list of musicians having composed there. Austria is very Westernized and thus rather expensive compared to the poorer former Eastern Bloc countries like Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic. Much of the scenery in Eastern and Central Europe looks like different areas in North America. It is only when one sees people toiling in the fields, seeing old Skodas, Yugos, Travants, Peugots, and horse driven carts on the roads does one realize that it’s not North America. Once we return to Austria we’ll no longer need to buy bottled water. That will be nice!
The food is pretty good on this Top Deck tour as we have our own cook. Beer in Prague is cheaper than water and pop! I went out last night and bought a beer for 16 Kroner or about 75 cents. However, the cheapest prices were in Romania. A bottle of beer in Bucharest cost 50 cents. Things were incredibly cheap in that county. I only saw a few other tour buses in Romania besides ours. The landscape there was beautiful and I would like to return there some day and visit Seret, Bucovina where the Schreyer clan was born. The Romanian border guards were the strictest of all the county borders that I had crossed. One guard got on our bus and carefully inspected each passport and then meticulously studied each person’s face. There was dead silence as this was going on. Our group is camping a lot more which is alright but I’m beginning to tire of living out of a backpack. But many people on this tour have been traveling for longer than I have. I better go have lunch then explore the rest of Old Prague. Love to everyone and I’ll e-mail again soon from somewhere!
June 7 – 12:00 pm
We’re currently stopped at the Czech Republic/Austria border. This should be the last big border delay on my trip. Although my passport didn’t need a stamp, the Aussies needed the stamp and visa. Hence the long wait. I’ve realized that, at least on my trip, that I’m more attuned to more serious conversations than constant joking around. I CAN joke around but it seems only with my close friends. I seem to have trouble with making frivolous conversations and dragging jokes on. Thus on the Top Deck tour I’m probably not too popular because I didn’t quickly bond with everyone. Case in point – I really haven’t had many conversations with the two Canadian girls. They appear to be very young, frivolous, and I wouldn’t know what to say to them. Yet they haven’t been too interested in talking to a fellow Canadian – oh well. Time for lunch!
June 8 – 1:05 am
I just showered and cleaned a few clothes. I only needed to bring two shirts on my trip instead of three. At this stage I need all the space I can get! I noticed at dinner last night that my ring wasn’t on my finger. Am very upset but realize that perhaps I was not meant to wear a ring. Other bad luck was that my camera suffered water damage in Budapest from my tent being flooded. It was almost ten years old and is likely unusable. Not optimistic that I can salvage the sixteen shots that was on the roll of film. Most of the photos were of the Habsburg Palace in Vienna. So I bought a disposable camera for 89 Austrian Schillings. It was cool, windy, and overcast yesterday. There were two important towns in northwestern Austria that we passed through yesterday. One was Ces Budejovice that is the home of Budweiser beer! The second town was Linz – Hitler’s birthplace. Our final stop was the Hotel Habitat in picturesque Kirchberg. We had a great dinner and I even bought a beer and danced a bit during the tour party. It was a costume party so we had to rummage through bags of old costumes. Our chalet/hostel is a stopover for several tours so this has been done by hundreds of others. I didn’t feel like participating but reluctantly joined in and found a black wig and sword. So I wore only my Turkish vest over my upper body and masqueraded as a barbarian. The picture of me dressed up turned out okay. I’m tired now and will write more later…
June 8 – 12:55 pm
I just finished the rest of my lunch. What a beautiful day – a gentle breeze and a sunny sky. Apparently it was raining here yesterday. I’m overlooking where three valleys connect at the town of Kitzbuhel. Shane and I are the last of the group to tandem paraglide from the ski resort called Hahnenkamm. I walked all around the area and got to a height of 1900 metres or about 5700 feet. I’m not too nervous about the paragliding after observing the others take off. The departure point is a gradual decline. Beautiful scenery that is similar to the Rockies. I’m tired now after the 45 minute hike/run I did earlier. I’ll sleep well tonight! I withdrew 2,000 Austrian Schillings and will get two more disposable cameras. I’m looking forward to coming home and visiting with everybody. Spending time with Darcy will be special too.
There’s only six days to go on this tour before we reach London. Hard to believe since we’re in central Europe at the moment! There’s a lot of ground to cover. We’ll get back into Kirchberg around 2:30 pm and then I’ll walk around some more and grab a late lunch and drink some Austrian beer. I only had one beer last night (cost 33 Schillings or about $3.50 Canadian) and it wasn’t that cheap. The Internet cafes are a rip off by charging $1.00 for 6 minutes. The insect bug under my leg is OK but I just noticed a red lump on the left side of my left leg. I’ve added up the countries that I will have seen by the time I depart for home: Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, Austria, German, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Holland, Belgium, England, Wales, Scotland. That’s 18 in total and the approximate mileage driven will be 11,000 kilometres. A footnote is that it was interesting to have seen Hitler’s Berchtesgaden alpine retreat perched up in the mountains yesterday. Seeing the gypsy camp in Romania was neat too. Well I better head back to the take off point.
June 9 – 12:30 pm
Things have got better beginning this morning. First was that I found my ring! The bartender had it and Toni somehow got hold of it and knew that it belonged to me. I don’t know how it fell off my finer. (In early 2001 I lost the same ring for good as it somehow fell off my finger). Thus my stay in Kirchberg ended on a pleasant note. The resort town of 5,000 was situated in the picturesque Tirol valley. I spent yesterday walking around the town. I bought a neat souvenir of a small replica cow bell. Many cows in the area wore bells for tracking purposes. I also bought a double chocolate Magnum ice cream bar for 22 Schillings (over $2.00 but was worth it at the time). Then I went to a Backerie (Austrian spelling?) that was German or Austrian for a bakery store. I bought a feingeback for 18 Schillings. It was a large pastry with chocolate inside. I guess I was craving chocolate that day! Also purchased two cans of beer for less than $1.00 each. (It turned out later that one can was a non alcoholic beer!) Our group had another excellent dinner last night prepared by our chalet/hostel staff.
After dinner I had a relaxing walk down by the stream, came back and had a shower, read and went to bed at 11:30 pm. The whitewater rafting this morning was fun and the river was rated a force factor 3. I guess that’s considered intermediate. We traveled sixteen kilometers on the Inn river. During the excursion we passed by Mount Achekogel that is the Paramount Pictures mountain logo! In hindsight I should have worn my sunglasses but luckily I didn’t lose or break my regular glasses. The river trip cost 480 Schillings or $50.00 but didn’t include photos that were taken of us by the white water company. Since I wasn’t recognizable in them I didn’t purchase any photos. It’s another sunny day (so far I’ve only experienced heavy rains in Romania and the Czech Republic on my trip). We’re now on our way to Switzerland but at the moment seem to be tied up in traffic.
June 9 – 9:25 pm
We have just set up camp outside the town of Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. It has absolutely stunning scenery of 300 foot mountain waterfalls. The town is nestled at the foot of Mount Jungfrau that means young virgin. Later in the evening I began hearing loud booming noises like a gun or cannon. Our driver, Gummi, said that it’s glacial ice melting and cracking up in the mountains. My butt and legs are very sore from yesterday’s strenuous hike. En route to Switzerland we stopped briefly in the tiny county of Liechtenstein. It has a population of 30,000 and the capital, where we rested, is Furstentum. I’m very tired now so I need to go to bed early tonight. Tomorrow will be another full day of sightseeing beginning with waking up at 5:30 am and leaving camp an hour later. Good night!
June 10 – 9:18 pm
I just looked at my brand new Swiss Military watch and recorded the time in my diary. It cost 265 Francs or about the same in Canadian dollars. But it’s beautiful looking and would likely cost more back home. Besides it’s time that I had a watch considering I will soon be a working professional! Anyway at the same store I also bought a blue climber Swiss Army knife for myself and a red climber Swiss Army knife for Eric. I arose early this morning and took the electric train up to the peak of Jungfrau. This must have been an engineering marvel. It was breathtaking scenery with immense glaciers. The rail line actually ascended into the mountain and there were two stops inside before we reached the top! There were glass/Plexiglas windows to view the areas. The weather was cloudy and windy but I was able to peer through the windows and see some of the viewpoints. The Sphinx (ice sculptures) was interesting and close to the chalet. The tiny Panorama at the peak of the mountain was riveting but the damn wind reduced visibility to near zero. Walking on the metal grating floor and looking down thousands of feet through the holes was a bit unnerving. I wore my red Detroit RedWings polar fleece jacket and shorts. My upper body was warm while my legs were a bit chilled.
On our descent Shane and I got off the train at Kleine Scheidegg and walked the rest of the way back to Lauterbrunnen. We wanted the exercise and to experience the scenery on foot. It got very steep during the last third of the way down and I now have a cramp in my left calf. But it was good exercise and took us 2.5 hours to reach camp. So it was another fun-filled and expensive day of buying souvenirs. Just before dinner a free faller jumped from a mountain cliff and got caught in the trees half way down. A helicopter quickly came and plucked him to safety. Apparently it’s illegal to free fall but park safety officers anticipate people jumping! One footnote is that the Sphinx (not sure how it got the name as it doesn’t resemble the one in Egypt) at the top of Jungfrau was similar in appearance to where scenes from the James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was shot. That mountain (close by) is Schilthorn and it has a revolving restaurant which portrayed Bloefeld’s lair. I need to get to bed and rest my sore body. One final note is that Kirchberg was only a ninety minute drive from Munich. So the resort town must have been a popular destination with the Germans. Good night…
June 11 – 10:59 am
We’ve stopped at the Swiss border and there’s another Contiki bus stopped ahead with everyone standing outside. It’s strange that there is a delay here. It rained for quite a while last night but it stopped this morning luckily. We stopped at a huge gas station/shopping center complex just before we reached the border. Being curious with conversion rates I naturally checked the prices and was flabbergasted. A one litre bottle of fruit juice cost almost $4.00 – welcome to Deutschland!
June 11 – 2:30 pm
Another footnote is that back on June 9th as we entered Switzerland we pulled off the side of the road for a picturesque view of the town of Lungren. Very nice! Anyway I’ve seen few big trucks on the autobahns here in Germany. There are many exits and cars are speeding by us. Very few old cars while many are late model VWs, BMWs, Mercedes, Opels, Renaults, Audis, and Volvos. The land is very green and flat – looks like Michigan. I’m running low on hard cash so I’ll likely not go for the wine tasting and drinking party tonight. Besides I’m not keen on blowing a lot of money on alcohol! Although I still have 18 days left on my trip my thoughts are already becoming preoccupied with returning home and seeing everyone. As well there is the trip to Spokane, train trip to Chicago and attending ALA, Craig’s wedding, and moving to god knows where in August! We’re now passing red roofed buildings. Really isn’t much to see because of the haze and flat landscape.
posted by Michael at 11:39 AM
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MY 2000 ADVENTURE (continued)
May 21 – 7:00 pm
I just had a refreshing swim in the Mediterranean Sea! There are clean bathrooms too and a fantastic view of the clean, blue water of the bay from our campsite. It could probably pass for a Greek/Italian/French Riviera coast. I forgot to mention that the two pottery pieces that I bought in Urgup. One is a replica of a red 14th to 17th century Ottoman Dynasty jar that signifies love. (I later gave it to my mother). The second blue jar is a replica of a 12th to 15th century Selchuk Dynasty piece that means forever. (I kept it). The town where we’re staying is called Kas. I just spent over an hour on the Internet so I didn’t have time to shop in Antalya. I had a good lunch (chicken sandwich and an ice cream) for 1.4 million lira. I’m now ready for dinner and I may help clean out the Kumuka truck. The stale watermelon smells and needs to be thrown out!
May 23 – 11:00 am
I’m enjoying the sun and scenery on a long, wooden boat. I can’t get used to the beautiful, clear water! In the harbor I could see the sea bottom and fish. I’d like to get a tan today and later get a shave in Kas for one million lira. We walked into town last night following a long, windy, road. There was an outdoor amphitheatre with a performance and many spectators. While shopping I contemplated purchasing a leather jacket for $160.00 (U.S.) But it would be a pain to lug around and I could buy one through Craig. Besides I don’t know the quality of the jacket. After much driving over the last two days it’s been nice to relax outside. My nose is stuffed and runny today.
May 23 – 2:40 pm
The ancient town of Kylia was very quaint. It was on a peninsula but was is accessible only by boat. We climbed to the top of an old castle and had a spectacular view of the bay, mountains and ruins of a city underwater. It was caused by earthquakes centuries ago. It has been a beautiful day and I had another good lunch topped off with an ice cream bar (Magnum) that cost 750,000 lira. The boat’s anchor is being raised and now we’re off back to our camp. Two local women followed us as we ascended the hill to the old castle. They tried to be our guides by pointing out things to see and showing us which paths to take. They carried baskets of things to sell for three million lira each. Much too expensive to buy but they remained friendly even though no one bought anything. Poor people but I guess this is their main source of revenue.
May 24 – 7:10 am
I got up almost an hour ago due to suffering from my allergies and likely a cold too. I hope that my allergy pills can last me the next month. I better help Kathy prepare breakfast. I also need to conserve my last nine million lira. Our tent is on a bit of a hill as the campsite is full. So I didn’t sleep all that well.
Later that day I emailed my mother. Here is the text:
Just a quick note. I had to check my email about confirming my next tour with Top Deck. I will meet up with them in Istanbul in four days. Today was another beautiful hot and sunny day. We took a large boat up the Mediterranean Sea coast to an old city that is partially underwater. I had lunch and then we climbed up a hill to see an old castle. The town where we’re staying is called Kas and is pronounced cash. The scenery is pretty and looks Greek with the white buildings, narrow and windy streets, ocean and the mountains. Tomorrow is a long eight hour trip north towards Galipoli. We have a lot of territory to cover before reaching Istanbul! I just bought more bottled water for 200,000 lira. The inflation here is atrociously high. It’s 12:30 am local time on May 24. I need to walk back to the campsite and get to bed as tomorrow will be a long day. I need to check our tent for scorpions. Their bites can be deadly and I saw a tiny one in the Syrian desert near Palmyra!
May 25 – 6:50 am
Again – no hot water! I got very sick yesterday starting around noon. The allergies and flu combined with swimming in saltwater (first time in my life!) and getting water in my sinuses likely contributed to my sickness. I was diving off the big boat! I still fee achy and weak but feel a bit better today. This was the sickest that I got on my overseas trip. I didn’t bother going sightseeing yesterday – it was a geyser/hot spring I think. Instead I relaxed with the tourist police and conversed with one who understood some English. He had written down numerous words and phrases in Turkish and English. We are currently staying near the city of Denizli. Beautiful countryside here with tall snow capped mountains and green farmland. It’s rained a lot since driving inland from Kas. Yesterday afternoon we dropped off our tour leader Kathy. I played my Delerium CD yesterday morning – people on the truck were either sleeping or in a subdued mood. Interesting how the group’s energy level fluctuates. I better get ready for breakfast.
May 25 – 11:25 am
We just left the city of Dadili (sp?) Luckily I was able to use my credit card at the grocery store (Migros). I feel more comfortable with having nine million lira and some change to last me until May 28th when I depart Turkey for Bulgaria on the Top Deck tour. I finished reading Archangel by Robert Harris and am half through the first of a five book series about Ramses II. It written by Christian Jacq who’s French.
May 25 – 6:00 pm
Just came back from an interesting tour of the ancient city of Efes (Ephesus). At one time it was the capital (population of 250,000) of the Eastern part of the Roman Empire. It’s well known for its library (built 114 A.D.) and it had 12,000 scrolls in its collection. The library was conveniently located next to a brothel that ostensibly had a secret passage way! Tonight we’re staying in a hostel near the town of Selcuk. It’s a pleasant city nestled around small mountains that is reminiscent of Coeur d’Alene. I’m looking forward to a good dinner and a warm shower. The place we stayed at last night was a shit hole. The outdoor pool was full of moldy water, cramped rooms and the dinner consisted of murky soup and some vegetables. Right now I’m sitting on a bench near a square of shops selling Turkish paraphernalia. There are no tourists around so naturally when I walk by stores the shop owners flock to me wanting my patronage. They pissed me off a bit but I realize they likely don’t sell much (situation just like in Egypt). I better head back now….
May 26 – 7:40 am
We just had a delicious breakfast that included meusili, yogurt, and fruit. I could have chosen french toast or eggs but I needed to eat fruit and grains! I’m looking at a book about Efes so I’ll write down a few facts about it. It was the largest city in the Anatolian part of the Roman Empire. It had the Grand Theatre that is still used for functions (but the top sections are not used). The aforementioned Celcus Library was named in honor of Tiberius Julius Celcus who was the Governor General of the Roman Empire’s Asian Province. The library took nine years to build 114-125 A.D. The front has statutes of Sophia, Arete, Eunoia, Episteme that symbolize wisdom, knowledge, and virtue.
May 28 – 3:30 am
The Kumuka trip is over! I’m safe and sound in Istanbul in my private and spacious room at the Hotel Sunshine. I panicked a bit after learning about the new tour company’s sudden change of hotels. But it ended up being in walking distance. Upon arriving I had a relaxing shower and shaved. I then walked around the stunning Blue Mosque and St. Catherine Monastery. Unfortunately they were closed and the my new Top Deck departs Istanbul at 7:30 am. So I won’t get to see much of Istanbul. But the last few days have been fun. I last discussed the town of Selchuk/Selcuk. The hostel there had a carpet store on the main floor so that night a few of the tour members gathered around to see the carpets and haggle over prices. I ended up buying Craig and Malini a nice carpet for $300.00 U.S. in cash. The hostel’s driver took us to an ATM where we made our withdrawals. Due to the horrendous inflation 300 dollars equaled tens of millions of lira. The thick wad of bills that almost had difficulty coming out of the ATM dispenser! The price was also reduced because the hostel would not ship it. So I’ll need to carry it with me for a month.
The following morning we took off for Eceabat (European side of Turkey). We took a ferry to from the Asian port city of Canakkale – it was interesting to see two continents so close together! The night of the 27th we stayed at a funky place called the Vegemite Bar – the Aussies and Kiwis on tour felt right at home. It was very warm that night so some of us slept outside the bar facing the bay. I woke up to a beautiful sunrise. The Kumuka truck was parked across the road in a field and some people pitched their tents there. It was a busy road since the ferry dock was down the street. Many passersby probably wondered what the hell kind of truck we had and why some of us were flapping like birds! We were drying our dishes. Everyone had to contribute to meals by either setting up, cooking or cleaning. To conserve paper dishware we hand dried them by holding one piece in each hand and flapping it up and down. So it looked like a person was trying to fly like a bird!
May 28 – 8:30 am
I felt a bit discombobulated when I woke up this morning after getting to bed so late. I rushed to pack up and went downstairs to meet Toni, the Top Deck tour leader. The breakfast was a buffet but pickings were slim and only marginally better than what I had experienced in Egypt. It consisted of hardboiled eggs, juice, bread with butter and jam. But I digress and need to catch up with the last few days of the Kumuka tour. The morning of the 27th was spent at Gallipoli. The scenery was amazing and I learned much of the tragic 1915 battle for the tiny but strategic peninsula that arguable changed the course of the war. The Allied invasion (consisted mainly of Australians and New Zealanders called ANZACS) took place along three beaches. The most famous and bloody was ANZAC cove. It’s now a cemetery at a place named Ari Burnu and there are many other smaller cemeteries scattered throughout the area. The large Australian memorial was at Lone Pine and the New Zealand memorial at Chanuk Bay that had a statue of Ataturk. We also visited the large Turkish memorial. There were remnants of the trenches with the narrowest point of the opposing sides being only twenty feet! So much death and destruction over a small but critical area of land but the Allies were never able to capture and hold the hills on the peninsula and repel the Turks. It was a sobering journey to Istanbul.
We stopped at McDonald’s (dinner cost 2.35 million lira) in the outskirts and arrived at our destination at night. During the way Trevor, our driver, drove through an underpass that scraped the truck’s roof. He had miscalculated the height plus he was in a rush to reach the city. We reached a campsite and then there was a mad scramble to clear the truck, hail the cabs (taksis in Turkish) and stuff our bloated backpacks into the tiny cars. At least I saw the Blue Mosque and St. Catherine’s Basilica at night to brag that I had “seen” Istanbul. There was an interesting confrontation with the “polis” at 3:00 am. I was relaxing with Tony and others from the Kumuka group. The polis were threatening to charge a bar owner for staying open past the curfew. So the Kumuka trip is over and a new chapter begins with Top Deck. We have a nice, comfortable Volvo Top Deckbus/coach and I have no one sitting beside me. I feel very tired but relaxed. The smooth and modern highway along with the lush, green rolling fields is lulling me to sleep. It will be a long eleven hour travel day today to our lone stop over in Bulgaria. I read my email quickly (five minutes) for 100,000 lira. More to write later…
May 28 – 5:10 pm
We’re driving right beside the Black Sea. Bulgaria is 65% forested with hills and is thus very green. We passed through the Turkish/Bulgarian border near the town of Malko Tuinovo. We just passed through another town but I can’t find it on the road map. Lunch was delicious and included juice for dessert. We had a pit stop at the city of Burgas. The next big city is called Varva and our destination tonight is Shurmen.
May 29 – 9:40 am
We’re back on the road after having a delicious dinner and breakfast at our hotel. For dinner the potatoes and pork tasted great with a different flavor from what I’m accustomed. A bottle of beer cost only $1.60 Canadian. Our group was serenaded at dinner along with a synthesizer and a variation of bagpipes. The Shumen Hotel was very nice (four stars in Bulgaria but maybe one star in North America). I had a room to myself because my joining increases the group total to 27 people (odd number). The lights in the hallways were dim and the phone in my room didn’t work. The radio looked old but it worked. I called Dad last night at the hotel’s front desk and left a 30 second voice mail message that cost $2.00 U.S. The Bulgarian countryside looks like home but seeing old cars, people working in the fields, and horse driven carts distinguishes the scenery! Apartment buildings are a drab grey color with laundry lines fluttering from balconies. The land around the Black Sea is flat and somewhat unimpressive. Many houses here have red tiled roofs. There’s barely a cloud in the sky right now. It will be an almost five hour drive to Bucharest – looking forward to seeing my ancestral home country. We’re just passing a Coca Cola truck – one of the inescapable signs of Western capitalism and greed. Only the cities seem to illustrate the fact that Bulgaria is an economically underdeveloped county.
May 28 – 11:05 pm
We’re now stopped at the Bulgarian/Romanian border. There are many trucks carrying cargo here and few cars and tourists. I just saw a woman wearing a pink dress with pink shoes and black gloves. She was sweeping garbage into a garbage can – strange attire for a cleaner! It looks like Bulgaria’s flag has three horizontal stripes (white, green, and red). I saw no pictures of the country’s leader posted anywhere. Once we’re cleared through customs we’ll cross a long bridge that leads into Romania. I’ll find out the name of the river we cross over. I’m looking at three trucks entering Bulgaria that have the name “Orkun” on the trailers. I wonder what cargo they’re carrying. Here we go…We were just informed that we’re not permitted to take photographs of the bridge and river (Danube). There were two large columns at both bridge entrances that said 1952 and 1954. The famous Danube is a wide, brown, slow moving river that’s reminiscent of the North Saskatchewan River. Our bus just got sprayed with water or it could have been disinfectant like what happened with people at the Bulgarian border. We’re now bypassing an immensely long line of trucks. I wonder how long our wait at the Romanian border will be?
May 28 – 11:50 am
A Romanian border guard just collected all our passports. It was a very solemn event as he carefully studied each passport photo and then looked at each individual. I just noticed a small, emaciated dog sleeping in the shade on the other side of the road. It’s getting uncomfortably warm in the bus now. The guard will probably methodically process each passport that means we could be here a long time! Toni told me earlier that I’ll be responsible for writing in the tour book our experiences visiting Bucharest. I also need to decorate my entry. I guess each person has to contribute stories to the book that someone will win at the end of the tour. Here comes another dog that looks like it’s just given birth by having nipples for the puppies. It’s a cute dog that looks like a typical mutt from back home.
May 30 – 4:00 pm
I just sat down to rest by the Senator’s Parliament Building in Revolutionary Square. Downtown Bucharest (used to be called Paris of the East) is fairly modern looking and the women are exotic looking. Many wear very tight cotton pants or short, tight skirts. Many are also extremely tall and thin. Where I’m sitting is the birthplace of the December 1989 Revolution that deposed Ceausescu. A few of the surrounding buildings still bear bullet holes from skirmishes between the people and army. The Palace of Parliament was spectacular (morning tour). Have to go – more later…
May 30 – 5:30 pm
I couldn’t find a pre 1989 Romanian flag or crest/seal. Maybe I’ll find one in Brasov or Cluj-Napoca. Today has been overcast with a drizzle plus it’s rather humid. Dinner last night cost 65,000 lei (pizza and two beers) or about $4.00 Canadian. Lunch today was more expensive at around 90,000 lei but still quite reasonable. 20,000 lei equals about $1.00 (U.S.). Beer here is about 15,000 lei – horribly cheap! I spent 117,000 lei at the grocery store. I may have to exchange some lei back into U.S. currency before we leave Romania because I likely exchanged too much initially. Right now I’m sitting in our little hotel room and sipping on cheap chocolate cherry liquor. Our group needs to meet at 6:00 pm for dinner. Sounds like it’s raining now and there’s a bunch of wild dogs barking. Later tonight we will go to a place called the Sydney Bar. I’m not surprised that there’s an Australian drinking establishment in Romania since one seems to be in many countries for them to feel right at home during their long overseas journeys. At any rate I may be out until the wee hours of the morning. Tomorrow we leave for Brasov and Bran Castle where Vlad Dracul apparently stayed briefly. Thunder!
May 31 – ?? pm
Happy 14th High School Graduation anniversary! Anyway, I forgot to mention that on the Bucharest city tour on the 29th we stopped at the Palatul Patriarhiei. Housed inside this building was a Romanian Orthodox Church – very interesting service and prayer rituals. Anyone could walk in and watch and there was a gift shop. I was surprised to see that. Capitalism has pervaded all aspects of Romanian life. There was much chanting and genuflecting in the church. It was rather dark inside with many paintings and intricate artwork. The surrounding buildings used to be part of the old Communist government followed by the new Republic. The church bought the office buildings in 1997.
Last night we went to the Sydney Bar and then another place that was devoted to traveling Australians. The waitresses were attractive and wore skimpy outfits. We left at 10:00 pm and a few of us walked around trying to find a good local bar. First we went to an Irish pub (there’s almost one in every town on earth too!) but it was empty. There were many amusing incidents along the way including walking past a building that had sentries posted at the entrance. It looked like a very posh nightclub as the name plate on the front of the building said The Establishment. Later on we saw a flashy neon sign for The Jazz Club. There were many expensive cars parked in front including the new Audi T1 roadster. We were allowed in after much discussion with convincing the front desk clerk staff that we had money. There were many lights and mirrors in the entrance and hallway that led to the downstairs. I thought that we were in a “gentleman’s nightclub”. Upon entering the downstairs area we saw many people relaxing in big comfortable chairs and looking forward to what appeared to be a stage. The stage was obscured due to the high number of people. Then we saw a Frank Sinatra type fellow singing so we promptly left.
We wanted to see some action and not some Frankie type impersonator. We soon came to a place called the Blue Moon. It was obviously a strip club but it looked more inviting than the previous one. Drink prices were high compared to what we paid in restaurants (100,000 lei for a beer) but were comparable to a strip club back home. But we then learned that we had to pay 50,000 lei to see the show. Two girls from our tour group were with us so we decide to leave. However, a couple of guys in our group had been watching the entertainment so when we all decided to leave they were forced to pay a hefty entrance fee of 50,000 lei. I had learned from Egypt that one only pays for services if one actively takes part (even if it’s using a swimming pool). I would have stayed as I still had 350,000 lei left to spend! Our last stop was McDonald’s at 12:30 am. The cab ride back to the hotel for the remaining three of us was 60,000 lei. Now we’re back on the bus bound for Brasov – ETA three hours!
May 31 – 6:50 pm
Half the time I think I have dementia. First is that I left camera on the bus AFTER I had paid the entrance fee to see Bran Castle. So I ran back to get it but the driver (Gummy) had already driven off to park it. I waited around a bit and then negotiated a camera refund. Yes, they charged (like many places in developing countries) if you brought a camera. The castle itself was interesting and was built circa 1377. I bought a few things (a leather wrist band, postcards, small table cloth) in the marketplace after the tour was over. Later the group was let off downtown to stroll around. Brasov was a very pleasant area town. Then we headed north a ways to the town of ?? to stay overnight at Monika’s Castle. Not sure who it is named after. I just opened my bag to discover that my bog of shampoo and hair gel is missing. I must have left it in the hotel room in Bucharest. Luckily I have enough money to buy some bathroom supplies tomorrow in Cluj Napoca. Dinner is in half an hour so I need to get organized in our rather cramped quarters. It seems like the entire motel is constructed of wood. At least I have a bed next to a window as I anticipate the place getting stuffy during the night.
posted by Michael at 11:31 AM
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