India- the early days

I step out of the airconditioned airport into the thick Indian air. HOLY HOT PLATE! I think the literal translation of India is "A-Sauna!"A few days prior I learned that the temerature reached a record tying 46C (115F). Luckily today it's a mere 43C (109F)!!

On the suggestion of a stewardess I took a prepaid taxi from the Ghandi Airport to the Main Bazaar/Bus station. Next realization: if you think that driving in Italy is crazy you've never been to India!! The rules are as follows: __none_____________.In fact, I believe the only prerequisite for obtaining a driver's license is the ability to honk the horn. Which they do incessantly! No joke. They use there horns so much you'd think that the horn is what powers the car! Want to make a million bucks. Or 43 million Rupees? Invest heavily in automobile replacement horns! They probably have to replace them more often than petrol.

Somehow I made it alive to the Main Bazaar. Walked thru it a bit and found a place stay. No A/C, but a shower,toilet,tv, and one hell of a kicking ceiling fan.Went out for walk and quickly me Ravi, a "college student";) On alert for the scam I allowed him to walk with me. He told me about Dehli and suggested that I buy some of what they call "travel clothes", a traditional Indian cotton top and bottom so I would fit in. Yeah, OK. Like with the right clothes I'll blend right in here! And I'm not paying your boss 1000 rps for something I'm sure I could get for 400. Next he showed me an underground bizarre which was nice and cool.
But soon we were once again commenting on the extreme heat to which he suggested I spend as little time in Dehli as possible. I really couldn't agree more. I've only been here an hour and I'm ready to split this armpit. He offers to take me to a "Government Tourist Office". Well I'm now sure he's on a payroll, but I have got to get out of here somehow. On thing is for sure. Without prior experience or some well prepared research, navigating India is no easy task. The system is like nothing I've come across. That is if there is a system? I'm not quite sure yet. Even though English is pretty prevalent I feel much more lost here than anywhere in Europe.So at the travel agent I wound up agreeing to pay a much too big a chunk of cash to spend an "all inclusive" week on a houseboat in Kashmir, northern India. At that point I would have sold my soul to the devil for nothing more than an expedient trip straight to the somewhat more tolerable and temperate environment of Hell!!
Later that night I passed a guy spread eagle on his face who looked to be dead. This triggered a memory flash of the hospital when I noticed that in addition to the Emergency Room it had a "Casualty Room". This was possibly why. So I spent a sweltering night waiting for the morn of my escape....
They told me to be at the office at 11am so I was there at 10:15. It turns out that the bus doesn't leave until 12:30. At 12:30 me and the 3 Koreans making the trip with me are taken to the bus stop. Which actually leaves at 1pm! But Wait! Now we are stopping at another bus station to pick up more passengers and the bus really doesn't leave till 3pm! And when we ask what time the bus arrives all we get in reply is, "in the morning".
Well 27 hours later we arrived! Definately my longest, hairiest, scariest bus ride ever! All the roads are of course barely wide enough on each side for one vehicle. People constantly are passing so there is always someone gunning straight at you. And 80% of the vehicles are busses or mackin' trucks. I thought for sure once or twice we were in for it!
On the bus I had met Darien (Ireland) and her young Indian companion, Ajaz. He turns out to be a relative of the Magestic Houseboat owners where I am to stay. This is increbibly fortunate because he was able to guide me to my driver through a incredibly ravenous horde of guys looking for business. So, Manzool drove me in his little black Hyundai to the houseboat on Nigeen Lake, made me feel welcome and made me some delicious Kashmir tea.
I was thoroughly enjoying sipping on the tea and then the sales pitch came. Well yes, a 10-11 day trek in the Himalaya's sounds wonderful, but at $1350 it's a little (Lot)out of my budget, sorry.
I had just finished a nice breakfast of omellet, bread/butter,jam and tea when Manzool started selling again. If the big trek is too much we have smaller treks also. Still not buying. In the end I wind up agreeing again to a much too expensive package of four day trips in and around the area. The first of which starts this very same day. But my time is short so I'll leave it cliff hanger for now......

Leaving Germany

Slept thru my alarm, but only by twenty minutes. So I checked out of "The Tent" and caught the tram to the train station. German trains are extremely nice, they even have power outlets for laptops and such. They are also accordingly pricey, however travel tip #23 says book an eticket online three days in advance and it's about half price!! My ticket had me switching trains in Frankfurt, but the train I was already on is going directly there so I arrived in PLENTY of time. So I spent 1.5 hrs on the check-in line for Air India and then the agent tried to send me to Los Angeles!! Luckily I caught her mistake, but then she tells me that my flight has been delayed and that I must go to another counter to check-in. There I see that the delay is a mere 8.5hrs!!! I guess we are on Indian time now! Well I didn't really want to leave my backpack in the hands of Air India eight hours prior to the flight, it would probably end up in LA (if I were lucky), so I didn't check-in. But then it hit me that with such a delay I'm due some kind of compensation. So I went back and checked in and they asked me why I wasn't already at the Hotel?? Cause I'm an idiot! Hopped a bus to a rather posh Indian owned hotel and being famished at this point was happy to arrive just in time to chow down on dinner. A very simple indian meal of salad, rice, potato, veggie, bread and a beer, but I think it was the best meal I have had in about 100 days!! Topped it off with a plum and a piece of marble cake for dessert and thoroughly sated went around to buy some snacks for the plane.OK, now it's time to check out the room. Really very nice! Stayed away from the open snack bar with no prices, others weren't so lucky. Had a nice shower and a shave compliments of the hotel and as luck would have it the "The Manchurian Candidate" was just starting. And it also ended just in time for me to catch the bus back to the airport. There I spent my last euros on a beer and sat to meditate till boarding.
It was not overbooked as I suspected it would be, but it was full. Smooth flight, even got a little sleep. One thing I noticed was that Indians have no concept of space. I thought once or twice while getting off the plane that I might be getting raped! Maybe they're just really in a hurry to get home? So the delay actually turned out to be a good thing. Not only did I get a little pampering, but instead of arriving at 3am I arrived around noon. Now the adventure begins......

Munchen

It was a silent ride and finally he dropped us off, but in the middle of god knows where. It was a subway stop, but I didn't have any Euros yet and I didn't see any ATMs so it was a godsend that Michaela was being picked up by a friend and Sebastian was kind enough to offer me a ride to the main train station. I thanked him profusely and wished them both good luck finding jobs as he was recently laid off and she was going for an interview.I was to stay at The Tent and the directions said to take tram 17 to Bontischer Garten. So I looked on the map and noticed Bontischer Garten was about 2 blocks away. So I walked. I quickly learned that the actual Garden and the actual tram stop are miles apart. So I hopped the tram and checked in. I had the option of a dorm bed in a smaller tent or a spot in "The Tent". I opted for "The Tent" which is gymnasium sized with lockers, a wooden floor and somehow is colder inside than outside. They gave me 2 foam pads, 3 blankets and the option to upgrade. Bought a beer, talked to the fellow campers around the nightly bonfire and turned in.I awoke and used the 2euro credit they give us for a coffee, roll and a danish and then took the tram into the city. Got off at the main train station and walked towards Marieplatz Sq. where the New Gothic Rathus (town hall) is with the tall Glockenspiel. You quickly realize that the Bavarians are very fond of lions. They are found everywhere, each one colorfully painted with different themes. My favorite was Stonehedge Lion. I walked on thru HofGarten and then arrived at the famous Englisher Garten which is the biggest municipal park in Europe. It's also probably the biggest nudest park in the world! So, when in Rome....Laid out for a few hours and then got some movies and pics of guys surfing the standing wave generated by the river which runs thru the park. Pretty cool for being 6 hours from the nearest beach. After all that I was hungry and extremely thirsty so I found the world's most famous beer hall, Hofbrauhaus. But after getting a look at those 1 liter steins of beer I figured on my empty stomach I wouldn't make it out of there on my own two feet so I passed on the beer. Back at "The Tent" I hung with Stacy and her ex-baby sitter Andy(MN) and Kirstee (Perth) till 1:30 when we all turned in. Now my last day in Europe has arrived and I'll be damned if I'm gonna do anything but go back to the park again and lay in the grass!!This semester is over!! Like all students, I got a little lazy and bored at the end (It all starts to look the same after 100 days, at least the cities). But absolutely no regrets and I'm sure I passed this class and I think I did pretty well! Maybe could have done more. Or could have done less, but it doesn't matter. I'm on my own path and I did it. And now I'm very much looking forward to the next course: India 201- 3rd world cultural&spritual studies. It will certainly be more challenging, but I'm sure also more rewarding!!!! :)

Praha

Arrived at the Golden Sickle hostel which was reccomended to me by the Irish guys in Krakow. It's supposed to be a top 10 hostel, but I don't see it. It's ok, but with only one toilet and two showers between three dorms! Maybe the other rooms are better? It does have a nice courtyard to hang out during the day and an excellent pub right next door. It used to be a bomb shelter so like in Krakow when you first enter you think it's the smallest pub in the world, but then it just keeps going and going. The only thing on tap in Pilsner Urquell and that's alright with me! Got in kind off late the first night so I just walked around a bit. Praha is much bigger and urban than I had pictured in my mind.
The next morning it was drizzling so I put on my new rain jacket, but neglected to put on my boots and rain pants since it looked like it would clear. I was wrong. I crossed Kurlov Most brigde and headed up into the hills. I thought I took a wrong turn and wound up in France when I came to the mini Eiffel Tower. Saw the minature museum where you look at everything thru microscopes. Caught site Strahovsky Klaster, Loretta and a couple old churches and museums and the changing of the guard outside of the palace. But the rain was really putting a damper on things so I started to make my way back to the hostel. John (NZ) and AJ (OZ) from Kismet Dao hostel are here also.
At night AJ and I went for some Pilsner Urquel's (The only thing on the tap but that's fine with me) next door. Again deceptively looks small at first, but it was a bomb shelter originally and goes on forever. Beth and Becka (N.H.) joined us and after the drinks I spent from 1-7am on the internet and chatting with Megan (US) and Gordon (Scott) who works the graveyard shift for the hostel. Booked a two day excursion into Czech for the following day. Woke to the sun shining, had the free breakfast and went back to bed. Woke again and arranged my Mitfharzentale German Shared Ride to Munich. Stayed on the Hostel side of the river and walked around taking in the sites including the Jewish Quarter. Made it an early night and went to bed at 3:30am.Packed up and traded The DaVinci Code for Lucky Man-Michael J. Fox. Then hiked to the meeting point for the excursion into Czech.
Peter the trip leader arrived with Varun (NJ), John (FL) and Deserete (CA) and our last stop in Praha was to pick Johan (Sweden). We had a nice 1.5hr drive out of Praha and arrived at Kutna Hora to check out the Bone Church. The story goes: at some point a monk returned from Jerusalem with a couple handfuls of dirt which he spread in the cemetary. Well this made it "Holy Land" and very popular with the rich locals who now all wanted to be buried there. The only problem was that they were full. So they dug up the old poor peoples bones and started burying the new rich ones. (If you don't have alot of money you might want to consider cremation:) Eventually someone figured, "we have all these bones lying around, why not use them to decorate the church?" Well that's exactly what they did. After the church we went for some Czech food at a local pub which for me meant fried cheese and fries! At least the beer was real good!After a little more driving through the beautiful Czech countryside we arrived in Peter's home town of Dalecin where we would spend the night. It's a tiny, picturesque town and there we met Daniel (CA) and Robin (Vancouver/S. Africa) who both were on the last trip but refused to leave because they liked it so much.
We settled in and then strolled along a babbling brook and took some pics of part of an old castle wall. Continued on to Didta's pub for some more local food and drink. This time it meant for me frozen pizza with ketchup!! But again the beer was excellent and we traded shots with the locals while shooting shots of pool. Robin and I won the final 3 game match of the night, but they were gracious losers and invited us to a huge party the next day which unfortunately we couldn't make due to our date with Moravsky Kras Caves. BTW: Robin is a travel journalist for a Vancouver paper and also has a website (Moderngonzo.com). He asks everyone the same three questions and then posts the answers along with a headshot. Finish the following sentances: 1)Today I'm inspired by.... 2)Today I regret... 3)Today I'm thankful for...
Next morning we embarked on our trip to the caves. First a 3km walk thru a nice forest and then a walking tour thru the first part of the caves followed by a boat tour thru the second half. It's 48 degrees in the cave so bundle up and watch your head or you'll come out with lumps! It was nice and worth doing but not particularly mind blowing. I would have been more interesting if the tour had been in English. After the caves it was time for some more authentic Czech food. This time I sampled fried mushrooms and fries. OK I accept that being a vegetarian I have to suck it up with regard to local cuisine, but does it all have to be FRIED!!
A quick jaunt into Brno to drop off Deseret who was going to Vienna and then a peaceful ride back to Praha. Checked into Hostel Levir where I was happy to meet 3 Swedish girls and Dieogo (Brazil). After reading a little (including a Jehovah's Witness pamphlet I turned in.On leaving Diego offered me Angels & Demons which was very nice, but I already read it. Went to a park near the hostel and it took forever to find an entrance. Apparently there is only one.
Layed around in the park for a while and then caught the metro out to the pick up point for my ride to Munich. Had a little time so I wandered thru a mall playing American classic and alternative rock??? I was really hoping for a BMW, Porsche or even a VW since this guy giving us the ride was German and does the trip every week. What did me and Michaela (Czech) get: a 1991 2 dr beat up Ford Escort with no a/c or radio!! Oh Well:( It was a silent ride and finally he dropped us off, but in the middle of god knows where. It was a subway stop, but I didn't have any Euros yet and I didn't see any ATMs so it was a godsend that Michaela was being picked up by a friend and Sebastian was kind enough to offer me a ride to the main train station. I thanked him profusely and wished them both good luck finding jobs as he was recently laid off and she was going for an interview.
I was to stay at The Tent and the directions said to take tram 17 to Bontischer Garten. So I looked on the map and noticed Bontischer Garten was about 2 blocks away. So I walked. Only problem was that the actual Garden and the actual tram stop are miles apart. So I hopped the tram and checked in. I had the option of a dorm bed in a smaller tent or a spot in "The Tent". I opted for "The Tent" which is gymnasium sized with lockers, a wooden floor and somehow is colder inside than outside. They gave me 2 foam pads, 3 blankets and the option to upgrade. Bought a beer, talked to the fellow campers around the nightly bonfire and turned in.

Krakow, Poland

It was a cold rainy day when I left Budapest. A good day to travel. Arrived in Budapest without incident and walked to Kismet Dao Hostel. The references to eastern philosophy were what drew me there which turned out to be spot on. Nice staff, Brand new, spotless, free laundry, free breakfast with kitchen, nice common room and a 24\7 supermarket around the corner. The first night I just bonded with the crew of Irish and English travelers.Woke up to rain so I took my time rousing myself. Went for a walk in the on and off rain for about 3 hours, all the time keeping my eye out for a rain shell, but couldn't find any. That night the crew was bigger and around midnight we all decided to check out a club called "Frantic", but a couple of us were denied because we had on sneakers. So we went to "Prozack" instead which was cool. Looked deceptively small at first, but as you start exploring you find little offshoots everywhere. Wound up downstairs on the dancefloor with a couple of good DJ's spinning. Ordered a 7zt beer ($2) and gave the bartender a 20zt bill. "Do you want change?" "What do you think!!"The next day it was raining again, but can't let that get in the way of the necesary history lesson. So I broke out the emeregency rain parka (basically a trash bag with a hood) and after a little searching found the minibus going to Auschwitz. I spent the 1.5 hour trip wishing I could speak Polish so I could talk to the stunning Pole woman sitting next to me!Aushwitz is obviously sobering and depressing, stirring up a lot of anger! About every 3rd barrack has been converted into an exhibition with tons of literature in Polish, Hebrew & English. If you read everthing it would probably take a few days to complete. Each building deals with a particular aspect of the horror. Poles, Jews, Gypsies, etc. They have displayed:prison uniforms, prayer shawls, heaps of eyeglasses, shoes, suitcases and a really spooky room filled with about a ton of womans' hair collected after the gas chambers for sale to the fabric industry. Complete with traces of cyanide! Outside they still have the barbed wire fences and reconstructed part of the firing squad wall as well as a hanging post where 12 Poles suspected of aiding escapees were publicly hung to warn others. In general it's a horrible place, but seemed sterilized somehow?Walked about 30 minutes to the other camp: Birkenau. It's scale is incredibly daunting and dwarfs Aushciwitz in size. Even though its difficult to fully appreciate the size because most of the buildings have been burnt down their brick chimneys still remain and you can make out the huge area of the camp. It's more of a landmark than a museum. Not much literature here, just an opportunity to fathom the scale of the atrocities! Rows and Rows and Rows of barracks. Horrible conditions, horrifying experiments. Pure Evil! Upon disembarking the train the prisoners were lined up for selection. Not sure if it was better to be selected or not? 25% were selected for a slow drawn out death by hard labor, malnutrition and disease. The other 75% unfit for work marched thru a one way gate to the gas chambers. Went back and drowned my sorrows.Another rainy day. Went to check out the city anyway. Walked thru Rynek Glowny Square which is the largest Medieval Square in Europe. They carry on a tradition there where every hour a trumpet player performs a 5 note, two minute song which ends abruptly which represents the moment the original player got shot in throat with an arrow! Headed past various old churches and past Wawel Castle. From there continued souteast to the Jewish Quarter. Visited the Old Synagogue which is now a museum and the oldest synagogue in Europe. Saw a few more synagogues and circle the old cemetary twice, but apparently the entrances are sealed. Or maybe I'm just blind. I finally found a rain jacket at the Jewish flea market and everyone in Krakow can thank me for that because it immediately stopped raining and the sun came out!! :)Later after hanging with the Kismet crew we decided to go out to Prozak again, but they wouldn't let us in. I probably shouldn't have rolled up with 12 rowdy/loud Irish guys! Early that night the square was realy afire with activity because Krakow won their football championship and it brought out the riot police. But by the time we got there it was just a very quiet Sunday night.The next morning it was at least dry so I went to see Wawel Castle, the old Royal residence. Then rolled down again to the Jewish Quarter which is really kind of boring, but I had nothing better to do. Everyone was kind of burnt that night so I just collected my clean laundry (free!, which is nice cause you usually have to pay about $10 for one load in Europe!!) and packed up for Prague.

Budapest

Made the 7:10am train and sat with a couple from Seattle who had rented a sailboat and cruised the Croation islands. Arrived and hooved it 2 metro stops to teh Almos Hostel. Got there and there was a note with a number to call to be let in. Pain in the Ass!! I had no Hungarian money so I went in search of an Atm. Couldn't find one! Apparently I went in the wrong direction because after backtracking I found one 2 blocks away from the hostel. Now all I have to do is break a 10,000huf note($50.00). Tried to buy a coke, but they wouldn't do it so I bought some authentic Hungarian food, Subway:) Made the phone call and the receptionist got there within five minutes. The hostel was tiny! A kitchen, a bath, and two rooms with with eight beds. Good location though. She marked down the sites to see on the map and left. I climbed into bed for a nap, but Konstatine (Clark from L.A.) checked in and we started talking. Two Aussie girls (Kathy & Jo) overheard me talking about Croatia and joined the conversation. Around 10pm we went to a bar recommended to them called Szimpla. It used to be housing, but has been converted to a locals hangout with the courtyard serving as an open air patio. Cool place and cheap. 360huf ($1.75) for a good beer. Sat and talked with an Ex-pat from L.A. and two of his local friends. They shut down at 2am. Jo & Clark were fired up for more action, but it was Sunday and there really weren't any options so we headed back to the hotel. We were barely through the front gate when some old lady yells something in Hungarian from inside her apartment. Presumably, "Shut the hell up!!!". We all turned in and within seconds Clark is sawing logs.Woke up and had a cup of Joe with Jo, Kathy and Clark and we all decided to go to the Hungarian thermal baths. We walked up thru Varosliget Park and Hero's Square. The seven main "hero's" were the leaders of seven tribes who were instrumental in forming\liberating Hungary. From there we made it to the Szechenyi Furdo Baths. Very enjoyable and relaxing. Mulitple mineral pools inside with graduating temperatures, saunas, various outdoor pools, a steam room where I couldn't see my hand in front of my face and even a whirl pool which whisks you around in circles. Lo and behold who do I see in the whirl pool circling behing me, Dave, Alex and Will from Croatia. Something weird is going on behind the cosmic scenes to cause all these paths to cross and recross. $10 for all day, but you get an automatic refund if you use less time. Well worth it! Afterward we tried some Hungarian pretzels. Huge with the salt baked inside and then stopped for some falafel pitas. On the way back we checked the times for "Taming of the Shrew" at the famous opera house, but no shows tonight.The girls left early to continue their journey and Clark and I had some more authentic Hungarian food for breakfast, McDonalds Egg Mcmuffin:) We then went exploring the city. First to Margaret's Island which is essentially a huge park. The story goes: A warring king declared that if Hungary won the war they were fighting he would sacrafice his daughter! Well they won the war, but to avoid sacrafice his daughter became a nun. She lived on the island for over 20 years and when she died they renamed the island after her. We strolled down the Danu river and took in some great views including a climb up "Castle Hill" which was a great place to check out the impressive Parliament building as well as the whole city. Passed the "Citadel" and then I dragged Clark and his blistering feet (he just started his trip and wasn't acclimated to all the walking) back across the river to search for Buddha Beach. We found the area, but I didn't spot one Buddha!!?! Along the way we found a vegetarian restaurant called "Eden" and stopped in for dinner.Clark had a Russian cous-cous kind of thing like his mom used to make and also ordered a walnut pasta dish which he wound up taking to go. I had a "Wheat Beef stew" dish with soy dumplings and a strawberry milk shake. All was great except the drinks cost us 3 times as much as we thougt they would because the menu prices were for 10cl while we got 30cl drinks. I still wound up getting a great meal for about $8.00.After dinner we went back and changed for the Ballet and brought along a newcomer, John (PA). We got a little lost and got there late, but it didn't matter. The show started at 7pm, but the ticket office closed at 6:30pm which is when we left so we would have never made it. So we picked up a couple of English girls and went for a beer. When the bill came the girls didn't have enough to pay so they went off to the Atm while we sat and wondered if they would come back. They didn't seem the type, but you never know. They were taking a long time on a chilly night so we were contemplating a plan to run. Hey, we left our share! They eventually came back though and all ended well. The next morning I planned on going to Krakow, Poland. Well that was the plan. I went and bought my ticket, but didn't specifically ask for the 11:50am train and instead got an overnight ticket. That was no good, especially since I've heard way too many stories of people getting gassed of the Poland/Czech overnight trains and waking up with everything gone. So I got back on to a superslow line and by the time I got up to the window the train had gone! Changed the ticket anyway, emailed to Krakow hostel regarding the delay and searched fpr a bed for the night. Wouldn't you know it, nothing available!!! Uh, Oh!! So I went back to the Hostel I was at hoping for a cancellation and prepared to beg for a couch for the night. Well there weren't any cancellations, but there was a big bed in the office which was offered to me. DONE! Left and went out for pics of the largest synagogue in Europe as well as a nice basilica. Then went back and changed for the opera. Luckily I had bought my tickets earlier in the day because I found myself jogging to the opera to make it on time!! It was interesting. And by interesting I mean bloody awful!!! Of course it was in Hungarian, but it did have subtitles. In Hungarian!?!? Which was ridiculous because I don't speak Hungarian and I could follow it. It was about two guys, one rich and one poor. They apparently both like to sleep in. The rich guy gets awoken very gently and lovingly. The poor guy gets beaten out of bed and cursed at. Poor guy sleeps on a park bench, Rich guy meets a whore and screws her complete with climax scene. Very Slow. Until the last scene of the first act when the whore comes out and does her Aria. No, I don't think it could be called an aria. Let's say solo. Until this it was all very classical, but now changes to Vegas Caberet number complete with 16 guys doing coreographed moves behing her. Very strange!! I enjoyed it most when I closed my eyes, tuned out the singing and just tuned into the orchestra which was very good. Tomorrow I hope to make it to Krakow......??????

Croatia

After getting to stretch out for a while on the train eventually 3 guys from Croatia/Macedonia joined me which turned out to be a good thing since they were able to translate for me the message that we had to unexpectedly change trains upon crossing the border. I got my passport stamped on this trip more times than in all my previous travels combined. We arrived in Zagreb and two of the guys were continuing on to Split and since I didn't think there was much to do or see in Zagreb I tagged along to the bus station. I decided to go all the way to Dubrovnick which is supposed to be the crown jewel of Croatia and then make my back up to coast. After a 9 hour train ride from Venice I wasn't looking forward to the 12.5 hour bus ride, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. It seemed like there weren't any local buses in Croatia, just this one bus hitting every out of the way stop in the country. I think we were on the freeway maybe an hour in total and throughout the night we stopped and picked up rowdy party people going home for the night. More stops upon entering Dubrovnick for ID's. I think they were just making sure no underagers were entering since they didn't take any real interest in my US passport. Travel tip: don't bother trying to book a hostel in Croatia. First of all, there really aren't any (well maybe one). Second of all, as soon as you get off the train you'll be accosted by a group of people running towards you offering rooms. A lady offered me a room for 100kn, but I talked her down to 90kn and saved a whole $1.50! She spoke just enough English to do her business, but her daughters spoke it well and it was a decent enough room with kitchen access and a good location. When we got there she offered me coffee, but I was worn out and declined. Instead I climbed into bed and passed out. Woke up and went straight to the beach. Quite a decent into a nice cove with quite a few people on the beach which was not sand. Rounded stone with splotches of tar! Gotta deduct points for that! The water was nice though and had a good swim while checking out the local kids cliff jumping from some dizzying heights (~11 meters). One of three Brits (Dave) I left my stuff with on the beach did the big jump. Didn't hit it perfectly and hurt his back a little. To add insult to injury his mate (Alex) didn't get the pic because his battery died. After the beach I headed back to the room where I was very excited to cook up a nice veggie/cheese omlette, but between the time I dropped off my groceries and retrieved my knife from the room the lady of the house had poured me a bowl of noodle soup, bread and 2 mysterious fish. Well I couldn't say no so I ate the soup with bread, but put the fish back. My omelette will have to wait. Went for a walk along the coast, briefly me the middle daughter and later that night I finally got to enjoy my eggs.The next day I went for a walk in a state park, but apart from the views and some guys pilfering rocks there wasn't much to see. Back at the residence I met a couple from Perth who were headed to Rome so I gave them some information and in exchange Collin offered me The Davinci Code. "Sweet, Thanks" (Good book, but I think Angels & Demons was better). Repeated the beach scene, started my jogging again and in the after sunset I went for a stroll to check out "Old Town". Which isn't really old since it was bombed to hell and then faithfully rebuilt recently. None the less it was cool to check out even though I'm sure back in the day it wasn't overun with commercialism like it is today. Or maybe it was, just without the flourescent lighting? Later back at the house I met the oldest daughter, but our conversation was cut of abruptly with the arrival of her boyfriend!Repeated everything again the next day. Beach, jog and then pics in Old Town. Next morning I walked to the bus depot for a 4.5 hour bus ride to Split where I was again surrounded by landlords. One actually thought I'd pay 20 euros for a room! Eventually a nice lady offered me a room nearby for 120kn, but I told her 100kn was my limit and she agreed. Nice room with a tv and since I was staying two nights Grandma (thru the husband cause she didn't speak any English) gave me permission to use the kitchen. Dropped of the pack and went wandering along the coast. Hordes of people on the beach and frolicking in the water which is incredibly shallow. It's about knee to thigh deep for a good 120 yards. Croatia is pretty famous for nude beaches designated by "FKK", but I only saw on pair of breasts! Later I learned that there aren't any FKK's in Split:(Went for a jog in the other direction along the coast, came back and met Jeff (England) and the retired to watch a interesting movie called "Blaze". True story of Earl Long (Paul Newman) who is the Governor of Louisiana and gets involved with a stripper. Which along with his progressive stance on civil rights causes him his office. Then he runs for Senate and wins, but dies before the last vote was counted.Next day I skipped breakfast and went straight to the beach. Plenty of cute girls and many older woman, but I'll be damned if I know where they are hiding the 20/30 somethings!! Sitting at a table a group of teenage girls asked me something in Croatian so I smiled and said no comprende. But they, as all young croatians know English so I quickly realized they needed a whole Kuna (~16 cents). I gave it to them and they went off and to probably a soda. Then a teenage boy came up to me and asked for a cigarette. But when I told him I didn't have any he asked if I'd mind talking with him and his friends. I invited them to sit and we discussed politics (Bush/EU), traveling and music. One had travelled quite a bit and another was really into Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, etc. Which was very suprising to me since they were barely out of highschool. After a while they made me promise that if I made it big in music that I'd come back to Split and play a concert. I told them I'd do one better. I'd bring Dylan to open the show. Next day I'm catching the 11:30pm bus back to Zagreb so I spend the day much like the rest and settle in for a 6.5 hour ride. Arrived and asked a couple of students who were walking to school (on Saturday!? that sucks) where I could find an internet connection. They walked me there, but I found no availability in Budapest. Damn! No sleep last night and it looks like I'll be spending another sleepless night in a train station. The internet showed absolutely no hostels in Zagreb, but I went and got a hotel guide and lo and behold there is a hostel and it's only 3 blocks away. It was run down and I couldn't check in untill 2pm, but it was cheap and in a great location. Walked around and chilled in a park till check in and then crashed. Woke, walked, took pics, went for a jog and capped it off with a very cold shower, not by choice! Met a young couple from Oregon who pointed out an earlier train to Budapest than I had seen, went and confirmed the train and finished off the night watching the locals hanging out in the park on a Saturday night.
To conclude: Croatia is a nice place to visit, but regarding Dubrovnick I feel I have to make one last comment. Everyone I spoke to said "YOU HAVE TO GO TO DUBROVNICK!!!". Well for the record I'd put it in the category of: "It's a nice place to visit for a couple of days, but don't make a special trip". It was really overhyped to me, so I just want to adjust the bellcurve a little. :) (However if you happen to be an ant with your own wave generating machine you could have some epic waves all to yourself. So Flat!!)

Venezia

Shared a compartment on the train with a couple of Italian newlyweds on at the end of their "wedding tour". Arrived in Venice after another long sleepless train ride. Couldn't sleep lest I miss changing trains in Bolgna. Took the shuttle to the camping ground and checked in. Tried to sleep, but the sun was beating down on the tent. Even though I was dead tired I decided to go for a walk. Maybe I can find something interesting or even a good market. Walked a couple of miles in one direction and the only thing I came across was a gas station which didn't even have a soda machine! Headed back and did a mile in the other direction. Again, nothing! I saw a sign for McDonald's and tried to find it since I figured I deserved at least an icecream cone for my efforts, but alas I couldn't find that either. Empty handed, I returned to camp. Took a refreshing swim and relaxed by the pool until the sun abated, but by that time I figured it would be better just to stay up a while longer and go to bed early. So I grabbed my journal, took a table and began sipping wine and writing. Around 9:30 I was just about finishing up and getting ready to head off to bed when an Aussie girl (Collette) came over and asked if I'd like to join there table of about 14 travelers. Well, I couldn't be rude so I accepted. Around an hour later we learned there was to be a Pasta Party (Free food) at midnight. Well so much for getting to bed early. Chatted with everyone and watched the Liverpool vs. Milan football championship (Liv. won in a shootout). I got to the "Pasta Party" at 12:15 and it was all gone! Some Party!!! Danced for a few times and then crashed hard in the tent.
Took the bus to Venice to check things out. Everyone gets lost in Venice. I didn't! Because I didn't really care where I went. Just roamed around and when I saw a sign for San Marco's Plaza (main) I headed in that direction. Finally got a homestyle slices of pizza here. Stopped at the Vivaldi exhibition. They had some interesting historical information and instruments from 17th-20th century. Some bizarre instruments I had never even seen before. With some nice Vivaldi playing in the background I learned that "Four Seasons" is one of the most performed classical pieces ever! And apparently he was from a very poor family and spent his life chasing money. He faired very well in that department, but lived it up and left nothing. Eventually I came to the Grand Canal and San Marco's Plaza. Both nice, big and picturesque. Thousands of pigeons and people posing for pics with them on their arms and shoulders. Suprisingly not much pigeon shit though! After wandering all day I caught the bus back with a young Aussie couple who were on the bus in the morning and looked as tired as I was. The next morning I wanted to meet up with Lisa (Tuscany) so I thought I'd walk to the train station, buy a ticket onward to Croatia and go into Venice again. I thought it would take about an 1hr-1.5hr. I was wrong. After 2.5 hours I was asking for bus directions to the train station. By the time I got back to camp the afternoon was pretty much shot so I hung out at the pool, ate a pizza and then grabbed a table to write in the journal. Shortly a couple of Americans were looking for seats so I offered Mike & Andy (N.C.) a place to sit. Soon their travel buddies: Sarah (Mike's girl), Emily (her sister) and Velvet (Canada) joined us and we all had a nice evening. Venice was nice. But you don't need much time there unless you're doing the romance thing.
Off to Croatia.....

Rome 2nd time's the charm

Got off the ferry and I'm walking to the train station wondering if I'd make it in time. I forgot that I gained an hour between Greece and Italy. Didn't matter though because the first train out wasn't for a few hours anyway. Caught a very crowded train to Rome and it was slow and kept stopping in the middle of nowhere for some reason. Got in an hour late, but no big deal. Arrived in Rome and the bus to Camping Roma was so jam packed. Tired, there was no way I was waiting for the next bus so a big exhale and the bus doors barely closed. Shared a tent with Wayne, a Mormon from, you guessed it, Utah. Hung out with fellow camp-mates Nina (England), Naomi&Olivia (Sydney) and Tim&Sammy (NY). Reminisced about things we miss from home. Besides family and friends mostly food! Also talked to Sam's new found love of surfing. He's a newbie and is determined to give it a go in Bali. Good luck!!
It's Culture Week in Rome so most things are free to get into this week. Only problem is that it ends Sunday, so instead of relaxing after my taxing travels I went out to see as much as I could. Located a Pyramid on the map which looked like it might be a good place to start. Took a pic and walked towards the Colliseum thru some lesser traveled parts of Rome for an authentic feel. Scored a free bottle of water from the "Race for a Cure" Race crew and came to the Colliseo which really is impressive. How much blood was split there? How much human flesh was devoured there?? Saw the Terme di Caracalla (Huge ruins) and of course the Arco di Constatine leading to the Colliseo. Adjacent to that is the Foro Romano (Roman Forum). Very cool, large Ancient archeological site. Then browsed a couple of museums, Campidoglia and Musei Capotilini. Lots of cool marble statues, ancient Roman coins and a few decent paintings. Followed that up with the Area Sacre (Sacred Site) which are ruins of four temples and the site where Caesar was killed on that fateful Ides of March. Then I did a quick tour thru Crypta Baldi which I thought would be a tomb, but turned out to be a museum about the ancient archeology of the area. Then on to the Pantheon with it's Demon's Hole (largest free standing dome). Very nice inside with intricate murals and statues. From there perused the Fontana di Trevi. Very cool, but way overcrowed. Continued on to Castel Sant Angelo which is an ancient fortress with a large spiraling ramp which I imagine chariots rode up and down in times of siege. Had some cool canyons and catapults which must have reeked havoc back in the day. Excellent view from there also. Then a jaunt into another country, Vatican City. Strolled thru San Pietro's Square, but they wouldn't let me into the Basillica because I was wearing shorts. Hello! It's the 21st century. I don't think I'm gonna invoke any lustful yearnings with my hairy legs. But then again?....priests. Nah, I'm not young enough. Yeah, I know, I'm going to Hell. (No disrespect intended to the good ones! Much disrespect intended to the evil ones). OK back off the soapbox.The next day I just relaxed by the pool and the most interesting thing I came across was a German girl who drank her beer mixed with sprite? Tried it and actually it's not bad. The added lemon might go really well with a Weiss beer. Apparently it's a common thing in Germany.
After yesterday's rest I'm ready to go back to Vatican City. It's a steep 12 euro fee (like they need it!), but you get your moneys worth. It's huge. Lots of religious paintings of course which to me weren't remarkable except for one large scene of Original Sin which was my favorite. In fact, I thought the most interesting paintings there were in the modern section including a rare religious Van Gogh. Many intricate yet boring tapestries. Awesome collection of marble statues, Roman vases and ancient coin collection. What was most impressive to me was actually the building and rooms themselves. Very beautiful and ornate. Almost every ceiling was either mural painted or sculpted in intricate marble or wood. They displayed some ancient bibles, globes and a whole hall of huge ancient maps of the world as it was known (or not so known) back then. They also had a room of some Egyptian artifacts and art including two actual mummies. Near the end of the museum you come to the climax. The Cappella Sistina! No pictures or excessive talking allowed. I complied with the quietness, but I'll be damned (probably am) if I was going to get any pictures. I appologize for any bluriness in the pics, but I didn't want to push it by using a flash. It's all there: The Last Judgement with a self portrait of Michaelangelo as St. Bartholemew. Creation of Man with Adam naked and God Clothed. I guess God has shame??? The Last Supper with the eleven apostles (yes that's right 11. the twelth is Mary Magdelen. Check it out.)(Dan Brown fans know). Sermon on the Mount, The Temptation of Christ, Moses presenting the 10 Commandments, His Last Days and Parting of the Red Sea (Of course, no one in any of these scenes looks even remotely Jewish!). Very impressive, but I wasn't as blown away as I thought I'd be. Probably due to three things: 1. too high an expectation 2. the ceiling is so high you can't appreciate the detail 3. you have to nearly break your neck to view it.
Finished the museum and went into San Pietro's Basilica. WOW!! This one really did blow me away. I had no idea. The scale, attention to detail and workmanship is incredible. So many pic ops, but unfortunately I ran out of batteries after about 5 pics. I was kicking myself! Hard!!! Near the end I came across a scene which I don't know the name of, but it obviously has to do with death since there is a huge bronze skeleton springing forth from it. It totally stood out from the other rather sedate scenes around the church. I had to have a pic so I prayed (what the hell, when in Rome) for enough juice for one more. Miracles do happen! Of course I couldn't use the flash so it came out blurry, but maybe it will be viewable on a monitor. I might have to come back just for the Basilica.Afterwards I passed the Botanical garden and Piazzle Garibaldi before heading back to pick up my backpack. On the return trip I stopped at Flaminio to check out the park and catch sunset from the height with a great view. Very nice park. A Globe Theatre, Piazza di Siena which is an equestrian park, nice plants/trees, open spaces and a couple of ponds. A great place for a bike ride, jog or just to hang out. Saw the sunset over Piazzo del Popol and the walk towards the train station past Piazzo Spagna with the Spanish Steps and Piazzi Barberini and finally past Basilica San Maria Maggiorie. Wayne suggested it because apparently they have a lot of creations made of human bones. Unfortunately it was closed due to the late hour.
But other than that I didn't really see anything:)
Bought a ticket to Venezia on the 12:47 am train. Around 12:15 I noticed the train isn't up on the departure board. Huh? Maybe they're just behind in the update. Better go to the computer and make sure I did everything right. Yep. But it's still not on the departure board. Checked the printed version for departures and it's not there either. Uh Oh! Took a closer look at my ticket and notice the departure station isn't Roma Termini, but Roma-something or other! What the Heck! I inputed everything correctly and it gives me a ticket for a station I didn't even know existed. There's no way I have time to get to another station. Luckily the train info. window is still open. The guys tells me to get on the train at binario 3 which is scheduled to leave at 12:22am. It's now 12:24, but luckily it left late so after a short sprint I made it on with 20 seconds to spare. Two miracles in one day!!! Maybe I'm not damned afterall. Thank YOU!!

Greece et al.

Up with the sun and slid the key under the camp office door. Got the 7:22am train to Napoli and then a 6 hour train to Bari, Italy which is the ferry port. Along the way I lucked out and had the train compartment to myself 90 percent of the way so I was able to stretch out, but could only take a short nap. Upon arrival in Bari I partnered up with Henatta (Portugal) and we walked together to the port about 2 miles away. She had a Eurail pass and got a ticket for 6 euros. I didn't and paid 65 euros. Had some time to kill so I went into town and saw Henatta having a beer so I joined her and to get some food for the trip we waited till perhaps the smallest market in the world opened up. The both of us could barely fit inside, maybe 100 sq. feet!Once on the boat I invited a girl who I suspected was American by her dress to join me for a drink. Danielle, studying Greek in Greece. But apparently not very well. Talked some of the night away and though we were do to arrive in Igoumenitsa Port at 7:30am pulled into Corfu at that time. I didn't even realize we were pulling into Corfu! Once we got there Danielle(she luckily knew where the bus station was) and I walked about 3 miles to get bus tickets. The bus was packed, but I finally made it to Athens. Then it really hit home what it's like to be illiterate! Different language, different alphabet! IT'S ALL GREEK TO ME!!!!:)No internet around so I headed to Onomia Sq. since I read that there were hostels in that area. While waiting for the bus I met a Portaguese guy who said he had found a good cheap place to stay in Onomia Sq. so I said I'd check it out. It was decent enough so I paid for the night and we went out for a beer. My spidy sense was tingling though. We were chillin and he told me his brother had a place in Frankfurt I could crash at when I get there. Tingle. He had two cell phones and offered me one. Tingle, Tingle! He puts some money on the table to cover the beer and goes to an ATM for more cash. Then comes back and tells me his card got eaten by the machine. TINGLE, RED FLAGS, BELLS, WHISTLES!!! We headed back to the hotel I went straight to the internet and booked a hostel elsewhere. I don't trust this guy as far as I could throw him! After watching the young local kids playing soccer in the square at nearly midnight?? I went back and fell asleep.Next morning I up and bailing for Zorbas Hotel up the street a bit. Later in the afternoon I went for a stroll down to the Acropolis area to see what there is to see. Took pics of the Acropolis, Panthenon, some Ruins, the Ancient Agora, Socrates' Jail, a monument of the hill and some great views of the city from Mars Hill. Wow, I just saw most of what I wanted to see in a few hours!! I have to say it was a thrill to walk along the same trails that Plato and Socrates had tread 2500 years ago. Strolled a little ways and took some pics of Zeus' Temple and then it happened. Local guys greets me, "Have a beer with me. Ok, one." Get to a bar, order a beer and a hot girl sits down next to me and starts chatting. There goes my Spidy Sense again. "Would you like to buy me a drink?" NO. "But they're only 10 euros!!! F**king theives!! I put up a wall, finished my drink and left. Oh well, it's a 10 Euro lesson in international finance:) I happy to work off some negative Karma, but it's sort of sad to see a group of others accrue so much of it. Each his own path. I then went back to the hotel and warned my roomates (Patrick&Mark bros from Oklahoma/Rob from down under) of the scam. Rob shows me his travel book warning of the scenario verbatim. Too late!The next morning I climbed up Leviticus Hill to check out what I thought was an ancient amphitheatre, but turned out to be made of fiberglass seating. Not very Ancient. But there was a nice whitewashed church and a great view of Athens. Higher than the Acropolis and 360 degrees. Hiked down a took some pics of Parliament and outside is the Tomb of the Unkown Soldier. Two soldiers posted who occasionally do this funny high step kick march. Checked out a park and bought a pair of liteweight zipoff pant/shorts as well a pair of hair clippers because I'm getting a little shaggy. Capped of the night with some nice Santorini wine.Next day I got a few emails from fellow travelers. Ineke says she wants to kill me for suggesting the tough route in Cinque Terre (Actually she liked it very much). Amy&Kate jumped from a plane in Switzerland. I think they had parachutes though:) I'm taking the 10pm ferry to Ios island and have a bunch of time to kill so walked from Athens to the Piraeus Port (8 miles), I eat, walk, chill in a park, read, walk some more, ate again, and walked even more. All in all I think I did at least 10 miles(all with the pack)! I'm beat. 10:30 I'm on the ferry and I'm sure I'll be asleep before long.
Unbelievably I couldn't sleep on the ferry. Maybe I got an hours sleep. I arrived on Ios at 6 am and Matthew was there with a ride for me to Francesco's Hostel. No beds available untill 10:30 so I dropped the pack off and tried to figure out how to kill 4 hours. I Went walking around and before found some entertainment. A group of people still partying from the night before. Marion&Caroline(Ireland), Christopher&Alex(England) and Jin(???). Their drunkness help pass the time. Jin is a character out of some novel. A silly Jesus looking guy who was born in France, lived in 15 countries and speaks at least 8 languages. He got sentanced to 15 yrs in France for cultivating 265 cocoa plants. Six days in he nearly killed six inmates due at least partially to an extreme coke withdrawl (let that be a lesson kids). Got 45 days in solitaire for that. Wound up doing a year and got out. He's also a chemistry student so he cooked up his own batch of LSD. 150 hits worth of liquid. Downed like a shot!! Woke up (amazingly) ten days later in a Bulgarian forest. Remembers nothing. I'm suprised he's alive and functional. Marion is a cutie who thinks she knows me from some where. Maybe a past life? Around 9:30am they call it a night?? I head back to Francesco's and they're cleaning the rooms. Maria (Ms. Francesco) offers me a cup of coffee. I accepted a few minutes later after an older Canadian couple and Megan(San Fran) join me on the terrace. Crashed for a couple of hours and then walked 4 km down to the Mylantopus Beach (1km long)**Side note** Folks back home: don't forget to appreciate LBI. Seriously, I haven't yet come across a beach a nice as ours. Stop for a minute and think about the fact that you have 18 miles of pure white sand and a great ocean which graciously provides countless hours of fun!!! Nothing yet even compares seashore wise!!! We are blessed!OK so I spot Megan and Robin (Canada) on some beach chairs along with another dormmate, Dean(Sydney). I pull up a chair and sit in the sun. Chat it up with some cuties whom I quickly learn are "Floor Whores". Girls whose work for the clubs and basically their job is to look hot, friendly, and attract people into their respective clubs. Oh well, I'm too old for them anyway. At 5:30 there is an Ios Pool tournament @ Farout beachclub. 2 euro entry and everyone gets 3 lives. You shoot, if you miss you lose a life. Sinking the eightball gets you another life as does bearing your breasts (not fair!). Last one in gets the kitty. Back at the hostel I chilled for awhile and later on did a free welcome shot with three girls (Long Island, Chicago, L.A.). People start filling in and the American girls decide to school some Auzzies in Flip Cup. Poor Auzzies (never played), they got absolutely crushed. Lost every game!! At 11:30 they closed the bar and we all went to BlueNote. Dancing and a free shot with every drink. On the way out began talking to Chris (Chef from L.A.) and Mark (Philly). I quickly realize that Mark at only 25 is an old soul. We got philosophical at the bar, I just wish I could hear more of the conversation over the music. I decide to give him Angels & Demons (Highly recommend for you all) since it's a great blend of science, religion and spirit. I know he'll like it (confirmed by a later email). Megan loves to dance and is putting on quite the show (sober too). I, however, am not feeling the groove so I head back to the hostel. Megan comes back a few minutes later and opens up to me regarding her alcoholism and I'm happy for her that she's been sober for 3 years and doing well. We call it a night around 2am.Had a good veggie omlette w/toast at breakfast with Dean, Robin, Megan, Hope (England), & Alex(Canada). Now there really are only 2 things to do on Ios. Go to the beach during the day and party at night. So it's down to the beach for some sun and swimming and then back to the crib. The crew all debates about going to Alibabas for dinner and a movie, but in the end we decide to go to Fiesta's for great cheap food. Fed Francesco's dog "Rosie" on the way to the restaurant. I wasn't hungry, but got a delicious eggplant dip. Showered up and went to "Fun Pub", but it wasn't very fun so went mossied back up the hill and Megan scored us a free tequilla shot at Voodoo. There we say Hope and Alex who had drunk enough shots to earn a free t-shirt. It's a pretty dead night. Apparently there is a ferry strike so alot of people bailed from the island so as to not get stuck there. Cruised over to Satisfaction, but the music wasn't very satisfying. Then to Red Bull. Better crowd and better music. I was about to bust some moves, but we lost Robin&Megan and I didn't want to dance without them so I bailed around 3am and went to bed.Next day it's back to the beach. Later my mouth started watering for a pizza at Fiesta's, but everyone decided instead to go to Alibaba's for dinner and "Team America" on the big screen. Funny movie. Afterwards we hit up BlueNote and I got to break a sweat before hitting Red Bull for some more moves. Enjoyed a delicious crepe with chocolate and nuts and called it a night. Next morning we all did the usual slow wake up on the terrace, but before going to the beach Dean and I decided to check out the windmills and amphitheater. Grabbed another delicious crepe (veggie this time) and walked a steep hill to the amphitheater which must be an awesome place to see a show. (see photo). Left Dean up there and went to change for the beach. After talking to Robin, Trent, Kurt, & Ian(Oz) for awhile I hit the beach. Came back for sunset and found everyone just as I left them. They hadn't moved in like 5 hours. Lazy days in the Greek islands. Showered and finally got to appease my pizza craving. Went to catch "Chopper" (an Aussie cult classic, Roadwarriors kind of flick) at Alibaba's, but when we got there the owner Cookie says no movie due to the fact that he has some couples eating who wouldn't appreciate the Auzzie violence. But since all the Auzzies are leaving the next day he tells us to come back @ 9:30 and he'll put it on. The group splits up; we go to shower, they go to the Fun Pub. Went back for the movie, but the other half of the group never showed. So we had a beer, talked with Cookie, compared scars and were left wondering where the rest of the group were? Two hours later we meet back at the hostel. They had gone to Orange for some harder music. Bas*a*ds!! We chilled on the terrace and watched kids play drinking games. One guy obviously hadn't faired too well and tossed his cookies. Judy the bartender wasn't very happy. The following morning almost everyone except Dean is bailing. Trent&Ian for Athens, Kurt& I for Mykonos. We're on the high speed ferry but it arrives a half hour late. Pulls in only 15 minutes late and we boarded a packed bus to Paradise Beach. It's really windy here. Steady 20mph with 35mph gusts. Luckily it's an offshore wind so the beach is actually the best place to be. Seems like a cool place, but still early in the season so it's kind of slow. Later on Kurt and I are trying to get some shelter from the wind by hanging out between some bungalows. Freezing our butts off and wind up layering up, even donning my wool cap. The temperature isn't bad, but the wind is relentless. A couple of Auzzie girls join us a share their music. Emma & Beck introduce Christie and we head for the beach. Pick a table and shortly thereafter some more Auzzies join us. Then others. Texas, Boston 2 guys from NJ and others. We start putting tables together till there is about 20 of us. Chatted and turned in relatively early.
Up for the free breakfast. OJ, Coffee, croissant, 2 pcs of bread and jam. Kurt decided to check out town, but I decide there is time for that tomorrow and instead opt to hang out with the naked people on the beach (not sharing those pics :) Later on the way to the market I ran into Marion & Caroline from the first night in Ios. That night Kurt and I were hanging out when some Auzzie chick showed up. Sara, Lee and Kara. We all headed to the beach and then the drama started. First the girls brought their own booze to the beach and the bartender had apparently told them earlier they couldn't do that. They didn't take heed. The bartender spotted them pouring drinks, hopped over the bar, grabbed the bottles and poured them out right there on the beach. Pretty rude, but I guess they were warned. (apparently Kara had already been banned from the bar twice!) So we moved down the beach and Alice (Czech) and her boyfriend (Brazil) come along. Also a greek guy who Sara is throwing herself at since she just broke up with her boyfriend. We were having a good time when the drama continued. Sara's ex got piss drunk and wants to go to bed, but Sara won't give him the key. Her friend Lee gets caught in the middle and goes to talk to the Ex. Sara starts making out with the Greek. The Ex comes back 2-3 more times, poor guy. In the end, everyone's had enough and her friends turn on her and tell her to give up the key. We leave them fighting over her purse for the key. (yeah, you guessed it: the next morning they were back together, a happy lovin' couple. Go figure!!??)
Next morning Kurt and I went into town. Took some pics of the windmills and Little Venice, but other than shopping there isn't too much to see. We went back and decided to check out what Super Paradise was like. Supposedly Super Gay, but apparently they really have a good time and aren't predatory. Really windy. Got to the other side of the Cape, but no roads so no way to get down there. Anyway it looked pretty much the same as our beach. Spent the night listening to tunes on Kurt's IPod (I do regret not bringing tunes). He introduced me to some Aussie music and I made him listen to some bands he had accidently downloaded (Soundgarden, Janes, Pearl Jam, etc).
Well, the weather hasn't been so hot so it's time to move on. On the bus to the ferry the happy lovin' couple was present and they showed us pics of Sara's Atv accident. A perfectly straight road, but somehow she still managed to flip the ATV into a drainage ditch. Luckily the only damage was a broken mirror and a bruised ego. It's funny how many people you see walking around bandaged up. You can spot the scooter renters a mile a way. Kurt is heading to Athens and I'm off to Paros so we give each other Bon Voyages and board our respective ferries.
On entering the port I can see the campsites I'm planning on staying at, but a Renter won't take no for an answer. OK, I'll take a look. A short scooter ride later he's showing me a private with it's own Bathroom, a decent view and even a kitchen sink, stove and fridge. SOLD! Hit the beach 300 yards away for awhile. Went for a jog and later went out to check the nightlife, but it's still early in the season here also so it's pretty quiet. Morning: cooked up a killer veggie/cheese omelette and went out looking for some sites. The lame tourist map I got was useless so I couldn't find the sites I was looking for, but stumbled on others. Took a two hour walk up the mountain for the view and got some more beach time afterwards.
Next morning made another great breakfast (it's so nice when you get to cook up some good food) and prepped for the ferry back to Piraeus (Athens). The ferry was two hours late. Got to Athens around 10:15pm. I figure there is a slim to none chance of catching a late bus to Corfu, but I went for it anyway. Took the metro and then a 20 minute to the bus station. The first bus to Corfu is at 7:30am so I hunker down to squat for the night in the bus station. The guy in the store behind me is watching Fear Factor. Greece has me feeling a little guilty. Feels too much like a vacation. Haven't accomplished much besides a tan!
On the bus I was able to crash out hard after a sleepless night. That is until the first stop and hour into the trip when the bus driver chided me for taking up too many seats. So I scrunched up into two seats and continued to doze in and out. Got to Igoumenistu and I thought it a bit strange to take the bus onto the ferry for a 1.5 hour cruise just so it could take us 1 km to the Corfu bus station. I got on to the internet and found absolutely no availability for beds. Winging it is bound to bite you in the butt eventually. So I changed my ferry ticket to leave the next day which wss free except for a 15 euro tax charge?? Then began searching for a place to call home for the night. This proved difficult as Corfu is very developed and much of the area is gated off archelogical sites. Tried finding a beach, but the only one I found was about the size of a large sand box. Probably would have drowned in my sleep if the tide came in! Right after sunset I spotted a hill with some trees. Walked up the hill and found a lot which had recently been cleared and walked towards the trees. Damn! It's fenced off. But wait, a small section is knocked over and I can make out a trail in the fading light. Got out my mini flashlight and followed the trail. Spotted some cardboard which had obviously been someones bed and continued on a little further till I came to a clearing big enough for my tent. Managed to get the tent set up in the pitch black and gave thanks for a decent place to crash for the night. Slept like a rock! Woke up a 8am with the company of at least 20 mosquitoes. But not one bite. My theory is that eggs had been layed in Genoa and they were new borns that had just hatched due to the oxygen supplied after unpacking the tent. But then my mosquito biology is very rusty and I could be completely wrong. Had all day to kill so I went back to sleep for 2 hours. Then broke camp and spent the day people watching in the various parks and taking pics of the sites. Later catch the ferry to back to Bari to head back to Rome.....

Sorrento, Italy

Another beautiful train ride thru Italy. Lush rolling hills with olive and grape trees set off by huge ancient Roman aqueducts. Arrived in Napoli and walked around for a bit, but it seemed every bit the dump that people told me it was. So back on the train and an hour later I'm in Sorrento on the bay of Napoli. So I'm waiting on the bus to camp and start talking to three older couples from North Jersey. The bus doesn't seem to be coming so we all decide to take the alternate bus from Tasso Square a couple of blocks away. Checked into the Campground and got a 1970's caravan all to myself since it's still preseason here. Free breakfast of 2 rolls, jam/butter and coffee is included with the caravan so I woke up at 9am, ate and went back to bed before eventually making it down to the private beach. Actually it's not a beach, but cliff and rock. I laid out in the sun for a few hours and after seeing some people go for a swim I decided I would like to also. Only problem was that I wore my walking shorts instead of my baggies for some reason. Well, I was too lazy to walk all the way up the hill to change so I figured I go in the skinny. I wasn't concerned about the couples or the young ladies on the beach, but a boat with kids just anchored 20 meters away. So I waited it out till they drifted down a bit because I didn't want to bare mi kibels and bits in front of the kids! It was worth the wait. The water was perfect! Although very salty. After a refreshing dip I went for a stroll down into town. Great views here. Really spectacular!! On the way back I ran into the folks from N.Jersey again. The next morning I decided I'd check out Mt. Vesuvius and maybe Pompei. Caught the 10:30 train, but it was slow and I missed the 11:30 bus to the volcanoe. Elaine (England) and I decide to check for a local bus instead, but we are told there are no busses due to a strike. So I didn't miss the bus afterall! So a bunch of us packed into a mini-taxi (actually a mini-van) and twenty minutes later we are paying our entrance fee. All in all, I wouldn't recommend the excursion. It was rather boring, dusty and way too many insects buzzing around. The hike to the top takes about 20 minutes and when you get there, all is still. The only action is the tiniest bit of steam in one little area which you can barely make out in the pictures. Decided I was too tired to do Pompei and blew it off. Went back to camp and cooked up a huge plate of pasta in the communal kitchen and met Mark (Alabama) who was kind enough to lend me his Lonely Planet so I could research my near future (Sicily, Malta, Greece). In the end I'm very keen on Greece, less keen on Sicily: and Malta, although I'm sure is beautiful, seems too conservative and not at all cheap. So I decide I'm going straight to Greece, but since I freed up some time I think I'll stay an extra day here.Today I wake up to what will be a glorious day because I get to go to the Postale Ufficio and mail 7 lbs. of cold weather clothing back home. Ahhh! the pack feels so much better now. After some more beach time I went into town to get some travel information. Ouch!! The train leaves at 9am from Napoli which means I have to be up and out by 6am for the 7am to Napoli. Then a 6 hour train ride to Bari, Italy. Then a 12.5 hour ferry ride to Iqoumenitsa, Greece. Then another 8 hour bus ride to Athens. Oh well, gotta do what ya gotta do!Later that night after cooking up a huge plate of pasta in the communal kitchen I was sitting around digesting when it hit me that I have to pay up tonight because the office won't be open so early in the morning. Only I don't have enough cash on me so it's time for more exercise. A 3 mile roundtrip back into town. On the way down I ran AGAIN into the folks from N. Jersey! They were returning from Capri where they took an open air/single seated sky tram ride to the top and ate at a mountain top restaurant. They said they absolutely loved it. On the way back up, outside a bar watching a football game I just happened to bump into Mark (Alabama) who is my camp caravan neighbor. Sat around for a while waiting for my camera batteries to get a fresh charge and hit the hay around 2 am. Just four hours of sleep is gonna make for a hellaluva long day!

Rome- just passing thru

Made it to the campsite with just enough time to check in and make it across the road the supermercato for food. It's still early in the season and it's pretty quiet. But that's OK, I'm only here for two days to figure out were my next stop will be. I'm coming back to do Rome properly in a few weeks. The only people I met were Chelsea & Nicole (Philly) who are studying in Paris, but getting set to go back home. Another tough day at the pool working on the base tan. Find Chelsea & Nicole later that night, so we talk the night away. Apparently the wolves were circling them all night, so they were very glad for my presence. Cause I'm one big bad as* wolf. Well, at least I kept them at bay!! :) The girls warn me that Napoli (Naples) is a ghetto so I decide to skip it and head another hour south to Sorrento which is on the Bay of Napoli. On the way out I was all to happy to mail some things home that had been weighing me down via Rome's Postale Ufficio. A few pounds lighter and I'm on my way to Sorrento......

Tuscany

Before leaving Florence I inquired about shuttle service at the Tuscany Campground. Only 1 a day and it's at 8:45. Well I won't make that, "how much for a taxi?" 8 euros. Seems kind of steep, I wonder how far it is. Got online and noted it was less than 2km from the train station. Where they get the gaul to charge 8 euros for a 1 mile cab ride I'll never know!! I can walk that distance quicker than the time it would take to order a taxi!I arrived in the afternoon and was asking two pretty teenagers directions to the road I needed. One gives directions, the other translates for me. Alright, Grazie. I was just about to head off when the shuttle from the camp pulls up. Originally the driver wanted to charge me the 8 euros because I didn't actually make a reservation, but after a bit he agreed to take me for nothing. Which was great because although it was far, it was all uphill. So it's $12.50 to use my tent or $15 for a little mobile home with its own shower/toilet. Tough choice! It's a really beutiful place. Lush Tuscan mountains and not much else to ruin the view. Enjoy the sunset with a bottle of Tuscany Red. Listening to the tunes coming from the bar and chat with Darren (England) who is there with his wife and kid looking for a home. But first he has to spend some time getting in good with the locals or else he'll wind up paying twice as much! A little later I met Rose & Lisa (Cape town) who were in the middle of Tour guide boot camp and just jumped ship after deciding it wasn't their thing. Lisa and I wind up playing Italian 8 ball (ya gotta sink the 8 ball in the last pocket you sunk) with a couple of locals. A student and a restaurant owner who is a big jolly guy and kindly buys us a couple of drinks. They are pretty bad pool players, so I miss a few on purpose just to keep things going and amicable. All the while taking in the scene of the mostly locals (the town is so small that they come up to the campsite for entertainment!!) dancing and singing Kareoke. Normally I hate Kareoke, but their was some talent there so it was alright.Next morning got up and swam some laps in the pool after breakfast. Then went for a walk around the hills towards the horse stables. Passed a babbling brook, some abandoned villas, vineyards and farm animals. Pigs, deer, goats, ostriches, a horse and salamander darting every which way. Chilled again on the terrace with Lisa keeping me company.Next morning is a repeat of yesterday. Only today I nearly break my neck coming out the shower in my slaps. It was worse than walking on ice!! Another lazy day out at the pool and a nice pizza dinner with Lisa in a suprislingly nice restaurant for a camp ground. Later met some guys working at the campground. Three English blokes and an Auzzie. I may run into them again since they're based at the Venice Campsite. Next morning woke up, paid the bill and had a cup of coffee with Lisa sharing my last moments in lovely Tuscany. Just missed the 11:30 train so I got on the 1:30, but it was the wrong one!!! Apparently they switched tracks on me at the last moment. No biggy, it just cost me another 2 hours. Eventually made it Rome, but that's another chapter......Ciao.

Firenze (Florence)

Nice views on the train from La Spezia to Florence. Snow topped mountains in the distance, farmlands in close and hills of marble and limestone in between. Had to switch trains in Pisa. I had about 10 seconds to hop on the connecting train. In fact the train doors closed on my backpack. Tug, Tug,whew.. made it, barely. Nearly fell over in the process. An Aussie couple and I chuckle over it and together hope we are on the correct train. It was.Arrived in Florence and head to the tourist office. Closed?? Huh. (Later I find out there is a new office across the street) While I have a puzzled look on my face and nice old man asks if I need accomadations? Well, by this time I've learned my lesson and don't want to waste time and energy looking around so I get the price/location and say "Let's go". Drop my stuff off and go wandering around. Stumble on the Duomo Cathedral which is huge in size and draw.Next morning I check out and check into Camping Michealangelo. Killer uphill walk with the pack, but it affords an awesome view of Florence. Good facilities, clean, bar, restaurant, open all year and they have 2 person framed tents which are very convenient. Enjoyed the view of Florence just down the road from Piazzle Michaelangelo. Florence just on the other side of the Arno River which is incredibly muddy and not attractive at all. They must photoshop the postcards of the river. There is a historical Monastery further up the road with monks singing beautifully. Back at the camp ground I sat down on the terrace and started easedropping on the conversation 3 girls were having. I chuckle at a comment and they realize I speak english. I fess up and introduce myself, they invite me to join them. Ineke (Oz), Kate and Amy (sisters hailing from the windy city) and I hit it off. We enjoyed a few brews and laughs and then I showed them a spot for some good cheap pizza. The next morning I wanted to check out the museums so I crossed the Vecchio bridge which is jewelers row. I got on line for the main museum, Museum Uffizi, but the line was a 4-5 wait!! Three Canadians and I decide it's a lost cause and walk to the Museum Academia to take a look at Michael. Upon entering we realized that they don't allow any pictures. Bullocks!! It's marble for crying out loud. And skylights right above the thing. Some people just like to break balls I guess. Afterwards I walked around for a while hoping to find a nice park, but couldn't find any. Found myself in the Jewish section of town and got a picture of a nice synagogue which they were cleaning the oxidation off of the copper dome. Back at the campgrounds it's a lot livelier because of the 3 day weekend. Talk the night away with Kate/Amy and they were gracious enough to pass along Dan Brown's Angels & Demons. It's a great blend of Science/Religion/philosophy. Highly recommend it. I spent one more day just wandering the streets and on the way back it started to drizzel. Italians apparently don't leave home without their umbrellas. Not 3 drops fell before a sea of umbrellas appeared. It's crowded enough in Florence, but after you add the umbrellas it gets a little trying. And I'm amazed no one poked my eye out:)

Italian Riviera

Woke up and left Nice with Ford as he was going into Monaco. Continued on to Ventimiglia, Italy. Just on the boarder where I had to switch trains. Had just enough time to grab some lunch and eat on the beach. Stony beach with clear blue water and 3 foot shore break. Then back on the train to enjoy the view. The track is pratically on the beach. Pass a semi left point break, 3 ft. 6 guys out.
Got to Genoa and step out of the train station to be greeted by the American Indians worst nightmare. A huge statue of Christopher Columbus. This is supposedly his home town. Got a map and hotel listings and began the search. While I'm staring at my map a nice Israeli girl named Sharon stops to offer me help. She's out getting excercise and killing time and offers to walk around till I find something. She's not to good with the map, but she knows some Italian so that helps. I wound up at the Hotel Chopin which was nice, clean, English spoken, friendly and the room had a sink and TV. Spent the night alternating between the TV and people watching from my balconey.Woke up and stowed my bag with reception and went out exploring Genova.Down Balbi Strade to an area which houses 12 Palaces. Unassuming from the outside, but impressive inside. One had a little pond with ~12 snapper turtles sunning themselves. What a few for a while trying to climb out with difficulty. They're not the best climbers. Strolled thru Ferrari Plaza, a nice big open square with a big fountain. An old city gate here, nice cathedral or building there. Down at the harbor there's the aquarium and an really cool old warship. 40 or so canyons and really intricately decorated wood carvings. Sat and people/dog watched for a while. Including one dog that just wouldn't tire of fetching a stick. It would yap it's head off if you didn't continue playing.
Off to Genoa Bogliasco where I gonna camp for the first time on the trip. I get to the station and wait for the free bus to the campsite only it never shows. Wind up taking a taxi a measly 2km for 5 euro. A rip off, but since it was straight uphill and probably would have killed me, I didn't complain too much. So it's early in the season and the camp isn't fully opened so I have to hike down in search of food. Down below saw a couple of longboarders getting out of the surf. Now it's getting dark and I'm not finding anything open. Stumble upon a couple of vending machines and buy a coke and ice cream thinking this might be all I get for the night. However, on the way back I found a market that was still open so I stocked up. Now all I have to do is find my way back up a hell of a hill. Chose badly at first and wound up at a dead end. Actually it was an institute for the retarded. Thought for a minute about checking myself in:) Eventually found the right set of stairs and after alot of energy, sweat, huffing and puffing finally arrived back in camp. Enjoyed the peace. Very quiet with frogs croaking all among the hills, the occcasional woosh of the train way down below and the chiming of various church bells on the hour/half hour. It winds up being a cold night. 42 degrees and some light sporadic rain thru the night, but I managed to get some decent sleep. Next day I catch the train to La Spezia which will be my base for hiking the Cinque Terre trail. Should have been less than 2 hours, but 15 minutes from La Spezia the train stops. Apparently the tracks are flooded up ahead. After 40 minutes we continue to the next station to be told we have to switch trains. Finally arrived a began the search for a place to stay. La Spezia is really small so no hostels here. So I begin the search for a cheap hotel. Wind up circling around and winding up where I started. Hotel Parma across from the train station. Decent enough. Tomorrow I'll hike the trail.But the next day it's rainy and cold. Back to bed. Maybe the weather will clear. Well, it's still cold, but the rain has stopped so I make my move. Break out the parka, thermals, and waterproof pants and take the train to Monterossa (first town and most difficult climb on the trail.) It's considerably warmer here and sweating like a pig and tearing clothes off before I even get to the ticket booth for the trail. The Cinque Terre trail (Five lands) is marvelous. Up until this century it was the only way to get between these five towns on the cliffs overlooking the sea. Barely wide enough for one person in spots and no railings. Watch your step or you're in serious trouble. A real Hell climb, but worth it. Acqua blue sea below, lush green and terraced grape vineyards above. Takes about 1.5 hrs to get between Monterossa and Varanza. The trail takes about another 1.5hrs to get to Corniglia, but the it's easier and just as nice. Corniglia is so small that they charge a toll for cars to enter. Quaint towns. It should take another 35 minutes to Manorolla, but the trail is closed halfway due to a rock slide. Hop the train at Corniglia and consider getting off a Manorolla to do the last part of the trail, but its only a 15 minute hike and since it's starting to get cold and late I blow off Riomaggeire and train it back to the hotel. Tomorrow it's off to Florence, Italy

French Riviera

French Riviera
Wanted to stop in Montpellier, France, but there weren't any reasonable accomadations so I decided to go on thru to Marseille. So I bought my ticket. The only problem was by the time I got back on the internet all the accomadations got booked up. Oh well. Too late now. I've got my ticket. No turning back. Worst case I'll pitch the tent. But I was warned that there are some sketchy parts of Marseille so upon arriving I give the hotel across the street a try. It's a dive, but only 18 euro which is what I've been pretty much paying for hostels. However, instead of sharing a room with gaggles of other travelers, I have the room to myself. King size bed, table, chair, balcony, bureau and a spare twin bed in case the King size is too comfortable. Really quite French, Quite Quaint! So I keep with the theme and buy a bottle of Bordeaux, some cheese, bread and kick back for the evening after a walk around town. It really was picturesque. I thought about painting the scene for prosperities sake, but wouldn't you know it, I forgot my brushes and oils in NJ;)
Next morning I overslept. Damn king size bed!! Made to the bus station and got on the bus to nice with literally 2 minutes to spare. Nice ride; Rocky hills, vineyards and the sea. Checked into the Hostel Bacarat which is really just a hotel which they thru some bunkbeds into a couple of rooms. The kitchen consisted of a microwave and that was it. No alcolhol, no common room, but again met some cool guys in the room. Glen (Russian New Yorker transplanted to Miami), Ford (China), Mark (England), Paul and Christian (Perth) and an English student whose name escapes me now. The first night we just walked the boardwalk. No sand here, just stones. Paul and Christian had dinner at the Hippopontamus while I sipped some wine.
The next day Glen, Christian, Paul and I decided to check out Monaco. Paul suggested the bus since the train goes thru alot of tunnels and it would afford us a better view. Only thing was, when we got the bus station they told us there were no buses. Huh, that's strange! So we took the train to the Monaco station which makes the other stations look like hovels. Got off and it was eerie. No one was around! Start walking around and still no one is around and all the shops are closed. It was like a ghost town. Something is definately not right. The only people we saw were perhaps the best dressed policmen in the world. Finally we asked one of them what the deal was. After looking at us like we were from Mars and deciding that we weren't yanking his chain, he told us that King Ranier III's funeral was happening. Ohhh, that explains things. So actually it was quite nice roaming around with any crowds. The only thing going on there was a tennis masters tournament. In fact, we literally almost bumped into Raphael Nadal as he was leaving the hotel for a game. So we wandered up to the arena and found a market that was actually opened. Bought some lunch and ate overlooking the harbor and the only marble boardwalk I know of on this planet. After that we decided to have a look at the famous Monte Carlo Casino even though we knew it was closed. We are so glad we did. In front of it is what can only be considered a Perfect garden. Really spectacular! Terraced and all the flowers were in bloom, palm trees and a single bust to set things off. The pictures are cool, but don't do it justice. I really don't think it could be improved upon. On the way back to the station, Glen asked a couple of Canadian girls if they knew the way. More to flirt than for actual info. They said they were going back the way they came, but I opted for another route. The race is on. we went straight up a huge set of stairs. After catching our breathe we realized we were right there at the station. Looks like we won the race unless the girls sprouted wings!The next day was kind of lazy. Later that night we went to an irish pub called the Thor. Solo guitarist downstairs and a band upstairs playing U2, Radiohead, Coldplay, etc. Not the greatest band, but great song selection. The next morning we woke up to a freezing room and realized it was raining. So we did laundry. $10 a load. It's like that all over Europe. I wonder if a washing machine will fit in my pack?? Late night the guys crash a party in the next room over, but don't last very long. College kids just playing drinking games. Tomorrow I head of to the Italian Riviera via Ventimiglia. Mark and Glen said they were gonna come along, but can't get out of bed. Actually it was a good decision for them 'cause it was farther than we thought. I didn't get into Genoa until 4 pm. But I'll save the rest for the next blog.....
Later,DJ

Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona, Spain:
Nice trip from Valencia via ALSA Busline. Nice views of the mediterranean. Pretty country. Took the metro to Las Ramblas. I'm booked at "New Hostel" and on the internet it says "easy to stumble on, just follow the signs." Well there are no signs! The only signs you might see for this place are a bunch of backpackers wandering around muttering to themselves, "where the hell is this place!" So I find the address and duck in through the gate, but still no signs. I try to go back to the street to confirm the address, but the gate is locked! Uh Oh! Looks like I may be sleeping in this alley tonight. Fortunately, after much searching I find "new hostel" written in magic marker by one buzzer. Whew! So I climb 70 steps (I counted) to the hostel to be greated by a cheery Canadian named Jesse. Takes about an hour to check in because the computer is down, but I don't mind and just chill out and meet the other guests. Not quite what I expected with regard to the facilities, but the people are cool so it will do.First Day: Check out Las Ramblas. A large street, the main drag, with a wide median which houses all the vendors and street performers. Painted human statues, lots of tourists and you can even purchase your very own ferret, bird, rabbit, snake or just about any other pet you can think of from the numerous vendors. It's sunny and 70° so I head down the street towards the marina. Nice clear Medit. water and a sky tram for the eagles view. Small boats, big boats and even a wooden submarine? on view on the land. Continue along and arrive at a nice beach, small waves, clean 60° blue water, course sand and topless girls. Relax for a while and watch some sailboarders, a couple of kite surfers and one lone longboarder.That night Jesse takes a group of us (Andrew (sydney), Tracy&Heidi (Canada) and 2 German girls to a bar called "fairies woods". Cool decor, it looks and feels like you're in a forest with trees and waterfalls.Next day it's time to check out the Sagrada Familia and Park Guel both designed by Antoni Gaudi. Both, must sees! The Sagrada is like no other cathedral in the world. Awesome. It's just too bad it won't be done for another 30 years! Decorated with biblical scenes, snakes, lizards, and bunches of grapes and peaches atop the spires. The park Guel is equally intriging. Inlaid tile decorates the building/statues at the entrance and the benches. Hundreds of rock arches made of the smallest stones. Lots of stairs and a great view.Later on the street I ran into a girl from Friend's Hostel in Paris. Small world! 15 minutes later I run into 2 guys from the Hostel in Valencia. Very Small world!!!Friday 4/8/05 Went to the Picasso Museum. Very Cool! Again, reprints don't do the art justice. In person the colors are SO Vivid and alive. Really exceptional. The only problem was you couldn't take pics. Waiting to go out, hanging with Joel, Austin and Caroline and 8 Irish guys really partying it up. It's two of their birthdays. Off to the Travel Bar and then to the Sugar Bar. Funky cool place with red/pink mood lighting and good tunes. We Groove. On the way home Jesse turns us on to an insider munchies spot. It's late and the bakers are up making there croissants. You get a huge box of chocolate or creme filled croissants for $2 E. We were about 1/3 done with the box when a couple of guys fell about 30cents short. So we sold them our box and went right back for another.After saying goodnight to Heidi and Tracy me and Jesse chat it up with a couple of girls in Plaze Real. Actually, he does most of the talking since it's in Spanish, but it's still interesting to listen and watch, occasionally understanding what's being said. Shortly there after it's back to the hostel to stay up till 5 am chatting with Lisa, a cutie from Melbourne.Next day, Joel enlists me to go check out a Jazz show later that night. We get a crew together and pay a $5 cover which includes a drink. The band is Phat! Very tight. All of them: drummer/percussionist/Stand up Bass/pianist/Sax. Latin Jazz with cuban overtones. Really phenomenal, but over too quickly.Next Day: No more beds here so I'll have to go up the street to their sister hostel. During the day I checked out the hills which house the Olympic Venues. Nice vistas, Military Museum, Open air Olympic diving arena overlooking the city, a sports arena that looks like a spaceship, Botanical gardens, the Palace Nacional and a stadium that people are flooding into for a soccer match. Back to the hostel to grab my bag and say some goodbyes.At the other hostel I check in and meet a beautiful Romanian (Irina) who's getting her masters in Lille, France. I watch Lizetta's mom make flowers out of T.P. and cray paper. Later Irina tries to persuade me to go out, but I decline. There's always tomorrow and we both can already feel the connection. Next day spent flirting with Irina and making plans to take another group to the Sugar Bar. Jessie takes the first group there and I tell him to go ahead and I'll bring up the rear. This expression really entertained my foreign friends. So after a some more cards we get there and dance the night away. Later after we exit the bar and are chatting outside we get doused with water. Apparently we're keeping someone up! Time to go back. But stayed up till 6 am for some more flirting.Tuesday: Irina offers me some breakfast and we hit the streets. Stop a while for some Sangria and then play tour guide and show the girls the Arc d'Triomph and the Sagrada. On the way back we stop to people watch at Placa Catalyuna. Then dinner: a bottle of red and Seafood Paella for 2. This night we only stay up till 5 am. But then we both need to be up @ 7am to catch our transportation out of Barcelona. Short and Sweet.Off to the French Riviera.......Adios amigos.

Valencia, Spain

Valencia, Spain
All right, enough of being land locked. I'm heading to the coast! Found HOME Hostel even though the directions on the internet weren't quite right. And they tell you to take the bus, but it's probably just as easy to walk since the bus does a big loop. HOME hostel is the biggest yet. Holds about 110 people, four floors, funky, clean, english speaking and there is a roof top terrace with a view of the city. Not nearly as pretty as Madrid, but it's got character.
Spent some time drinking with Ross, Mike, and Jenivere (US), Chris (UK), and a crazy group of 10 Croations who brought there own home brew. It's made from Plums and tastes like a lighter whiskey. They wouldn't take no for an answer so the bottle kept going around.
Took a walk with a group from the hostel down to the Musuem area. Long walk, but a nice one. Our route was an old river bed that has been converted to a park which runs through the whole city. Picked and ate a wild Valencian orange. A little sour, perhaps not quite ripe enough. Passed a public skate park and a really cool park for kids. Gulliver's Park from Gulliver's travels. It's a huge recreation of Gulliver tied down to the ground. It's designed to be climbed on via steps or ropes and then you slide down on of many huge slides. We couldn't help letting the kid in us come out and gave it a try.
Very interesting modern architecture in the museum center: Music center, Science, hemisphere building, Aquatic World. On the way back stopped at one of the old city fortress gates. Took in the nice view and headed back for roof top cervazas and some chess. Later on Pam and Andy enticed us to go out for a few drinks.
Next night warmed up playing cards with Chris, Jack, Kyle, Megan, and Grace. On the way out picked up Ian and Owen and went bar hopping. First place closed at 1 am??? I thought this was Spain. Anyway onward. Found a funky place playing good music. The very gay bartender suggested we join him later at Club Bouncy. Ahh, thanks, but I don't think we will be making it. Off to Radio City- Pub/Dance hall, but didn't stay too long. We just wanted to check it out, plus Megan was uncomfortable as apparently the guys there couldn't resist grabbing her butt.
Woke up Sunday without any real plan. Chris wanted to watch the Formula 1 race so we walked all over the city trying to find it on the tele, but to no avail. So we decided to walk to the beach. Must have been 5-6 miles, but when we got there we were pleasantly surprised with a kite exhibition/competition. Small kites, big kites, humungous kites and trick kites. Watched guys fly two kites at once, pairs flying in syncopation and groups of 12 or more also flying in line with each other. All to music blaring from a PA system. Water was about 62 F, nice long and wide beach with a dark heavy sand, 3 foot messy surf, but it looked like it could be good given the right conditions.
Back at the hostel, more drinks, more chess and some card tricks. One Spainish girl almost had us convinced she was pyschic until she confessed she was working with an accomplice. Very sneaky!!
Next day: the pope died. Throngs of people having morning parades which we assumed was for the pope, but as it turns out they were already planned. For what I don't know, we just had Easter a week ago!Later at night I dragged Chris to a bar which was supposed to have an open jam night, but when we got there they had a jazz band playing. Oh well!
Tommorow off to Barcelona.....Adios amigos

Madrid

Madrid: First impressionMios Dios, la chicas in Madrid, Espana es muy bonito. El guapa!!Really got a nice vibe (nice weather, pretty girls, decent vegetarian choices, cheaper prices, etc) from the city upon arrival, but unfortunately that didn´t last long. On the second day lost my credit/debit cards to a crafty pick pocket. There´s a sucker born every second. This one was born 35 years ago. Anyway thanks to a cash advance from the parentals I stayed afloat, but in that situation I decided not to spend any unnecessary cash. Which was a shame because I´m sure I could have had a really good time there. The other problem was timing. It happened to be Easter and in Madrid they take it very seriously. Basically the city shuts down for a whole week. So what could have taken 2-3 to sort out actually took almost 8 days. It was very frustrating knowing that my debit card was sitting for 5 days at the post office. And to add injury to insult I caught a cold. Oh well, I must have accrued some significant negative karma in Madrid during a past life. Hopefully most of it has been neutralized. So I killed time commisorating with Ian (from OZ) who was in a similar situation. His bank card didn´t work in Madrid. Actually the atm ate his card. Fortunately he got it back though. He´s biking thru europe. Good Luck Ian.

On the other hand it was nice that they threw me parades for my birthday and even named it "Holy Day". I felt Sooo Special. The parades aren´t like the thanksgiving parades though. Very slow. Each church congregation has there own little section. In the lead there are people dressed in what americans would recognize as KKK outfits, but of course they are not. Following them are about twenty others carrying their¨"float". A representation of Jesus or their patron saint and pulling up the rear is a band playing somber, yet at the same time uplifting music. They stop the march every five minutes or so and occasionally a round of applause erupts. Not terribly exciting, but I guess that is not the point.
The nightlife is infamous,the city itself is beautiful and you can walk everywhere. Which I did. So much walking on this trip. I´m glad I´m not leasing these legs cause I´d already be way over on my mileage allowance!! The one thing I´d did get to see was the Museo Prado. An Impressive collection inside, but suprisingly boring building architecually speaking. The Durer exposition was there and was very nice and of course many other artists, Spanish, Italian etc. See the pics. The Parque Retiro is a very large park with a lake where people rent row boats. Street performers doing their thing including a very enthusiastic but not at all talented Michael Jackson copy cat. I almost paid him to stop. All in all a nice place to hang and relax which I did alot of...So it wasn´t all that exciting and a bit trying, but it didn´t kill me so I suppose I´m stronger because of it!!
So now I´m in Valencia and not unhappy to leave Madrid behind even if that is a little unfair. Two more pics albums have been uploaded for Paris and Spain. Have a looksy.Adios for now amigos......
PS. Important travel tip.It´s a really good idea to go to the bathroom before getting to the train/bus stations here in Europe. That is unless you like the challenge of doing it while standing up!!! It is however an excellent work out for the thighs :)