Paris

The train from Amsterdam to Paris was one of the nicest we took on the whole trip. A high speed one with comfortable seats. Sleepable seats.

We had reservations again in a hotel that had apartment-style rooms similar to the ones in Prague. And both times we have stayed somewhere like that, I have been shocked by my excitement at the sight of a kitchenette!  The thought of cooking is so exciting!  Perhaps I’ve been traveling for too long…

We had a bus tour of the city the following morning. Paris is massive and there’s a lot to see so the tour lasted a good 4 hours- longer than usual tours. Saw sights like the famous Champs-Elysees where I immediately imagined Lance Armstrong speeding down the boulevard to win his 7 Tour de France titles. Drove past l’Arc de Triomphe, la Defense (that big white building with a hole in it), etc.

After the tour, a group of friends and I went in search of food and found burgers, a drink and ‘freedom fries’ for a mere 7 euro. What a steal!

Then the amazingness began. Michelle, Ryan and I made our way into le Louvre, through I.M. Pei’s glass pyramid and into the light-filled atrium.  Major design flaw-  the amount of glass in that pyramid simply makes the interior of le Louvre like a massive sauna. I’m amazed the paint wasn’t dripping off of the famous works of art!  I sure was melting.

We spent approximately 3 hours in there and I think we walked past the Mona Lisa about 10 times. No joke!  That place is one massive maze that doesn’t seem to end. Saw other awesome works by Delacroix, Monet, Ingres, and some Flemish painters. Love love love.

From there, we took the metro out to Parc de la Villette, a famous park designed by an architect. I had learned about it in class and was excited to go see it in person but I was quite disappointed. It’s not nearly as interesting while walking through it as one would think. But maybe I’m being too critical.

Jumped back on the metro (thank goodness for our 2-day pass!) and headed toward the Eiffel Tower. The three of us were standing under the tower and suddenly felt the need to get out of the weather.  A dark sky loomed not far from where we were so we headed toward the metro station. Perfect timing!  We stepped on the platform and a storm immediately started. Rained cats and dogs.  Had pizza near the hotel and relaxed that evening.

The following day was an entirely free day. Nothing planned. But we got up, had breakfast and made it out into the world in the morning just as usual. We wanted to see Jean Nouvel’s building le Musee de Quai Branly along the river Seine in particular because it has a really neat exterior green wall. Little did we know we would enjoy the landscape design so much!  I was in heaven. The whole garden area underneath the building was full of different textures and colors and the magnolia trees were in bloom. What a neat surprise!

Next stop of the day was at le Notre Dame. That was a strange experience because it is free to walk in but there was a funeral going on!  And the side aisles were filled with tourists snapping pictures of the dang cathedral!  I was ashamed to call myself a tourist at that moment.

Stumbled upon le Centre Pompidou shortly thereafter- the building with its guts on the outside. Pretty neat!

Then took the metro to le Sacre-Coeur, the basilica with great views over the entire city. Once again, the rain found us and made for a wet walk back to the metro . But it was worth it!  The steep climb up to it, the rain pouring down, the grand view of the city.  : )

That night we cooked dinner in the room- pasta again that was most delicious. Then that evening, some friends and I went to the Eiffel Tower to see it all lit up at night. We stood on the observation tower at 11 pm during the light show that is pretty much seizure-inducing. And what a windy night!  Gusty winds that nearly knocked me off of my feet. Reminded me of the calm before many summer thunderstorms.

The following day we took a train out to Versailles- a half hour train ride outside the city. It was rather picturesque while we stood in front of the golden gate. The sun was shining on us but the sky behind the palace was growing darker and darker. Eventually gave way to rain while we walked through the palace. I finally understand just how large Versailles is. It is a massive complex of gardens.

We took a train through the Chunnel to London from Paris the following morning. I got the best train sleep I’ve ever gotten thanks to another comfortable, high-speed train.  2.5 hours of solid sleep. Have no recollection of being in the Chunnel.

London

Arrived in St. Pancras station that had recently been redone. Beautiful place. Immediately began a bus tour of London with a hilarious British woman. She described Queen Anne as a big tub of lard, which is understandable because she weighed nearly 300 pounds!   She also said, “Queen Anne had 18 children and the whole lot of them died” in the driest and the most matter-of-fact way. Cracked me up so bad…

Saw Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Tower Hill, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul’s Church (by Christopher Wren). Also made a  stop at Norman Foster’s City Hall which is very interesting and modern!  Learned later that the Brits lovingly call it ‘the Testacle’. Ha!

That afternoon was spent with some architecture friends- people that I’ve gotten to know a lot better while on the trip. We ended our long day of walking at a restaurant called Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese which was recommended to us by a friend of a friend. Good suggestion!  I had fish ‘n chips and a good pint.  : )  It was really a hole in the wall place with dark rooms and awesome wooden benches. I can’t get enough of the pub atmosphere.

I quickly learned that London is one expensive place- especially since the pound is so much stronger than the dollar!  It was nearly 2:1!

That night a friend from home that was studying in London led a group of us to a club to dance the night away. And that’s exactly what we did!  Modern indie tunes like MGMT, Bloc Party, the Killers, etc. Loved it.

The next day was a slow-moving one due to the above-mentioned night of partying. Eventually made it out and about with our friend Derrick again as our tour guide. We took a double decker bus to Hyde Park and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. Sat up front and felt like I was on top of the world. Then made it back to the center of Westminster and walked across Millenium Bridge- which I am told is destroyed in the most recent Harry Potter movie. Went toward the Tate Modern, an art museum, and loved it!  There were definitely some strange things that I could pass off as uncomfortable or unnecessary but that’s to be expected of many art museums.

Side note:  That day is the day that one of the guys on the trip proposed to his girlfriend who happened to join us in London. She’s studying in Dublin this semester. Oh my goodness. Everyone knew what he was planning on doing.

Pushed the cart through Platform 9 ¾ in King’s Cross station a la Harry Potter!  Except it’s not between platforms 9 and 10. It’s between platforms 6 and 7. What liars…

My favorite part of London is where we ventured next- the Camden market area. The only thing I can compare it to is the Haight and Asbury district in San Francisco.  There were piercing and tattoo parlors immediately next to cute boutiques that sold over-priced and pretty dresses. Goths and preps alike. And the food!  Food from all over the world- even food that reminded me of Turkey.

Ate dinner at a place called the Ice Wharf. Had a great atmosphere about it and the cheapest fish ‘n chips we found in London.

Our final day spent in London was a long and adventurous one which entailed going from one side of London to the other and back again. Definitely got the hang of navigating the Underground, or the Tube. It’s a bit more complicated than other systems we’ve encountered but logical once you get used to it.

Our first adventure was out to Greenwich, a 20-minute ride outside the city. This is, of course, the home of the Royal Observatory and the Prime Meridian. I stood there and had my left leg in one hemisphere and my right in the other. A minor feat I suppose but exciting all the same.  I learned that there was a conference held in Washington, D.C. during which world leaders decided that the prime meridian would be located in Greenwich, England.  Also, currently there are over 260 atomic clocks stationed in 49 countries all around the world that send data to Paris, France. This data is used to configure standard time, or UTC. This is the time that you see on your computer, your phone, etc.

From there we took the metro all the way back into the city and walked around Tower Hill and then across the famous Tower Bridge. Made our way to the Design Museum and perused around the gift store. We were too cheap to pay the 5 euro fee to get in…. such is the life of a college student.

We then decided to take the metro to the other side of the city (again about 20 minutes out) to Kew Gardens, famous for its large glass greenhouse that was sponsored by Princess Diana. Little did we know that the entrance fee was 15 euro and it closed 30 minutes after we got there. We snapped a photo of the entrance, cried a little inside, ate a donut near the metro station and promptly headed back to London proper.

The following morning we hopped on a bus in the early morning and headed out to Bath which is a few hours southwest of London. We got a chance to tour the ancient Roman baths which are still in working condition to this day.

The time we spent in the bus that day was probably better spent than any of our time spent at actual sites. Everything is so green and rolling- the kind of place that you just know is good for the soul.

Our day of driving included a visit to Stonehenge, a strange place full of uncertainties. To this day, no one definitively knows why it was built and what it was used for. Sure, there are some theories involving astronomy, time-keeping, and religious uses but no one knows for sure.

Then on to Salisbury. I wasn’t too excited about this stop from the get-go because it involved touring a cathedral. And let me tell ya, we’ve seen quite a few cathedrals in the last 3 ½ months!  And so I walked in there (on Easter actually) and tried to act interested. And then…. I look down at my feet. And my last name is carved into the floor. There it is- P-O-O-R-E. Clear as day. There was a husband and wife buried there- an Edward and Rachel Poore. I snap an illegal picture and freak out silently. Then I walk to the side aisle and see my name again!  This time it’s the name of the Bishop who founded the Salisbury Cathedral in the late 1200’s!  His name is Bishop Richard Poore.  I felt so important!

2 hour drive back to London where my sister Brittany was waiting in the hotel for us to return!  I, of course, woke her up from a nap (figures) and ventured out to find some much-needed food. This proved difficult on an Easter Sunday evening.

While London was great, the true United Kingdom was awaiting us in Malham…

Malham

My wish to see some countryside finally came true!  After a decent amount of driving, we arrived in Malham, England, a small town that consists of 2 restaurants, one inn, one youth hostel that we completely took over, and a national park office. We hit the trails not soon after arriving in order to get back before dark.

In one sentence, the trail we followed wound its way along a creek, up a cliff, over some rolling hills, through pastures, past a waterfall, next to sheep and back down to the valley.  I can’t even begin to describe how beautiful it was- not even pictures do it justice.

It was a muddy adventure and forced us to machine wash some clothes for the first time in 3 months. Thank goodness the youth hostel had a laundry room!

After a 2.5 hour hike and a quick meal in one of the only restaurants in the village, I went back to the hostel (where I shared a room with bunks with 5 other girls) and enjoyed the evening thoroughly. And this is why-  we watched 3 Disney VHS tapes in a row. And yes, it was fabulous. There’s nothing like relaxing in a hostel lounge with all your friends watching Lady and the Tramp, Babe, and 101 Dalmatians.  That evening was probably one of my favorite moments of the whole trip because I felt like I was at someone’s house. The lounge was more like a living room where we all sprawled over the couches and floor. It was great.

Edinburgh

We regrettably left Malham the following day around noon and wound our way through the hills north to Edinburgh, Scotland. We had reservations at the Residence at Edinburgh University. It was hard to say if we were in dorms or a hotel but they were actually very nice.

That evening I tried bangers and mash for dinner- sausage, bread and mashed potatoes. Really very delicious. And of course a pint of local Scottish beer. A futbol (soccer) match was playing so the pub we ate in called The Abbey quickly filled with fans.

The next morning we had a walking tour of the town, the Old Town in particular. We went along the edge of Queen’s Park (more on that later), past the crazy-looking Parliament building and up the Royal Mile toward the Edinburgh castle.

Went inside the Parliament building on the way back to the hotel. I even got to go inside the Debating Chamber which is beautiful. Very Scandinavian in style.  Light wood and simple.  The opposite of the exterior of the building.

I find it very interesting that a Scottish Parliament exists, considering Scotland is one part of the United Kingdom. They have reps for the Scottish Parliament and then other reps in the British Parliament. Sounds very complicated to me. A man in Dublin told me that he finds American politics very straightforward in comparison because there is a simple ‘chain of command’. I don’t think I had ever considered American politics simple until that moment.

That evening a small group of friends and I managed to find some fish ‘n chips for dinner (I clearly can’t get enough of it) and made our way toward Queen’s Park, a huge green area dominated by a huge cliff. Apparently the large rock face an exposed part of an extinct volcano. As we climbed up the monster of a thing, it began to rain. Most people might find this disheartening or problematic. Not me!  It only made it more exhilarating!  It rained on us near the cliff but the sun was shining simultaneously over the village of Edinburgh. So unreal. The sun came out from behind the dark clouds to light up the city. The rain kind of sparkled in the air and the wind brushed up from the bottom of the cliff. Everywhere I looked was a photo opportunity. But a camera will never work like eyeballs do.

We climbed all the way to the top of the rock face and enjoyed the view of the bay on one side and the city on the other. Sat near the edge of the cliff to take it all in- I can never get enough of that. I seem to love heights more and more each day.

So the hike was glorious already. But it got better. The sun came out and sparked a rainbow. But not just any rainbow. We could see the entire rainbow. End to end. Maybe even a pot of gold on one side. But it got even BETTER. There was a DOUBLE rainbow. One rainbow end to end and then one outside of it.  I don’t think I’ll ever see something like that again in my entire life.

What a great way to end our time in Scotland.  : )

Dublin

The next day we took one of our last flights from Edinburgh to Dublin, which would be our last stop on this entire world tour of ours.

On the first night I tried beef and Guinness pie along with a pint of Guinness. I had to! I was finally in Ireland!

It was strange to be back in Dublin after being stranded there in January. To remind you, we got stranded there during an ice storm on our way to Madrid. That was during the first day of the entire trip.

I just have to giggle at the fact that I spent my first night in Dublin drinking Harp beer and watching Brokeback Mountain. What a strange combination of circumstances.

The next morning we had a walking tour that turned out to be quite disappointing. I liked the sites we saw but the guide kept spewing names and dates that meant little to nothing to us. Saw St. Stephen’s Square and Trinity College … and lots of Georgian buildings.

After the tour, Michelle, Ryan, Brittany and I headed out to find a restaurant that Jenny had suggested we try called Leo Burdock’s. I shouldn’t call it a restaurant though. It’s more of a fish ‘n chips stand. A famous one though!  There is a whole list of celebrities that have been there- my favorite of which is Anthony Bourdain. It was destiny!  Had to eat there.  Turns out they had the best fish ‘n chips of the whole trip. And trust me, I had a lot of fish ‘n chips.

From there we headed west to tour the Guinness Storehouse. 11 Euros gets you a whole tour that explains how Guinness is made, stored, shipped, etc. and a pint of Guinness in the Gravity Bar at the top. The views from here are phenomenal, especially since there are very few tall buildings in all of Dublin.

That evening we grabbed a quick dinner down the street from the hotel (which was very nice) and then Brittany, Michelle, Jessie Lafree and I went out to a pub crawl!  A touristy one but it was great!  We began the pub crawl at a place called The Porterhouse, a local microbrewery where we got to try a few of their concoctions. Really good stuff. Met some students from Wisconsin and D.C. who were studying in Florence. Also some hilarious Englishmen who insisted on flirting with us young ladies. Turned out it was a bachelor party. Oh my goodness.

We were led to 3 others pubs and ended the night at a club where we danced the night away. Late walk back to the hotel.

Our last day in Dublin was spent driving north up the beautiful coast. We drove through small villages and many small houses with long gardens in front of them. Reminded me of Passe-a-Grille, Florida, near Clearwater.  Stopped at the Malahide Castle where we took a tour. It was more of a house than a castle…

We returned to Dublin around 1 pm where we were served lunch in the oldest Irish pub called the Abbey. Yummy lamb stew and apple pie.

Relaxed in the hotel and also packed a bit. Then got all gussied up for our final group dinner at the Arlington Hotel. I had braised chicken with sweet vegetables, a salmon fillet with cream and prawn sauce and Baileys and Irish mist cheesecake for dessert. Very very delicious!  Following the meal, we enjoyed a performance of Irish step-dancing. Loved loved loved the atmosphere.

And now, I’m sitting on the airplane on the way home from this 3 month extravaganza. I’m not sure how I feel about it. Or how I’m supposed to feel. It’s bittersweet. I’m disappointed to be leaving the ‘world’ and going back to reality. But I’ll have some good memories to keep my company.

Memories of riding a camel, climbing the Great Wall, cruising down the Nile, taking a ferry to Greece, getting my portrait done in Rome, making a wish at Trevi fountain, learning about Islam in the Hagia Sophia, devouring Turkish food, hiking through Yorkshire Dales, wandering through Angkor Wat, sprinting up the cliffside in Monaco, seeing the Pyramids at Giza, going to an opera in Russia, walking through Auschwitz, hearing the call to prayer being played over loud speakers for all to hear….

I can’t even name them all.  They’re all in my head for me to keep and share.

Farewell world.

That afternoon we boarded a train to Berlin, on which we had a spontaneous discussion for our colloquium class. Talked about some interesting things including occupation of Eastern Europe, the fact that people in Munich still wear lederhosen, etc. Arrived in Berlin late that evening.

Berlin

Tour in the morning where we stopped at the palace in Charlottenburg. Palaces, palaces, palaces. Seen too many of them so far.

Stopped somewhere to see a large model of the entire city of Berlin. Definitely gave us an interesting perspective for our visit.

Spotted a portable wurst stand! More of a harness, really. That thing must be heavy!  Even topped with a large umbrella. : )

A group of us explored the base of the TV tower which is often described as white folded napkin. We then headed west toward the center of town. We made it to the canal area north of the Reichstag and really liked the area. The architecture was modern and there were lots of people on their lunch breaks along the canal.

Walked south to the Brandenburg Gate where we were given free cans of Coke Zero. How refreshing!  There were lots of people near there too. So-so break dancers, a duo of guitars battling for victory, and of course tour groups. Is that what we look like?  Ew.

Next we quickly got lost in the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, designed by Peter Eisenman. It’s basically a whole city block covered in dark gray concrete blocks of varying heights. The ground plane goes down from the street as the concrete blocks get taller, which makes you feel very small while you stand in the middle of a sea of concrete towers. It takes approximately 20 seconds to get lost in there.

The Berlin Wall hardly exists anymore- only in pieces- but where it once stood is a row of 2 cobbled bricks that winds through the city. It’s a subtle reminder of what used to be there, which I can really appreciate. In one part of the city is Checkpoint Charlie, a representation of the old checkpoint between the 2 sides of the city.

I went to a landscape architecture exhibit that afternoon at the Academie der Kunst. It was all in German but luckily a friend of a tour mate was there to translate for us! It was actually really interesting- a commentary on the similarities between Venice and Las Vegas and how the cities reflect or deny their natural landscapes. Both are ridiculous and out-of-this-world. And I quickly realized how similar Las Vegas and Dubai are. Oh also, did you know that Las Vegas means “the meadows”. Apparently it was a lush and fertile valley in the early 1900’s.

We took the subway back toward the hotel from the exhibit. The others got off one stop earlier than me as I headed back to the hotel with a borderline migraine. On the way back, I stopped at an Aldi grocery (yep, they have them in Berlin) and grabbed some things for dinner and lunch the next day- bread, cheese, salami, yogurt, bananas. I can’t even describe how it felt to be walking around by myself for a bit. That might’ve been the 3^rd time in the last 2 ½ months that I’ve had the opportunity to be by myself out and about. How refreshing! Everything is so much easier that way. Don’t have to consult anyone to see what they had planned in their minds. No waiting on any slow-pokes. I simply grabbed what I wanted, paid and strolled to the hotel. Weird.

The next morning we had about 3 hours to spend out and about before we had to leave for Amsterdam. So my friend Michelle and I went to the museum under the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (that I talked about earlier). Luckily it was free and actually really interesting. Lots of letters, telegrams, and journal entries on display by victims, families of victims, etc. Pretty touching…

Packed up the coach and headed to Amsterdam by train.

Amsterdam

Arrived in the late evening to our hotel outside the city. Nothing within walking distance but a tram to the center of the city.

Our tour that morning was neat because of one place in particular- a residential development called Borneo Sporenburg by the landscape architecture firm called West 8. They reclaimed old industrial wharfs and built some really neat canal-side residences that are only 15’ wide each. Very sleek, modern and neat to see!  Also a really cool curvilinear pedestrian bridge made out of bright red steel.

On our bus tour we passed a structure that has the capacity to store 10,000 bikes!  What?! It was ridiculous. But it suits this place. There seem to be more bikes than people. And the bikers are daring!  Nearly got killed several times. Eek!  They are silent killers, unlike cars which you can always hear coming.

Fun fact:  Amsterdam is 12 feet below sea level.

Michelle, Ryan, James and I made our way across town to Anne Frank’s house. We didn’t go in because the line was around the block (and it cost €8,50) but we saw it!  It’s real! Had lunch at a cute café called Bagels and Beans. Ordered a BLT with pine nuts on a sun-dried tomato bagel and a chocolate chai tea latte. So good!

Learned from our waitress that “Thank you” in Danish sounds like “donkey velt”.

From there we struggled to find a brewery that we had passed on the bus earlier that day. You would think that a huge windmill would make a substantial landmark from which to navigate but no…. it took quite a while before we found it. But good thing we did because it was delicious! €2,20 for a beer that was 9% alcohol and really tasted. Reminded me of the ‘triple’ at the Belgian beer place in Broadripple.

Had planned on visiting the Heineken brewery next but arrived 10 minutes after their last tour for the day. Grabbed McDonald’s for dinner (yep), hopped on the tram #4 toward to the hotel where we watched “The Invention of Lying” and relaxed hard core. How nice!

Studio work this morning then boarded the train I’m on now at 4 pm toward PARIS!  We’ll be there for 3 entire days.  : )

p.s. 14 days…

Immediately after arriving, we dumped our luggage into a spare room because our rooms wouldn’t be ready for a few hours. Grabbed a sausage with mustard for lunch from a street vendor. Our hotel is right on the main boulevard, only a short walk from the Old Town Square. We really couldn’t be in a better spot!  But it gets better- the rooms are beautiful, modern, and include a kitchenette and plenty of work space!  This hotel is definitely at the upper end of the tour hotel echelon.  ; )

Had a tour right after lunch. Rode another bus up to the castle at the top of the hill and walked down to Old Town from there, across Charles Bridge. There were blue skies, lots of sun and the perfect temperature. Couldn’t have been a nicer day…

Later I tried a yummy treat from the market nearby- a roll of fried dough covered in sugar, cinnamon and almonds with Nutella slathered in the middle.  DELICIOUS!  Makes the street smell amazing.

We explored the Old Town Square a bit. There was a performance of traditional Czech dance and people everywhere. These streets are always filled with people. Saw and heard the old clock as it struck 5 p.m.

Went back to the hotel and quickly attempted to locate U Vejvodu, the restaurant that Jenny had suggested I try while I was here. Googled it, got directions and gathered together a small group of friends to join me. Had  a little trouble finding it but we’re so glad we did!  It was delicious. I had the beef goulash with bread dumplings and a Pilsner Urquell beer. So tasty and filling!  I was also happy to be somewhere Jenny had been. It was like I had already been there after seeing her pictures!

The second day in Prague was even better than the first (which was already pretty great).  The first great thing about it was that we had absolutely nothing mandatory to do. No schedule. No tours. No bus rides. We had an entire day of freedom, which instantly raises our spirits. Despite the fact that we could sleep in, we didn’t. We got breakfast and headed out to explore in the sunshine once again!  First went across the Charles Bridge to find the John Lennon wall. It’s basically just a wall covered in graffiti that’s constantly changing over time. Saw some neat stencil art and read some neat phrases – at least the ones I could understand.

Then headed back to the bridge where I started a “big girl sketch” (in my 9×12 sketchbook rather than the smaller one).  Throughout the trip, I haven’t had very many inspired moments where I really went to sketch- but that day was an exception. I stood on the bridge and sketched the towers for a good 45 minutes and loved it!  I’m also really happy with how it turned out.

Walked south to see the Dancing Building. Google it if you’re interesting. One part of the building is rectilinear and the other half seems to melt/fold into the other as if they’re two partners dancing. It’s also called ‘Fred and Ginger’ after Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

Back to the hotel to grab some more food from a street vendor. This time a fried cheese sandwich with mayonnaise. Not very flavorful but really not bad either.

Later that day my friend Michelle joined me on my quest to visit the Mucha Museum dedicated to the works of Alfons Mucha!  And boy did I like it. : )   I finally got to see works by my favorite artist in real life!  I learned a lot about his life and his technique. Loved every second of being in there.  ::sigh::

The evening was just as good as the afternoon because I had the crazy idea of cooking dinner in the room- since we have a kitchenette!  Tyler, Ryan, Michelle and I ventured out to the store to pick up some things. Made pasta with roasted chicken, grilled red peppers and spaghetti sauce with bread and a beer. So delicious!  It’s thing like that that I miss the most- the simple idea of making dinner instead of going out to eat yet again.

Oh minor detail- as I bagged up our groceries, the flimsy imsy imsy bag broke immediately, only to cause the huge jar of spaghetti sauce on the floor in front of the cash register. Oops!  The minutes immediately following are pretty hilarious in retrospect considering the cashier did not speak a lick of English and I didn’t know quite what to do. Do I grab another jar and pay for it? Help clean up?  Grab another and not pay?  Oh jeez!  What a crazy and somewhat embarrassing situation!  Now that’s a journal moment!

Despite an early morning (which seems to be very typical lately), our first day in Vienna was a great one. I could even say that it was one of the Top 5 days of the tour overall. We were greeted at the station by our guide, packed up the bus, and immediately started a tour of this monument- and museum-filled city. They’re everywhere! And the amount of green space is unbelievable for a city this size. Parks, plazas, English gardens….More on that later.

One thing that I really love about this part of the world is the amount of great art- art that I especially like. Works by Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, and Alfons Mucha. I can’t get enough of it to be honest. Our first stop on our tour of Vienna was at the Belvedere Palace, which happens to contain Gustav KIimt’s “The Kiss”, one of my favorite paintings! Unfortunately I was not able to go in but it’s nice to know I was so close. : P

After checking in, a group of friends and I devised a plan of attack for the remainder of the day. We headed to the nearest metro station and went out to a development called the Gasometer, a series of 4 old brick gas silos that have been converted into mixed-use towers. Shops on the first 3 levels and a ring of apartments inside the round façade. Really really cool!  Sustainable repurposing at its best.

Then hopped back on the metro and explored Stefanplatz, a main square in the heart of Vienna’s pedestrian zone. There’s a lot of that here.  A good portion of downtown is only for pedestrians and it seems to work pretty well. It is a lively city with lots of young people. Everywhere you go, there are people sitting outside, listening to music, even playing soccer in front of the old royal apartments. Not every European city is quite like Vienna in this way.

I met a Brazilian woman in the lobby of our hotel on our first night there who has been coming to Vienna for the past 15 years. She’s a nuclear engineer. She told me that when she first started coming, Vienna was still stuck in the post-war period- everything was drab, dark, and depressing and it still felt like the Austria-Hungarian empire. Once they joined the European community, everything changed for the better.

Saw some awesome street performers in Stefanplatz. The break dancers were especially fun to watch although their talent really was working the crowd and their dance moves could use some work.

Grabbed some Vienna sausage for an afternoon snack. (Yep, Jenny I took your advice. Ha!) Sausage in a baguette with mustard and ketchup. Very cheap too! Then had a scoop of raspberry gelato for a euro. Also quite delicious.

Made our way back to the hotel and sat in the hotel room talking. It’s simple moments like that that I’ll miss, no matter how mundane they feel at the time. I’ve gotten used to constantly having people around and I’ve met some people I really like to talk to. It’ll be strange to go home again because of that.

I digress…We went out for a late bite to eat. Cheap pizza and a cappuccino for me at a café called Michele  a few blocks from our hotel. Fleece blankets in the chairs to use outside and good company.

Oh! I forgot!  I went running the next morning!  With Lydia. It was fantastic. We ran north from our hotel, reached the river, and went through the rest of the pedestrian zone all the way back. A good 35 minutes of exercise. And we got to explore the city a bit more. I was so happy to finally have the weather, energy and time to go. Oh and the blisters were interesting… Merrells are definitely not running shoes….oops.

That day I headed out with a small group of people to Hundertwasser Village, which is similar to works by Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona. There are several buildings with courtyards that are covered in mosaics, crazy colors, and odd shapes. No straight lines allowed. Hundertwasser was a painter, not an architect though. Lots of Klimt and Mucha things to buy in those shops. Bought myself a nice compact mirror with a Mucha design on the front for only 5 euros. Love love love it.

From there, we crossed the Donau canal to wind our way through a huge park. Had a picnic in the sun and laughed while watching a group of school kids play soccer. A line of girls sat on the bench overlooking the game and acted like cheerleaders. Hilarious from an outsider’s perspective!

Once again took the metro….Oh one thing- there are ticket machines for the metro and validation machines… and no one to check if you have a ticket. So the metro is essentially free. I’m not sure that locals even buy tickets. Made our day much cheaper since we took the metro at least 6 times!

Crossed the river  because we had no idea what was over there. Good thing we did because that’s where all the modern architecture was hiding. A church near the station was particular interesting. It was basically a big black box from the outside dotted with small circular openings. The inside is all light wood- light wood pews, light wood altar, light wood walls, light wood ceiling, light wood floor. You get the idea. It was breathtaking though. Check out my pictures on Facebook (if the uploader ever decides to work for me again).

Another metro ride to find a building by Zaha Hadid, a famous modern architect. Walked around trying to find it, only to leave after being unsuccessful, only to find out later that we did in fact see it but didn’t recognize it. How stupid of us…oops.

Back to the hotel where I slipped into a coma for an hour and a half. That run in the morning completely took it out of me.  Grabbed a delicious kebab for dinner down the street. Not sure how I’ll live without those when I get home. Qdoba and Chipotle don’t even compare.

Salzburg, Austria

The next morning was yet again an early one. Up by 4:30 a.m. to catch an early train to Salzburg. Nice trains here!  We’re definitely not in Egypt or China anymore!  Once we arrived, we all clamored to get our luggage into rows of lockers at the station. We pooled together our change, stuffed our bags into tiny spaces and hoped nothing was stolen while we were gone exploring for the day.

Headed immediately to the river with Michelle, Ryan and James. What a beautiful day! Finally some warmth, sunshine and perfect temperatures really. Even had to take my jacket off, which hasn’t happened since Spain a few months ago. Made our way to the other bank, which is the old section of town. This was also the first day that actually felt like the day it was supposed to be. Sounds strange but it just felt like a Saturday. All the other days have just been days- nothing distinct about them. But this, this was a Saturday.

Lucky for us, Saturday is market day. Stalls lining the old pedestrian streets with cheese, sausage, pastries, flowers, beer, coffee, pretzels, etc. Had coffee-flavored gelato.

Walked past a group of older men playing chess on a life-size board. The pieces were nearly 2 feet tall. I wanted to play so badly! Something tells me I didn’t fit the demographic though…

Hiked up the very steep slope to the palace/residence at the top of the hill only to find out that you have to pay to go all the way to the very top. How rude!  Got some major exercise. Found out later we should have continued on a small path to the side to get an amazing view of the Alps. Another oops…

Crossed the river once again and sat in a park for almost 2 hours. My friends slept – one of ‘em on a really cool gnarly tree- and I sketched. Really really relaxing. A Saturday thing to do.

Enjoyed the rest of the day, collected our baggage that was kept safe in the lockers all day and boarded a train to Munich.

Munich, Germany

This is where the craziness began. A group of us girls decided to go out to the Hofbrauhaus, the famous beer house in the center of town. One of the girls, named Jessie, lived outside of Munich last summer so she was our navigator for the evening. Got a liter of dark beer in a massive stein for 7 euros. Expensive but worth it. The atmosphere of that place is incredible. Loud, boisterous, lively. So loud you can hardly hear yourself speak. Sat right behind the tuba player of the German band. This is also where the Nazis first formed and where Hitler originally declared hatred for the Jews. What a strange history… Munich is actually where the Nazi party started, which is something I didn’t know until I visited here.

After putting back our large beers, we made our way across town to a club in an old warehouse with 12+ dance floors, only one of which we spent time on. It was unbelievable- and the complete opposite of the beer house. But just as loud. Danced the night away with friends and got back to the hotel around 3 a.m

Our tour of Munich started the next morning at 8 a.m. so I got 3 hours of sleep. Eek!  Our guide, Lillian, completely held my attention though despite how sleepy I was. She knew a lot about design and kept naming off famous architects that we all admire. It’s nice to have a guide who knows a thing or two about architecture. The terms “ugly building” and “Soviet architecture” are 2 things we heard too much of in the Baltic states. None of that this time. Only the best of the best.

Visited the Olympic Park which is great! An awesome combination of landscape and architecture, which seems to always ba  a rare but pleasant concept.

Also went inside the BMW headquartes. Oh. my. God. That is a work of genius. I can’t say anymore about it. Take a look at my pics.

Most of Munich was destroyed during the war, but interesting, everything was rebuilt in the same style. Because of this, all the facades look very old bur are in fact, not. The facades are in old classical styles but once you enter a building or courtyard, you feel like you’re in a completely modern place. It’s an awesome combination of styles.

Spent the afternoon doing homework in my hotel room the rest of the day. Very very behind still so I’m very worried about my project. But it’ll come together at some point- I guess it always does.

On a bus headed to Prague as I’m writing this. Very excited to be going there!  Hopefully going to  a restaurant that Jenny suggested to me tonight. Until next time… lins

P.S. 20 days…

Our 10-hour bus ride from Vilnius, Lithuania to Krakow, Poland turned into something like 12 or 13 hours on the road. Unfortunately, we had one of the smallest coach buses of the whole trip. I was sandwiched into a small seat (even for me) with my duffel bag and small backpack surrounding me which left very little room for my legs! Add a ‘baseboard’ heater to it right by my left foot and I’ll leave the rest up to your imagination.  Oh ya, and we didn’t stop for food all day. Just bathrooms. I devoured the bread, cheese and chocolate that I had stuffed into my bag at the last minute. Yes!

Once in Krakow, we checked in and ventured out to the nearby mall to grab some thoroughly American fast food. Yummy Subway. Walking through the mall, I felt as if I was floating…gliding through shiny things and the smells of food after a weird bus-filled day. A mixture of being light-headed and liberated at the same time.

The next morning, we had a tour of the city with a great guide named Anna. She was spunky, energetic and very knowledgeable, which believe it or not is hard to find in a guide. We toured the Jewish Quarter, which is where Spielberg chose to film his masterpiece “Schindler’s List”. In reality, Schindler’s factory is under 1 km from that neighborhood so it’s very accurate. Stopped at some areas and Anna pointed out spots where certain scenes were filmed. Very interesting!

I learned that there are only 142 Jews living in Krakow today. Obviously before WWII, most of the population was Jewish. This trend is true for all of Poland.

That afternoon, as several of you know, was happily spent on Skype. : ) Got to catch up with some VIPs in my life which was nice.  It’s rare to get the chance to spend so much time talking!

And the highlight of the day…I can now say I’ve been to a dinner at the American consulate in Poland.  No sarcasm there!  Ben Greenburg’s dad works for the consulate and invited all 43 of us to dinner at their home which was a real treat!  Lots of drinks and yummy food to be had and probably as close to a cocktail party as I’ve ever gotten. I had a great time talking to Ben’s dad with some friends about his job and how he’s felt about the other places he’s been stationed- like Morocco, Cuba, St. Petersburg, Warsaw, …and I forget the rest.  Very interesting occupation!

The next day in comparison was not so positive. We rode the bus about an hour or so outside Krakow to tour Auschwitz, the famous concentration camp. I felt awful about going. My stomach was doing flips several days before we went so the bus ride to reach the camp was not comfortable. Especially since we watched a film filled with actual footage from the camp’s liberation. You can imagine what sort of images they showed because I think we’ve all seen something similar. Multiply the most graphic video you’ve seen about the Holocaust by about 5 and that is what we watched. ‘

We went inside the gas chamber immediately, like many of the Jews that were taken there. Saw the hole in the ceiling where they dropped the Zyklon B pellets. Later walked into a room filled with several tons of human hair that was discovered when the camp was liberated. I had to get out.

I will never go back there. And will probably only talk about it briefly if anyone asks about it.

I took a total of 3 pictures so that I don’t have to be reminded how awful it was.

We tried to act normal the rest of the day once we were back in Krakow. But I had a hard time thinking about anything else. Got a beer in the Jewish Quarter (irony…) and walked along the river during sunset. Then had a group dinner at a restaurant called Bohema. Fried pork stuffed with pickles and sauce. Mashed potatoes. Coleslaw. Delicious coconut and strawberry ice cream.

Immediately after the meal, we walked back to the hotel through the old square and gathered our things to head to the train station.

Budapest

Our experience of sleeper trains started off pretty well on this tour. On the one from Granada to Barcelona we had doubles (2 beds to a room) with a vanity, sink and all. Even free toiletry kits and bottled water!  Egypt was….Egypt. An awful and dirty train experience. Rattling, air conditioning unnecessarily blowing and bad food. China was alright in comparison although we had 4 people to a room. And here it comes… the train from Krakow to Budapest had cabins with 6 beds each. SIX people to a room the size of a closet!  I was lucky enough to have one of the top bunks. None of us could even sit up in bed. (Imagine getting dressed/undressed!)  I made it up to my bunk that evening after boarding, and didn’t even bother trying to get down until we got off the next morning. No bathroom. No brushing of the teeth. Ha!  We all looked FABULOUS!  : P

We immediately had a bus/walking tour of the city despite a spontaneous stop at the hotel for a lightning-fast breakfast. Saw Heroes Square, some castle that I don’t remember the name of…and went across the river to the Buda side to St. Mathias Church. The view from up there is pretty spectacular. For reference, the Buda side and Pest side are separated by the Danube River. The Pest side is twice as big, livelier, more commercial and flat. The Buda side is hilly, residential, more isolated and quiet.

After the tour, I grabbed lunch with some friends- Erin, Misha, Joseph and Eric- at a great restaurant called Eclecktica. I had cabbage rolls stuffed with minced meat and sour cream. So good! And a local beer.

We then went exploring. Saw the Jewish synagogue, apparently the largest one in Europe. And it was also the first synagogue I’ve ever been in. And I went in with a Jewish guy!  How fitting!

Had dinner with a similar group of people at an equally delicious restaurant. Had gnocchi in spinach sauce with strips of goose. Yes, goose. And another local beer.  Called it an early night since little sleep was gotten on the awesome sleeper train…

The next morning I went down for breakfast, then stuck around in the breakfast room until we had a makeshift studio session. Sprawled my stuff all over a table covered in silverware and other breakfast things. Ha! Then got Subway for lunch. And took the metro with Erin and James to go to the market building that Eiffel designed (i.e.. Eiffel Tower). Very neat inside!  Got a chocolate cake thing that only cost 50 US cents. : )

Tried to get work done the rest of the day but once I discovered a faint wifi signal near the window in my hotel room, I was done for!  My motivation to work immediately went out the window I was hovered by. Eek!

Woke very earlier this morning (4:45 a.m.) to board a 7 a..m. train to Vienna. Phew!  The true exploration of Europe is beginning…

From Beijing we traveled several hours west to Datong, which is not your typical tourist city. It took us over 6 hours to get there (2 hours longer than expected) because we hit a snow storm and inched our way along the highway, passing cars and trucks overturned on the side of the road.  We finally pulled into Datong in the late evening during the last day of the Chinese New Year. It was quite apparent too because the entire city was lit up with fireworks being set off in the street!  Once in the hotel, it sounded like we were under siege. It was how I imagined the sounds of war. Funny thing- despite several inches of snow on the ground, these people still ride their mopeds and bikes around as if it’s winter. Crazy Asians.

Datong’s nickname is “City of the Coal” so you can only imagine the quality of the air.

One line that sticks out to me in my journal is this:  “Can’t wait for regular toilets, clean bathrooms, food without hair in it, a hairdryer, the same bed every night, and the possibility of a hug.”  Pretty much sums up my experience of China.

One major thing we visited was the Hanging Temple, a work of genius. It is a wooden temple built into a cliff side over a river valley. There are long supports that come down from it to rest on the rocks below but in reality, they provide no support at all.  Only when the temple is full of people do the supports even have a purpose. The view from inside the very small temple is pretty- down the valley and along the river. I cannot even fathom how they built that place. It defies gravity.

Tried fire water for the first time while in China.  Eek, that is strong stuff!  More like rocket fuel than anything consumable.

Also so the Yuanguang Grottoes, a series of 20 caves built into a cliff that each house various Buddha statues, some of which are over 60 feet tall.

St. Petersburg

We then flew to Moscow out of Beijing, which is the longest flight we would endure over the course of 3.5 months.  Nearly 9 hours long.  If you look at a map, that is a DARN long way! Despite it being very long, I got so much accomplished during those 9 hours. I watched 2 movies, wrote an essay, began a 2^nd one, and read 140 pages of a new book called “Unlikely Destinations” (I highly recommend it).

We then  had a short flight from Moscow to St. Petersburg. That takeoff was SCARY. The plane was shifting left and right as we sped down the runway as if a big giant was shoving it off path. Ironically, our landing was smoother than the takeoff despite the snowy/icy runway.

The hotel we stayed at in St. Petersburg was perhaps the 2^nd worst one so far, only after Alexandria, Egypt. The outside looked like a hospital and the inside looked like a prison!  The water coming out of the faucet was kind of brown and smelled funny. And the linoleum in the room didn’t seem to want to stay down where it was supposed to….what an experience!

During the tour of the city the next day, we saw a woman in the Polar Bear club taking a quick morning dip in the frozen river. Oh my goodness. Our guide told us that it is very popular to do that every morning. Crazy Russians!

Finally had food that was different from Chinese dishes-  beef goulash and potatoes. What I’ve been craving! Yum!

My favorite part of St. Petersburg was the Hermitage Museum, which is a very large art museum almost like the Louvre. I saw some of my favorite paintings by artists like Picasso, Matisse, Degas, and …..Alphonse Mucha!   An art nouveau artist who did advertisements for Job cigarettes. Take a time to Google some images… I love that stuff.  Oh and a lot of Flemish and Dutch works.

Saw Don Giovanni, the opera, at the Mariinsky theatre downtown with a small group of people. The set design was really interesting although simple and I really enjoyed the music. I must admit, though, that I accidentally dozed off a bit in the middle.  I have an excuse though!  It was nearly 3.5 hours long!  And it was sung in Italian but had Russian subtitles! All of these factors necessitated a McDonald’s run late at night on our trek back to the hotel. Had my first BigMac EVER- in RUSSIA.  Wtf?

Russians really do a lot of dark colors and fur. It’s not just something they made up in the movies.  And they really do sound like they’re yelling all the time.

Helsinki

Flew to Helsinki, the land of the health-conscious, friendly and design-minded. Thank goodness!  I loved that place the minute we got there!  First off, our hotel was gorgeous- an old warehouse built in 1912.  The food was DELICIOUS!  Finally something healthy and tasty!  And third, our 3^rd professor and my friend, Misha (who had to skip Russia for fear of being drafted into the army) were standing in the lobby. Everyone was so incredibly happy to see them. Everyone’s faces really just lit up when we arrived.

Funny thing:  Helsinki can now be called “Heaven Floaty”.  Get it?!  My friend Ryan came up with that one.

Another funny thing:  I went up to the hotel desk to get a wifi password and was greeted by the employee saying “Hey” as if we were old friends that saw each other constantly. I had been warned that that is how they say hello, even in the most formal of situations. And yet it took me so off-guard that I smiled, giggled and said hello awkwardly back. Oh hey!  Hahaha.

While in Helsinki for under 24 hours, I managed to join a group of architecture students to visit Alvar Aalto’s home and studio in the suburbs. He is a famous architect from the middle of the 20^th century and basically created what we now know as modernism.  It was really interesting to see his home which he designed of course. It was beautiful, humble, and filled with creative objects. Very Scandinavian and simple.  : )

Also went to Steven Hall’s contemporary art museum which is like a sculpture itself. Crazy spaces, neat light and very modern exhibits. From there, we ducked into a kebab place for dinner, which took MUCH longer to prepare than we had expected. Therefore, I was forced to SPRINT back to the hotel a half mile away whilst scarfing down my dinner. Oh and running on sidewalks covered in ice. Made for an interesting experience!  But we made it just in time to…

Tallinn

We then took an evening ferry to Tallinn, Estonia across the Gulf of Finland. We floated through huge chunks of floating ice and I replayed the movie “Titanic” in my head….”Iceberg! Right ahead!”   My friend, Ben Greenburg, and his friend Greg (both archies from school)  met us to get on the ferry. This is how they’re spending their spring break. : )

Tallinn’s Old Town is very quaint and filled with winding streets. It is the smallest Baltic capital. During the tour, my friend Tyler and I spotted a beer house and decided on the spot to return there once our walking tour of downtown was over. And so we did!  The beer was about $7 but delicious and brewed right there in the restaurant. What a great way to spend a cold afternoon!

Didn’t get much work done that day because I then joined a group going out to dinner at the Peppersack, a classy restaurant on the square. It’s usually very expensive but lucky us- everything was half off that particular day!  Wasn’t too hungry so I had cream soup and a tall beer and was quite content.

Riga

Then had a travel day (been a lot of those lately) to get to Riga.  One of my favorite days on the trip so far was in Riga. We had a morning tour (as usual), then had a great lunch at a place called Vilhelm’s, which is famous for their pancakes. They’re more like crepes though. My favorite was the cheese-filled one with raspberry jam smothered all over it. I had 3 large pancakes and tea for under $3.  SO SO SO GOOD!

A group of us had decided the night before that we would try to see a movie the next day if it was playing in English. Good news- American films are played in English in Latvia, with Latvian subtitles. So a small group of 4 of us quickly turned into a group of over 10 as we paraded to the movie theater to see Alice in Wonderland in 3D.  Loved it!  Especially because it was the first time I was able to turn my brain off for the past 3.5 months.  I am surprised how much I have missed going to movies.  Must do that a lot when I get home.

Dinner was just as good as lunch was. Went to an authentic Latvian place and got stewed veggies and a dish with a layer of pork, topped with tomato, onion, cheese and egg. Yum!  Also the best dessert I’ve had in a long time—fried but chilled apples smothered in a creamy caramel sauce. My taste buds were in heaven. That day was probably the best I’ve even in a long time.

Vilnius

Yet another bus travel day to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Once arriving at the hotel, I went out with friends in search of food and stumbled upon a small restaurant serving authentic Lithuanian food. I got 5 large pork dumplings and a large beer for under $3! Great!  The food was good. The conversation was intriguing. And it was a great evening.

Today we took a tour of the city and also visited the KGB museum- a sobering experience. Perhaps a very very very small taste of what visiting Auschwitz will be like. For instance, I stood in the execution room in the basement of the museum and thought, “What am I doing here?  Get me out, get me out, get me out…”  Didn’t like it at all.

The day got better when I ventured across the river with a group to see some modern architecture- which we rarely see on this trip. Good thing we did because we saw some great architecture!  Take a look at my Facebook pictures to see what I mean. I can’t quite explain it fully.

Tonight I will meet with my professor, Rod, about my hometown project. According to him, we’re all “in deep shit” because we’re so far behind, which is true. He hasn’t been here to kick our butts into gear. Apparently we’re at the point that the last world tour participants were at in Egypt….which was quite some time ago. The real work begins TODAY!

Spending the entire day on a bus tomorrow driving to Poland. Long drive ahead of us!  Perhaps I’ll just pull an all-nighter….

I climbed up to the main pagoda at the Summer Palace and enjoyed the view. It’s situated on a big, man-made lake that has a small island in the middle than can be reached by crossing a holy bridge.

From there, we got on the bus and headed toward the Beijing Drum Tower. In most Chinese cities there are 2 towers- a drum tower and bell tower. They signaled the beginning and end of every work day. Most of them are no longer in use though. We climbed to the top of the tower and saw a neat traditional drum performance- the kind that you can feel in your chest. HUGE drums and a really cool beat.

The adventure began when we all got in rickshaws and toured the old part of town full of houses that are hundreds of years old. They are growing even more rare every year because many of the hutongs are being replaced by residential towers. Because of that, the hutons are the most expensive homes to own. Nearly double the most expensive apartment you could find.

We even stopped to go inside one of the houses. It’s basically a courtyard with 3 buildings around it. Typically one family owns it and passes it down through generations. It’s funny to think it’s so expensive because to be honest, it’s not particularly nice. Yes, it’s historical. Yes, it’s traditional. But it’s dilapidated and a bit surprising.

We sat in this family’s living room (all 43 of us) and listened to what the owner of the home had to say about the area. After that though, another man came in who apparently is a local celebrity. He’s famous for cricket-fighting! HA!  He didn’t speak English but it didn’t matter- you could tell how excited he was about his crickets!  Huge crickets and grasshoppers at least 4 inches long. Eek!

Our guide, Harry, here has been fantastic. Besides planning all the meals and telling us all sorts of interesting cultural things, he’s even gone out of his way to take people to the post office to ship stuff home and stayed in his hotel room all evening so people can call him with questions since the hotel staff doesn’t speak English. Amazing.

Another amazing thing he did was to take us on a hike on the Great Wall!  The trip would not have been possible unless he had agreed to hike it with us. And so, the total 9 miles was perhaps the best thing we’ve done on the trip so far. Even better than riding camels. Even better than seeing the Dubai fountain. Even better than seeing Michelangelo’s David.  AMAZING.  The wall has very rare flat parts so imagine climbing 70 very steep stairs, then creeping down stairs that are just as steep.  Up and down, up and down.  I can’t even describe how beautiful it is from up there. It got very foggy and windy once we reached the higher elevations but yet, still beautiful.  Definitely felt the burn though! Ouch! Believe it or not, I wasn’t sore the next day.  : )

From Beijing, we drove to Datong, which is 4 hours inland. Unfortunately,  it took us nearly 6.5 hours because we hit a snow storm! Just our luck. On the way though, we stopped to tour what’s called The Commune. It’s basically a development of 20 high-end villas designed by famous Asian architects. Pretty neat stuff. They’re all very different and have different themes but they’re all very very modern.

Once we arrived in Datong, we had dinner in our hotel and attempted to get some sleep. But that’s difficult to do during the last day of the Chinese New Year! Our hotel actually sounded like it was under siege. While we were driving (or shall I say creeping) into town, we saw people setting off massive fireworks while standing in between lanes of traffic. People setting fires on the sidewalk and people walking everywhere. All with at least 4 inches of snow on the ground. It was ridiculous. Not to mention the fact that Datong is practically in the middle of nowhere. But it’s a large industrial city surrounded by coal factories. Plenty of fresh air to go around!  NOT.

The next day we visited the Hanging Temple. It was built 1,500 years ago and it’s built into the cliff side.  There is no metal used in the entire structure and yet, it’s still standing. There are long, thin supports that extend down to the rocks below but they don’t even touch the rocks. Only when the temple is full of people, do the supports even have any effect. Crazy!

The following day we visited the Yuanguan Grottoes, a series of 20 caves full of Buddha statues. The tallest Buddha statue is 17 m tall and was carved directly out of the rock. Neato!

Today was a full day of traveling. From Datong, back to Beijing. Tomorrow we will spend the whole day flying. From Beijing to Moscow, then from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Gotta get ready for freeeeeeeeeeeezing weather.

I’m looking forward to getting back to Europe where they use actual toilets, eat using forks, and don’t eat the same foods for every meal. See ya China!

The good thing was that once we reached Shanghai, our hotel was really nice!  It had big comfy beds, a huge pool and hot tub, a killer workout room, and free wifi in the lobby. All-in-all a very nice place to spend 4 whole nights.

Compared to how we spent our time in Europe, we have been doing considerably less walking and whole lot more eating since we reached the Far East. It’s quite ridiculous actually. These cities have not been very walkable and we are always taken to meals with buffets or warm dishes put on a lazy susan in the middle of the table. These meals are also always in large banquet rooms in buildings designed especially for tourists. There’s always a hotel, huge trinket shopping area, a ‘factory’ of some special item like silk, jade, terracotta, and a banquet room.  My stomach doesn’t seem to like the constant Chinese food either. Imagine having it for every meal!

I kinda got off topic… So Shanghai’s skyline is kinda silly. There’s this god-awful TV tower that is covered in pink windows. Unfortunately it’s the tallest building of the entire skyline so it definitely gets the most attention.

We visited Chinatown in Shanghai as well. Sounds strange since we’re already in China but that’s the part of town that was not under the American or British concessions at any point. So ideally it’s the most authentic.  The whole district smells AWFUL. I really have not smelled anything like it. And I’m really not being critical. It smells like rotten meat mixed with human feces. We later found out that it is the smell of fried tofu. Won’t be trying that!

Located within Chinatown though is a walled Chinese garden called the Yu Garden. It’s beautiful! Neat pagodas with upturned roofs and eaves and pretty water features and rock forms.

That day we also went to the Jade Temple, famous for housing 2 buddha statues carved from solid jade. It was neat to see people in the courtyard lighting incense and bowing to statues on all 3 sides of the place. The space was filled with smoke but in a primal and interesting way. One man had lit so many incense at once that I thought he was gonna burn his face off with the big bundle in his hand!  Don’t bow down with fire in front of you!

Funny anecdote:  While walking back to the bus after seeing another part of the Shanghai waterfront, I saw a little girl all bundled up in warm clothes like the kid in A Christmas Story. Seemed cute…until she turned around. She was wearing pants with a big slit in the back so all I saw was baby butt cheeks!  Easy access?  It got even funnier when I realized that it wasn’t just this one child…I saw 4 other infants that day and they all wore similar clothing.  Is it just me or does that cause problems when you pick up your child?  Think about it…

Tea is a huge thing here. I’ve been to 2 teahouses so far. In each of them, I was allowed to try several different teas and was taught how to prepare and take care of loose tea. (None of that tea bag stuff!)  I was never really much of a tea drinker but it’s safe to say that this entire trip had definitely made me one. I can’t get enough of my black tea with sugar!  I have it every morning with breakfast.

From Shanghai, we took a day trip to neighboring Suzhou to tour 2 other traditional Chinese gardens, which were just as beautiful as the Yu Garden. We also toured a silk ‘factory’. (Factory is code word for educational tourist trap with a big gift shop at the end of the visit.)  It was interesting to see the silk worms, their cocoons and how the silk is unraveled in order to make silk fabric.  I even watched women stretch pieces into layers that become pieces of a large comforter. Feels like heaven!

One evening in Shanghai was spent at an acrobatics show!  Apparently Shanghai is known for its acrobatic troupes and now I know why!  It was absolutely incredible. Everything from plate spinning, to balancing 10 people on one bicycle, to flying in the air wrapped in ribbons, and finally—-last but not least…. The BALL OF DEATH.  A big steel ball with not one, not two, but FIVE motorcycles spinning inside. CRAZY!  If you don’t believe me, I’ll show you the video!

We’re expected to be doing a lot of work lately. Our 3^rd professor (the man who began this World Tour program in the first place) is joining us in Helsinki and wants to see what we’ve designed for our hometown projects so far. It’s really difficult to find time to get anything accomplished, especially when we have full days of touring. A lot of time is spent in the evenings in the hotels trying to spit out some good designs. Pretty difficult sometimes…

From Shanghai, we flew to Xian, a city 14 hours inland by car.  Our guide, Catherine, was really great. She was young and spoke English very well. It was nice to not have someone older as a guide because often they don’t understand what we want to see. Plus, she told really corny jokes. For instance, we visited the site of the Terracotta Army. (More on that later) But basically there are 4 excavation pits. So she asked us, “Which pit do you think is my favorite?”  We guessed one. Nope. We guessed #2. Nope. Not 3 either. Then she said, “My favorite pit is Brad Pitt.” MUAHAHAHA!

We visited the Xian History Museum as well, which was better than I had expected. However, I got my first taste of Asian urgency. It is not uncommon to be standing in front of an exhibit and to be suddenly pushed away by seemingly rude people. I do not mean that all Asian people are rude. I really just think that since they live in such a dense environment, they are constantly striving to see something or get somewhere, that they often don’t care who is in their way. I was taking a picture of something when a man looked at me, saw I was taking a picture, and immediately walked between me and the object I was photographing. Aw hell no!  I guess it’s just their way…

Ok so the Terracotta Army. In the 1970’s, a farmer was attempting to dig a well and discovered some strange pieces of terracotta. He thought nothing of it. Turns out it was a huge buried army of thousands of terracotta soldiers spread throughout 3 large pits.  It was created by the first emperor of China, Qin. The amazing thing is that every soldier is different- their facial expressions, uniforms, poses, everything. Truly incredible.

It’s interesting to be in a group of Caucasian people in the middle of Asia because we are truly a spectacle to the general public. Everywhere we go, people shamelessly and obviously take our pictures as if we’re on parade. It’s gotten to the point where WE point our cameras back at anyone taking our picture. HA! Take THAT!  Two very tall guys in our group are often taken aside to take pictures with local Chinese people. They are just amazed by their size.

Our other day in Xian was spent seeing the Great Mosque in the middle of the Muslim quarter of the city. It’s a pretty neat place in general. I bought an awesome t-shirt that has 24 panda bears on it performing the 24 postures of a local martial art..  : )  Makes me so happy. Oh and it’s bright yellow.

Despite all of these awesome things, the highlight of China so far is biking on the city wall of Xian!  It is the most complete and best preserved city wall in all of China and is 14 km in circumference. We rented bikes for $3 and biked all the way around yesterday and I loved EVERY second of it. The wall is about 40 feet wide on top and divides the Outer City from the Inner City. There’s such a difference when you look from side to side. Our bikes were hilariously rickety (Tyler’s chain fell off 7 times in an hour and Michelle’s kickstand wouldn’t stay up) and the paving was REALLY bumpy and yet, it was such a good time. We were all sweaty and tuckered out by the end. And I was so happy to have gotten some exercise. I was craving movement.

The smog is unbelievable here. I thought it was just overcast and foggy but no-  that’s only the effect of smog. Everyone has been a little under the weather as a result. Many sore throats and stuffy noses. I also have the honor of stuffed up ears so it’s a doozy!  I can’t wait for some fresh air.   Maybe Russia will have some to spare?

Last night we took a sleeper train to Beijing.  The train station in Xian was RIDICULOUS.  The Chinese New Year which lasts 15 days is now ending so everyone in the whole country is trying to get home. Because of that, there was a massive crowd surrounding the entire station- a crowd that our group of 40 had to snake, push and struggle our way through. It got really tense when we had a hard time staying together. And remember what I said about Asian lack of personal space or courtesy?  Imagine that in a huge crowd. MAYHEM. That’s when having a guide is unbelievably beneficial. We were able to go through a special entrance, which was still difficult but better than it would have been.   I was being pushed in all directions. Kinda felt like I was at a political protest or something.

Ok so TODAY!  We were taken through the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, which are both ridiculously large and grand. And you wouldn’t believe the amount of security cameras on the square!  Almost 10 cameras per light pole!  RIDICULOUS!

From there, we boarded the bus and went to the Olympic Park!  I paid to go inside the Bird’s Nest and saw the Water Cube from the outside. It was neat to see something that has been advertised to heavily. The structure is incredibly complicated. I think I took a zillion bajillion pictures.

Tonight we’re going to a peking duck banquet, which is famous part of the Chinese cuisine. Hope it’s good!

We’re spending a few days here, then going to nearby Datong. After that, we go to Russia!  Seems like this trip is flying by now. Don’t know how I feel about that….

I’m keeping a list of things to do when I get home. So far I need to go see a movie, get a massage and pedicure, eat Panera Bread, Cladaughs, and fresh food, sleep for a week straight, get a haircut, and see the VIPs in my life. Phew!  Sound good?  Get it, got it, good.

Love

lins

From Turkey, we flew to Cairo. Every country we’ve visited since Egypt requires two different security screenings in the airport. Either you do it entering the airport, then entering the terminal OR entering the terminal and again at your specific gate. Once you pass this gate security, you cannot leave. Rather ridiculous. All of this stress was multiplied when our gate number changed very quickly before our flight and we had to run through the airport with all of our bags! What a workout. I digress…

Our arrival in Cairo was surreal. We loaded a coach bus almost immediately after landing (as always), but this time the bus was surrounded by security guards. Not just guards. Armed guards. Scary guards. And one guard in particular with an oozie. Okay maybe not an oozie but a VERY, VERY large gun. He was friendly though. And very well-dressed. A khaki-colored suit with alligator shoes and swanky shades. None of us really know if this amount of security is necessary but it was nice all the same. We had security with us throughout our 6 days in Egypt, both on our bus and in a car following it.

On to the good stuff!  The first full day in Cairo was monumental!  And this is why:

I rode a camel.

Around the pyramids at Giza of all places.  I named him Victor, by the way. And he likes to pee a lot.  I can’t really say much about that experience other than the fact that you have to lean WAY back when the camel gets up. The rest is beyond description…

Also visited the Egyptian Museum which was very disappointing. The amount of ancient artifacts like sarcophagi, hieroglyphics, tomb treasures and papyrus paintings in there is astounding but they are hardly even guarded. There are no controlled environments to avoid deterioration of the pieces and ancient objects are basically just piled up in corners.  It felt more like a warehouse than a museum!  Saw the golden sarcophagus of King Tut and nearly thought it was a fake because it was in this little room off to the side. Doesn’t do any of it justice.  We later found out that Egyptians do not care about these ancient things or places. Most of them don’t even know their names or how to get to them.

Our tour guide throughout Egypt was absolutely dreadful and the complete opposite of the guide in Turkey. He repeated everything at least 10 times (that’s no exaggeration) and only pointed out Sheraton Hotels, McDonald’s, and KFC’s (Kentucky Fried ‘Camels’) as if that’s what we came here to see. Oh and he never stopped talking about Cairo traffic. “Yes, we know it’s horrible! Stop commenting on it!” Tourism in Egypt is highly controlled by the Ministry of Tourism. Because of this, many groups are forced or persuaded to visit particular places. We were no exception. We went to a papyrus ‘institute’ and a perfume ‘factory’. Both of them are very clearly tourist traps and for the benefit of the Egyptian economy.  But I did actually buy some perfume. It was cheap and smelled good ok?!

Saw the new Alexandria library. In the ancient times, Alexandria had the largest library in the world, but it was burned down suddenly – perhaps arson?. The new one in phenomenal and very modern. LOVED IT!  (But according to our awful guide, it just houses books. It’s boring.  How dare he say that!)

Egypt was the first place we’ve been that I’ve felt the least bit unsafe or uncomfortable. The Greeks and Turks are very hospitable and friendly. In comparison, Egyptians in the bazaars just hassle you for money. Turkish bazaars were the same way but Egyptians take it to another level. They follow you, propose to you (yep) and try to bargain as if they’ll die before they could let you walk away. Creepy men yelling at me doesn’t quite make me want to buy anything…. And I can now say that I’ve been asked how much I’m worth in camels. WEIRD!  The people in Upper Egypt (the South) are much friendlier than those in Lower Egypt, by the way. Everyone we met there was so nice.

One major thing that was hard to deal with was sticking out as American women. Men would stare and give us strange looks. Everyone would. But the worst was when Muslim women would look at us from behind their burkas (and other traditional head dresses) as if we were the ones with a strange way of life. Their looks were judgmental and made me feel very vulnerable.

We took a 3 night cruise down the Nile after visiting Cairo and Alexandria and loved every bit of it. Sailed north from Aswan, up to Luxor where we disembarked. They had tea time every day, buffet lunches, and fancy dinners. I think we all gained 10 lbs. for those few days because we had been eating much less throughout Europe.  There was a pretty pool deck where I got the chance to lay out for an hour or so. The sun felt so nice after freezing through Europe. : )  We docked a few times and visited old temples like Kom Ombo, Luxor, Philae, Karnak, and Hatshepsut.  We also had an afternoon of mandatory school work on the pool deck. Had a mini-charette or design phase to do and turn in. So don’t worry! I’m working too!

The Valley of the Kings is incredible. Made it into a few tombs (of the many) and experience very sweaty and oxygen-depleted crevices. Eeek!  It’s incredible how much tombs are in that one valley, all located on the West Bank (which represents death and/or the afterlife).

Oh!  I rode a camel. AGAIN.

Second camel ride! In Luxor!  This time it lasted an hour (not just 10 minutes) and my camel was named Charlie.  The man leading us was very interesting to talk to. I learned that people in that area really despise the French people because they’re snobs and bargain too much, love the English speakers because they are friendly, and don’t mind the Germans. Unfortunately, the French are the most populous tourists in Egypt. I saw and heard them everywhere.  Same in Cambodia.

The 2^nd camel ride was definitely a highlight of the trip so far. I couldn’t stop smiling and kept thinking, “What am I doing here?  How did I get here?”. This is my dream come true.

From Egypt, we flew to the United Arab Emirates. We stayed in Dubai but also made a trip to the capital, Abu Dhabi. While there, we saw a really neat exhibit about the ‘museum park’ that’s in the works. It includes 4 major museums designed by very famous architects: 1) the Louvre by Jean Nouvel, 2) the Maritime Museum by Tadao Ando, 3) an art museum by Frank Gehry, and 4) a theatre by Zaha Hadid. All very modern and abstract.  Interestingly, the land where they will be built doesn’t exist yet. They’re building an island for them.

And in walks the Dubai state of mind…. Imagine a vast, dry desert devoid of life. Then plop a huge city full of lavish and expensive things, ridiculous architecture, huge shopping malls, and no sidewalks down…. That’s Dubai. You have to drive everywhere and I’m not sure what people do there besides shop. Our guide for this part of the trip was actually a BSU alumni who has been working there for 5 years. He explained that only 17% of Dubai’s population are locals. The rest are people living there temporarily because of the amount of construction and designing going on. They’ve built so many buildings with no purpose that now everyone is losing money. It can’t be sustained.

I digress again…. On to the BIG stuff. The Burj Dubai- now called the Burj Khalifa, after the sheik (prince) in Abu Dhabi who was responsible for economically bailing out the city of Dubai. The tallest building in the world!  Almost twice as big as the next tallest buildings. Our luck isn’t so great because we had tickets to go up inside the building to the observation deck but a few days before we arrived, they experienced major electrical issues that caused people to get stranded up there for 6 hours. These problems still hadn’t been resolved by the time we got there.  Major disappointment.  : /

However, the Dubai fountain in front of it is just as spectacular. It’s what I imagine fountains in Las Vegas to look like but better. At night it is set to music every 15 minutes and was a highlight of Dubai for sure!  I saw 2 different ‘shows’ and I assume there are quite a few different variations. So beautiful!  Took a lot of video to remember it.

Also saw the hotel called the Burj Al Arab, the famous building that looks like a sailboat and the Atlantis Hotel, the masterpiece of the Palm Islands.  Just off of there are the Earth Islands, man-made islands in the shape of the world’s continents. Very cool from the sky but pretty plain as they stand now.

From the UAE, we flew to Singapore, which was a shock. It’s the complete opposite of Dubai. We walked out of the airport and instantly began to sweat. It was 80 degrees at 6 a.m. with 80% humidity. And it only got worse from there!  Singapore is lovely though. It’s full of park space and pretty streets and really simple but neat architecture. They have a 93% homeownership rate which is only getting stronger. In a few years, they will have 98% homeownership, which is unheard of.

While in Singapore, we saw the National Orchid Collection which was beautiful!  I’ve never seen so many different kinds of orchids in my life. There are apparently over 30,000 varieties, many of which are botanical hybrids (not natural).

Later a small group of us went with our guide, Goh, to a cool pedestrian bridge with a view of the harbor, one of the few free ports in the world (along with Shanghai and Hong Kong). The bridge was really cool!  (Jenny- it’s the one you sent me a while ago. The one that looks like waves?)  After that, it connects to a canopy walk through the forest and continues through the city. So neat!  We saw monkeys!  In person!  In the ‘wild’!  We were warned against feeding them though. Darn.

I learned that Britain left Singapore in the 1970’s but the ‘new’ Singapore government did not change much since then as far as political structure goes.   Apparently it’s also one of the least corrupt and safest countries in the world- and it definitely felt that way.

Another fun fact: Singapore is only 140 km north of the equator.

Interestingly, almost every guide we’ve had has had a monosyllabic first name. Names like Sam, Bill, Nam, So, Goh, etc. I hope the trend continues!

The hotel in Singapore was nice. We had a pool for the first time and took advantage of it. Unfortunately my one hour spent in the sun was a bit too much. My whole back and left thigh was burnt pretty badly. Makes an interesting time getting my big packs on!

I got very little sleep the last night in Singapore because we left for the airport at 2 a.m. for a flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Once we got there, I was shocked by how small the airport was!  I think it only had one runway and practically looked like a hotel from the outside. It’s definitely the most quiet and laidback airport I’ve ever been in.

Get this- one U.S. dollars equals 4000 Cambodian riels.  Ironically, every shop and restaurant lists everything in dollars. They prefer to receive dollars and are annoyed when you give them riels.  Too bad we didn’t know that so our whole group had a bajillion riels to get rid of!  Kind of a pain but it made for some interesting mental math.

Our hotel in Siem Reap was absolutely beautiful. It had a large ‘porch’ terrace and an open lobby with pretty ceiling fans. The light came in during the afternoon and was really serene. There was also a pool and small eating area surrounded by tropical plants and one side of the hotel building. Oh! And there was a massage parlor and salon. Due to the fact that my back was burnt to bits, I couldn’t get my $10 one-hour-long massage!   I was soooooo mad!   Getting a massage is definitely high up on my list of things to do when I get home. My shoulders are filled with knots. Gnarly ones.

The main reason anyone goes to Siem Reap is to visit the old city of Angkor, built in the 1100’s. It was made especially famous from the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider movies. Remember the trees growing out of the ruins?  That’s what it looks like!  It’s actually a huge complex with over 125 temples. Huge place that would take days to cover. We hit the highlights over 2 days.

I thought the weather in Singapore was hot and humid but oh I was so wrong!  Cambodia weather is unbelievable, even during the current dry season. For the days we were there it was 95 degrees, with 85% humidity. Imagine stepping outside and immediately feeling sleepy, dripping sweat, and attracting mosquitoes. I don’t think I’ll ever experience weather like that again. You can hardly drink enough water to replace all the water you’re sweating out.

The last day we were in Cambodia, we took a boat to see a floating village, which used to be a main fishing area. Imagine lots of little house boats just anchored somewhat near the shore. Apparently they move locations all the time according to the tide. It was pretty surreal and I believe a much more accurate depiction of ‘modern’ Cambodia. I saw a woman washing her dishes in the same water a man was peeing in, houseboats with satellite dishes that were never used, naked and smiling children running everywhere, and poor children wearing snakes around their shoulders trying to make money for their family. One of the snakes was dead and she was still trying to get money for a picture with it.

The children in Cambodia are like the vendors in Egypt. Very persistent. They’ll repeat phrases 10 times in a row because that’s all they know how to do. That’s how they live. Surviving on the rare dollar from tourists seeking petty souvenirs like post cards, trinkets, bracelets, etc.  They’ll follow you and beg.  I have to admit that eventually I get pretty firm with them even though I know it’s not their fault.

On to another topic….We made it to Hong Kong last night (February 16^th) after flying from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, from Phnom Penh to Singapore and from Singapore to Hong Kong. We had to switch terminals, collect baggage, and re-check-in between the flights because it switched from domestic to international. What a pain!  It made for 12 hours of traveling. The only reason we did it that way, though, was because it saved us $500 per person.  So really there are no complaints here!

Today we went up to Victoria Peak to see the whole skyline of Hong Kong Island. We are staying at the YMCA Hotel in Kowloon, across the bay from HK Island. That sounds strange but it’s actually really cool. I’m in a quad room with bunk beds and this part of the hotel is called the ‘dormitory’. I found out that a room like this is only $50!  Definitely unheard of in Hong Kong!

Took the ferry across the bay and went shopping a bit tonight. I got a few shirts at H&M that I needed. Yay for 2 new shirts!  It’s amazing to wear something new!  We later went to the harbor near the ferry dock and watched the ‘light show’ on all the skyscrapers across the bay. Apparently it’s set to music (on the radio) but we didn’t have access to it. Still neat to see.

Oh! Neat thing!  I saw the building that Batman jumps off of in the Dark Knight!  Neato!

Tomorrow is the 2^nd day I’ll be able to sleep in on this whole trip. : )  Don’t have to check out until 11 a.m. and then we’re headed to Guanzhou, China at 1 p.m. on a train. Then flying to Shanghai.

The Chinese government blocks a lot of websites so I’m hoping I’ll have access to Gmail (they’re not so friendly with Google). And I already know I won’t be on Facebook . We’ll be in China for nearly 3 weeks.

I hope this update finds you well and I hope you enjoyed my long long long ramblings!

Miss you and love you all

lins

Lately we’ve been touring alot of ruins…Pompeii, Delphi, Ephesus, Pergamum, Troy… and it feels as if the list goes on. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s interesting to see ancient sites like these (some of which are as old as 1800 B.C.) but it gets tiring to have to imagine what it used to be like. It takes alot of creativity and imagination to envision a bustling metropolis where only columns stand now.

But here we go anyway…Our visit to Pompeii was very short (less than an hour) but it was neat to look up at what remains of Mount Vesuvius.  Kind of ominous, really. Also, they have excavated remains of bodies on display that are in morbid positions as if they’re struggling to survive massive lava flows. Eek!  It’s pretty crazy what has been found on the site too.

After that, we visited Delphi, where an ancient temple and oracle used to be. This is where young girls (or oracles/priestesses) would essentially get high from the gases coming out of the hot springs and answer the questions of visitors.  Part of the temple still remains but unfortunately, recent earthquakes prevented us from being allowed up the hill to see it. However, the view off of the hillside into the fog-filled valley was pretty neat. And the fog got thicker during our 1.5 hour stay.

From there, our guide took us down the winding switchback roads to a restaurant that looked like a big cabin. BEAUTIFUL. This is where I had the best meal of the entire trip. Fabulous Greek food:  spinach pie, cabbage-wrapped veal, fried cheese, tzakiki (sp?) sauce, and cucumber salad. Oh and feta cheese and tomatoes covered in olive oil.   It was sooooooo good!  Definitely induced some major food comas on the long bus ride following…

From there we headed to Athens. Our hotel was literally two blocks from the foot of the Acropolis and only a block from Tschumi’s New Acropolis Museum which is pretty incredible. (See Facebook photos) Oh!  And I had a view of the Acropolis from my hotel window all lit up at night! Ah!

Unfortunately we only had one full day to spend in Athens so I will definitely be heading back there in my lifetime. Seems like a really cool city. The highlight of the first night was stumbling upon this cliffside lookout near the Acropolis over the entire city. We chilled there for a bit and took in the view. We later found out that that cliff terrace was used by ancient philosophers for civic and philosophical discussions!  whoa.

Had an official tour of the Acropolis the next morning and enjoy a few hours of sketching there. Too bad the Parthenon is so perfect!  It’s so difficult to sketch considering how iconic it is. Very difficult to get the “perfect/ideal” proportions drawn correctly. But I still tried.

The highlight of this day (believe it or not, it wasn’t the Parthenon), was making it out to the beach in the afternoon.    I put my shoes in the Aegean Sea and ran along the beach.  So pretty!  I could’ve stayed there all day.

That night we had a whole group dinner to celebrate a few things:  2 people’s birthdays, 2 parents leaving who had joined the tour for 2 weeks, and the arrival of an alumni to the group for a week.  This was also a good meal. Lamb, pork, fries, Greek salads, coke and probably the best dessert ever. A light and fluffy mousse-like creation that made my taste buds giggle.

After the brief hiatus from ruins, we headed from Athens to Turkey. That day was a difficult day of traveling which involved almost missing one of our 2 flights. This is also the day I experienced peeing in a hole in the floor (very common here).  What an experience!  One good thing, however, was that Turkish Airlines has the best food ever. Both of our flights were only an hour long each and yet we got a meal on both!  (That may be because they were only an hour separated from each other! Ha!)  The first meal had raw salmon with lettuce and tomatoes, banana chocolate mousse for dessert, and a sandwich. The second had Spanish-like rice with sour cream/yogurt and tomatoes, then a cherry tart and a sandwich. YUM!

Saw Ephesus, Pergamum, and Troy- all very famous ancient sites. Ephesus was probably my favorite though because it is the most “untouched”.  Alot of structure still remains unlike many other ruins.  Troy is kind of a disappointment because, like I said earlier, it takes too much imagination. One interesting thing I learned though was that a German treasure-hunter by the name of Schliemann started the excavation in the 19th century and basically did a horrible job. The only good thing he did was record his every move so fortunately, we know what his mistakes are.

Our guide here in Turkey has been the best tour guide of the whole trip so far. His name is Nam (pronounced like VietNAM). He speaks English very well and we have heard through the grapevine that he studied in the States for a while (although we have been disputing which school he went to). He keeps wearing a Texans hat. Ha!  He should know he should be wearing a Colts hat…

But anywho, even though the bus rides here in Turkey have been long (3+ hours between each site, sometimes multiple sites a day), they have been so educational- and not in a bad way. During one ride in particular yesterday, he spent 2 hours talking about Turkish culture.  I learned that 68% of marriages in Turkey are arranged. But they only have a 2.7% divorce rate. Women have had political rights since 1929 (including the right to vote and hold office), but still there are obvious discrepancies in wages and unspoken rights. Married couples are always hoping to have sons and there are many traditions of how to insure that you have a boy, including breaking an egg over a warm brick and having the woman sit on it during…. you get the picture.

Turkey’s government has applied to become a part of the EU and is now trying to fill specific requirements that the EU has set for it- like non-militarizing their Supreme Court, transitioning to the Euro, and remaining a secular nation. The flipside of this is that Turkey will never be the leader of the Middle East if they remain secular. Who knows what will happen?

All men at the age of 20 must go into military training for 18 months. 16 months if you’re in college to be completed after your studies. Our guide said that this is the time “when they break you”. You’re not a man until you do this. You could be 35 and still not be considered a man if you don’t go through military training.  You will also not be allowed into the coffee shops to socialize with the men of the community until you complete it.

The process of getting married takes about 4 months from the time your parents choose a woman for you and the time when all the ceremonies are over. The actual marriage ceremony is actually the 2nd to last rite of passage.

Strange but interesting note:  Men in Turkey are circumcised at puberty in the presence of the men of the community.  After the operation, the guy is placed in a lavishly-decorated bed where you will stay while the rest of the men dance and party around you for the rest of the night.

Turkey is WAY more beautiful than I had imagined. I expected it to be dry and untamed. Quite the opposite. There are rolling hills, incredible sunsets, and everything is so GREEN. It is heaven on Earth.

We sat in the Blue Mosque today (took off our shoes and everything) and listened to our guide, Nam, speak about what Islam is all about. It was definitely a goosebump moment. I was sitting in one of the most important mosques in the entire world, listening to a man talk about his faith and how important it is.  And I love hearing the Muslim call to prayer amplified through all the streets five times a day. I even don’t mind hearing it at 5 a.m. from my bed. It’s strangely beautiful.

Saw a woman wearing a burka for the first time in my life yesterday. I had never seen a head-to-toe one where only her eyes show. I was surprised by my strong reaction to it.  I got anxious and somewhat uncomfortable. Are those women happy?  They could be.

Headed to Egypt tomorrow night. Red eye flight to Cairo starting at 11:30 pm. Will sleep for a few hours in Cairo, then immediately tour the pyramids of Giza and other wonders of the Earth!  Wowza. That’s gonna be one tiring day…