Sorry this is so late and from so long ago but I’ve been too busy having fun! Here are just a few of the things that have been going on and random highlights…
Belgrade, Serbia:
Pancakes, but not your typical pancakes, more like slightly thicker crapes stuffed to the max with cheeses and meat or nutella, banana, cherries, plasma (basically crushed vanilla wafers…but way better) and tons of other options. This place was recommended to us by a girl from a hostel we stayed in and even though we got lost trying to find it…it was worth all the confusion. They were delicious! I even came back and got a nutella one for breakfast the day we left :)
We also went to this night club with some people from our hostel called Plastic (because there is night life everyday of the week in Belgrade) There was this great DJ from England and we danced the night away. When we finally got tired Tia got us totally lost on the way back to the hostel. She wouldn’t listen to me at first, but then she realized I was right. It’s okay if she messes up every now and then because I don’t know what I’d do without her!
Nis, Serbia:
The Concentration Camp. It was very eerie to go to, but very interesting. Of course we’ve all learned about WWII many times throughout school but there is something to be said about seeing one of the places where so many terrible things took place. Even though it was a beautiful sunny day outside, inside the building was freezing. There was also a map that showed all the camps in Europe. Numbers are just numbers but when you look at the amount of camps spread out on a map it’s awful. There were way too many.
Pristina, Kosovo:
Minimal background knowledge is that Kosovo separated itself from Serbia and declared its independence, but Serbia doesn’t recognize it as a country. So there is definitely tension between the two areas. The most interesting experience was getting in and out of Kosovo. We had to arrange a private service from Serbia to Kosovo because Serbian buses don’t normally go to Kosovo. Technically we should have gone back through Serbia to leave…of course that didn’t happen so now I don’t have a Serbian exit stamp. I probably wouldn’t be allowed back into Serbia if I tried because it looks as though I exited illegally or that I over stayed my Visa.
Scopje, Macedonia:
Tia, Fabian, and Pear (two Germans) and I did this hike up to the top of this huge hill overlooking the city. It was a lot of fun because every now and then we came across snow and of course all the mud stuck to my shoes and I was sliding everywhere. Everyone wanted me to fall so they could laugh but when I finally did these two men were walking past and I grabbed on to one of them just before I landed in a huge pile of mud. I was so lucky they were there. When we reached the top we climbed this massive cross (of course there are cross’s at the top of almost every hill over here). I actually got a little scared because you could see through it to the bottom and it was sooo high up. Plus you weren’t really suppose to be on it in the first place!
Sofia, Bulgaria:
Tia and I ventured to the Rila Monastery which is a very big religious site because it was the first monastery in Bulgaria. It was way up in the mountains and absolutely beautiful. I totally froze but all the murals and structures were so intricate it was definitely worth the cold. We stayed at Hostel Mostel which was enormous and great for meeting lots of travelers. We went out to this funky little bar where you have your own beer tap at each table to celebrate a Peace Core Volunteer’s Birthday. It was very nice because our Peace Core friends paid for everyone’s beer with our government’s money. Oh the things our government supports! You gotta love it!
Plovdiv, Bulgaria:
The best thing was our cute little hostel with really fun staff and going to these little ruins a 2 minute walk from the hostel that overlooked the whole city. It was one of the first really sunny days we had and Tia and I sat up at these ruins for over 3 hours talking, absorbing the sun, and looking at the city. I couldn’t have picked a better travel partner even though we know how to drive each other crazy haha.
Turkey:
So amazing! We were traveling throughout this country for over 16 days and I want to go back so bad! Definitely one of my favorite places! All the people we met were wonderful, the food was fantastic and it’s so beautiful! T and I started hitchhicking and Couch Surfing so our trip changed a lot in Turkey in a good way!! I have less than 8 weeks left so you might just have to ask me about Turkey in person because I'm so BUSY!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
Bosnia and Herzegovina
To sum it up…I love this country. Tia and I have had so much fun and met so many great people (and great is a complete understatement.)
Our first stop was Mostar. As many of you know there was a war here starting in 1992. It was weird to see how much of the city has not recovered. Many apartment buildings still have bullet holes and in between the new buildings there are parts of old buildings completely blown apart with only some of their frames remaining. The city is still completely divided between the “Bosnians” and the “Croatians”. The Croatian side of town is completely modern and has lots of shopping centers, while the Bosnian side still has lots of buildings that haven’t been rebuilt. This is probably to do with the fact that the current “mayor” is Croatian. The high school has Serbians, Muslims and Croatian kids attending but all the classes are segregated. Even the money had three different men on each bill so no religion or race seems more important.
In Mostar we stayed at Majda’s Hostel. Majda was absolutely wonderful to us. She made us breakfast every morning and we enjoyed many cups of tea and her famous coffee which I love. Her mother even made us soup one night for dinner. She was so sweet and I loved talking with her every day. We initially planned on staying 3 nights but had to stay four because we enjoyed ourselves so much. Majda was so sweet she ended up giving us free laundry and one free night. Her exceptional hospitality amazed me. She opened her house to complete strangers and treated them like family. Mostar really was our home away from home and I couldn’t express to her how much our stay meant to us.
While in Mostar we took part in Bata’s Tour (Majda’s brother). It lasted 12 hours and we went all over in this 12 seat tour bus with a disco ball and crazy loud sound system. I sat in front with Bata and was DJ with anything from 80’s music to Gangsters Paradise to the local Bosnian beat. We drove around the town learning about what life was like before, during and after the war. I cannot imagine the horrible things these people had to endure. I’m glad I had the opportunity to learn about the war in Mostar from people that lived through it and are dealing with all the tensions that are still present today. We also went to a beautiful waterfall and jumped in the freezing cold water, drank rakia with a local family, visited the site where the Virgin Mary was said to be spotted by some kids in 1981, visited an old castle town that is still inhabited, and went to a Muslim Monastery where whirling dervishes practice and where water comes out from a cave underground at 45,000 meters cubed a second. The tour was a blast and we all went out to a delectable dinner together after where Tia and I were adventurous and tried sheep brain. It was actually quite good surprisingly. It tasted like an omelet.
Next we went to Sarajevo which is the capital. The first two nights Tia and I decided to tough it out and stay in a really cheap hostel. It was extremely gross and I wouldn’t even shower. There was no soap in the entire hostel, the bathroom doors didn’t lock or even shut in some cases, the front entrance reeked of what I have no clue, and I found bugs crawling on the curtains. After two nights of that we moved to a cleaner hostel in the center of town and met lots of fun people to spend our time in Sarajevo with. One of the nights we watched the Canada vs. US Olympic Hockey finals with a bunch of Canadians (that was a mistake). We also went to this weird little bar called “The Golden Fishbowl” which was this funky little place that looked like someone took all the antiques and nic nacs out of their attic and put it in a bar along with a giant goldfish. One of the days we walked up to the sports complex that the Winter Olympics were held in 1984. It was weird to see how much they’re changed since then because this complex was pretty small and didn’t look like it could hold enough people for the Olympics especially after watching all the events in Vancouver and seeing how many people showed up.
Our next stop was Brčko where we stayed with Svetlana who was a wonderful host. We got connected with her because she used to live in Bellingham to escape the war and she went to Tia’s church. Although Brčko was small, Svetlana always kept us busy when she wasn’t at work and was always trying to buy our dinner and drinks. Svetlana and I were similar and got along very well. We watched pirated movies like Paranormal Activity and Shutter Island since there are zero laws against it in Bosnia. The guy at the movie store laughed at me when I was surprised they had all these movies still out in theater. He said, “It’s been out in the theater for 3 days…of course we have it!” I ate pâté not knowing it was goose liver until Tia kindly pointed it out along with what veal really is. I don’t know if it’s better to be kept in the dark or not when it comes to meat. Svetlana was so much fun and even stood with us forever in the freezing cold and snow at the bus station when we left for Belgrade, Serbia. All of the people we met in Bosnia and Herzegovina were so friendly and made us feel right at home. So far this has easily been my favorite country.
Our first stop was Mostar. As many of you know there was a war here starting in 1992. It was weird to see how much of the city has not recovered. Many apartment buildings still have bullet holes and in between the new buildings there are parts of old buildings completely blown apart with only some of their frames remaining. The city is still completely divided between the “Bosnians” and the “Croatians”. The Croatian side of town is completely modern and has lots of shopping centers, while the Bosnian side still has lots of buildings that haven’t been rebuilt. This is probably to do with the fact that the current “mayor” is Croatian. The high school has Serbians, Muslims and Croatian kids attending but all the classes are segregated. Even the money had three different men on each bill so no religion or race seems more important.
In Mostar we stayed at Majda’s Hostel. Majda was absolutely wonderful to us. She made us breakfast every morning and we enjoyed many cups of tea and her famous coffee which I love. Her mother even made us soup one night for dinner. She was so sweet and I loved talking with her every day. We initially planned on staying 3 nights but had to stay four because we enjoyed ourselves so much. Majda was so sweet she ended up giving us free laundry and one free night. Her exceptional hospitality amazed me. She opened her house to complete strangers and treated them like family. Mostar really was our home away from home and I couldn’t express to her how much our stay meant to us.
While in Mostar we took part in Bata’s Tour (Majda’s brother). It lasted 12 hours and we went all over in this 12 seat tour bus with a disco ball and crazy loud sound system. I sat in front with Bata and was DJ with anything from 80’s music to Gangsters Paradise to the local Bosnian beat. We drove around the town learning about what life was like before, during and after the war. I cannot imagine the horrible things these people had to endure. I’m glad I had the opportunity to learn about the war in Mostar from people that lived through it and are dealing with all the tensions that are still present today. We also went to a beautiful waterfall and jumped in the freezing cold water, drank rakia with a local family, visited the site where the Virgin Mary was said to be spotted by some kids in 1981, visited an old castle town that is still inhabited, and went to a Muslim Monastery where whirling dervishes practice and where water comes out from a cave underground at 45,000 meters cubed a second. The tour was a blast and we all went out to a delectable dinner together after where Tia and I were adventurous and tried sheep brain. It was actually quite good surprisingly. It tasted like an omelet.
Next we went to Sarajevo which is the capital. The first two nights Tia and I decided to tough it out and stay in a really cheap hostel. It was extremely gross and I wouldn’t even shower. There was no soap in the entire hostel, the bathroom doors didn’t lock or even shut in some cases, the front entrance reeked of what I have no clue, and I found bugs crawling on the curtains. After two nights of that we moved to a cleaner hostel in the center of town and met lots of fun people to spend our time in Sarajevo with. One of the nights we watched the Canada vs. US Olympic Hockey finals with a bunch of Canadians (that was a mistake). We also went to this weird little bar called “The Golden Fishbowl” which was this funky little place that looked like someone took all the antiques and nic nacs out of their attic and put it in a bar along with a giant goldfish. One of the days we walked up to the sports complex that the Winter Olympics were held in 1984. It was weird to see how much they’re changed since then because this complex was pretty small and didn’t look like it could hold enough people for the Olympics especially after watching all the events in Vancouver and seeing how many people showed up.
Our next stop was Brčko where we stayed with Svetlana who was a wonderful host. We got connected with her because she used to live in Bellingham to escape the war and she went to Tia’s church. Although Brčko was small, Svetlana always kept us busy when she wasn’t at work and was always trying to buy our dinner and drinks. Svetlana and I were similar and got along very well. We watched pirated movies like Paranormal Activity and Shutter Island since there are zero laws against it in Bosnia. The guy at the movie store laughed at me when I was surprised they had all these movies still out in theater. He said, “It’s been out in the theater for 3 days…of course we have it!” I ate pâté not knowing it was goose liver until Tia kindly pointed it out along with what veal really is. I don’t know if it’s better to be kept in the dark or not when it comes to meat. Svetlana was so much fun and even stood with us forever in the freezing cold and snow at the bus station when we left for Belgrade, Serbia. All of the people we met in Bosnia and Herzegovina were so friendly and made us feel right at home. So far this has easily been my favorite country.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Pula, Rovinj, Opatija, Rejika, Split
Both Pula and Rovinj were sleepy little towns on the coast. Tia and I went on many hikes, walks and runs. We stayed in cozy little apartments that were around a half hour walk out of the town centers. It was nice because many of the days were sunny and beautiful. Of course a few were rainy. We did typically all our own cooking and ate lots of kluskis and polenta. It was nice to relax and just walk through both the towns. We went to wonderful café’s and yes I’ve started drinking coffee. I don’t that it’s more amazing over here but it’s nice to heat up with and people watch. It’s also a large part of the culture and people will spend hours at cafés, it’s never a quick coffee to go like Starbucks. We went to a couple churches but I think the lord see’s me coming and makes sure the doors are locked ha. I’ve yet to go into a church in Europe.
Opatija is definitely more alive than Rovinj and Pula. A little festival was going on here but Tia and I missed the main night by one day, of course. There is the best chocolate shop in Opatija hands down. They have a 5 tear chocolate fountain just for starters. T and I splurged on chocolate and vanilla ice cream covered in fresh whip cream, hazelnuts, strawberries, dark chocolate chunks, and drizzled with dark and white chocolate. I ended up having to order peppermint hot chocolate with a shot of mint liquor. It was heavenly and way too rich. I loved it!
We also took a day trip to Kastav. It was this tiny little town high up in the hills overlooking the coast. There wasn’t a ton up there but we went to the most marvelous restaurant. We ordered spinach gnocchi with a red wine and prosciutto sauce and sausage with fresh cream cheese and walnuts just for the appetizer. For our main dish T and I shared steak with frizzled onions and arugula over golden potatoes and a squid goulash with polenta. Afterward we finished with Belja Kava (latté) and tea. It was a fabulous meal even after having to run to catch the bus on an exceptionally full stomach. Even in Europe when I don’t have a schedule I still am constantly running late.
The Carnival in Rejika was a blast as most of you have seen from the pictures. It’s funny because we asked a bunch of different people why they have this enormous carnival every year and no one could really give us a straight answer. The first night at the hostel I was trying to go to bed early because I was tired, but then this aussie staying at our hostel came and asked if T and I would like to go out to the bars with him. We hadn’t been out in weeks so we agreed. It was really fun. His name was Eddie and we talked about all the differences between our homelands. He was traveling all around by himself and he was going to India soon and had already been to Japan.
The next three nights were similar to one another. Go out to eat at great restaurants (the pizza restaurant was incredible) and then we’d go bar hopping and then to this massive tent set up in the harbor where Croatian bands and DJ’s were playing and dance until we walked back to the hostel. The band the first night was amazing! I love it and had never heard anything like it in my life. It was house music with a trumpet, guitar, saxophone and violin added. It was so crazy and we met tons of great and interesting people. The last day was the best because they had a parade that lasted from noon until 7pm. It was sooo long. It wasn’t commercialized either which was great. It was just big groups of people that came from all over Croatia dressed up and making their own floats. Their costumes were wild. When we finally got back to the hostel I crawled into bed only to be woken up by all our roommates to celebrate one of their birthdays! They made me get up and drink with them and some other guys dressed as Nuns who were also from our hostel. It was so much fun! I didn’t end up going to bed until well past 4am and had to wake up for breakfast at 8am but it was definitely a night I’ll remember.
The next day we headed off on a 9 hour bus ride to Split. The drive was stunning. I cannot begin to explain how beautiful Croatia is. We’ve spent the past 4 days mostly in sun hiking along the beaches and experiencing local cuisine. My favorite was Cevapci. It’s sausage-like meat on warm freshly baked bread with onions and red pepper sauce. I love them. Today was T and I’s last day in Split and we really wanted to hike to the historical park. It was pouring down rain and stormy, but it was worth fighting the wind because when we finally got to the top we could see the entire city and past all the islands. It was incredible. Croatia has been a wonderful place to stay.
For pictures from the festival here is the link to Tia's Facebook Album:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=195996&id=637201678&l=cc3cbefdb4
Opatija is definitely more alive than Rovinj and Pula. A little festival was going on here but Tia and I missed the main night by one day, of course. There is the best chocolate shop in Opatija hands down. They have a 5 tear chocolate fountain just for starters. T and I splurged on chocolate and vanilla ice cream covered in fresh whip cream, hazelnuts, strawberries, dark chocolate chunks, and drizzled with dark and white chocolate. I ended up having to order peppermint hot chocolate with a shot of mint liquor. It was heavenly and way too rich. I loved it!
We also took a day trip to Kastav. It was this tiny little town high up in the hills overlooking the coast. There wasn’t a ton up there but we went to the most marvelous restaurant. We ordered spinach gnocchi with a red wine and prosciutto sauce and sausage with fresh cream cheese and walnuts just for the appetizer. For our main dish T and I shared steak with frizzled onions and arugula over golden potatoes and a squid goulash with polenta. Afterward we finished with Belja Kava (latté) and tea. It was a fabulous meal even after having to run to catch the bus on an exceptionally full stomach. Even in Europe when I don’t have a schedule I still am constantly running late.
The Carnival in Rejika was a blast as most of you have seen from the pictures. It’s funny because we asked a bunch of different people why they have this enormous carnival every year and no one could really give us a straight answer. The first night at the hostel I was trying to go to bed early because I was tired, but then this aussie staying at our hostel came and asked if T and I would like to go out to the bars with him. We hadn’t been out in weeks so we agreed. It was really fun. His name was Eddie and we talked about all the differences between our homelands. He was traveling all around by himself and he was going to India soon and had already been to Japan.
The next three nights were similar to one another. Go out to eat at great restaurants (the pizza restaurant was incredible) and then we’d go bar hopping and then to this massive tent set up in the harbor where Croatian bands and DJ’s were playing and dance until we walked back to the hostel. The band the first night was amazing! I love it and had never heard anything like it in my life. It was house music with a trumpet, guitar, saxophone and violin added. It was so crazy and we met tons of great and interesting people. The last day was the best because they had a parade that lasted from noon until 7pm. It was sooo long. It wasn’t commercialized either which was great. It was just big groups of people that came from all over Croatia dressed up and making their own floats. Their costumes were wild. When we finally got back to the hostel I crawled into bed only to be woken up by all our roommates to celebrate one of their birthdays! They made me get up and drink with them and some other guys dressed as Nuns who were also from our hostel. It was so much fun! I didn’t end up going to bed until well past 4am and had to wake up for breakfast at 8am but it was definitely a night I’ll remember.
The next day we headed off on a 9 hour bus ride to Split. The drive was stunning. I cannot begin to explain how beautiful Croatia is. We’ve spent the past 4 days mostly in sun hiking along the beaches and experiencing local cuisine. My favorite was Cevapci. It’s sausage-like meat on warm freshly baked bread with onions and red pepper sauce. I love them. Today was T and I’s last day in Split and we really wanted to hike to the historical park. It was pouring down rain and stormy, but it was worth fighting the wind because when we finally got to the top we could see the entire city and past all the islands. It was incredible. Croatia has been a wonderful place to stay.
For pictures from the festival here is the link to Tia's Facebook Album:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=195996&id=637201678&l=cc3cbefdb4
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Highlights of Zagreb
The Fressel’s were amazing hosts. Norma kept us so busy we never ever got bored. Her mother Nina and grandma Nana were so sweet and would always try and feed us more food any chance they got. Her father Boris was very funny and really talkative and her other grandma fed us an amazing meal. Miran, Norma’s boyfriend was so nice and funny. He always had us laughing.
Hiking in Croatia is spectacular. I could do it every day. It was absolutely beautiful. I couldn’t stop taking pictures. Another thing I liked was the fact that we took many breaks ha. Right when we got off the bus to start climbing we went in this little lodge and got some gluwein (hot spiced wine) and some Schnapps. Then we went sledding and started on our way. We didn’t even go for 15 minutes and we stopped in a little vineyard to do some wine tasting and then purchase a 2 liter bottle. We stopped for cookie and wine breaks, met lots of other hikers and laughed the entire time. At the top we stopped for a very Croatian meal of sausage, veal, cheeses, bread, sauerkraut, some beer and more Schnapps. Of course I was the only one to freeze coming back down the Mt. thank goodness Norma and Tia had given me warm clothes because I wasn’t “equipped”. I was still getting over jetlag so I took a nap in the bar while we waited for the bus. Again I could hike any day in Croatia.
I would love to drive in Zagreb. Everyone drives fast (old people must not drive). Sometimes it was hectic trying to cross the street because there is a good chance they aren’t going to stop for you. Also personal space doesn’t exist here. Even when you’re walking down the street and have the whole sidewalk people will slightly nudge you so they don’t have to move. I’ve already gotten better at standing my ground.
We went out twice to the bars. The first time was for Norma’s friend’s birthday. All the girls were nice and two of them were studying English at the University. The first bar was like any other bar but the second was called “Wrong Way” and it was really cool. It was this big warehouse with tons of art on the walls, packed with all different people and some house music. In Croatia on your birthday you’re suppose to pay for everyone else’s drink, but Tia and I couldn’t have that so we bought a round for all the girls. The other time we went out it was to “Sirup”. This club was really different. It was like walking into an alien spaceship. Everything was silver and futuristic. We ended up dancing to crazy house music until past 5am. On the way home we stopped at a bakery and I got a pastry filled with nutella. It made the night.
Food here was delicious. I haven’t been hungry since I got here. The cheese is my favorite. We buy it fresh at the markets and it’s so soft and yummy. I eat so much of it for breakfast. I’ve also discovered the chocolate. Tia and I have eaten at least a bar of chocolate a day, sometimes more ha. I’m not use to the different courses so I’ve had 3 helpings of soup to then find out that the meat and potatoes are coming along with some homemade strudel after that. I try to see if there are multiple courses so I don’t feel sick from eating so much. I’m also not use to drinking wine at lunch; at the two big lunches each of Norma’s grandma’s cooked they served great wine and a shot before we even started eating. When I was eating the meal I had to drink something with it and wouldn’t realize that I’d emptied my glass and almost immediately someone would fill it and they don’t take no for an answer when it comes to food. So I’ve accidently gotten tipsy during lunch with the grandparents. Good thing only Tia could tell ha. Everyone here can drink so much and not feel anything. I get made fun of a lot because I just cannot drink as much as everyone else. There have only been two things I haven’t liked: These fish like sardines that were deep fried and whole, bones and everything. The bones didn’t bother me (T and I gutted them ) but I ate quite a few anyway so they wouldn’t know. I had to refuse this sauce that was supposed to go on the meat and potatoes because it was mayo with a little Tabasco and basil. Nina didn’t understand that I couldn’t try it ha. Those of you that know me well know mayo makes me want to hurl. Thank goodness Tia helped explain that I couldn’t try it. Other than that one time I’ve been a really good sport about eating food that hasn’t quite been my favorite.
We also went to the Museum of Modern Art. It was so cool. Ha. The architecture building was really (surprise surprise) modern and beautiful. It had this crazy light show going on in the huge windows and once you went in you could walk in the rooms with it. Its really hard to explain. There were great pieces one of the sadest were all these masks of different womens faces and they were all living in the same shelter and were either abused and fled or had AIDS and no one would take them in. It was really sad but I ended up reading every single story mesmerized. Another of my favorites were these pictures from old magazines that had pictures of people in real life next to it doing similar things. We spent a little over 3 hours and I could have walked through it again. To leave we went down this slide. It was really fun and built into the building. T and I felt like little kids.
Tia has been the little navigator. She’s great at it. Very independent and good at figuring things out that are in different languages. I was more helpful today in finding our new apartment in Pula, which took about an hour ha but we made it safe!
Hiking in Croatia is spectacular. I could do it every day. It was absolutely beautiful. I couldn’t stop taking pictures. Another thing I liked was the fact that we took many breaks ha. Right when we got off the bus to start climbing we went in this little lodge and got some gluwein (hot spiced wine) and some Schnapps. Then we went sledding and started on our way. We didn’t even go for 15 minutes and we stopped in a little vineyard to do some wine tasting and then purchase a 2 liter bottle. We stopped for cookie and wine breaks, met lots of other hikers and laughed the entire time. At the top we stopped for a very Croatian meal of sausage, veal, cheeses, bread, sauerkraut, some beer and more Schnapps. Of course I was the only one to freeze coming back down the Mt. thank goodness Norma and Tia had given me warm clothes because I wasn’t “equipped”. I was still getting over jetlag so I took a nap in the bar while we waited for the bus. Again I could hike any day in Croatia.
I would love to drive in Zagreb. Everyone drives fast (old people must not drive). Sometimes it was hectic trying to cross the street because there is a good chance they aren’t going to stop for you. Also personal space doesn’t exist here. Even when you’re walking down the street and have the whole sidewalk people will slightly nudge you so they don’t have to move. I’ve already gotten better at standing my ground.
We went out twice to the bars. The first time was for Norma’s friend’s birthday. All the girls were nice and two of them were studying English at the University. The first bar was like any other bar but the second was called “Wrong Way” and it was really cool. It was this big warehouse with tons of art on the walls, packed with all different people and some house music. In Croatia on your birthday you’re suppose to pay for everyone else’s drink, but Tia and I couldn’t have that so we bought a round for all the girls. The other time we went out it was to “Sirup”. This club was really different. It was like walking into an alien spaceship. Everything was silver and futuristic. We ended up dancing to crazy house music until past 5am. On the way home we stopped at a bakery and I got a pastry filled with nutella. It made the night.
Food here was delicious. I haven’t been hungry since I got here. The cheese is my favorite. We buy it fresh at the markets and it’s so soft and yummy. I eat so much of it for breakfast. I’ve also discovered the chocolate. Tia and I have eaten at least a bar of chocolate a day, sometimes more ha. I’m not use to the different courses so I’ve had 3 helpings of soup to then find out that the meat and potatoes are coming along with some homemade strudel after that. I try to see if there are multiple courses so I don’t feel sick from eating so much. I’m also not use to drinking wine at lunch; at the two big lunches each of Norma’s grandma’s cooked they served great wine and a shot before we even started eating. When I was eating the meal I had to drink something with it and wouldn’t realize that I’d emptied my glass and almost immediately someone would fill it and they don’t take no for an answer when it comes to food. So I’ve accidently gotten tipsy during lunch with the grandparents. Good thing only Tia could tell ha. Everyone here can drink so much and not feel anything. I get made fun of a lot because I just cannot drink as much as everyone else. There have only been two things I haven’t liked: These fish like sardines that were deep fried and whole, bones and everything. The bones didn’t bother me (T and I gutted them ) but I ate quite a few anyway so they wouldn’t know. I had to refuse this sauce that was supposed to go on the meat and potatoes because it was mayo with a little Tabasco and basil. Nina didn’t understand that I couldn’t try it ha. Those of you that know me well know mayo makes me want to hurl. Thank goodness Tia helped explain that I couldn’t try it. Other than that one time I’ve been a really good sport about eating food that hasn’t quite been my favorite.
We also went to the Museum of Modern Art. It was so cool. Ha. The architecture building was really (surprise surprise) modern and beautiful. It had this crazy light show going on in the huge windows and once you went in you could walk in the rooms with it. Its really hard to explain. There were great pieces one of the sadest were all these masks of different womens faces and they were all living in the same shelter and were either abused and fled or had AIDS and no one would take them in. It was really sad but I ended up reading every single story mesmerized. Another of my favorites were these pictures from old magazines that had pictures of people in real life next to it doing similar things. We spent a little over 3 hours and I could have walked through it again. To leave we went down this slide. It was really fun and built into the building. T and I felt like little kids.
Tia has been the little navigator. She’s great at it. Very independent and good at figuring things out that are in different languages. I was more helpful today in finding our new apartment in Pula, which took about an hour ha but we made it safe!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Okay so here is the begining of me meeting tia in Europe!
I flew into the Heathrow airport in London where it was snowy and icy and gross outside. My flight to Munich Germany got cancelled. I had to wait in four different lines that took well over an hour each. To get though customs, looking for baggage (which I never found), to arrange another flight, and then waiting for a hotel. I finally took an hour bus ride to a Holiday Inn and hour away. I was completely fine the whole time not being able to contact tia or my family and being aware that no one in the airport actually cared what happend to me becuase I knew I was going to get to Germanz eventually no matter what and shit like this happens all the time in airports. But when I got to the Hotel, I didnt have anything other than the clothes I was wearing, a book and some music.I kept trying to get ahold of tia but could only use facebook.
I finally made my flight to Munich having met quite a few helpful people to share taxis with and bus trips and dinner. I was so excited to see tia...until I realized that she wasnt there. So I had to wait in the airport for about 45 minutes until she showed up! It was definitely one of those great airport moments like in Love Actually ha.
So Tia and I got on the train only to have some crazy homeless guy come up and yell at me in German and then spit on me. That was a great welcoming. The rest of the day went by without any disasters. We unloaded all my stuff (my back pack amazingly made it some how!) and then went to get a verz expensive train ticket to Croatia for the next day along with some hot wine from a stand on the side of the road. Tia finally let me sleep and then we went out for very delicious kababs. They were delicious! Extremely dense, greasy and great.Then we walked blocks and blocks around Munich. Its beautiful. There are incredibly old buildings everywhere and it was a snowy wonderland. My favorite was this huge gothic looking castle like building. They all have so much detail its insane! There were also cute ice scultures and frozen fountains with lots of fighting scenes. it was beautiful. They had the cutest ice skating rink outside playing funny music. Im not use to the cold at all. Im always cold even though I felt like I was wearing more layers than everyone but the babies bundled up in fur covered sleeping bags ha. I kept making tia go in stores just so I wasnt frozen.
We got back to the hostel and went down the the bar. It was really fun and everyone is really friendly. Dont worry I was really safe and we watched our drinks and only had to tell two boys that we were lesbian. It was really busy and full of people from all over. Our roomates were two boys from Australia and a sweet girl from Taiwan. This morning Tia and I decided that I might have to dye my hair dark brown. it was kind of becoming a problem ha.
We got up the next day and took three different trains from Munich, through Austria, and to Croatia. It was a beautiful ride but I missed it all because I felt horrible from jetlag, lack of sleep, and probablq drinking the night before and slept the whole ride. I threw up and felt better but still was exhauseted. I was definitely a boring travel partner for Tia.
We made it safely to meet Norma in Zagreb. Her family made us an amaying dinner thats traditionally turkish. They are so sweet and nice and Tia and I have the whole downstairs of the house to ourselves. They have the cutest dog named Charlie that I love! I cannot wait for tomorrow. Tia and Norma are out at the bars, but I stayed in because I need to sleep more so I can go out and see the town tomorrow!
Sorry that my y and z are switched sometimes. its the computer.
I love it here and cannot wait for whats next!
I flew into the Heathrow airport in London where it was snowy and icy and gross outside. My flight to Munich Germany got cancelled. I had to wait in four different lines that took well over an hour each. To get though customs, looking for baggage (which I never found), to arrange another flight, and then waiting for a hotel. I finally took an hour bus ride to a Holiday Inn and hour away. I was completely fine the whole time not being able to contact tia or my family and being aware that no one in the airport actually cared what happend to me becuase I knew I was going to get to Germanz eventually no matter what and shit like this happens all the time in airports. But when I got to the Hotel, I didnt have anything other than the clothes I was wearing, a book and some music.I kept trying to get ahold of tia but could only use facebook.
I finally made my flight to Munich having met quite a few helpful people to share taxis with and bus trips and dinner. I was so excited to see tia...until I realized that she wasnt there. So I had to wait in the airport for about 45 minutes until she showed up! It was definitely one of those great airport moments like in Love Actually ha.
So Tia and I got on the train only to have some crazy homeless guy come up and yell at me in German and then spit on me. That was a great welcoming. The rest of the day went by without any disasters. We unloaded all my stuff (my back pack amazingly made it some how!) and then went to get a verz expensive train ticket to Croatia for the next day along with some hot wine from a stand on the side of the road. Tia finally let me sleep and then we went out for very delicious kababs. They were delicious! Extremely dense, greasy and great.Then we walked blocks and blocks around Munich. Its beautiful. There are incredibly old buildings everywhere and it was a snowy wonderland. My favorite was this huge gothic looking castle like building. They all have so much detail its insane! There were also cute ice scultures and frozen fountains with lots of fighting scenes. it was beautiful. They had the cutest ice skating rink outside playing funny music. Im not use to the cold at all. Im always cold even though I felt like I was wearing more layers than everyone but the babies bundled up in fur covered sleeping bags ha. I kept making tia go in stores just so I wasnt frozen.
We got back to the hostel and went down the the bar. It was really fun and everyone is really friendly. Dont worry I was really safe and we watched our drinks and only had to tell two boys that we were lesbian. It was really busy and full of people from all over. Our roomates were two boys from Australia and a sweet girl from Taiwan. This morning Tia and I decided that I might have to dye my hair dark brown. it was kind of becoming a problem ha.
We got up the next day and took three different trains from Munich, through Austria, and to Croatia. It was a beautiful ride but I missed it all because I felt horrible from jetlag, lack of sleep, and probablq drinking the night before and slept the whole ride. I threw up and felt better but still was exhauseted. I was definitely a boring travel partner for Tia.
We made it safely to meet Norma in Zagreb. Her family made us an amaying dinner thats traditionally turkish. They are so sweet and nice and Tia and I have the whole downstairs of the house to ourselves. They have the cutest dog named Charlie that I love! I cannot wait for tomorrow. Tia and Norma are out at the bars, but I stayed in because I need to sleep more so I can go out and see the town tomorrow!
Sorry that my y and z are switched sometimes. its the computer.
I love it here and cannot wait for whats next!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Testing the Blog
Just seeing how this works and so we can start inviting people to follow our travels!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)