We live on trains

Holy crap. The last time I wrote, it was about Berlin. Berlin seems worlds away now. Since then Chels and I went to Amsterdam for a couple night, spent two days on a train, the night in Oslo, and two days on a plane.

As you may recall, we changed our plans from spending 10 days in Scandinavia because we don't have enough money for a 6 euro cappuccino. We spent a little more time in Prague and Berlin and added on Amsterdam. So we finally left Berlin on Saturday and arrived in Amsterdam Centraal 7 hours later. We decided it might be a good idea to reserve our train tickets to Oslo 2 days later only to find that the ones we wanted were completely sold out. Instead of leaving Monday night, we would have to leave Monday morning, early. That cut out one of two days in the city of sin. So we decided to hit the ground running. We took the 45 minute bus ride out to our cheap hostel, changed and took the bus back into town.

If anyone has ever been to Amsterdam, you know how surreal it is. The main entertainment square is hopping with clubs, pubs, and people. On top of alcohol, there are coffeeshops everywhere that sell copious amounts of weed. Its odd to know that at least half the people milling around you are high. Chels and I walked from the main square to the red light district. We were on a mission...to see a sex show. Amsterdam sex shows are infamous, we didn't want to see it for the sexual entertainment (EW), we wanted to see it for the novelty value. So we forked over a very steep 25 euro and entered into the world of kinky sex. We sat ourselves down at the back of a row of booths that were full of young people, like us. Aside from a few creepers, everyone was there for the same reasons we were. The format of the show was a set of 6 acts. There was one couple act and 5 female single acts. I will spare you the sordid details but I can list the main props involved: a 50 foot piece of string, a sharpie pen, and a banana. These props were spread throughout the show, much like the performer's legs!

We left that room in shock and continued to wander the redlight district. As much as we tried not to, we stood gaping in front of the windows filled with gorgeous women bathed in red light and offering their services. We later found out that all the prostitutes in Amsterdam get tested for diseases on a regular basis and proudly display their certificate of cleanliness in their window. Another tidbit of knowledge, they charge 50-100 euro for each visit depending on the length and number of acts performed. What really surprised me was how gorgeous these girls were. I have been to Amsterdam in March and remember them being ok looking but nothing to write home about. Well I'm writing home, these girls were stunning. They easily put me to shame. So we went home for the night in a kind of shocked stupor.

The next day, we got on a free walking tour. It gave the whole history of the red light district and the tolerant ways of the rest of the city. It turns out that all drugs and selling sex are illegal in Amsterdam. In fact, the city was founded by a set of strictly religious prudes. However, unlike America, these prudes also believe in unwavering tolerance and turn a blind eye to the shenanigans as long as they don't blatantly advertise it. If you look at any of the coffeeshops, none say anything about selling weed or being able to smoke it there. Weed menus must be specially asked for and people are not allowed to smoke it in the streets. I found all of this out from the walking tour, of course.

Amsterdam is also very expensive so we ended up having another couple of picnics and then heading back to the hostel. In a way, we were glad our stay got cut short. Amsterdam is a lot to handle and we didn't feel like the mental stimulation anymore.

So we woke up at the crack of dawn and headed to the train station. We had five trains and a 24 hour journey ahead of us. Time to settle in for the long haul. Little did we know how long it will actually be. We got a train to Duisburg, Germany and then had a 30 minute layover. The boards told us that our train would be 5 minutes late, so when it arrived only 3 minutes late, we thought it was a miscalculation. Nope. We got on the wrong train. We arrived in Essen, Germany instead of Hamburg and scrambled to save the remainder of our trip. In the end, we just had to get to Copenhagen by 11.08 that night for our night train to Oslo. The earliest way to get there got us there at 11.18. We were screwed. So we redid our entire itinerary. 3 more trains than originally planned, 22 euro extra for a new night train reservation, and 12 extra hours. Talk about long haul!

We were survived our 5 hour layover in Berlin, aided by wine, and managed to get on our night train to Malmo, Sweden. We popped a couple sleeping pills and realized we had already had a bottle of wine. Whoops! Better get to sleep pretty fast, NOT. We settled into our train beds when two italians walked in and showed us their tickets. We were in their beds, but our tickets said the same thing! Turns out that the woman in Germany sold us tickets for the next day. I wanted to punch someone. Luckily we managed to get an extra bed in the train but not before standing in a drunken, sleeping pill high in the corridor of the train for 30 minutes.

We made a friend on the night train and she translated for us the complexities of the Swedish language. Thank god she was there otherwise our trip would have been even more hellish. We were on the next train with her as well when the loud speaker came on. She groaned and threw her head back. There was construction on the tracks, we would have to get off, get on bus, and get back on the train. Our connection at the next station was only a half hour. We didn't make it.

More schedule rearranging, another station added to the itinerary, and another 4 hours. We finally arrived in Oslo 39 hours after we started. I believe we saw about 8 train stations. We had reserved a night in the airport hotel because all hostels were booked (WHAT???). We couldn't stomach the cost of a room for two people so we paid for one and snuck one of us in. Luckily we were supplied with two beds anyway. We spent the next two nights and one day wallowing in comfy beds and two channels of American tv.

I left early the next morning, connecting in Heathrow and Boston and then finally home. Chels left a few hours after me. Again, I settled in for the long haul. The trip ended up being about 28 hours long. I met a lot of cool people on the plane and that made things bearable. However, I only managed to sleep 6 hours in 48. I was buoyed by the fact that I got to see my boyfriend in the 3 hour layover in Boston and my family at the end of the line.

I'm finally back in my own room in San Diego. It feels unbelievable to be home. My boyfriend is here too for 10 days as well as some family friends from Britain (Pete, Jan, and Cath Jones) for 4 days. We've all been having a blast visiting various beaches and having delicious meal after delicious meal.

My final words for this blog: I absolutely loved my trip. I saw so many loved ones and met so many more. I would not trade the experience for anything. But I am so happy to be home. The backpackers life is not glamorous and I'm more than ready to settle down in one bed for a year or so. Basically, life is awesome and I'm a happy chick.

I hope you're all doing well. Until next time,

Ash

Berlin, the city of separation

Ok, so I just wrote the blog on Prague and now I must tell of Berlin. These poor girls are sitting on the couch waiting for me to be done so it will have to be quick.

We took the train from Berlin to Prague and arrived on Tuesday evening. We were greeted by Uli, my dad's cousin. This connection is a long lost one. The last time my dad saw Uli was when they were about ten. Since then, my aunty Sheena has seen Uli and his wife Gabi, but other than that, there has been almost no communication. When I told my dad I wanted to go to Berlin, he immediately suggested Uli and I started to get excited about meeting some paternal family (they all live so far away and spread apart that we rarely meet).

Uli greeted us, we went to drop off our stuff, and he treated us an authentic and delicious German dinner. I had some kind sausage, Uli is the authority on these things, and Chels had some German pasta (i've forgotten what its called). We were soon to find out that Uli and Gabi would treat us like this for the rest of our stay, with free and delicious food and unbelievable hospitality.

We came home to a glass of wine with Gabi and Uli and then settled into our nice warm bed in our own room! No sharing for the next 4 nights! Wonderful. We woke up, had a huge egg and toast breakfast with Gabi and then she took us to a lake at the end of the subway line. It took about 45 minutes of public transport and walking to get there but it was worth. It a wonderfully warm lake with small coves to swim in. And a beer garden to top it all off! There were so many people playing the water and having a beer. It gave me the immpression that Berliners are very close with nature. They love to be surrounded by it. I couldn't agree more.

The next few days, we took another Sandeman free tour through Berlin, borrowed Gabi and Uli's bikes for a bike ride through the Tiergarten, and saw a local market full of sausages and smelly cheese.

The smelly cheese is another story all together. Gabi HATES cheese. And even worse, smelly cheese. Uli LOVES it. So when I mentioned that the smellier the better, he made me promise that I would have a cheese feast with him. We did just that, when Gabi was out of the house, and it was some of the best goat cheese, and brie that I've had in a long time. Thanks for that Uli, it was a treat.

The tour we took was really interesting, mostly about Hitler, the Nazis, and the Berlin Wall but also about the architecture in the city and how it has developed since the fall of the wall in 1989. Its really cool to see a city that has been constantly transforming in only the last 20 years. Great for an urban development and architecture nerd like me.

I loved Berlin. It could have been the warmth that we experienced from our hosts, or the fact that we could enjoy the city without worrying what we were paying for sleep, but I think it was the attitude of the general population and the abundance of hope that shrouds the city. I know that all sounds so artsy fartsy and big words, but its the truth. Its a city with a really interesting (although incredibly sad) past and it shows in every area.

So I must let these girls on the internet now but I want to thank Uli and Gabi for letting us stay with them and for the great conversation and hospitality. It was a joy to be in Berlin with you two and I beleive you showed us things we would have never seen before. So thank you.

Hope you're all having wonderful days. Next blog will be about our two nights in Amsterdam and my journey home. I leave tomorrow!

Love you all!
Ash

Prague was lost in the process!

Hello all!
I was completely under the immpression that I wrote a blog about Prague but for some reason it isn't here. Maybe I'm delusional, I don't know but I have to catch up on Berlin and Amsterdam so I'm just going to write it relatively quickly and then move on to Berlin.

Chels and I arrived in Prague on Thursday night. We stayed in a hostel that was a lot like the one from Munich. It seems that during the summer, the schoolhouses in Prague are converted to hostels. They had put bunkbeds for 80 people in one room, mildly separated by thin red sheets of fabric. They decorated the walls with huge posters that could easily be removed and converted the office into a breakfast\common room. It was pretty awesome but not as good as The Tent in Munich, the beds weren't as comfy. However, it was only 6.50 euro a night. Unbelievable. As soon as we got there we knew we wanted to stay longer so we extended our stay from 3 nights to 5.\

Our first night there, we treated ourselves to a pub crawl. At 15 euro a person, it was way over our budget but we decided to go for it. One pub crawl in 2 months isn't too bad. We got dinner and an unlimited supply of beer/wine for 2 hours. Needless, to say, we took advantage. As we were sitting there, gulping wine, I saw someone I recognize come it. I triple checked to make sure and realized that it was definitely a friend from home. Christina, a high school friend, just happened to be in Prague and on the same pub crawl at the same time as I was. Unbelievable. I haven't seen here in a couple of years so we did some serious catching up. I'm still flabergasted.
That night was a good one and I managed to keep my dignity. I woke up with barely any hang over and some memory of the night before! Success.

I was talking to my parents in Vienna about my worry about Scandinavia. The plan was to venture up there for the last 10 days of the trip. See the fjords and all that. However, we soon realized that there was no way we would have enough money. And even if we did, we would be sitting down for a meal, resenting the fact that we were paying at least 1 dollar for every bite we took. Its just he mentality of a broke traveler. So we changed the plan and spent more time in Prague, Berlin, and decided to include Amsterdam for a couple nights. thats the great thing about Eurail and backpacking, you can switch things up without a second thought. Its pretty convenient and cool. Fly by the seat of your pants kind of living.

Because we had so long in Prague, we decided to take it as a little relaxation time. We took our first Sandeman free tour there and were opened up to the joy of free learning. They are tours that they have in 13 cities all over Europe and they are run based purely on tips. They are about 3 hour walking tours and really informative and interesting. Loved it.

I was sick with flu-like symptoms for most of our time there so for a couple nights, I stayed in while Chelsea went out with friends from the hostel. It was much needed rest for me and a good break from each other for both of us. We have been getting along really well and can read each others moods well. We both understand that its immpossible to be together all the time and still get along. So we make sure to have some time apart.

Prague trip consisted of a lot of walking around the city. I managed to get up to a hill above the city, climbed an observation tower, and faced my fear of heights. It was a gorgeous hike up (yes, I actually did some hiking) and a stunning view from the top. We also got a paddle on the river and floated around for an hour, basking in the sun and serenity.

We had heard from several people that Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. We thought, after seeing Switzerland and Vienna, that there was no way. However, it proved us wrong. Its not just the government and arts buildings that are designed there but every housing building, bridge, sidewalk, EVERYTHING. Its the totality of it that makes it so gorgeous. The history also made it beautiful to me. It seems that the Czech people have a history of peaceful protest and have been successful for the most part. They are such a calm, kind group of people. Prague has inspired me and I now want to travel Czech Republic much more in depth. I hear the rest of it is gorgeous too.

Alright, there are some people waiting for the computer so I better go write my other blog and get off it. Hope you're all healthy and happy.

Love,
Ash

Lets park ourselves in a park

Hello from Prague!! This city is gorgeous but you all don't get to hear about it until I leave. For now, I will tell the story of Vienna.

Chels and I managed to get a relatively cheap hostel just outside the city and decided to stay for 3 nights. We had no idea what Vienna was like accept that a load of people had told us it was pretty. If you remember, we took the overnight train from Munich and arrived at 6am. I passed out on the train and managed to get a good five hours but Chelsea barely slept a wink. We stepped off the train and were walking down the stairs when, what do you know!, I skip the last step and twist my foot. If any of you read my Rome blog, you know that I had an injured foot for about a month while there. Well tripping down these stairs, I reinjured it. I knew it wasn't broken because I am pretty clumsy and know what a broken bone feels like. I was hobbling around for the rest of the day, in a lot of pain.

We walked the 500 meters to our hostel and were greeting by the most unenthusiatic receptionist I've ever seen. She talked in a whisper so we couldn't understand what she was saying and she didn't smile once. Talk about a change from The Tent. We also wanted to smack her when she told us that we couldn't get a room key until 3pm. 3pm! It was 6am at this point! SO we helped ourselves to the free breakfast, dropped our stuff off in the luggage room and got on the tram to find a park.

We found Stadtspark pretty quickly and laid our blankets out for a nap. I had been sleeping soundly for an hour when Chelsea shakes me awake: "Ash! That man just took that ladies purse! He just stole her purse." I was about to jump up to run after him when reason hit me, what if this guy had a knife or worse. It was the lady's fault that she left her bag unattended, her boyfriend could chase the guy. So we alerted him and he chased after the thief. He got the purse back but I think it was a wakeup call for the girl. Chelsea was shocked and shaken up. It was a bit of a wake up call for her as well. I just thought it was really cool. Nothing bad had happened and we got to witness a crime. Cool! We stayed awake and watched the guys in action. There were three of them and they would gather and talk and then break up and roam the park. I don't think they got anyone else. We fell back asleep. As we were leaving the park, we saw one of the guys re-enter wearing different clothes! He didn't want us to recognize him.

Great first impression of Vienna.

We were exhausted and it was only 1pm. We got some groceries and took them back to the hostel only to realize that all they had int he "kitchen" was a microwave and fridge. No cutlery, plates, or even a freezer. We wanted to kill these people. We managed to scrounge a meal and were finally ready to check in. We slept the rest of the afternoon away.

The next two days were spent lying in parks and people watching. Walking to and from the parks was a lesson in Classical architecture. Indeed, the city is full of gorgeous buildings. Unfortunately, unless you're into classical music, art, and museums, there's nothing to do. Some highlights of our trip in Vienna: seeing Bruno (the new version of Borat) in English!, eating traditional Viennese cuisine (schnitzel and fries. could not be more artery clogging), and having a drink down by the river.

Honestly, it was a beautiful place but its not a place for budget travelers. Our hostel was crap and we don't like museums. Haha. Youi can tell from the length of this blog that there wasn't much going on. But now we're in Prague and it makes up for the bore that was Vienna.

Hope you're all happy and healthy,
Ash

ps. Apparently the nightlife in Vienna is incredible but we didn't have the money to get out at night.