2009

Poland

mickryan1983 — Sat, 5 Sep 2009 19:09:00 GMT

"Can you swim in those?", "they're boardshorts, of course I can", "then dump your pack and let's go"... was how I was greeted in Krakow by a huge Queenslander. A few girls headed by a local Pole and 2 Americans were taking Harry and his two sidekicks to a nearby quarry. A tram ride and trek later we were peering over the edge at the drop which we were there to jump! It looked massive and we decided to start off with a small 4 meter cliff where we could see others taking the plunge. All 5 of the guys had a jump and I had a swim over to check out the depth beneath the big one.

The water was cold but not freezing as the Queenslanders and Western Australian in Darrin made out. Who knows how high the jump was maybe 14 or 15 meters give or take but either way high enough to get up a good adrenaline rush and cause some damage if you landed wrong... Harry might not be able to have kids and Darrin jarred his knee. Fortunately I landed spot on as evidenced by Darrin's video.

Nathan of Nathan's Villa Hostel put away his personal pool cue unable to comprehend how he got beaten by two Aussie clowns!.. and we witnessed an insane guy from Finland achieve 25 shots of different brands of vodka in 4 hours! (then pass out). Out on the town we took on the language barrier and also ran into a Brazilian guy we'd met in Bulgaria.

A quiet day and an early night ensured the next day as we both recovered and checked out some of the sights. At the centerpiece of the wonderful city is Wawel Castle and Cathedral resting atop Wawel Hill. A stunning day, the sun reflected off the Vistula river as people ran and rode along side. Winding streets of minimal incline intersect through old town passing through the unreal statues at the church of St. Peter and Paul. The Jewish quarter is not far out of old town where synagogues giving a subtle reminder of the history which we would learn and appreciate more the following day upon our visit to Auchwitz...

As we waited for the bus I looked up in awe as darkness fell over Krakow, a storm brewing on the horizon. The sun was engulfed in minutes as the wind picked up. In less than five minutes the temperature plummeted from mid-20s to the teens. Then it poured! It bucketted large drops of heavy rain, rain that drenches you in seconds, rain that I couldn't remember seeing in a long time. We found shelter in the form of a doorway before finally boarding, 45 minutes behind schedule on-route to the concentration camps at Auschwitz.

It wasn't too long before we were staring out the window at green surroundings, farming land, scattered with traditional houses, similar in their design. Eerily the actual road just before you enter the open spance of death, you drive through an avenue between relatively dense forest. The rain had subsided and the sun was trying to break through, retricted by the shadows of the folliage.

Exiting the bus at Auschwitz I, the sun had escaped its shrowd and the fresh smell only evident from grass after rainfall hit you. In any other context this would represent a motif of a new beginning and purity. Auschwitz I remains relatively intact with the Nazi Germans concentrating their rushed cover up of the evidence of their crimes on the nearby Auschwitz II - Birkenau camp. We walked through the gates with the inscription "Arbeit Macht Frei" (work makes one free). Nothing could have been further for the truth.

1,950kg of human hair spanning 30 meters lies mangled on display, cut from those who met their fate in the gas chambers and onsold to German textile companies as a raw material. Also on display were countless shoes, suitcases and possessions of those taken in by the propoganda that they would be looked after and going to set up a new home. Aside from the voice of the tour guide it was so quiet that you could have been standing in the middle of the desert. Torture rooms for starvation, standing, sleep deprivation and suffocation remain in tact, boarded by "death wall" where countless Jews, Poles and Gypsies among others were shot. The gas chamber and crematoriam complete with chimneys rest along side the camp.

Open spance where roll-calls lasted as long as 20 hours in sub-0 temperatures can be identified by the small wooden boxed hut used for protection from the elements by the guards. The magnitude would take on a whole new level 3km down the road at Auschwitz II - Birkenau. Endless wooden "barns/stables" are still erected, designed to accommodate 100,000 people... compared to 16,000 at Auscwitz I. Estimates of those killed at the Auschwitz concentration camps range from 1.1 to 1.5million - the deviation alone suggests that it could be much higher. Of the 6,000 SS officers required to man the camps less than 10% would be brought to justice.

It was a sombre crew that departed the concentration camps. As the bus departed through the shadowy avenue once more, at least there was now light at the end of the tunnel... and hopefully history will remind the world time and time again of the insanity of genocide and torture, among others. Most sat quietly in their own thoughts and I remembered Elie Wiesel's depiction of the horrors of his own personal experience in his novel, "Night". People reacted in different ways. Darrin and I played a few quiet games of pool and crashed, slightly different to a guy the night before who drowned his sorrows by writing himself off, predominantly drinking alone. His tour company recommendation was sound advice.

Austria

mickryan1983 — Sat, 5 Sep 2009 17:55:00 GMT

Bordered by no less than 8 countries has no doubt contributed to the massive conglomeration of arts. The 1,440 room summer palace, "Schloss Schonbrunn" was a must-see and its magnificence makes it an epicenter for international tourists, with many museums at close quarters. More impressive than the building itself were the unbelievable and well maintained gardens. Carefully sculpted hedges running parallel to eachother create many straight, long avenues with the occasional park bench, a reader silently keeping to themselves. Eerily quiet for only a couple of hundred meters from the palace and the cool breeze make it very serene. Despite the straight lines the paths intersect in a life-sized maze of which we came out at a vast open-area on the opposite side of the palace gates.

A hive of activity with a huge stage, countless speakers and wiring taped to the ground rested below the bright green hill in the distance. It took a couple of attempts in english to find out that a concert was being played at 8pm that night. Unbelievable luck would have it that the world renowned "Wiener Philharmoniker" or Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra were performing their annual free concert. In excess of 100,000 people packed the gardens both in-front of the stage and on the hill behind. Large screens flanked showing the intricate precision of some of the world's best musicians. The conductor furiously waved his baton and I wasn't convinced of his importance until he sat down at the grand piano! I would have preferred him to remain seated for the entirety of the performance.

Couldn't have planned it any better! 20 May 2010 next year. I hadn't got a true appreciation of the mix of the culture of Vienna and their vast history of the arts until this moment. The people that came out were of the most diverse backgrounds I'd ever seen. The prestigious and people of notable importance contrasted with the pieced, black attired "emos". I had to laugh at those trying to keep their tartan picnic rug free from random feet tramping through... gotta love a german cracking it!

We wandered through the pedestrian walk of Karntner St towards St. Stephen's cathedral renowned for the Vienna boys choir. Home of Mozart, Domgasse rests in front, the gardens again impressive. A statue of Mozart looks over a treble clef of pink flowers shaped with precision with Peter's square and another church (St. Peter's) to the west.

In a foothill of the Vienna woods rests a small town named Grinzing. Home to many wineries we headed up to the Kahlenberg Hill to sample the local produce and check out the panorama overlooking Vienna. A little hazy on account of a combination of the weather and pollution impeded the view slightly however it was still an impressive outlook. I enjoyed being out of the city and surrounded by green, the soft paths winding down the hills, cool and damp out of direct sunlight. Wandering through the forest we got lost and eventually came out on a quiet road and made our way to a bus stop.

We weren't dressed appropriately to take advantage of the cheap opera tickets however outside the opera house a big screen and speakers show the live performance as people outside in deck chairs enjoy a picnic on the sidewalk. Around the corner a group of english guys loudly barracking for Bulgaria antagonised their irish counterparts watching the live irish v bulgarian world cup qualifier. Far enough away to enjoy the show it ended in the only way it could...

Wombat hostel was definitely one of the best I have stayed at. Comfortable, bar, pool table and a restaurant with limited options but cheap prices. Of the menu provided the first half was as expected with the remaining space reserved for "essential german for travelers". Translations for the following made for interesting conversation with the table next to us... hello, thankyou, please, whats your name? you're beautiful, what's your room number? will you have sex with me? goodbye...

We ran into a couple of guys, Bryce and Chris from Port Melbourne who were up there with the loosest pair I've met! About 20 from the hostel bar celebrated Steph's birthday with us and everyone enjoyed a piece of cake... especially the barman who ate his fare share paying his dues with free shots... too many if you ask Steph. Later we smashed up the cobbled streets of the "Bermuda triangle", a triangle of countless bars and clubs. I woke up with the crotch torn out of my only pair of jeans, an english girl in our dorm abusing me and the smelliest guy going round gone.

Steph left early on-route to Croatia and Darryn and I went downstairs only to cop a serve from the hostel staff. Unsure of what the issue was with barely any recollection of getting home doesn't make for a strong argument so we coughed up the 20 euro fine each not wanting to end up in more trouble. Out the front we ran into Bryce and Chris only to learn that when I passed out Steph let them in and they proceeded to have some words to our smelly mate complete with shaving cream, offered their services to our english friend... and put our a fire with a fire extinguisher. Good blokes... Lucky we finished around 40 euro up on public transport alone including our daytrip to Grinzing!

It would have been good to see more of the Austrian landscape but that will have to wait for another time!

Slovakia

mickryan1983 — Sat, 5 Sep 2009 15:39:00 GMT

On a timeline for the first time in a while intent on being in Ireland by the end of June, Slovakia was only touched on with a couple of days spent in the capital, Bratislava. It was great to have only a short 60km bus ride from Vienna.

The 10th century Bratislava Castle soars prominently 85 meters above the Danube river. Again under construction after being burnt to the ground in 1811 and rebuilt in the 1960's the rectangular building with cornered bastions would have been an imposing sight in a prime, strategic location centuries ago!.. that is if today's is an even close depiction.

A UFO shaped tower (hence the name) on the Bratislava New bridge is directly in the eye-line, looking out of place in a small town of impressive cobble-stoned alleys and plazas with cafe's swarmed with pedestrians. Random bronze statues are scattered around the city including a man on a park bench, a guy with a top-hat and a workman climbing out of a sewer hole. The weather was perfect and it was great to relax over a coffee.

We visited old town hall with the core established in the 15th century and now headquarters of the Bratislava City Museum, 14th century gothic gate, St. Michael's gate consisting of a square tower and many churches, most notably St. Martin's Cathedral.

Playing the guitar at the hostel with a couple of others I was told that the Slovakian version of Oktoberfest was in full-swing complete with beer hall, long tables and bratwurst sausages. How could we resist! We were disappointed at being escorted out before 12am.. not for our behaviour but because they were shutting up shop. We're sure to be in better form in Munich later this year!

Hungary

mickryan1983 — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 01:50:00 GMT

The curve of the Danube cuts through Budapest, dividing ancient "Buda" to the east and "Pest" to the west. United in 1873 to create Budapest the contrast of each bank could not be more evident. On the east bank hilly terrain emphasises the Buda Castle district, containing the majority of Budapest's medieval remnants. The sun beamed off the thousands of tiles on the roof of the neo-gothic Matyas temple in a cacophony of colours blaring down at those tempted to walk by. A local was making his trade on the side walk with a walnut under the cup routine, taking most tourist's for a dollar or two. I couldn't help it... after watching for a couple of minutes I decided to have a crack. One from one and I was satisfied that his trick on the eye wasn't rocket science - maybe it was and I got lucky - I'll never know. Varhegy or castle hill provides a magnificent view of the Pest side of the Danube including the Parliament building....

Running along the west bank of the Danube, Darrin and I ducked under a gate to continue our scenic surroundings. Whistles blared and armed guards appeared from nowhere! Fortunately they saw that running shorts don't offer too many places to conceal a weapon and they were happy just to whistle rather than "shoot to kill" until we got the hell out of there... so much for the scenic route!

After walking through the caves on the Buda side we also checked out Szobor Park (statue park), home to past commemorations to communist leaders, socialist ideals and soviet liberators. This paled into insignificance once compared to "Heroes square" in the Pest district. Construction commenced in 1896 to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of Magyar (Hungarian's call themselves Magyars and speak Magyar - not Hungarian!) conquest of the Carpathian Basin. At the front of the impressive monument a stone cenotaph dedicated "to the memory of the heroes who gave their lives for the freedom of our people and our national independence". Archangel Gabriel and St. Stephen rest atop with the 7 magyar chieftains who led the people into the Carpathian Basin at the base. It looks amazing and the activity surrounding it was for an annual horserace which circles the square. If there was a bookie there he evaded me!.. Probably a good thing.

After visiting Varosliget (city park) and Matyas temple it was time to sample the local cuisine and find a place that picked up the Manchester United/Barcelona champions league final. The night ended with cheap Roset wine (tasted great)... and the thud of my head on the pillow. My alarm sounded early and it was up to listen to the "derby" - Daz's west coast eagles against my mighty blue boys. By half time it was over and Daz was left with no response, picking up the pieces alone in his west coast guernsey! Bad luck mate!

We arrived in Lake Balaton to pouring rain, "don't worry about it the hostel directions have it about 300 meters down the road"... more like 2 kilometers. Warmed up we found a local restaurant. "Drinks?", sure! I ordered the Raddler and Daz the Diesel - we liked the names. After a couple of these sweet beers we realised that we were drinking beer mixed with lemonade or shandy.

Steph, Daz and I walked along the massive expanse of water that is Lake Balaton until the unmistakable sound of live music caught our attention. Fortune would have it that Lake Balaton had come alive for the weekend! Bands, live acts and dances on stage would keep us entertained for the afternoon and the sun shone brightly. It doesn't surprise me that it is a popular holiday destination for Magyars given the country is bordered by land. Water sports would have to wait until Summer but it was a perfect day.

On route back to the hostel I introduced Daz to the infamous snorkel (Breezer with a straw so that you can scull it...) which is always a good idea at the time. A quick change, a few games of table-tennis and we headed back to the festival to check out the salsa dancing. I didn't understand what the guy on the door was saying, maybe it was a packed house (or the snorkels) but the gist of it was no salsa dancing for the 3 of us. We got over it immediately and headed for the main act down the road.

The local nightclub hosted international DJ Eric Prydz, best known for "Call on me", none of us recall if he even played it. The place was out of control and we tried our best to communicate with the local Magyars. We got discounted entry as Australian Under 23 Soccer players - probably not the best argument given he could easily have asked where our teammates were... but it worked all the same. Thankyou language barrier!

Romania

mickryan1983 — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:51:00 GMT

At 21.5 million people Romania has a population similar to that of Australia, however the number of rulers of their land makes you wonder how they ever managed to establish a country at all. After attempting to remain neutral in both WW1 and WW2 Romania was drawn into both. Following the end of WW2 soviet backed democratic elections resulted in communist backed leadership and rule until 1989.

Bucharest is scarred and tainted with the mutilation of the old and erection of the new, engineered by the Communists and Nicholae Ceausescu. This combination has resulted in a very unique city. Loans financed by the west grew to as high as $13 billion US! Whilst this debt was eventually repaid before the Romanian Revolution of 1989, it was at the expense of a poverty stricken population whose agricultural and industrial production were being exported. Three days after the revolution Ceausescu and his wife were executed on christmas day.

The "Palace of Parliament" is unbelievable - it would want to be for the most expensive administration building ever built! On sqaure meters its base makes is the second largest building on the planet.. after the pentagon. 10% remains incomplete and all but 3% of the building is vacant. A quiet park scattered with trees and a little overgrown and unkept rests directly in front. I learned that the reason for this is that Romanians hate what is ironically known in Romania as "the palace of the people". They are ashamed of it and it is a reminder of their dark recent history. The park at the botanical gardens is a complete contrast, beautiful and well kept. A hive of activity, playgrounds, a lake and many people enjoying the serenity.

Running perpendicular to the palace is Ceausescu's attempt at replicating the "Champs Elyees"... lets just say that he didn't quite achieve this. Walking through winding streets, people are outside enjoying the weather, sitting in the dozens of outdoor cafes. Before you know it you're looking at a hidden church. Ceausescu ordered buildings to be built to surround many churches and hide them from the public eye. We visited "Revolution square" and enjoyed the history lesson from the "free" tour guide. Thankfully the hostel guys let you know how much you're expected to pay at each city's free walking tours. There has only been one so far that I haven't been impressed with.

From Bucharest to Brasov. Brasov is small scenic town in central Romania. It was great to be back amongst a green environment, surrounded by mountains and a 2 night stay was extended. A few drinks with dinner turned into following a couple of Romanian girls halfway around the town to "Tequilla Nightclub". A few free tequilla shots on arrival and a 50% discount on the cover charge (Australian celebrities!). Confetti poured down from the ceiling celebrating the club's 5th birthday and girls danced on the bar. I had to ask a cab driver to us to St. Nicholas church because it was the only landmark I could remember in the vacinity of our hostel, whose name had eluded me... Confession was probably in order.

A huge "Brasov" sign emulating the "Hollywood" sign overlooks the town, high up in the mountains. Darrin, Steph and I hiked to the top and managed not to get too lost despite taking the unconvential route. The view after climbing to the top of the "B" was sensational. I could see for miles, a small town directly below complete with an athletics track, tennis courts and beyond... bright green plains strething out as though it never ended.

A bus to Bran to check out "Dracular's castle" was something that we had to do. The commercialisation that comes with a tourist attraction was enterntaining, locals flogging off everything from "Scream" masks to real swords. However the castle itself wasn't very impressive and was most memorable for the alarms and guards in every second room that came running if you so much as leant on the string restricting further access. I only wanted a quick nap on the bed, honest!

Bulgaria

mickryan1983 — Tue, 9 Jun 2009 13:10:00 GMT

A 12hr overnight train trip to Sofia became 14+ and we weren't bothered one little bit! We crashed and slept almost the entirety of the journey. The culmination of a few weeks of extreme sleep deprivation.

After a quick look at a map I figured we should be able to walk to "Hostel Mostel". The Lonely Planet street names were spelt in english which doesn't help alot when you're staring up trying to decipher the Greek alphabet. An hour later we were at the exact location that the hostel should have been according to the map. 2hrs later and after a hand from a couple of helpful Bulgarians, we finally arrived at our destination, unimpressed with the guide book. A few days later it would take us about 25mins to walk to the station from the hostel's new location. On the plus walking a complete circuit of Sofia allowed us to see half of the sights and meet some Bulgarians.

There was a band staying at the hostel so we made our way out that night to see if they were as good as their manager travelling with them said they were. They weren't.... but we had a cracking night and enjoyed living it up with the locals who were more than happy to shout us some shots. We ran into a couple of Aussies who had been to the Anzac day service and drank with in Olympos so a messy night was always going to be a likely result. We took the long route home again disorientated by the circling streets and foreign alphabet.

Walking by the "ladies market" to pick up some cheap vegies we came across "Ceasers Palace", a Sofia casino. As soon as we were in the door they ushered un in, patted us down and confiscated our hats. "No leave" enforced by another huge Bulgarian. If these guys played rugby they'd be a force to be reckoned with! We were photographed and handed membership cards. By the time the third picture was taken I was standing still - the bouncer grabbed my shoulders and made sure of it. I got the point.

We did a quick lap of the place, collected our hats and made a hasty exit. I wasn't surprised to learn that alot of the town is controlled by the mafia... including the casinos.

The cities main focal point is definitely Ploshad Aleksander Nevski. Gold domed and massive, this church was named for a Russian warrior and completed in 1912. Aside from this the actual tourist attractions were minimal, however the low prices and the nightlife combined with free breakfast and dinner (lucky I love pasta) were an attraction in themselves. $2AUD bought you 2lt bottle of beer packaged in what resembled a softdrink bottle and purchased over the counter from any convenience store.

Common sense alone would suggest a quiet night on your last night in a place. So far this hasn't happened once! On our last night a group of 10 Dutch rocked up. Good value and not too bad on the pool table either. Lucky we can play pool because we retired from foozball after a humiliating defeat by some American pros the night before. The first club in the student district was pretty quiet and I thought back to our advice to head down vacant alleys to find the best bars however this didn't sound too safe, irrelevant of our state.

Daz had a "blow out" (thong broke) on the way to the next club. Despite my best efforts the monsters on the door had a policy discriminating those wearing one thong - I can see where they're coming from. So we climbed into the back of a cab, "Zdrasti (hello), Makedonia Sqaure? blagodarya (thankyou)." The Bulgarian monsters on the door yelled something and the cab driver got out. Next thing both side doors are open, Dazzler is being capsicum sprayed and copping a few hits while I'm shielding my face with my left, swinging with my right and taking the full grunt to the left ribs.

Finally the cabby drove off and I declared how unprovoked that attack had been! Apparently not... while I was getting into the cab, Daz was hurling his thongs in the direction of the bouncers. Must have been a decent throw and I wished I'd seen it. Apparently the organised crime syndicates control the nightlife as well. A couple of bruises but we pulled up extremely well considering, so we had a laugh about it and added it to the near misses.

We took the hint from the night before and left Sofia for Veliko Tarnova. Finally a few nights of healthy living! Veliko Tarnova is a cool medievil town resting at the bottom of a gorge snaking through the middle and a cascading river splitting through the center. Tsaravets Fortress, a massive citadel completed in the 12 century rests at the top of a mountain close to town providing a terrific panorama of the city and its unique lay-out.

I turned my phone on and as fate would have it received a text message shortly after informing me of Kelly's passing. Great family pet and it wont be the same without her. A run followed by a four-hour hike up to a monastery under consturction but in total disrepair made me feel alot better. We were joined by another Aussie named Mick from Sydney and Steph from England. To us the 30c heat was perfect weather for it, to Steph it was hell and the pace and steep gradient ensured that it wasn't a casual walk. I'm certain we didn't take the direct route however we arrived in the end and came across a waterfall which was refreshing on the way. Nearly being run off the path by a local and his herd of goats out for a stroll was something different and he had a few words to us in Bulgarian... maybe our deviation landed us on a path closed to the public. Who knows?

At the hostel we were later told that guided hikes operate daily and cost around $40AUD. Completely spent, another free feed and I collapsed into the pillow... despite the chainsaw snoring that was the Greek guy who had had the nerve to complain about us making too much noise in Sofia. (pretty unlucky to run into him again and then end up in the same dorm).

Word travels fast and we had a laugh as we listened to a middle-aged English woman recount the "facts" of seeing 2 guys in Sofia arrive home in the early hours who had run into some trouble with some bouncers. It was pretty obvious by her description of us and her enthusiasm that she enjoyed the story but hadn't actually seen us. I didn't have the heart to tell her it was us and give her the actual turn of events.

Time to head to Bucharest, Romania.

Greece

mickryan1983 — Mon, 1 Jun 2009 01:00:00 GMT

Pre-arranged cab sharing worked out upon our arrival in Athens. 20Euro split 4-ways wasn't too steep but the argument that ensued as he tried to drop us at some random street confirmed that I got my moneys worth. When a couple of Kiwi girls arrived at the Athens Hostel an hour later and down 50Euro our French-Canadian friends, Maude and Audrey were extremely grateful. That didn't change the fact that the hostel was at capacity and Daz and I hadn't booked surprise, surprise. Fortunately we got talking to the English guy working there and as it turned out he was moving to Pascoe Vale in Melbourne a month later to be with his girlfriend. Perfect, we came to an agreement and reserved the common room couches for a third of the price! Smithy I told him to pack his footy boots and head down for a run with the Panthers.

We arrived with a pretty open mind after the nicest words about Athen's had come from a couple who had a quality sleep at the airport! Our mate "Jimmy" Barnesy ran a pub crawl and everyone we were with arrived home separately with much varied recollections of getting back to the hostel... 3 of which include; walked home by some Greek locals, walked around in circles for hours and someone did a runner from a cab who was driving them in the opposite direction.

We also found time to check out the most iconic symbol of Athens; the Acropolis. The Acropolis rests above an enveloped plain of houses and buildings below surrounded by four mountains. The magnificance of the ancient monument including the Beule Gate - a 3rd century Roman Arch was not lost on us... however the overshadowing scaffolding and cranes erected 23 years ago leave alot to be desired. Its been up for such a long time that the government's conundrum is 1. how much of the structure relies on its support? and 2. mass industrialisation within the confined valley with minimal airflow, has resulted in air polution and "acid rain". Acid rainfall turns the marble structures below into gypsum which flakes away, thus its resurrection is near on impossible.

6th century BC ancient wonder of the world "temple of Olypian Zeus" was also visited. It was impressive to imagine what a structure that took 700 years to build would have looked like so many years ago. Surprisingly alot of the marble was stripped and used for the base of many old houses in the district... Now it is under heavy guard and fenced off to only the paying customer. The marble remnants that don't rest in museums around the world is no doubt gradually being eroded away in the same manner as the Acropolis.

We checked out the changing of the guard at parliament and were met by thousands of pigeons. Picture the lady in Home Alone 2. Locals with seed try to get tourists to buy seed off them to be engulfed by pigeons. They have to make a dollar somehow but it certainly cheapens the parliament house. Not exactly my idea of a good time but each to their own.

I enjoyed visiting the 1896 Olympic games stadium. It remains closed but in great condition, I would have loved to take Daz on in a 100m sprint but the guards ensured we behave ourselves for a change! Next stop Bulgaria.

Greek Islands

mickryan1983 — Mon, 1 Jun 2009 00:20:00 GMT

Now I know how the less popular islands survive in the off-season! With the intention of visiting Santorini, Ios and possibly Mykinos we arrived in Kusadasi to catch a ferry.

Easier said than done. The majority of tourists arrive in paradise via ferry from Athens. Consequently during the off-season those travelling from Turkey are required to first stop-over at Samos. Rain restricted us to drinks at the hostel and card games with "Greek Lovers" (cartoon depictions..) playing cards acquired from a nearby store, these would provide us with many a laugh over drinking games! People's reactions when they notice the pictures is priceless.

Our second stopover on-route to Santorini was Naxos. A Canadian pair had organised accomodation and so Daz, myself and a Ballarat couple, Benn and Ash, jumped on-board another courtesy bus not sent for us. Manchester United v Chelsea insured the local bar would have a decent crowd and we made the most of our enforced lay-over.

Finally Santorini. Canadian's were organised again so the 6 of us got cheap rates with ajoining balconies. Not sure how wrapped the Canadians were to find 4 Aussies drinking on their balcony when arrving back from some shopping but theirs was the largest so deal with it. Transport around the island is essential due to its dispersed lay-out and if the car hadn't worked out so much cheaper the motorbikes would've been great... and dangerous.

Fortunately we came across an opening night for a bar. Free BBQ and Sangria on arrival made our attendance a no-brainer! I think after our little crew's visit they should also look into a more secure method of payment. They loved us but of the countless receipts in the cup some happened to go missing.

Volcanic rocky, red beaches are overrated.. if rated at all. Who wants to tip-toe in and out of the water? The water itself was warm but we were slightly disappointed, definitely appreciating more what we have back home!

IOS!! We expected and it delivered in an entertaining and expensive way! Another new destination and another courtesy bus following those more organised than us. Far-out Hostel is by far the best choice for Ios. Its where everyone congregates on the beach to relax on the white sand when they finally rise between 12 and 2pm, counting the cost of the previous night. 4 pools open to the public, a free billiard table and a bar facing the beach - what more could you want?

"Mick!", I turned around to see Motty who'd spotted me in a sims sports t playing pool. Random to see him and Carli and it was great to catch up for a few beer and laughs with a bernards boy!

Pre-drinks at Far-out before boarding the final bus into town centre which commenced its 3k accent up the steep gradient at 10:15pm - don't miss it! We were warned about the dangerous rocky short-cut home but saving time on the walk back 6-10hrs later was always going to sound like a good idea... to my own detriment. Catching the first bus 6k from Far-out one morning after getting lost was a laugh, as were the pics of Daz and I riding a donkey that we came across on the way home the next morning... how could we resist!

Each night commenced with an enlarged game of jenga with wooden blocks at the appropriately named "Fun Pub". By the last night we'd have created "ultimate jenga" (person stands on top while the bricks are removed) and "hat jenga" (put the Turkish hat on that person and they have to remove a block - anywhere in any shape). The jenga purists were not as impressed as us. Free shots for those entering the pool comp for 2Euro so we jumped on board that as well.

Next stop the appropriately named "Red-bull Bar". 2 vodka redbulls for 5 made it the cheapest deal - why drink anything else? The pinnacle was always going to be climbing the wall and sitting on-board the ancient looking motorbike resting above the toilet block - we'd save that for our last night. No wonder the barman wanted us down so fast... that ancient motorbike is worth $30,000 Euro!

Fortunately the Aussie bouncer, Clarky (guy who gets blind with everyone while he works) took a liking to us on the beach which basically gave us free reign of "Flames".

We were repeatedly warned off visiting the more expensive, gay capital Mykinos and we were easily convinced... although at least one fella thought it a good idea to ask Daz his "sexual orrientation" hilarious! and grab my behind - not so hilarious but we had a laugh about it and grabbed another drink... We found out the next day that so many guys had complained that Clarky had to kick him out. Unlucky for him.

Running out of clean shirts the 7-shot challenge for a free t also got a run and we departed Ios as walking adverts for Red-bull and Flames bars... and with more than a couple of invites to return for work come peak-season.

After an amazing week and a bit of damage to the body and pocket it was time to move onto mainland Greece to begin our tour of eastern europe.

Turkey

mickryan1983 — Thu, 21 May 2009 06:43:00 GMT

Bit of detail but its omission wouldn't do Turkey and its lasting impression on me justice!

I first learned of Ataturk from an American in Cairo who recounted his mistake of asking a fellow traveller in a busy Istanbul street "who is the guy on all the notes with the crazy eyes?" His reply, a stern "say that out loud within earshot of a Turk and you will land yourself straight in jail or worse". Mustafa Kemal Ataturk is the nearest thing to a God in Turkey. A WW1 veteran including Gallipoli, his successful military campaigns led to the liberation of Turkey and the creation of a Republic. He became President in 1923 and enforced the adaptation of European laws. The reason for beginning with him is simple - how could you not respect the man after reading the quote below from his speech at Gallipoli on 25 April 1935...

"Brave Anzac soldiers who have shed their blood in our Country. You are sleeping side by side with our Mehmetçiks (pet name used for the Turkish soldiers in Turkey). You are in a friendly Country. Rest in peace. Mothers, who have sent their children to war in far away countries, wipe the tears of your eyes. Your children are in our bosom. They are sleeping in peace. After shedding their blood on our soil, they have also become our children."

On 27 April at 7:30am via an overnight bus we arrived in Cappadocia, Central Turkey - home to the Troglodytes who burrowed their houses into the stone cliffs, whilst also creating underground cities to escape possible enemy attacks.

The main attraction prompting our visit was the eerie spike-shaped landscape of Goreme Valley... and a chance to sleep in a cave. Volcanic activity centuries ago resulted in rocks of basalt amongst a thick layer of volcanic tufa. Over centuries the softer volcanic tufa has eroded around the more dense rocks of basalt creating a landscape of "fairy chimneys" (rock of basalt atop of tufa spike). Significantly heavier than tufa the basalt has shielded the tufa upon which it rests whilst the surrounding landscape has continued to erode. The result - a surreal valley made more amazing by the thousands of early Christian carved holes in the tufa spikes.

We walked through the valley and were surprised by the number of rock houses still inhabited by locals! I was offered a "very low price for you - 50K euro" - bargain given the place resembled something out of the Flinstones! I can understand why some found the strange underground city we visited claustrophobic. Ran in the rain after arriving at Cave Hostel before making our way to a bar owned by an Australian woman and her Turkish hubby, appropriately named "Fat Boys". The rain short-circuited the wiring so it was Efes beers by candlelight with Daz and the 3 girls who'd travelled with us from Istanbul, Steph, Jemma and Clair.

Ironically our cave room accommodation was anything but primitive and I had perhaps my best sleep since leaving Aus. Next morning we were stitched up on-route to our destination and taken to a Turkish carpet parade (all of us had been to one on-route to Gallipoli). Turkish carpets are handmade, definitely impressive... and very expensive. Thanks for the complementary beverage but backpackers aren't a prime market with certain silk carpets fetching $30K AUD and beyond.

Eventually we arrived at the much heralded "Goreme Open Air Museum". Tons of churches and rooms carved into the volcanic tufa. A couple were awesome with frescoes (paintings on fresh plaster) detailing the ancient stations of the cross. The intrinsic detail could only be marveled at. However as impressive as these were, most memorable from the architecture of the carved housing quarter rooms is their provision of us with some of our best and most random pics to-date.

From Central Anatolia to the Mediterranean Coast - Olympos, sleeping in treehouses, clear blue water, white pebbly beaches and more Efes. We ran into a couple of Aussies we'd met at Anzac Cove and quickly made up for time lost. In the early hrs after our 3rd bar, Daz and I made our way along the rocky path towards the dry creek bed we had to cross to arrive at our treehouse accommodation. From nowhere rocks started crashing around us, Daz was given a third ankle and I twisted my foot in the creek bed - we're both still counting the cost. We hurled rocks back into the unknown then hid in the underbrush foliage. Who would be throwing rocks at us?? The stealth mission was unsuccessful but a couple of hours sleep were gained.... took until mid-morning conversation to realise that perhaps it was the barman whose tab remained open... Next stop Pamukkale!

White ledges of limestone cascade down a mountain face, from beneath these resemble layer upon layer of ice. Spanning at least 1k in length, the phenomenon is the result of a high mineral content in a hot volcanic spring water. This is predominently calcium and hydrogen carbonate based, leading to the precipitation of calcium bi-carbonate. Apparently tectonic movements resulting in earthquakes have created the layered effect. Either way it looks unreal! I learned quickly where I was allowed and was not allowed to climb thanks to my Turkish mate with the whistle! People travel for miles for the curing effect of the calcium pools, first recognised in the 2nd century BC with the erection of the ancient city; Hierapolis. Hierapolis lies in ruins above the pools and archaeological rebuilding takes place each Summer, most notable a small Roman amphitheater.

Another bus to a tourist attraction and another stopover at a Turkish Carpet show - terrific! The reconstructed ancient city "Ephesus" lies just outside Selcuk (Western Turkey) and encompasses a 3k walk stretch. The main street features include the monumental "Library of Celsus" and the 24,000 capacity "Great Theatre". Ephesus is especially famous for the "Temple of Artemis", a wonder of the ancient world. 550BC its columns were 18.4m tall spanning 115x55m! Today the site is rubble with nothing but a single 14m pillar reconstructed distinguishing it from any other pile.

Next stop the Greek Islands - no history just a lot of lost brain cells!

Turkey - ANZAC Day

mickryan1983 — Sun, 17 May 2009 02:00:00 GMT

I arrived at the Istanbul hostel to find countless crazy aussies and kiwis partying it up before the commencement of their Anzac day tours - sleeping or drinking with little in between as it was only 22 April. Aussies dont seem to know any drinking games so random rules made it even more interesting! Most by the end of the rooftop bar session had enough trouble speaking let alone rhyming phrases or counting up in 7s. It was great to be around immediate mates! Checked out the grand bazaar, and Blue and Sofia Mosques during the day.

I had booked a tour bus a week earlier leaving at 6:30am on the 24th to Gallipoli going via the National War Museum, Australian "Lone Pine" memorial, New Zealand "Chunuk Bair" memorial to Anzac Cove, returning at 3pm on 25 April. Nothing is private in a 26 bed dorm room (i think it used to be a pub cellar) so when I overheard an Aussie saying he was yet to receive a confirmation email from his tour company detailing pick up details I thought I had better logon and check too! I had the same issue and we both managed to work it out with our respective tour companies expecting to meet up among the thousands at Anzac Cove. He had the same lack of itinerary with a plan for eastern europe and Ive been travelling with Darrin from WA since.

Various uniforms and historical details on the Gallipoli campaign were on display at the museum. Most memorable was reading letters home to family members. A more terrifying depiction of what the young soliders experienced could not be found.

We slowly progressed through the security including metal detectors and went in search for a vacant patch of grass to lay our sleeping bags and await the fall of dawn. Snipers could be seen up in the hills - security protecting the VIPs was sound. Warren Brown, an Australian cartoonist MC'd the service and did an exemplorary job! One of those people who talks and tells a story in such a way that people listen. It was his second time as host and I hope for future visitors that its not his last. The Australian Defence Forces performed tunes at half hour intervals throughout the night (Dad you can await the Gallipoli booklets in the mail - you would have had the loudest singing voice there and noone would have dared sleep), broken up by numerous documentaries.

During the day there wasnt a cloud in the sky and the mercury peaked well above 25c. To say it was cold at night is an understatement. Fully clothed inside a sleeping bag, most were still freezing only further demonstrating the conditions. Those who did sleep awoke to Kevin Rudd's Anzac Day address and most were standing for the service... although the lack of sleep had taken its toll on a few. I dont need to desribe the feeling when the last post was played.

Following the dawn service, Australians and New Zealanders alike commenced their trek uphill on way toward Military Road where they would part to their respective countries services. Darrin and I took a detour via Shrapnel gully memorial and quickly decided that it was possible to cut through the thick scrub and vegetation beginning with a trench only a meter deep. Standing at the top of peak named Sphinx from memory, it was as though we were the only people for miles. The place was so serene.... and we were spent. The Australian service at "Lone Pine" was equally as impressive for those still alert enough. I read the names on the memorials and graves, surprised by the number of Ryan's who fell in those tragic 8 months to January 9 1916.

We continued the 3k uphill climb to "Chunuk Bair" for the New Zealand service which was equally as rewarding. At the end of the service some Kiwis performed the haka which echoed around the hills. On the way out I handed out a pretty decent spray on an Aussie... who was far enough away that I didnt dare do so during the service. Why bother travelling all the way to Gallipoli then walking all that way just to talk on your mobile and swear, not stand etc.... a New Zealander doing that at Lone Pine would have been killed. I am wrapped that the permission of alcohol has been banned. This might have resulted in less visitors for Anzac day but it definitely reduces the number of people you dont want there in the first place.

The contrast of the mood on the bus from leaving Istanbul to arriving at Gallipoli best demostrated how it had touched everyone in their own way.

Most picked up a couple of hrs sleep and headed straight out upon our arrival in Instanbul. Two-up in the main bar street was taken to the rooftop bar at Sultan's once the polici forced us off the blocked street. Australian "national anthems" sounded strong well into the night... unlike my voice the following morning. Everyone in a good mood, beers all round - if you couldnt find something up your alley youve got problems. A couple of days in Turkey had given me the chance to research exactly what the country had to offer to a traveller and the next couple of wks would prove so.

Egypt

mickryan1983 — Sun, 10 May 2009 20:00:00 GMT

OK have cooled off literally (on ios atm) - time to write about Egypt again after losing the entire write up!

After using up the best part of my 3month US visa I made the call to head from San Fran to Turkey for Anzac day. So booked the cheapest flight out which left at 1pm on April 17 and arived in Istanbul at 5pm local time the following day.. ouch! Had a wk up my sleeve and as an afterthought checked out costs of including a trip to the pyramids. 8pm same day flight Istanbul to Cairo. Took a punt on clearing customs quickly.

The owners of the hostel were still up having a beer when I arrived - perfect after 3 flights. 3 historians who were great and happy to help out. Need some new jokes though. Anyway finally crashed only to be woken at 5am by the call to prayer music blaring out from the local mosque speakers (on the roof of all mosques which are everywhere) scared the $%*& out me. Worst tuned clock radio ever. Caught a couple of hrs though which would suffice. Learned from the guys that night that students in Egypt get half price entry to all the sights so thought I'd try my luck using a 2005 photocopy of my degree and spin some yarn haha. Walked out of the Cairo student office at 8:30am, $20 down and holding an international student card - beauty already saved me a small fortune!

Organised a driver for the day which worked out cheaper and definitely more flexible than doing the tourist bus trip. Sounded too good to be true! Driver disappeared when it was time to settle the bill at lunch but we sorted that out... His real agenda was burning time, taking the long route from the Step pyramid at Suqqara (oldest at 2700BC architected by Imhotep) to Giza. If id done my h/work I would have known that the pyramids at Giza close at 4pm. At 2:50pm I was cutting it fine so he took me straight to his mate offering guided camel tours for far more than the cost of the driver for the day! Annoyed and frustrated at my own stupidity I hired a horse from him after working out the going rate from the stable next door.

The few who have seen me ride can vouch for the fact that I should stick to a bike!(even with my record haha).. or even better throwing money at them as they run around a track. Watched the locals and once I started treating it like crap I managed ok. A to B w/o falling off was my only aim and after a while relaxed enough to enjoy my surroundings. Tying up a horse at the sphynx was very random... sad that the sphynx stares directly into the window of a KFC. Pyramids certainly didnt disappoint though and were amazing constructions - and the horse turned out to be the perfect transport. Returned it a couple of hrs late after riding up a mountain in the Suhara desert to watch the sunset create a silhouette of the pyramids - very cool. My mate at the stable wasnt too impressed over my late arrival but screw him, pulls that scam everyday for sure. Guess everyone has to make a dollar somehow and tourists are the easiest of targets.

If anything the pyramids highlighted just how backwards a nation can go. From the highest echelon of civilisation with technology unparelled in their time to a city built ridiulously close, bordered by a crumbling brick wall (prob <10yrs old) separating the Sahara. Ironically their ancestors work's will survive until eternity. Coherent english speaking guides inside tombs permitting access were a rarity but worth every cent and fortunately got lucky tagging along on a couple of tours - very rewarding.

Cruised the Nile and also went up to Alexandria to check out the Catacombs, Roman Amphitheatre and library with an American couple, Spencer and Melissa who have history majors - quality tour guides!! Thanks guys! I was impressed by the security around the tourist areas... and surprised by the apparent lack of once inside the National Museum given so many priceless artifacts - excluding King Tutankhamun's tomb - solid gold with inscriptions so fine and delicate! Unreal. Apparently a large new one is being built as the equivalent of 6 times that on show in the museum is in storage.

It was a pretty rushed wk but I made the most of my time and Im wrapped to have been able to work it in!

Hope alls well with everyone! Any news from home is much appreciated! - except the news that Kelly dog has less than a month left with is pretty shattering!

Boston to end of US tour

mickryan1983 — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:11:00 GMT

So far Boston stands out as the most liveable city. Great lake/river to row, sail or run around and plenty of open areas or park. Visited MIT uni and Cambridge which were eerily quiet due to Spring break. Still the few there were throwing a 'football' and enjoying the Spring weather.

Met up with NIck from pitchers and went out in Boston's version of Lygon st for a great feed. Surprisingly given the uni atmosphere the bars close pretty early 1-2am which was annoying, but it worked out that a few of girl's working at the hostel didn't mind kicking on in their private quarters so still had a couple of big nights.

Followed the Freedom trail to check out the tourist attractions including Boston Common, the Massachusetts State House, the Park Street Church and the Granary Burial Ground, King's Chapel, The King's Chapel Burial Ground, the Benjamin Franklin Statue, The Old Corner Bookstore, The Old State House, the site of the Boston Massacre, Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere's House, The Old North Church, Copp's Hill Burial Ground, the USS Constitution and the Bunker Hill Monument.

From Boston headed back to NY to recover and catch up with Sam and the sth african's for their last week of secondment. Friday saw another $25US all you can drink nights till 12 and departed for Vegas for a road trip with Sam, stuey and lachy (pp boys) Monday in far better shape than when I arrived in NY.

Sam and I met up with Stuey (who'd evidently waited for us at the bar) and Ewaldt (sth af) in vegas mon night. Copped a hit with $40US cover charge but as big a place vegas is there was only so many options on a MOnday night and we figured that we might as well make the most of our time. Already up on the tables as well as free drinks for playing it was a no-brainer. Wasn't disappointed and the cover charge was $ well spent when we heard that the sth african boys night was a bit of a flop.

Walked in 8 or 9am in need of a couple of hrs sleep! We stayed at the MGM Grand which offers pretty much whatever you could want inside, no doubt carefully constructed to cater for everyone's needs to keep the ppl happy and gambling - although the 2 rarely go hand in hand. Met up with Lachy and recovered with 4 types of vodka mixed with red bull at a club pool/spa called wet republic - found the rought to avoid cover charge haha. Vegas was surreal and I can both understand why they call it sin city and schoolies for adults. On our final night we wanted to do a casino/bar crawl right along the strip. Having run along the entire strip in desert temp the previous day I knew only too well how far we had to get to our starting point and cabs only rip you off.

Countless ppl lined the street trying to coherse you to their strip clubs. Having been too busy at clubs, the pool and on the tables we decided to accept the free ride to the other end of the strip with the promise of a free drink on arrival. We were outside mainstream vegas before we knew it and sobered up a bit! Sam nearly got burned by an atm which had a transaction of fee of $55US ouch! We were warned on the way that it was a russian-mob run club and it might not be a good idea to stick to our plan to take up the free spirit and walk straight out. Was thinking he was right when after 5mins we got up to leave and the front entrance was blocked. Led out through the narrow back entrance we were greeted by a big russian who thanked us for coming, ordered us to come back and put us in a limo straight to our starting point! Great result! 20mins later and a pretty funny start to the night.

3 days was more than enough in vegas and was prob even to 30up on the tables but down a heap on living/drinking expenses. Picked up the hire car and got to driving on the right side in the states which was great! Made a quick stop over at the Hoover dam and headed for the Grand Canyon. Arrived less than 15mins after sunset as hard as I tried to bridge the gap! but there was still enough light to ackowledge how spectacular the view beneath us was! Consecutive decision was made to be back at 530am for sunrise - our body clocks were screwed anyway so what difference would it make. Ignored the national park cover charge justifying it as we are poor backpackers! Would have been great to trek down to the bottom and white water raft but time didnt permit unfortunately.

LA after a long drive and hit Santa Monica blvd. A couple of the boys woke early to someone ranting and firing gun shots in the car park of the room at 3am. I was spent from the drive so slept through it all. Checked out the hollywood hills, stars and rodeo dr and ran along venice beach but the highlight of both LA and San Francisco would turn out to be the US version of the great ocean rd drive than crossed through 'big sur'. We stopped along the way to some amazing views and national parks. The road wasn't in the greatest shape and particular around sunset on the west coast you had to be very careful. No rails and steep cliffs would be unforgiving!

Alcatraz tour in San Fran was cool, headphones allowed you to get a feel for the experience and looking down at the strong current and icy water it was easy to see how 2k could look impossible at the time (1946-63). The island was originally a fort perfectly situated to defend against any intruders coming through the heads. Walked along the waterfront and had to laugh when we stopped at a bar at 4pm advertising happy hr out the front and found the only others inside were 4 aussies.

Most evident in San Fran was the extent of the drug issues. When the girl working on the hostel desk hands you a map and highlights a large triangle of an area to avoid and a sad face therein you know it can't be good. Given it was the most direct route we walked through a number of times and were struck by the no. of crack heads and the few cops present! Each time you keep your valuables hidden and walk fast. It's like there being a massive area to avoid 2 blocks from melbourne central. Arnie needs to get his act together!

At least when you're in a dodgy area the food and services are always cheap. The hostel was great inside but location meant its price was good as were the restaurants and laundrymats. The others left for their respective trips and I had a couple of days to plan eastern europe and recover which was def a good thing.

Canada

mickryan1983 — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 20:34:00 GMT

Only just realised that a few posts hadn't been clicked onto live so a little back-dated and over the place depending on my adding to etc!

I'm still in toronto, st pats day yesterday so recovering. Had a crack with the crew at the cool little hostel I'm staying at and very patchy of how the night ended but made it home with no damage done!

They had a parade here for St Pats on sunday which was hilarious! Very random like a hired limo with a black guy and security around it pretending to be Barak Obama. He was yelling out "yes we can" it's not even like I'm in the states! Got given shampoo/bodywash little tubes as handouts - handy! Met up with a friend from Niagara who came up to Toronto which was good and the weather here is much more forgiving than I was expecting with the sun out.

There's a guy from here who runs marathons and he showed me a good run along the barbour and have run every 2nd day. Skins, thermal top, jacket, beanie, gloves and sunnies so looked ridiculous but only way to do it! It's about a 10-12k run and really enjoyed it! 40-oddk in a wk and prob nothing again. Up and down a bit but that's travelling.

As cool as this hostel is I have to say that it reminds me of faulty towers, one computer of 2 is broken and no water at all this morn. Brekkie is free 8-830 till the stuff bagels, bread and milk run out so you have to be quick! A few very odd units!! One guy has to be schitzofrenic! Thinks the news and world is one big conspiracy theory. Another guy just grunts and one eys looks left while the other looks right. Most ppl are good value though and the others add to the experience. I'm basically living off pasta and dont mind a bagel with butter in the morn for brekkie... better than cream cheese which is a fav in US.

Went up the CN tower yest which is the 2nd largest tower in the world, the view was awesome. Went out on the ledge and leaned against the railings, nearly being blown over by the wind!

Back to writing in the past tense....

The Canadian music festival was out of control. Hundreds of bars hosting just as many bands so bar hopped every night for 4 nights before st.pats. If I had known that they would over charge me $110 can and take numerous emails and phone calls to recover I would have def avoided online payment and paid cash on arrival!

Montreal is in the state of Quebec and was my first real taste of the challenge of only speaking english. It's split into 4 quarters, some more forgiving than others. Met up with Greg Campbell who conveniently had only arrived the previous day. A mate of his from working on the snow fields gave us a private tour and enjoyed the view from the top of Mont Royale'

SUnday saw yet another piss up complements of St. Pat. The MOntreal parade made the Toronto celebration look elementary which was enough to have me celebrating yet again. Not in Europe yet but there's certainly a few added benefits of the irish passport.

Chicago & Niagara Falls

mickryan1983 — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:01:00 GMT

Exiting NY through JFK proved to be alot easier than entering! Flight was delayed due to the massive snowfall overnight. Frustrated people everywhere but I have always enjoyed the airport so watched the snow plows clear the runway.

The train from the airport to Chicago dropped me 3 blocks from the hostel I intended to stay at which was convenient. I booked in for 3 nights after being told not to book for longer and that there wouldnt be any problems anyway. Despite my love for music I'd never really appreciated jazz until I arrived in Chicago. Saw a an old guy named Ari Brown who has been nominated for a number of grammies who was more than happy to have chat about his travels through out the world. It turns out that he was a pianist until he was told that his fingers were more suited to the sax... well so he says I reckon its more likely that his older brother, Kirk was beter than him at it so he picked another instrument. He was unbelievable!

The Chicago locals unparamounted pride of their unique archetecture was particularly evident and designs by Stevens and Wright were pointed out regularly. There was an architecture college (uni) class staying at the hostel so I jumped on the end of their tour which was really interesting, then went out with them to an open mic night... For some reason I was picturing a scene out of coyote ugly, but unfortunately most of the musicians should have contained their performances to their own 4 walls. Entertaining all the same and played some pool with some locals and an Irish illegal immigrant who crossed the border from Canada 10 years ago and never left! He doesn't have a driver's license etc and still requires his well out of date passport to enter pubs. Have nearly worked out the different nations pool rules!

Keen to stay on another couple of nights, I was told at the hostel that they had overbooked. Went out that night and crashed on a couch in the rec room of the hostel and the following night kicked on at a house party and tried on the white shorts so worked out well and saved on 2 nights accommodation.

Caught an overnight train from CHicago to Buffalo which was reasonably comfortable, offering more leg-room than your average flight. Pin-ups detailing each person's destination hung above our heads to indicate when we were to be woken up, however lucky I set my alarm as this was far from enforced. Arrived to find that the station was a 4mile walk to a shopping centre that I could catch a bus into town or join the cab que - not a chance!

The hostel was closed 11am-5pm so had a long wait. Nothing good to say about Buffalo so I'll leave it at that. Caught a bus the next morning to Niagara falls. At $4US is was still the best way to get there. The falls were sentional and was lucky enough for the sun to come out as I walked through the mist resulting in a rainbow reflection. Missed seeing only the 2nd person to survive falling down the falls by less than 30mins but it was still the talk of the much commercialised little town. I can only imagine how it explodes in summer once the ice around the falls has melted and the maid of the mist cruises under the falls. The Canadians were great and crossing the border didn't even require a bag scan. I guess they figure US security covers them. I'd have to agree!

Washington & Philadelphia

mickryan1983 — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:30:00 GMT

16 of us including Sam, and Eisner secondees from Australia, New Zealand and Sth Africa. 2 queen sized beds that more closely resembled singles and 4 ppl to a room best describes the accommodation, but it was cheap and location was excellent!

Superb planning went into the lay-out of the city which was designed by Frenchman L'Enfant. The White House sits directly in front of the Washington monument (tall squire seen in countless movies), which is then directly in-line with Capitol Hill and the Lincoln Memorial. The fountain that makes up part of the war memorial at the Washington Monument had been drained for the Winter due to freezing conditions, evident by the frozen reflecting lake (picture Jenny in Forest Gump). The Air and Space Museum and American National History Museums were in the same vicinity between the monument and Capitol Hill. The Air and Space.. was great detailing the innovation of aeronautical design as well and the race to the moon.

Checked out Arlington cemetery and JFK's tombstone. The changing of guards was taken extremely serious at the "Tomb Unknown Soldier" (dedicated to soldier's awarded bravery medals whose particulars remain unknown). Seemed over the top to me but that's the US in a nutshell. Hit the Georgetown university bars Sat night and staggered home in the very early hours! Perfect time to try an American vendor hotdog.

Got off the train at Pentagon station, it was a Sunday and the place was a deserted ghost town with only security, a relatively empty carpark and "no camera" signs surrounding us. The change in colour of the brick evidence of 9/11 and we departed quickly after being caught with cameras.

Had a "discussion" with the Chinese bus driver who announced as we left Washington that he was to drop everyone in Chinatown, NY - 50mins walk from Sam's as opposed to the 10 that it should have been! Frustrating after 4hr trip - guess he was looking after his own driving the cabs - walked in protest. He ended the negotiation very quickly "don't car' 'bout schedule get out walk catch 'nother bus". So I shut-up conversation over.

Went down to Philadelphia on Thurs and ran up the Art Museum steps made famous by Sylvestor Stallone in Rocky. I was surprised they looked higher on-screen! Visited Benjamin Franklin exhibition and went inside Congress Hall where the declaration of independence drafted by Thomas Jefferson and was agreed upon but not signed on 4 July 1776.

Expected more from "greatest little Italy" outside the real thing - turned out my map had the wrong st and the 2 Italian restaurants were just that. Went back the next day with Fi for a greasy feed (not hard to find in US) after learning of my error out in a Manu-yuk bar. Saw snow fall for the first time as we walked out in the early hrs of a second very messy night which was very cool! Got a new map after going to cross a bridge from University city (Drexel and University of Pennsilvania)that had 50m knocked out in the middle of it.

Missed "groundhog day" and Punxsutawney Phil by a matter of days - poor planning, would have been a laugh. He predicted 6 more weeks of Winter - early Spring or not this place is freezing but have definitely started to acclimatise. Walking through the melting snow-slush I can see why they love to can it... but then it doesn't take a lot for a New Yorker to give you their opinion.

Hope all's good with everyone!

Mick

Fiji - New York

mickryan1983 — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Fiji was my first stopover and after landing at 6am at Nadi airport and a quick kip on a couch i took a punt on leaving my pack in the safe hands of the airport luggage room which noted "we are only liable for the amount of your payment relating to any belongings which go missing". So I was covered for $4.10, sounds ominous but then when was i next going to be in Fiji! So caught a cab into town with an Indian Fijian. Not alot there and not a tourist in sight so on the cabby's recommendation I went to the "1st landing".. of what he wasnt too sure but there was a crew from a cruise boat at dock for the day who were negotiating a cheap rate to "Beachcomber island" the main party island. $99 down to $30 and back in-time to make my filght - perfect so I tagged along and realised quickly why so many ppl head there to escape reality... and why there were so many couples on the plane heading over on their honeymoons.

The water was as clear as I've ever seen and snorkling equipment was provided. The crew were great and had some cool stories about their lifestyle, most had been on the boat for a while and were a family. It was also convenient that some of the passengers on board the P&O cruise were on the island and shouting drinks! Native Fijian dancing was also on show just before heading off to the mainland. After managing to survive a summer lifeguarding on the beach without getting burnt I was to arrive in LA with a lot more colour than the locals.

I'd told the cab driver to be back at 1st landing at 5pm on the dot if he wanted to be paid... old habits die hard! He was on time and we headed off for the airport - but not before an unexpected detour. He decided that 5:30pm was a good time to head home for a feed. So i sat down to tea with his family, tv on in the background and indian rotti bread with some exotic sauce which was quite good... i did keep my eye on the cab from the non-existent window of his place to make sure my daypack didn't grow legs. Random but was a bonus to see his place and the surrounding villages.

Met a bloke from UK waiting at Nadi airport who was getting the same run-around from staff relating to US customs requirements and headed with him to a hostel in santa monica. Rain for the first time in a while and ppl everywhere at LAX. Fingerprints and photo were odd but overall I was impressed with how smoothly the airport ran - probably better to have been given the run around the night before in Fiji. I cannot say the same for JFK in NY complete joke even the signing was useless.

Drank 2 for 1 cocktails with a couple of Brits and a kiwi in Santa Monica after visiting the beach. Let's just say that the 6:30am pickup for the NY flight was felt. Nothing like 10c to wake you up I've concluded that jetlag is a croc. Also learnt the hard way in Santa Monica that just because your times up on net use doesn't mean you're signed out of facebook. Should have definitely paid the extra $2 and signed out.

Stayed the first few nights at a hostel in midtown manhatten, walking distance to the main sights. Visited Wall st and checked out the amazing views from Brooklyn Bridge and the Rockerfeller tower. From The "top of the rock" you can see the statue of liberty, central park, the empire state and the entire NY skyline.

Just like in the movies they don't send one police car they send 10. You hear the sirens coming a mile off and just keep out the way! Alot more poverty than I'd expected and was surprised that many of the buildings still rely on the underground steam heating for heating.

Caught up with a couple of mates from pitchers and some guys from Sth Africa that worked the busy season in Melb last yr. I'm currently staying with Sam at the apartment that he has been set up with through the pitchers secondment program... Thanks Pitchers! We went snowboarding at Hunter Mountain which is about 2 hrs from Manhatten on the bus. It hadn't snowed in over a wk and the warning flags to avoid the ice didnt help me. Enjoyed it and after a lesson went ok for first time at the snow/ice. Still waiting to see snow fall but figure it's not too far off!

Central Park is pivotal to the city and is packed on the w/e's and during the wk I guess with people trying to escape the madness and massive scale of the city. Green markets on the sidewalks and DJ's set-up and play tunes with ppl dancing on rollerskates... after the Sat I wasnt lining up to have another 'crack' at getting an arm in plaster! Figured I'd pushed my luck enough already!

Walked the streets of Harlem and have seen more than a couple of guys having arguments both with themselves and others... particularly on the subway. Caught the Staten Island ferry amongst the strongest winds ive ever experienced.. along with the temperature! It ranges from 0-5 degrees everyday!! If its above 5 its "a beautiful day!!" Ridiculous after coming from weeks of 40+s.

Went for a run to and around the central park perimeter. Eerie running in so many clothes and seeing frozen lakes and ice on the rocks from where it had been cascading down. You don't look out for puddles but for ice patches! Was well over an hour round trip, don't know why i was surprised having seen central park from above but should've google mapped it first. Enjoyed it though! Washington and Philadelphia are the next stops. If you have sent me an email thanks for the update appreciate it I'll def get back to you.

Hope alls good with everyone!

Mick