Again I have to apologize for the lack of updates along the way. The great thing about traveling around on your own is that you end up meeting fantastic people along the way. However, you tend to end up spending all your time with people and less and less time on the computer updating your wonderful friends and family at home.
I am currently in Barcelona, Spain but I will catch you up on what has happened up to this point. After my sail Croatia trip was over I had an entire day to waste in Split waiting for my night ferry to come at 10pm that would take me to Ancona, Italy. Luckily I was not the only person that was spending the day waiting. I caught up with friends as we were all leaving the boats and went for one last juice smoothie at Tonik, a place that could almost be considered our local stomping ground at this point. We said our final goodbyes to our guides and the people that were heading out by bus then I went for coffee for a few hours with a friend that was waiting for his plane that would leave that afternoon for Vienna and made arrangements to meet up in Rome on my last night there as we were both going to be at the same campsite just outside the city with our other busabout friends.
Because of my amazing luck up to this point in the trip I had found out the night before that the bus driver from our Eastern Trekker week, Vlad, was also taking one of the night ferries that which meant that I had someone to harass all day long instead of wandering around Split alone. We spent a few hours wasting time on the free wireless at one of the local coffee/bars called Charlies, sharing pictures and talking about places we have been or wanted to go to in the future, grabbed a quick lunch of the most amazing food ever, Burek, an eastern European hot pastry type food that is a type of filo dough wrapped around a special type of cheese. It's hard to explain but it is delicious, I had had it one other night in Omis as well and was pleased to be able to have it one last time before leaving what was probably one of my favorite countries I have been to.
We spent the rest of the day walking around for a bit and talking, Vlad is hoping to work in the US after the busabout season is done doing shuttle buses in Colorado to the ski hills. If this works out for him he wants to get up to Vancouver for a visit and some touring around in BC. He's never been to Canada but he already loves the place and wears a little Canada wrist band that was given to him by another Canadian on tour this season.
My ferry left a little later than his so I spent a couple hours waiting at the ferry terminal reminiscing on my Croatia adventure. I think that if could I would have spent my last weeks in Croatia and not bothered with anything else in western Europe. It isjust such a beautiful place. Eastern Europe as a whole is an area I have fallen in love with and I hope in the coming years to come back and discover more of it on my own or with friends. There is such a different feel there from western Europe and I adore it.
I had booked a bed on the night ferry and once I had gotten on and the boat had left the docks, was pleased to discover that I had a 4 bed state room all to myself for the night. You have no idea what a treat it is to spend time alone in a room. It is something that is afforded to the backpacker very rarely and it gives you a small sense of joy when you find out that you finally for one night at least have a little bit of privacy. I had a wonderful sleep on the boat and as we were getting closer to our destination I went to the front of the boat and watched my first glimpses of Italy come over the horizon. A mix of excitement and melancholy were in my head as I stared out over the water. I was glad to be moving forward in my trip but at the same time so sad to be leaving my Croatia.
ANCONA
When we docked I went through the EU border once again and was playing with my bags getting ready to find out how to get to the train station in Ancona which was near where my hostel for the night was when I saw Vlad coming through the customs. Apparently my ferry was about 2 hours faster than his so we ended up docking at almost the same time. It was nice to be able to be with someone else trying to figure out how to get where we needed to be as he was going to the station as well to catch a train to Venice. Traveling alone is hard, figuring out everything you need to do is hard, having no one to talk to when you are confused is hard. So when you are able to find someone that may not know more about the situation than you but is willing to figure everything out with you it is a wonderful thing. I was very greatful to have had a friendly face to spend time with and count on those couple of days. It just makes you relax a little bit more.
We parted ways at the train station and I found my hostel, unfortunately the hostel had a lock out time from 11:00 until 4:30 and I had arrived just after they had left so I was stuck in Ancona with all my bags for 5 hours killing time on the internet and wandering. There was nowhere for me to store my bags so I did not have the motivation to wander around much at all. When I finally did get let into my hostel I abandoned my bags, took a nice long shower and decided that I would sacrifice my tour of Ancona for an easy night of nothingness. Everything in the city was closed anyway as it was Sunday and a national holiday. So really I did not miss out on anything spectacular. Also, the only thing it says about Ancona in my lonely planet is that all it has to offer travelers is the ability to leave Ancona. Not really a positive review for the town.
The next day I waited for the bus to come and pick me up. Ancona is a halfway stop on the busabout loop so it picks up usually around 1pm instead of the usual 8am start. I arrived at the pick up point that Vlad had pointed out around 12:30 and waited. And waited. And waited. Around 2pm I started to panic a little and rushed across the street to the internet cafe to make sure I had not messed up on my bookings or the pick up time. Everything seemed in order so I sat down and waited some more, confident that they would not leave me stranded in Ancona. I knew no matter what I could go across to the train station and get a ticket to Rome easily enough so I was not getting too stressed. Around 2:30 the bus pulled up and I was beyond relieved. They had run into some very bad traffic that had set them back quite a bit.
ROME
We arrived at the Plus Camp Roma later in the evening and I found my tent accomodations set down my bags and walked around the campsite a bit to see what everything looked like. Camp Roma is like a little city within itself with a restaurant, bar, pool, park area, shopping store and of course the accomodations. I spent the night hanging out with a fellow from the UK and called it an early night as I had a walking tour booked for the next day.
The next morning I slept in, did my laundry and got ready to make my way into the city for the walking tour. I was glad to have a guide to show us around and give us a little run down of the history involved in the sights we were seeing. I am not the strongest history buff so it was good to have a review of the significant places we were seeing. In a strange coincidence one of the other people from the boats that I had met was also on the walking tour so we caught up a bit and swapped boat gossip from the week before while moving from sight to sight. After 3 hours of walking in the hot sun we were pretty exhausted but the end of tour left us at the coloseum so a few of us went to check out the line, which was only about a 10 minute wait, and ended up getting in to see the inside of this reviered place. It was awe inspiring to this place was built thousands of years before and yet still stood. Touching the walls that millions had touched, walking along the paths that had been walked on since it's beginnings.
That night I hung out some people from the walking tour listening to some live music by the restaurant and then ran into Vlad again, whom had also come in on the bus to Rome when I did and had a couple days off to spend at the campsite. I spent the rest of the night hanging out with him and some of the other busabout drivers/guides chatting and swapping stories.
The next day was a long one, an 8 hour tour of Vatican City. Vatican City is a sovereign country in itself and probably the single wealthiest country in the world. They do not have to be accountable to anyone for the wealth they possess so there is no real knowledge of how much they have within their walls. Most of the grounds are actually occupied by forest and garden areas but there are also the theology schools as well as the museum and the cathedral. We spent several hours walking through the Vatican museum which houses the largest collection of marble statues as well as some of the most incredible tapestries, size and detail wise, in the world. Of course the crowning parts of the our were seeing the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica as well. The insides were stunning and difficult to describe in words. I have many pictures to share though unfortunately none of the revered Sistine Chapel ceiling as they have guards everywhere to make sure you take no pictures in there. Apparently the reason behind it is not preservation as you might think but rather because Kodak paid for a great deal of restoration within the building on the terms that they had rights to all photography of the paintings. Ridiculous if you ask me. The 'shush police' as we referred to them would make people delete their pictures if caught and were kicked out.
The best part by far in the Vatican however was not all the art or the history but rather the Swiss Guard, or more specifically their outfits. It is an intense process to become the Swiss Gaurd that protects the Vatican, one that takes more that 2 years of training. How do they reward this men for their efforts? By making them wear the single most ridiculous outfit known to man. Please note the picture below.
After a massive day of walking I went back to the campsite and got there just in time to run into my friend from the boats that I had arranged to meet up with when his bus came in that night. We had dinner and talked about the last few days of our journeys and made friends with some other Kiwis at table beside us. The busabout guides and drivers came in and sat at the next table over as well and as they left I said one final goodbye to my dear friend Vlad as he was now heading north and I was heading south and it was unlikely that our paths would cross again on this trip of mine. After dinner was over my friend and I said our final goodbyes and parted ways. I was lucky to have a room once again to myself that night.
The night was sad as I said goodbye to a few people that I knew from both Eastern Trekker and the boats that I am unlikely to be seeing again on this trip. A consequence of making new friends that live nowhere near you, although it is possible to see them again it is unlikely you will see them all. I have made some amazing and wonderful friends in the last weeks and it is sad to think we all live so far apart. But at least I know there are now places to rest my head if ever I make it to their homes and vice versa for them.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Finally an update!
To try to put a week of sailing along the coast of Croatia into one single blog post is an impossible task. I cannot even begin to tell you how truely spectacular it was. Mere words cannot reflect the unending awesomeness that is to be found in these places nestled along the Adriatic. If I could I would spend the rest of time traveling in this place.
I should go back and apologize for the lack of posting over the last weeks. Time has been slipping away at a faster rate than I anticipated and every time I think to come online and continue with my stories it seems the day and time just get away from me. Free time was precious these last days as was power supply which was also a huge hindrance. But back to the story, no more excuses.
Our trip began in Split after morning of catching up with friends from Eastern Trekker that had just finished their weeks on the boats. Their golden tans and relaxed appearance was a teaser as to what the week would hold. They told great tales of life at sea, causing much envy and anticipation. After saying our final goodbyes we headed in the direction of what would be our homes for the next week.
The only scary part of the entire trip was the treacherous passage between the boats as they would all dock tied together parked in one long row. Sometimes we were at the front but for the most part, because of the size of our boat, we were near the end which meant walking across 4 to 6 boats to get to dry land. This may not sound like a major feat but keep in mind that the places to cross rarely met up properly, meaning they would be staggered by a few feet and there was always at least 2 feet of space to hop over though more often it was closer to 3 feet with nothing to stop you from falling into the water below. Only a couple of people fell in, I slipped once because of a water bomb ambush of which I was the main target, but that story is for later.
Sitting on the deck at the back of the boat we started to introduce ourselves around. A majority of the people were from Australia but we also had 3 Kiwis, 2 South Africans and of course myself, the token Canadian. I was actually one of two Canadians on all 6 of the busabout boats. Talk about being outnumbered.
Our guide Troy, also Australian, gave a little speech and told us what to expect over the week. He warned us that when it all came down to it we were at the whims of the sea and it dictated if we would make it to all the places we were scheduled to be at. Fortunately for us, the sea was kind and we had the most amazing weather I have experienced this entire trip.
Our first stop was Hvar, a place where the rich come to play. The harbor was full of super yachts that made our little boats look like toys. The one that we parked next to was six levels high, had thirteen full time staff including a Micheline 3 star chef. I am not sure that the boat even leaves the docks, it probably doesn't need to. The island itself was stunning with old buildings and a relaxed vibe. We spent the night out on the town with most of the other busabout boats with only one warning given to us, make sure you are back on the boat by 6:30am or you will be trapped on Hvar. Fortunately everyone was on the boat in the morning.
Our mornings were lazy, breakfast was served around 9 while we were traveling between destinations, lounge chairs were spread over the top deck providing ample room for laying in the sun and below on the main deck was a table with a bench that wrapped all the way around where we would play many a card game to pass the time lazily. Usually we would stop sometime in the late morning for a swim break and lunch then the boat would continue on to wherever we were headed next.
Our main stops were Hvar, Mljet, Dubrovnik, Korcula, Makarska, Omis and of course Split. Each place whether on the mainland or on the islands had it's own little story and it's own feel. All of Croatia is a rather laidback place and I think that I could probably spend many months there living in the sun sipping Croatian wine and enjoying the breezing coming off the ocean.
Mljet was our second stop along the way and we spent the afternoon in the stunning national park. In the park you find amazing saltwater lakes and a secluded abbey on the Island of St. Mary in the middle of the biggest lake. It was interesting to walk around St. Mary as it was a very small area and so isolated from everything else. Mljet itself is a small island so for me it is baffling to think that these monks wanted to isolate themselves even further from the world.
Dubrovnik. What a place. It is an UNESCO site because of the walls containing it which are the most fully intact fortress walls in the world. After an orientation walk Troy took whoever wanted to up to walk the 2km of walls. Talk about stunning views. Pictures do not do this place justice. I cannot even begin to describe the awe inspiring beauty that you are surrounded by up there. I wish that there had been more time in this place as I would have loved to have gotten lost in the streets of the old town, wandering among the shops and taking in the sounds. However even with only one afternoon/evening there it has found a special place in my heart. I have nothing but praises to sing for this place and nothing but wonderful memories of our time spent there.
Korcula, the apparent birthplace of Marko Polo, can be likened to a mini Dubrovnik. It also is a city of walls though not as intact as it's larger brother. We spent the afternoon wandering around with promises of a wonderful dinner together in town that night followed by cocktails in a bar situated at the top of one of the turrets left over from the wall. Korcula was an island of temptation with shop after shop filled with artisan jewelery. I am proud to say that I refrained from spending more of my precious Kunas on more jewels than I already have. Sometimes I forget that I am indeed traveling on a budget. It was an easy day and night and although some from the boat went off to do their own dinners most came to enjoy the pizza and pasta offerings at the restaurant of choice. I chatted a bit with the guide Troy and found out a little more of his travel history including a very interesting conversation about the time he had spent in Africa working with children in different social areas such as PE and schooling. For a person of only 30 he has done many things and it was interesting to get a chance to learn a little more about what had brought him to where he was today. I love learning people's stories and have found many time that by just asking the right questions you learn more about a person and who they are than by just observing them from afar.
Makarska nice relaxing stop off with many many many many little street shops lining the promenade areas around the main beach. We spent a few hours wandering through them, looking at the wears and purchasing things for our Pirate party the next night. As the sun started to go down we walked together to the beach to watch a beautiful and vast sunset. The pictures I took are not even close to the sight that was seen. But you will have to only take my word on it.
Omis, a famed pirate town from years past and maintains the nostalgic quality still. We arrived early in the afternoon, had an orientation walk and then a few of us spent an hour hiking up a rather sadistic mountain to the Stari Grad fortress at the top. You might think I am exaggerating but it truly was a miserable hike though completely worth it for the views at the top. After hiking back down to the boat, showers were had and preparation for the pirate party. In Makarska I had purchased some water balloons which I had spent some time filling up during our free time in anticipation of a potential cross boat water fight. After dinner on the top deck in our pirate outfits a plan was hatched by the guide Troy for several of us to ambush our boatmates on the dock when we were going to go out for the night. Little did I know that this would actually lead to my being completely soaked from head to toe after I was double crossed by my partner in crime. Apparently after a few of us left to set up the balloons everyone else was informed that they were to run and grab the balloons and start throwing them at me and the others. I can tell you for sure that I received the most water balloons but I did make contact with a few people in some choice places to pay back for the double cross.
Our last night was in Split once again, we arrived and it was like I had arrived at a place I had known for years. I had already been in and out of Split twice before and knew my way around better than probably any other town I have been too so far. After checking e-mails at the local Aussie run juice bar Tonik, I came back to the boat to commence the sad ritual of packing up my bags to prepare to leave the boat the next morning. The week went by so quickly and I would have gladly stayed on the boat and done it all over again.
That night we all went out to the Red Room, another Aussie run bar that all the Busabout and Eastern Trekker people meet up at when the boats and buses come in. We all st around reminiscing about the week past, laughing over stories and harassing over embarrassments that happened during our time. I had made friends on a few of the boats so for me it was nice to have everyone around one last time. I was also excited to once again see our guide and bus driver from the Eastern Trek I had done 2 weeks previous. They had just made another loop from Split to Prague to Split and had arrived that afternoon. Catching up with them was wonderful as was showing off my newly acquired Croatia tan. I found out that Vlad, the driver, was heading to Ancona the next night on the ferries as well and then would be heading to Rome the same time as me. It is always nice to have friendly faces around especially after spending so much time with a group I knew that to adjust the very next day to solitude was going to be difficult. So to have someone to spend the afternoon killing time with was a great blessing.
Overall I would say that Croatia was the highlight of my trip and again I wish that I could stay there for the rest of my weeks. I have completely fallen in love with the place. I hope that in the next years I will be able to come back again and enjoy the places I have already been as well as new places that I have yet to discover. For now all I can do is look at my picture and remember what was an amazing week and dream of the next time I will be able to be there again.
I should go back and apologize for the lack of posting over the last weeks. Time has been slipping away at a faster rate than I anticipated and every time I think to come online and continue with my stories it seems the day and time just get away from me. Free time was precious these last days as was power supply which was also a huge hindrance. But back to the story, no more excuses.
Our trip began in Split after morning of catching up with friends from Eastern Trekker that had just finished their weeks on the boats. Their golden tans and relaxed appearance was a teaser as to what the week would hold. They told great tales of life at sea, causing much envy and anticipation. After saying our final goodbyes we headed in the direction of what would be our homes for the next week.
The only scary part of the entire trip was the treacherous passage between the boats as they would all dock tied together parked in one long row. Sometimes we were at the front but for the most part, because of the size of our boat, we were near the end which meant walking across 4 to 6 boats to get to dry land. This may not sound like a major feat but keep in mind that the places to cross rarely met up properly, meaning they would be staggered by a few feet and there was always at least 2 feet of space to hop over though more often it was closer to 3 feet with nothing to stop you from falling into the water below. Only a couple of people fell in, I slipped once because of a water bomb ambush of which I was the main target, but that story is for later.
Sitting on the deck at the back of the boat we started to introduce ourselves around. A majority of the people were from Australia but we also had 3 Kiwis, 2 South Africans and of course myself, the token Canadian. I was actually one of two Canadians on all 6 of the busabout boats. Talk about being outnumbered.
Our guide Troy, also Australian, gave a little speech and told us what to expect over the week. He warned us that when it all came down to it we were at the whims of the sea and it dictated if we would make it to all the places we were scheduled to be at. Fortunately for us, the sea was kind and we had the most amazing weather I have experienced this entire trip.
Our first stop was Hvar, a place where the rich come to play. The harbor was full of super yachts that made our little boats look like toys. The one that we parked next to was six levels high, had thirteen full time staff including a Micheline 3 star chef. I am not sure that the boat even leaves the docks, it probably doesn't need to. The island itself was stunning with old buildings and a relaxed vibe. We spent the night out on the town with most of the other busabout boats with only one warning given to us, make sure you are back on the boat by 6:30am or you will be trapped on Hvar. Fortunately everyone was on the boat in the morning.
Our mornings were lazy, breakfast was served around 9 while we were traveling between destinations, lounge chairs were spread over the top deck providing ample room for laying in the sun and below on the main deck was a table with a bench that wrapped all the way around where we would play many a card game to pass the time lazily. Usually we would stop sometime in the late morning for a swim break and lunch then the boat would continue on to wherever we were headed next.
Our main stops were Hvar, Mljet, Dubrovnik, Korcula, Makarska, Omis and of course Split. Each place whether on the mainland or on the islands had it's own little story and it's own feel. All of Croatia is a rather laidback place and I think that I could probably spend many months there living in the sun sipping Croatian wine and enjoying the breezing coming off the ocean.
Mljet was our second stop along the way and we spent the afternoon in the stunning national park. In the park you find amazing saltwater lakes and a secluded abbey on the Island of St. Mary in the middle of the biggest lake. It was interesting to walk around St. Mary as it was a very small area and so isolated from everything else. Mljet itself is a small island so for me it is baffling to think that these monks wanted to isolate themselves even further from the world.
Dubrovnik. What a place. It is an UNESCO site because of the walls containing it which are the most fully intact fortress walls in the world. After an orientation walk Troy took whoever wanted to up to walk the 2km of walls. Talk about stunning views. Pictures do not do this place justice. I cannot even begin to describe the awe inspiring beauty that you are surrounded by up there. I wish that there had been more time in this place as I would have loved to have gotten lost in the streets of the old town, wandering among the shops and taking in the sounds. However even with only one afternoon/evening there it has found a special place in my heart. I have nothing but praises to sing for this place and nothing but wonderful memories of our time spent there.
Korcula, the apparent birthplace of Marko Polo, can be likened to a mini Dubrovnik. It also is a city of walls though not as intact as it's larger brother. We spent the afternoon wandering around with promises of a wonderful dinner together in town that night followed by cocktails in a bar situated at the top of one of the turrets left over from the wall. Korcula was an island of temptation with shop after shop filled with artisan jewelery. I am proud to say that I refrained from spending more of my precious Kunas on more jewels than I already have. Sometimes I forget that I am indeed traveling on a budget. It was an easy day and night and although some from the boat went off to do their own dinners most came to enjoy the pizza and pasta offerings at the restaurant of choice. I chatted a bit with the guide Troy and found out a little more of his travel history including a very interesting conversation about the time he had spent in Africa working with children in different social areas such as PE and schooling. For a person of only 30 he has done many things and it was interesting to get a chance to learn a little more about what had brought him to where he was today. I love learning people's stories and have found many time that by just asking the right questions you learn more about a person and who they are than by just observing them from afar.
Makarska nice relaxing stop off with many many many many little street shops lining the promenade areas around the main beach. We spent a few hours wandering through them, looking at the wears and purchasing things for our Pirate party the next night. As the sun started to go down we walked together to the beach to watch a beautiful and vast sunset. The pictures I took are not even close to the sight that was seen. But you will have to only take my word on it.
Omis, a famed pirate town from years past and maintains the nostalgic quality still. We arrived early in the afternoon, had an orientation walk and then a few of us spent an hour hiking up a rather sadistic mountain to the Stari Grad fortress at the top. You might think I am exaggerating but it truly was a miserable hike though completely worth it for the views at the top. After hiking back down to the boat, showers were had and preparation for the pirate party. In Makarska I had purchased some water balloons which I had spent some time filling up during our free time in anticipation of a potential cross boat water fight. After dinner on the top deck in our pirate outfits a plan was hatched by the guide Troy for several of us to ambush our boatmates on the dock when we were going to go out for the night. Little did I know that this would actually lead to my being completely soaked from head to toe after I was double crossed by my partner in crime. Apparently after a few of us left to set up the balloons everyone else was informed that they were to run and grab the balloons and start throwing them at me and the others. I can tell you for sure that I received the most water balloons but I did make contact with a few people in some choice places to pay back for the double cross.
Our last night was in Split once again, we arrived and it was like I had arrived at a place I had known for years. I had already been in and out of Split twice before and knew my way around better than probably any other town I have been too so far. After checking e-mails at the local Aussie run juice bar Tonik, I came back to the boat to commence the sad ritual of packing up my bags to prepare to leave the boat the next morning. The week went by so quickly and I would have gladly stayed on the boat and done it all over again.
That night we all went out to the Red Room, another Aussie run bar that all the Busabout and Eastern Trekker people meet up at when the boats and buses come in. We all st around reminiscing about the week past, laughing over stories and harassing over embarrassments that happened during our time. I had made friends on a few of the boats so for me it was nice to have everyone around one last time. I was also excited to once again see our guide and bus driver from the Eastern Trek I had done 2 weeks previous. They had just made another loop from Split to Prague to Split and had arrived that afternoon. Catching up with them was wonderful as was showing off my newly acquired Croatia tan. I found out that Vlad, the driver, was heading to Ancona the next night on the ferries as well and then would be heading to Rome the same time as me. It is always nice to have friendly faces around especially after spending so much time with a group I knew that to adjust the very next day to solitude was going to be difficult. So to have someone to spend the afternoon killing time with was a great blessing.
Overall I would say that Croatia was the highlight of my trip and again I wish that I could stay there for the rest of my weeks. I have completely fallen in love with the place. I hope that in the next years I will be able to come back again and enjoy the places I have already been as well as new places that I have yet to discover. For now all I can do is look at my picture and remember what was an amazing week and dream of the next time I will be able to be there again.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Finally some more pictures
Eastern Trekker
Bone Church
Krakow
Lake Bled (Slovenia) and Zagreb (Croatia)
Because people have been asking and apparently I forgot to mention it in my other posts about Eastern Trekker I will give a brief explanation of the Church of Bones or Ossuary that we visited on the first day of our trek. The story goes that in the 1400s the abbot of the monastery was sent to the holy land with a pile of money to bring back something for the church to make people think highly of it. He took the money, drank it all away and when he was supposed to come back with the holy item he had nothing. So he went to Golgotha picked up some dirt and brought it back with him. The king that sent him was so angry that he had brought back only dirt after all the money he had sent along, threw the dirt over the cemetry in a fit of rage.
Word spread that holy land dirt had been spread there and suddenly everyone and their uncle wanted to be buried at this particular church. In the late 1800's a fellow was commissioned to do something with all the bones and this is where our lovely Ossuary has arisen from.
Very creepy but so excellent.
Posts about Lake Bled my new favorite place to come soon! Enjoy the pictures for now!
Bone Church
Krakow
Lake Bled (Slovenia) and Zagreb (Croatia)
Because people have been asking and apparently I forgot to mention it in my other posts about Eastern Trekker I will give a brief explanation of the Church of Bones or Ossuary that we visited on the first day of our trek. The story goes that in the 1400s the abbot of the monastery was sent to the holy land with a pile of money to bring back something for the church to make people think highly of it. He took the money, drank it all away and when he was supposed to come back with the holy item he had nothing. So he went to Golgotha picked up some dirt and brought it back with him. The king that sent him was so angry that he had brought back only dirt after all the money he had sent along, threw the dirt over the cemetry in a fit of rage.
Word spread that holy land dirt had been spread there and suddenly everyone and their uncle wanted to be buried at this particular church. In the late 1800's a fellow was commissioned to do something with all the bones and this is where our lovely Ossuary has arisen from.
Very creepy but so excellent.
Posts about Lake Bled my new favorite place to come soon! Enjoy the pictures for now!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Eastern Trekker Part 2
(Part 2 was written on the 11 hour train ride to Bled Slovenia)
Arriving in Budapest in the mid afternoon we had maybe an two hours to waste before we had to be ready for dinner and our boat trip along the river. Dinner was at a small restaurant the served some traditional Hungarian fair and although I opted for the vegetarian options it was still quite nice. Everyone was still feeling a bit tired and under the weather but we headed down to the river for our little boat cruise and after a little fresh air and some loud music everyone was in a much better mood. It was stunning to see Budapest lit up at night, all the buildings with the shadows dancing. It was the best way to see the city I think and unfortunately the only way that I saw most of it.
I was supposed to leave the group after our two days in Budapest but I was having such a good time with everyone that I made a last minute decision to request to stay with the group all the way to Split. I am extremely glad that I went with everyone but am a little sad I did not get to spend much time at all in the city. Hopefully, if I have time I can return on this trip and if not it will be included in the next one.
The morning we left Budapest I suffered from a small heart attack because I could not find my passport which I keep with me at all times unless we were going out for a big night in which case I lock it up at the hostel. I must have been packing and slipped it into the back pocket of my jeans temporarily until I could stick it in my shoulder bag. After ripping apart everything and nearly bursting into tears I found it and hurried to the bus that was waiting with everyone on it already. Only a slightly embarrassing/stressful moment.
We crossed the border into Croatia and for the first time in a month I was no longer in the EU. Our night was spent at a national park called Plitvice which is the home of some beautiful lakes, streams and waterfalls though we did not walk around the national park until the next day. Our night was spent at a campsite in cabins just outside the park. I wish I could have put up my tent and enjoyed a single night on my own but it was already booked the way it was. Because we were not in a place that was near and easy to access city, it was tradition to have a big bbq that night, our last big family dinner. We all had a blast and were eventually kicked out of the open area so the part moved to the bus. We were eventually tossed out of the bus as well because it was still too noisy so many headed down to the lake closest to the campsite. When we came back we were unfortunately met by the local Croatian Policemen and told to disperse or we would be kicked off the campsite. A fun night all around.
Our next day we spent 4 hours walking around the trails in the Plitvice park, taking pictures, retelling our stories from the week and relating what the plans were for the future. It was not the best weather, a low cast of fog hung around and it even drizzled a bit but even with that dampness it was worth the trip out there, the scenes are mor beautiful than any I have seen so far on my trip.
The night in Split was relaxed, we all went our separate ways for dinner as there are only small places to eat and with all the boats for the Croatia Sail trips docking that afternoon there were an excessive number of people in a town that is probably the same size of Tsawwassen. Do not be deceived by the maps on google my friends, google lies. They make this place look like a large port town but in reality you can walk across the centre in about 10 minutes if you are going slow.
We all met up at a pub that night after our dinners to say a final goodbye and good luck on everyone's journeys. Slowly everyone peeled away and went to bed a little earlier than we had all week, exhaustion had hit everyone. Some people were flying home, some were picking up on with the ships the next day, some were heading down to Dubrovnik and some, like me, had no plans passed that point. I was able to find accommodation for the next night but had no idea what was to happen as I was not supposed to be in Split so soon and I could not spend a week there waiting for my boat trip the next week. But sometimes it is ok not to have a plan, it leaves you able to have some spur of the moment fun. Right now I am on a train headed to Slovenia to visit Bled Lake on the advice of several people. I had not planned in any way to be going here on my trip and although it is a long trip there and back again I am making the most of it, enjoying the rolling hills and crumbling buildings along the way. I will be there for a couple of days probably then I am not sure what next, maybe back to Zagreb or Ljubljana.
For the next two days relaxing at a beautiful Slovenian lake is going to give this traveler the energy to continue on for another two months as right now my reserves are limited and going home to a bed of my own is beyond tempting. However, considering how quickly this month has already gone I am sure that in what will feel like and instant I will be at home in bed dreaming of being back here. So for today I will continue living the dream.
Arriving in Budapest in the mid afternoon we had maybe an two hours to waste before we had to be ready for dinner and our boat trip along the river. Dinner was at a small restaurant the served some traditional Hungarian fair and although I opted for the vegetarian options it was still quite nice. Everyone was still feeling a bit tired and under the weather but we headed down to the river for our little boat cruise and after a little fresh air and some loud music everyone was in a much better mood. It was stunning to see Budapest lit up at night, all the buildings with the shadows dancing. It was the best way to see the city I think and unfortunately the only way that I saw most of it.
I was supposed to leave the group after our two days in Budapest but I was having such a good time with everyone that I made a last minute decision to request to stay with the group all the way to Split. I am extremely glad that I went with everyone but am a little sad I did not get to spend much time at all in the city. Hopefully, if I have time I can return on this trip and if not it will be included in the next one.
The morning we left Budapest I suffered from a small heart attack because I could not find my passport which I keep with me at all times unless we were going out for a big night in which case I lock it up at the hostel. I must have been packing and slipped it into the back pocket of my jeans temporarily until I could stick it in my shoulder bag. After ripping apart everything and nearly bursting into tears I found it and hurried to the bus that was waiting with everyone on it already. Only a slightly embarrassing/stressful moment.
We crossed the border into Croatia and for the first time in a month I was no longer in the EU. Our night was spent at a national park called Plitvice which is the home of some beautiful lakes, streams and waterfalls though we did not walk around the national park until the next day. Our night was spent at a campsite in cabins just outside the park. I wish I could have put up my tent and enjoyed a single night on my own but it was already booked the way it was. Because we were not in a place that was near and easy to access city, it was tradition to have a big bbq that night, our last big family dinner. We all had a blast and were eventually kicked out of the open area so the part moved to the bus. We were eventually tossed out of the bus as well because it was still too noisy so many headed down to the lake closest to the campsite. When we came back we were unfortunately met by the local Croatian Policemen and told to disperse or we would be kicked off the campsite. A fun night all around.
Our next day we spent 4 hours walking around the trails in the Plitvice park, taking pictures, retelling our stories from the week and relating what the plans were for the future. It was not the best weather, a low cast of fog hung around and it even drizzled a bit but even with that dampness it was worth the trip out there, the scenes are mor beautiful than any I have seen so far on my trip.
The night in Split was relaxed, we all went our separate ways for dinner as there are only small places to eat and with all the boats for the Croatia Sail trips docking that afternoon there were an excessive number of people in a town that is probably the same size of Tsawwassen. Do not be deceived by the maps on google my friends, google lies. They make this place look like a large port town but in reality you can walk across the centre in about 10 minutes if you are going slow.
We all met up at a pub that night after our dinners to say a final goodbye and good luck on everyone's journeys. Slowly everyone peeled away and went to bed a little earlier than we had all week, exhaustion had hit everyone. Some people were flying home, some were picking up on with the ships the next day, some were heading down to Dubrovnik and some, like me, had no plans passed that point. I was able to find accommodation for the next night but had no idea what was to happen as I was not supposed to be in Split so soon and I could not spend a week there waiting for my boat trip the next week. But sometimes it is ok not to have a plan, it leaves you able to have some spur of the moment fun. Right now I am on a train headed to Slovenia to visit Bled Lake on the advice of several people. I had not planned in any way to be going here on my trip and although it is a long trip there and back again I am making the most of it, enjoying the rolling hills and crumbling buildings along the way. I will be there for a couple of days probably then I am not sure what next, maybe back to Zagreb or Ljubljana.
For the next two days relaxing at a beautiful Slovenian lake is going to give this traveler the energy to continue on for another two months as right now my reserves are limited and going home to a bed of my own is beyond tempting. However, considering how quickly this month has already gone I am sure that in what will feel like and instant I will be at home in bed dreaming of being back here. So for today I will continue living the dream.
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| Eastern Trekker Crew |
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Eastern Trekker Part 1
Two days ago was the official one month mark on my journey. I spent than night in Budapest with my wonderful trip mates on my Eastern Trekker adventure. I was very wary of joining on with a tour group and even after getting on the bus I was worried that it was going to be a long and hard week filled with potential misery (keep in mind I had spent a few days in Prague watching the constant inflow/outflow of Contiki tour groups at my hostel). However, I am writing this post while sitting on the bus after extending my trip that was supposed to end two days so that I could finish off my tour with everyone else. So to say the least I had a great time.
I cannot begin to relate all the wonderful things that we have done on this trip but some of the most fun I have had so far have been in with this crew. Our guide, Rene and driver, Vlad have really brought us all to some special places.
On the first day we stopped to sleep in Olomouc a town about 6 hour driving from Prague. It was quaint and lovely to look at though we really were not there for long, only an overnight stop really. We went out for 'family dinner' as our large group dinners were referred to, walked around the town and went to take some pictures at a strange bar that is on old plane that had been donated to the town for some impossibly strange reason I am sure.
Mornings always come early it seems, as the bus is always on the road by about 8am. Our second day was very full. We drove through to Poland and to our first major stop of the trip, Auschwitz. We had a 3 hour guided tour including Auschwitz I and Birkenau. It is a very emotional and devastating experience to walk on the grounds and it is not something that can easily be described. I am glad that I was able to see and hear the history and statistics first hand but it was not something that leaves you with any kind of good feeling afterward. I am sure the near silence on the bus ride the rest of the way to Krakow was an indication as to how people were feeling after an extremely heavy afternoon. I did take pictures here for the sake of memorial but will not be posting them publicly. If anyone is interested we can definitely go through them together.
Krakow, our final destination that day, is a beautiful city, we all went out the first evening and then half of us woke up early for a bike tour the next morning and half took the afternoon. Considering it poured all afternoon I think the morning people were the winners that day. We visited the Jewish district, the historical sights and even the Schindler's factory.
After a day and a half in Krakow, which was not nearly enough time, we moved on to our next destination, Zakopane, which is a cute ski resort town in Poland. We got there early enough that we could ride up the funicular to the mid mountain area and walk around a bit. Unfortunately, the weather has not been cooperating with us on this trip and it was actually quite cool and wet that day so only a short while was spent outside. It was neat to walk through the street markets or as the Aussies like to call them, malls, where people were selling tourist novelties,leather and fur goods and smoked cheese. It was a bit odd that all the things being sold were the exact same in many of the shops and for the same price. There had to be at least 50 separate cheese stands that sold the exact same smoked cheese for the same price. Zakopane is not a big place so I'm not really sure the theory behind it all. Also, the ski hill although cute did not look overly challenging so it's probably not one of the ones I would hurry back to in the winter.
That evening we had another 'family dinner' at a place dubbed the 'Meat Palace'. As I am not much of a meat eater myself, the thought of going to a place with meat platters that held multiple different meats from multiple animals was not overly appealing to me. However, when in Poland one must participate in the local customs so three of us went in on one of the platter and I ordered a couple sides of veggies to go with in case they were to be my meal instead.
I have taken pictures of the monstrosity that was the meat platter and even without experiencing it that night I think most people would gag a little at the quantity included. I was only adventrous enouh to try a couple different bits but after that I resorted to eating my vegitable place. There were many people that after that night had, what we will call, stomach 'issues' that continued for the rest of the trip. Eating too much meat will leave you paying for many days apparently. I knew there was a reason I didn't much care for it.
The next day we headed to what was supposed to be my final destination , Budapest. The day was long, no one was feeling good on the bus and most were grumpy. Out of all the days I think that trip from Zakopane to Budapest was the most difficult. Even I felt like I was ready to strangle someone. Once again a late night and early morning had left everyone worn out.
To Be Continued....
I cannot begin to relate all the wonderful things that we have done on this trip but some of the most fun I have had so far have been in with this crew. Our guide, Rene and driver, Vlad have really brought us all to some special places.
On the first day we stopped to sleep in Olomouc a town about 6 hour driving from Prague. It was quaint and lovely to look at though we really were not there for long, only an overnight stop really. We went out for 'family dinner' as our large group dinners were referred to, walked around the town and went to take some pictures at a strange bar that is on old plane that had been donated to the town for some impossibly strange reason I am sure.
Mornings always come early it seems, as the bus is always on the road by about 8am. Our second day was very full. We drove through to Poland and to our first major stop of the trip, Auschwitz. We had a 3 hour guided tour including Auschwitz I and Birkenau. It is a very emotional and devastating experience to walk on the grounds and it is not something that can easily be described. I am glad that I was able to see and hear the history and statistics first hand but it was not something that leaves you with any kind of good feeling afterward. I am sure the near silence on the bus ride the rest of the way to Krakow was an indication as to how people were feeling after an extremely heavy afternoon. I did take pictures here for the sake of memorial but will not be posting them publicly. If anyone is interested we can definitely go through them together.
Krakow, our final destination that day, is a beautiful city, we all went out the first evening and then half of us woke up early for a bike tour the next morning and half took the afternoon. Considering it poured all afternoon I think the morning people were the winners that day. We visited the Jewish district, the historical sights and even the Schindler's factory.
After a day and a half in Krakow, which was not nearly enough time, we moved on to our next destination, Zakopane, which is a cute ski resort town in Poland. We got there early enough that we could ride up the funicular to the mid mountain area and walk around a bit. Unfortunately, the weather has not been cooperating with us on this trip and it was actually quite cool and wet that day so only a short while was spent outside. It was neat to walk through the street markets or as the Aussies like to call them, malls, where people were selling tourist novelties,leather and fur goods and smoked cheese. It was a bit odd that all the things being sold were the exact same in many of the shops and for the same price. There had to be at least 50 separate cheese stands that sold the exact same smoked cheese for the same price. Zakopane is not a big place so I'm not really sure the theory behind it all. Also, the ski hill although cute did not look overly challenging so it's probably not one of the ones I would hurry back to in the winter.
That evening we had another 'family dinner' at a place dubbed the 'Meat Palace'. As I am not much of a meat eater myself, the thought of going to a place with meat platters that held multiple different meats from multiple animals was not overly appealing to me. However, when in Poland one must participate in the local customs so three of us went in on one of the platter and I ordered a couple sides of veggies to go with in case they were to be my meal instead.
I have taken pictures of the monstrosity that was the meat platter and even without experiencing it that night I think most people would gag a little at the quantity included. I was only adventrous enouh to try a couple different bits but after that I resorted to eating my vegitable place. There were many people that after that night had, what we will call, stomach 'issues' that continued for the rest of the trip. Eating too much meat will leave you paying for many days apparently. I knew there was a reason I didn't much care for it.
The next day we headed to what was supposed to be my final destination , Budapest. The day was long, no one was feeling good on the bus and most were grumpy. Out of all the days I think that trip from Zakopane to Budapest was the most difficult. Even I felt like I was ready to strangle someone. Once again a late night and early morning had left everyone worn out.
To Be Continued....
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