“Come away with me, Sabina, come to my island. Come to my island of red peppers sizzling over slow braseros, Moorish earthen jars catching the gold water, palm trees, wild cats fighting, at dawn a donkey sobbing, feet on coral reefs and sea-anemones, the body covered with long seaweeds, Melisande’s hair hanging over the balcony at the Opera Comique, inexorable diamond sunlight, heavy nerveless hours in the violaceous shadows, ash-colored rocks and olive trees, lemon trees with lemons hung like lanterns at a garden party, bamboo shoots forever trembling, soft-sounding espadrilles, pomegranate spurting blood, a flute-like Moorish chant, long and insistent, of the ploughmen, trilling, swearing, trilling and cursing, dropping perspiration on the earth with the seeds.”

~~from “House of Incest” by Anaïs Nin

Date: 24.7.09 – 20.8.09

Route: Vienna – Lutherstadt Wittenberg – Potsdam – Berlin – Prague – Vienna

I’m in Vienna. Been here for about a month now. More said on that later.

I took an interesting week tour up to Germany and Czech. First up Andreas’ and Theresa’s Catholic wedding in Wittenberg, where Martin Luther spent most of his years working and living. The ceremony was followed by a garden party with arranged seats, games, rock music, and a talented fire dancer later on in the night. I spent the following day touring the old streets, art exhibits, famous personages’ houses, and brilliantly crafted churches and towers. Then it was off to Potsdam with the slow-tempered brother of Andreas, name of Matthias. He lives in an old Victorian house with ancient cellar and rooftops and, through a clever chance of luck, all by himself. He introduced me to the gilded gardens, tea parlors, and palaces of Sanssoucci.

That Tuesday I took one of the notoriously efficient and expensive German trains up to Berlin, the modern city that still hangs its past heavily in its branches. Stayed with the fun, no-nonsense and lovable Maria as a couchsurfer, visited the Film Museum, the Wall in Potsdamer Platz, East Side Gallery, Checkpoint Charlie, Bauhaus Gallery, the SS Outdoor Museum, the Holocaust Memorial Maze, and Alexanderplatz where a trio of cellists and violinists were serenading the streets with waltzes and tangoes. Also the MOST AMAZING STREET in Berlin, the artistic and grungy Oranienburger Straße, where artists huddled up together in their swaddling colors and tools to create the odd shape and form.

It was next to Prague, where I stayed at this huge student dorm on the eastern side. Made friends with the young bartender there who is studying mechanical engineering, we exchanged card games and language tips. Prague must be one of my favorite cities ever, old, archaic, slithering with culture and history, slanted with an attitude, pulsing with graffiti and smelling of something like rose petals, river, and old piss. Perfect. Walked around early, 7am before the city was awake, through the old and clean Mala Strana, and the sun still white-gold with dreams. Bought some metal earrings for a friend from the sleepy-eyed jeweler on Charles Bridge. In the new city visited some traditional dark and dank pubs, tried some delicious onion soup, afterwhich I just had to visit the Museum of Communism. Came out feeling very patriotic towards Czech herself, haha!

Vienna herself is a multifaceted, white-gray city, a clean shock from the grungy streets of backwater Prague; I am quite in love with this city. Strolling through the streets of Old Town, swimming in the Danube, checking out the bookstores, the gardens behind Stephansplatz, enjoying street performers, exploring the Oper Haus, biking at night down the jewel-bedecked Ringstrasse. Enjoying Wurstknodel, Wiener Schnitzel, Sachertorte…

Vienna seems to cling to its history, proud and illustrious, the whispers of the Jung Wien clinging to the cafes. Kleiners Cafe, my favori. I hope I come back. I know I will come back.

…no one’s heard of Rakia and the trains are on time. (!)

Where: Ljubljana – Bled – Vienna
When: 16.7.09 – 23.07.09

So, last time you heard from me I was typing in the lovely, if boring, city of Ljubljana. Not much has happened since, taking it slow. We stayed over at the place of the two Slovenian girls we met through Igor K. during Exit in Novi Sad. It was really low-key and relaxing, enjoying movies, visiting lakes and caves. Oh, and we ran into Grant and Alicia from Morocco by Lake Bohinj! RANDOM. Noura and I were in shock for so long. We chatted for about 3 minutes and then off they went, before we knew it.

One of the most beautiful natural things I have ever seen is the Stocjan caves in south-west Slovenia. The lamps brimmed like spotlights on the rope bridges we climbed, peering down into the half-lit, flooded underground canyon.

Anyway, we hitchhiked about 7 tiems all the way to Vienna, which didn’t take that long, maybe 6-7 hours. Met our host, the red-bearded, shaolin kung fu master known as Hannes, who lives about ten minutes north of the city center, in Taborstrasse. Vienna is quite grandiose, beautiful, with a wealth of cultural and artistic things to offer. Noura and I explored the old town, the Leopold museum and Kunst Haus Wien, a digital museum and a film museum, parks and bridges. Ah! Bliss. I could live here, definitely. People are not as approachable in the Balkans, but there is so much diversity!

Last night, our final night as an adventuring duo, Hannes took us up out of Wien to the lower peaks of Kahlenburg, where we watched the sunset and sat in the darkness looking down over the bespeckled city. Could spot the Riesenrad from where we were. Not far from our lookout we wandered into the darkness to the Circle of Trees, where stands several trees and bushes around one, each one representing a birth period of three weeks. Noura is the lustful hazelnut, I the crafty tannenbaum.

Anyway, there was much emotion in these last few days, Noura and I parted ways with gentle and promising hearts. She left this morning around 7am to catch a bus to Prague (spent a whole morning running around looking for the bus station by the way), and I stayed here and biked around the city for a while with the free city bikes available.

The chapter of our Balkan adventure has closed. It was wonderful, sweet, amazing, incredible, breathtaking, challenging, exhausting, exhilarating.

No one has caused me look so differently at myself and the world as has my companion for these past two months.

As she has said, our time travelling has not been a tour, but has developed into a lifestyle.

May the chapter of my final year at university begin.

But not until I squeeze a few more countries in over the next 3 weeks.

VIVE LA VIE!

WOW so yes I know it’s been forever since I updated the blog. Thus, route is very long.
Where: Dubrovnik – Split – Hvar – Split – Mostar – Banja Luka – Sarajevo – Beograd – Novi Sad – Zagreb – Ljubljana
When: 2.7.09 – 16.7.09

where to start, where to start…
CROATIA = HRVATSKA
Well, Croatia is beautiful, picturesque, gorgeous, blah blah blah, lots of beaches and pink sand and green mountains and AMAZING misty islands, cool steep old towns smelling vaguely of fish…In Dubrovnik the old city is practically shaped around tourists, crowded but cool little alleys if you know where to look. We checked out some metal markets and old cathedrals and a tiny aquarium which, I must say, was not worth the 4 bucks we paid to get in. BUT later on there was a Libertas film festival we caught, two hours of free short films from Croatia, Poland, France, Slovenia…they were pretty amazing, all of them. Romance, horror, comedy, take your pick.

I would say I like Split better, it had more ‘character’ more attitude with a huge roman palace chalked in chiaroscuro and washed by the sea winds. Not much, swam a little, got chatted up by two Norwegian dudes, wandered around. I dunno, but something about spending so much money at one sitting sours the travel experience. Which is why I was relieved to escape back east to the mountains of Bosnia. Oh yes, that night we also got kicked out of our hostel (by a little misunderstanding and overbooking) and almost despaired over shots of vodka when we found another place, waaaay cheaper. Score! It was one of THOSE nights, you know, the ones you figure what-the-hell and feel like doing the randomest shit. Thank god we found a bed before we did any more damage besides terrorizing the waitresses of overexpensive bars.

ANYWAY, it took us about 2 hours to escape Split, since we took the highway to hitchhike. We finally nailed it with some very well-built bloke on his way to (guess it?) MOSTAR our destination yay! But, of course, we just HAD to take a detour into one of the quietest, most loveliest, secretive beaches right off the Dalmatian coast, where this boy Pavle dared Noura to jump off a 15m cliff which she subsequently did. Haha!

He also showed us these two amazing crater lakes, Blue Lake and Red Lake. We spent half-hour by Red Lake, trying to toss stones into the water–but the gravity is so strong, and the crater is so deep, that the cliff’s gravity actually pulls the stones INTO the cliffside, never hitting the water!! wow! Red Lake is also where they used to throw in the bodies of dead soldiers from wwii. and guess what–despite some investigations into its coppery depths, no human eye has yet seen the bottom! woooo~!!! twilight zone music ensues.

BOSNIA
Anyway, so he dropped us off at a hostel and we explored Mostar for a day. It was incredible, with the classic famous arch bridge, destroyed in the recent war, and buildings bullet-ridden, dividing the Croat and Muslim sides. There, on the curvy streets, we met Arek and Rafal, two crazy Polish dudes biking and camping their way down to South Africa from Poland. They were playing their guitars and singing in half-broken voices to collect beer money. I love Poles! They were so funny, entertaining, and we explored some mosques and later drank wine and vodka down by the riverside. Only Rafal spoke English, but Arek managed to teach us some Polish swear words and other random phrases like: Bunkeruff njema. O lyetse boza! Or something. I have it written down. Down by the river we almost got accosted by these friendly, if assertive, Bosnian boys, but, escaping them, Noura had the BRILLIANT IDEA to invite the Poles to sleep at our place, even though this is kind of sketch. Haha! So the next morning, as we are trying to sneak out of there, the owner bursts out (the owner is a huge bear of a man, by the way, shaved head and all) and starts yelling for money. We finally calm him down after 10 minutes, and the Poles bike along their adventure, 10 euros short. It was hilarious, if somewhat nerve-wracking.

So anyway, NEXT, we hitchhike all the way to Banja Luka, where the next three nights we stay with the fabulous, fast-talking Igor K., who takes his entire weekend to hang out with us–take us to a local rock concert, drink with his friends, visit the little citadel, bike to his summer home, visit an abandoned factory…he really was very accommodating, and a most delightful host!! One of our best couchsurfer hosts so far. I really hope to meet him again. PLUS, when we said goodbye he gave me a Serbian-English phrasebook, and anyone who knows me can just imagine my excitement!

Our next stop was sarajevo, the sleepy, small, sunny, circular city with a bagload of stories to tell. Stayed with a French intern, who took us to two bars, one a smoky, rakija-saturated bar with musicians painted on the walls and traditional music every monday. Met a fantastic girl from Vancouver, Washington. The second bar was actually a theatre bar, where we were treated to loads of short films on communism and some lovely honey rakija. Then it was off to Beograd!

SERBIA
It was initially a nightmarish day for hitchhiking, we walked 1km to the edge of sarajevo, caught about 7 different rides to Beograd. One time we waited for half-hour until an old man whose car smelt like a strawberry banana milkshake picked us up. Another time, we walked for an hour before escaping a tiny town just across the border. (the border, by the way, is a little rusty bridge, where serbs and bosnians walk across nonchalant with their groceries) Then, it happened to start STORMING while we were stuck in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but a truckstop to protect us from the lightning. Fortunately, I caught a truck about an hour later, and who dropped us, shivering and dripping, 5 km from Beograd. Had to take a taxi the rest of the way. Woo! Quite an aventure for one day, I think!

Beograd is an awesome city, with old austrian-inspired buildings cast over with colorful graffiti and a grayish tint that is decidedly unique. It is amazing, just large enough to keep the traveler inspired. We visited Sasha’s jazz club, but unfortunately he wasn’t there. Checked out the Nikola Tesla museum, where we got to see his innovative bladeless fan (which is still not being commercialized?!?) and his electro-zapper thingy. First discovered alternative energy and remote engineering. It is a perfect city for idling, visiting parks, fountains, outdoor art exhibitions, gelato, statues, cafes, creative bars and whatnot. You feel relaxed, inspired, and sort of alternative at the same time. There was also a huge marketplace with special arts and crafts, each seller for his own. Bought a cool copper and marble necklace, received a bonus ring from the clerk, Pavle. I was accosted by two reporters interviewing foreigners for a city magazine. What do you think of Beograd? What about Serbian guys? You can find the paper and article here.

Stayed for one night, then it was off to Novi Sad for the Exit Festival. We stayed with this totally cool guy, Igor G. Although this Igor is more reserved than the last one in Banja Luka, just give him some beers and some topic–tattoos, comic books, films, politics, religion–and he opens up with a quirky smile. He took us to his favorite haunt, a bar called Frida, everyday and left us alone every night to party at the 4-day concert of Exit. Saw some interesting bands, notably The Prodigy, Arctic Monkeys and Patti Smith.

Sad to leave Igor and Novi Sad, we had to hop on the night train to Zagreb, which arrived at 6am in the morning. Extremely hot at first, trapped in a booth with 3 talkative british girls, but everyone passed out so it was A-ok. BREATHTAKING sunrise, by the way, the red sun shyly peeking through feets upon feets of fog. Later on in the day, we met the lovely CSers, Marija and Danijela, both medical students studying hard to pass their third year of medical school. In Croatia, m.d. school is different, you take 3 years of general medicine, 3 years of field practice, and then you specialize. No bachelor’s necessary. They were darling girls, taking a bit to warm up, but soon revealed a mountain of knowledge of literature, politics, and science. I think they study because they find it fun. We had to leave early and switch to another CSer’s place, the fast-talking, charming, hilarious Ivan, and after he offered us everything under the sun (including our own separate bedrooms!), international phone, computers, etc., and showed us his fascinating pictures of Berlin, we took him out with the girls to a couple of local, low-key bars. One of which, by the way, played oldies’ music and so, naturally, the girls and I danced until 3:30am.

So now I am in Ljubljana, Slovenia, wheeling away one of those lazy days on the computer, got loads of business done by the way (you know they’ve never heard of the phrase ‘run some errands’ here in the balkans?) so kudos. It’s so different here, like we’ve finally left the Balkans and entered Central Europe, the buildings, the atmosphere, the automatic voices announcing train times??? (So advanced!) Haha! After Morocco and the Balkans, toilet paper seems a luxury sometimes haha! The city here is gorgeous but super tiny and we’re heading to Bled and the lakes, hopefully catch the caves tomorrow or Sunday. So, it is until next time, hvala ciao~!

Disclaimer: All in good humor and fun! (^.^)

First of all, survive on 1 meal a day, presumably the lovely and irreplaceable Shopska salad, tomatoes, paprika, onions, lettuce, pepper, salt, smothered in a heap of grated soft white goat cheese. Snacks, if necessary, should be peaches or cherries or otherwise delicious fruits in season.
Second, drink loads of thick Bosnian coffee in the morning. This will empty your bowels of all the food / drink of the day before.
Third, forget your ferry ticket, or your concert ticket, and run back and forth half a kilometer to retrieve said belongings in 10 minutes before concert starts or ferry leaves.
Fourth, scale EVERY SINGLE fortress/dungeon/palace that you can, don’t forget the 300 steps to the highest point of the cliffside citadel.
Fifth, walk 1 kilometer every day to hitchhike out of a major city, bonus if sun takes off 1 kilo in sweat of summer heat.
Sixth, bike 20 kms on your restful days to ensure that your legs never get a break from pumping action.
Seventh, perform runners under the influence of tequila and strange heart-attack-inducing shooters composed of mozarts, kahlua, espresso, and bailey’s. Run for a good 10 minutes to ensure loss of kilos gained and, as bonus, you won’t spend the night in a foreign jail!
Eighth, down three shots of sweet peach-flavored rakia while chatting up lesbians in a smoky bar to induce bulimia-resembling effects.
Ninth, dance the craziest you have in your life for 8 hours of the night at a 26-stage, 4-night concert!

HAHA not saying I’ve done all these things. HAHA.

Oh, it’s my birthday! I’ve been able to drink legally in the US for 1 whole year as of today WOWWW!