the road just rose out behind me

Channel hopping: a case study

2010-07-12T18:45:00.000+01:00

I've been a bit of a Eurostar whore lately; the details aren't important, except the one that has me in Paris on a Friday, which seems like too good of an opportunity to waste. I've booked a ticket for the man to come out and join me, then we'll both travel back together on Sunday evening.

It's a common complain that flights are cheaper than train travel in Europe, and that's sometimes indisputably true but not always. Quite often, the opportunity cost even out with a slightly larger cost, but sometimes the base fare is actually comparable.

Take for example this ticket I just bought for 4:55pm train from London to Paris on a Friday evening in October. The eurostar fare was £50

A quick search on skyscanner revealed the cheapest fare for a similar flight would be £25. On one hand, that's only a difference of £25, which isn't a huge deal, but it's also 50% cheaper. But that's just the base fare for the flight. To check a bag (which might not be necessary for a weekend, but for some would be) is an additional £9. And then the "booking charges". Paying by a visa debit card adds £3.50; paying by a credit card adds £8. Let's say for the sake of the extra insurance paying by credit card pays, I decide to use it for my dodgy flight, and I'm not a super duper one bag packer, so I need to check a suitcase. Now I'm paying £41.99 which isn't looking so hot against the £50 fare, especially considering all of the stress and environmental guilt that goes along with flying.

But wait! There's more!

To get to St Pancras, it's a stroll down from my office, or a £1 bus fare from home. It will cost the man a little bit more to get there directly from work: £1.80 tube fare. Shocking. To get to the airport at Luton, however, the train also leaves from St Pancras... and we all know how reasonable train fares in the UK are. Transport to the airport is an additional £11.90, on top of the tube fare. So now the flight costs £55.69 versus £51.80 for the train.

And of course, the train spits you out in central Paris. You might need a €1.60 metro fare to get to your destination. By contrast RER fare from CDG airport to central Paris is €8.40. So now the flight is costing an additional £3.89 and €6.8. Not a huge difference, but it's certainly not working out cheaper. You might break even by not checking a bag.

But at least you'll save time by flying, right?

Au contraire. Eurostar recommends arriving 45 min prior to depart, which means getting to St Pancras by 4:10 for a 4:55pm train. For a 7pm flight, Easyjet recommends arriving 2 hours ahead of time. A train leaves St Pancras for Luton at 4:30 arriving just after 5. Then of course there is the 50 minute RER journey at the other end of the flight. The flight arrives at 9:20 pm; the train arrives at 8:20pm. So while you'd need to be at St Pancras 20 minutes later to catch your flight, you'd arrive in central Paris nearly two hours after the train has arrived. You save about an hour and a half by taking the train versus flying.

The Eurostar is faster, cheaper, emissions free, and for most people, much more enjoyable. I can't think of a better way to get from London to Paris, except perhaps cycling (I hear that is pretty fun too.)

Stoke newington hippies stike again

2010-07-09T12:14:00.000+01:00

Just back from the pet store, where I bought a cat scratcher with *organic* catnip. I suppose they think they can get away with it, but who am I kidding, of course they can. I would rather have the one I bought last time for £3 less but it's a scratcher that lasts months so I wasn't going to quibble over it.

I was after a compostable cat litter, and wasn't planning on being too picky, but I was amazed at the wide selection of "bio" cat litter they had. Tonks is not so picky, but I finally decided I was maybe asking a bit much of him using plain newspaper when he woke me up at 4 am to let him outside for the toilet. I'm planning on still layering the litter I bought with newspaper on the bottom to make it last longer, we'll see how it works.

But back to the litter -- at least three difference kinds purporting to be ecologically friendly, in paper bags. I bought Clean & Green, the kind with the most detail about *why* it was ecologically friendly (made from poplar trees planted just for cat litter, which suck carbon dioxide from the air while they're growing, and a no-emissions manufacturing process. Supposedly). It wasn't the cheapest -- about £8 for 2.5 kilos and the other ones were that much for more litter, but I don't mind paying a bit more, I guess, since I don't expect to use a lot (haven't bought cat litter since January; we've been on the newspaper experiment since running out.) Also it was lighter to carry home.

Hmm, I've just done some research and it turns out the cat litter is made by Almo Nature, a company that makes really posh all natural pet food. Food in which the main ingredient is chicken! I got some samples once, and Tonks loved it (it was wet food), but I figured it would cost about £3 a day to feed him, which is almost how much I spend on food for myself, so... no.

The Tea Rooms, Church St

2010-05-18T14:20:00.000+01:00

£: 2.00 for drink-in cappuccino. Loyalty card

Atmosphere: yummy mummies chatting and artistic looking guy reading poetry

Pros:Large window opening onto church st. Amble background noise but not too distracting.

Cons:Traffic a bit loud

Open until 6pm

In Istanbul

2008-08-07T20:12:00.001+01:00

But I'm not goıng to wrıte a post because thıs turkısh keyboard ıs too annoyıng to type onç

Amateur Linguistics

2008-08-04T10:32:00.004+01:00

Jenn and I are in Plovdiv (safe, for all you worriers). We were supposed to be on the Istanbul train tonight but it is full!! I am kinda bummed about that, but what can you do. I have waited three years to be in Istanbul, I can wait another day. Plovdiv is a really nice, charming city, the second biggest in Bulgaria. You should remember from last year that I really like Bulgaria. I am having somewhat of a different experience here this year. Now I know even Serbian that every Slavic language doesn't sound like Serbia (I used to think Polish or Russian classmates were great at Serbian when they were really just speaking in their mother tongue), it's nice that Bulgarian doesn't sound like Serbian to me, especially since I can realise how similair the languages actually are. Of course, this doesn't mean I can get around in Serbian. I egotistically thought so, but now I'm thinking whenever I say anything in Serbian, what I want is so obvious that I could be speaking English. Today while trying to order a pancake/crepe the conversation went something like this:

me:PETnaest
lady:?
me:PETnaest
lady:?
me: *points to 15 on menu*
lady: oh, petNAEST

Apparently the accent is in a different place on the word than in Serbian. My host corrects me everytime I say ZAsto ne (zaSTO ne or zasto da ne in Serbian. with a thingie over the S. Why not. One of my favorite phrases.) Either that or I don't say things correctly in Serbian. Who knows.

We've had many hilarious linguistics incidents. Here is a typo Bulgarian joke I will share with you:
What's the difference between Roma and Macedonians?
The Roma have a language but no nation, Macedonians have a nation but no language. (Bulgarians think Macedonian is simply a dialect of Bulgarian.)

I'm sure this is just another side effect of learning a slavic language

2008-07-28T22:44:00.003+01:00

Something I've noticed when speaking or writing extensively in English: the English language is soo... imprecise. As it, it lacks cases. It's starting to feel so sloppy!

The Hague's Most Wanted

2008-07-22T20:57:00.003+01:00

My host country is again in the news for something good, which is almost a newsworthy even in and of itself. Just kidding. I love you, Serbia.

It seems that notorious Bosnian Serb war criminal Karadzic has been arrested in Belgrade, where he had been hiding under an assumed identity. This is a really big deal since one of the main conditions for Serbia entering talks with the EU is they cooperate handing over war criminals to the Hague. It's kinda an open secret that Karadzic and Mladic were hiding somewhere in Bosnia or Serbia and that if they reeeeally wanted to, the Serb authorities could track them down and arrest them. The fact that Karadzic was arrested two weeks after a new, pro-Europe government came to power in Serbia sort of seems to confirm this. A lot of people think Serbia will never join the EU, but a lot of people also thought that Karadzic would never get arrested, so who knows. I guess anything can happen in this crazy world.

So what do the people on the street think? Unfortunately I am not any special help here, as I haven't heard anyone talking about it. My language school is stubbornly apolitical and the two people I've hung out with today didn't mention in. Instead of politics we talked about music and sex in the city. Maybe there is more in common between Americans and Serbs than previously suspected! But I do know that most Serbs are fed up with the Hague because a lot of Croatian and KLA war criminals "suspects" have been acquitted. I can't really blame them, and it would be hypocritical anyway since America has such issues with the ICJ. Extradite Bush!! I mean...

Anyway, I am an optimist and like to take any sign as a hail of the coming of good times. So, yay. Basically anything that will get Serbia closer to joining the EU is a good thing in my opinion, whatever the naysayers say. If I know anything about the current situation in Serbia, it's that Serbs are tired of having to get visas to move ten feet to the left. But I think this article from the NYT, basically crediting the EU with everything good that has happened is Serbia in pretty much ever, is a little over the top. Sooo typical. Never the twain shall meet?

***DISCLAIMER
despite appearances, I actually don't know what I'm talking about. So if you disagree, please don't get mad.

It’s a winding road

2008-07-05T22:26:00.001+01:00

Exactly one year ago I got on a plane with a backpack and two suitcases and officially became an expat. What followed is an era of great excitement and satisfaction, but also frustration and disappointment. The greatest adventure of my life turned out to also be one of the most difficult. Had I know that, I might not have attempted – or I would have at least thought twice about it. But is it worth it? Hell, yeah. I don’t want to dissuade anyone who might be thinking of taking a giant leap, so maybe I should focus on the glamorous side. But, on the other hand, there are always people so much better at that than I am.

You're an expatriate. You've lost touch with the soil. You get precious. Fake European standards have ruined you. You drink yourself to death. You become obsessed by sex. You spend all your time talking, not working. You are an expatriate, see? You hang around cafés.

--Ernest Hemmingway

Celebrating defeat

2008-07-04T21:42:00.004+01:00

Happy fourth of July to all my American readers. (Is there anyone else?) If I were in America I would have sent the day swimming and eating and the evening watching fireworks subconsciously thinking it was a German bombardment. If I were in England I would have gone with Jenn to some celebration in the American part of East Anglia. But here in Serbia, the 4th has passed without remark. In its honor I’d like to talk about another national holiday that has been (at least seemingly) ignored.
If you paid attention in history class or listened to Franz Ferdinand’s self-referential B-side, you might recognize June 28th as the day Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated. In fact the holiday goes back even further to 1389 and the battle of Kosovo, where the Serbs were defeated by the Turks, marking the beginning of 500 years of Ottoman oppression blah blah blah. I was a little nervous, having read in Misha Glenny’s The Fall of Yugoslavia about the showy nationalistic events that marked the 600th anniversary of the day, about even being in Serbia on Vidovdan, especially this year, the first year of Kosovo’s Independence (maybe. We try not to talk about it too much.) However, much to my surprise, had I not known that June the 28th was a remarkable day, I would not have noticed. In fact even knowing, I did not notice. Not one event did I see advertised, not one comment was made to me (that I understood) that would indicate that it was the day that until recently many considered the most important day in the history of Serbia.
On Saturday I met up with some friends and friends of friends in the center (as the cool part of Novi Sad is called). Novi Sad, being the cosmopolitan capital of a cosmopolitan region, was hosting an alternative theatre festival. We went to a performance in dunavska park. It mostly involved dramatic (exhaust fumiful) car chases, in line skating, acrobatics and fire stunts. There were a few monologues of which I managed to catch a few words, but I think my lack of understanding actually added quite a bit to my enjoyment of the show. I could make up my own interpretation of what each bit was supposed to symbolize. The man being hung by his feet by the two black-clad assassins (NATO?) was Kosovo; the woman bringing him back to life was Serbia. I don’t know. Does it matter? Apparently, not. That, at least, is something to be thankful for.

These are only my impressions. Your results may vary.

Serbian Food part 2: fruits & veggies

2008-06-26T13:04:00.002+01:00

Actually I have decided I'm just going to live off the market.

Yesterday's take. Total: 200 din, or £2, aka what you would pay for 6 lackluster tomatoes and 4 sickly peaches... if they were on sale. The tomatoes don't look very red because of the flash but they are, oh they are.

Today's take: Total: about 200 din. The blob in the plastic bag is kajmak, a love-it or hate-it Serbian cheese, cross between butter and cream cheese. I love it.

Šopska salata, today's lunch

Serbian food!

2008-06-23T16:50:00.002+01:00

I am currently rethinking the purpose of this blog but for now have some pictures:

Serbian food has a reputation somewhat like that of British food but actually, like British food, it is not too bad. So long as you like meat. Heaven help the vegetarian, whose options are limited to; fried potatoes, cheese, cucumbers and tomatoes. And I'd better not forget beer, coffee, and cigarettes, since these are a food group in and of themselves for most Serbs. All the same, there are delicious palancinke to be had, yummy pastries, and loads of fruits and vegetables, at least in the summer (and I intend to never experience a Serbian winter, if I can help it). Obviously I won't starve, but it might be a challenge to eat healthy and not gain a lot of weight! And how early, exactly, will I have to get up for it to be cool enough to run? Ah well.

I went to the grocery store after my lesson today and that is always an interesting experience. I was really disappointed with the selection of fruits & veggies but maybe one has to go to the market for that. No problem. In the meantime I bought plenty of things to tide me over. It always amazes me how much salami etc costs, about 8000 din for what would cost 1/4 that in the UK!

Things you should always do before a trip:

2008-05-24T17:43:00.001+01:00

Make sure the hostel has a kitchen
Plan route from airport to hostel and look up times
Double check opening and closing times for sights you want to see, especially if you are traveling off season as these can close ridiculously early
Plan a vague itinerary based on area so you're not running all over the city every day
Don't go to the airport hungry
Take your sunglasses!

Just so you know I'm alive...

2008-05-08T07:35:00.003+01:00

What to say about Athens? I think it can be summed up in a couple of statistics: 500 years under the Turks, 8 million Italian troops, and 9,000 dog bites per year. Well, the later applied to Bucharest, I'll explain later.

I love these charming asides

2008-05-03T20:42:00.003+01:00

Tonight I am wielding google to prepare for my upcoming trip to visit a dear old friend currently in Athens. The great thing about wikitravel? Anyone can write in it. Take for example this article on traveling to the islands:

All the young european "routard" choose the deck, so in August it's possible that you must sleep near somebody never seen... who isn't really clean; during the night you can be sad, but after it will becomes funny thinking about.

Here's the thing

2008-03-30T12:49:00.000+01:00

If I were unfortunate enough to be traveling via Heathrow's new terminal, I would not check my bag. I would just not do it. Period. Seriously, what do people think is going to happen?

Travel Diary: 19 Feb 2008. Jaywalking in Berlin: First impressions.

2008-03-09T22:32:00.000Z

-I love the huge dogs that trot along lead-less besides their owners – but not the presents left behind for me to tread in if I am not careful. (Berlin is not as clean as I thought it would be – not like Munich and Frankfurt, the other two cities in Germany I have been to. But I suppose it has that gritty modern city feeling to it.)

-I love the way people ride their bicycles through the wide modern streets – but not the way they almost knock me over.

-I love the old-fashioned little green and red men, and the fact that people stop for pedestrians –but no one seems to jay walk. I wonder if it's illegal? It tries my Londoner's patience.

And the walls came a-tumbling down

2008-02-21T11:29:00.000Z

Hello again from Berlin. I was in luck and my host lent me his camera so you need not worry about that on my account. I am stopping to use up the rest of my internet ticket before heading to the Pergammon museum. My flight is at 10 tonight so I have a good day ahead of me. The place I am staying is really friendly and I've met a ton of awesome people, and if I can get by the rest of today on €7 then I'll have only spent €40, plus the 40 pounds to get here. Pretty good.

Yesterday I went on an 'alternative berlin' tour, which was pretty awesome. Our group consisted of me, two others who were staying in the same place, and another American who I managed to pick out to ask if he spoke English in order to ask if he knew where the tour met. He didn't, he was wondering the same himself, but sure he could speak English. Can't I spot 'em! The friendly guide took us round to a bunch of spots popular with the local nitty gritty. We saw an old building, former Nazi HQ that had been co-opted by a bunch of avant guarde artists, tons of graffitti murals including the biggest one in the world, a second-hand store that sold clothing by weight, a famous squat house, a bombed out railway station that had been converted into a recreation center, and of course the Berlin wall where we snuck behind some ineffective fencing and walked along the behind of the East Side Gallery. (I will come back and add links to these things and pictures when I get back so you will see what I am talking about.) He leaned a piece of the fencing against the wall so we could climb it and take pictures, an activity described as "borderline illegal" but what a great photo-op! It's not everyday you get to climb the Berlin wall. We also had some really awesome kebab. I'd reccomend the guided tour to anyone who is visiting Berlin and interested in that kind of thing. Technically it's free but since the guides are only paid in tips you really should give them something if you liked the tour at all. However they are understanding if you have spent the last seven years of your life in higher education and don't have much to give.

It's been really nice, the weather not too bad, it only rained a bit on the first day, touch wood. Berlin is such an interesting city, mix of gritty and nice in its modernity. It reminds me of Belgrade in a way, but I suppose that is hardly surprising.

Now off to the museum. I thought I might buy the pass and see the other ones, but I'm walking around sightseeing so there's not really that much time and also I think that would put me at not enough to take the U-Bahn to the airport, which is kinda essential so...

There is always next time.

Update from Berlin

2008-02-19T11:06:00.000Z

It is cold, cold cold.

And I am stupid, stupid, stupid.

The first thing I saw when I came out of the U-bahn was the Erenst and Young, so I thought I would take a picture for John. Except my camera wouldn't turn on. I opened it up and sure enough, the battery is gone. Way to go! I took it out to charge it and, wary of this exact danger, warned myself to double check that I put it back in. Which I thought I did. Apprantly not. Win.

It is not the worst thing to have forgotten, but it is ONE of the worst, when you are as addicted to taking pictures as I am. I am sure my mother is turning over in her grave.

I guess I'll have to see if I can borrow a camera from the people I am staying with, otherwise buy a disposable one, ick.

Other than the fact my shutter finger is itching, Berlin so far is great (if grey). It's enough to make a histroy nerd such as myself tingle with glee. Berlin walls, Brandenburg gates, memorials to murdered Jews of Europe, kitchy street performers dressed as DDR soldiers selling passport stamps to non-exsistent countries (I know I probably shouldn't have him put it in my real passport.... yet so tempting!!!)

Also known as a doughnut

2008-02-18T21:54:00.000Z

Well, I am off to Berlin now. Probably I am forgetting something really important. You'd think I'd be better at leaving by now.

Cheap or free things to do in London:

2008-02-17T23:29:00.000Z

Just a quick thing I wrote up to advise someone else. Thought I might as well share.

Orientate yourself with a long walk. Start at Buckingham Palace, walk down the mall to Westminster, then walk along the Thames river path (either side). Gaze at St Paul's from across the Millennium Bridge and the outside of the recreated Globe theatre from the outside, nearby. If you have the energy, continue along Southwark towards the London Bridge.

Walk down Portobello road market on a Saturday. Buy lunch from one of the amazing food stands. Stop in the Travel Bookstore to browse. (http://www.thetravelbookshop.com/)

Take the lift to the top floor of the Tate modern and enjoy the view. Take the shuttle boat to the tate for a cheap river cruise and an efficient way of getting between the two museums. (http://www.tate.org.uk/tatetotate/)

There are so many parks and museums in London, all free, it is hard to pick which ones you want to go to! Don't miss the British Museum or National Gallery. Sit is near-by Russell Square or Trafalgar Square (respectively) and people watch.

Get lost in the West End. Ask at box offices of theatres for cheap last minute seats, if that's your thing. Explore Covet Garden.

Grab a curry and some beigels in Brick Lane. (http://www.londontown.com/LondonInformation/Restaurant/Brick_Lane_Beigel_Bake/a7e6/)

Attend evensong at St Paul's (http://www.stpauls.co.uk/) or an organ recital at Westminster (http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/vinfo/vinfo_times.html) and see the inside for free!

Rome day II part I

2008-01-27T13:35:00.007Z

The girl I was traveling with had an emergency and decided to go home, so that pretty much killed the morning and early afternoon.

I decided to try and make up for lost time and headed towards the Coliseum. I thought I'd try and pretend to be an EU until 25 since you get it free, but the lady wasn't having any of it even though I showed her my university of London id. Oh well.

Me in front of the arch of Constantine:

Had a look around the Coliseum, then headed over to the Forum where there's infinitely more stuff to look at. It's rather like an ancient roman junkyard.

I did the Rick Steve's self-guided tour in fits and spurts, dodging this way and that to avoid large tour groups. Several people approached me and asked me if I wanted a tour guide, expats and art students trying to make a few tax free euros, which seems very noveau grand tour to me, and appealing in way, but not enough to make me want to try it myself.

I rushed a bit through the last of the Forum to try and get to Palatine hill before it closed.

No luck there, so off to St Peter's in Chains:

All roads lead to Rome (Day 1)

2008-01-26T23:43:00.001Z

Let's see. Rome. Rome. HOW AMAZING IS ROME??? Seriously. Even the name. Rome. Like Home, only with an R. I love R's. See, I can't even talk about it sensibly it is that cool.

I know its sounds ridiculous, but Rome is like a classic novel or movie or Harry Potter or such… It gets so much hype that you don't really expect too much in the end, because seriously can anything be THAT good? You just sort of have a vague sense of you should see it/read it/go there and see for yourself but it's not a priority because you're off discovering new and undiscovered things for yourself and this old classic, standby, will always be there, ready and waiting for you to pick it up. And when you do, you're absolutely blown over in amazement, and you suddenly realize that THIS is why there was all that hype to begin with, and you can't believe you've waited this long but at the same time you're glad you have, being older and more experienced and more able to appreciate the wonder and the beauty and something else I forgot.

More accurately, the things IN Rome are like classic novels and movies… Individually they have this effect. Put them together and… wow.

So yes. I liked Rome.

Where to begin. The day was not auspicious. There was a ridiculously early wake up call, and, as is my wont before early morning flights, I did not get enough sleep. Fortunately I am very near the Stansted express these days. I dragged Charley out of bed and off we went. Tried to doze on the train and failed. Checked in, waited aaaages in the security line when all I wanted to do was have a lie down. This I did at the gate, but didn't sleep until in the air. When we woke up we were in Rome. Rome!!

Passport control. The ONE time there is a huge line in the non-EU side I am traveling with an EU passport holder. Charley waited on the other side looking smug. We walked into the tiny budget airport and I was amazed to find there isn't an ATM. I am constantly being amazed when there isn't an ATM. Perhaps at the Republika Srpska bus station in the outskirts of Sarajevo it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise but in Rome? Never-mind. I had a few euro coins from Slovenia or somewhere and Charley had euros. We bought our bus and metro tickets and set off.

In what seems like no time we were dumped off at what looks like a shady flea market but it actually the metro stop (or at least doubles as). We were amazed because my guidebook said it takes 40 minutes. Pessimistic Rick Steves! (I shouldn't be so quick to judge I find out on the way back.)

Happily we tromped onto the metro, commenting happily on the speed and difference between this and the Underground. "I love how the train doesn't stop all the way before the doors open," Charley said. "These seats are so slippery!" I said, sliding into Charley and then, less comically, into the Roman woman sitting beside me, trying her best to ignore our banter.

We got off at Termini station, emerged into the sunlight, and blinked like blinded rats. I wished I'd brought my sunglasses. I stared at the map then stared at my surroundings, and wished I'd brought a compass. Eventually, thanks to my excellent deductive and map reading skills, we found our way to the hostel. I stared longingly at a gelateria we passed by, but soon enough we were stepping through the galactic-age automatic door to the reception at Yellow Hostel. (For more on the hostel, see my review – grr it's not published yet.) We got our keys, chucked our stuff in our room – including our coats, whee sunlight – and headed out to a nearby pizza joint recommended by the guy at reception.

Several slices of pizza loaded with tomatoes later we stumbled again into the sunlight, basking in the warmth, practically twirling in delight. Ah, London, what you do to my sanity! Anyway. We rushed onto a bus, feeling very clever for figuring out how, and jerked and jolted down into the center of Rome, getting off one stop too late.

And so it was that we passed through Piazza Navona on our way to the Pantheon. It reminded me of my visit to Brussels, and stumbling upon le grand place. Only in Rome, you keep stumbling, square upon square of amazing places, till you feel like Alice tumbling into Wonderland. But with the ability to stop for gelato!

We stared up at the eons-old Pantheon while I finished my cono, taking pictures from the outside and grumbling about the McDonald's presence on this sacred square. Inside for a history lesson from our guidebook and gaping up at the dome. We trotted to near-by Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva and stuck a 50 centime piece into the slot to look at Michelangelo's Christ bearing the Cross, then through to the Church of San Ignazio. As Rick Steve's suggested, we sat down to gaze up at the Baroque ceiling. "Is that a helium Spiderman balloon?" I asked. It was.

We left the church and followed the tide of people along the busy narrow streets to the sound
of running water and soon found ourselves face to face with the Trevi fountain. Amazing! It's a myth that if you throw a coin into the fountain you ensure yourself of coming back to Rome. I'd already seen enough that I knew I wanted to come back, and besides, I love stuff like that. So in went our coins (a bit complicated as we'd already used ours for lighting candles in San Ignazio so we had to use some of Charley's English money – I hope it still counts!) and after sitting awhile admiring the view we walked on.

Wander-ers all, soon we found ourselves near the Cappuccin Crypt, decorated with the bones of 4,000 monks, and decided to go there. It struck me as the kind of place my mother would have loved – incredibly creepy. You're not allowed to take pictures but I bought some postcards and gazed a while at the scenery. I wonder how I'd feel at my bodily remains being used for such a purpose. I suppose if you're dead it doesn't matter, but…. "You will become what we are now," indeed.

Walking up the Via Veneto I suddenly thought I was in Beverly Hills. Palm trees and villa-style buildings… ahh, the US embassy! But what were all these police doing there? They were really out in force, hard to believe it was just normal security. Maybe it was some sort of cop meet-up place. Feeling a bit foot sore we decided to try one of the cafes along the Via Veneto, but they were all a bit too posh looking for our pockets so we gave them a miss for one down a cozy side street, pleasing in both its friendliness and thriftiness.

Strolling back an hour or so later we suddenly found ourselves embroiled in a huge anti-war protest outside the embassy. Ah. Hence the police. Head lowered we maneuvered through the crowd but the solemn mood couldn't last. Rome at dusk is a beautiful sight. A slight chill descended necessitating the need to return to the hostel to fetch out hastily discarded coats, but that hardly signified. Laughing as we ran for our lives in front of speeding traffic to cross the busy streets, we dodged the flocks of birds rising to the skies from the trees around Termini, disturbed
from their resting places, and skipped back to the hostel. Stopping to chat with some fellow travelers (Aussies celebrating Australia day), we got back on the bus and went to Campo de Fiori with the help of directions from some passers-by. We ate at a restaurant in the guidebook, before realizing we could have eaten at a cheaper restaurant off the square since it was too cold to sit on the square and enjoy the atmosphere, which was half the point. But the food was so good it was difficult to care!

Our intention was to go on the night walk across Rome, but we'd inadvertently done it, practically, earlier in the day and were exhausted from the early start, unaccustomed amounts of walking, and all the excitement, so after wandering around the square some, we decided to catch the bus (joy riding because we couldn't find anywhere to buy tickets – but don't tell the inspectors!) back to the hostel and call it a night.

How to plan a backpacking trip #3: reading advice and seeking advice

2008-01-06T19:44:00.000Z

You've spent the last half hour staring at the map and you're ready to pack your bags and go! Unfortunately a backpacking trip requires a little bit more pre-trip planning than that. In this article you will learn how to find and get advice specially tailored to your needs.

As you are about to embark on extensive research of your destinations and your trip in general, you're going to need a ton of help. I have done a lot of travel research—it happens to be one of my most favorite forms of procrastination. Most likely you are going to be using a ton of resources to help plan out your trip. Thankfully, there is a lot of information of there for travelers. Of course, some of it is better than others.

Below are some of the websites and other resources I find most useful. Hopefully they help you as well!

Rick Steves is the ultimate Europe travel guru. It's so interesting to read his perceptions about what he sees and where he goes. There are tons of useful articles on everything from ways to save money to packing. You'll find a lot of answers there. There's also the "grafitti wall" where other travelers post their own advice.

Crawl on over to the Lonely Planet website. You can order guidebooks online, read articles, but make sure you check out the forums, the thorntree. Here you have great advice on every part of the globe and more general travel issues such as safety and eco-friendly travel. Search the country forum for your destination and see what's been said already. If you have a question that hasn't been answered just ask! Tons of experienced travelers are reading the forums right now, ready tell you about the best hostel they stayed at in Amsterdam or that vegan restaurant in Milan.

Onebag.com. We'll get really heavily into packing later… it's almost a fetish for me and I LOVE this site. Read the entire thing. You'll be hard pressed to find better packing advice anywhere.

STA Travel is a great website, if you are a student. You can order your ISIC card and check out student deals on flights as well as booking hostels and buying travel insurance. (Your ISIC card comes with some travel insurance coverage so think about if you really want to pay extra for more.) Student universe is another student travel website, but in my experience STA has the better deals. I almost always get transatlantic tickets from STA.

Skyskanner. EasyJet, Ryanair, Wizz Air, Sky Europe… is your head aching just at the thought of comparing prices and flights on all these different airlines? This site does the hard part for you and finds the cheapest flight available for almost any destination (the focus is on within Europe). You can search entire countries and for entire months, too.

You can join websites such as Couchsurfing or the Hospitality Club. This is a great way to save money and meet new people. Even if you're not comfortable with the idea of staying with a stranger, you can still meet up with someone for a meal or a drink, or get local advice on what to see and do in a particular city.

Hostelworld: You can book online and read reviews for hostels before you decide to stay there. There are tons of hostelling sites and this is just one of them. It's not a bad idea to google the name of a hostel you are thinking of staying at, just to see what else comes up! The more reviews you read the better idea you have of what a hostel is really like.

Bootsnall is another travel networking sites. You can read blogs and ask for advice on the forums.

In your pocket guides

Let's go isn't my favorite travel publisher, but you can still get plenty of good information on their website and their guidebooks for western Europe are not bad.

If you're planning on traveling by rail you can get lots of information from the man in seat 61. If it's just straight train schedule you're looking for, the ever-efficient Germans have put the entire schedules for Europe on their website: die bahn. Find out more about Eurail passes at the Eurail website.

If you're planning on traveling by bus, Eurolines have a lot of routes. Busabout is like an independent bus tour: you can hop on and off as you like, but there is a specified route.

Are you a member of an online networking site like Facebook or LiveJournal? Probably there are groups for travelers already established. You can join and then your research doesn’t have to be anything outside of your normal daily routine. You can join groups for travelers on online networking site like Facebook or LiveJournal

Whatever you do, do NOT go onto a forum board (or other advice-seeking arena) and ask a questions like:

I want to go to Europe. How much will it cost?

Or:

I want to go to Europe. What should I see?

You will look like an idiot. And you will either be ignored or made fun of. Probably if you make such a post it's only because you didn't know any better, but people really need more information than that if you want advice from them. Try to include as much information as possible, such as things you are interested in doing (museums, beaches, clubbing, etc), and what kind of traveler you think you'll be (ie, you don't mind sleeping in train stations— or you plan on going shopping everyday). If you're not sure about something, say so! This will help people know what kind of advice to give you.

How to plan a backpacking trip #2: Decide on a destination

2008-01-06T19:40:00.000Z

You've spent the last half hour staring at the map and you're ready to pack your bags and go! Unfortunately a backpacking trip requires a little bit more pre-trip planning than that. Here is some advice to help you along the way to the airport. In this article you will learn how to choice a destination that is right for you.

You're sufficiently pumped about your trip and the money is starting to roll in, slowly but surely. Now it's time to move on to the next phase of planning your trip.

First of all, you have a homework assignment that will help you with this step and following steps in your backpacking planning. Head to your nearest Triple A. Pick up a few regional maps of places you're considering going so you can get a better mental image of how the land lays. These maps will either be free or very cheap depending on your membership. They also make great wall decorations and are handy for crafts!

So where are you planning on going? Probably you have an idea based on what inspired you for your trip, but you'll have to figure out a generally area, and then get more specific from there. Probably you'll be heading to Europe. Why? Because it's what most people do. That is not a reason in and of itself—it just so happens that there are plenty of reasons WHY most people do.

First of all, it's a great place to travel. There are tons of sights, great food, and friendly people. There is a great diversity within a relatively small geographic scale. Most people are familiar enough with Europe that they know automatically what they want to see and where they want to go, so they have a head start on research. It's an easy place to travel. There is a ton of infrastructure for travelers: public transportation, hostels, etc. You will most likely meet other travelers in your same shoes. People are helpful and used to having foreigners poking about their national sites. There is a lot of information readily available for the region. It's a relatively safe place to go.

I'm not saying you should definitely head for Europe. I'm just saying that's what you'll probably end up doing. And, quite frankly, I don't know very much about backpacking in other places so that's what I'm going to focus on. Hopefully that will soon change—and hopefully you'll still find this article useful even if you are heading to Asia or South America.

But there are also drawbacks. It's what most people do—and that means Europe, particularly popular cities like Paris, London, and Venice, can get very crowded in the summer. You can avoid this by going in the off-season or shoulder seasons, but summer might be your only time to travel if you are a student or a teacher. The deluge of tourists means that a lot people have become disenchanted with tourism and can be less then welcoming, particularly to Americans who, thanks to a few buffoons, have gained a less than reputable reputation abroad. (You can help counter this by being charm itself while you are traveling.)

Also, going to Europe is not very original. You probably know tons of people who have been to London and Paris. London and Paris are great but maybe you are aiming for something a little bit more unusual. In addition, Europe is very expensive. At this particular moment in time, the dollar is, how shall we say, at the bottom of a Turkish toilet. It won't get you very far in Provence, so that means you'll have to sacrifice even more trips to the mall to pay for your trip, and you'll have to pinch those euro-cents even tighter while on the road.

That said, London and Paris are not the be-all and end-all of Europe. You can find unspoilt, affordable places to visit, and you can suck in your tummies and your wallets to see the sights of Barcelona. Overall, Europe makes a great destination for beginning travelers because it's not to challenging. The culture shock isn't too great. Most likely you studied a bit of a European language in school, and most Europeans speak some form of English (though it is polite to at least attempt to speak the language of the country you're in).

If you're looking for more adventure and value with fewer tourists, you can head to Eastern Europe. However, with the expansion of the EU, (and euro) and subsequent expansion of tourism, Eastern Europe is quickly losing its east-ness. So my advice is go to Krakow now before it become the next Prague. Countries such as Poland, Serbia, Bosnia, Romania and Bulgaria still offer beautiful sites and a great value for money with friendly citizens not too worn out with tourism to be friendly to visitors. They can be a bit more challenging for travelers but maybe you'll feel up to it after conquering Rome.

However, the real point of this article is to say that you can't "do" all of Europe (or any continent) in one trip, unless that trip is a year or longer. It's simply not possible. You'll need to decide what you really want to see and stick to that region, or go crazy spending every night on an overnight train. (If that's your thing, great, but I'm afraid I've never been able to understand it so I don't have any advice for you. If you're determined to see 10 countries in 3 weeks you don't need to heed my advice about plotting efficiency around one or two regions.)

What holds the biggest draw for you? What do you really want to see? For example, if it's Roman ruins that interest you, but you also like sitting on beaches, you might fly into Rome before training around Italy and taking a ferry to Croatia. If you love art museums, big cities and nightlife, you might try London to Paris to Berlin or Madrid. There is a lot of long distance train travel there but you can balance it out by spending plenty of time in each city in between. Don't make the mistake of trying to do too much of you'll end up doing nothing at all. Pick a few cities that are near to one another so you can plot out the most efficient way of getting around.

Basically, just figure out what you want to see, which cities offer that or interest you the most and where you want to spend your time. Ideas will spring from there, and it's not set in stone, you can always change your mind later. But you need a starting point to approximate how much money you'll need (that's another thing to keep in mind—you'll spend a lot more on a day in Paris then you will sitting on a Bulgarian beach) and where to start doing you research.

If you're really not sure, there are tons of ways to start figuring it out. Open up the front of any Lonely Planet regional guide and there are suggested itineraries based on different interests. You can use one of those as your starting point.

So now that you've decided (vaguely) on your destination, it's time to start your research!

How to plan a backpacking trip #1: Inspiration and saving money

2008-01-06T19:27:00.000Z

You've spent the last half hour staring at the map and you're ready to go! Unfortunately a backpacking trip requires a little bit more pre-trip planning. In this article you will learn how to get inspired (if you aren't already) and start saving money.

For some people, backpacking through Europe is a once in a lifetime experience. For others, it's a regular summer activity. No matter which of these groups you will eventually fall into, planning a backpacking trip for the first time can be daunting, especially if you are planning on traveling alone. I've been there and I've learned from my mistakes, and you can too!

This advice is presented in a step-by-step order, but a lot of these steps will overlap as you are doing them, especially as your trip gets nearer.

The first thing you need is inspiration. Probably you got the idea for a trip of your own when you heard someone you know talking about their trip and showing off their envy-inspiring pictures, or reading a book like Bill Bryson's Neither Here Nor There (that did it for me). Suddenly traveling around the world seemed like something you not only want to, but MUST do.

Or maybe you are just thinking about it and you're asking yourself whether you really do want to backpack. In that case the answer is yes, you just don't know it yet. Start by picking up a copy of Bryson or another travel anthology. Browse some travel websites and read other travelers' stories and advice. Even if you're not planning on taking a tour, look at tour descriptions of destinations and activities. Watch the Travel channel. Buy a guidebook and open it up to a random page. Tack a map on the wall and stare at it. Pretty soon, if not instantly, you will start to feel that wanderlust bubble inside you. Now you're ready to start planning.

The second thing you need to do is start saving money. Travel can be cheap and fun and easy but it's not free and there are lots of initial costs, especially if it's your first big trip. You'll need a plane ticket, a rail pass, a backpack and gear. This may sound intimidating but it IS doable if you are determined.

There are tons of ways to save money and lots of advice to be had. Here is what works best for me:

First, get a job. Obviously, you have to have some sort of income before you can start hording away for your Eurail pass. Put your paycheck into a special travel fund bank account that's separate form your daily expenses. That way you'll think twice about dipping into your trip fund for a night out.

Which is related to the second point. Every time you take out your wallet, ask yourself: "Do I want this or do I want to go to Europe?" If someone held an ice cream cone in one hand and an airplane ticket in the other and asked me which one I wanted, you can be pretty sure which one I'd take. After all, it's not like an ice cream and a plane ticket cost the same. But it's hard to remember that all those little expenses add up and eat away at money that can be used for your trip. So try this, for example: when you are standing at the ATM of the bank which holds your travel fund, before you withdraw $40 ask yourself, "do I want to have a night out now or do I want to have one in Madrid?" I think you know the answer.

By cutting back on your expenses, you really can fund your trip! Try making your lunch instead of buying it, taking turns making dinner with your friends instead of eating out, watching a movie at home instead of going to the cinema, and getting books from the library or websites like Bookmooch instead of buying them (this is a real problem for me!).

If you do have a problem with shopping, pretend you are in a war and you have to save precious materials for the war effort. (I know this is nerdy but it works!) Read Slavenka Draculic's How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed (get it from the library) to see how people used to get by on so little when there was nothing available. You will realize how much of the stuff you buy you don't actually need. Keep in mind that you can buy a new shirt now or you can buy one in Paris. But you'll never get there if you keep buying new shirts!

Thirdly, do you have a big occasion coming up which means you will be receiving lots of money or gifts? If you are graduating, send out announcements and hopefully your relatives will be so proud that you have obtained a degree, they will send you nice checks that can go into your trip fund bank account instead of being spent on things like iPods.

Fortunately, graduations are also seen as big milestones, and a point in life at which is might be appropriate to do something that might otherwise be somewhat questionable, such as spending three months in Eastern Europe. Of course, you and I both know that spending three months in Eastern Europe is an entirely normal and healthy way to spend your time and money. ;-) But not everyone sees it that way. If you are lucky enough to be graduating, people will probably forgive what might otherwise be considered an unwise choice. So take advantage of that! One the other hand, maybe you are lucky and you have friends and family who are entirely supportive of your travel dream. In that case be sure you blast your plans loud and clear and they will be more than willing to help.

It's likely that you'll have a birthday and/or Christmas in between when you start planning your trip and when you finally take off. You should take advantage of these holidays to help you prepare for your trip. You don't have to ask for plain cash, although that's great too. Instead you can put on your wish list things you'll need for your trip that you don't already have (look for one of my next articles on the ultimate backpacker's packing list). An REI gift certificate is always welcomed by a travel enthusiast and will be particularly useful for the first-time traveler. You can drop subtle hints that guidebooks make great presents. If one of your gift givers is feeling particularly generous, or if a couple of them team up, you might even be able to score a backpack, Eurail pass, or plane ticket!

Now that you are longing for gelato and the church bells of St Mark's, and your travel fund is growing fast enough to pay for these things, you are ready to move onto the next step. Look for my next article on how to plan a backpacking trip: deciding on a destination for your trip.

Note: I was originally posting these articles on Associated Content but I got bored of them constantly rejecting my original and brilliant articles so here they are. If you really like it, however, you can head on over there and rate it for me!

The singer in the band made me want to cry

2007-12-10T18:54:00.000Z

Real post coming later. For now, song lyrics:

Silver Birch against a Swedish sky
The singer in the band made me want to cry
We’re all inside our own heads now
We are leaving new friends
We are leaving this town
I wish you could be here with me
I would show you off like a trophy
The road it winds, it twists, it turns
Now my stomach burns

Once again, I’ll be the foolish one
Thinking a blink of these lashes would make you come
Don’t you worry, don’t get in a state
I don’t believe in true love anyway
Who’s being pessimistic now?
I could document this as our first and our last row
The more you look forlorn, the more to you I warm

I won’t be seeing you for a long while
I hope it’s not as long as a country mile
I feel lost..

I can't remember who gave me this Camera Obscura, but it is all I can listen to at the moment. I love it.

Christina: that is the biggest problem with traveling in boots

2007-12-03T20:22:00.000Z

Now that the hecticosity (don't blame me; I just read the latest Georgia Nicholson installment) of November is over I'm getting very excited and planning out my trip to Belfast. I'm doing all kinds of things that I would never bother to do to be prepared on an epic summer long trip, like checking the weather, seeing which underground train time will get me into liverpool street in time to catch which stansted express, booking my hostel and thinking about tours. I'd never do this normally, mostly because I'm lazy but also because I like to be spontaneous, but the two often tie in so well together. On the other hand, I only have two and a half days in Belfast and I want to make the most of them.

So: staying at Arnie's, taking a day trip up to see Giant's Causeway and possibly a black cab tour of the peace wall because it seems it is not to be missed, Ulster museum, university, botanic gardens and probably much more. I wonder what kind of fellow travellers I will meet in the dead of winter. It's supposed to rain the entire time, so I'm going to take my boots even thought they are such a pain at airports. I'm going to try carrying on, in spite of Ryanair's notoriously stingy luggage policy. I'm also going to try and spend as little money as possible without missing out on anything essential. I'll let you know how it goes.

My biggest problem so far is my guidebook. I bought this one because, well, it's the only one. My affair with Lonely Planet has been so... monogamous that I can't actually get used to the format of another guidebook.

The Woot is on the road again

2007-11-26T13:20:00.000Z

Good news! The Woot is ready to take up her backpack and re-start wandering. Here is the schedule for the Winter 2007-2008 season's travels:

Dec. 6-8: BELFAST!!!
Jan 26-29: ROME!!! (Accompanied by fellow nano-er and mad girl Charlie)
February 19-21: BERLIN!!!
March 15-26: VIENNA and PRAGUE (along on a tour of central Europe with old-time travel buddy Christina)

These are all new places for me so I'm very excited. Stay tuned for details on the adventures.

This post was brought to you by Ryanair sales.

All good things...

2007-09-23T15:39:00.000+01:00

I'm going to (try to ) continue update about my trip with posts that got written but never typed up, so keep an eye out, but for now, back to our regularly scheduled programing.

Leap until the gulfstream sets you down

2007-09-22T15:33:00.000+01:00

I made it to London safe and sound, and now am reunited with all of my worldly belongings in my cozy (?) room, despite all obstacle. I seem to have a magic ability to make trains run late, and I have blisters from dragging my suitcases all over the underground. There is still Tonks hair all over my stuff.

My grand adventure is at an end... and another is just beginning. I've been so excited lately to actually be coming to London, and now here I am. It's strange to think that this is actually my life.

Srecan put

2007-09-21T17:22:00.000+01:00

I am leaving Novi Sad in a few hours. Despite my initial non enthusiasm, I managed to survive this week and actually enjoy it. For the last class we had a test, and I certainly know where my strengths and weaknesses lie. I got all of the conjugations right and all of the personal pronoun declinations wrong. Oh well. I'm too lazy to write more. Overnight train to Budapest, morning flight to London, then a new life.... strange

We're being followed by a tent. Walk faster.

2007-09-17T18:31:00.000+01:00

I am back from Budapest and unfortunately wish I had never gone. Not because it wasn't a great time, it really was. I liked the city even better this time, although I had forgotten how expensive it was, and even though it was overflowing with mid-September midlde-aged tour groups. I liked it so much I was bit by the travel bug, as I so often am, and the last thing I wanted to do was come back to Novi Sad. 3 weeks ago I was more than ready to settle down for a month here and head to london. Now I want to travel for another month. At least heading to London will be an exciting adventure rather than going back to the same old boring thing. But I am a bit tired of drilling through Serbian courses everyday. Hopefully this week will go by fast. It should! I will have to figure out a better way of doing it for next time. I might be more interesting if I were doing research at the same time as studying. Maybe I will know enough to do that next year (If I am not forced to drop out of school for lack of funds, hurrah).

This is for me the most beautiful cookies in Serbia

2007-09-14T17:14:00.000+01:00

Njamb wafers
Tzatziki flavored potato chips
kajmak
fake serbian feta cheese
ice cream *fortunatley it got cold and I never go to the city center
pašeta (?) šunka i sir pastry from the bakery at spns
kinder eggs

I don't like to imagine getting on a scale

My cat is happier than your cat

2007-09-14T16:33:00.000+01:00

So I am heading off to Budapest tonight with two others from Azbukum. Yes, I know, Budapest. I was there quite recently, and I will be going there again shortly (next friday on the same train, actually, unless it turns out to be horribley late, because it's supposed to get in only 3 hours before my flight and it takes at least an hour to get to the airport according to LP.) All my intentions were for Zagreb this weekend, a mere 5 hours away by bus, but Novi Sad isn't exactly a transport hub and the buses only leave in the morning. I didn't want to miss class today so I've had a nice afternoon, nap, going to do some homework them some hanging out, then onto the train at midnight. We arrive in Budapest at 5 and will hopefully get to nap at the hostel, then we're taking the train back on Sunday night. Two full days in Budapest and two full nights on the train! It will be exhausting but worth it. I am actually really looking forward to it. I can go to the Soviet statue park, try out a different bath, and revisit the palace of iced coffee and cakes. Plus I was always planning on buying a few souvenirs and presents there, this way I can have them very well packed and arrive by the night train, and spend my full last day in Novi Sad.

Sorry again for the lack of posts. I had a whole complaining entry written out about my land lady but I haven't typed it. I was hoping to escape her clutches this week but the director of program has squashed those hopes. Oh well. Like I said, I am very much enjoying my time here and I feel very satisfied with the amount I am learning, but this is one thing that irks me and puts a dark cloud over everything else. Plus I am in general looking forward to getting back to London. I keep thinking about my room and the computer, books and clothes I have in storage, and the things I can do to make my set-up nice. Then today it occured to me that I will have to start looking for a job in a little more than a week, that is not so exciting. It has been nice to have such a long holiday! I think I will start off applying at the Waterstones about 5 minutes from where I live (I chatted with someone there and he said they should be hiring) for the meantime and try to look for something better (paid) for the long run.

We have had a couple of interesting interludes. Yesterday we went to a "working" monistary outside of novi sad, where they are doing all kinds of things: making candles, rakija, cheese, painting icons, and running a rehab program. We had a hilarious, stone-faced monk who delivered the kind of jokes you wouldn't know were jokes unless you were listening carefully. "You want to go to the dentist? I will show you a dentist." Then we went a kafana called Kraj Svet (End of the world). I thought it would be more end of the worldy, honestly they made it seem like it would be the most remote place we have ever seen--maybe it was for some people but I have certainly been nearer the end of the world. However, the fish soup DID eyeballs and brains in it. And was really good.

The cats are always with us. My fellow cat-mate, I mean class-mate, has a thing about cats too. Today we practiced comaprative and it turned into a war of cats. Yesterday our professor said, "You must miss your cat, where is he?" I replied, "U Sand Franciscu.... stric...." I was trying to remember the Serbian word for uncle from mother but she heard "street"; "NA ULICU?" Poor Tonks.

I think I'll end on a quote from my flatmate while we were joyriding to the zelenica stanza to get our tickets.
Aleks: (describing and English bookstore in Novi Sad) And there was a huge Harry Potter display.
Nate: The definition of American culture right there.
Aleks & me: ...

I forgot my mittens

2007-09-09T12:02:00.000+01:00

Someone flipped a switch and it became fall in Novi Sad. Actually, it extends further to much fo southerastern europe, and its more like winter, actually. It's FREEZING. This happened about a week ago. Even the East Coast kids, which is every American but me, are complaining about the cold. None of us were prepared for this, except those two who are staying longer than just one month. And I have to say, I expected a little more delicate of a transition. It was literally 90 degrees one day and 40 the next. Today is a little nicer, but I remain suspicious. There is no H&M in Novi Sad, which is a great tragedy, so I scurred over to Zara to buy the cheapest jeans and sweater they had. It was quite necessary! And I think I am going to buy another sweater today, as I haven't had a chance to wash the first one I bought it or my original one as I have been wearing both together everyday. This kind of thing is ok when you are traveling but seems less so when you are stuck in one place. With a washing machine, even is your dragon-like landlady is fiercely posessive of it. I'm still keeping close records of what I'm spending, so it seems a bit comical to see my average $3-5 a day contrasted with $50-100 when I have to buy jeans or send something through DHL. I really can't wait to get back to london and my coat. and sweaters! and flannel jammies... yeah.

vow

2007-09-09T11:54:00.000+01:00

next time I see someone with a UCLA sweatshirt, I will ask how they came about to have such a thing. (this has happened twice)

2007-09-06T21:09:00.000+01:00

Well,I stopped off at the internet cafe with the express purpose of making a post, but nowI am feeling too tired to do so. However, the mimimun time is half an hour and I just signed in, so
I might as well.

As you may have guessed by the lack of posts, my free time here in Novi Sad is not so polific as I had anticipated. Added to that, whenever I sign on to email I seem to get more bad news, which makes me lazy and all I want to do is read other people's blogs, not write my own. I am having trouble with the bank, which demands I call to verify purchases, despite the fact that I just did so less than 3 months ago, and that I told them I was going to be traveling abroad, for how long, and to which countries I was going. When I emailed them to tell them the collect number for overseas was not accepting collect calls they replied with a form email saying please call this number if you are overseas. SO HELPFUL. Even worse was on Friday, just as I was about to leave for a weekend in the middle of nowhere, Serbia, when I got an email from a stupid legal secretary demanding to know why I had not signed the document I have never received and why I have never returned her phone calls or messages. From someone I TOLD I was going abroad less than a week before I left. And she waited until 5 days before she needed a document signed by me for the hearing to ask my brother where I was? Apparantly totally ignorant that he has power of atterney for me so I shouldn't have to sign anything? Of course I freaked out, not able to find anything online about DHL or Fedex in Novi Sad, thinking I would have to go to Beograd to mail this document and it would never get there in time and all our lies were ruined. As it happened it worked out but I am still angry.

Anyway, enough complaining. My mornings are occupied by classes, we have several hours of homework a day, and usually an activity such as history lectures, games or parties in the afternons and evenings. I am really loving Novi Sad, which is a fantastic place to live. I am enjoying my time here in almost every aspect. Today I was paid a very important compliment. One of my profesors told me that they commented on how they can see me improving everyday. This about someone who despaired of every being a sucessful historian for lack of langauge ability! Actually, I am really, really pleased with my progress here and I think I am learning a lot.

So I've suddenly become brillant at learning languages? I think not. Rather, there are a number of factors that make this an opportune opportunity, if you will, for me to be learning Serbia. Firstly, I have a really good base from what I learned last year. I certainly wasn't as sucessful as I am now, but you don't spnd three weeks in Serbia to no avail, and it is all coming back and falling into place for me. Secondly, I have just come back from 2 months of complete mental, if not toherwise, relaxation, and I am really well-rested mentally and up for the challenge. Perhaps I am smarter than I suspected! Thirdly, I have true motivation because I realize the importance for my own future. Fourthly, I am not recently recovering from a traumatic event... Sorry there is no spellcheck installed on this computer.

A lot of other things I'd like to post about, but my time is running out and I have to pee....

From an email

2007-09-04T12:19:00.000+01:00

I am lazy so I copy and paste: I am completely recovered now and I have been in Novi Sad for a week. Things are going really well here. The program is small so we all made friends very quickly, except for some who tend to keep to themselves: a polish couple and an Austrian girl who is staying here with friends. The rest of us are about half a dozen americans and a pair of swiss germans. There are only two people in my class, although we may have gotten a third today, a girl who arrived late. The instruction is really good and I am learning a lot, I think a lot of things are falling into place for me because I have a good base and I am ready to learn. So I am pleased with my progress. We have been working very hard, class all morning, several hours of homework, and activities in the afternoon or evening. Of course there is also time for relaxation, as they say here... The swiss have fallen in with a gang of Serbian football hooligans so that makes things interesting. I just returned from a weekend in a traditional serbian selo (village) farm where we ate a lot of food (they really wont take no) and herded cows, etc. It was a lot of fun and good language practice, although we were in central serbia and the monasteries we went to visit were the same ones I saw last summer in Valjevo. One of them has some really nice frescoes. I am uploading some pictures of novi sad, you can see them here if you like: http://ucla.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2217943&l=ff40c&id=2500453

Random quick post

2007-09-04T09:43:00.000+01:00

Soon Ićll get used to these keyboards having z and y switched. mazbe.

3th birthday party

2007-09-02T20:51:00.000+01:00

I'm back from a weekend in the middle of nowhere in serbia. I'm reeaaaaly tired although all I did was sleep and eat. And herd cows and sheep. And speak Serbian. Ok, so no wonder I'm tired.

2007-08-27T11:07:00.000+01:00

I made it to Novi Sad and I am settled in a cozy communist apartment with two old ladies and another American student. I still suck at Serbian, that hasn't changed, but hopefully it will.

whine

2007-08-24T22:31:00.000+01:00

I still have a cough, which gets really bad at night. Going to make taking a night bus to Beograd reaaaaally fun. Not. Apparently there is no such thing as good cough syrup in Eastern Europe. I havetried two different ones and niether does anything to either help me sleep or stop coughing. I really miss the stuff wth codine I got at the student health center. I would even settle for some Robitussin.

Mostar

2007-08-24T10:51:00.000+01:00

Here I am, at least for today. Trying to figure out how to get to Novi Sad on Sunday morning, it seems pretty complicated. Anyway. The bridge is nice. I hope my points won't be so succienct from Novi Sad.

Quick update

2007-08-23T13:47:00.000+01:00

In Sarajevo... it happens to be film festival time, which makes things interesting. More later. Just a few more days till I settle in Novi Sad.

2007-08-20T10:52:00.000+01:00

I survived and made it to Sighisoara... about to embark on a crazy tour for my last few days of travelling... no exactly sure where I will go, but first we are heading to Sarajevo via Belgrade.

I do not cough for my own amusement

2007-08-18T17:51:00.000+01:00

Today I went to the hospital. I know that sounds rather drastic but when I asked the lady at the hotel desk about a doctor she sent me there. I was pretty nervous about going to urgent care because it was always a disaster when i went there with mom, but it wasn't bad at all. Mostly just a few old ladies with nosebleeds. There were very kind and saw me right away, shuffling me back and forth listening to me and taking x-rays to make sure I didn't have pneumonia, then the doctor wrote out pages long list of prescriptions. It cost about $60 to get them all but one that the pharmacy didn't have, but I can't really complain because the visit didn't cost anything. I suppose I might get sent a bill later, a Brit told me that happened to him once after a hospital stay in France ( he never paid it) but it seems unlikely, they didn't take my address or anything, just where was I from and did I have insurance. When I expressed concern about this to the hotel lady she said it was free of charge. I know that most EU countries have reciprocal health care agreements but I explained I wasn't from an EU country. "So what?" she said. "It's urgent care." As easy as that, even in one of the poorest countries in Europe. I didn't even have to bribe the doctor with coffee like Susie did. The hospital was old-fashioned, with a few concessions to modernity, but not too many. The x-ray machine was almost like an amusement park ride. I had to stand on it and it moved around. I kept thinking it was what one of my war hospitals might look like, minus all the casualties of course.

I have read a ton of books. I finished a chick lit and The Professor, and today devoured the whole of The History of Love, which was great. But I am tired of laying in bed reading and I am ready to be better! I am going to Sighisoara tomorrow if it kills me!

10 points to the first person to place the title quote. No cheating.

Bitten by a vampire?

2007-08-17T17:05:00.000+01:00

Anyone who has been feeling jealous of me can stop now and start feeling pity! I'm come down with an awful bug and I am stuck in Bucharest paying my daily budget for a cheap hotel room so I can rest in peace and quiet and not spend my germs to a hostel full of people. Plus Bucharest is surprisingly overbooked, go figure. I'll tell the whole story (its not very exciting but it does involve getting a ride from policemen) some other time when I am not feeling so sick from spending half an hour in an internet cafe trying to sort out my bank accounts. Who know so many things could go wrong at once! Probably my own fault for being so unprepared.

It is no fun being sick on holiday. There are no such things as make being sick bearable and even somewhat pleasant: no big comfy bed, no kitties, no new Nora Roberts books, no friends to coerce into bringing me jamba juice--in face, no jamba juice. True, Ben did bring me juice and water and crackers last night, but he's gone on to Brasov today, sick of expensive Bucharest and no place to stay anyway. I'm hoping to feel well enough to join him there tomorrow but I'm not holding my breath. I suppose its my own fault for not eating enough veggies, drinking enough water, taking my vitamins more regularly. No one could eve accuse me of not sleeping enough but I have had my share of long nights. It looks like I'll be taking it pretty easy for the rest of my trip. So much for a frantic vampire hunt!

Bulgaria photos

2007-08-15T15:03:00.000+01:00

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2209136&id=2500453&op=6

Romanian holiday

2007-08-15T05:55:00.000+01:00

Playing it by ear does not necessarily mean being disorganized and unprepared, but unfortunately, when you're me, it often does. I woke up this morning in Bucharest thinking, "what was the name of the hostel I booked at?" There were some brits on the train who were heading to one that sounded vaguely like it might be where I am meeting my friend Ben, but I couldn't be sure. I had no idea where the train station was in relation to the town, or even what train station I was at, or what Bucharest had to offer. Thank goodness for lonely planet. I settled down for a muffin in the train station, after finding the only working bankomat, and had a read, deciding to head to an internet cafe in the center and hopefully be able to walk to the hostel. I'm a bit farther than I thought I would be but I think it will be a nice walk.

The train journey was the most comfortable I've been on all trip. I had my own compartment (empty except for me) and a sleeper, and my friends from the hostel a few doors down to chat with before we went to sleep and while we were all waiting at the border. It's nice to be American in a way, because even though they looked at your passport with jaundiced eyes, scan it and write down your number and ask you lots of questions and look at you suspicously as though you might be coming to Romania to live off the state!, at least you always get a stamp whereas those with EU passports have to ask if they are trying to collect them, and sometimes are denied. I am actually running out of room in my passport and will have to get more pages before another big trip. The guy at the Bulgarian side stamped over my (very faint) Croatian stamp which I wasn't too happy about. I only have one because for some reason passport control in Istria was very lax and I went through 5 borders without my passport really being looked at. I only have one at all because I ended up in Zagreb unexpectedly when I didn't know which route my train from Ljubljana was taking.

I haven't decided about Bucharest yet. It seems nice in the center but you can never tell with first impressions. After 2 hours in Sofia I was ready to leave that day but it turned out to be all right. That's the curse of capital cities, I think, and Bucharest more than any other I have noticed. Most people say its total crap and not to bother, but one or two have loved it so much they say to stay for 5 days. Well, I'm not going to stay for 5 days but I wanted to decide for myself. In this I think it is a matter of personal taste. I could have done without Sofia; but on the other hand I have never heaard a good word spoken about Skopje and it was one of my favorite places I visited last summer, I think I was there for 3 or 4 days when most would say it isn't worth 2 hours.

Traveler's lament

2007-08-13T11:44:00.000+01:00

I arrived in Varna and managed to survive my first two days here against all odds, not least my own stupidity. I was literally no where near internet so I hope no one was worried. I am staying in Varna for two more days, relaxing on the beach gobbling up novels and catching up on my journaling, then I am heading off to Bucharest to meet an old traveling buddy. We have vaguely formed plans of a vampire hunting trip but who knows where we will end up.

In about two weeks I am due in Novi Sad. I will be happy to be there but its disappointing how quickly these months have gone and my traveling time has dwindled down... plus I am terrified of immersing myself in the difficult Serbian langauge again. Hopefully I will better prepared to deal with it this time. So in about 6 or 7 weeks I will be back in London with my nose to the grind. How quickly this summer is going!

It occurs to me how dull my weblog is vis-a-vis the exciting things I am actually doing. Only because if I had more time for exciting weblog entries I would have less time for doing exciting things. So I've decided to use downtime in Novi Sad to put up a more complete narrative of my exciting travels, based on journal entries. Hopefully I will actually do this.

Ode to a small balkan nation

2007-08-10T12:23:00.000+01:00

Finally I have found the cheap, easy, interesting holiday I have been looking for. I love Bulgaria. The land is beautiful, the people are friendly, the prices are cheaper than one could possibly hope for. Thank goodness. I may stay here a while.

Pictures update

2007-08-10T09:31:00.000+01:00

I hope these liunks work better than the last ones. I am in a place callled Veliko Tarnovo in the middle of Bulgaria. It's very beautiful and I am staying a few days to relax and catch up on my sleep.

Krakow http://ucla.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2194147&l=2b9d1&id=2500453
Gdansk http://ucla.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2197836&l=3e6e9&id=2500453
Warsaw http://ucla.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2197839&l=21d88&id=2500453
Lviv http://ucla.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2198223&l=eaef3&id=2500453
London http://ucla.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2198218&l=66215&id=2500453
Venice http://ucla.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2204827&l=96c75&id=2500453
Pula http://ucla.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2204923&l=036d9&id=2500453

Alive

2007-08-07T22:13:00.000+01:00

I made it save to Sofia. Actually the train ride was not so bad; I slept through most of it. We ended up going through the whole of Serbia, which explains why it was 2 hours later.

2007-08-06T10:11:00.000+01:00

Hello, sorry for dropping of the face of the earth, I realised yesterday that I hadn't posted in a while which is bound to make the worriers worry. Unfortunatley an irrespressable wave of laziness overcame me here in Budapest... I have done little but sleep half the day, go to the thermal baths, and yesterday I stirred myself enough to take a cheesy hop on hop off tour bus and visit the Terror Museum. Tonight I am leaving on a train at midnight for Sofia (Bulgaria) and I arrive at 6 PM tomorrow. That should be fun!

Funicular funicula funiculi!!

2007-08-02T15:15:00.000+01:00

I feel like anything I can say about Slovenia will never really describe it as well as pictures can, so I will put some up as soon as possible. The cave was really amazing, and yesterday I spent the day at Bled, which is at the foot of the alps, and it was just perfect. I went with a girl from the hostel and we rode bikes around the lake, rowed in a boat to the little island on the lake and got out to ring the church bell for a wish. I wont say what I wished but it was rather a lot to ask! A girl in my dorm asked if it has come true yet but I said I thought I had better give it longer than a day! WE ate lunch in the boat on the way back. While riding the bikes I spied something on the opposite hill that looked like a great deal of fun. Upon further inquiry we learned that it was a track upon which one could descend the hill in a very rapid manner, contained in a bobsled-like contracption. That seemed like a good idea to me so off we went to the 'funbob'. It was soo cool! Then it was nap and sunbathing time on the lakes beach, and then up to a cool antional park gorge type place where we walked along the side of the river through the gorge for a few miles. All in all in was a pretty perfect day.

Today is the first day I have spent the whole time in Ljubljana... Its a reallly lovely city, cafes everwhere, the embankment is particularily charming. I have been up to the castle in a funicular (which I have never heard of until Slovenia, much less ridden in, but here I have done two, one also at the cave--my lazyness declares it an excellent invention.) and shopping for postcards. Anyhow, time to go, I hate being a computer hog at the free internet. Onto Budapest on the night train.

Lovely weather

2007-07-31T09:37:00.000+01:00

It rained all of yesterday so I made friends with an Aussie girl and we walked in the park in the rain to a contemporary history museum and then wiled away the rest of the afternoon and evening in various Ljubljanian cafes, chatting with each other and locals. Today Im going to see about some caves.

Ljubljana

2007-07-30T10:38:00.000+01:00

I made it to Ljubljana.... I got here late last night, and since the hostel I wanted to stay at was booked I figured I would just stay at the cheaper university dorms near the train station since I got in so late I was just going to sleep anyway. I quite accidenatly fell in with some Belgians while searcihng for this hostel and we ended up and some other university dorms farther away. I was so tired by this point and was given a room in the last dorm, up 5 flights of stairs but when I got there there was no free bed! I went back to the reception full of righteous indignation. It's imposible, said the man at reception, pointing to the computer screen. AS if computers never made a mistake! WEll, it worked out all right for me in the end because I got my own room for the dorm price, 9 €, and I slept like a baby. I checked out this morning, the Belians were grumbling about their room and wanting to go somewhere else too, and made the long walk to the city center in the rain, finding refuge along the way in a local cafe where the elderly were having their morning pivas and slivovicas. Now I am in the Alibi hostel, which is more expensive but much cosier and freindlier. I would rather stay in a nicer, central place and spend less on food or something. If its still raining I'll go see the musuem of contemporary history, if not jsut wnader around the town. I am dissatisfied with LP, I just had a look at some one's Rick Steves and it has a lot more on the hitory of the place. Of course Rick Steves hasm't got a Eastern Europe guide book... I suppose it is economy of space going hand in hand with economy of information.

I was a little disappointed with Pula. I think it was nice to be able to spend some time on the beacha nd swimming... I miraculously escaped sunburn by prolific application of sunscreen which has now made my skin break out, but that is nothing new... It was nice that the hostel was right on the beach but annoying to be 2 miles away from town. And the water was nice but the beach was full of rather sharp rocks. I suppose for better beaches one must go further south in Croatia, but Pula was on the way. Bulgaria, I think will be nicer and cheaper. The buses only ran half an hour and was quite expensive as far as buses go. About $2. So I ended up walking most of the time in the heat. There wasnćt much to see or do, onlz the amphitheatre, which was nice but not THAT nice. One fo my finnish freinds expressed surpise that as a histoian I wasnćt more imporessed by this really old building. I explained that I find places where events of historical significance took place much more interesting than stuff that is just old. I'm not an archilogist!

Anyway I really like Ljubljana so far and I think I will want to stay longer than I will be able to... I should have been in this region 5 years ago! I must get to Romania where things are affordable. I am tired of eating salami sandwiches and pasta with tomato sauce.

spell check isn't working. sorry for your pain. At least I am making an effort to use the y key instead of z.

Pula

2007-07-29T11:21:00.000+01:00

Pula is nice but there isnćt much to do. I have been hanging out with two Finnish girls. Thez are going to Ljubljana tomorrow but I am going today.

Under the Istrian Sun

2007-07-27T19:27:00.000+01:00

I made it to Pula, deciding to trust my luck, as I said in my last post, but not being very trustful. I was so paranoid that I would get off at the wrong local bus stop or that there wouldn't be space at the hostel. I didn't and there was. The hostel is right on the beach. It didn't take me long to get reacquainted with my old friend the Adriatic. Its so salty that you can float for hours with zero effort. I wonder if anyone has ever drowned by falling asleep while floating in the Adriatic.

En Route

2007-07-27T08:14:00.000+01:00

I'm going to Pula today. I shelled out tons of money to send and email to a hostel and wcheck to see if they responded, but they haven't. I considered going to Ljubljana becasue I'm not sure of a spot, but decided to risk it. There are always the old ladies at the train station, maybe I will meet someone to split the cost of a room with, and I could really use a few days at the beach. Venice has been really nice, but it's very hot and unlike Bakersfield there is not air conditioning everywhere. Plus you have to walk. Anyway I am taking the train/bus because it's much cheaper and I get to see Trieste.

Hi Bye

2007-07-25T15:34:00.001+01:00

internet in venice is ridiculously expensive... like almost everything else. itàs very nice here, though.

Pictures!

2007-07-22T16:03:00.000+01:00

I worked really hard and paid a lot of money for internet in order to upload all of my (good) photos to facebook (since yahoo photos has gone kaput). It took so long. I hate to think how long it will take me to do the rest two months from now! Here are links:

Krakow

Gdansk

Warsaw

Lviv

London

2007-07-19T22:03:00.000+01:00

Just a quite post to let you all know I am still alive, back in krakow and on to london tomorrow!

Queue jumping is the national pastime

2007-07-18T21:39:00.000+01:00

Well, Lviv has been interesting. I will have to tell you all about it some other time. I am taking an early morning train back to Krakow then Friday an early flight back to London. Starting to get really excited for Harry Potter!!

Lviv

2007-07-16T10:51:00.001+01:00

what a place to come to! I survived the bus ride, barely, now I'm off to explore this remotest part of europe.

Killing time in Warsaw

2007-07-15T16:17:00.000+01:00

Here is what I have done:
Climbed the tower of St Anne's church
explored the old town
walked the royal way
visited chopin's heart in the church of the holy cross
walked walked walked.
probably some other stuff I forgot about
met up with crazy girls from gdansk
went to bed early!

Bought my ticket to lviv (this was a huge ordeal)
Went to the warsaw uprising museum which was really cool. I wanted to buy some reproduction propaganda photos or some postcards comparing the destructed with the reconstructed old town, but they didn't have any so I bought one with a soldier holding a kitten instead. Very nice. A lot of women particiapted in this uprising, might be an interested research topic if it has not already been done.

Some polish guys adopted me while I was trying to buy my bus ticket to Lviv... It was only available at this bus station 5 km from the center of town, bad enough I have to go there again to get the bus but I wanted to make sure I had the ticket! Well, they were very helpful but worried about me travelling to Ukraine. "It's Eastern Europe, you know..." I had to laugh and remind them that Poland is Eastern Europe too. "Yes but we are part of the European Union." As if that chanegs everything! I am actually very excited for Ukraine becuase I think everything will eb really cheap and Lviv sounds so nice. Finally I am going to an up and coming place before everyone else gets there and makes it so touristy. Not that I didn't love Krakow but the huge coach tours don't do much for ambiance.

2007-07-14T23:01:00.000+01:00

warsaw has been a bit anti-climatical... maybe because of all the walking. I'm sure I'll feel better about it tomorrow. I'm taking the night bus to Lviv, assuming I can get a ticket, instead of the train because it is 1/3 the price and I won't have to change twice. ugh bus...

Warsaw

2007-07-14T11:33:00.000+01:00

I had a really great time in Gdansk visiting historical sites such as the shipwayrd where the 1980 solidarity strikes took place and Westerplatte where WWII started. It's a really beautiful town; they did a great job rebuilding it. I also went to Sopot, a sea resort just outside of Gdansk. My holiday is rather unfortunatley timed, however; it has been rainy these last few days and will get very hot this weekend, when I am far away from the sea.

At the hostel I meant these crazy girls, one polish one american, and I came with them on the cheap train to Warsaw, arriving last night. I am meeting up with them later today, in the mean time going to go site seeing in the old town and royal way. Two days to see Warsaw! I am taking an overnight train to Lviv tomorrow night. Hurrah for not needing a visa!

Sorry for the lack of posts, the bad thing about all this free internet at hostels is that there is always someone waiting and I feel guilty taking a long time to write a post, so I usually just check my email and get off. And I am too cheap to go spend $1 on the internet cafe! WEll, I have been living on a very strict budget, less than $40 a day which is like 30 euros. I don't know how long that will last once I leave Poland, howver; for example the train from Ljubljana to Budapest is 40 euros for the reduced price! However I am hearing that Romania is even cheaper than Poland so maybe I will be able to make up for it there. Better to go to these places while they are still cheap, I figure. But I am not making too many decisions yet, I like being free in my itenirary and able to do exactly as I like and change my mind as often as it occurs to me to do so. That is, I think, the main benefit of traveling alone.

Gdansk

2007-07-11T10:55:00.000+01:00

I made it safely to Gdansk, despite the fact that I was convienced I would be robbed or worse on the overnight train. So don't worry, worriers. I had to force my way into a compartment because all the others were full but the occupants were relatively graceful about it and I slept pretty good for being crammed onto a train. The bathroom was pretty bad but what can you expect. I managed to only go once and hold it till I got off, despite the fact that the train was an hour late. I don't know why I expected it would be exactly ontime.... This is Eastern Europe after all! haha. Anyway I am getting settled into my second choice hostel and I think I will take a shower and go grab a bit and explore the city! Maybe join some anti-communism movements, I dunno...

2007-07-10T01:10:00.000+01:00

Short update: Today I went to the Salt mines. Yesterday I went to Auschwitz. Tomorrow I am going to Gdansk.

Suddenly everything is in Polish

2007-07-07T11:37:00.000+01:00

I made it to Krakow practically despite myself, had a shower for the first time in three days, and am really looking forward to a full night's sleep for the first time in a week tonight! I have lots of observations to make but I don't really feel like it when there is a city waiting to be explored, and I don't know how long this enthusiasm will last.

London

2007-07-06T16:41:00.001+01:00

Well I made it to London. Apparantly the piece of crap phone I bought doesn't work over here after all so don't send me a text message cause I won't get it. I'm planning on buying another cheap one in poland hopefully with better luck this time. I met Brendan at the tube station and he helped me carry my stuff to storage then we got lunch. I have spent the last few hours exploring stomping grounds old and new. Soon i am heading off to stansted and i am soo tired I think i might actually sleep.

At the airport

2007-07-05T23:19:00.001+01:00

waiting waiting waiting . I really have nothing novel to say. I've had a great time since I left Bakersfield and all the franticness of getting ready behind (although my goodbye party was lots of fun too!), relaxing at the hotel and having fun at the races... It was great to see everyone one last time and Pat and Alan dropped me off at the airport and helped me sneak on a heavier bag than I am allowed, I hope. I was going to make a long post about my packing technique but that didn't happen. I'll let you know what works and what doesn't after the fact. Praying to get a sympathetic checker-iner worked for me, I told the guy I was getting a PhD and those were all my books and he left the fact that my bags were 1.5 kilos overweight slide. This is a disorganized post from a disorganized mine, sorry. I'm meeting up with Leonard's friend Brendan after I drop my stuff off at a safestore tomorrow.

White on White [on leaving]

2007-07-03T04:14:00.000+01:00

Well, I am officially visa-fied. I really think I was psyching myself out over nothing, after reading online about how anal and tough they are. I was sooo paranoid. I went last night to Kinkos to take my picture and the lady said she'd had someone say their picture in a white shirt was unacceptable because of the white background (I was wearing a white shirt). I didn't think the consulate would care about my shoulders but I went home to change just to be on the safe side. I brought a whole folder full of stuff, bank statements going back three months for all my accounts, copies of my loan application, something about the house, every letter my school had ever sent me… I'd read not to even bother applying until you had all your loans approved and everything, but mine aren't processed yet, so I was really worried they would say no, I don't have enough money. The woman just took a cursory glance at the top of the pile of bank statements I handed her and asked how much the loan I had applied for was for. Ta dum! So it was no big deal. But better to err on the safe side. I wasn't the only one, there was one girl who had a letter of support from her mother notarized. I got there about 40 minutes early and I was the last appointment so I didn't get my interview till noon. But I sat reading and chatted with a girl who is going to do her undergrad at St Andrews for a while, so it was fine. In between the interview and picking up my visa-fied passport I went to Santa Monica to buy a sink plug at REI.

I came up with a clever way to use up all the blank cds I found… I'm making a travel mix to give as a party favor at my bon voyage tomorrow night. As well as the cds I found the most incredible amount of stuff I thought had disappeared when Pat was here Wednesday helping me pack up all my stuff. Kyle helped me move it all into storage, I don't know where I would be without them, probably dead. I found a missing flying fox temple balm, a bag I thought I had gotten rid of, my missing tennis shoes, my old passport! Which it turned out I didn't need for my visa application.

I'm slowly emptying my inbox by replying to all the emails that have been sitting there forever. I imagine if I had left as early as I wanted to I would have left a lot of things undone. As it is I am feeling very frantic about leaving and maybe because I am so busy a little ambiguous about it, too. I suppose it is more healthy than just being completely relieved to take off, opposition in all things etc, but probably comes from being tired more than anything else. Too tired to feel excited, though I know I am excited. Am I doing the right thing? (What else is there to do? But really, I can't imagine anything I'd rather.) Won't I be lonely on my own? I've been let down recently in so many ways, big and small, that it will be a relief to be on my own and not let anyone else, other than myself, have the opportunity to let me down for a while.

Not a moment too soon

2007-06-22T02:18:00.000+01:00

So welcome to my travel blog. In exactly two weeks I will be jetting over the Atlantic... or perhaps somewhere a little less exciting like Minnesota. Needless to say, I can't wait. I was originally going to leave the 30th, but I changed my ticket. This means I'll miss some exciting and important events in Bakersfield (like the HP releases and Paul and Christina's wedding) but it also means I won't sit around all summer feeling sorry for myself, plus I will have more time to travel, so the balance tips. On a related note, can I just say how much I love STA? It only cost $35 to change my ticket. Of course, I had to drive all the way to Westwood to do it because it was a paper ticker, but that's really Air New Zealand's fault.

Anyway, I'm really excited. I just booked flights to Poland for the new leg of my trip. I haven't researched or planned or thought about this nearly as much as I have my original plan, so it will be a bit more improptu, but I can't think that will matter since I usually abandon travel plans anyway. So I think I will wander around Poland a bit and then decide whether to head to Romania or the Czech Republic. (probably Romania since I am poor) And since I have an extra week on the second leg, I might head over to Bulgaria after Croatia. But who knows! I am starting to reconnect with old travel buddies and friends so it should be a really great trip. All I have to worry about now is getting my visa before I leave! All I have left to do for that is prove I won't be a burden on the state and that I have enough money for a year of fees and living expenses... hahaha...