No Problem Prague

After staying up way later than I normally do, I unintentionally slept in until about 10:30. Some much need rest I think though. I got up took a lovely bath (this is the first hostel that had a bath tub and it was fairly clean). Then I wanted to actually catch up on my blog and so I spent most of the early afternoon around the hostel. I ate the fruit and bread I bought in Krakow and my last bag of popcorn, which was delicious. I talked with the receptionists and found out that one of them is actually from Modra in Slovakia. I talked to her about my time there and realized that it was one of my favorite places and I do miss it. I have also been able to use a bit of my Slovak here because Czech is extremely close to Slovak and that has been awesome (a big difference from Hungary and Poland where I understood nothing).


After writing and just lounging around, I got motivated to go out into the city (mainly because I had to buy a bus ticket for the next morning). So I wandered down the main square until I found a metro station where I could buy a ticket. Did that and walked around a bit more until I decided I was hungry. So I had an Old Prague Sausage from a stand. What I was thinking about though was that it is weird because in the states Kolbasa is a type of sausage but it is actually the literal translation of sausage. Interesting, no? Well then I decide to walk to the Charles Bridge which is an extremely old bridge and a big tourist attraction. By the way it was drizzling the whole time… I am glad I had enough sense to bring an umbrella. I walked across the bridge, turned around, and headed back to the hostel. I decided to take a different way and then decided I should find the bus stop I had to be at around 4 in the morning. I didn’t want to be stumbling around then. I took me a while to find it because the stop was at an intersection where there are two tram stops, a metro, and a taxi lane. It was a bit hard to spot let’s just say. After I found it, I was ready to go back now having thoroughly soaked shoes and so I did. I got back between eight and nine, back up, and went to bed early. My plane leaves at 6 am so I have to catch the bus at four so I have to leave around 3:30 just to be safe so I have to get up at 3. (Yes, I do realize that is a terrible run on sentence.) Tomorrow Oxford!

P.S. I have been posting a few days at a time so you probably haven't seen the few previous post either... Happy Reading!!!!!!

Pursuing Prague

Well I arrived in Prague from the night train at about 7:45 in the morning!!! Got off and started toward my hostel. Now in Budapest and Prague I had a pretty good city map in my guide book that I bought before I came but this wasn’t the same for Prague. My hostel was just a little bit off the map and so I did a rough sketch in my notebook so that I good get there. I failed to include enough street names on my drawn map.  I got to the cross street and walked right… well the correct direction was left… woops. So I walked about three blocks and thought I should have come across it so I asked two people smoking on the corner (a lot of people smoke here, it unreal).. They said it was 3 or 4 blocks back the other way. It was just one street over from where I originally started! It wasn’t so bad though because my arms weren’t complete jello since the night before the Irish guys carried my bags ?. (They said they are true Irish gentlemen.) I got to the hostel and checked-in but they couldn’t give me my bed yet because it was like 9 in the morning. However, since there were just shared bathrooms I got to shower and they locked my bag up. The receptionists was absolutely fantastic, she offered me a sandwich, gave me a map telling me all the places I should see, and told me about all the free tours (which I had already looked up but still). This was by far the best receptionist I had seen in my travels. She was very welcoming and truly hospitable. I was just in time to make it to the free walking tour in the morning so I went to the main square, watched the clock show (The main clock tower has figurines that do an automatic show each hour), and then started the tour. Our guide was very nice and funny and I got to see a good majority of the city with some background information. Then I decided to walk back and take a little break but I got side track on the way. There was just this little market selling food and other goods. I have come to really like this kind of thing and almost everywhere I have been they have one. I didn’t find one in Bratislava or in Budapest but Florence’s was great, Krakow, and now here in Prague. You the freshest food and get to see a lot of local made things; it just very interesting and fun to look around. I spent an hour or more there and then bought some awesome fruit for the way home. Ironically, I tried to get one without a lot of strawberries because they aren’t my favorite and there were a lot of other berries that look better but in the end these were some of the best, the best strawberries I have ever had. The blue berries were amazing too and there were raspberries and something that looked similar but a peach color, red currants I believe and one or two blackberries. When I got back I thought I would lie in bed and do some reading for oxford/ catch up on my blog…. I dozed off. I have been pretty tired; I don’t know if it is all the traveling, disturbances in the night  or what (yes grandma I will take some vitamins <3!.. I stopped and did right now). I woke up to some people come in the door to our room. A boy and girl,  brother and sister, named Barbara and Lodewijk from Belgium. We talked for a while first about our schooling which lead to conversations about our school systems and of course I got the typical questions about America and if I agree with this or that. Eventually, this Australian, Tom, joined us and we talked about global warming, nutrition and our travels. We decided to go to the grocery and cook something here at the hostel together which was fantastic. We bought some tomatoes, onions, a pepper and cheese and Tom mad this nice tomato sauce we put over pasta. It was very good and nice to just cook together. We ate and then the boys had talked with the receptionists about a good local pub so we set off to find it, joined by another Australian, Tim. The walk was… interesting. The pub wasn’t in the city center, we traversed a long bridge, it rained, we ran, Barbara and I took of our flip flops because we were slipping all around, we got a little lost (I think), and finally found the place. It was an adventure, a great memory. The place was pretty full and had no empty tables so our brave leader Lodewijk asked two gentlemen to join another table so we could all sit together and it worked! (The rest of us were all very skeptical of this idea.) We sat down looked at the menu and had no idea… Autumn (my roommate from Bratislava) who had spent a lot of time in Prague told me to order dark beer, tmave pivo, so I did. I also found out that the Czech Republic had the second best beer in the world only behind Belgium… Lodewijk and Barbara made this very clear. I didn’t really like it or any other the other many beers the other had. I think I just don’t really like beer at all and so I (and Barbara as well) ended up giving almost all of mine to the guys. After we ordered our first round, the guy from the hostel, Andre, showed up and sat with us (which we were all a little relieve since he could now speak with the waitress!). We ended up also getting this common type of soft cheese that was soaked in oil with some pepper in the middle and onions on top. With the bread, it was delicious. The room we were in closed at 11 pm and so we had to move into the front room. It was nice just to sit around and chat about different cultural customs and whatnot. It was really nice but it started getting pretty late a Lodewijk had stopped drinking so Barbara, him, and I took a taxi back to the hostel which Andre (the guy from the hostel) was so kind to arrange for us. We got change, went to bed…. but there was someone snoring loudly and so we started making up silly plans to get them to stop. Barbara had fallen asleep so Lodewijk and I talked a bit more about our families until someone else in the room kindly asked us to stop… and so we went to bed. I have decided that I really do like the hostel atmosphere and environment. It is a great place to meet people and make connections and as I have gotten more comfortable with them, I have come to appreciate certain things. I have stayed in all relatively small hostels which I have decided I like a lot because you are really am to get to know and hangout with the same people. I have made some decent friends and now have connections in a few more countries, on top of the ones from Bratislava. I haven’t really had any negative experiences which I know are possible so I will keep that in mind but as of right now, I am very happy with this experience and the chance to meet others who are traveling. Also, I like destroying people’s perceptions of Americans!!!! Muhahaha! It has been great but I am ready to go to England and get settled in somewhere. Lots of love.

Time in Krakow Coming to a Close

I  woke up around 7 and showered as usual but the bus for the salt mines wasn’t leaving until 9:15 so I had so time. I mostly used this time to write and download some documents to read for Oxford that night on the train. I left a little early to stop at the grocery so I could buy a little something for the trip (since breakfast at the hostel was provided). I got a fresh made pastry/Danish thing which was delicious and I only paid around $.50! The bus ride to the salt mines was much shorter than to Auschwitz and I had booked with the same company so the minibus was very similar. We met the guide when we got off the bus but to tell you the truth  I feel that paying the tour company I did is a bit of a rip off because once on site both at Auschwitz and the salt mine you have to enter with a guide anyway. The site provides that for individuals so in reality what I was paying for was the transport which was nice and picked me up only two minutes away from the hostel but I think just figuring it out myself would have been a bit more complicated but much more cost efficient. I know this now and if I ever return or in future similar situations I can apply this bit of realization I gained. The salt mines themselves were pretty amazing. We walked down about 200 feet to the first level of the mine and were able to go down two more levels. Apparently, there are nine levels in total but the ninth level is flooded. They no longer mine salt there but they pump up the salt water and evaporate the water to get salt. The basic structure was tunnels and caverns, some big, some small. A lot of them had statues built out of salt and dedicated to important people in the mine’s history. One of the first and most memorable was one of Nicholas Copernicus who had visited the mine as a boy and so they know that the mine was visited even in the 1500s which is amazing to think about. There were multiple chapels and one pretty big one that is actually open on Sunday for mass to the public. I had reliefs carved into the salt walls and chandeliers made out of salt. It was beautiful and I will put up the pictures I have as soon as it can. The mine itself was very extensive and even had a room for reception and concerts, a restaurant, and much more. The tour lasted around three hours and we only saw about one percent of the mine our guide told us. There is also a more extreme tour where you actually put on mining gear and a head lamp and get to crawl through the mines. If I ever get back there at a young enough age I truly want to do that but I think the basic tour was great for my first visit. We went back to the city and I stopped off at the hostel to wash up and check the time of the Jewish tour. I had some time so I went up and wandered around the castle grounds and just looked over the city and the river. It was very relaxing and I wander down to the main square and just people watched until the tour. In Krakow, and I’ve seen them in other places in Europe as well, they had water spikets which either have a constant flow of water or you have to pump it. This water is clean and drinkable but is also used to wash hands and things like that. So, I was sitting by the fountain and just watching people’s interaction with this. The cutest little boy ran over and pumped forever and his dad pumped a few time but he was so determined to get it working and he finally did, thinking it was fantastic. The tour finally started at three and was about three hours. The tour guide took us to the Jewish sector and showed us many important places, all the time explain the history of the Jewish people there in Krakow. The Jews originally had their own city with their own laws and ruling and this is the area of Krakow called Kremnica. The tour was pretty good, I was just really tired. I didn’t know this but almost all of the movie Schindler’s List was filled there and it was about the Jews of that area. The guide told us that the film of course wasn’t accurate and that the Jews originally lived in Kremnica. They were expelled to the other side of the river but since the actually Kreminca still was filled with structures from the WWII period they decided to film the movie there, not actually where the Jewish ghetto was. This was all very interesting and I am glad that I went but I was really tired so I headed back to the hostel with the intention of showering. I stopped off at the grocery to buy some fruit and something sweet for the ride and I also bought some bread from the street vendor. I figured I could eat that with peanut butter and some fruit and that would be perfect. When I got back I had to get the keys to unlock my luggage because I had to check out that morning and the hostel was storing my bags. In the process of getting some things out of my bag I ran into the Irish guys from the other night and we started talking about I don’t even remember but by the time we were done I had the desk keys for about an hour so I figured I shouldn’t keep them and shower. I went to get on the computer and talked with the Irish guys some more because they were having a coffee in the kitchen. I have decided I really liked them and so we took pictures and added each other on facebook. They both actually live in London and said they would show me around. I also found out that they were leaving on a night train as well around the same time so we decided to go to the station together. They were a true blessing because they insisted on carrying my bags, which I felt horrible about but they would hear nothing about it. All I carried was my backpacking pack and the carried my small backpack, my black bag as well as their own backpacks. They got me on the train after some confusion about my seating, loaded my bags onto the luggage racks and said goodbye. At this point, I decided I really like them and plan to keep in contact. The only other person in my cabin was a Slovak guy and so we spoke for a while. I told him what I knew in Slovak and then read some stuff on my computer, falling asleep in the process. The train ride was long and fuzzy since I was sleeping on and off and was pretty groggy. I didn’t pay for a sleeping car because it was a bit extra so I just had a regular seat but after the Slovak gut got off I laid across three seats until some business people got on around six in the morning. This is about the some of my trip and it starts running into the next day and so I will leave it here.

Kind Regards Krakow!

So the pretty cool Irish guys became pretty drunk Irish guys and the one, Conlich I believe is how you spell it came back at around 3:45 and proceed to wake me up, call me aggressive and hostile, tell me he loved my accent, and tired to get into a political discussion about United States’ involvement in Afghanistan, fell asleep on the couch, and only woke up when Patty moved him to his bed. What a interesting interaction and in retrospect it was pretty fun actually… well it was pretty fun not just in retrospect but in real time as well. I went back to sleep and woke again in the morning ready to go to Auschwitz. After some computer work and my complimentary breakfast at the hostel, I set out for the tour bus. The ride was about an hour and a half; they played a movie on the liberation of the camp by the soviets. There was a lot of information I already knew but also it was almost all firsthand footage with commentary by a soviet soldier. This was interesting because almost all the Holocaust videos I have seen have been from an American perspective. Upon our arrival we had a little break and started the guided tour. For some reason the camp was congested with tourists, more than usual the guide said.  It was unreal to see this firsthand and even though I had learned much and seen many pictures in my Holocaust class the previous semester. The tour was about two hours long and then we went to Birkenau another camp about three meters away. In comparison, Birkenau was three times as large and a lot more open. Even though Auschwitz is more famous, more people died at Birkenau (Auschwitz only had one crematorium whereas Birkenau had five). Also Birkenau was the main train depo for arriving peoples and so we were actually able to walk the exact place that people doomed to death walk 70 years before. It was unreal and we also were able to see the rumble of two of the crematoriums ( The Nazis had blown them up before the camp was liberated in an attempt to cover up their atrocities). We also were able to see original bunking and latrines. I am glad I went not in a happy way but because I feel that is something I should see especially going into international relations and conflict management. My only wish is that we would have had more individual time just to walk around and process a bit more. On the ride back I slept and hit the ground running when we returned to the city. I visited six churches and the university grounds. (and yes grandma I made a small wish/prayer in each one.) This interest in visiting European churches emerged last year when I was in Italy for my professor said the best art is always preserved in churches… and most typically they are free. Both of these things are true and I am glad I learned that early on. The main Cathedral here was actually all that impressive to me but two of the smaller churches were absolutely gorgeous in very different ways (St. Anne’s Church and The Franciscan Church). I will put up pictures when I have a chance. After this round of exploring, I went back to the hostel to shower and then get some dinner but I got side tracked. I was getting my stuff together and two of my roommates that I hadn’t met yet walked in and we started talking. They are both from the Netherlands, Pieter and Freek. We had the most wonderful conversation first about politics, the middle class, economic responsibility, the schools system in different countries and more. We all decided to go out and grab dinner which gave me a chance to learn a little more about them and about the Netherlands in a more general sense. After we decide to grab a drink at a little terrace on the main square and continued to talk about philosophy, religion, and the idea of what is fake verses real and reality. It was all very interesting and mind boggling. Basically, it was fantastic. I hope that we keep in touch (we are already facebook friends!). Then I came back to shower and go to sleep, in the meantime meeting another roommate from Australia. We didn’t talk much because we were both pretty tired. Tomorrow the salt mines and hopefully a walking tour of the Jewish sector if I make it back in time. Then I will be leaving on a night train for Prague!

P.S. I really love Krakow. I have found the atmosphere comparable to Florence which is truly fantastic!

Kind Regards Krakow!

So the pretty cool Irish guys became pretty drunk Irish guys and the one, Conlich I believe is how you spell it came back at around 3:45 and proceed to wake me up, call me aggressive and hostile, tell me he loved my accent, and tired to get into a political discussion about United States’ involvement in Afghanistan, fell asleep on the couch, and only woke up when Patty moved him to his bed. What a interesting interaction and in retrospect it was pretty fun actually… well it was pretty fun not just in retrospect but in real time as well. I went back to sleep and woke again in the morning ready to go to Auschwitz. After some computer work and my complimentary breakfast at the hostel, I set out for the tour bus. The ride was about an hour and a half; they played a movie on the liberation of the camp by the soviets. There was a lot of information I already knew but also it was almost all firsthand footage with commentary by a soviet soldier. This was interesting because almost all the Holocaust videos I have seen have been from an American perspective. Upon our arrival we had a little break and started the guided tour. For some reason the camp was congested with tourists, more than usual the guide said.  It was unreal to see this firsthand and even though I had learned much and seen many pictures in my Holocaust class the previous semester. The tour was about two hours long and then we went
To Birkenau another camp about three meters away. In comparison, Birkenau was three times as large and a lot more open. Even though Auschwitz is more famous, more people died at Birkenau (Auschwitz only had one crematorium whereas Birkenau had five). Also Birkenau was the main train depo for arriving peoples and so we were actually able to walk the exact place that people doomed to death walk 70 years before. It was unreal and we also were able to see the rumble of two of the crematoriums ( The Nazis had blown them up before the camp was liberated in an attempt to cover up their atrocities). We also were able to see original bunking and latrines. I am glad I went not in a happy way but because I feel that is something I should see especially going into international relations and conflict management. My only wish is that we would have had more individual time just to walk around and process a bit more. On the ride back I slept and hit the ground running when we returned to the city. I visited six churches and the university grounds. (and yes grandma I made a small wish/prayer in each one.) This interest in visiting European churches emerged last year when I was in Italy for my professor said the best art is always preserved in churches… and most typically they are free. Both of these things are true and I am glad I learned that early on. The main Cathedral here was actually all that impressive to me but two of the smaller churches were absolutely gorgeous in very different ways (St. Anne’s Church and The Franciscan Church). I will put up pictures when I have a chance. After this round of exploring, I went back to the hostel to shower and then get some dinner but I got side tracked. I was getting my stuff together and two of my roommates that I hadn’t met yet walked in and we started talking. They are both from the Netherlands, Pieter and Freek. We had the most wonderful conversation first about politics, the middle class, economic responsibility, the schools system in different countries and more. We all decided to go out and grab dinner which gave me a chance to learn a little more about them and about the Netherlands in a more general sense. After we decide to grab a drink at a little terrace on the main square and continued to talk about philosophy, religion, and the idea of what is fake verses real and reality. It was all very interesting and mind boggling. Basically, it was fantastic. I hope that we keep in touch (we are already facebook friends!). Then I came back to shower and go to sleep, in the meantime meeting another roommate from Australia. We didn’t talk much because we were both pretty tired. Tomorrow the salt mines and hopefully a walking tour of the Jewish sector if I make it back in time. Then I will be leaving on a night train for Prague!

P.S. I really love Krakow. I have found the atmosphere comparable to Florence which is truly fantastic!

Krakow I’m Coming!

So the night hours were pretty terrible. I didn’t sleep much and the boards under Sebastian’s bed kept falling through, making it impossible for him and us to sleep soundly. I felt so bad in the morning but since the three of us got up at 6 and were leaving Sebastian took one of the other beds. After getting ready, I took a nice walk with my heavy suitcases down to the metro. Remind me never ever ever to travel like this with more than one bag. I felt like my arms were going to fall off! I lugged my bag down a cobblestone road, down a bunch of stairs to the metro and then up the stairs on the other side. (I had also figured out the day before that if there is a major road and no cross walk that is because there is a metro nearby that connects the other side of the street… I know it but it took me a while.) Bus ride = sleep, more sleep, bathroom break and a sandwich, Rubik cube, reading, passport check, more reading, and more sleep. For some reason we actually got to Krakow about an hour late. I navigated getting my bags and lugging them somewhere clear off people to get situated. After  I stumbled around a bit, I got my footing and figured out where I needed to go. It wasn’t very far but it felt like half way around the world. I had to keep stopping to give my arms a rest but the good news is I have great arm strength by the end of this trip. : ) My hostel is located right in the old town areas so I got to see a bunch of this beautiful city on my walk to check in. I got there, checked-in, the nice guy at the reception carried my bag up 4 flights of stairs, I showered and got settled. Then decided that instead of spending just two days in Krakow, I would spend three because 1) my first day was pretty much gone, 2) I wanted to do Auschwitz the next day, and 3) they have a bunch of caves/mines open to the people which I decided looked amazing and so I want to stay to do that. With the timing figured out I decided I should attempt to book my train ticket to Prague and my hostel for Prague as well. I went to do this but it seemed that there were no overnight tickets online or I couldn’t book for some reason. This is when I decided I would just walk over to the train station (about 7-10 minutes) and buy a ticket there. So I got to see some more of the town and decided that I like it a bit more than Budapest so far, granted I am only in the old town area. It got me thinking though and this is a thought that crossed my mind in Budapest as well… Wouldn’t it be amazing to walk to school every day and see a giant cathedral or a castle right outside your window? What a different kind of life. I am almost glad I never had that because now I can truly appreciate the beauty and glory of such things. But in all honesty I love that about Europe. Everything new and old is scattered so you could be walking down a residential street and turn the corner to find a bell tower or an amazing town square. It is such a different atmosphere. Strolling down cobblestone roads and just exploring the city was fantastic! After I got my nice and expensive train ticket, I went to find some place to eat and after looking at a bunch of menus I end up back in the main square where I became side tracked by a nice market inside the old cloth hall. I walked up and down for some time comparing prices and items in my head and then my stomach got the better of me so I left to this place with pretty good pricing, comparatively speaking of course, which I had seen earlier. I went in and down this steep and winding stair case and sat in this quaint this restaurant. I had meat filled pierogies with sautéed onions and a sprite. Fantastic. I decided I absolutely love being able to go out practically anywhere and order pierogies or dumplings. I am in heaven I swear! After dinner, I went back across the square to the market and decide to buy a nice wooden chess set! Maybe grandpa and I will play more now!! ( It was 29 zoltys which is about 8 euros or 10 bucks! So cheap for nice wooden set! I am very pleased if you can’t tell!) Then I walked around the lit up square and down past my hostel seeing a few churches and the castle. It was very nice walked and deciding that I wanted something sweat, I bought a cherry and chocolate bar and retired to my room to write. Just to let everyone know: Europe has way better candy… and you get more for less in most cases. While I was in the process of writing this two of my roommates, two guys from IRELAND!, came back to change and what not. They were pretty funny and one, Patrick or Patty as they call him, plays for the Irish national basketball team… they were only two games out of the Olympics! Pretty cool huh. Well I am going to bed because Auschwitz tomorrow at 9 am and I know I will want to have enough energy for that! Lots of love!

More to come soon! Please be patient my internet availability is pretty limited! <3

Blazing Budapest

So in the middle of the night our other two roommates arrived. They were quite noisy so I woke up but it is what it is. So after finishing my blog I set off at around 8:30 am. My first stop was the Buda castle hill on the other side of the river but before I made it there I stop by a couple of churches. I didn’t make it too far in either of them though because it was 9 am on a Sunday morning. So, I continued on my way across the bridge which gave me a very beautiful view of the city. Then down the park on the other side and it took me a while to where I could get up onto the castle hill because many of the old entrances were blocked. Finally, I made it and found my way up the hill. The view was spectacular and I wandered around the grounds for a bit. It seemed that there was a big event the night before and the crews were in the process of tear down. So I continue along the hill toward the Cathedral, stopping occasional to look in shops and what not. When I got to the cathedral I saw that it was closed until 1 pm to tourists. I should have known. Luckily, the fisherman’s bastion was right there as well. It is similar to a fortress wall but had elegant and lavish stairs down the opposite side into the city and a top part which you could walk across and view the city. I did that and then head back down the bank to another bridge and the other side of the city. (By the way Budapest is actually separated into a Buda side on one bank of the river and the Pest side on the other.) This time I was going to St. Stephen’s Basilica. Here church was also going on but tourists were allowed to enter the back roped off section of the church. It was very beautiful and then I climbed the tower to the dome. This was fantastic. So gorgeous and I had some American boy from Boston to take a picture of me. My next stop was the Parliament building which is this huge sprawling building sitting on the Pest bank of the river. So I walked down some side streets and cut through a beautiful square/park (with a ton of dogs ? ).   When I reached the building it took me a few minutes to figure out that there were no more tickets for today which was sad but I was so hungry so I went back to this small restaurant I saw on the way. There I had a cup of goulash (it was better the night before) and Hungarian  ratieulle with sausage. This was pretty good and I got to rest after so much walking. Then I was off to the great synagogue which I found out from the tours that it is the largest in Europe but the second largest in the world only compared to one in New York City. Physically it is small but logistically it can hold more people though. It was absolutely breath taking inside and out. An interesting sight is the organ behind the arch which apparently caused quite a scandal in the Jewish community at the time. The reason this was included and why the outside also somewhat resembles a church is because the designers were Christians. We had a small tour of the facility and then the guide lead the group to a little market that the Jewish community as well as many others put on ever Sunday. The market takes place in adjacent courtyards that span at least 5 to 10 buildings. So I walked through and they had some pretty interesting things: lots of jewelry, books homemade goods, and even tasty treats. After wandering around here and back through the Jewish sector, I sat inside the synagogue for while just admiring the architecture and decoration. Fascinated that it was one of the only building not bombed during WWII. Apparently, since the Hungarians were in alliance with the Germans the deportation of the Hungarian Jewish did not begin until 1944. At this time the Gestapo set up a headquarters in the synagogue and so neither side would bomb it; one side because it housed Jews and the other because it housed the Gestapo. Purely amazing. After this I wandered around town a bit more and headed back to the hostel figuring I would shower and just relax. When I got back I had some time to myself and I ate a bag of popcorn and started organizing for my departure to Krakow. Then I got some new roommates! A girl and a guy from Romania who were in town training to become bar tenders on large cruise ships. They were in and out for a while and then our fourth roommate showed up, a guy, Sebastian, from Germany who had bicycled all the way to Budapest. This is when the fun really started. Sebastian, Nina, and myself had a fabulous conversation for hours. I don’t know how it started but we talked about nature vs. nuture and the power of the mind. Sebastian is an occupational therapist and so he was telling how when people have brain damage he works with them to learn to use other parts of their brains to do the same things as before. We talked about a ton of things and eventually got on the topic of Buddhism and ideas of meditation/mantras and the effects they have on people. I don’t know how long we talked but it was getting pretty late (around 9 pm) and so Sebastian went out to eat, Nina napped for she had been invited out for tea, and I finally took my shower. I wrote and decided to go to bed a bit early because I had to be at the train station at 7 am to leave for Krakow. Before I had fallen asleep Sebastian returned bringing all of us a traditional Hungarian treat! (I ate it the next day and it was quite good… chocolate with some kind of cream in the middle.) How nice of him.

P.S. There are a lot of places selling gyros in Budapest.
P.S.S. There are tons and I mean tons of statues in Budapest… more than anywhere else I have been (mostly of heroes such as men on horseback and what not).

Budapest Bound and Boarded

So unfortunately with all the hanging out, I did not get to pack so in the morning I woke up at 7 and showered/packed. I had made plans to meet the Italian girls downstairs but unfortunately I was running 5 to 10 minutes late and so they were gone when I got to the lobby. I said goodbye to all those around (getting ig bear hugs with my backpack on) and left for the bus stop right by the dorm. As I was walking up the bus I needed was just leaving. What a bummer I thought, I would just have to catch the next one. So I waited half an hour, took the bus to the train station, a little worried I was going to miss my train. Come to find out though that my train was delay one hour! But at least at this point I had met up with the Italian girls. So we waited and finally we boarded the bus and found out the all the compartments were fill. So we stood/sat in the hallway. Fortunately about half way though some seats open up but not enough for everyone so I sat and slept in the hallway for the rest of the time. The trip was about two and a half hours. Our train approach Budapest and I confirmed with the Italians that I would meet them as we got off the bus. I was kind of in a bit of a predicament because my original plan was to crash on someone’s couch but that fell through and so I hadn’t booked a hostel. (I know I am crazy stupid but this is what happened) So my thinking was I could go with the Italians and see if their hostel had any beds and if not I was hoping that the staff might have a suggestion on where to go. So the Italians had booked at two different places so I went with the two girls in a taxi to their hostel. No one was there. They called and the guy said that they had listed a later arrival time so it would take him an hour to get there. All this made the Italians very upset and we thought we should get a café at the little dinner next doors but then we realized we had no money… since Hungary doesn’t use the Euro; they use the Florint. So I decided to be proactive and go find a nearby atm, one because we had an hour and two because I was really thirsty. I found one but then I was in a bit of a predicament because 1 euro equals about 277 florint… how much should I get out?? So I took out 1000 florint which I soon learned was nothing (my water was around 400 Florints!). The guy finally arrived and after a few minutes of confusion he understood and said he would make some calls for me. In the end he found me a place at one of the oldest and most well known hostels in town. So I got on the metro (my first time on the metro!!), went two stops, got turned around a bit and finally got to the hostel… all this time lugging two bags around. When I got here I told him who I was and we got started making the reservation. He told me 15 euros a night… which is quite high but I just want a place to sleep. I said ok and asked if I could pay with a card and he said they preferred cash and I said I don’t have enough can I pay with a card and he said no. I was a little mad because two seconds ago he said I could but didn’t prefer it. So I was now on a mission to the atm. This time I calculated how much I thought I would need for the next two days and got that. Back to the Red Bus Hostel it was, I got my room (which is a nice little room with four beds), got on the free wifi, and promptly booked a hostel for Krakow (at a much better rate than this one. (Please don’t worry so much I am using a site the Italians suggested and cross referencing the site with the actually travel book I have. Both of the hostels were good enough to be noted in the book so I am pretty satisfied.) A shower and I figured I should try and see some of the town even though it was going on 6 pm but first I needed some food! I found a place that the map suggested so I wandered over there, passing many good  looking places on the way, one especially catching my eye. I decided if I didn’t like the looks of the other place then I would circle back around. I didn’t like the looks of the other places so I came back to this nice little restaurant nestled in the corner. Here I had golash soup (fanatastic), bread, mint lemonade, and this very thin pork fillet with  homemade fries. The main dish was a little too oily for my liking but the meat was really good aside from that. After I found out that the name of the restaurant was Bob’s Restaurant! Not a Hungarian name but the food was pretty authentic… as far as I could tell! Then I walked down the main thoroughfare toward Hero’s square. The main street was beautiful and even the walk there was great. I really enjoy Budapest’s landscape because there are very old buildings all around with domes and towers creeping up behind more modern buildings. It is great. On my walk, I also noticed a few things. I thought there were a ton of bikers in Bratislava but here every third person had a bike… or a dog! And there were a good number of people just roller blading around. Also, there were a lot of random drunks with bottles of alcohol walking around or sleeping on benches. Overall, it was nice to be out, walking around and the sun was down by the time I made it to Hero’s Square but I think it was even more impressive. It was this giant open square with huge monuments that were all light up it was amazing. So I wander around here for a bit, taking pictures, and just enjoying. On my way back to the hostel, I stopped for some water: 150 Florint. See I told you I got ripped off. I made it back to find one of my roommates. A nice Chinese lady who works in a bank in London. We chatted for a while, I wrote and went to sleep. I have a lot to do tomorrow!

My last day in Bratislava- Piatok

So Friday was a very sad but fun day. In the morning we had our last class. We sang a bunch and the assistants even came and sang with us! It was great fun! (and I recorded it!) We then got our tests back… I got an 82.5 which isn’t too terrible. I would have done better if I had studied more but I am pretty happy with how much I have learned. I really am going to miss Slovakia and I hope to return someday soon. In the second half of class we listened to music and wrote something to each person in the class. This was very nice after three weeks because we all had become pretty good friends. Then our teacher took us out for coffee and we made complete fools of ourselves playing charades in Slovak. It was a blast! After that was lunch and then Autumn and I walked around for a long time. First we went to the mall and then just around town. We were killing time before the final ceremony and reception. We all got certificates with the number of hours we completed. We took a ton of pictures too because our old teacher was there. Then we had the reception which was great because everyone was just having fun and I dance with a couple people. It was very nice. Then I walked home part of the way with Autumn (we took the tram part of the way too). It was very nice talking with her. We have so much in common and I going to miss her. After hangout in our room for a bit, I went down to the courtyard where we had planned to meet up and go out. Meet up we did, go out we didn’t. But it was a ton of fun. Some teachers were there and surprisingly I was still meeting people I didn’t know. Our last night a SAS was awesome, filled with laughs and good memories!

Day 18- Štvrtok

Today was quiet fun and full. This morning we had our test and we will see how that went tomorrow. Truthfully it doesn’t mean much because we aren’t getting a language placement of anything just a certificate with the amount of hours we have completed. All that said I don’t think I did too bad; I forgot some vocabulary but most of it I was pretty confident in. We had a small break and then had to create a dialogue with a partner. The break was actually pretty crazy because some boys had taken a bottle for a water dispenser and filled it with beer. So it was hilarious to watch people walk up and figure out there was beer and not water. I wish I would have recorded it. But then the director saw it and one of the assistants, Peter, came down in a fury and removed it. It was just great to see people’s reactions. A great stress release after the test! 

The dialogue: My partner was Ecathrine from Moldova. I have been hanging out with her a lot this past week and I really like her… I have to get a picture of us tomorrow. Our dialogue compared a shopping mall here in Bratislava to ones in the US. Then we just played a bunch of games with the rest of our time. The first game the teacher said a category and we have to write what we thought the majority of other people would say and we got points accordingly. The next game one person had to leave and we picked someone for them to be and they could ask only yes or no questions to figure it out. Lastly, we played another round of charades! Then lunch and just hanging around until our singing workshop. Today we had a short workshop today because all of the workshop presented what they had be working on. The presentations were fantastic and totally varied; we had everything from theater to film to singing and dancing to photography to creative writing. I was awesome to see what everyone had been preparing! And I was lucky enough to have Zach (the boy from Pennsylvania) record our singing portion! We were pretty good if I don’t say so myself! And with only four days of practice! 

Then dinner and I walked back to the room, decided to go for a run! It was great just to run by the river! Then just hanging out with Autumn and Selena in our room! Until tomorrow! <3

Day 17! Streda

 Today we had a short class in the morning and we mostly reviewed since we have our final tomorrow. Then at lunch I had cordon blue and mashed potatoes which was actually quite good. After lunch I walked around town and visited the main cathedral here- St. Martin’s- I was quite beautiful.

Then I met some Hungarian friends to see a Jewish sacred site called Chatam Sofera after a famous rabbi.

 We walked back and I decided to take a nap. I was so hot today that I was just sweating as I slept and it is expected to be just as hot tomorrow. This evening I just hungout in my room with Autumn and started finalizing my travel plans. Saturday I will leave for Budapest, Hungary and be there until Monday. Monday I will leave for Krakow, Poland and I will either be in Poland for 2 or 3 days and finally I will go to Prague, Czech Republic for 2 or 3 days. My one friend gave me a great suggestion to look up free walking tours and figure what I would like to see from there. Luckily I found multiple free tours for each city and so I am excited about that. I also book my flight from Prague to London ( I will be leaving at 6 am and arriving in London at 9 am) and I am flying first class. It was the same price as coach with the reward points but with business class I get 2 free checked bags. Also, Selena the British girl came over and told me the best/fastest/cheapest ways to get from London to where I need to be in Oxford so I am set on that end. Tomorrow I plan to solidify where I am staying and then I should be all set. Looking forward to traveling and to getting settled for the semester in Oxford!!!

P.S. Another wooden playground!!

 P.P.S. I updated day 11 adding a video, day 12 adding media although I haven't put up all the pictures, and day 16 adding media. Enjoy!

Day 16- Utorok

This morning we had class and I have decided that our previous teacher was a better/more experienced teacher. The new teacher is young and seems to be intimidated by teaching; she kept apologizing for having us do things in class. We did some review and all we learned today was past tense which really is difficult at all. We did some group activities and at the end of the day we played charades (and of course we sang which I recorded today!). We have a final exam on Thursday to see what exactly we have learned.

During our break I walked around town, visited the post office, a random church, and another more famous church Modra Kolstol, or Blue Church. It was beautiful and Grandma K. you would have loved it (since it was all blue). Just like you told me I said a little prayer/wish upon entering this new church. Just know you are in my thoughts, hoping you have a speedy recovery! <3

Random Church

A gymnazium- or highschool here.

 The Blue Church

Then we had our workshops again today. The singing group is pretty fun accept for the fact that we sang for 3 hours pretty much straight. The first half hour we warmed up, doing some voice exercises. Apparently at the final ceremony/party Friday we will be singing and all the other groups will be sharing things as well. We are going to be singing 8 short folk songs from around Slovakia. Then I walked around town with this girl Ecaterine from Moldova. She really wanted Subway… because she thought it was awesome and had never had it before coming to Bratislava! I was amazed… the biggest fast food chain in the world and there are none in Moldova! What a thought. So we walked around and I had a piece of pizza which was pretty terrible. We took the tram home and I hung out with Autumn for a bit before she left. Now I am enjoying a quiet night to myself. I love and miss all you crazy Ohio-ans!!!! 

P.S. Media for all the post today will come!.... I completed my posts (except the media) about my excursions but you may wait to read it until I incorporate picture if you so wish. :)

Day 15- Pondelok

 This morning we had a new teacher, Hannah, and I haven’t decided if I like her yet. She is a lot young but the classes did seem to fly by. We learned a ton of new verbs which is good because we only knew two or three before. Most of the day we spent talking about our hobbies and things we like to do. Also we learned the words for rarely, sometimes, never, always, etc. So now we can construct more advanced sentences.  We did some exercises, played a game where we were going to a party and had to figure out what was acceptable to bring (the things had to have the same letter as our first name), and we sang (our other teacher told the new teacher we liked to but the new teacher didn’t sing with us so it wasn’t as nice as before). During our breaks I hung out with Maria, the Slovak assistant, and the other assistants. I swear I learn more from them than in class and they teach me how to say things so I am becoming more confident in speaking. At first I was really lost; it sounded like everyone was speaking gibberish because I couldn’t tell where one word ended and another began. Now I am getting the hang of it and am actually really sad to be leaving. After class I walked around a little with two girls from my class (we went to a music store and the mall because one girl was looking for luggage). Also, I spoke with a Hungarian girl about Budapest and the logistics of traveling there. Then we had our workshops. Originally I had signed up for the film class but I changed to the signing class because I have started to like sing more since we sang in class everyday and I knew a bunch of people in the class. Another thing that is great is that it helps with pronunciation; forever studying I am! I was very proud of myself though because we had to introduce ourselves and tell what experience we had with singing and I did it all in Slovak! J It was pretty awesome! After the workshop I was going to go home but long story short, I got on the wrong tram and so as I was walking to the other stop I decided to stop at the store and get some food. So I bought a sandwich and drink, ate it in the beautiful town square adjacent to the store and decided just to walk around the city before going back to the school to see the puppet theater. I have really had time to walk around the city much and I was a bit intimidate to tell you the truth but after I got out in the city it was great. I saw a few things and figured out the other few thing I want to see before I leave. It was nice just to walk around but it was in the mid to upper 90s all day.

St. Micheal's Gate

When I was done exploring, I went back to the school and watched this puppet theater. It was pretty funny but I couldn’t really understand what was being said. It was about this snake that ate a bunch of thing and got really sick and a doctor had to figure out what was wrong. The best thing was the theater lady was really interactive and kept pulling people out of the audience for things. By this time I was thoroughly exhausted do I came home, went to the gas station with Autumn, did my homework, showered to remove the layer of sweat, and passed out. Pretty good day, I say!