You would not believe all the dogs roaming this city. It is a little strange. On my way to meet a walking tour this morning I almost stepped on a large dog that was sprawled out on the sidewalk. My first thought was, "Someone's dog has just up and died right here next to this magazine kiosk." Little did I know, the dog wasn't dead, and this sight is very common in Athens. Throughout the day, I've seen dogs (some with tags and some without) everywhere... at the foot of the Acropolis, outside of restaurants, on sidewalks next to busy roads, at Hadrian's arch. Some look awful, whiles others are really cute and/or clean.
Our tour guide said that visitors always asks about the dogs, but she said she doesn't really know why there are so many. She has lived in Athens for over 50 years and said the dogs have been around as long as she can remember. They are friendly, the tourists (& locals) love them, and she claims they even stop at crosswalks when the light is red. I have yet to see this, but I'll keep you posted.
Our guide even mentioned that the city takes care of the dogs, pointing out that some of them have special tags so the government could keep track of them. Apparently, the governement puts out water and food at various locations for the dogs, although tourists and locals usually feed them too. It seems strange that a country facing bankruptcy has its dogs on welfare.
Equally as prevalent as the dogs are the birds, mostly pigeons. They are everywhere. Someone in the tour group next to me got pooped on by one during the changing of the guards outside Parliament today. One actually ran into me as I was waiting to cross the street near Syntagma Square. I'm sure it won't be the last time, and I'll be really surprised if I don't get pooped on by the time I leave Athens on Thursday. I'll keep you posted.
Dogs and birds aside, it was a good day. The tour was 3-and-a-half hours long and covered quite a bit. I climbed the Acropolis, I learned a lot about the city of Athens, I saw Hadrian's Arch, the Theatre of Dionysos (birthplace of theatre?), and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. I also saw where the first modern day Olympics were held in 1896, as well as the original Olympic Villiage. I walked through the National Gardens and also watched the changing of the guards at Parliament (It wasn't quite as elaborate as Buckingham Palace, but still worth seeing.) I think I was most impressed by the overall history of the city. To see artifacts and ruins dating back to 6th century B.C.... Amazing. And hard to process.
Other observations and tidbits: Almost half of Greece's population lives in Athens (4.5 million people). Our tour guide blames immigrants for the overcrowding. Greek ice cream is delicious (confirmed twice). I've seen three mullets today. 95% of the Greek population is Greek Orthodox. Senior Citizen discounts (at Museums and such) only apply to senior citizens of the European Union... A U.S. couple in my tour group was not happy about this.
I was the youngest person in my tour group, and the only one travelling solo. I met a nice couple from Pennsylvania who live only about a half hour from my aunt Debbie. I tried to start a little sports rivalry talk with them by asking if they were Steelers fans, but they said, "Nah." Boring. I met another nice couple from Australia, as well as Ohio. I spent the majority of my tour talking with a mother-daughter duo from San Francisco. The daughter (Sarah) graduated from Indiana University in 2003. Naturally, we got along great.
After the tour concluded around 1p.m., Sarah and her mom (Jean) invited me to go to lunch with them. We dined at the rooftop restaurant at the Grande Bretagne Hotel. Fancy Schmancy hotel, I tell you what. The lunch was a bit pricey, but the food was good, the company was great, and the view of the city was stellar. I'm happy I went. Sarah and Jean proceeded to invite me to join them tomorrow for a tour to Delphi. It's an all day tour and I haven't decided if I want to go or not. I have a lot to see in Athens before Thursday, so I might just stick around the city tomorrow.
As I write this I'm sitting at an outdoor cafe eating a spinach & feta pie. A young boy (probably 7 or 8) wearing a Ronaldo jersey is serenading the diners with his accordian. The Acropolis Museum is in front of me. I can see the actual Acropolis to my right. It's way up there. I can't believe I climbed that a few hours ago. Ha, and a little bird (much cuter than a pigeon) just landed on the chair next to me. He probably wants my pie. Too bad.
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Auschwitz-Birkenau
One of my struggles with travel blogging is trying to accurately put my experiences into words in a way that does them justice. Sure, I can tell stories, but often it seems I can't fully describe the beauty of a given sunset or the awesomeness of a particular piece of architecture. Pictures sometimes help, but still they don't say enough. I want to say, "You just have to see it for yourself to fully appreciate it." That's how I feel about my trip to Auschwitz.
Auschwitz.
Just typing that word gives me goosebumps. We all know a little bit about it with varying levels of understanding what exactly went on there. All I knew about Auschwitz came from history classes (years ago) and Schindler's List (the movie). I knew it was the largest of the concentration camps occupied by Nazi Germany. I knew that a huge number of innocent people died. I knew some additional stories. And still I had no idea what I was in for today.
Our 13-passenger van left the Olowek dormitory at 8:30 this morning for the 3-hour drive to Auschwitz (actually it took 3 and a half hours because our driver got lost at least twice). It was a bumpy ride and most of us slept at least part of the way. I was excited for the opportunity to visit the camps at Auschwitz & Berkenau, but I already knew it would be an emotionally draining day. It's like getting pumped up, knowing perfectly well you'll feel deflated(and depressed) within hours.
An English-speaking tour guide led us through the Auschwitz-I camp first. Auschwitz actually consisted of several camps, and we were able to visit the main two: Auschwitz-I and Auschwitz-II (also know as Birkenau). At Auschwitz-I we walked through several of the buildings, looking at pictures and listening to stories. In the basement of one of the buildings we saw the cells for prisoners who were sent to die. The "dark cells" as they were called were a place where 10 or more prisoners were put in a cramped cell to die, either of starvation or suffocation. Just outside that building was the "wall of death" where prisoners were shot out in the open. The wall is now a monument to those who lost their lives with flowers and memorials lining the base of the wall. As I went over to read some of the memorials, I turned around with my back to the wall and imagined my enemy just feet away, gun pointed at my head. How scared these people must have been. And most of the time they had no idea why they were being executed. Our guide told us that even a slight comment or a misunderstanding or a wrong look could result in execution at the wall of death. No questions asked.
As if that bit weren't depressing enough, we moved on to the gallows where up to 12 people at a time could be killed by hanging. When one prisoner escaped, the repercussions were that 10 prisoners would be executed publicly to prove a point or teach a lesson. One story our guide told us was of a young man (21-years-old) who secretly wrote letters to his mother. He told her in these letters that he had discovered a way to break out of Auschwitz and that he was planning to do it until he discovered that 10 other innocent prisoners would die as a result of his escaping. Ironically, when one of his fellow prisoners did escape, he was one of the 10 hanged to "teach a lesson."
I held myself together pretty well until we got to the exhibits containing personal belongings of the victims. Thousands of suitcases, shoes, combs, pots, and even shoe-polish kits. It was very moving to realize each of those items belonged to someone who was murdered within yards of where I was standing. I completely lost it when I saw the tiny baby clothes and the room that held thousands of children's shoes. So many emotions ran through me then, and I feel them again as I recall the sight. Anger. Disgust. Sadness. Why did this happen? How can people be so awful?
I walked into one of the rooms in the museum...I'd say it was roughly the size of half a basketball court. It was mostly empty with the exception of a few pictures. Along the left side of the wall were glass windows where you could look and see piles of light and dark colored fluffy material. It almost looked like fluffy straw. Our tour guide pointed to the sign.
It was nearly 2 tons of human hair from victims. I almost vomited. And yet I couldn't look away. This image, along with the piles of children's shoes, is one that I will never ever forget.
The main gas chambers and crematoriums were destroyed at the Birkenau camp (by the Nazis to destroy evidence), but one remained at Auschwitz-1. We walked through it and saw where thousands were murdered. The gas chambers used to have fake shower heads to trick the victims into thinking they were simply taking a shower. But instead, the chambers were filled with ZyklonB (some sort of lethal pesticide) and the victims were gassed to death. Disgusting. The bodies were moved to the next room, the crematorium, to be disposed of. Disgusting.
I knew the Holocaust happened. I was never denying that. However, I don't think I realized the magnitude of the horrific event. Seeing first-hand the facilities and learning about the conditions that the victims lived in was really eye-opening. And heartbreaking. I walked the ground where nearly 1.1 million people were killed. I can't comprehend it. So many thoughts are still going through my head, and rather than sort them out now, I'll conclude with a quote...
A quote inside one of the buildings read: "The one who does not remember history is bound to live through it again" (George Santayana). George makes a good point; it's important to learn about our past, but what good does remembering our past do if we don't make any changes? Many countries (and people) still operate and communicate with an "us" vs. "them" framework. Under this model, we are constantly living defensively and trying to prove that we're right and they're wrong. There are definitely better ways of living and communicating, and we need to practice them if we want to create a better world. A world where events like the Holocaust never take place. Alright, alright... I'll get off my soapbox now so I can get to bed. I hope you enjoyed hearing about my trip to Auschwitz and I sincerely hope that one day you'll be able to experience it for yourself. I think everyone should.
Auschwitz.
Just typing that word gives me goosebumps. We all know a little bit about it with varying levels of understanding what exactly went on there. All I knew about Auschwitz came from history classes (years ago) and Schindler's List (the movie). I knew it was the largest of the concentration camps occupied by Nazi Germany. I knew that a huge number of innocent people died. I knew some additional stories. And still I had no idea what I was in for today.
Our 13-passenger van left the Olowek dormitory at 8:30 this morning for the 3-hour drive to Auschwitz (actually it took 3 and a half hours because our driver got lost at least twice). It was a bumpy ride and most of us slept at least part of the way. I was excited for the opportunity to visit the camps at Auschwitz & Berkenau, but I already knew it would be an emotionally draining day. It's like getting pumped up, knowing perfectly well you'll feel deflated(and depressed) within hours.
An English-speaking tour guide led us through the Auschwitz-I camp first. Auschwitz actually consisted of several camps, and we were able to visit the main two: Auschwitz-I and Auschwitz-II (also know as Birkenau). At Auschwitz-I we walked through several of the buildings, looking at pictures and listening to stories. In the basement of one of the buildings we saw the cells for prisoners who were sent to die. The "dark cells" as they were called were a place where 10 or more prisoners were put in a cramped cell to die, either of starvation or suffocation. Just outside that building was the "wall of death" where prisoners were shot out in the open. The wall is now a monument to those who lost their lives with flowers and memorials lining the base of the wall. As I went over to read some of the memorials, I turned around with my back to the wall and imagined my enemy just feet away, gun pointed at my head. How scared these people must have been. And most of the time they had no idea why they were being executed. Our guide told us that even a slight comment or a misunderstanding or a wrong look could result in execution at the wall of death. No questions asked.
As if that bit weren't depressing enough, we moved on to the gallows where up to 12 people at a time could be killed by hanging. When one prisoner escaped, the repercussions were that 10 prisoners would be executed publicly to prove a point or teach a lesson. One story our guide told us was of a young man (21-years-old) who secretly wrote letters to his mother. He told her in these letters that he had discovered a way to break out of Auschwitz and that he was planning to do it until he discovered that 10 other innocent prisoners would die as a result of his escaping. Ironically, when one of his fellow prisoners did escape, he was one of the 10 hanged to "teach a lesson."
I held myself together pretty well until we got to the exhibits containing personal belongings of the victims. Thousands of suitcases, shoes, combs, pots, and even shoe-polish kits. It was very moving to realize each of those items belonged to someone who was murdered within yards of where I was standing. I completely lost it when I saw the tiny baby clothes and the room that held thousands of children's shoes. So many emotions ran through me then, and I feel them again as I recall the sight. Anger. Disgust. Sadness. Why did this happen? How can people be so awful?
I walked into one of the rooms in the museum...I'd say it was roughly the size of half a basketball court. It was mostly empty with the exception of a few pictures. Along the left side of the wall were glass windows where you could look and see piles of light and dark colored fluffy material. It almost looked like fluffy straw. Our tour guide pointed to the sign.
It was nearly 2 tons of human hair from victims. I almost vomited. And yet I couldn't look away. This image, along with the piles of children's shoes, is one that I will never ever forget.
The main gas chambers and crematoriums were destroyed at the Birkenau camp (by the Nazis to destroy evidence), but one remained at Auschwitz-1. We walked through it and saw where thousands were murdered. The gas chambers used to have fake shower heads to trick the victims into thinking they were simply taking a shower. But instead, the chambers were filled with ZyklonB (some sort of lethal pesticide) and the victims were gassed to death. Disgusting. The bodies were moved to the next room, the crematorium, to be disposed of. Disgusting.
I knew the Holocaust happened. I was never denying that. However, I don't think I realized the magnitude of the horrific event. Seeing first-hand the facilities and learning about the conditions that the victims lived in was really eye-opening. And heartbreaking. I walked the ground where nearly 1.1 million people were killed. I can't comprehend it. So many thoughts are still going through my head, and rather than sort them out now, I'll conclude with a quote...
A quote inside one of the buildings read: "The one who does not remember history is bound to live through it again" (George Santayana). George makes a good point; it's important to learn about our past, but what good does remembering our past do if we don't make any changes? Many countries (and people) still operate and communicate with an "us" vs. "them" framework. Under this model, we are constantly living defensively and trying to prove that we're right and they're wrong. There are definitely better ways of living and communicating, and we need to practice them if we want to create a better world. A world where events like the Holocaust never take place. Alright, alright... I'll get off my soapbox now so I can get to bed. I hope you enjoyed hearing about my trip to Auschwitz and I sincerely hope that one day you'll be able to experience it for yourself. I think everyone should.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Polish Starbucks
It's been nearly a week since my last post. I can't believe how the time escapes me here. I've been so busy it seems. A typical day consists of 4-6 hours in class, followed by touring the city (on my own or in a group), and then meeting at the Guinness pub around 7 for drinks and dinner with classmates. I've seen some awesome things in Wroclaw so far... the botanical gardens, the University of Wroclaw, Rynek square, a panoramic view of the city from atop a church spire, and the list goes on. I wouldn't consider Wroclaw to be a top tourist attraction filled city, but it's history is very unique and the architecture itself is enough to keep a visitor busy.
We've been fortunate in terms of weather. It's much cooler than usual for the month of May, but it's not horribly cold. The first few days were filled with rain and fog, but we've seen the sun the last couple of days. Other parts of Poland are experiencing intense rain and inclement weather. In fact, it's the worst flooding in the country since 1997. Twenty people have died already as a result. Much of Warsaw is flooded, and trains in and out of the city have been cancelled.
Speaking of cancellations, our trip to Auschwitz Monday was called off as a result of the rain/floods. The roads to Auschwitz are flooded and very dangerous. No bus would be willing to attempt the trip. John (my professor) has been working diligently to reschedule the Auschwitz trip for Friday. If weather doesn't get worse, we might actually get to go. Fingers crossed.
It's a strange feeling to be excited about seeing Auschwitz. I'm positive I'll cry. Or vomit. Or both. It's one of those things that I'm excited to see, but at the same time, I'm not sure if I'll be able to handle it when I actually stop to think about what went down in that very spot, just 60 or so years ago.
On a brighter note, the botanical gardens of Wroclaw were lovely. I've never taken so many pictures of flowers, nor have I ever had an interest in gardening. (My last and only green thumb experience was winning the 1988 Holland flower show. And I'm pretty sure that I didn't actually have a hand in growing that flower. Credit should probably be given to grandma.) Anyway, I'll have pictures posted soon from the botanical gardens and other adventures around Wroclaw.
I'm sitting at Starbucks now, just wasting a few minutes before I jump on the public transportation (bus 116) for class. I stop here most mornings before class, and I have to constantly remind myself that I'm in Poland. Unless you stop to eavesdrop on conversations (in Polish) or you look closely at the menu (partially in Polish), you wouldn't even know you're not in an American Starbucks. The set up is the same. The furniture. The menu. They have a display of coffee mugs for sale, as well as bags of coffee beans. The to-go cups are the same, including the sleeves for the cups. The actual food (and its packaging) are virtually the same. The exception is intstead of chicken salad and turkey & swiss sandwiches, they have smoked salmon and cucumber dill and other sandwiches that wouldn't be overly popular in the States. I think the coffee and lattes taste the same... perhaps a little better, simply because I'm in Europe. :)
Oh, I've noticed there's no Splenda here. Bummer. I also haven't seen a Half-&-Half option. In America, there's typically two types of milk, plus the Half-&-Half. Here, there are only two milk options. They are labeled in Polish. I think I've been having the skim one in my coffee, but I'm not entirely sure about that.
Well, I should probably get going if I want to catch my bus. More details on Polish culture to come. Oh, and wish me luck... We have a conference starting tomorrow that runs through Thursday. I have to present some current research and it will be my first international conference. Heck, it'll be my first conference, period. agh!
We've been fortunate in terms of weather. It's much cooler than usual for the month of May, but it's not horribly cold. The first few days were filled with rain and fog, but we've seen the sun the last couple of days. Other parts of Poland are experiencing intense rain and inclement weather. In fact, it's the worst flooding in the country since 1997. Twenty people have died already as a result. Much of Warsaw is flooded, and trains in and out of the city have been cancelled.
Speaking of cancellations, our trip to Auschwitz Monday was called off as a result of the rain/floods. The roads to Auschwitz are flooded and very dangerous. No bus would be willing to attempt the trip. John (my professor) has been working diligently to reschedule the Auschwitz trip for Friday. If weather doesn't get worse, we might actually get to go. Fingers crossed.
It's a strange feeling to be excited about seeing Auschwitz. I'm positive I'll cry. Or vomit. Or both. It's one of those things that I'm excited to see, but at the same time, I'm not sure if I'll be able to handle it when I actually stop to think about what went down in that very spot, just 60 or so years ago.
On a brighter note, the botanical gardens of Wroclaw were lovely. I've never taken so many pictures of flowers, nor have I ever had an interest in gardening. (My last and only green thumb experience was winning the 1988 Holland flower show. And I'm pretty sure that I didn't actually have a hand in growing that flower. Credit should probably be given to grandma.) Anyway, I'll have pictures posted soon from the botanical gardens and other adventures around Wroclaw.
I'm sitting at Starbucks now, just wasting a few minutes before I jump on the public transportation (bus 116) for class. I stop here most mornings before class, and I have to constantly remind myself that I'm in Poland. Unless you stop to eavesdrop on conversations (in Polish) or you look closely at the menu (partially in Polish), you wouldn't even know you're not in an American Starbucks. The set up is the same. The furniture. The menu. They have a display of coffee mugs for sale, as well as bags of coffee beans. The to-go cups are the same, including the sleeves for the cups. The actual food (and its packaging) are virtually the same. The exception is intstead of chicken salad and turkey & swiss sandwiches, they have smoked salmon and cucumber dill and other sandwiches that wouldn't be overly popular in the States. I think the coffee and lattes taste the same... perhaps a little better, simply because I'm in Europe. :)
Oh, I've noticed there's no Splenda here. Bummer. I also haven't seen a Half-&-Half option. In America, there's typically two types of milk, plus the Half-&-Half. Here, there are only two milk options. They are labeled in Polish. I think I've been having the skim one in my coffee, but I'm not entirely sure about that.
Well, I should probably get going if I want to catch my bus. More details on Polish culture to come. Oh, and wish me luck... We have a conference starting tomorrow that runs through Thursday. I have to present some current research and it will be my first international conference. Heck, it'll be my first conference, period. agh!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
4 flights in 25 hours. I'm finally in Poland.
Yuck. I love travel, but that was even too much for me. I'm happy to finally be in Poland and settled into my little dorm of the 8th floor of Olowek. Try saying the name of my dorm outloud. Olowek. (ollo-weck?) Nope. Try again. Uh-Woo-Vick. That's right.
L = W
W = V
Talk about confusing.
The university I'm studying at is the University of Wroclaw. (Row-claw, you ask?) Nope. Try Vrotz-wav. Don't ask. Apparently CL = TZ.
What?
This language barrier is killer.
I arrived at the Wroclaw Airport yesterday. John (my professor) was there, but two other students who were supposed to arrive at the same time missed their flights in Munich. The big group of 9 students had also been delayed (in Chicago) and ended up missing their flight in Warsaw. There were two Polish students at the Wroclaw Airport to meet and greet the American students. However, I ended up being the only American student to arrive on time, so I got some quality chat time with the Polish students. They knew some English, but it was still pretty difficult to keep a good conversation going. I realize I compensate my lack of Polish language knowledge with gestures. I constantly appear to be playing charades when I try to talk with Polish people. I'm sure it's entertaining for everyone else, but quite tiring (and frustrating for me).
I was alone for about seven hours in the dorm before my classmates started arriving. It was raining so I didn't want to venture very far. Plus, I didn't know where the heck anything was in the city. I went grocery shopping and had to carry my groceries home in my arms and in the rain. I had cheese sticking out of my purse, granola bars jammed into my jeans pockets... you get the idea. Apparently it's one of those deals where you bring your own bag or buy one. I didn't know that. After checking out, my groceries were just sitting there. I pointed to them and gestured to the Polish cashier that I needed a bag. She shook her head no and pointed to the end of the (8-person) line of people. She had already scanned my credit card, so in order to purchase a grocery bag, she was telling me to get back in line. That's when I said whatever and started stuffing food in my pockets and tiny purse. Welcome to Poland.
By 9:30 last night, the group had all made it. We met at John's favorite Wroclaw pub, The Guiness. Two Polish students met us there as well and they gave us tickets for an exclusive party at the WZ Club. It was exclusive because it was open to only the Sociology students at the University (they don't actually have a Communication program, so we hang out with the Soc students). The club was a blast. I wasn't planning to stay long, but we had so much fun dancing and bonding with our new classmates. Apparently the Polish love Michael Jackson. A re-mix of "The Twist" was also a big hit. Interesting.
This morning (Wednesday) came way too soon. I felt so tired. That's the crazy thing about travel. Whether you have 2 hours or 8 hours of sleep, you can motivate yourself to get up. Or guilt yourself into moving. When will you have this experience again? Maybe never. You can sleep when you get home. (That's my self-talk. It usually works).
Anyway, today consisted of a walking tour of Wroclaw with John. Wroclaw has quite the history, and it was hit pretty hard during World War II. Today, 95% of the city is Catholic. Being Catholic and Polish sort of go hand-in-hand here.
It's still cold and pretty gloomy. (around 50 degrees F). I think by next Tuesday it's supposed to warm up.
We visited a really cool 360-degree painting called the Panorama. It's pretty sweet. You walk in and they painting goes all the way around room. It's 15 meters x 114 meters (I'm too tired to do the conversion right now, but that's big. Trust me.) The painting depicts the Battle of Raclawice and combines painting with artificial plants, rocks, dirt, etc, to make you feel like you're in the middle of the battle looking out. (www. panoramaraclawicka.pl)
There's still no internet at our dorm so I'm writing this blog from a Starbucks down the street that has free wi-fi. Unfortunately, they close in a few minutes. Otherwise, I could probably write a bit more from my day. Oh well, I'm sure there will be more time (and more to share) tomorrow. My class officially starts tomorrow, which means I'll have my first Polish bus experience tomorrow. Ciao for now.
L = W
W = V
Talk about confusing.
The university I'm studying at is the University of Wroclaw. (Row-claw, you ask?) Nope. Try Vrotz-wav. Don't ask. Apparently CL = TZ.
What?
This language barrier is killer.
I arrived at the Wroclaw Airport yesterday. John (my professor) was there, but two other students who were supposed to arrive at the same time missed their flights in Munich. The big group of 9 students had also been delayed (in Chicago) and ended up missing their flight in Warsaw. There were two Polish students at the Wroclaw Airport to meet and greet the American students. However, I ended up being the only American student to arrive on time, so I got some quality chat time with the Polish students. They knew some English, but it was still pretty difficult to keep a good conversation going. I realize I compensate my lack of Polish language knowledge with gestures. I constantly appear to be playing charades when I try to talk with Polish people. I'm sure it's entertaining for everyone else, but quite tiring (and frustrating for me).
I was alone for about seven hours in the dorm before my classmates started arriving. It was raining so I didn't want to venture very far. Plus, I didn't know where the heck anything was in the city. I went grocery shopping and had to carry my groceries home in my arms and in the rain. I had cheese sticking out of my purse, granola bars jammed into my jeans pockets... you get the idea. Apparently it's one of those deals where you bring your own bag or buy one. I didn't know that. After checking out, my groceries were just sitting there. I pointed to them and gestured to the Polish cashier that I needed a bag. She shook her head no and pointed to the end of the (8-person) line of people. She had already scanned my credit card, so in order to purchase a grocery bag, she was telling me to get back in line. That's when I said whatever and started stuffing food in my pockets and tiny purse. Welcome to Poland.
By 9:30 last night, the group had all made it. We met at John's favorite Wroclaw pub, The Guiness. Two Polish students met us there as well and they gave us tickets for an exclusive party at the WZ Club. It was exclusive because it was open to only the Sociology students at the University (they don't actually have a Communication program, so we hang out with the Soc students). The club was a blast. I wasn't planning to stay long, but we had so much fun dancing and bonding with our new classmates. Apparently the Polish love Michael Jackson. A re-mix of "The Twist" was also a big hit. Interesting.
This morning (Wednesday) came way too soon. I felt so tired. That's the crazy thing about travel. Whether you have 2 hours or 8 hours of sleep, you can motivate yourself to get up. Or guilt yourself into moving. When will you have this experience again? Maybe never. You can sleep when you get home. (That's my self-talk. It usually works).
Anyway, today consisted of a walking tour of Wroclaw with John. Wroclaw has quite the history, and it was hit pretty hard during World War II. Today, 95% of the city is Catholic. Being Catholic and Polish sort of go hand-in-hand here.
It's still cold and pretty gloomy. (around 50 degrees F). I think by next Tuesday it's supposed to warm up.
We visited a really cool 360-degree painting called the Panorama. It's pretty sweet. You walk in and they painting goes all the way around room. It's 15 meters x 114 meters (I'm too tired to do the conversion right now, but that's big. Trust me.) The painting depicts the Battle of Raclawice and combines painting with artificial plants, rocks, dirt, etc, to make you feel like you're in the middle of the battle looking out. (www. panoramaraclawicka.pl)
There's still no internet at our dorm so I'm writing this blog from a Starbucks down the street that has free wi-fi. Unfortunately, they close in a few minutes. Otherwise, I could probably write a bit more from my day. Oh well, I'm sure there will be more time (and more to share) tomorrow. My class officially starts tomorrow, which means I'll have my first Polish bus experience tomorrow. Ciao for now.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Volcanic Ash Clouds Mess Up Everything
The adventure began before I even left. An email from my advisor Sunday afternoon warned me that London Heathrow Airport would be closing for several hours (thanks to a volcanic ash cloud hovering over southern England), a situation that could potentially cancel or delay my entire route to Poland.
I spent quite a while on hold waiting to speak with a United Airlines represent. All she could tell me to do was wait. And I did. I set my alarm for 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. (flight scheduled to depart Indy at 6 a.m.) to check to see if my flights were still on. They were. And now I sit writing this blog in a coffee shop in London Heathrow Airport. It's 2 a.m. here, Tuesday.
I met some interesting people today. On my first flight I sat next to a guy from Germany. His name was Remlot (sp?) and he has a daughter studying nursing in Nicaragua. On the next flight I sat next to a guy from New York who recently took a job with Xerox. They are relocating him to London, and for the past couple of months he's been making frequent trips abroad. By July his wife and two sons (ages 5 & 8) will move to London with him. He was pleasant company. I did my best to stay awake the entire 8-hour flight because I thought it would help me with jet-lag. I figured once I got to London it would be nearly 11 p.m. I'd crash in a hotel and sleep the whole night through. That was the plan.
The only problem with that was the fact that there are no available hotels in the area. According to the hotel desk at Heathrow, they could offer me a room for $600 at the hotel right next to the Airport. No thanks. (Although now that it's 2 a.m. I would consider paying good money for a shower and bed.) Apparently this whole volcanic ash cloud has caused delays and cancellations that are keeping the nearby hotels filled to capacity.
In the process of looking for a hotel and arguing with the guy at the desk, I met eight Irish guys who were in a similar situation. (They are flying back to Ireland from a bachelor party weekend in Prague). They felt sorry for me and decided to include me in their hotel search. At one point they thought they had four rooms at a hotel 9km away. They offered to get a fifth room for me and I said, heck yea. 75 quid per person, they said. (That's roughly $115 US). I hung around with them and suddenly the offer fell through. I'm not sure what happened. At that point it was almost midnight and we all congregated to the one 24-hour coffee shop in the Airport. Everyone is here. People are sleeping in the strangest places. I have a chair in a corner right now, but I'm considering the floor. If I don't get any sleep here, it will be almost 40 hours I've been awake by the time I get to bed in Poland tomorrow. I feel gross.
The guys are entertaining, but I need some rest. If they promise to keep an eye on my stuff, I might try to squeeze in a 2-hour nap. Next flight: London to Munich at 7:25 a.m. From there, I'm off to Poland. I should be in my Polish dorm by Tuesday night. You probably shouldn't expect a blog entry at that point. I'll be out. zzz
I spent quite a while on hold waiting to speak with a United Airlines represent. All she could tell me to do was wait. And I did. I set my alarm for 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. (flight scheduled to depart Indy at 6 a.m.) to check to see if my flights were still on. They were. And now I sit writing this blog in a coffee shop in London Heathrow Airport. It's 2 a.m. here, Tuesday.
I met some interesting people today. On my first flight I sat next to a guy from Germany. His name was Remlot (sp?) and he has a daughter studying nursing in Nicaragua. On the next flight I sat next to a guy from New York who recently took a job with Xerox. They are relocating him to London, and for the past couple of months he's been making frequent trips abroad. By July his wife and two sons (ages 5 & 8) will move to London with him. He was pleasant company. I did my best to stay awake the entire 8-hour flight because I thought it would help me with jet-lag. I figured once I got to London it would be nearly 11 p.m. I'd crash in a hotel and sleep the whole night through. That was the plan.
The only problem with that was the fact that there are no available hotels in the area. According to the hotel desk at Heathrow, they could offer me a room for $600 at the hotel right next to the Airport. No thanks. (Although now that it's 2 a.m. I would consider paying good money for a shower and bed.) Apparently this whole volcanic ash cloud has caused delays and cancellations that are keeping the nearby hotels filled to capacity.
In the process of looking for a hotel and arguing with the guy at the desk, I met eight Irish guys who were in a similar situation. (They are flying back to Ireland from a bachelor party weekend in Prague). They felt sorry for me and decided to include me in their hotel search. At one point they thought they had four rooms at a hotel 9km away. They offered to get a fifth room for me and I said, heck yea. 75 quid per person, they said. (That's roughly $115 US). I hung around with them and suddenly the offer fell through. I'm not sure what happened. At that point it was almost midnight and we all congregated to the one 24-hour coffee shop in the Airport. Everyone is here. People are sleeping in the strangest places. I have a chair in a corner right now, but I'm considering the floor. If I don't get any sleep here, it will be almost 40 hours I've been awake by the time I get to bed in Poland tomorrow. I feel gross.
The guys are entertaining, but I need some rest. If they promise to keep an eye on my stuff, I might try to squeeze in a 2-hour nap. Next flight: London to Munich at 7:25 a.m. From there, I'm off to Poland. I should be in my Polish dorm by Tuesday night. You probably shouldn't expect a blog entry at that point. I'll be out. zzz
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
HIKING: near a volcano, up a mountain, and then to a Chicken place (Pollo Compero)
So the Arenal weekend ended spectacularly. Angel, Gina and I ended up staying through Monday afternoon. We did a volcano hike on Sunday afternoon and watched the sun set around Arenal Volcano. We even saw lava come out and roll down the side. It only lasted about 12 seconds, but it was something I will never forget!
The weekend in La Fortuna/Arenal was awesome.. Ziplining was definitely the highlight, but being near an active volcano was pretty cool as well. The resort we stayed in had a bilingual staff in order to prepare for the busy season of tourists, most of whom are English-speaking. However, we were very proud of ourselves for using the Spanish menus, and attempting to speak with our waiters/reception/taxi drivers in Espanol.
Today (Tuesday) was back to class again. Mi maestra Agnes (my teacher) talks only in Spanish now, and I am constantly asking her to please habla mas despacio--speak more slowly. Sometimes she does, and sometimes I have no idea what she´s saying. Today we talked about farms and dairies (fincas y lecherias). I told her (to the best of my ability) about Holland Dairy and how I used to play a role in the Dairy commercials and advertisements. Her husband actually works on a farm with cows -- he´s a veterinarian. I have to use a lot of hand motions and charades when I´m explaining things in Spanish--- trying to fill in the blanks of the words I don´t know. ha. It´s probably pretty entertaining for Agnes.
This afternoon a group of us students met in the Nicoya Park to hike a mountain that overlooks the town. The hill that has a big cross on top & is appropriately named Cerro de la Cruz. It was a very strenuous, 45-minute uphill climb. The views at the top were well worth it. I could see the soccer field and my school and the church. I´m glad I hauled my camera up there with me :)
On the way home from the hike, we snuck into the Guancaste Soccer (Futbol) Stadium to snap a couple pictures of the team practicing. Unfortunately, they don´t have an home games while we´re in Nicoya. I also stopped by the local bookstore, and then grabbed dinner at a classy establishment: Pollo Campero http://www.campero.com/restaurants/list_costarica.php
That´s all for now... Spanish class for 6 hours tomorrow, followed by Latin Dance class in the evening. !Ciao amigos!
The weekend in La Fortuna/Arenal was awesome.. Ziplining was definitely the highlight, but being near an active volcano was pretty cool as well. The resort we stayed in had a bilingual staff in order to prepare for the busy season of tourists, most of whom are English-speaking. However, we were very proud of ourselves for using the Spanish menus, and attempting to speak with our waiters/reception/taxi drivers in Espanol.
Today (Tuesday) was back to class again. Mi maestra Agnes (my teacher) talks only in Spanish now, and I am constantly asking her to please habla mas despacio--speak more slowly. Sometimes she does, and sometimes I have no idea what she´s saying. Today we talked about farms and dairies (fincas y lecherias). I told her (to the best of my ability) about Holland Dairy and how I used to play a role in the Dairy commercials and advertisements. Her husband actually works on a farm with cows -- he´s a veterinarian. I have to use a lot of hand motions and charades when I´m explaining things in Spanish--- trying to fill in the blanks of the words I don´t know. ha. It´s probably pretty entertaining for Agnes.
This afternoon a group of us students met in the Nicoya Park to hike a mountain that overlooks the town. The hill that has a big cross on top & is appropriately named Cerro de la Cruz. It was a very strenuous, 45-minute uphill climb. The views at the top were well worth it. I could see the soccer field and my school and the church. I´m glad I hauled my camera up there with me :)
On the way home from the hike, we snuck into the Guancaste Soccer (Futbol) Stadium to snap a couple pictures of the team practicing. Unfortunately, they don´t have an home games while we´re in Nicoya. I also stopped by the local bookstore, and then grabbed dinner at a classy establishment: Pollo Campero http://www.campero.com/restaurants/list_costarica.php
That´s all for now... Spanish class for 6 hours tomorrow, followed by Latin Dance class in the evening. !Ciao amigos!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
El Volcan Arenal --- ARENAL VOLCANO!
Wow! I just finished a canopy tour near the Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna! It was sooooooooo flippin' awesome. It consisted of ELEVEN different zip-lines... going tree to tree. I'll have pictures and videos up soon to give you a taste. It was so exhilarating.
Our hotel here is so nice. I had my first hot shower last night in a week. It was glorious. Stupendous even. aghhh. I will never take hot water, air conditioning, or bug-/scorpion-free accommodations for granted again!
Yesterday we (Angel, Gina & I) hired a taxi to take us from Nicoya to La Fortuna. It cost us quite a bit, but it was completely worth it to get out of Nicoya for the weekend. The 3-hour ride was very interesting... consisting of several dirt/rock roads and one-lane roads weaving in and out of the mountains. It was a scary drive!
When we were about 20 minutes from our hotel our driver suddenly stopped (in the middle of nowhere) and said in Spanish: "long trip, too little pay." Gina and I got scared, wondering if we had enough money to get us to our hotel or how we would proceed in finding an alternative cab or bus in the middle of nowhere if our driver decided to leave us there.
Gina simply got angry. I flipped out. And for some reason Angel was laughing. Little did I know, it was a joke that our director from school had told our taxi driver to play on us. Angel actually knew about it. I was so angry! More so because I was scared and confused and couldn't properly relay my concerns in his language. Anyway, we made it safely to our hotel and our driver apologized for scaring us; he told us he'd be back for us on Sunday afternoon.
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There are actually 7 main Volcanoes in Costa Rica. The one we are at (Arenal Volcano) is the most active volcano in Costa Rica (second most active in the world). I'm actually looking at it right now (we have a view from our hotel room). You can see lava and boulders coming off of it when it gets dark. Here's a link to check it out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arenal_Volcano
Our hotel here is so nice. I had my first hot shower last night in a week. It was glorious. Stupendous even. aghhh. I will never take hot water, air conditioning, or bug-/scorpion-free accommodations for granted again!
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I have class Mon-Fri this week, but we're trying to plan some side trips in the afternoons. We're thinking a hike to a nearby mountain one day; another Latin dance class; maybe a cooking class; and another trip to La Playa Samara (beach) to try kayaking or snorkeling. I'll keep you posted.
Oooh, looks like rain again! Blasted wet season in Costa Rica! I'm off to get my paraguas (umbrella). Ciao!
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