Yay! I'm in Laos finally! After 3 days of voyage, Carly and I arrived yesturday afternoon to the little port city of Luang Prabang where we will be spending new years. But the way here, the voyage, was quite an interesting experience through and through... culture shock? Definitly. Did I learn from it? Of course.
From Chiang Mai, Carly and I decided to do an organized sort of "tour" for our journey to Laos - a country that only just recently opened its borders to the outside. We concluded that since the packeage offered a discount on the Visa - which I would receive directly at the guesthouse before departing on the boat - as well as 1 night's accomodation in Chiang Khong, dinner, breakfast, and a packed lunch PLUS our 5 hour bus ride to Chiang Khong, and a 2 day journey by slow boat down the Mekong River... well, thought we'd go with that so there wouldn't be any worrying envolved as far as how we could get all that otherwise. It was the safest way to pay for a Laos visa and receive it without question. So we took off in a mini bus to Chiang Khong on the 28th with other people from various guesthouses, and little did we know how close we would all become over the course of our journey...
The guesthouse was quite nice, right on the river, decent food, nice people. The next morning I received my visa as planned and Carly & I were of the first 8 to head down to the pier, ferried to the other side of the river, stamped our visas, payed for that night's accomodation in Pak Beng, and trucked off to another pier where we would board the slow boat. The slow boat can comfortably hold about 40 people and so when we noticed that there were much more than 40 people boarding the boat, we just assumed there would be another boat since so many were trying to get to Laos for New Years. Do you think this happened? HECK NO! If you can imagine, there was 110 people - mostly white tourists - packed like sardines onto a boat that was far from comfortable to begin with. This perhaps is usual for locals to be packed together so tightly, but for all the grumpy and complaining tourists, it was almost like a hell for them. I'm not saying I was happy-go-lucky for the journey, but it was really neat to have experienced that - on the bright side. We saved a couple seats for the 2 aussies travelling with their 1 year old baby boy since we knew it would have been quite difficult for them otherwise. Jetta, Neils, and little Elkin. Carly and I and a few others were babysitters for the ride! It was so cute! They appreciated it totally and in that journey we became quite close, as far as travellor's can achieve closeness to others. Between constantly standing up and sitting back down on the cooler so the crazy boat lady could serve beer to the drunken tourists - and one local who picked a fight with Jetta because he just wouldn't shut-up while Elkin was sleeping, was beligerant and puking over the side and then going back for more beer which the crazy boat lady cheerfully served him - and moving over every 5 mins for the idiots who didn't think to go to the washroom beforehand, and not to mention the jerks who were hanging their legs off the edge and leaning their chairs back who wouldn't budge to allow for more room to get to the toilet, oh ya and there was the heat and crampedness and constant loud droan of the motor situated in the back of the boat where we were also situated... it was a very unique and interesting journey! heehee Baby sitting Elkin definitly passed the time cuz playing with babies is always fun, especially smiley happy ones with really cool parents.
The arrival was a gong show, in its truest sense. It was dusk, there was hardly any light, everyone piled off the boat and waited on the steep sandy banks for someone to unlaod their packs so they could mad dash it to find a place to sleep for the night if they hadn't arranged for one already. But the bags never came. I grabbed mine before deboating, but still had to get Carly's and so while she waited with our stuff, I went back on the boat to see what was going on.
The dudes were moving them from to the middle, but not OFF the boat. I started an assembly line to get the packs off before it got too dark, and as they were coming off Neils was calling out their descriptions and trying to fend off the little local boys who would come and try to steal them (or bring them up the bank)! I got off, Carly went on the search for her's and some older local had it and another's and tried to get her to pay to get it back! Of course she didn't, but because this town was PURELY built for tourism - ie. dodgy guesthouses and restaurants are it's only industry - the locals don't really understand what that means... it's hard to explain. I saw a dude shove a poor boy face first into the sand because he was so fed up with them crowding around him. It was terrible. The tourists don't really understand either, apparently. So after all that crazy day, exausted and sweaty and sore, we found our dodgy guesthouse and went for some delicious thai food with Jetta, Neils, Elkin, Perdy and Abbey (the 2 british birds who were also on the mini bus ride as well as our boat).
Elkin was across the street being watched so Jetta could have some peace time. So cool. The other kids being watched were of the young girl who was cooking everyone's meal BY HERSELF as well as the girl's brothers and sisters. The babysitter? the girl's mother. But that's what it's like there... she is only 15 years old and just had her second child only months before. She is working from dawn til 10pm when the entire village's power is shut off for the evening because of the curfew. A very different way to live. It's incredible.
Day 3 will be written another time...
12.26.2005
bangKOK it's good to be here!
Hello to all my fans and adorerers... heehee I hope everyone's Christmas was a wonderful one, filled with good food, good gifts, but most of all good times. Mine sure was! THE MOST relaxing Christmas I have ever had in the boonies of Northern Thailand, about 17kms outside the city of Chiang Mai. We (Carly & I) stayed a beautiful resort where the spicy thai food was just that: spicy, and the scenary of course was fantastic. I have never seen such beauty before... I've been to many countries these past few months and the landscapes have all been respectively unique - even within a single country the landscapes shift, but nothing can compare to the mountains of Thailand. And though Thailand and the whole of S.E. Asia has been having quite a "cold" spell, the weather has still been substancially warmer than Spain and I've been in flipflops the whole time. TODAY though is absolutely gorgeous, the sun is back! It's been so long since I've felt it's luxurious rays on my skin... YES! heehee And here I am in an internet caf‚e writing an entry for this blog instead of outside basking in the sun! Now THAT's love!
*muah* a kiss for all of you cuz you are surely missed.
So ya. Bangkok was cool. The plane ride over was decent too; with nice reclinging chairs, a tv on every seat, good meals served, me and this dude who looked like Vin Diesel had a whole centre row to ourselves so we took advantage and sprawled out... the flight was 11 hours so why not? haha But arriving into Bangkok was pretty easy, no problems at the border, no real hold-ups either. Carly got pretty sick in Phnom Penh (stomach virus and head cold) and I got some sort of a cold while in Spain so we were pretty dosconnected for our 1.5 days in Bangkok. Went to Kaoh San Road (THE street to go to the city for cheap whatever and accommodation and pretty much everything a tourist might want/need) nonetheless, I met Carly's friend Sue who owns a shop there - very cool lady, single, no kids, travels and her shop is awesome - and hungout til we cought our train for our overnight ride to Chiang Mai.
Our resort was called Banana Bon Bon and it was paradise. Truly. The food was friggen AWESOME! We were right in the mountains, the boonies, no international telephones, no internet. As a gift, Carly and I went on an ELEPHANT RIDE!! WOW!! That was just about the most incredible feeling ever to see the animal I have for so long adored and felt a connection to... touch her, feel her leathery skin, look into her wise and caring eyes... so beautiful, I can hardly describe how I felt. It was a short visit, but it will forever be engraved in my memory as one the happiest moments of my life. Christmas was peaceful, as I've already said, and quite the refreshment from the craziness that is what I'm accustomed to . I might even consider doing something like that every year... truly. And now we are back in the city of Chiang Mai for the day and the night.
We leave tomorrow morning for Chang Khong where we'll be fed dinner, lodged over night, and fed breakies. We will leave Thursday morning on the "slow boat" which takes 2 days to reach the Laos border. In Laos I will write again cuz it likely won't be until then that I'll be near a computer, let alone any sort of advanced technology. I'll be in Luang Prabang for New Years and we'll be touring around Laos until January 9th at which time we'll be heading into Cambodia for the rest of January. I think the plan so far is that we'll be staying at an eco house in Ban Lung, living in a hut amongst the local tribes there, learning how they live, their history. I look forward to that for sure. Also, I have been invited to come along with Rain Water Cambodia and see/learn what it is they do as far cleaning the water and what not. I am honored for this oppertunity. We will be staying with the good people with whom Carly stayed and I am very excited to meet them. I will include a map of Laos in my next entry which won't be until the beginning of January.
Until then, know that I will be playing it safe and taking good care of myself. Carly and I are both healthy and ready to go and adventure! Yay! I hope you are all well... Keep posting comments (S&D) and at least START commenting you guys!!! Come on! I wanna know how you are! I love you!!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
*muah* a kiss for all of you cuz you are surely missed.
So ya. Bangkok was cool. The plane ride over was decent too; with nice reclinging chairs, a tv on every seat, good meals served, me and this dude who looked like Vin Diesel had a whole centre row to ourselves so we took advantage and sprawled out... the flight was 11 hours so why not? haha But arriving into Bangkok was pretty easy, no problems at the border, no real hold-ups either. Carly got pretty sick in Phnom Penh (stomach virus and head cold) and I got some sort of a cold while in Spain so we were pretty dosconnected for our 1.5 days in Bangkok. Went to Kaoh San Road (THE street to go to the city for cheap whatever and accommodation and pretty much everything a tourist might want/need) nonetheless, I met Carly's friend Sue who owns a shop there - very cool lady, single, no kids, travels and her shop is awesome - and hungout til we cought our train for our overnight ride to Chiang Mai.
Our resort was called Banana Bon Bon and it was paradise. Truly. The food was friggen AWESOME! We were right in the mountains, the boonies, no international telephones, no internet. As a gift, Carly and I went on an ELEPHANT RIDE!! WOW!! That was just about the most incredible feeling ever to see the animal I have for so long adored and felt a connection to... touch her, feel her leathery skin, look into her wise and caring eyes... so beautiful, I can hardly describe how I felt. It was a short visit, but it will forever be engraved in my memory as one the happiest moments of my life. Christmas was peaceful, as I've already said, and quite the refreshment from the craziness that is what I'm accustomed to . I might even consider doing something like that every year... truly. And now we are back in the city of Chiang Mai for the day and the night.
We leave tomorrow morning for Chang Khong where we'll be fed dinner, lodged over night, and fed breakies. We will leave Thursday morning on the "slow boat" which takes 2 days to reach the Laos border. In Laos I will write again cuz it likely won't be until then that I'll be near a computer, let alone any sort of advanced technology. I'll be in Luang Prabang for New Years and we'll be touring around Laos until January 9th at which time we'll be heading into Cambodia for the rest of January. I think the plan so far is that we'll be staying at an eco house in Ban Lung, living in a hut amongst the local tribes there, learning how they live, their history. I look forward to that for sure. Also, I have been invited to come along with Rain Water Cambodia and see/learn what it is they do as far cleaning the water and what not. I am honored for this oppertunity. We will be staying with the good people with whom Carly stayed and I am very excited to meet them. I will include a map of Laos in my next entry which won't be until the beginning of January.
Until then, know that I will be playing it safe and taking good care of myself. Carly and I are both healthy and ready to go and adventure! Yay! I hope you are all well... Keep posting comments (S&D) and at least START commenting you guys!!! Come on! I wanna know how you are! I love you!!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
12.20.2005
leavin on a jet plane...
So, my euro tour is over and I'm off to London and then Bangkok. Crazy. In case I don't write again for a while, I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Christmas and all the best in the new year... know that while most of you are enjoying a delicious turkey dinner, I' ll be chowing down on a bowl full of rice. heehee
Take care everyone. I'm pretty excited about going... but I still miss you all lots.
Take care everyone. I'm pretty excited about going... but I still miss you all lots.
I love you.
xoxoxox
12.18.2005
what an awesome hostel!
Well, let me tell you, if you ever go to Spain you MUST not only come to Granada, but you must also come and stay at the Oasis hostel. What a cool vibe! And the staff are phenomenal... I have met more cool people here than I have on my entire trip!
Yesturday I woke up just in time for breakies feeling like a piece of crap on the sidewalk that has been smooshed to a disgusting mess that people have walked on and sworn over. I decided to go for a walk around the city with my friend Kat. It was beautiful outside. I bought some multi-colored yarn and she wrapped a few of my dreads last night at the bar over beer and "smokes". It was great! Met some awesome people and got pretty drunk. I plugged in my iPod to the bar speakers and shared some sweet tunes with everyone. I even played Ani DiFranco's Dilate album! We talked about love, its meaning individually speaking... we talked about music and these 2 dudes from Vermont were so surprised that I had Delani cuz they are good friends with them and couldn't believe that anyone outside their area even knew of them. That was neat for sure. I love talking about love and music! We were up til about 4am or so...
This morning, I woke up again just in time for breakies feeling surprisingly good! Musta been the beers and the tequilla shot... heehee I wrapped one of my dreads in hemp, tying macrame knots to give a spiral effect. It looks cool! My hair is colorful now! So much character! Haven't done much else with my day, except I ate 3 delicious home-made waffles with butter and brown sugar...mmmmm! We're going for chinese food later with the manager of Oasis (she's very cool, lived in San Fransisco for 7 years), Maddy, and a few other people including Monique of course! Yay!
Dudes, I am so excited to be leaving for Bangkok on Tuesday, but I am really going to miss this place. I am so attached to so many of the awesome people staying here. I think that's the one thing I have a problem with as far as the travelor's life goes: that you meet so many interesting people and you might not ever see them again. Just people that are a part of your life for such a short time, with whom you share as little or as much about yourself as you like (and vice versa) and with whom you share some pretty cool memories. Truly going to miss this place and all those who have come into my life... I'm truly going to miss travelling in general for this reason. I say that's my only problem, but I wouldn't have it any other way. It is as it is. I've learned so much from those who've crossed my path and walked a short distance with me. They'll always be part of my memories, a part of the path I've walked. This life is incredible. This life is not something I'll never know again for it's too precious and beautiful. You'll never imagine how much you think about everything so differently when you're out and about and seeing different cultures, countries, and towns all over the world. This was the best thing I could have done for myself in the life I once lead. I love everyone on a different level. I appreciate all of you with new eyes. And I'm far from being done experiencing!
So keep checking here for more updates cuz I am about to embark on a whole new adventure in a part of the world more wholly different than anywhere in Europe and North America. I am eager to share as much as possible with all of you.
Take care and spread the LOVE!
Yesturday I woke up just in time for breakies feeling like a piece of crap on the sidewalk that has been smooshed to a disgusting mess that people have walked on and sworn over. I decided to go for a walk around the city with my friend Kat. It was beautiful outside. I bought some multi-colored yarn and she wrapped a few of my dreads last night at the bar over beer and "smokes". It was great! Met some awesome people and got pretty drunk. I plugged in my iPod to the bar speakers and shared some sweet tunes with everyone. I even played Ani DiFranco's Dilate album! We talked about love, its meaning individually speaking... we talked about music and these 2 dudes from Vermont were so surprised that I had Delani cuz they are good friends with them and couldn't believe that anyone outside their area even knew of them. That was neat for sure. I love talking about love and music! We were up til about 4am or so...
This morning, I woke up again just in time for breakies feeling surprisingly good! Musta been the beers and the tequilla shot... heehee I wrapped one of my dreads in hemp, tying macrame knots to give a spiral effect. It looks cool! My hair is colorful now! So much character! Haven't done much else with my day, except I ate 3 delicious home-made waffles with butter and brown sugar...mmmmm! We're going for chinese food later with the manager of Oasis (she's very cool, lived in San Fransisco for 7 years), Maddy, and a few other people including Monique of course! Yay!
Dudes, I am so excited to be leaving for Bangkok on Tuesday, but I am really going to miss this place. I am so attached to so many of the awesome people staying here. I think that's the one thing I have a problem with as far as the travelor's life goes: that you meet so many interesting people and you might not ever see them again. Just people that are a part of your life for such a short time, with whom you share as little or as much about yourself as you like (and vice versa) and with whom you share some pretty cool memories. Truly going to miss this place and all those who have come into my life... I'm truly going to miss travelling in general for this reason. I say that's my only problem, but I wouldn't have it any other way. It is as it is. I've learned so much from those who've crossed my path and walked a short distance with me. They'll always be part of my memories, a part of the path I've walked. This life is incredible. This life is not something I'll never know again for it's too precious and beautiful. You'll never imagine how much you think about everything so differently when you're out and about and seeing different cultures, countries, and towns all over the world. This was the best thing I could have done for myself in the life I once lead. I love everyone on a different level. I appreciate all of you with new eyes. And I'm far from being done experiencing!
So keep checking here for more updates cuz I am about to embark on a whole new adventure in a part of the world more wholly different than anywhere in Europe and North America. I am eager to share as much as possible with all of you.
Take care and spread the LOVE!
12.16.2005
keepin' it REAL
Wow. Tired today! Big day! Full of sweat, and sore muscles, and awesome scenary, and succulent food... mmmm... Heck YES it was a good day! I asked myself as I was scaling the mountain just outside of Granada, I wondered why the hell I choose to do these damn hikes hungover?? Ever single time it's been that way, although keep in mind I've only gone on a major hike about twice this trip. heehee But still. My statement is well-founded.
TAPAS
So, uhm , I was gonna tell everyone about what a Tapas is. A tapas is when you order a beverage of any kind, though it usually contains alcohol, and you get a plate of food for FREE! What a brilliant idea! And you not only get a free plate of food, but you also get to CHOOSE (in some cases) what kind of food you want! The first place on the tour last night incidentally was a tapas bar that was recommended to us by a pair of aussies we met at our hostel in Killarney, Ireland. This bar in particular gives you quite a large portion of food. We had the tortellini in a white sauce... mmmm... very good. With our next cervesas (beer in spanish) we tried the spring rolls. Stuff like that is usual for tapas. And fries with a garlic mayo. After the 3 tapas bars, one of which was a shot bar filled with americans studying abroad who were spending their last night getting loaded before going home for the holidays, we went to a salsa club and I got SCHOOLED! I had never danced salsa in all my long years circling this lovely sun of ours. The dude had mucho patience that is for certain cuz I just couldn't get the steps!! He was doin the fancy moves too apparently and so taking that bit of information into consideration, I certainly wasn't an abomination nor detestation, more a toleration than anything. But he was smiling! haha Worked up a sweat too! After a night of drinking, eating, and dancing, we went back to the hostel - our oasis - which was at about 2am or so, stayed up til about 4am "talking" with our posse... where large, hearty laughs ensued. ;-) Where the term "keepin' it REAL" originated from, well, at least it's been our inside joke all day. haha And speaking of big laughs, one of the dudes from last night - Simon from Victoria living in London - out of nowhere starts singing "knights in white satin..." and we just about lost our whits and everything about us. I mean, when was the last time anyone has heard that song?? Seriously! I told him I was gonna write about that in my journal and so, as Moses once said: So it said, So it is written!
THE HIKE
Well, considering how late I went to bed and the amount of smoke I inhailed, I didn't think I was gonna keep my promise to myself about taking this hike. No way, josé. At breakies, I was a hurtin albertan for certain. But, I asked myself in an inside voice "why not go on this hike? What the heck else are you gonna do with your day? You might as well get off your fanny and actually go out see this city in which you are calling home for only another 2 nights!". Of course, this inside voice is usually right, and not to mention a little intimidating at times, so I took the pep talk into consideration and decided to go with it. I am so glad I did. It was so GORGEOUS!! The sky was clear, albeit a little hazy, but the visibility was still pretty incredible considering I had never seen anything like that before. Each country has its own distinct beauties and these mountains were definitly no exception. And yes, I took many photos. Yay! The hike itself was excrutiating at first, out of breath and sweating, straining muscles that hadn't been worked in quite some time. But it felt so good to be outside and doing SOMETHING! I mean, how many people can say they woke up after a night of tapas and laughs and took a 4 hour hike in the mountains of SPAIN??? Ya. So, ya. It was definitly worth it. The view from the top of was of course breathtaking, with the valley down below and the white caps in the distance... We got a great view of the Alhambra (an old muslim castle, huge) and the city surrounding it. The walk down was much more enjoyable. haha Stopped into a tapas bar with a wonderful young aussie named Kat (we met the night before at the hostel, had both gone on the tapas tour the night before) and our hike guide. Kat and I then decided to go for some hubbly bubbly and good conversation. She is only 19 years old but has lived such unique life full of amazing life experiences. It was awesome getting to know her! I love this life of moving and meeting people, creating a circle of friends for the short time we stay in any given place...
MY NEXT BOLD MOVE?
Well, I have no clue really. Maybe it'll be me hitting the sheets early tonight when I know people are staying up and will miss my awesome presence... I'd say that counts for boldness! heehee I kid, I kid. Naw. I would like to go to sleep soon and wake up refreshed, eat breakies, go and walk around this place cuz I guess it's known for it's cool graffiti art, buy some colored yarn and wrap a few dreads... add some spice, if you will! But who knows. Chances are good I'll hit up another tapas bar at some point tomorrow, not to mention there's another tapas tour planned! And I think there's a concert outside the city in the caves where the gypsies live... flamenco dancers and music! I'd like to do that for sure. I'll have to write another entry, but I'll likely wait til my last day in Madrid, Monday evening, since I'll be leaving for Bangkok on Tuesday!! Crazy... Oh, and so you know, we'll soon be adding another album to the yahoo collection illustrating our time here in Spain. This will happen before we leave the country so make sure you tune in!
TAPAS
So, uhm , I was gonna tell everyone about what a Tapas is. A tapas is when you order a beverage of any kind, though it usually contains alcohol, and you get a plate of food for FREE! What a brilliant idea! And you not only get a free plate of food, but you also get to CHOOSE (in some cases) what kind of food you want! The first place on the tour last night incidentally was a tapas bar that was recommended to us by a pair of aussies we met at our hostel in Killarney, Ireland. This bar in particular gives you quite a large portion of food. We had the tortellini in a white sauce... mmmm... very good. With our next cervesas (beer in spanish) we tried the spring rolls. Stuff like that is usual for tapas. And fries with a garlic mayo. After the 3 tapas bars, one of which was a shot bar filled with americans studying abroad who were spending their last night getting loaded before going home for the holidays, we went to a salsa club and I got SCHOOLED! I had never danced salsa in all my long years circling this lovely sun of ours. The dude had mucho patience that is for certain cuz I just couldn't get the steps!! He was doin the fancy moves too apparently and so taking that bit of information into consideration, I certainly wasn't an abomination nor detestation, more a toleration than anything. But he was smiling! haha Worked up a sweat too! After a night of drinking, eating, and dancing, we went back to the hostel - our oasis - which was at about 2am or so, stayed up til about 4am "talking" with our posse... where large, hearty laughs ensued. ;-) Where the term "keepin' it REAL" originated from, well, at least it's been our inside joke all day. haha And speaking of big laughs, one of the dudes from last night - Simon from Victoria living in London - out of nowhere starts singing "knights in white satin..." and we just about lost our whits and everything about us. I mean, when was the last time anyone has heard that song?? Seriously! I told him I was gonna write about that in my journal and so, as Moses once said: So it said, So it is written!
THE HIKE
Well, considering how late I went to bed and the amount of smoke I inhailed, I didn't think I was gonna keep my promise to myself about taking this hike. No way, josé. At breakies, I was a hurtin albertan for certain. But, I asked myself in an inside voice "why not go on this hike? What the heck else are you gonna do with your day? You might as well get off your fanny and actually go out see this city in which you are calling home for only another 2 nights!". Of course, this inside voice is usually right, and not to mention a little intimidating at times, so I took the pep talk into consideration and decided to go with it. I am so glad I did. It was so GORGEOUS!! The sky was clear, albeit a little hazy, but the visibility was still pretty incredible considering I had never seen anything like that before. Each country has its own distinct beauties and these mountains were definitly no exception. And yes, I took many photos. Yay! The hike itself was excrutiating at first, out of breath and sweating, straining muscles that hadn't been worked in quite some time. But it felt so good to be outside and doing SOMETHING! I mean, how many people can say they woke up after a night of tapas and laughs and took a 4 hour hike in the mountains of SPAIN??? Ya. So, ya. It was definitly worth it. The view from the top of was of course breathtaking, with the valley down below and the white caps in the distance... We got a great view of the Alhambra (an old muslim castle, huge) and the city surrounding it. The walk down was much more enjoyable. haha Stopped into a tapas bar with a wonderful young aussie named Kat (we met the night before at the hostel, had both gone on the tapas tour the night before) and our hike guide. Kat and I then decided to go for some hubbly bubbly and good conversation. She is only 19 years old but has lived such unique life full of amazing life experiences. It was awesome getting to know her! I love this life of moving and meeting people, creating a circle of friends for the short time we stay in any given place...
MY NEXT BOLD MOVE?
Well, I have no clue really. Maybe it'll be me hitting the sheets early tonight when I know people are staying up and will miss my awesome presence... I'd say that counts for boldness! heehee I kid, I kid. Naw. I would like to go to sleep soon and wake up refreshed, eat breakies, go and walk around this place cuz I guess it's known for it's cool graffiti art, buy some colored yarn and wrap a few dreads... add some spice, if you will! But who knows. Chances are good I'll hit up another tapas bar at some point tomorrow, not to mention there's another tapas tour planned! And I think there's a concert outside the city in the caves where the gypsies live... flamenco dancers and music! I'd like to do that for sure. I'll have to write another entry, but I'll likely wait til my last day in Madrid, Monday evening, since I'll be leaving for Bangkok on Tuesday!! Crazy... Oh, and so you know, we'll soon be adding another album to the yahoo collection illustrating our time here in Spain. This will happen before we leave the country so make sure you tune in!
12.14.2005
Here I am at Camp Grenada
Well, coming from the city of Barcelona to the Island of Ibiza to another city called Valencia to where I've currently set my pack down, has been quite the journey in itself. haha So maybe I'll say few words about each of the previous places before I describe this pretty cool place. Oh ya, if you have no idea how to visualise geographically speaking, check out the "map of Spain" link to your right... maybe that'll help you!
Barcelona
Flying into this Olympic city after having spent a little over a month in dreery Ireland was a definite treat! Let me tell you! Palm trees! Warm weather... I whipped out my flipflops and haven't done that since Turkey! We met up with Monique's best friend Erica from Calgary and she travelled with us for about 10 days. We spent about 3 nights in Barcelona... the first night we met a woman named Michelle from NYC who was travelling alone. We spent the evening out on the terrace, drinking wine and talking. 2 other dudes from I can't remember where joined us and we all had a blast until 3am when we were warned the neighbors were gonna call the cops on us. haha So, needless to say, we called it a night. Went to the Aquarium the next day, hungover, but still had a wicked time... there are some crazy fish in the sea! The shark tank was the coolest and the biggest... you stand on a moving walk-way and the tank surrounds you! the sharks and eals and manta rays are swimming all around you! That night we decided to drink beer and again, stayed out on the terrace quite late having a grand time indeed! ;-) We did a hop-on/hop-off bus tour of the city the next day and got to see alot of the Gawdy (not sure on the spelling at the moment) architecture... WOW. That was really cool. So unique. I have pictures, don't worry! But overall, Barcelona was cool but not really my kinda place.
The Island of Ibiza
We took a ferry out there, ferries are expensivé! But since we were 3 and it was low season, we stayed at a beachfront hotel for like 14€/night! It was awesome! We were there for 3 nights. We went to that big time European night club called Pacha where you definitly have to drink BEFORE you go cuz beer and water there are like 9€! Insane. The pub where we pre-gamed was cool and owned by a dude and his husband. We have a cool pic with the 3 of us with them behind the bar. They gave us free shots. mmmm... We went to Pacha at 3am and got home around 5:30am and then slept til about 2:30pm. Ya. Right off day for sure. The day AFTER that day, we rented a car for about 10€ each and drove around most of the island! We got to see it from a different perspective and at our own pace... it felt so good to drive again! AMAZING place... I can't wait to upload those pictures... I would like to go back some day during the summer for sure.
Valencia
Now this was a cool city. Our hostel was located in such a prime area too! Our very street was one of the places recommended to check out cuz of the old architecture, the old buildings, and the HUGE wooden doors, so skillfully carved... We did a lot of walking around that area, it was hot in the sun. We visited the the Space and Science Centre which was way more fun when I was a kid... as in, that's what I realized. The imax film was a highlight though! We had to wear head gear! Hilarious. El Mysterio del Nilo was the title. I recommend it to everyone. The park that runs through the city used to be where the canal divided it until it flooded once too many times a while back and killed some people so they decided to move the canal and convert the space into a pretty cool giant green park. Fully equipped with a large fountain which is situated just in front of the music hall and at night they play classical music, light the fountain up, and the water squirts out to the tune of the music! A neat thing to see. Just a really cool city to visit if anyone is thinking about going to Spain.
Grenada
Well, after an 8 hour train ride from Valencia that didn't even leave til like 1:30am, we were quite pooped upon arriving. However, we got to our hostel, Oassis, and fell in love with the atmosphere here!! Free internet, free breakies, free welcome drink, free tapas tours every other night, 3.50€ gets you a 3 course meal which is offered every other night as well, free spanish lessons from what I hear! And there are tonnes of people still here even in low season! We did a bit of walking along the cobblestone streets after waking from our siesta. I think I'm really gonna like it here. I can't wait to wake up tomorrow and take our own little tour of the city. Oh, tomorrow night is Tapas tour night and so you can be assured I'll be recounting the events here! haha Ya, Grenada. Awesome. Very cool shops, very cool vibe. And most importantly: VERY CHEAP! If anyone isn't familiar with what a tapas tour is, you will find out soon enough... it's brilliant!!!
Well, I'm tired. Happy reading!
Barcelona
Flying into this Olympic city after having spent a little over a month in dreery Ireland was a definite treat! Let me tell you! Palm trees! Warm weather... I whipped out my flipflops and haven't done that since Turkey! We met up with Monique's best friend Erica from Calgary and she travelled with us for about 10 days. We spent about 3 nights in Barcelona... the first night we met a woman named Michelle from NYC who was travelling alone. We spent the evening out on the terrace, drinking wine and talking. 2 other dudes from I can't remember where joined us and we all had a blast until 3am when we were warned the neighbors were gonna call the cops on us. haha So, needless to say, we called it a night. Went to the Aquarium the next day, hungover, but still had a wicked time... there are some crazy fish in the sea! The shark tank was the coolest and the biggest... you stand on a moving walk-way and the tank surrounds you! the sharks and eals and manta rays are swimming all around you! That night we decided to drink beer and again, stayed out on the terrace quite late having a grand time indeed! ;-) We did a hop-on/hop-off bus tour of the city the next day and got to see alot of the Gawdy (not sure on the spelling at the moment) architecture... WOW. That was really cool. So unique. I have pictures, don't worry! But overall, Barcelona was cool but not really my kinda place.
The Island of Ibiza
We took a ferry out there, ferries are expensivé! But since we were 3 and it was low season, we stayed at a beachfront hotel for like 14€/night! It was awesome! We were there for 3 nights. We went to that big time European night club called Pacha where you definitly have to drink BEFORE you go cuz beer and water there are like 9€! Insane. The pub where we pre-gamed was cool and owned by a dude and his husband. We have a cool pic with the 3 of us with them behind the bar. They gave us free shots. mmmm... We went to Pacha at 3am and got home around 5:30am and then slept til about 2:30pm. Ya. Right off day for sure. The day AFTER that day, we rented a car for about 10€ each and drove around most of the island! We got to see it from a different perspective and at our own pace... it felt so good to drive again! AMAZING place... I can't wait to upload those pictures... I would like to go back some day during the summer for sure.
Valencia
Now this was a cool city. Our hostel was located in such a prime area too! Our very street was one of the places recommended to check out cuz of the old architecture, the old buildings, and the HUGE wooden doors, so skillfully carved... We did a lot of walking around that area, it was hot in the sun. We visited the the Space and Science Centre which was way more fun when I was a kid... as in, that's what I realized. The imax film was a highlight though! We had to wear head gear! Hilarious. El Mysterio del Nilo was the title. I recommend it to everyone. The park that runs through the city used to be where the canal divided it until it flooded once too many times a while back and killed some people so they decided to move the canal and convert the space into a pretty cool giant green park. Fully equipped with a large fountain which is situated just in front of the music hall and at night they play classical music, light the fountain up, and the water squirts out to the tune of the music! A neat thing to see. Just a really cool city to visit if anyone is thinking about going to Spain.
Grenada
Well, after an 8 hour train ride from Valencia that didn't even leave til like 1:30am, we were quite pooped upon arriving. However, we got to our hostel, Oassis, and fell in love with the atmosphere here!! Free internet, free breakies, free welcome drink, free tapas tours every other night, 3.50€ gets you a 3 course meal which is offered every other night as well, free spanish lessons from what I hear! And there are tonnes of people still here even in low season! We did a bit of walking along the cobblestone streets after waking from our siesta. I think I'm really gonna like it here. I can't wait to wake up tomorrow and take our own little tour of the city. Oh, tomorrow night is Tapas tour night and so you can be assured I'll be recounting the events here! haha Ya, Grenada. Awesome. Very cool shops, very cool vibe. And most importantly: VERY CHEAP! If anyone isn't familiar with what a tapas tour is, you will find out soon enough... it's brilliant!!!
Well, I'm tired. Happy reading!
12.12.2005
A FIRST ENTRY...
Well, what can I say? I'm on the last leg of my "European Tour" and lemme tell ya: it's been a wild ride! I've seen so many beautiful cities, experienced such wonderful cultures, and have met some pretty awesome folks along the way. I've learned much about myself over these past 3 months. I've really gotten to KNOW myself on a profound level because I've had a lot of time to think... all those bus and train rides... It's truly amazing what the brain will come up with if you allow it some time to ponder in silence and tranquility, without the day to day, mundane stuff it's grown so accustomed to. I'm impressed with my brain! haha So, my brain is impressed by itself? My brain is self-impressed? I don't know how to put that since I'm talking as though "I" am a seperate entity from my brain... Ok. I can't think about such things right now. Maybe I'll come back to that, maybe not. But ya.
Where have I been?
I've been to Yack n' back! haha Seriously, we - my travelling companion, my partner in crime: Monique and I - departed Toronto on Septemeber 11th and landed in smoggy Athens, Greece. We spent 2 weeks touring mainly the islands of Santorini, Naxos & Mykonos. We ferried our way to Turkey where we spent 3 weeks with Monique's bro Jean-Paul. What a country! My favorite country thus far FOR SURE! Flew out of Instanbul to land in a pot-smoker's dream city: Amsterdam, Netherlands... spent a full week (minus a day) there and indulged ourselves quite chronically. ;-) On to Berlin, Prague, Munich, Frankfurt, Dublin. Spent a whole month (plus 3 days) in Ireland, stayed a while in Greystones with some funky fellas: thank-you Stephen and David Flynn! and toured around down the east coast, to the south, then up the west coast and back to Dublin where we flew to Barcelona on Dec. 4th. We met up with Monique's pal Erica and spent 3 nights there, moved on to the island of Ibiza, to Valencia, and tomorrow we're off to Grenada! yay! We will be there til Sunday before we overnight it to Madrid, our final Spanish destination before Monique and I part ways: she's off to Canada and I'm off to Thailand!!!
Where am I going?
I never really know where I'm going, or, at least, I have learned to play it by ear. Never plan anything, never have expectations, go with the flow and it'll all work out for the best. This has been one the major lessons I've learned on this trip. Not to say don't have a "game plan" or anything! I mean, I always have a general idea of where I want to go and sometimes you have to knuckledown and book a hostel, a train or plane ticket in advance. And as for Thailand? Well, I'm meeting up with a lovely lady named Carly and we'll be spending the holidays together since we're both on our own and out of the country this year. I'm not telling the whole truth about that since Carly is much more than just a pretty face... And if this is about where I'm going, then I'll be talking loads more about this incredible and inspirational woman in the near futur. I'll be back in Canada around V-Day, but until I am back, there is so much more to experience on this excellant adventure and I'll be documenting as much of it as possible.
Awesome. Let's see if this works. All the commands and everything are in Spanish since I've started this blogger here in Spain. So I'm not completely sure of what I'm doing at the moment. This is a test of the emergency broadcast system... heehee
Buenas Noches!
Where have I been?
I've been to Yack n' back! haha Seriously, we - my travelling companion, my partner in crime: Monique and I - departed Toronto on Septemeber 11th and landed in smoggy Athens, Greece. We spent 2 weeks touring mainly the islands of Santorini, Naxos & Mykonos. We ferried our way to Turkey where we spent 3 weeks with Monique's bro Jean-Paul. What a country! My favorite country thus far FOR SURE! Flew out of Instanbul to land in a pot-smoker's dream city: Amsterdam, Netherlands... spent a full week (minus a day) there and indulged ourselves quite chronically. ;-) On to Berlin, Prague, Munich, Frankfurt, Dublin. Spent a whole month (plus 3 days) in Ireland, stayed a while in Greystones with some funky fellas: thank-you Stephen and David Flynn! and toured around down the east coast, to the south, then up the west coast and back to Dublin where we flew to Barcelona on Dec. 4th. We met up with Monique's pal Erica and spent 3 nights there, moved on to the island of Ibiza, to Valencia, and tomorrow we're off to Grenada! yay! We will be there til Sunday before we overnight it to Madrid, our final Spanish destination before Monique and I part ways: she's off to Canada and I'm off to Thailand!!!
Where am I going?
I never really know where I'm going, or, at least, I have learned to play it by ear. Never plan anything, never have expectations, go with the flow and it'll all work out for the best. This has been one the major lessons I've learned on this trip. Not to say don't have a "game plan" or anything! I mean, I always have a general idea of where I want to go and sometimes you have to knuckledown and book a hostel, a train or plane ticket in advance. And as for Thailand? Well, I'm meeting up with a lovely lady named Carly and we'll be spending the holidays together since we're both on our own and out of the country this year. I'm not telling the whole truth about that since Carly is much more than just a pretty face... And if this is about where I'm going, then I'll be talking loads more about this incredible and inspirational woman in the near futur. I'll be back in Canada around V-Day, but until I am back, there is so much more to experience on this excellant adventure and I'll be documenting as much of it as possible.
Awesome. Let's see if this works. All the commands and everything are in Spanish since I've started this blogger here in Spain. So I'm not completely sure of what I'm doing at the moment. This is a test of the emergency broadcast system... heehee
Buenas Noches!
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