Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Go here for the most recently leaked Elliott Smith songs: http://www.elliottsmithbsides.com/
Oh True Love is magnificent.
Oh True Love is magnificent.
| posted by Lynton |
9:05 pm
Blood letting
Today I gave blood for the first time. Ever since I had my bike accident outside Taupo, I was so incredibly scared of needles. Fortunately I managed to hold out blood tests until a few years ago. I fainted the first time, with my vision disappearing as if I was flying backwards into a dark tunnel before 'pish' as the monitor is turned back on and focus slowly returns. A nice little trip. Today I took the full plunge with Emma. But she was unable to donate due to recent sickness. I was going it alone. I was so sure I was going to faint, but after the needle was in and the blood began to flow I didn't really feeling anything even when pumping my fist to make it escape faster. So I came through it without any brief excursion, leaving me slightly disappointed. However, I guess I should be glad I didn't faint out as bad as one girl who needed an ambulance to leave.
Today I gave blood for the first time. Ever since I had my bike accident outside Taupo, I was so incredibly scared of needles. Fortunately I managed to hold out blood tests until a few years ago. I fainted the first time, with my vision disappearing as if I was flying backwards into a dark tunnel before 'pish' as the monitor is turned back on and focus slowly returns. A nice little trip. Today I took the full plunge with Emma. But she was unable to donate due to recent sickness. I was going it alone. I was so sure I was going to faint, but after the needle was in and the blood began to flow I didn't really feeling anything even when pumping my fist to make it escape faster. So I came through it without any brief excursion, leaving me slightly disappointed. However, I guess I should be glad I didn't faint out as bad as one girl who needed an ambulance to leave.
| posted by Lynton |
8:55 pm
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
"From the Holy Mountain" by William Dalrymple
p 169
"Certainly if John Moschos [THE 7TH CENTURY ORTHODOX MONK WHOSE JOURNEY WILLIAM IS RETRACING] were to come back today it is likely that he would find much more that was familiar in the practices of a modern Muslim Sufi than he would with those of, say, a contemporary American Evangelical. Yet this simple truth has been lost by our tendency to think of Christianity as a Western religion rather than the Oriental faith it actually is. Moreover the modern demonisation of Islam in the West, and the recent growth of Muslim fundermentalism (itself in many ways a reaction to the West's repeated humiliation of the Muslim world), have led to an atmosphere where few are aware of, or indeed wish to be aware of, the profound kinship of Christianity and Islam."
This book caused me to reflect upon the Western Church and how it has lost its ancient mooring. Most Western Churches seem to be floating groups with ideas, morals and church service on sundays. The realness, connectedness to history and this earth seems to be all but lost.
p 169
"Certainly if John Moschos [THE 7TH CENTURY ORTHODOX MONK WHOSE JOURNEY WILLIAM IS RETRACING] were to come back today it is likely that he would find much more that was familiar in the practices of a modern Muslim Sufi than he would with those of, say, a contemporary American Evangelical. Yet this simple truth has been lost by our tendency to think of Christianity as a Western religion rather than the Oriental faith it actually is. Moreover the modern demonisation of Islam in the West, and the recent growth of Muslim fundermentalism (itself in many ways a reaction to the West's repeated humiliation of the Muslim world), have led to an atmosphere where few are aware of, or indeed wish to be aware of, the profound kinship of Christianity and Islam."
This book caused me to reflect upon the Western Church and how it has lost its ancient mooring. Most Western Churches seem to be floating groups with ideas, morals and church service on sundays. The realness, connectedness to history and this earth seems to be all but lost.
| posted by Lynton |
12:01 am
Monday, September 25, 2006
Finally I have finished the last of my trip emails. Sorry for getting carried away and typing epics that may wear you thin. I gave up my addiction to coffee over the course of the trip and also read "From the Holy Mountain" by William Dalrymple from cover to just before the definitions. I thoroughly recommend it as it has changed and improved my understanding of the complex situation Christians face in the middle east. It also makes me want to travel there and retrace the steps the author walked, taxied and was escorted through. Some passages were particularly insightful and I plan to quote them here.
| posted by Lynton |
11:52 pm
(note more spaces)
Greetings from 4b,
After about 5 weeks on road I am home. I thought I should conclude my saga lest I leave anyone in suspense. Before heading for the hills I thought I best check with the information people as to whether it is safe for me to hike my planned route in the High Tatras alone. The helpful lady said it should be fine and also suggested where to book the chalet and what train ticket to get. I have never been so prepared for hike, taking with me a map, first aid kit and even a compass. After stocking up with some supplies I headed for Stary Smokovec. First I had to buy my 3 day electric train pass. Rather than hoping for English I wrote my request down in Slovak and got the lobby man at the hotel to check it. The wee electric train weaved its way closer and closer to the hills. I was perplexed to see most of the trees in the area "cut" down, leaving only a few standing as a reminder that there once stood a forest before us. It wasn't until two days latter that I learnt that this destruction was not at the hand of man but of the wind. A huge storm in 2004 passed over the High Tatras from the north and almost every tree that resided below 1300 m was humbled to the earth. That must have been one powerful storm!
Once in Stary Smokovec I headed straight for the travel agency to book a place in a chalet. However after struggling to find the shop, I was annoyed to see it well closed. If anyone could help, the information station could. I bowled over there and the lady explained that the chalets were quite full due the long weekend coming up but gave them a call to see if they had room. Confused she first booked me a place for that very night and had to call them back to change it to the next day. With that all sorted I headed for my Eurocamp which pretty much touted itself as being the best camping site in existence. First I had to change trains at Tatranska Lomnica. After waiting for awhile, the train finally turned up. Just before boarding I realised it wasn't an electric one so ran into the ticket office to get my 40c train ticket. My stop was the first one and was in walking distance of Eurocamp. The camp was pretty much empty so I could put up my tent anywhere. I found a reasonably flat slab of grass and erected my tent in a couple of minutes. Thankfully little mould had taken hold since Belgium and with airing it was as fresh as ever. I then checked out the facilities. The "supermarket" was a dairy, the famed restaurant claiming to be open from 8-9 was closed, and the disco was also closed. There didn't appear to be a kitchen either. I found out latter there was one but it required getting the key and only sported a couple of hot plates and hot water.
After visually confirming the restaurant's closure I began to seriously contemplate actually having to have beer for dinner. Thankfully I went back to the office and asked where I could find food. The lady pointed to somewhere on this map where their restaurant stood. Confused I ask another guy and he explained that it resided in the section of the camp that I never knew about.
The menu contained some attempts at English descriptions but they were often confused with German. I decided to go with one of their kutchyen specialetys, which at least contained chicken. It turned out to be a skewered kebab with pork, chicken and beef. I ate this along side roasted potatoes with tasty shepherd cheese. I wandered back to my tent just as it was getting dark. There is little one can do whilst camping alone, except go to bed. It was a cool evening; a challenge for my two season synthetic sleeping bag. After an unsettled sleep I finally rose at 7.30 am. Looking from inside of my tent one would expect to find a dewy field. However, I soon realised it was all Lynton made condensation. A new potential form of recycling perhaps? Anyhow, I quickly tackled my breakfast. I had bought milk and muesli with out contemplating how I was to consume it. I had no bowl nor a spoon. At least I still had my trusty cup. I filled it with muesli and milk before chucking it back. Not pretty but it worked.
After leaving a bag of belongings with the reception I hopped to catch a train back towards the hills. A few minutes latter a train came going the wrong way. I assumed it would return in half an hour, but I ended up waiting 1.5 hours until I finally returned. Soon after I jumped on the next train to Stary Smokovec the ticket lady came around. I pulled out my wallet but I couldn't find my 3 day pass. Embarrassed, I searched everywhere but it was nowhere to be found. It actually was residing on the floor of my tent. I had to buy a new ticket, seriously depleting my cash supply. Finally in Stary Smokovec I bought pocket knife before looking for the track which was difficult enough.
The first section of the hike followed the tracks of a cable car up to the first chalet. Since I had plenty of time to get to my chalet I decided to take the side trips off to see some water falls. The High Tatras is more rocky than any of the parks I have walked in New Zealand. Beautifully rugged. I finally put my new knife to use on my salami as I supped on my lunch quietly by a stream. I finally made Zbojnicka Chata (Robber's Chalet; altitude 1960m) by 4pm. These chalets are much like the huts in the Tararuas but with extra services such as hot food and beer on tap which I immediately enjoyed. I enquired about the sleeping arrangements only to find that I actually wasn't booked for that night. Thankfully I arrived early enough to get one of the last remaining beds. The girl who served me held an intriguing beauty, reminiscent of someone back home. Dinner was preceded with one of the best honey enriched teas I have ever drunk. Included in the meal was deep fried battered cheese, mmmm.
There were many groups staying the night leaving a few of us singles to sit quietly to the side. Finally someone asked me in English where I was from and the table erupted into English. I was surrounded by Poles, Czechs and one Hungarian. We chatted the night away sipping our beer, hot wine and plum infused vodka. We were finally sent to bed at 11pm so those sleeping in the dining room could get some sleep. Everyone began getting up at 6.30am as the sun streamed into the room. After the traditional breakfast of salami, cheese and pepper on stale bread I was ready to head off for my longer day of hiking. Gragor, the Hungarian guy I met, was walking out the same way so I caught up with him on the track.
A few minutes away from chalet we saw two Tatra Mountain Chamois (mountain goats). One ran off but the other one was much more relaxed and posed for many photos as it ambled up the track. After we left the goat behind we hit a steep shingly bit of the track. It was hard work trying to avoid creating a rock slide whilst making headway. But the struggle was worth it, affording magnificent views at the saddle. The otherside was almost a sheer cliff face for 5m so chains and pegs where necessary for the descent. We passed over the other side, past patches of snow, onto the next saddle. We took a detour up Vychodna Vysoka, a peak reaching 2, 428.6 m. The view from the top was magnificent. In the north you see into Poland and the south into Slovakia. Back on the track we descended towards a the next mountain hotel that bore our lunch. Cabbage and sausage soup was a big hit. Gragor had a car and gave me a ride back to camp. After saying goodbyes he headed off further north.
As I headed for my tent I heard the pleasant sound of English from two new campers. They were Lisa and Ricky from Oz who had been traveling around in South America for 7 months before this short trip to Europe, finishing in China for three months. It was nice to have people to hang around and eat with especially with the stories they had to tell. The next morning I got up to finish packing and dry the inside of my tent out. After sharing breakfast they headed out to the hills and I got ready to catch my train to Poprad. I hurried to the station, arriving with less than a minute to spare. At Poprad I tried to spend my remaining cash. But rather than throwing it away I decided to change the 120 Slovak crowns back to euro. My next train arrived and I boarded. After showing the conductor my train pass he asked for my reservation. I didn't have one as it didn't say I needed one on the Internet. He told me I had to pay the exact amount I had just changed to euro. I offered to pay in euro but frustrated he said forget it and let me off. This train was 2 minutes late giving me less than two minutes to find my next train. Thankfully I ran to the correct train and boarded just as it departed.
There were a couple of Chinese tourists in my cabin but they spoke good English. They even shared with me some of the chicken that had bought for lunch. At one stop on the way a Hungarian uni student joined us. He asked if I spoke German as he didn't know much English. We ended up conversing about NZ, music, glasses vs contacts and alcohol in broken Eng-erman. He even gave me a sip of polanka, a very tasty spirit that is distilled from pure fruit. I caught my final train of the trip to Budapest and decided to walk to my hostel. It was a nice, new and cosy hostel quite close to town. I was thinking about heading into town but my feet though otherwise so I retired to the hostel. That evening I met another Aussie, Matt, and we went out to try some local food where we saw a couple of American tourists stumble down some stairs. One even went through the door and onto the footpath. Later I rang dad to wish him a happy late birthday.
The next day was my final full day holidaying. I first checked out the local flea market. It was filled with all sorts of rubbish as Emma had warned. I didn't find anything suitable for presents so headed off to church. I found a small Anglican one that was lead by a NZ priest. It was nice to have a church service that was slightly familiar to me. After a quick lunch I found a few last presents before heading out to the Statue Park. This was the most disappointing sight seen on this trip. It is a small garden area with maybe 20 statues from the communist era. It might have meant something if I was Hungarian or knew lots around communism but otherwise it isn't that interesting. One of the final things to do in Budapest was to hit the thermal baths. I decided to go to the most popular baths that are housed in the Gellert Hotel. Both genders have separate bathing areas so as to not discriminate against those who just "forgot" their togs. About half of the guys were wearing what was called an 'apron'. More like a white loin clothe. This was the first time I was happy to be vision impaired. I spent most of my time soaking in the 38oC, only occasionally chilling in the 8oC pool. I withstood the 55oC of the steam room for a couple of minutes before choosing to save my lungs. I ended with a short swim in the normal co-gender swimming pool. After exiting and scaling halfway up the hill to see the liberation monument, I remember that I was meant to be holding my togs in hand. The pools were closing soon so I had to pace a little faster up the hill and take the obligatory photos before the rapid decent. I made it just in time and found my togs and towl patiently waiting in the cupboard for me to wring them out and take them home.
The sun had gone and the lights began to shine. I wasn't going to make it to the castle or Parliament this trip but at least I could walk by them and take photos of the pretty lights. My feet were beginning to fail but just held out for the walk home. Everyone else was hanging back at the hostel. A few cool beers latter I packed and headed for bed. I had left arranging my mini-bus to the airport too late to get picked up at my desired time but at least I knew if I was picked up at 9am I would make my 12.35pm flight. I was to little too early to check in and had to search for things to do. There wasn't much to buy in this section of the airport but there was a ecumenical prayer room were I had some needed prayer time.
I was worried that my bag was going to be well over 20kg so I utilised the leaning technique which I am sure took a couple kg off the pack's weight. Once I was all checked in and through security I ran around looking for places to spend my remaining forints. I decided on a Hungarian Cookbook but I was a few hundred forints short. Having no better ideas I changed a couple of euros (losing $1 US worth) to buy it plus a pack of tic tacs.
The flight to London was smooth. Once landed we all had to queue for about 1 hr to get through a new set of security measures. Many misinformed people faced the loss of their duty free booze but I was on the game having all mine stashed in my pack. I pulled out my last few pounds and got a burger for lunch. I was meant to have a three hour stop over but when I went to look to find my departure gate, the flight was announced to be 1.5 hr delayed. I killed more time reading books and magazines in the shops before finally I thought my plane was boarding. They gave a final boarding call soon after and a few people began running with me. We finally got to the gate only to be told it was another Cathy Pacific flight to Hong Kong. We had to wait another hour before we finely boarded. I got an aisle seat with a spare seat next to me allowing me to get to get about 6 hours sleep interspersed with food, beer and movies. Finally in Hong Kong, 3 hrs late, it was really too late to make any foray into the city. I wondered through the many duty free and designer clothes stores. The cheapest things in the airport was food and ciggies. I changed $20 NZ sat down for some Chinese. I soon realised that I would struggle to spend all my cash so went in search for the cheapest tobacco product. I eventually found a small pack of pipe tobacco to buy for Aaron. I spent the final dollars on a small snack before my flight.
The next phase of the trip dragged on a little as I could hardly sleep. Thankfully there were some movies I wanted to see. After touching down I Auckland I had my last chance to hit duty free. I came away with an after shave pack, Drambuie (mmmm), port and cheap wine. Man I love NZ customs. I have not come across any customs more thorough. In Heathrow you can chose whether to declare items and even if you have some to declare there is sometimes no one to declare them too. My tent had to be checked and potentially sprayed but otherwise I got through Scotch free. It was good to be back in NZ.
There was only one more flight left for me. After the most ridiculous episode of Days of Our Lives, it was boarding time. Flying in NZ feels like a waste of time as you start to descend pretty much straight after finishing the ascent and you spend more time checking in and waiting for your luggage than flying. Hurrah, I was in Wellington at 4pm, some 40 hrs after since I left my hostel. I quietly caught the bus into town and enjoyed the picturesque stroll down Oriental Bay and thus the journey came to an end. I look forward to seeing you all soon. I think I shall put some photos on the net soon and provide the link for your viewing pleasure.
Thank you and goodnight,
Lynton
Greetings from 4b,
After about 5 weeks on road I am home. I thought I should conclude my saga lest I leave anyone in suspense. Before heading for the hills I thought I best check with the information people as to whether it is safe for me to hike my planned route in the High Tatras alone. The helpful lady said it should be fine and also suggested where to book the chalet and what train ticket to get. I have never been so prepared for hike, taking with me a map, first aid kit and even a compass. After stocking up with some supplies I headed for Stary Smokovec. First I had to buy my 3 day electric train pass. Rather than hoping for English I wrote my request down in Slovak and got the lobby man at the hotel to check it. The wee electric train weaved its way closer and closer to the hills. I was perplexed to see most of the trees in the area "cut" down, leaving only a few standing as a reminder that there once stood a forest before us. It wasn't until two days latter that I learnt that this destruction was not at the hand of man but of the wind. A huge storm in 2004 passed over the High Tatras from the north and almost every tree that resided below 1300 m was humbled to the earth. That must have been one powerful storm!
Once in Stary Smokovec I headed straight for the travel agency to book a place in a chalet. However after struggling to find the shop, I was annoyed to see it well closed. If anyone could help, the information station could. I bowled over there and the lady explained that the chalets were quite full due the long weekend coming up but gave them a call to see if they had room. Confused she first booked me a place for that very night and had to call them back to change it to the next day. With that all sorted I headed for my Eurocamp which pretty much touted itself as being the best camping site in existence. First I had to change trains at Tatranska Lomnica. After waiting for awhile, the train finally turned up. Just before boarding I realised it wasn't an electric one so ran into the ticket office to get my 40c train ticket. My stop was the first one and was in walking distance of Eurocamp. The camp was pretty much empty so I could put up my tent anywhere. I found a reasonably flat slab of grass and erected my tent in a couple of minutes. Thankfully little mould had taken hold since Belgium and with airing it was as fresh as ever. I then checked out the facilities. The "supermarket" was a dairy, the famed restaurant claiming to be open from 8-9 was closed, and the disco was also closed. There didn't appear to be a kitchen either. I found out latter there was one but it required getting the key and only sported a couple of hot plates and hot water.
After visually confirming the restaurant's closure I began to seriously contemplate actually having to have beer for dinner. Thankfully I went back to the office and asked where I could find food. The lady pointed to somewhere on this map where their restaurant stood. Confused I ask another guy and he explained that it resided in the section of the camp that I never knew about.
The menu contained some attempts at English descriptions but they were often confused with German. I decided to go with one of their kutchyen specialetys, which at least contained chicken. It turned out to be a skewered kebab with pork, chicken and beef. I ate this along side roasted potatoes with tasty shepherd cheese. I wandered back to my tent just as it was getting dark. There is little one can do whilst camping alone, except go to bed. It was a cool evening; a challenge for my two season synthetic sleeping bag. After an unsettled sleep I finally rose at 7.30 am. Looking from inside of my tent one would expect to find a dewy field. However, I soon realised it was all Lynton made condensation. A new potential form of recycling perhaps? Anyhow, I quickly tackled my breakfast. I had bought milk and muesli with out contemplating how I was to consume it. I had no bowl nor a spoon. At least I still had my trusty cup. I filled it with muesli and milk before chucking it back. Not pretty but it worked.
After leaving a bag of belongings with the reception I hopped to catch a train back towards the hills. A few minutes latter a train came going the wrong way. I assumed it would return in half an hour, but I ended up waiting 1.5 hours until I finally returned. Soon after I jumped on the next train to Stary Smokovec the ticket lady came around. I pulled out my wallet but I couldn't find my 3 day pass. Embarrassed, I searched everywhere but it was nowhere to be found. It actually was residing on the floor of my tent. I had to buy a new ticket, seriously depleting my cash supply. Finally in Stary Smokovec I bought pocket knife before looking for the track which was difficult enough.
The first section of the hike followed the tracks of a cable car up to the first chalet. Since I had plenty of time to get to my chalet I decided to take the side trips off to see some water falls. The High Tatras is more rocky than any of the parks I have walked in New Zealand. Beautifully rugged. I finally put my new knife to use on my salami as I supped on my lunch quietly by a stream. I finally made Zbojnicka Chata (Robber's Chalet; altitude 1960m) by 4pm. These chalets are much like the huts in the Tararuas but with extra services such as hot food and beer on tap which I immediately enjoyed. I enquired about the sleeping arrangements only to find that I actually wasn't booked for that night. Thankfully I arrived early enough to get one of the last remaining beds. The girl who served me held an intriguing beauty, reminiscent of someone back home. Dinner was preceded with one of the best honey enriched teas I have ever drunk. Included in the meal was deep fried battered cheese, mmmm.
There were many groups staying the night leaving a few of us singles to sit quietly to the side. Finally someone asked me in English where I was from and the table erupted into English. I was surrounded by Poles, Czechs and one Hungarian. We chatted the night away sipping our beer, hot wine and plum infused vodka. We were finally sent to bed at 11pm so those sleeping in the dining room could get some sleep. Everyone began getting up at 6.30am as the sun streamed into the room. After the traditional breakfast of salami, cheese and pepper on stale bread I was ready to head off for my longer day of hiking. Gragor, the Hungarian guy I met, was walking out the same way so I caught up with him on the track.
A few minutes away from chalet we saw two Tatra Mountain Chamois (mountain goats). One ran off but the other one was much more relaxed and posed for many photos as it ambled up the track. After we left the goat behind we hit a steep shingly bit of the track. It was hard work trying to avoid creating a rock slide whilst making headway. But the struggle was worth it, affording magnificent views at the saddle. The otherside was almost a sheer cliff face for 5m so chains and pegs where necessary for the descent. We passed over the other side, past patches of snow, onto the next saddle. We took a detour up Vychodna Vysoka, a peak reaching 2, 428.6 m. The view from the top was magnificent. In the north you see into Poland and the south into Slovakia. Back on the track we descended towards a the next mountain hotel that bore our lunch. Cabbage and sausage soup was a big hit. Gragor had a car and gave me a ride back to camp. After saying goodbyes he headed off further north.
As I headed for my tent I heard the pleasant sound of English from two new campers. They were Lisa and Ricky from Oz who had been traveling around in South America for 7 months before this short trip to Europe, finishing in China for three months. It was nice to have people to hang around and eat with especially with the stories they had to tell. The next morning I got up to finish packing and dry the inside of my tent out. After sharing breakfast they headed out to the hills and I got ready to catch my train to Poprad. I hurried to the station, arriving with less than a minute to spare. At Poprad I tried to spend my remaining cash. But rather than throwing it away I decided to change the 120 Slovak crowns back to euro. My next train arrived and I boarded. After showing the conductor my train pass he asked for my reservation. I didn't have one as it didn't say I needed one on the Internet. He told me I had to pay the exact amount I had just changed to euro. I offered to pay in euro but frustrated he said forget it and let me off. This train was 2 minutes late giving me less than two minutes to find my next train. Thankfully I ran to the correct train and boarded just as it departed.
There were a couple of Chinese tourists in my cabin but they spoke good English. They even shared with me some of the chicken that had bought for lunch. At one stop on the way a Hungarian uni student joined us. He asked if I spoke German as he didn't know much English. We ended up conversing about NZ, music, glasses vs contacts and alcohol in broken Eng-erman. He even gave me a sip of polanka, a very tasty spirit that is distilled from pure fruit. I caught my final train of the trip to Budapest and decided to walk to my hostel. It was a nice, new and cosy hostel quite close to town. I was thinking about heading into town but my feet though otherwise so I retired to the hostel. That evening I met another Aussie, Matt, and we went out to try some local food where we saw a couple of American tourists stumble down some stairs. One even went through the door and onto the footpath. Later I rang dad to wish him a happy late birthday.
The next day was my final full day holidaying. I first checked out the local flea market. It was filled with all sorts of rubbish as Emma had warned. I didn't find anything suitable for presents so headed off to church. I found a small Anglican one that was lead by a NZ priest. It was nice to have a church service that was slightly familiar to me. After a quick lunch I found a few last presents before heading out to the Statue Park. This was the most disappointing sight seen on this trip. It is a small garden area with maybe 20 statues from the communist era. It might have meant something if I was Hungarian or knew lots around communism but otherwise it isn't that interesting. One of the final things to do in Budapest was to hit the thermal baths. I decided to go to the most popular baths that are housed in the Gellert Hotel. Both genders have separate bathing areas so as to not discriminate against those who just "forgot" their togs. About half of the guys were wearing what was called an 'apron'. More like a white loin clothe. This was the first time I was happy to be vision impaired. I spent most of my time soaking in the 38oC, only occasionally chilling in the 8oC pool. I withstood the 55oC of the steam room for a couple of minutes before choosing to save my lungs. I ended with a short swim in the normal co-gender swimming pool. After exiting and scaling halfway up the hill to see the liberation monument, I remember that I was meant to be holding my togs in hand. The pools were closing soon so I had to pace a little faster up the hill and take the obligatory photos before the rapid decent. I made it just in time and found my togs and towl patiently waiting in the cupboard for me to wring them out and take them home.
The sun had gone and the lights began to shine. I wasn't going to make it to the castle or Parliament this trip but at least I could walk by them and take photos of the pretty lights. My feet were beginning to fail but just held out for the walk home. Everyone else was hanging back at the hostel. A few cool beers latter I packed and headed for bed. I had left arranging my mini-bus to the airport too late to get picked up at my desired time but at least I knew if I was picked up at 9am I would make my 12.35pm flight. I was to little too early to check in and had to search for things to do. There wasn't much to buy in this section of the airport but there was a ecumenical prayer room were I had some needed prayer time.
I was worried that my bag was going to be well over 20kg so I utilised the leaning technique which I am sure took a couple kg off the pack's weight. Once I was all checked in and through security I ran around looking for places to spend my remaining forints. I decided on a Hungarian Cookbook but I was a few hundred forints short. Having no better ideas I changed a couple of euros (losing $1 US worth) to buy it plus a pack of tic tacs.
The flight to London was smooth. Once landed we all had to queue for about 1 hr to get through a new set of security measures. Many misinformed people faced the loss of their duty free booze but I was on the game having all mine stashed in my pack. I pulled out my last few pounds and got a burger for lunch. I was meant to have a three hour stop over but when I went to look to find my departure gate, the flight was announced to be 1.5 hr delayed. I killed more time reading books and magazines in the shops before finally I thought my plane was boarding. They gave a final boarding call soon after and a few people began running with me. We finally got to the gate only to be told it was another Cathy Pacific flight to Hong Kong. We had to wait another hour before we finely boarded. I got an aisle seat with a spare seat next to me allowing me to get to get about 6 hours sleep interspersed with food, beer and movies. Finally in Hong Kong, 3 hrs late, it was really too late to make any foray into the city. I wondered through the many duty free and designer clothes stores. The cheapest things in the airport was food and ciggies. I changed $20 NZ sat down for some Chinese. I soon realised that I would struggle to spend all my cash so went in search for the cheapest tobacco product. I eventually found a small pack of pipe tobacco to buy for Aaron. I spent the final dollars on a small snack before my flight.
The next phase of the trip dragged on a little as I could hardly sleep. Thankfully there were some movies I wanted to see. After touching down I Auckland I had my last chance to hit duty free. I came away with an after shave pack, Drambuie (mmmm), port and cheap wine. Man I love NZ customs. I have not come across any customs more thorough. In Heathrow you can chose whether to declare items and even if you have some to declare there is sometimes no one to declare them too. My tent had to be checked and potentially sprayed but otherwise I got through Scotch free. It was good to be back in NZ.
There was only one more flight left for me. After the most ridiculous episode of Days of Our Lives, it was boarding time. Flying in NZ feels like a waste of time as you start to descend pretty much straight after finishing the ascent and you spend more time checking in and waiting for your luggage than flying. Hurrah, I was in Wellington at 4pm, some 40 hrs after since I left my hostel. I quietly caught the bus into town and enjoyed the picturesque stroll down Oriental Bay and thus the journey came to an end. I look forward to seeing you all soon. I think I shall put some photos on the net soon and provide the link for your viewing pleasure.
Thank you and goodnight,
Lynton
| posted by Lynton |
11:51 pm
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Greetings from Poprad,
My trip is quickly coming to an end. I have finished with the Czech Republic and have just sampled Poland. The bone church I went to see in Kutna Hora was rather bizarre. In the 1870s the rulers of the day gave an architect permission to exhume the graveyard and artistically arrange the bones inside the old Gothic church. They estimate that more than 40,000 individuals bones were used in the work. They have a blurb explaining its creation as an exposition that shows there is no distinction in death, as all die, the rich and poor, and must face their maker. There wasn't much else to do in Kutna Hora but i did find a Museum of Alchemy. It was a bit of a lame exhibition, with posters that could have been cut and pasted together by students at the local schools. I did at least learn that alchemists didn't just spend their days trying to turn lead into gold. Its hugely philosophical. I managed to get back in time to do one more tourist thing. I decided on doing the Jewish Museum tour as Prague has one of the best preserved Jewish quarters in Europe. It was moving reading about their constant persecution from since their arrival in the land. I also loved reading all about their culture and lives. It surprising how little I know of their history and culture. The next day I boarded my train for Krakow. I first hopped into the wrong carriage that was going to be left behind at some stage. Thankfully the ticket lady guessed where i was heading and sent me to the right carriage. I hopped into the first room that was fairly empty. I was soon to find it was a smoking carriage. Nothing like two packets of ciggies to form a stratosphere. I wasn't actually that bad as they did open the window. Plus, as if to appease me I was included in the rounds of beer and thus sunk 7 pints over the course of the trip. They were Poles so communication was difficult, limiting us to topics of money, jobs, beer and music. At one of the stops I saw about 20-30 men waiting next to about the same number of police. About half the police boarded with them. Once in Krakow, there were even more police in riot gear and with dogs. Later i found out it was a bunch of football fans being escorted home. They take their football seriously here.
Krakow is a beautiful city and so relaxed. At the hostel I bumped into Jenny and Adelle whom I had met in Prague. I also met a couple of Irish and we all decided to go out for a dance. I rarely club anymore but one has do it now and again. We found some recommended club, got a drink and hit the dance floor. It was magnificent. The vibe, the music, the beer and my friends made it my best bogey ever. So as to not lose this feeling I called it quits after 1hr and escorted the girls home with a huge smile on my face. The next morning I tracked down the church that had an English service. It was catholic again but at least I could follow it. In the afternoon I went on a biking tour of Prague. We were taken around all the touristy sights such as the Castle and St Marys but the highlight was going over the bridge to the see the Jewish Ghettos of the 1940s, seeing the remaining section of the wall and the square where all the Jews were herded onto trains destined for Auschwitz. The tour ended with a visit of Oscar Schindler's factory where we were told about his real story. That evening I enjoyed the hostel BBQ before narrowly losing a game of the battle of the sexes. However I am impressed that I remembered that Anne of Green Gables main mans first name, Gilbert, but the only surname i was getting was Grape.
Monday I was up early to make the trip to Auschwitz. I was going with a couple others from the hostel but we go separated soon after arriving when i went back to get a guide book. It was a sad, disturbing and moving place to visit. Its difficult to put in words. I ended up spending the whole day there walking around and visiting the exhibits.
That night I came back and entered the pub quiz with a couple of Auckers and an Oz. The game was tight but we came away with the spoils after winning the tie breaker. After enjoying the free beers over a game of jenga i was convinced to head into town. After a few more drinks in a lounge bar I headed home to plan my next days trip.
Yesterday I packed before heading out to the salt mine. I never new salt was worth digging for. After descending towards 135 meters we were taken through caverns that were entirely man made that contained many sculptures carved from the rock salt. The even have an impressive salt carved cathedral including carvings of the last supper. Quite amazing. There is over 200km of tunnels and hundreds of rooms mined out since the 1400s. I raced back to town to get my gear before heading to the train station. Thankfully the train was on time so i managed to make my connection into Slovakia. On the way the conductor had to explain that i had to change trains at the next stop. He ended up drawing trains to express himself. I got it but I dont think I was giving the a response he could understand. After one more change I was on my way to Poprad. I got in at 9.20 and looked for the Hotel Tatra. No spelling mistake there, I did indeed spend last night in a hotel. However, tonight I go to the other extreme as I finally put to use the tent I have dragged around Europe. So here I shall leave it as I head towards the High Tatras for a camping and hiking trip. Might be the last email as I will be home next week.
love Lynton
My trip is quickly coming to an end. I have finished with the Czech Republic and have just sampled Poland. The bone church I went to see in Kutna Hora was rather bizarre. In the 1870s the rulers of the day gave an architect permission to exhume the graveyard and artistically arrange the bones inside the old Gothic church. They estimate that more than 40,000 individuals bones were used in the work. They have a blurb explaining its creation as an exposition that shows there is no distinction in death, as all die, the rich and poor, and must face their maker. There wasn't much else to do in Kutna Hora but i did find a Museum of Alchemy. It was a bit of a lame exhibition, with posters that could have been cut and pasted together by students at the local schools. I did at least learn that alchemists didn't just spend their days trying to turn lead into gold. Its hugely philosophical. I managed to get back in time to do one more tourist thing. I decided on doing the Jewish Museum tour as Prague has one of the best preserved Jewish quarters in Europe. It was moving reading about their constant persecution from since their arrival in the land. I also loved reading all about their culture and lives. It surprising how little I know of their history and culture. The next day I boarded my train for Krakow. I first hopped into the wrong carriage that was going to be left behind at some stage. Thankfully the ticket lady guessed where i was heading and sent me to the right carriage. I hopped into the first room that was fairly empty. I was soon to find it was a smoking carriage. Nothing like two packets of ciggies to form a stratosphere. I wasn't actually that bad as they did open the window. Plus, as if to appease me I was included in the rounds of beer and thus sunk 7 pints over the course of the trip. They were Poles so communication was difficult, limiting us to topics of money, jobs, beer and music. At one of the stops I saw about 20-30 men waiting next to about the same number of police. About half the police boarded with them. Once in Krakow, there were even more police in riot gear and with dogs. Later i found out it was a bunch of football fans being escorted home. They take their football seriously here.
Krakow is a beautiful city and so relaxed. At the hostel I bumped into Jenny and Adelle whom I had met in Prague. I also met a couple of Irish and we all decided to go out for a dance. I rarely club anymore but one has do it now and again. We found some recommended club, got a drink and hit the dance floor. It was magnificent. The vibe, the music, the beer and my friends made it my best bogey ever. So as to not lose this feeling I called it quits after 1hr and escorted the girls home with a huge smile on my face. The next morning I tracked down the church that had an English service. It was catholic again but at least I could follow it. In the afternoon I went on a biking tour of Prague. We were taken around all the touristy sights such as the Castle and St Marys but the highlight was going over the bridge to the see the Jewish Ghettos of the 1940s, seeing the remaining section of the wall and the square where all the Jews were herded onto trains destined for Auschwitz. The tour ended with a visit of Oscar Schindler's factory where we were told about his real story. That evening I enjoyed the hostel BBQ before narrowly losing a game of the battle of the sexes. However I am impressed that I remembered that Anne of Green Gables main mans first name, Gilbert, but the only surname i was getting was Grape.
Monday I was up early to make the trip to Auschwitz. I was going with a couple others from the hostel but we go separated soon after arriving when i went back to get a guide book. It was a sad, disturbing and moving place to visit. Its difficult to put in words. I ended up spending the whole day there walking around and visiting the exhibits.
That night I came back and entered the pub quiz with a couple of Auckers and an Oz. The game was tight but we came away with the spoils after winning the tie breaker. After enjoying the free beers over a game of jenga i was convinced to head into town. After a few more drinks in a lounge bar I headed home to plan my next days trip.
Yesterday I packed before heading out to the salt mine. I never new salt was worth digging for. After descending towards 135 meters we were taken through caverns that were entirely man made that contained many sculptures carved from the rock salt. The even have an impressive salt carved cathedral including carvings of the last supper. Quite amazing. There is over 200km of tunnels and hundreds of rooms mined out since the 1400s. I raced back to town to get my gear before heading to the train station. Thankfully the train was on time so i managed to make my connection into Slovakia. On the way the conductor had to explain that i had to change trains at the next stop. He ended up drawing trains to express himself. I got it but I dont think I was giving the a response he could understand. After one more change I was on my way to Poprad. I got in at 9.20 and looked for the Hotel Tatra. No spelling mistake there, I did indeed spend last night in a hotel. However, tonight I go to the other extreme as I finally put to use the tent I have dragged around Europe. So here I shall leave it as I head towards the High Tatras for a camping and hiking trip. Might be the last email as I will be home next week.
love Lynton
| posted by Lynton |
9:23 pm
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Greetings from Prague,
Some time has passed since the first update. The conference has been and gone. My poster session went alright. I managed to talk to a few people about it and get some advice about some reactions. I was a little disheartened when a few people laughed by my poster and I imagine it was the guy presenting the total synthesis of aigialomycin D. But it was not, as I met him later on. He was a nice guy so it made me feel better about the whole situation.
We were treated to some fine lectures by a number of total synthesis professors. They have got me thinking about implementing some of their technology into our lab. There were also couple of lectures from Nobel laureates of note, particularly those on the atmospheric chemistry and global warming and the methanol economy. After the poster session Emma and I raced to a pier for a boat cruise and dinner with Richard and a few of his friends. But we were about 10 mins too late. The conciliation was that we found an excellent pizza place on the way home. Mmm cream cheese on pizza. The next day was short with some more organic chem before heading off to town. Emma got some prezzies as we sampled the deep fried delights on offer. The next morning I had to say goodbye to the eggs and sausages that had sustained me so well the previous days. I had seconds to prolong the enjoyment. I saw Emma off before finding my way to a train station that would lead to Vienna.
After a short wait I boarded and was on my way. I arrived mid-afternoon and found my way to the hostel. I ended up being in the Summer Dorms, the older and more worn out ones. But they were all I needed and allowed the meeting of many characters. I meet a group of Aussies and extras and headed out to a local pub. It was a strange affair greeted with beer and thumping music. The main guy was well built and covered in tatts making me think I was roughing it somewhere in Russia or the Baltic states. Saturday came around and was filled with a museum and a 60's pschycadelic art exhibition. By the time I headed home the supermarkets were already closed so I could not enjoy the
\n \nSunday bowled around so I gave Mum a call for her birthday only to be greeted with the answerphone. I headed to the local Catholic church with Judith from Germany. She had more a chance of understanding what was going on with Austrian being some form of German, but at times she even got lost. I was really proud when I managed to decipher one whole complete line of a song, thank you 5th form German! I suppose it was also odd in that it was the first time I had been in a Catholic church. Interesting experience, topped off with mass. After lunch I wondered back into the pretty much deserted city centre, as most shops have to be closed on Sunday. I hit the Natural History Museum first. It contained both live and dead things as well as an impressive collection of minerals and meteorites. Again I was confronted and confused by different worlds. I lamented seeing all the stuffed animals knowing that this maybe the only way our kids will see many of the beasts roaming the world today. Destructive greed. I hope there is some sort of resetting in the restoration. I wondered through the Hofburg Palace on the way to the Stephansdom. I was able to get some quiet time despite the muttering of tourists round about. I really appreciate these beautiful churches that have stood the test of time. I wonder what we can learn from them. The day was done so I regrouped back at the hostel for pasta. \n\n \nMonday I was time to move on. I have been told the night before that if the weather is good I should try to make my way to Cesky Krumlov for a few nights of chilling outside of a main city. I found a hostel, booked and planned my train trip. I gave Mum a quick call. She told me about Steve Irwin. I have been unexpectedly saddened by his death. I suppose its similar to the death of Rod Donald. Both men were wholly dedicated to what they believed in and put their all into it. I feel greatly challenged by their lives through their deaths. I had some time to kill before my train so headed to the \n",1]
);
//-->
0.40 euro beers of the night before.
Sunday bowled around so I gave Mum a call for her birthday only to be greeted with the answerphone. I headed to the local Catholic church with Judith from Germany. She had more a chance of understanding what was going on with Austrian being some form of German, but at times she even got lost. I was really proud when I managed to decipher one whole complete line of a song, thank you 5th form German! I suppose it was also odd in that it was the first time I had been in a Catholic church. Interesting experience, topped off with mass. After lunch I wondered back into the pretty much deserted city centre, as most shops have to be closed on Sunday. I hit the Natural History Museum first. It contained both live and dead things as well as an impressive collection of minerals and meteorites. Again I was confronted and confused by different worlds. I lamented seeing all the stuffed animals knowing that this maybe the only way our kids will see many of the beasts roaming the world today. Destructive greed. I hope there is some sort of resetting in the restoration. I wondered through the Hofburg Palace on the way to the Stephansdom. I was able to get some quiet time despite the muttering of tourists round about. I really appreciate these beautiful churches that have stood the test of time. I wonder what we can learn from them. The day was done so I regrouped back at the hostel for pasta.
Monday I was time to move on. I have been told the night before that if the weather is good I should try to make my way to Cesky Krumlov for a few nights of chilling outside of a main city. I found a hostel, booked and planned my train trip. I gave Mum a quick call. She told me about Steve Irwin. I have been unexpectedly saddened by his death. I suppose its similar to the death of Rod Donald. Both men were wholly dedicated to what they believed in and put their all into it. I feel greatly challenged by their lives through their deaths. I had some time to kill before my train so headed to the
\n\n \nThe next day after cruising and touring the castle, which has had bears in the moat since 1553 in support in of an owners bogus history, I joined a crew for a rafting expedition. It was more of a float than raft, but along the way we stopped for beers at random riverside shack pubs. They were welcome watering stops before heading further down the river. We ended with a rapid before heading home. \n\n \nThe next day I was up and early to get my train towards Plzen. Unfortunately my connecting train hit a car on the way so was 30 mins late. However, through shortened stops and I guess faster speeds we made up most of the time and I was able to catch my train to Plzen. Plzen is home to the pilsner, first brewed there in 1842, and what better way to celebrate that than touring the Pilsner Urquell plant. I first got lost and ended up at the truck entrance but with some paced walking I just made the English tour. The highlight of the tour was drinking unfiltered pilsner from one of the 40 left 7,900 ltr brewing barrels 15m underground at \n",1]
);
//-->
Schönbrunn Palace for a wonder in the gardens, pretty as they were. I finally had a schnitzel before making my way to the train station. I had found some directions to the station and gave myself an hour to get there. However I hadn't used the public transport there so I it took me a little while to work it out. I jumped on the metro and headed to a stop that i thought was right next to the station. I was wrong and disorientated. I found someone who told me to catch a train for one stop. The time was ticking with 15mins before it departed. Thankfully I caught the train and got to the station. I found my train and boarded with minutes to spare. Recovering from the stress the train took off. And where did it stop first? Right where I was in the first place! We had a brief stop which allowed me to race to a supermarket to get food for dins. Finally I was Cesky Krumlov. The map to my hostel was missing but fortunately Lonely Planet knew where it was. I took photos of the town map to guide me on the way. Once there I cooked my sausage and cooled my 1.5 ltr beer. I met Sophie who was actually from Wellington and new some people in the chem department. She took me on a guided tour of the town by night. They even let you roam the castle at night without oversight.
The next day after cruising and touring the castle, which has had bears in the moat since 1553 in support in of an owners bogus history, I joined a crew for a rafting expedition. It was more of a float than raft, but along the way we stopped for beers at random riverside shack pubs. They were welcome watering stops before heading further down the river. We ended with a rapid before heading home.
The next day I was up and early to get my train towards Plzen. Unfortunately my connecting train hit a car on the way so was 30 mins late. However, through shortened stops and I guess faster speeds we made up most of the time and I was able to catch my train to Plzen. Plzen is home to the pilsner, first brewed there in 1842, and what better way to celebrate that than touring the Pilsner Urquell plant. I first got lost and ended up at the truck entrance but with some paced walking I just made the English tour. The highlight of the tour was drinking unfiltered pilsner from one of the 40 left 7,900 ltr brewing barrels 15m underground at
\n \nI finally arrived in Prague but got lost many times finding my hostel. The map I was following was really confusing and I ended up walking around for 40 min with my luggage dragging me down. I almost gave up but when I disarmed my packs I saw the hostel sign in the distance. I chilled there with beer before looking for food. Unfortunately I was conned into Chinese that cost lots more than expected. \n\n \nToday I wondered checking out the second hand and rare CD stores but could not find Fanfare for the Comic Muse anywhere. I joined a walking tour of Prague for the next 6 hrs. It was excellent and even contained another kiwi, Jonathan and we got on excellently. We had a needed pub stop on the way and stayed \n1.5 hrs rather than the usual half hour. But the guide said once the pub stop ended the tour....at 10.30pm after five Norwegians got into the vodka and then absinthe. I loved it and afterwards went for a peddle boat around the river with some Americans I met. I went home via the supermarket to rectify lastnights blow out. Since I can\'t cook for one, I made enough to feed four hungary souls and still have plenty of leftovers for tomorrow at only 2/3 of last night\'s meal. So here I leave it with tomorrow\'s trip to the Bone Church to be arranged. Hope all is well. \n\n \nlove Lynton \n\n",0]
);
//-->
6.5 oC. I took to the town centre and saw the massive church before heading back for my train.
I finally arrived in Prague but got lost many times finding my hostel. The map I was following was really confusing and I ended up walking around for 40 min with my luggage dragging me down. I almost gave up but when I disarmed my packs I saw the hostel sign in the distance. I chilled there with beer before looking for food. Unfortunately I was conned into Chinese that cost lots more than expected.
Today I wondered checking out the second hand and rare CD stores but could not find Fanfare for the Comic Muse anywhere. I joined a walking tour of Prague for the next 6 hrs. It was excellent and even contained another kiwi, Jonathan and we got on excellently. We had a needed pub stop on the way and stayed 1.5 hrs rather than the usual half hour. But the guide said once the pub stop ended the tour....at 10.30pm after five Norwegians got into the vodka and then absinthe. I loved it and afterwards went for a peddle boat around the river with some Americans I met. I went home via the supermarket to rectify lastnights blow out. Since I can't cook for one, I made enough to feed four hungary souls and still have plenty of leftovers for tomorrow at only 2/3 of last night's meal. So here I leave it with tomorrow's trip to the Bone Church to be arranged. Hope all is well.
love Lynton
Some time has passed since the first update. The conference has been and gone. My poster session went alright. I managed to talk to a few people about it and get some advice about some reactions. I was a little disheartened when a few people laughed by my poster and I imagine it was the guy presenting the total synthesis of aigialomycin D. But it was not, as I met him later on. He was a nice guy so it made me feel better about the whole situation.
We were treated to some fine lectures by a number of total synthesis professors. They have got me thinking about implementing some of their technology into our lab. There were also couple of lectures from Nobel laureates of note, particularly those on the atmospheric chemistry and global warming and the methanol economy. After the poster session Emma and I raced to a pier for a boat cruise and dinner with Richard and a few of his friends. But we were about 10 mins too late. The conciliation was that we found an excellent pizza place on the way home. Mmm cream cheese on pizza. The next day was short with some more organic chem before heading off to town. Emma got some prezzies as we sampled the deep fried delights on offer. The next morning I had to say goodbye to the eggs and sausages that had sustained me so well the previous days. I had seconds to prolong the enjoyment. I saw Emma off before finding my way to a train station that would lead to Vienna.
After a short wait I boarded and was on my way. I arrived mid-afternoon and found my way to the hostel. I ended up being in the Summer Dorms, the older and more worn out ones. But they were all I needed and allowed the meeting of many characters. I meet a group of Aussies and extras and headed out to a local pub. It was a strange affair greeted with beer and thumping music. The main guy was well built and covered in tatts making me think I was roughing it somewhere in Russia or the Baltic states. Saturday came around and was filled with a museum and a 60's pschycadelic art exhibition. By the time I headed home the supermarkets were already closed so I could not enjoy the
\n \nSunday bowled around so I gave Mum a call for her birthday only to be greeted with the answerphone. I headed to the local Catholic church with Judith from Germany. She had more a chance of understanding what was going on with Austrian being some form of German, but at times she even got lost. I was really proud when I managed to decipher one whole complete line of a song, thank you 5th form German! I suppose it was also odd in that it was the first time I had been in a Catholic church. Interesting experience, topped off with mass. After lunch I wondered back into the pretty much deserted city centre, as most shops have to be closed on Sunday. I hit the Natural History Museum first. It contained both live and dead things as well as an impressive collection of minerals and meteorites. Again I was confronted and confused by different worlds. I lamented seeing all the stuffed animals knowing that this maybe the only way our kids will see many of the beasts roaming the world today. Destructive greed. I hope there is some sort of resetting in the restoration. I wondered through the Hofburg Palace on the way to the Stephansdom. I was able to get some quiet time despite the muttering of tourists round about. I really appreciate these beautiful churches that have stood the test of time. I wonder what we can learn from them. The day was done so I regrouped back at the hostel for pasta. \n\n \nMonday I was time to move on. I have been told the night before that if the weather is good I should try to make my way to Cesky Krumlov for a few nights of chilling outside of a main city. I found a hostel, booked and planned my train trip. I gave Mum a quick call. She told me about Steve Irwin. I have been unexpectedly saddened by his death. I suppose its similar to the death of Rod Donald. Both men were wholly dedicated to what they believed in and put their all into it. I feel greatly challenged by their lives through their deaths. I had some time to kill before my train so headed to the \n",1]
);
//-->
0.40 euro beers of the night before.
Sunday bowled around so I gave Mum a call for her birthday only to be greeted with the answerphone. I headed to the local Catholic church with Judith from Germany. She had more a chance of understanding what was going on with Austrian being some form of German, but at times she even got lost. I was really proud when I managed to decipher one whole complete line of a song, thank you 5th form German! I suppose it was also odd in that it was the first time I had been in a Catholic church. Interesting experience, topped off with mass. After lunch I wondered back into the pretty much deserted city centre, as most shops have to be closed on Sunday. I hit the Natural History Museum first. It contained both live and dead things as well as an impressive collection of minerals and meteorites. Again I was confronted and confused by different worlds. I lamented seeing all the stuffed animals knowing that this maybe the only way our kids will see many of the beasts roaming the world today. Destructive greed. I hope there is some sort of resetting in the restoration. I wondered through the Hofburg Palace on the way to the Stephansdom. I was able to get some quiet time despite the muttering of tourists round about. I really appreciate these beautiful churches that have stood the test of time. I wonder what we can learn from them. The day was done so I regrouped back at the hostel for pasta.
Monday I was time to move on. I have been told the night before that if the weather is good I should try to make my way to Cesky Krumlov for a few nights of chilling outside of a main city. I found a hostel, booked and planned my train trip. I gave Mum a quick call. She told me about Steve Irwin. I have been unexpectedly saddened by his death. I suppose its similar to the death of Rod Donald. Both men were wholly dedicated to what they believed in and put their all into it. I feel greatly challenged by their lives through their deaths. I had some time to kill before my train so headed to the
\n\n \nThe next day after cruising and touring the castle, which has had bears in the moat since 1553 in support in of an owners bogus history, I joined a crew for a rafting expedition. It was more of a float than raft, but along the way we stopped for beers at random riverside shack pubs. They were welcome watering stops before heading further down the river. We ended with a rapid before heading home. \n\n \nThe next day I was up and early to get my train towards Plzen. Unfortunately my connecting train hit a car on the way so was 30 mins late. However, through shortened stops and I guess faster speeds we made up most of the time and I was able to catch my train to Plzen. Plzen is home to the pilsner, first brewed there in 1842, and what better way to celebrate that than touring the Pilsner Urquell plant. I first got lost and ended up at the truck entrance but with some paced walking I just made the English tour. The highlight of the tour was drinking unfiltered pilsner from one of the 40 left 7,900 ltr brewing barrels 15m underground at \n",1]
);
//-->
Schönbrunn Palace for a wonder in the gardens, pretty as they were. I finally had a schnitzel before making my way to the train station. I had found some directions to the station and gave myself an hour to get there. However I hadn't used the public transport there so I it took me a little while to work it out. I jumped on the metro and headed to a stop that i thought was right next to the station. I was wrong and disorientated. I found someone who told me to catch a train for one stop. The time was ticking with 15mins before it departed. Thankfully I caught the train and got to the station. I found my train and boarded with minutes to spare. Recovering from the stress the train took off. And where did it stop first? Right where I was in the first place! We had a brief stop which allowed me to race to a supermarket to get food for dins. Finally I was Cesky Krumlov. The map to my hostel was missing but fortunately Lonely Planet knew where it was. I took photos of the town map to guide me on the way. Once there I cooked my sausage and cooled my 1.5 ltr beer. I met Sophie who was actually from Wellington and new some people in the chem department. She took me on a guided tour of the town by night. They even let you roam the castle at night without oversight.
The next day after cruising and touring the castle, which has had bears in the moat since 1553 in support in of an owners bogus history, I joined a crew for a rafting expedition. It was more of a float than raft, but along the way we stopped for beers at random riverside shack pubs. They were welcome watering stops before heading further down the river. We ended with a rapid before heading home.
The next day I was up and early to get my train towards Plzen. Unfortunately my connecting train hit a car on the way so was 30 mins late. However, through shortened stops and I guess faster speeds we made up most of the time and I was able to catch my train to Plzen. Plzen is home to the pilsner, first brewed there in 1842, and what better way to celebrate that than touring the Pilsner Urquell plant. I first got lost and ended up at the truck entrance but with some paced walking I just made the English tour. The highlight of the tour was drinking unfiltered pilsner from one of the 40 left 7,900 ltr brewing barrels 15m underground at
\n \nI finally arrived in Prague but got lost many times finding my hostel. The map I was following was really confusing and I ended up walking around for 40 min with my luggage dragging me down. I almost gave up but when I disarmed my packs I saw the hostel sign in the distance. I chilled there with beer before looking for food. Unfortunately I was conned into Chinese that cost lots more than expected. \n\n \nToday I wondered checking out the second hand and rare CD stores but could not find Fanfare for the Comic Muse anywhere. I joined a walking tour of Prague for the next 6 hrs. It was excellent and even contained another kiwi, Jonathan and we got on excellently. We had a needed pub stop on the way and stayed \n1.5 hrs rather than the usual half hour. But the guide said once the pub stop ended the tour....at 10.30pm after five Norwegians got into the vodka and then absinthe. I loved it and afterwards went for a peddle boat around the river with some Americans I met. I went home via the supermarket to rectify lastnights blow out. Since I can\'t cook for one, I made enough to feed four hungary souls and still have plenty of leftovers for tomorrow at only 2/3 of last night\'s meal. So here I leave it with tomorrow\'s trip to the Bone Church to be arranged. Hope all is well. \n\n \nlove Lynton \n\n",0]
);
//-->
6.5 oC. I took to the town centre and saw the massive church before heading back for my train.
I finally arrived in Prague but got lost many times finding my hostel. The map I was following was really confusing and I ended up walking around for 40 min with my luggage dragging me down. I almost gave up but when I disarmed my packs I saw the hostel sign in the distance. I chilled there with beer before looking for food. Unfortunately I was conned into Chinese that cost lots more than expected.
Today I wondered checking out the second hand and rare CD stores but could not find Fanfare for the Comic Muse anywhere. I joined a walking tour of Prague for the next 6 hrs. It was excellent and even contained another kiwi, Jonathan and we got on excellently. We had a needed pub stop on the way and stayed 1.5 hrs rather than the usual half hour. But the guide said once the pub stop ended the tour....at 10.30pm after five Norwegians got into the vodka and then absinthe. I loved it and afterwards went for a peddle boat around the river with some Americans I met. I went home via the supermarket to rectify lastnights blow out. Since I can't cook for one, I made enough to feed four hungary souls and still have plenty of leftovers for tomorrow at only 2/3 of last night's meal. So here I leave it with tomorrow's trip to the Bone Church to be arranged. Hope all is well.
love Lynton
| posted by Lynton |
8:27 am
