A Lone Travellin' Man

My friend Daniel has been exploring the world - from Asia to Europe - since August. During this time, he has sent periodic digests from his adventures in places like Vietnam and Egypt. His latest update is from Eastern Europe. Daniel finished law school and just took the bar. I usually have a prejudice against the writing ability of attorneys, but his pen betrays the general stereoytpe of unclear, convulted and boring legal dredge. So enjoy - here's part of his recent world travelling saga.
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We all have our mountains to climb. Some of us have them in our personal lives, some in our schooling, and some in our work lives. Some can even consider taking the adventure of traveling alone as a mountain to climb. I looked at it more as an invitation, of a world open to exploration. What I found, was a bunch of mountains to climb. Actual mountains.

That's not to say that traveling alone has been difficult. In fact, I enjoy the freedom that comes with solo travel, and as I've noticed, I'm never really completely alone, because there is always somebody out there to extend an invitation.

Leaving Istanbul to Bulgaria, I was struck with the notion that Bulgaria would not be an inviting place at all. No fewer than three people in Istanbul said with an air of snootiness, "Why would you want to go to Bulgaria?" Indeed, when I arrived in Plovdiv, the Cyrillic signage against my Latin lettered Lonely Planet map invited chaos, confusion, and an inevitable triple priced cab ride to my hostel.

The hostel I stayed at in Plovdiv was at the top of one of the 7 hills of Plovdiv. Appropriately it was called Hiker's Hostel. There, one of my roommates extended an immediate invitation to me to join him and three others for dinner in the town center. It was a good meal and good conversation. That's the thing about hostel travel, you easily connect with people. As far as the rest of my time in Plovdiv, I conquered two of its 7 mountains, including the tallest one in the city, saw the Roman theatre of Phillipopolis, the original name of Plovdiv after Alexander the Great's father, the ethnographical museum, and of course, my good friend McDonald's.

The people at Hiker's Hostel extended the invitation to book me in their sister Hiker's Hostel in Veliko Tarnovo, and after a few hour mini bus ride through a gorgeous mountain pass, I was greeted by the hostel owner at the bus station and driven up and even large hill to the hostel. The only guests in the hostel were me, a pair of Korean girls, a norweigan couple, and an 18 year old Australian named Scott.

Scott was to become my new travel buddy. We explored the beautiful town of Veliko Tarnovo, played cards, and of course climbed to the top of the mountain on which the old fort was located. Also in Veliko Tarnovo were inviting sigange for the 36th annual world arm wrestling championships. But we followed all the arrows and we never succeeded in seeing any competition. But the streets were loaded with guys with huge arms all wearing their national matching track suits.

Because Scott, the Korean girls, and I were all headed to Bucharest the following day, the hostel owner invited us to accept a drive in his car there for the same price as the train which would take twice as long. So into his Fiat we all piled for Romania. However, crisis hit as he told us that all the hostels were booked. He offered to let us stay with him another night in Veliko Tarnovo, for a price of course, but Scott and I together decided to forgo Bucharest and take a train to Transylvania upon arrival. We met two interesting Romanian students on the late train, and arrived at the hostel in Brasov at 2:30am.

In Brasov Scott and I decided to do separate things, and I ended up day tripping to the birthplace of Dracula, Sighsoara. It was a beautiful old town, on top of a mountain, with a wonderful covered staircase leading to the top. I also climbed the bell tower and wandered in the cemetery, though I made sure to do so before dark fell, because I didn't want to invite anyone to suck my blood, whether the vant to or not!

Brasov was also a wonderful city for exploring and climbing mountains. Though for the huge mountain there was a cable car to the top, next to the giant Brasov sign that looked like the Hollywood sign. There was no access to the Brasov sign, sadly as uninviting as the one in Hollywood. That night Scott headed off to Hungary with some travellers from Trinidad and Tobago, though they invited me to dinner at KFC with them. Now while McDonaldćs is my old friend, nothing seems less inviting to me than KFC, except maybe KFC on the top of a mountain. So I went with for company, said goodbye, and then went with two girls to a Chinese restaurant.

After two nights sleeping in Transylvania, it was off to Bucharest via Sinaia, where I climbed an even larger mountain to get to the amazing castle there. Talk about uninviting! You have to buy your ticket, then ring the front door, then wait to be invited in! I had to wait 40 minutes. It reminded me of Buffy in reverse though, where instead of vampires needing to be invited in, here the vampire castle had to invite you in!
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For more, check out Daniel's blog. He's listed as Danielspice on my friends' blogroll on the right.

On The Streets of Berlin: Part Three

I know that many of you faithful blog readers were left in suspense with my last "On The Streets of Berlin" post. I promised to make my two-part series into a three-parter. So even though I touched on the highlights and landmark sights on the previous two posts, I will take this current opportunity to touch on the minutiae - The dear, the queer, and everything in the middle.

It's true. Berlin is very gay. So says my friend Adam who lives there now. Their mayor is gay (as is the mayor of Paris) and the travel guides associate a whole borough of the city as a gay haven. I went to a gay cafe one night. It was Elvis-inspired, in fact, all-American with a 50's jukebox soda joint motif. Well, I guess if anything is gay, it's got to be the 50's double-entendre hush hush homosexuality of 50's Middle America.

Dicki Miami, who my CMU friends also know as Richard Florida (once taught at Carnegie Mellon), wrote a book that incorporated the finding that gay cities are often more artistic, community-based, tech-savvy, environmentally-conscious, and cool than the rest of 'em towns. If the percentage of gays and lesbians in a city is directly proportionate to its coolness factor, then Berlin is as cold as an iceberg (I know, I know, they say this about their personalities too). And environmentally conscious. And eclectic! This is a coffee shop mecca, especially in the Kreutzberg area where I frequently ventured.

Another reason for the city's diversity is the large population of Turks. The reason is that may left Turkey for Germany in the 50s and 60s for the excellent job market. The Turks stayed and their population grew, and its probably the largest in a city outside of Turkey. And one of the legacies of this Turkish migration? Doner kabob! I didn't get to try it, but it's a Turkish version of kabob that is extremely popular there. I wonder, how many Germans would pick doner kabob over bratwurst and sauerkraut as their meal of choice?


Berlin is also a city of many fashion styles including lots of punk, granola, alternative, ska, and even Neo-Nazi chic (scary, I know) The hairstyles are particularly diverse. Although I wouldn't necessarily call a multi-colored mullet a thing of "coolness", the attempt to pull it off is definitely worthy of admiration.

I didn't go out at night to clubs in Berlin. I did, however, do karaoke. And boy, do the German youth in Berlin love karaoke. The set-up was box-hopping with four different karaoke rooms open to the public. Antonia, Adam and I settled in one for the evening, where we got cozy with a group of karaoke-regulars. Adam and I did some Salt and Peppa and Adam took his turn solo on Hall and Oats' "Rich Girl" and INXS' "The Devil Inside". We had a good time, but I knew the night was done when the drunk Germans started doing encores and I heard "Let's Get Physical" one too many times.

There are other things I did in Berlin that I haven't mentioned in this "Berlin" series. Like the unbelievable food department in the KaDeWe department store - the largest department store on the continent. Or the delicious muesli breakfast I had at the organic cafe next to Antonia's apartment. Or the kitschy traffic lights that demarcate former East Germany from the West. I originally thought a whole week in Berlin was a long time. It turns out that it was...but it was worth it. Lots of history, lots to do , and well, lots of attitude. Dufde wa?

Redundant Programming: The Saga Continues

It is now almost 12 hours since my first viewing of the "The War" on PBS (local station KCET). And guess what? It's still on! No, really, turn on your TV....

Redundant Programming on Public TV?

As much as I love the channels of public telecommunications - TV, radio - I often find KCET to lack the number of diverse and interesting programs I have come to expect in public radio. There are exceptions, of course. I like the Saturday Night Movie hosted by Martin Sheen (although Sam Rubin took over during last night's showing of "Honeymoon in Vegas"). I like Huel Howser and his positive and energetic explorations of southland treasures. I also like the novel tv programming from England, mostly a show called "Rosemary and Thyme", that blends dry British humour into a detective series with two daytime horticulturists (wonderful women characters) constantly involved in solving one mystery or another, all while pruning and picking weeds out of huge English gardens. I also love the cooking shows. And the children's programming, undoubtedly.

Today, I saw Ken Burn's "The War", the newest addition to his documetary trove. This ones about WWII. I really enjoyed it the first time. I skimmed through it the second time. Now, as I turn on KCET again, I think it must be on its third or fourth run. I think Sunday's can be big TV days for family's who have a hectic weekday schedule. If that is the case, why is KCET playing the same program all day long? Ken Burns is fine. Why not throw in a little of his "Baseball" documentary? Or mix up the pillage and heartache with a little "Civil War"?

The truth is that weekend TV programming is nil and boring accross the board. At least KCET is spicing it up with an intelligent documentary. Even though they are playing it ad nauseum.

On the Streets of Berlin: Part Two

Berlin in August more closely resembles a day in late fall, or early spring, when three layers of clothes are necessary and even a shawl or a warm knitted cap isn’t such a bad idea. Although most days were on the cooler (and sometimes rainy) side, there were a couple of sunny and breezy exceptions, most notably the Sunday I had my bike tour.

It is common knowledge in Berlin, whose literal meaning is “swamp”, that its largely flat terrain is ideal for bicyclists. And it’s true. In fact, the rights of the bicyclist seem to trump those of the pedestrian and comes a close second to those of the driver. Bicyclists in Berlin aren’t second class citizens. They have bike lanes, they are large in number, and if a pedestrian like myself stands in their way (which one evening, I was), they will gladly run me over.

So biking in Berlin provided an ideal tool to sightsee like a local - Across cobbled streets and soft pavemented thoroughfares, from the Brandenburg Gate, to the location of Hitler’s bunker and the large Nazi era airforce building, to the stark and meditative Jewish memorial – It was a great way to experience the city. This is perhaps even more true than bicycling in Paris, where the liklihood of getting hurt, I think, is probably just a tiny bit higher.

Many areas in Berlin are conveniently accessible by bike. That is, unless it is clear outside the city limits. In this case, a train comes in handy. I took the train on two occasions. The first was to visit Potsdam and the romantic home of Frederick the Great. I laughed when our New Zealand-helmed guide called him “Frederick the Fabulous”. If you know anything about him, or if I told you his Sans Souci Palace in Potsdam did not include a room for his wife, then you could probably guess where that nickname stems.

In French, sans souci means “without worry”. It was immense, beautiful, and the grounds truly reminded me of a French castle, perhaps Versailles, but even more spectacular. Frederick was a great lover of philosophy, the arts, books and gardening (well, all in addition to war), and invited brilliant minds of the era to Sans Souci Palace. Voltaire, for instance, lived there for a few years.

Here are a couple of pictures from Sans Souci:




I would have loved to have spent more time in Potsdam, where many of the museums and sights seemed accessible by the bus. Many, but not all. The film studios were close by, and although I was on the lookout, I did not spot Tom Cruise or Katie Holmes. I also learned the title of his Nazi-era pic is no longer “Valkyrie”, although by the time the movie is released they may just play on the “The Good Shephard” and “The Good German” phenomenon and call it “The Good Nazi”. Or, maybe the “The Nice Nazi”?

Since I am already on the subject, it is apropos to discuss my other train-led excursion. This time, along with my Berlin host Antonia, I took the train in the other direction to Sachsen-hausen concentration camp.

Sachsen-hausen was one of the early camps built for the imprisonment and persecution of victims under the Nazi regime. It was also considered the “model” camp which housed the head office of the SS. For this reason, much of the training of the SS was done there.

The history of Sachsen-hausen does not end with its liberation by the Russian army in 1945. In fact, the Soviets used it to keep their own political prisoners after the war. The dual role of the camp was particularly fascinating to our Canadian tour guide who provided thoughtful insights into the role and image of the camp under both Nazi and Soviet command . The latter had made some changes to the camp, which is unfortunate since the integrity of camps is vital for Holocaust remembrance, education and historical preservation.

Our tour of the camp felt hurried, even though our guide loved to park us in one corner and lecture. I was most interested by the fact that Sachsen-hausen had a gas chamber and a few small crematoria, since I wasn’t aware that this particular camp included these killing facilities.

Consequently the weather was grey and drizzly that day. The experience, to say the least, was both a somber and sobering one.

Stay tuned for the conclusion of my trip to Berlin!

On the Streets of Berlin : Part One

I am posting this entry while on route between Paris and Los Angeles currently waiting in Chicago's immense O'Hare Airport. My sense of time is all skewed. My stomach is all screwed. And the temptation of a potential night in Chicago courtesy of the airlines (if they overbooked) increases more by the minute. This is especially true since my seat is connected to a section of seats all of which move violently whenever someone makes any and all type of gesture. This is magnified by the fact there is a huge and highly excitable Indian family seated in the back section connected to me. So at the moment, I feel like I am on a boat swaying somewhere in Lake Michigan and at any minute the nasty Chilli's crisp chicken thingers I just had will need to be mopped up by a dutiful O'Hare employee. Ah, travel.

So in this state, I am posting some of the experiences from my week in Berlin, Germany. It is a very interesting city with a lot of turbulent history, despite the sometime harmless and neutral impression it has on the minds of Americans. I think this is due to their beer, sausages and rotund bellies. Alas, Berlin is quite far from any such innocent, albeit drunken, notions (actually, the drunken part is probably true).

When in Berlin, I gathered it is most appropriate to do as the Berliners do. So I took the U-Bahn. And the S-Bahn. And the Tram, once, which was an adorable left over mode of transportation from the East and built into the city's immense transportation matrix after unification. And also the bus. The bus was probably the most convenient. And when it came to catching all the best sightseeing there was to see – the number 100 bus provided all that the big budget tours do for just under 2 euros. The number 100 is double decker (as all the busses are) and goes through all the must-see sights such as the fancy Unter Den Linden street which is a broad tree-lined avenue with embassies, and supposedly stores, although I didn'treally see any. The bus then goes through the immense Tiergarten park catching an assortment of statues, monuments and then lands safely on the other side of Berlin and the busy Kuffersterdam street and the popular landmark, the Kaiser Wilhelm Church. The 100 bus makes a nice cut from AlexanderPlatz in the east clear through the middle of Berlin and lands on the otherside. Very lovely and highly recommend. Gut.

Another note on public transportation in Berlin, and Germany as a whole, the tickets are purchased and shown based on an honor code. Those without a pass such as myself are required to purchase a ticket which could then be used for 2 hours on any of the public transportation lines (U-Bahn, S-Bahn, this Bahn, that Bahn). These tickets, however, are never checked. They are bought under the pretext that at some point some German transportation authority will sneak up on you unexpectedly and ask to see some papers. Scary thought. This never happened in my week in Berlin and so I got savvy. I used a pass for up to 6 hours. I used yesterday’s pass. If any suspicious German eyed me and interrogated, I could play the uninformed tourist. And considering my German is nil (limited to a dirty word and a hello and see you later), I was pretty safe.

So although my lack of knowing the language was a negative point, the use of the public transportation system allowed me to experience the city like a local. Well, a local tourist anyway. Then again, I did learn how to say “one pass for A and B (lines) please.”

Now back to waiting and crossing my fingers for a night at a Chicago Airport Hotel.

More on Germany soon.

Podcast Episode 2

If you haven't done it yet, check out my second podcast episode made available last week. You can access it through my podcast website at www.avenuepodcast.com .

Also, if you have itunes, you can susbcribe to it through the link on the website. It's 10 minutes long and the sound quality is better than the debut. So check it out! And let me know what you think.