TravelStream™ news feed for member dan-levitan on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/dan-levitan en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 06 Jun 2008 21:27:35 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1184407200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1184407200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1184407200/tpod.html Fri, 06 Jun 2008 21:27:35 -0400 To the far side of the World - lost, found and lost again a long way from home.

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Budapest, Hungary

When I bought my train ticket from Athens to Budapest I should have given it a closer look.  It left Athens around 5pm and I thought it arrived in Budapest the following morning at 10am.  However, after boarding the train I realized that there was a whole day in between and I would not be arriving until 10am the following day.  Oops!The train was quite old and a little sketchy.  The conductor as well as the other passengers in my car wore nothing but their underwear around for the entire trip and the conductor was insistent on reminding me to always keep my door locked.  I was a little concerned since I have heard some amazing horror stories about people getting robbed in eastern European trains.  In the end though everything turned out all right and I got to view some wonderful scenery of Bulgaria and Romania from the window of my berth.  I also forgot to buy food before I left but the conductor had plenty of beer to sell me.  Hey, you gotta get your calories somehow!When I finally arrived in Budapest, I was lucky enough to have chosen one of the best hostels, Central Backpack King, in Europe to stay at.  The owner and staff were extremely friendly and helpful and the place had great atmosphere.  I was even given a shot of the local liquor upon check-in.Budapest is one of the best preserved cities in Europe and although it receives a fair amount of tourists the locals still seem very welcoming.  One especially fun place to visit was Statue Park, which lies a few kilometers outside the city center.  After the collapse of of the Soviet Union in 1991 many old communist statues were taken here.  Onward Red Guard, proletarians!  Another unmissable experience it the Hungarian Baths.  The one I visited had over a dozen indoor heated pools, saunas, and two large outdoor pools.  It was a great place to relax before a night out.  I also really enjoyed Castle Hill which gives a wonderful view over the Danube and the Pest side of the river.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1158745080/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1158745080/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1158745080/tpod.html Thu, 22 Nov 2007 04:20:57 -0500 To the far side of the World - lost, found and lost again a long way from home.

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Paris, France

I´m not sure where to begin here. France is the largest country in western Europe and Paris is the heart of French government and culture. Since I only spent time in Paris I will not say much about the rest of the country and save it for some future travel. Paris seems to be both a very modern and ancient city. It is one of the trendiest cities in the World and also home to many architectural wonders and amazing museums. During my time here I stayed at the Friend´s Hostel which is kinda in a more sketchy area of Paris but the staff seemed relatively friendly and I met several other interesting fellow travellers. The first place I decided to pay a visit to was the Musee d´Orsay which houses an impressive collection of my favorite style of art, impressionism. There are many famous works housed here from Monet, Manet, Pissarro, and Van Gogh. After spending a few hours there I decided to simply start walking and seeing where I ended up. I finally took a rest near the Arc de Triomphe which was commissioned by Napoleon commemorating his military victories. At night it was time to head over to Paris´most famous landmark, the Eiffel Tower and enjoy the spectacular light show. I must say that I was much more impressed by the Eiffel Tower in person because this thing is absolutely massive. No wonder they decided to use it as an antenna during the war. Although my hostel was not in the best area of town it was close to one interesting landmark, the Basilique du Sacre Coear. After dark it becomes a great party spot for young people where you can sit on the steps with your 2 Euro bottle of wine and enjoy a great view of the city below. Another place I visited here were the catacombs where over 6 million people were buried after Paris´graveyards became over crowded and they even say the dead still walk these dark halls (See Pictures). I also took a day trip out to Versailles and stopped to take a few pictures of the famed Notre Dame. Au revoir Paris!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1191264240/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1191264240/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1191264240/tpod.html Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:55:04 -0400 To the far side of the World - lost, found and lost again a long way from home.

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Kirksville, Missouri, United States

Home. It's so weird to be home. Here I am at the end of a long journey in the place where it all began. I've been to places most people only dream of. In fact, to me it almost feels like a dream. As I sit here looking through my passport I am flooded with a thousand memories of all the places I have been. On this trip I have experienced grand adventure, extreme frustration, enjoyable conversations, terrible loneliness, delicious tasting food, awful tasting food, interesting surroundings, absolute boredom, and a taste of the bizarre. Why did I ever begin this trip in the first place? I suppose I could say it was to gaze upon exotic locals or learn about fascinating cultures. Those, however, were only positive side affects of something deeper. I realize now my more than anything that my true objective was personal growth and understanding. One of my favourite quotes by Mark Twain, a fellow Missourian, states: "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime."That statement fits the idealistic side of me quite well and it is easy to see the truth in such a claim. My other favourite quote by Twain says:"The gentle reader will never know what a consummate ass he can become until he goes abroad. I speak now, of course, in the supposition that the gentle reader has not been abroad, and therefore is not already a consummate ass. If the case be otherwise, I beg his pardon and extend to him the cordial hand of fellowship and call him brother."This statement handily reveals the other side of the coin with regards to travelling. Travel outside of my own cultural and social/family framework offered an amazing feeling of freedom and the chance to view myself in a more personal way apart from these influences. However, I didn't always like what I saw. Many times I was short tempered, petty, hateful, and rude towards others. In other words I was a total asshole. Those of you that know me probably have a hard time picturing me like that but I assure you it was sometimes true, especially after an 18 hour ride on some rickety, old bus! On the other hand, I think some of these emotional highs/lows are part of what makes travel so addicting in a sick sort of way. I just don't experience such wide-ranging emotional states in the daily "blah" back home. Another feeling I often felt while travelling was the feeling of guilt. To travel to some of the poorest places in the World and meet people with absolutely nothing and then think about my own life back home often gave me a sense of shame. I know I came to these places to learn about things like this and technically my visiting such places injects tourism dollars into the local economy. But to see people in such poverty that couldn't even fathom my life of privilege in the States made many of my problems seem trivial and insignificant.Finally, to end on a more positive note, I made it home alive and didn't suffer any "permanent" physical or mental damage. Although I seem to be even more confused than ever about things but also more aware of my own ignorance I suppose. Oh well, I guess it is true when a wiseman says: "Build a bigger fire and you only illuminate more darkness". I created a little slide show showing some of my trip highlights, so I hope you enjoy it and it helps inspire you to try a bit of travel yourself someday. See you next time on the Far Side of the World!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1188319560/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1188319560/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1188319560/tpod.html Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:14:06 -0400 To the far side of the World - lost, found and lost again a long way from home.

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Beijing, China

The Trans-Siberian railway is one of the longest train journeys in the World. It is not a single route but one of several; the longest of which begins in Moscow and ends in Vladivostok in western Siberia. I chose to travel on the Trans-Mongolian since my time was short and I wanted to get back to Beijing. Even this trip lasts over 5 and half days and covers 7865 km of Russian, Mongolian, and Chinese territory. When I arrived at the station in Moscow I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the train and noticed all the conductors were Chinese. This was good for me since I really can't say much in Russian and am much more comfortable speaking in Chinese. My only roommate for most of the trip was also Chinese so I had the opportunity to refresh my language skills before arriving in China. The other passengers in my car where mostly western Europeans. Since I had heard that the dinning car was rather expensive, before embarking on this long journey I made sure to stock up on essentials: toilet paper, instant noodles, and Vodka. The train trip was quite comfortable and travelling through parts of Siberia was amazing due to the pristine landscape and sparse population. I especially enjoyed the track along Lake Baikal, the World's deepest freshwater lake. There was a long wait at both the Mongolian and Chinese borders as the train had to be refitted to travel on different tracks. In Mongolia we stopped for an hour at Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia. I wish I had had more time and could have explored Mongolia further. When I awoke on the morning of the last day I knew right away that I was back in China. Looking out the cabin window I noticed lack of sunlight and familiar haze of China's heavily polluted north. Still, it felt great to be back in a familiar place and I was anxious to meet up with many of my friends that I had not seen in over a year. There is little exciting I can offer the reader about my time in China. I did not visit any tourist attractions while here this time. I did however have an awesome time on my birthday. We all enjoyed sushi for dinner, which I can't afford in any place except China, and there was much drinking and revelry afterwards. I also had time to visit my old home stay family and feast on some of the best Chinese food I have ever tasted. Beijing, being the last stop on my trip also gave me the chance to rest-up before heading back home to Missouri.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1188151020/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1188151020/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1188151020/tpod.html Sun, 26 Aug 2007 15:46:48 -0400 To the far side of the World - lost, found and lost again a long way from home.

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Moscow, Russia

Moscow is by far Europe's largest city.  It is regarded as oneof the most expensive cities for expats to live in and is home to morebillionaires than any other city in the World.  It certainly feltrather expensive to me as I paid over $30 per night for my hostel bedcompared to $1 per night in Somaliland.  As with St. Petersburg itcan sometimes be difficult to find your way around.  The metronetwork is enormous and includes 12 lines with all the signs, ofcourse, written in Russian.  It took me nearly an hour to find my hostel which was located on thewrong street and had a sign about the size of a CD case on thedoor.  After checking-in and showering I headed directly down toRed Square which is located in the heart of the city.  The square,more of a rectangle actually, is enormous and is only surpassed insheer size by Tiananmen Square in Beijing.  It is borderedby St. Basil's Cathedral, The Kremlin, the State Historical Museum,and GUM shopping center.  Also, just as in Tiananmen,Red Square too contains the mausoleum of its former communist founderVladimir Lenin. Walking around I must have heard a half dozen languagesfrom tourists coming here from all over the World.  St. Basil's Cathedral was spectacular in its craftsmanship andelegance.  No wonder Ivan IV blinded the builder of thismagnificent monument.  Near the McDonald's just outside Red Squarewere some pretty convincing body doubles of former communistleaders.  I got to meet Lenin, Stalin, Gorbachev, and even Putinand Czar Nicolas II made an appearance.   The  Kremlin,once  the infamous headquarters of the communist government duringthe Cold War, was a surprising site.  It actually contains severalhuge cathedrals inside its walls as well as the World's largest bell,never rung, and a huge cannon.  It is also home to the contemporaryRussian leadership.   Next stop, Beijing!  Dosvidania!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1186730160/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1186730160/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1186730160/tpod.html Tue, 21 Aug 2007 15:17:27 -0400 To the far side of the World - lost, found and lost again a long way from home.

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St. Petersburg, Russia

Finally, I have made it to Russia.  Crossing the border fromEstonia I was a little concerned that there might be some problems butthe whole process ended up being rather easy although a little timeconsuming.  In St. Petersburg I booked a bed at a small hostelcalled 7 Bridges which provided excellent directions on how to reachthem for a non Russian speaker.  7 Bridges was a nicequite hostel located in the historic part of St. Petersburg and it feltmore like crashing at a friend's house than staying in a hostel. Nick, the owner, was a really friendly English guy who went out of hisway to help the guests with any problems they had.  Russia is nota particularly easy country to get around in as very few people herespeak English.  Not only that but all the signs are written inCyrillic so it is sometimes very easy to become lost.  St. Petersburg was the capital of Russia for over 200 years after itwas founded by Peter the Great in 1703.  The city definitely has agreat feel to it and I enjoyed walking the streets and admiring all theimpressive buildings here.  The Hermitage is one of the World'sgreatest museums and is filled with cultural treasures from Russia andaround the World.  Being part of the Winter Palace it is alsoabsolutely huge.  The only other museum I have been that was soexhausting was the Vatican in Rome.  One thing thatcompletely threw off my biological clock was the almost complete lackof darkness here during the summer.  White Nights had just endedand it still didn't become dark until after midnight and was lightagain by 4am.  Nick took me and some of the other guests to atraditional Russian spa which contained the hottest sauna room I haveever been in.  Good thing I brought plenty of cold beer withme!  Russia is also the home of Vodka and I could hardly believehow many different types there were in the liquor store;Russian Standard is one of the best.   
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1186473780/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1186473780/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1186473780/tpod.html Tue, 07 Aug 2007 04:57:39 -0400 To the far side of the World - lost, found and lost again a long way from home.

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Tallinn, Estonia

Tallinn is the small but beautiful capital of the most northern Baltic state, Estonia.  After formally re-establishing itself in 1991 Estonia has grown to become an important center of IT and Telecommunications technology in northern Europe.  Its perhaps best know startup company was Skype, a service I have used frequently to keep in touch with my parents during this long trip.Tallinn is unique in that it is not only a flowering center of technology but also a wonderfully well preserved medieval city.  There are many ornate churches here as well as one of the only remaining Gothic style town halls remaining in Europe.  St. Olav's Church was at one time the World's tallest building and it was quite a hike to the top, which afforded a wonderful view of the old town.  The people here were also quite friendly and almost everyone speaks fluent English which is strange for a country located so close to Russia. 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1186122480/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1186122480/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1186122480/tpod.html Sun, 05 Aug 2007 00:37:25 -0400 To the far side of the World - lost, found and lost again a long way from home.

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Vilnius, Lithuania

Wanting to avoid Belarus because of an expensive transit visa and also to get closer to Russia, I decided to spend a few days in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.  The city of Vilnius is filled with many interesting places and is a bit strange too.  Walking down Ausros Vartai Street, I passed over a dozen churches until finally arriving at Gediminas Castle which sits on a small hill overlooking the old town.  Some of the more interesting places in Vilnius are the World's only statue of famous rocker Frank Zappa and a small unofficial breakaway republic of Uzupis, which has its own wacky constitution.  Vilnius is a much lesser visited city than many others in Europe but was definitely worth seeing.  The only downside was the weather.  I rained almost constantly for the entire 3 days I spent here.   
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1185615840/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1185615840/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1185615840/tpod.html Sat, 28 Jul 2007 07:38:20 -0400 To the far side of the World - lost, found and lost again a long way from home.

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Prague, Czech Republic

Prague is undoubtedly one of Europe's most beautiful cities.  It was one of the few places to survive the destruction of WWII in tact if filled with architectural wonders.  It is also on the fringe of western Europe and is one of the premiere party cities in the World.  When I arrived in Prague I found it to be absolutely filled with tourists and summer backpackers.  Although this sometimes dampens the feel of mystic in this place it also adds to the fun of going out for a night of clubbing.  Although there are many great bars and clubs here the one I had the most fun at was a huge five-story place located just off to the right of the gate at Charles Bridge.  Each floor had a dancing section with different genre of music and a lounge area to chill.  The Czech Republic is also one of only two countries in the World that produce the infamous drink called Absinthe.  During the day I took a walking tour through the various old parts of town finishing at Prague Castle which is one of the biggest castles in the World.  The view across the Vltava river is spectacular.  After a few days in Prague I was still waiting to get my visa for Russia so I decided to visit Pilsen a small town about 1 and 1/2 hours from Prague by train.  If there is one thing the Czech Republic is most famous for it is for having the best tasting beer in the World and one of the Pilsen is the original source of Pilsner beer and still brews one of the best tasting beers I have ever had.  The people here were also much more friendly than those in Prague would have unfortunately become quite jaded toward tourists. 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1184660700/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1184660700/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dan-levitan/farside-2006/1184660700/tpod.html Tue, 17 Jul 2007 05:07:17 -0400 To the far side of the World - lost, found and lost again a long way from home.

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Vienna, Austria

A short train ride from Budapest ended in Vienna, the capital of Austria.  I have been to Austria once before but never visited the true heart of this small country located in the center of Europe.  Vienna is one of the most cultured cities in the World, full of museums, cathedrals, opera houses, theaters, and much more.I only had a few days to stop here and spent most of the time visiting a friend, who I met while traveling in Namibia.  Vienna is definitely not a cheap city though.  I spend an hour on the Internet at one place and it cost me 8 Euro!  That's a lot more than the 25 cents I paid for an hour of Internet in Yemen.  After a day walking around and seeing many of the sites my friend Rainer and I met up and had dinner at the Schweitzerhaus, which is a beer garden very much like the Hofbrauhaus in Munich.  Since the restaurant is located inside of an amusement park we decided to ride some of the rides afterward.  Not such a good idea after eating a ton of food and a few liters of beer! 
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