g_shook's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries TravelStream™ news feed for member g_shook on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/g_shook en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Tue, 06 May 2008 22:32:35 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com Home sw... well, home — Ridgecrest, California, United States http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1210116900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1210116900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1210116900/tpod.html Tue, 06 May 2008 22:32:35 -0400 My around-the-world tour to celebrate my recent career change. Herein lie the misadventures, deep thoughts, and stories of my travels... enjoy.
Ridgecrest, California, United States

So that's that. After a 12 hour flight full of selectable movies on Virgin Atlantic, I walked once again onto U.S. soil and came quickly to a halt for the long line at Customs. The computers were down so after a lengthy wait finally made it to baggage, and another long wait later (how can the bag not already be here?) out onto the sidewalk to await my ride. I was met coincidentally by the same friend who had driven me down to L.A. and drove off (sorry this is the U.S. better have a car available). I was shocked by the gas prices- it is one thing to read about them and another to see $4.05 a gallon. Equally shocking was how crowded the 6-lane highway (that's one side only, 12 total, and its bigger in places) was and how traffic was still overwhelming. I guess when you design a city around cars, keep building more and bigger highways that don't really solve the problem, and neglect any meaningful effort towards public transportation, then all higher gas prices do is make everyone more poor while the traffic and pollution problems grow. Way to go L.A.

After a four and a half hour trip (usually two and a half) we made it back to fun-filled Ridgecrest. I was pretty exhausted and luckily my roommate had put beds in the other rooms so I crashed. Since then it has been very strange- after being gone for so long and doing so many different things I feel different, but here nothing has really changed. Luckily my computer still works- sloooowwwwlly- my car started after I charged the battery overnight and so far has kept starting, although slowly too- my bike wasn't stolen and works great. In fact I've been trying an experiment in not using my car unless absolutely necessary- and it isn't easy in a town designed in an area of basically unlimited space. But I'm getting plenty of exercise and saving gas money. As long as my bike isn't stolen. Watching tv one night I saw an ad for one of the local bars... to everyone who I've described this town too, you would really see what I meant if you saw this commercial. Imagine a slightly fuzzy picture, large people (usually weighing at least 200 pounds (90 kg) women included), in one scene a mostly empty dancefloor with two larger specimens grinding away, and guys yelling "Tommy T's!!" in guttural apelike voices at the camera, and you will only approach how bad the commerical is (only wish I could find it on the internet). And this is the way the bar is selling itself. I hate this town.

So to recap... I traveled by airline jet (including the A380 and 747), dinghy, catamaran, car, mountain bike, kiteboard, bus, sailboat, camper van, paraglider, autogiro, subway train, taxi, train, ferry, monorail, tuk-tuk, scooter, long-tail boat, rickshaw, water bus, traghetto, gondola, water ambulance, water taxi, and snowboard, but mostly my own two feet. I was gone for 229 days and spent $32,400.11 (approximately :) for an average of $141.49 a day. Holy crap. I only went to two places I had been before- okay three (Naples, Frankfurt, and London sort of). I met a ton of great people, and one or two I would rather forget- had great experiences, mostly good, almost all funny in some way, and a few bad- learned a ton, saw some amazing places, did things I had never done and always wanted to do, drove on the wrong side of the road, met my nephew, and didn't catch any diseases. I am tired of wearing the same clothes as the last 7 months. I am nearly broke, out of shape, and back in Ridgecrest. Would I do it again? You bet!




Many thanks to Airtreks, for my airline tickets and quick responses to changes and additions, usually frantically made at the last minute. John and Susan Fisher for an amazing start to my trip, making me laugh, being extremely accomodating and generous, and for stopping in New Caledonia. Most of the couch surfers who gave advice, hung out, let me stay, and showed me around. Caroline's family for welcoming me for the holidays and for being so nice. Caroline for teaching me French, flying halfway around the world, the many laughs, and so much more. Many many thanks to Franc. All of my friends and loved ones for e-mailing and keeping up with my travels and spending time reading my dribble. Just knowing somebody was reading this made all the internet cafe time worthwhile. And also a huge thanks to my grandfather, whose past generosity made affording this trip possible, and who I've missed for years. Time to figure out what I want to do when I grow up and go find a job doing it. Wish me luck....
]]> surfing the Underground — London, England, United Kingdom http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1209936660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1209936660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1209936660/tpod.html Sun, 04 May 2008 17:44:33 -0400 My around-the-world tour to celebrate my recent career change. Herein lie the misadventures, deep thoughts, and stories of my travels... enjoy.
London, England, United Kingdom

After a train through the gently rolling English countryside I arrived in London, but didn't see much since I immediately headed to the Underground to meet up with my friends. Many thanks to Jason and his wife Stephanie for letting me stay at their place. It was great to see and catch up with Jason, who has a great job in London and better save me a copy of his upcoming book, and Stephanie, who I finally got to meet and who was really cool (I was impressed by her highly inebriating lunch she had that day). I will definitely have to spend more time in London on my next trip back to the dismay of their grumpy hissing cat Gorby. The Underground was very user friendly as I remembered it, and of course it was cloudy and raining, but still a nice, although brief, visit. Sorry no pictures!
]]> New home close upon Tyne — Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1209491040/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1209491040/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1209491040/tpod.html Sun, 04 May 2008 17:31:12 -0400 My around-the-world tour to celebrate my recent career change. Herein lie the misadventures, deep thoughts, and stories of my travels... enjoy.
Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom

I met my parents, who were driving and transporting Keri's spoiled cat, at the ferry terminal. I was surprised at the size of the ferry, particularly since it runs every day, but what a cool way to travel. It is an overnight ferry ride across the North Sea direct to Newcastle itself and is quite comfortable with plenty of bars and entertainment available. A very comfortable and enjoyable way of getting there.

We pulled into Newcastle upon Tyne (such an English name, love it), the new home of my sister's family. It was overcast but not too cold and we pulled up to the house to find Julian and the parents already well on their way to settling in. We settled in, helped them to unpack, put together closets, set up stereos and computers, and chilled out with adorable Julian. They live in a house with plenty of space, which seems a little like the house in the Harry Potter movies (the stairs are directly in front of the door, with a space underneath- but it isn't a cupboard). A nice backyard with a large patio and space to grill, and open trails nearby through green farm fields. It is a quiet neighborhood, and people seemed to be much more friendlier than in Frankfurt. I was struck by the similarity to some neighborhoods in the U.S.- no big surprise there I guess- and although I thought we had a overabundance of identical-looking cookie-cutter houses, some of the areas in the English countryside definitely have it worse. Also it wasn't very convenient to walk around- things were spaced a little far away and the roads were designed with only an afterthought to pedestrians (roundabouts do not make for easy road crossings on foot). But unlike the U.S., there was still a good subway and public transportation system.

We went downtown one day and explored. England has put some money into Newcastle in recent years and they have a new music hall, modern bridges, and a nice walking area in the center. Of course I forgot my camera. It is a town also known for its party atmosphere- one coastal suburb had nightclubs on every corner- but being in 'hang out with family mode' I didn't see too much of that, so next visit. I extended my stay an extra week and spent most of that reading, playing with my nephew, and relaxing- a great way to procrastinate before returning to the real world. Some of my impressions of England- they may be known to have some of the best media sources in the world (BBC) but it must be at the expense of others, since nearly every newspaper I came across was almost exclusively gossip, trash, and worthless public interest stories. They have stuck with the pound for currency- although I can't imagine that lasting forever- and they have Darwin on their 10 pound notes, which impressed me. I can't imagine the furor that would cause in the U.S., with our stubborn, clingy adherents to creationism and intelligent design. The countryside is very attractive, but space is limited, and the real estate costs are insanely high. English food isn't worth commenting on (okay I mainly tried pubs- not recommended), but Indian food is everywhere, so it's bearable.

Books: Archangel by Richard Harris. A well written "what if" novel of the modern Soviet state. A good book to just read and be entertained. Woman An Intimate Geography by Natalie Angier. I know what you're thinking, but this was a fascinating, intelligent book about the astounding bodily changes that mothers go through and the development of the human body. Extremely informative and although written from a feminist perspective isn't a diatribe on hating men (even if all we do is supply the Y chromosome). The United States of Europe by T.R. Reid. An impressive review of the historical development of the EU and the huge role it is already playing on the world stage, and why the U.S. needs to pay attention. Definitely an attention getter especially in this uncertain economy with a weak dollar. Dark Matter: The Private Life of Sir Isaac Newton by Philip Kerr. A funny, engaging mystery loosely based on historical fact involving Newton's work at the Mint in the Tower of London. Hard to put down and written extremely well- lines such as "... an excellent stew, because for all her lewd ways and probable distempers- during the summer her cunny parts smelt as frowzy as a Scotman's dog- the landlady was an excellent cook." ha ha ha, classic.

]]> it smells funny here.... and why am I so hungry? — Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1208601780/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1208601780/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1208601780/tpod.html Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:32:03 -0400 My around-the-world tour to celebrate my recent career change. Herein lie the misadventures, deep thoughts, and stories of my travels... enjoy.
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

My sister's brilliant plan to get me out of the way as the movers finished up was to ship me off for a couple days sightseeing in Amsterdam. No complaints here, so I jumped on another train through the German countryside on my way to The Netherlands. After a brief stop and a tantalizing view of a fantastic gothic cathedral in what I later learned was Cologne, I passed into lands dotted with modern windmills and crisscrossed with large canals. Must be getting closer. The train pulled into Amsterdam and I made my way to my last minute booking, a 10 bed dorm in an otherwise normal looking hotel. Oh well it was cheap and breakfast was included.

Walking around Amsterdam I was immediately reminded a bit of Venice, solely due to the extensive canal network that runs through the city and how charming it looks, an illusion shattered the first time you get a multiple bike bells angrily rung in your direction to get out of the way, you are walking on a bike pathway not a sidewalk. I actually was very impressed at the integration of roads, bike paths, sidewalks, and canals that makes this city unique and friendly to all kinds of traffic. With the narrow streets and likely sparse parking it is easy to see why bikes make sense... but unlike other places, this city recognizes that and makes it very easy to get around by bike. Or maybe I was simply in a more relaxed, accepting mood due to the fumes wafting from every 'coffee' shop I walked past. This is the pot capital of Europe (maybe the world) and there are plenty of shops that capitalize on it. Other than the touristy t-shirts and gimmicky souvenirs and the occasional whiff it wasn't that big of a deal. I also wasn't too impressed by the renowned red light district. Yes there are a bunch of sex shops all in one area, and prostitutes at night. The only difference is they stand in lit red windows to entice passerby instead of on the streets themselves. The area itself was relatively small and less overwhelming than similar areas I previously described in Thailand. A bit disturbing since in reality it is window shopping for sex. There is a move to get rid of the red light district and replace the prostitutes in the windows with mini fashion displays by various designers, which there were already a few of. It was pretty ridiculous going from red-window-framed-prostitute, to designer-dress-and-handbag, to red-window-framed-prostitute. I will be infinitely surprised if that tactic works.

For my one full day there I made my way first to the Anne Frank House, luckily arriving very close to opening time since the line rapidly increased to the entire block on which it stands. There was a very palpable sense of history to the place and it was a very moving tribute to human spirit as well as a profound sense of anger at what occurred. Even though the house remains unfurnished, it is still a tiny place to be hidden for years, and what a tragedy to have been found so shortly before the city was liberated (about a month). Only the father Otto Frank survived and it is overwhelming to imagine his grief when he returned, learned his entire family had been killed or died, and found the diary.

The afternoon I spent at the Van Gogh museum, and was surprised to learn that Van Gogh only started painting late in life, and only worked for 10 years as an artist. It did a great job tracing the development of his style and progression of his skills. It did not have some of his most famous works but was still a good exhibition. And it is inspiring that someone older with no formal training was able to push the boundaries of art and became a recognized master, although he did have a supportive family who sponsored his career and some well known tutors to help his development.

Not much detail but really I was there for a very short time. A very laid back city (go figure) with plenty of fun diversions for all tastes.

Books: Something to Die For by James Webb. Written by a Virginia congressman. Not good.
]]> cutest nephew ever — Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1208427660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1208427660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1208427660/tpod.html Fri, 25 Apr 2008 06:43:42 -0400 My around-the-world tour to celebrate my recent career change. Herein lie the misadventures, deep thoughts, and stories of my travels... enjoy.
Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany

After a lengthy train ride through what I suppose was great scenery (it was an overnight train) in a cramped six person sleeper cabin we arrived in Frankfurt, Germany. Luckily for our arms and backs we had Kim, my sister's husband, there to meet us with a car. We headed straight to my sister's, and after a happy reunion I finally got to see my nephew Julian, sleeping peacefully on the floor, for the first time. He definitely lived up to his expected cuteness from the pictures I had seen... he is a very calm and happy baby, rarely makes a lot of fuss for long, and smiles all the time when not serenely contemplating the new world around him. He is already holding his head up and therefore has some protection against my fumbling inexperience with babies. He doesn't like getting dressed to go outside but really enjoys his daily walks in his carriage, and is a joy to bring around town and to meals, since he rarely screams or cries for very long- much to the chagrin of my mother who still remembers how fussy my sister was when she was little (no revenge on this round, sorry!).

We didn't do much sightseeing around Frankfurt, mainly due to the crappy weather. For my whole trip I have been pretty lucky to have mostly warm, sunny days with little rain... When we went to the mountains, it snowed (as expected) and was then sunny... but we get to Frankfurt and in the first 24 hours we were there we had snow (which was pretty but in April!?), rain, AND hail- yes, hail. It was cloudy and cold everyday and the sun rarely made an appearance. Which probably explains why Frankfurt people are so surly and the concept of customer service is nonexistent. My sister has been complaining about that for years and I finally saw it firsthand. The first thing a cab driver said to us was a complaint that he had to leave downtown to come to the suburbs and give us a ride. A postal worker was exceptionally rude, yelling at us in German, to which we apologized in English for not understanding- then with my sister there to translate later she said she knew English but that we didn't respond to her! I guess their attitude reflects the weather- surly, gray, and rarely improved.

We did explore the small town where my sister worked, with some shopping and a visit to a mathematics museum. I know I am a closet nerd and things like mathematics museums may sound like torture to some, but it was very hands on and designed to be fun, with puzzles and various concept demonstrations that were challenging but enjoyable. Most of the time we relaxed and stayed at the house playing with my nephew and watching episodes of Heroes. My parents arrived on Caroline's last day and we spent the day with them. The next morning I said a fond farewell as Caroline began her gruelling 25 hour return flight to sun, warmth, and smiling people, certain she would not be visiting Frankfurt again anytime soon.

Upon returning to the house I was immediately put to work packing the entire house and 10 years of accumulated crap for their move to England. Having moved frequently, I have been able to slim down a lot of the stuff I own to what is really wanted or needed- of course being single has helped also- but not so for these two. With a new baby they haven't had much time to go through things and organize, so we spent the next four days packing books and clothes, taking furniture apart, watching Julian, reading, and in my case, procrastinating on preparations for my return to real life. Finally the movers came and we could let them take over the rest.

Book: About a Boy by Nick Hornby. Entertaining book, now a movie. Probably a good one.
]]> snowboarding the Dolomites — Arabba, Italy http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1208078460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1208078460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1208078460/tpod.html Sun, 13 Apr 2008 10:22:52 -0400 My around-the-world tour to celebrate my recent career change. Herein lie the misadventures, deep thoughts, and stories of my travels... enjoy.
Arabba, Italy

We wanted to see some snow-capped mountains so headed to northern Italy (retracing our route a little) to see the Dolomites. With little reference on where to stay we picked a spot off the Internet and went. Lucky for us it was right at the base of 5 lifts up to ski slopes- we had thought about trying to go snowboarding but weren't sure it would work out, but with it right there just had to try. Caroline was going for the first time, and needed some gear- I was able to get by with only buying gloves, socks, and pant liners. Unfortunately I didn't think to recommend that Caroline get kneepads on the very first day... and there were no lessons available on the first day... so I tried to teach what little I could. It went well until we went up the lift and tried to tackle the run, which had very bad snow (hard icy and packed with just a little brush of loose snow) and resulted in badly banged up knees and butt. But she was able to take lessons the next day and tackled another run on the third day.

The mountains themselves were very impressive, many sheer rock faces and tooth like edges scratching up into the sky. There wasn't much snow left and most of the snow off the trails had melted, but the mountains were still an impressive sight. The town we stayed in was connected via lifts and trails to miles and miles of ski trails and small towns that spread all through the local mountain range- a unique setup that would have allowed for days of exploring various areas, all different and all on one pass. Just looking at the map was a challenge, there were so many areas to choose from. The cost was about what it cost in the states, but with so much area to explore was a very good deal.

Even more interesting was the Austrian/ German influence in that area- most people spoke both, but not necessarily English. I came across probably the first ATM on my trip where it gave options for languages but English wasn't one (a choice of German or Italian). It was nice to get away from an area frequented by a lot of tourists and into more remote areas where people were very friendly, including our hotel owners. They helped a lot, helping with our bags, letting us use a shower on our last day of snowboarding, and feeding us a sandwich after all our options were closed. We again hit the problem of missing meals at certain times, and since there were only two restaurants still open in the town, had a few problems eating on time.

Books: The Zahir by Paulo Coelho. Good book about love, the workings of a man's mind, and an interesting take on modern relationships. Seemed semi-autobiographical. I've read 'The Alchemist' and wasn't too impressed, but did like this book.

]]> Renaisance city — Florence, Italy http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1207149900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1207149900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1207149900/tpod.html Sat, 12 Apr 2008 07:20:01 -0400 My around-the-world tour to celebrate my recent career change. Herein lie the misadventures, deep thoughts, and stories of my travels... enjoy.
Florence, Italy

We trained our way out of Venice to Florence, city of great art and the main location of the Renaisance. We arrived late, tired, so took a cab to our nearby guesthouse. We spent a day catching up and planning the remaining days.. something I hadn't done enough of before Venice... and explored the river, parks, and squares of Florence. Unfortunately the main museums were so crowded, and required a few hours wait, that we did not try to see the original David or the other masterpieces in Florence. But fortunately there was plenty of impressive outdoor sculpture (two copies of David and other impressive works) and the city itself still seemed like it could have been hundreds of years ago. Looking back (yes I'm catching up on this) I've realized that we didn't see a lot of the typical sites- I have been used to traveling alone, going to every museum and site I was interested in, catching quick meals as needed, rushing around trying to see everything- but with someone else this becomes a bit more difficult, and more time is spent just walking, enjoying meals, buying snacks, and hanging out than I had been. A different way of traveling and definitely less lonely!

The first day, as we were looking for lunch well after the allowable lunch hour (oops again) we came across a Senegalese restaurant. The owner was nice enough to let us try the unfamiliar dishes before choosing, and we had a great lunch of ravioli and two types of dishes with rice and cous-cous. It was great to find a place to eat that was still open and a very nice owner who was very helpful- and luckily he spoke French. In fact with English, French, and Spanish- which is very similar to Italian, since every word I attempted was almost always understood (even though a lady in the Venice hospital denied that the languages were similar, sorry but they are)- it was even easier to get around and find a way to communicate with people.

We saw a quick but slightly disappointing show at the science museum called Galileo's Telescope- although it didn't have his actual telescope it did go into detail on the development of telescopes, how Galileo was able to see Jupiter's moons, why he was confused about Saturn's shape, and how he proved the existence of sunspots. It was impressive to learn what he could discover with the limited telescope capabilities of the time. Unfortunately the rest of the museum was undergoing renovation so there wasn't much to see there.

Florence was also very crowded in the main area, but the city does a great job of putting fantastic sculpture on display in public areas. I didn't bother to buy an overpriced guide to the city, but we had good advice from the guesthouse owner, which we tried to follow but didn't get through too much of it. A good reason to go back and really make an effort to see the artwork- it would be cool to see works such as David in person, but I'm not sure it is worth waiting hours and hours, since I am sure I wouldn't be able to linger and examine such popular works as much as I would like to. Much more fun to find ones that appeal to me personally and have all the time I want to look at them.

Since this was the last city where I encountered many.. I will write some about U.S. tourists in general. I don't want to be too critical so I will say this as a guide on how not to mark yourself as an obvious U.S. tourist. I will say that even though our country isn't very popular right now, at no time did I say I was from somewhere else (Canadian for example) and never had a problem with anyone. People were always friendly with me but would admit they do not like our country's policies. I also never had to lie about my last job and what I had done for a living- other than one instance never had much of a problem with that either. So here we go:

How not to be a disgustingly obvious U.S. tourist:
1. Shhhhh... quit talking and laughing so loudly. Especially when someone doesn't understand English- speaking louder won't help.
2. Leave the current fashions at home. Especially if you are female and Britney Spears' fashion sense is an inspiration to you.
3. Don't constantly chew gum loudly and with your mouth open.
4. Try to expand your culinary tastes and don't jump from McDonald's to KFC to Pizza Hut. These places may be crowded, and McDonald's may have a local variation, but they aren't really that different.
5. Go easy on wearing the flag everywhere. Although the worst offender I saw was an Australian in Thailand.
6. Don't get over-annoyed over different standards of service, how small things are, how close people get to you.
7. Try and learn a few phrases of the local language. Always very helpful.

That's all I can think of for now.

Books: Chirstine by Stephen King. Good read- not one of his best, but still a page turner.
]]> the glorious floating city — Venice, Italy http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1206702420/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1206702420/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1206702420/tpod.html Fri, 11 Apr 2008 09:55:31 -0400 My around-the-world tour to celebrate my recent career change. Herein lie the misadventures, deep thoughts, and stories of my travels... enjoy.
Venice, Italy

Joined once again (after some very long flights) by the lovely Caroline we set out to explore the romantic city of Venice. From everything that is said, published, filmed, and reported about this city (including the 'Venice' level in Tomb Raider II which I was constantly reminded of), I had a good idea what to expect... but all that still didn't prepare me for the magical quality of the city, its twisting canals and narrow sidewalks, the ornate buildings and colorful decorations, crossing numerous bridges while controlling the desire to take a picture from every single one. Even riding the water bus (yes there is a whole system of lines, stops, and stations for the water buses) was a unique experience. In fact we were able to ride in just about every form of water transport available- water bus, traghetti, water taxi, gondola, and even a water ambulance (more on that later). It was a good time to visit- the weather was cool, sometimes cold, but even though St. Marks Square and other areas still had large numbers of tourists, it wasn't the high season when it is hot and even more packed with people (hard to imagine). It was still easy to escape the crowds and see some of the local Venice life.

After lugging the bags via water bus down the Grand Canal to our hotel, we set out to explore and just wander the city taking in the atmosphere and uniqueness. It didn't feel as if the city was falling apart, but it was apparent that the water level has risen in comparison to past years- often stairs leading to the water level from the sidewalk had only the top stair above water. However while noticing that you can't help but be impressed by the sheer willpower and effort to build this city out of low lying swamp, the grandeur of the buildings that were built, and the perserverance to keep it functioning for hundreds of years. We wandered through St. Marks Square, the most well-known and hence most crowded area of Venice, took a traghetto (a quick, cheap, and easy gondola ride straight across the Grand Canal), ate some gelato and enjoyed some beers (but not together), and managed to miss normal dinner time and rely on the one thankfully close restaurant that served food past 8 PM. This would prove to be a recurring problem in Italy of timing our meals to fall within the narrow bands of acceptable eating times, which seem to be 11:33 to 12:41 for lunch and 6:46 to 7:38 for dinner, depending on your restaurant of course.

The next day we leisurely covered the Rialto bridge, got lost, missed lunch, went through St. Marks Square again, and visited some of the sights. Our hotel was relatively close to St. Marks but it was a bit annoying after walking through the square the 5th time for one sole reason- what, someone please tell me, is so special about feeding the pigeons in St. Mark's Square? I can say with some authority that there are pigeons in, um, 99.9% of every city in this world and they are little more than flying rats that crap all over everything. So why in this city which is so beautiful would you want to buy pigeon feed (readily available) and sit still for hours to try and get them to eat off of you? Despite this annoyance St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace are truly impressive and worth at least one trek through crowds of pigeon-ogling tourists to visit. The highly detailed mosaic work inside the basilica, the view from the roof, and the ornate rooms of the Doge's Palace next to the dank dungeons across the Bridge of Sighs were well worth dodging the pigeon crap and battling the crowds to see.

After a nerve-wracking fever-filled night Caroline was so sick we decided to go to the hospital and instead of tackling the stairs and water buses we called an ambulance. Thanks to the patient and friendly help by the staff at Ca' Zose where we stayed they finally came within easy walking distance and she spent the day recuperating in the hospital. The doctors were very friendly, the services were free (at least they never asked us to pay), and luckily it was nothing serious and she was able to leave that day after seeing a side of Venice most people don't and getting a cool ride in the water ambulance (at least for me, since Caroline didn't remember it).

The last few days were spent resting and traveling a bit further away from the main sights. The view from the bell tower of San Giorgio Maggiore, a church facility on its own island, was fantastic and really shows the extent of the settlement of the lagoon. We bussed over to the glass-making island of Murano, and explored various ornate churches in squares across the city. At one point I looked at a guide to the Venetian Lagoon and was amazed at the number of other islands surrounding Venice that were settled in the same manner and would definitely be worth exploring. We enjoyed a sunset gondola ride (very expensive but very worth it, one of those things you have to do), some limited shopping (Venice is a very expensive city), and splurged on a water taxi on our way out of town instead of fighting the bridge stairs and water bus crowds. Venice was fantastic and lived up to or surpassed almost every expectation. It is definitely worth a visit, especially with good company, since for me it wasn't a city I would have visited alone.

Books: 1776 by David McCullough. A very detailed look at the state of affairs in the American colonies during that one year when so many momentous events occured, focused mainly with Washington's new army, his leadership, and the first few battles for independence. A great way to see again how fragile and undetermined things were at that time and even the very divisive public view of the conflict.

]]> another (well-deserved?) break — Naples, Italy http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1206101820/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1206101820/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1206101820/tpod.html Sun, 30 Mar 2008 09:46:40 -0400 My around-the-world tour to celebrate my recent career change. Herein lie the misadventures, deep thoughts, and stories of my travels... enjoy.
Naples, Italy

I flew to Naples (the second to last flight of my whole trip- wow) and was met at the airport by Elf, a friend of mine from my former work. I flew a total of 3 hours, on two legs, and the airline (Alitalia) managed to lose my bag... so after a delayed process of getting out of the airport I headed to Elf's house and quickly to sleep. The next day I started a rough 5 days of not doing much at all, catching up with the guys I know working here,and doing some sightseeing around the area. I had a good time hanging out with Elf's family- his wife, two little girls, two cats, a dog, and his wife's stepsister and mom who were also visiting- quite a crowd but a lot of fun. The first day was spent relaxing and hoping that my bag would arrive- luckily it did the next night.

One day we headed to Vietre, a town well known for its ceramic work situated along the very pretty Amalfi coast. Elf's wife Heather and the GPS (without much help from the professionally trained navigator in the back) did a good job navigating the confusing Italian streets and the crazy Italian drivers to get us safely there and back. There were some great views of the coast and Mt. Vesuvius on the drive down when I wasn't being distracted by Lily, Elf's youngest daughter- I made the mistake of eating some pretend jelly beans from the 'J for Jellybean' page of her toy book and then had to eat fake jelly beans that she kept offering to me (despite every effort on my part to change the subject, turn the page, be too full, or have her look outside) for the next hour and a half. It was a fun trip and we navigated around with no problems other than the amusing jellybean fixation.

Elf and I went downtown to the Naples Archealogical Museum- quite full of Roman era art, sculpture, and amazing mosaic tiling from nearby Pompeii. It was very interesting to see but as this was Elf's second visit in two weeks, we spent a few hours there and some time walking around trash-strewn downtown Naples, failing miserable to find a sim card for my cell phone. There is a trash strike going on here as well but I have to say it didn't seem nearly as bad as Athens. After debating the relative merits of going to see Pompeii or Erkulano (a smaller but I have heard better version of Pompeii) we decided on Erkulano. Since this town was actually buried in mud and debris, and then had a follow on city built over it, it was a bit easier to see all at once and also had better preserved structures, mosaics, and atmosphere (so I hear, since I haven't been to Pompeii yet). The entire city exists below today's ground level and has only been opened in a small part of its actual area due to the development above. It was amazing to walk on ornate 2,000 year old tiled floors and see the remnants of paintings on the walls, down hallways and into living rooms, go through a doorway onto cobblestone streets and sidewalks, and walk past old shops, columned parks, and houses, some two stories tall with still-preserved burnt wooden beams inside. Really impressive was the evident sophistication of life back then, with well-built earthquake resistant structures, realistic, impressive art, painting, well developed streets- a lifestyle probably better than a lot of the world enjoys today but in this small town drastically and suddenly ended by environmental catastrophe.

I spent some time catching up with some other friends of mine working in the area. Mostly pilot types so other than enduring the constant 'who's a better stick than the other' there was plenty of beer, good fun, and complaining about what was wrong with their job, which I am thankful I don't have to deal with. For the most part people liked what they were doing but I am glad I did not stay in that job to end up working behind a desk dealing with idiot higher-ups who like to create work for themselves (and more for those below them) or being a glorified secretary to some overly spoiled two-star. Although it would have been neat to experience being stationed overseas for a few years.

Books: 'The City of Falling Angels' by John Berendt, the author of 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'- a true story of the fire and rebuilding of the Fenice opera house in Venice, with a lot of interesting people who live in Venice currently and comments on the city's attitude and the way things work there. A good primer and a neat look at the attitudes and characters in the city today.

]]> trash worker strike in the birthplace of democracy — Athens, Greece http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1205613780/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1205613780/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g_shook/world_tour_2007/1205613780/tpod.html Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:19:39 -0400 My around-the-world tour to celebrate my recent career change. Herein lie the misadventures, deep thoughts, and stories of my travels... enjoy.
Athens, Greece

I boarded a train for Greece from Istanbul early in the morning and rolled out of town in a Harry Potter-esque cabin all to myself. A lot of the journey was along the coast and was very scenic- but took a long time, with no available food, and after we stopped in Greece, we had to pack 4 of us and the driver, our large bags and two guitars, into a tiny car and drive to the next town because the Greek train station wasn't being serviced. After unfolding from the clown car and a bus even further, we finally hopped on the remaining train route to Thessaloniki around dusk- so much for the scenery- and rolled in there around midnight. Luckily there were hotel choices close to the train station- I grabbed one of the first ones, dropped my bag, luckily found a late night gyro place in the midst of a number of strip clubs, ate and went to bed. Got up the next day to explore a bit of Thessaloniki, and purchase the rest of my train ride to Athens. I was told at first there was only an overnight train at 7 p.m. but after noticing the train scheduled at 2:54 p.m., was told that yes there is a train then, but it won't leave until after 3 because there is a train strike from noon to 3. Ooookay... saw what there was to see there (not too much that I could tell) and bordered the train to Athens. While the sun remained we traveled across large mountains capped with snow with patched farm land stretched across valleys, and at some point saw former home of the gods Mount Olympus (although wasn't sure which peak).

Arrived around 8 and in typical style did not have a place to stay, but found an internet cafe and located a hostel nearby. It was in a sketchy area (as are all the Athens hostels according to the reviews) with a number of working women and sex shops nearby, but thankfully within easy walking distance to the main attractions. Was greeted by two North Americans (one was Canadian) and a bottle of Bacardi and fruit juice, perfect. Spent the next day getting settled, doing laundry, my taxes (or at least asking for an extension), and other long put off duties. While looking for a place to eat that night caught my first sight of the Acropolis, large walls seemingly natural extensions of the cliffs they are built on lit brilliantly from below- quite a sight. The next day started at the Archaeological Museum, a huge museum with artifacts from all over Greece that did a good job stepping through the major time periods of Greek history. It had numerous sculpture that did a good job showing the evolution of styles to the impressive and highly realistic statues that are the most well known today.

Walking around and having eaten a few meals, I was starting to think that other than feta cheese and good salads the only food available was gyros or variations thereof. I mean I like gyros but for every meal? And if it wasn't a gyro, it was strips of meat laying over a pita bread with some tomato and onions (okay I'm no expert but this looks just like an open gyro to me). But of course there is more- with the help of a local couch surfer friend I tried spinach pie, vine leaf wrapped rice, and some other foods that added to the variety. And with a couple of the Bacardi drinkers went to dinner at a restaurant that serves all food as it was prepared and eaten around 500 B.C.- so no sugar or other modern spices and eaten with hands off of earthern ware. A very cool experience helped along by the very good sweet wine served with it. At times it was a bit tough to enjoy due to smoking- everyone, everywhere, all the time (I would estimate even worse than Turkey) as well as the overflowing piles of trash along the streets due to an ongoing trash workers' strike. It is hard to think of an industry with such an ability to make its strike known and effective as the workers who pick up garbage. At times piles showed (and smelled) recent evidence of being burned, unknown by who. As I was now officially in the EU the exchange rate wasn't very favorable with the Euro, although the money is very recognizable and is designed to make sense (a 50 cent piece is bigger than the 20 cent, which is bigger than 10 and all the same color).

Saving the Acropolis for last, I spent a day wandering around the ruins scattered around the base, including the Zeus Temple, the Theatre of Dionysius, and Ancient Agora. These were impressive monuments to the ancient Greek's ability to construct huge, beautiful, ornate temples and courtyards, as well as a testament to the ravages of time and the impermanence of our magnificent constructions. Usually only the foundations remained although there was one impressive almost fully intact temple hall and many still standing huge columns. But overshadowing all and a constant landmark was the Acropolis itself majestically perched atop sheer unassailable cliffs. Visiting it on Sunday, when it was free and of course most crowded, and in the midst of a large number of restoration projects did not detract from its majesty. Some intricately carved details (or reconstructions) were still visible in the columns and roof faces, towering above the low walls on the side and the immense sprawl of Athens. The city has truly spread to the foothills as far as the eye can see and beyond, all one seeming mass of buildings of rounghly identical height and a maze of streets. I didn't get a chance to wander much beyond the area of my hostel and the main tourist zone but would have only barely scratched the surface.

I did notice the Greek Orthodox Churches of whatever age and location were preserved, even when a newer building had to be built around and sometimes over the existing structure. It is considered disprespectful / sacreligious to destroy an existing one, so often tiny little churches would pop up unexpectedly and often not aligned with the modern infrastructure, but charming. The insides were often relatively simple with only flat frescoes, mosaics, or paintings of religious figures as statues are considered idols- an interesting continuum of austere to ornamental going from the mosques of Turkey west to the opulent art and sculpture of the Vatican (which I've visited before).

Books: 1776 by David McCullough, and well written summary of the events throughout 1776 and a few little known battles that could have spelled an early end to the fight for independence and George Washington's increasing fame and leadership potential. Hard to put down and very inspiring in many ways.
]]>