TravelStream™ news feed for member penny.hope on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/penny.hope en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sun, 08 Jun 2008 01:47:58 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1212540720/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1212540720/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1212540720/tpod.html Sun, 08 Jun 2008 01:47:58 -0400 The Travelling Strawberry

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London, England, United Kingdom

After the day long of taking the ferry and then when arriving finding there no trains due to maintence work I have to take a regular bus to the nearest operational train station. This turns out to be an hour and a half away. I have no English Pounds and the busdriver says don't worry about paying. We get to the train station finally and then it is another hour and a half into London. Its almost 11pm by the time I get in and I arrived in the port at 8pm.

I had transferred my important belongings into the smaller backpack and decide to store the other bag at the train station so I am not carrying all my belongings including the two bottles of alcohol through London after midnight while I travel to my Youth Hostel - a wise move. I get to the Youth Hostel just after midnight and book into a 10 person girls dorm.

I have a casual interview which was set up months ago for the Olympic Games at 11am and it seems like I won't get too much sleep tonight. People come and go until about 4am and then I wake up at 7am. My mobile is on Mainland Europe time an hour ahead so it is not until I go to an internet cafe to email Tim that I realise I am an hour early.

The interview is only around the corner, hense why I chose the Youth Hostel. Its at a coffee shop with Loren and Margot. Loren I met when I was working on the Commonwealth Games and Margot is Assistant Director of HR. Its goes far faster than I thought, we discuss my work history and what I am after there are two areas they are recruiting for ODA (Olympic Delivery Authority) or LOCOG (London 2012 Organising Committee). Both are interesting and a similar set up to the Commonwealth Games but a greater scale of course considering the population. Its now just a wait and see, it will be about 9 months before the game I find out and a 6 month contract, so keep your fingers, toes, everything crossed for me, it would be a brilliant opportunity.

After the interview I head down to Camden to do a bit of window shopping, I will come back later to buy everything as I will have to go back to the Train Station and the Youth Hostel to pick up my bags. Camden is somewhat the same but with some changes. Shops are certainly smaller and you can still see all the damage from the fire. I look at some New Rock Boots and do some comparison shopping, they are pretty push shop assistants but that's probably because of the 120 pound pricetag.

Clothes are another matter altogether. There is some amazing stuff some not too bad prices but a lot way overpriced for the quality. I go into one store and put about 130 pounds worth of stuff on hold which I will come back for tommorrow, this will also give me some time to think if I REALLY, REALLY want it.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1212600600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1212600600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1212600600/tpod.html Sun, 08 Jun 2008 00:46:03 -0400 The Travelling Strawberry

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Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Some people come into our lives but for a brief moment and then impact the rest of our lives forever. I had the greatest pleasure in meeting some of these amazing people through couchsurfing and sharing a day but more often a few days and nites of their time and it is a rare and precious gift.

So I thank Melissa and Mark, Nathalie, Adele, Helios and Coralie, Cyril, Patricia, Jordan, Ryzki, Thierry, Norbs, Andrew and Jessie, Dirk, Moritz, Alessandro and Roel for opening their houses and their lives to me. Whose collective, couches, blow up mattresses and beds I shared and whose guidance and trust in me enabled this amazing holiday to take place. Your friendship I will cherish forever. The generosity of random strangers that turned into so much more is an amazing thing indeed. Sharing experiences with another is irrevocably the most important breath we take. This journey would have been far less special without their input and sadder without them.

My friends and family are collectively my oxygen. I am humbled and honored by their presence in my life. They give me the strength to do the things I do and I would not be the person I am today without them. Life is an adventure and every day is an experience and I am completely in love with being alive. The journey never ends it just starts another thousand miles.......



....... to be continued!
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Prague, Czech Republic

Today I have plans to see the Castle at Hluboka Alessandro gave me a timetable of buses, they are about hourly and there is a big gap in the middle of the day where there are none. I shower and have some breakfast (now that I know where the bread is ;). And head to the bus station. I successfully negotiate buying a ticket and getting on the right bus and a bit over half an hour later I am at the Castle.

It is gorgeous, I would say better than Prague Castle, but then I found Prague castle a bit disappointing. I arrive with a Japanese couple and we write down the times for the bus back to Ceske Budejovice. Its a bit of a hike up to the castle, all up hill of course, my legs are still sore from the Horseriding and rafting of the previous days. There are different prices for tours 180kc for Czech Language and 280kc for foreign language. I did the English one at Cesky Krumlov Castle and had a translation sheet and he pretty muched followed this with some humour thrown in so I opt for the Czech version, it also means that I don't have to wait an hour to go on the tour and there is not too much to see around the castle besides the gardens.

It is beautiful inside so decadent, I must build me a castle when I get rich. I am not the only English person doing the Czech tour there is a group of 3 Americans and they have a guide with them, so I stick close by and get some more english translations for free.

After the tour I head into town and walk the length of it. There is not much to see there and I decide to have some lunch before heading back on the bus. Even through there is English translations of all the food I go with my backup, Goulash, its yummy and you know what you are getting, no wierdness thrown in for good measure.

At the bus station the Japanese couple are waiting, it seems bus drivers don't like people who don't speak Czech, we are denied acess to 3 buses back to Cesky Krumlov when we try to board and show our tickets. I work out that it might be because they are private buses and we have a ticket for the state run company. The next bus that comes along I show the ticket to and I get the same response then I show money and pay the 1.50Aus to finally get on the bus and get going, money sure does talk all languages.

I go to the main bus station to check buses back to Prague and if I can buy a ticket. Again the language barrier is there even though interpretive dance is funny I cannot get my message across. I go upstairs have a drink and then consult my phrases that I printed off for each country. Using some cutting and pasting I write a sentence that refers to planes and reservations and times and pleases and thank yous, so hopefully it works. I dare not speak it as I would absolutely murder it and it wouldn't sound anything like what the words are spoken.

I try it on my first girl, who sits next to the one who denied me previously, she points at another ticket counter and VOILA, we have communication and a bus at 5.55pm back to Prague. I so wish I was staying a little longer, but I am putting into place something else and back up so we will see how it goes.

I buy some Absinthe and some mouthwash, if I am not allowed to bring it back in, since it looks and smells like mouthwash I can decanter it into the plastic bottle, it weighs less too. I purchase a card for Alessandro, written in Czech me and the girl at the counter who again speaks little English thinks it says, I wish you happiness, health and love. It was either that or one that said simply, 'Mother'.

I get back to the appartment and he is not back yet, the girl on reception who I have spoken to twice buzzes me in and I repack my bags and wait for him to come home. He arrives shortly after we discuss my day, music and other things and then say our goodbyes. He walks me downstairs.

When I get to the bus station, it is the Student bus I so hoped for, and it is a nice bus driver. Things look good, even if I am going back to Prague to pick up my things. I get my allocated seat and for half of the journey have both seats to myself. I listen to music and daydream the trip away, surprisingly I don't sleep.

I get into Prague and easily find my way to the Youth Hostel. I order some dinner and go to my room, it is the same room I was in before. It looks like a bomb hit it. The person or persons have their stuff everywhere, like it is their own appartment. I say hello and I get no response and then choose a bed on the opposite wall. I go and do some internet to check some train times and ferry times and write to my next host. One night without a host is enough. I decide that I will leave Prague tommorrow, and not go to Karlov Vary and head into Dresden then I don't have as long a train trip on Friday, well 2 and a bit hours less.


Eyes betray the soul and bear it's thinking.
Beyond words they say so many things to me.
A stranger here reborn it seems
Awaking wonders deep in me.
If nothing's ventured nothing's gained
so I must seize the day.

And fighting time so hard I pray
that this moment lasts forever.
And will the world stay standing still at least for me.
Through my eyes stare into me.
I bear my heart for all to see.
With my face turned to the sun there ever standing still.

It wasn't you it wasn't me it wasn't anyone.
It was a day so long awaited and a chance to be as me.
I let the wind run through my hands
before I turned to walk away.
In distant days I long to sense it all so clear.

And fighting time so hard I pray
that this moment lasts forever.
And will the world stay standing still at least for me.
Through my eyes stare into me.
I bear my heart for all to see.
With my face turned to the sun there ever standing still.
And fighting time so much I ask.
I will this moment last forever.
Though seasons change and things come to pass
remain inside of me.
And fighting time so hard I pray
that this moment lasts forever.
and will the world stay standing still at least for me.

I had no faith before that time in any vow or deed.
Days followed days and years were meaningless.
Despite the wisdom of defeat
I bare my heart for all to see the wonders I've seen.
The wonders I've seen
And fighting time so hard I pray
that this moment lasts forever.
and will the world stay standing still at least for me.



Woken up at 1am, 3 times to please be respectful and be quiet.

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1212376080/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1212376080/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1212376080/tpod.html Sun, 01 Jun 2008 13:18:14 -0400 The Travelling Strawberry

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London, England, United Kingdom

I woke up early and had already researched the trains I will need to take to get me from the Netherlands to the Ferry terminal and to the UK.

I decide to take one train earlier in case anything happens, luckily for me.

I get to the station in advance after taking the tram and find they don't take credit cards to pay for my ticket, so I have to go to the cash machine and use some of my precious dwindling cash to pay for my ticket I grab my ticket and a drink and roll for the trip and then go and collect my extra bag that I put in the locker when I arrived.

After 10 minutes of arsing around and not being able to retrive my bag, they say my credit card doesn't work and to use another card (the other card is stopped) and they don't take cash and I have 2 mintues until my train leaves. I go to information and they page the person who is in charge of lockers. Seems like there is someone else having trouble too.

I get my bags without too much trouble but have missed my train, I wait at the same platform but ask someone and he says that it leaves from Platform 1 not 2, so I check and recheck a few times and wait half an hour for the next one. I have to do less changes but my connections don't line up.

You have to be at the ferry terminal an hour before the ferry sails. I was unable to spend longer in the Netherlands and leave on the overnight ferry as it was completely booked out. I make it to the station and with 30 kilos on my back I run to the terminal (along with 12 semi-drunken englishmen and 3 african guys). We get to the queue and past passport control and then there is the announcement 2 minutes until the close of check in, and so uphill we run again making it within seconds of them closing the gate.

So now a 6 hour and a half hour ferry ride to the UK. I feel a bit sad that my holiday is coming to a close but also looking forward to getting back home. I decide to pay to watch a movie - Ironman that Norbs had told me about, its pretty cool for a comic book movie and then find the joys of joys the ship has wireless internet, not free mind you but nonetheless entertainment for me and a chance to update my blog.

Wish you were here - Penny
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1212079920/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1212079920/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1212079920/tpod.html Sun, 01 Jun 2008 12:56:03 -0400 The Travelling Strawberry

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Dresden, Saxony, Germany

I am woken up at 1.30am, when the girls come back to the room, they turn on the light and talk at inflated voices in another language. I do the coughing hint and it makes no difference. Then I say in English can you please keep the noise down its almost 2am. They say, ohhh sorry, sorry then continue at the same volume. For over half an hour this contineus with me asking 3 times to please be respectful and be quiet. They just laugh at me and I get angry. I storm out of the room and speak to the guy on reception and insist on moving to another room. He says he will send security down and I say No I want another room. He is a strange guy, very fiery and goes into detail about what a shit day he has had. He give me another room that has only 4 beds and no one is in there and give me my new keypass. I then say I need to remove my bags and get another keypass.

I go into the new room check in out dump my handbag and go back to my old room, picking up my laptop and mobile and small bag. I turn on the light and make as much noise as I can, I don't give a shit. I take it to my new room and when I come back to get my other bag the light is off. I switch it on and get the other bag. Move room, come back, light is off, put light back on and get my bedsheets. Move room, come back, light is off, put light back on and get the last of my belongings. When I am settling in I can't find my mobile phone. So I ask the guy for the keypass again and if he an ring my phone. I locate it in my laptop bag, only after I go back into the old room again, and you guessed it, turn back on the light and make as much noise as possible. Paybacks a bitch eh?

I can't get back to sleep so I do a beauty routine and try and use up some more of my products that are running low so I can throw them out.

I finally fall asleep around 5am. I wake at 9am go have breakfast, which I haven't paid for once and use the internet to check trains to Dresden and a certain someones mobile phone number in the directory.

I am about to kill some time before my train at 1pm and do some washing but I overhear a conversation that the washer isn't very good and leaves the clothes dirty and the dryer takes 3 or 4 times to dry clothes, I opt to use the washing faciliites at the next Youth Hostel.

The same people then talk about what happened at Reception last night, I am thinking they are talking about me, but apparently about an hour after I left the guy on reception lost it with some travellers and yelled and screamed and cut up somone's drivers licence and then erased the 4 minutes from the security tape, luckily it wasn't when I was there.

I get to the station, the train is delayed and I buy lunch and some things for the trip with the last of my Czech money. The trip goes pretty easily its only 2 ½ hours away but i am glad to be on my way out of Prague. I text person and at the start I dont say who it is and we spend the next 2 hours texting backwards and forwards. We discuss the possibility of catching up on the weekend in the Netherlands. I will all him later in the night, ahhh sponteneity is a good thing.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1211906220/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1211906220/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1211906220/tpod.html Sun, 01 Jun 2008 12:39:27 -0400 The Travelling Strawberry

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Cesky Budejovice, Czech Republic

I wake up just after 7.30am not realising how early it is, I try to get back to sleep but can't. I then go and take a shower. I then see I have been eaten alive by mosquitos during the night. I itch more than itchy and scratchie playing in itching powder. Alessandro told me about a castle about half an hour away, so I decide I will go and visit tommorrow and today I will go and explore Ceske Budejovice. I follow the map Alessandro gave me and find my way into town easily enough. It is a warm day and I try to keep in the shade as it has already been commented on that I have a bright red scalp.

I really notice the difference between the touristic towns and a normal town in the English language speaking capability. I think I will need to keep my transactions limited. Its a pretty city especially the old part and its planned on a linear scale so it is easy to find your way around. I order my lunch not knowing what the heck I am getting as the only thing I can desipher is Bagety. Lets hope its not something like pigs intestine. Thankfully its beef and salad I did well, I must remember the words for future purchases.

Next step is to find a toilet, OMG what the hell is the Czech name for Toilet and for Female. I go to three different places and get blank stares. It is tempting to do hand signals but what hand signals do you use for pee? Nevermind, I find one at the old town hall.

I then decide to go and people watch in the park it is pretty hot, I have no idea what the temperature is but standing in full sun feels like a normal Melbourne Summer day. I find a nice shady place under a big tree and I cuddle my bag and fall asleep for about an hour. Luckily for me the sun does not move too much and I am still shaded nothing worse than burning the back of your legs when you still have a whole heap of walking to do.

It is nice and relaxing I get out my laptop and play some music on the speakers and do some typing, I cannot pick up any wireless internet but that's okay. Its nice to relax and get lost in your thoughts.

There is a certain sense of serenity that comes from traveling and knowing that there is someone there for you but you still have your independence. I started this journey being comforted by Mel's friendship and love which sent me on my way. Then one after another I experienced amazing hosts, who I had nill expectations of and who amazingly experience after experience turned out to be beyond what I could ever hoped for.

The solitude at times like this is calming, I don't feel lonely and I have no need for anything but what is in front of me at this moment. Sometimes slowing down and not rushing around looking at buildings is the best thing to recharge the batteries. You search for beauty and find your soul.

I sometimes wonder what possesses me to travel, to discover and explore the unknown. There is more to be gained than just the memories and experiences, you find an inner strength you never thought you had, you test yourself time and time again. You move away from the known and into the unknown. I am not entirely sure the path I am on, but I know that travel is a big part of it. I want to live an extraordinary life, to experience and to interact and to share. I will not allow my wings to be clipped. I only come here seeking peace, I only come here seeking me, It seems I came to live.

Alessandro gets home around 5pm so I head back around 5.30pm. He is in the shower when I ring the buzzer and for a split second I am worried I am locked out of the flat. I sit across the street and see the window is open, so I whistle. Shortly after he comes to the window, he was in the shower. We chat again and then decide to head into town. I buy Alessandro dinner at a Czech Restaurant and we share stories and experiences.

This prompts me to do some thinking and put into action something which is entirely crazy but you will just have to wait to hear what happens. Those who know me well might remember a time in Amsterdam, I say no more. Stay tuned.

It is sad to depart so soon, I feel like I am just getting to know Alessandro and if he wasn't expecting a couple of couchsurfers to arrive the next day I might have asked to stay another night. Sometimes you stay for the city and sometimes you stay for the person - Alessandro is one of those people.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1211860380/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1211860380/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1211860380/tpod.html Sun, 01 Jun 2008 12:37:00 -0400 The Travelling Strawberry

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Cesky Budejovice, Czech Republic

After getting in at 2am, it is my turn to be woken up, the Malaysians wake at 4am and are pretty quiet as they pack their things and leave just after 5am. I go back to sleep we had arranged to meet for breakfast at around 9.30am and I wake just before then.

I am first up and go to the store and get some rolls and then the boys join me. Dean has a coclear implant so needs to know if we will have a waterproof store. We walk up to a place that I had seen that was not in the centre of the tourist district and it is cheaper. We decide instead of doing the 30 mins to 1 hour to do the 3-4 hour trip. This trip goes through Cesky Krumlov which is what we wanted, but that means I will not be getting in mid-afternoon to my next town and host as I had planned. My legs and arms are still sore from horseriding but this has gotta get the knots out.

We get the directions, and you thought it was just follow the flowing river! Nope there are weirs to navigate so we don't go over the wrong way and fall in the river. The start is simple enough and we enthusiastically paddle, I am in the front and have the captains oar. When we notice that only 30mins have passed and we seem to have made a fair distance on the map we don't paddle so enthusiastically. In fact for some of the time we just float, not even bothering to steer the raft and bouncing off trees and the banks. We have a tendency to go in circles but it once we are in the forest it nice to relax and watch as the banks pass us by.

We take some photos and soon enough we are getting to the last two bridges and last weir, it is hardly the stuff of white water rafting it is more relaxing in fact, although I can feel it in my shoulders.

We raft for 15 kms from Cesky Krumlov to Zlata Koruna they estimate it takes 3-4 hours, I think that is based on not paddling at all, we do it in a bit over 3 hours. Luckily it was more overcast and I had put on sunscreen as I was sunburnt from the two previous days.

We are pretty hungry and see if we can get some lunch at the camp. The two Pensions appear to be open but not serving anything, and they don't speak English at all and our attempts at interpretive meal dance does not seem to amuse. We decide to go over the bridge and walk into town, there are signs here for restaurants, but as it is close to 3pm there does not appear to be open.

Heading back at the camp there is a little store so I order a, wait for it, Chicken nugget bagety, not sure if it is chicken or nugget but there was some bagety. It was very strange indeed, 5 mins later our pick up arrives. Bummer if we had only waited we would have been able to have some real food.

We head back get changed and get our things together. Tim is leaving for Prague so we can get the same bus. I go to use the free Internet I found behind another Youth Hostel (it is amazing I seem to have a free internet radar) I message my host to say I will be there slightly later at around 6.30pm and 15mins later Tim and Dean join me check their internet and we head to the bus station. Tim has directions and Dean joins us, I think he feels abandoned. According to the webiste there appear to be a few buses to Prague that stop by Ceske Budejovice.

We wait around 30 mins the bus pulls up but he won't let us on, he lets people with tickets on first (why didn't the other guy do this then I would have had a seat). He asks people if they have baggage and then they have to pay an extra 10Kc to him just to put it under the bus and retrieve it at the other side. We are worried we will not get a seat but since it is only an hour and a bit trip it is not too bad. We do get seats and it is an easygoing trip. The bus drivers are slightly crazy here, they overtake cars and trucks with other cars approaching and beep their horns at any chance. They also like to drive in the middle of the road but we get there safely, I really should look into trains again.

I arrive at the Bus Station which is nice and modern and say goodbye to Tim. I open the cargo hold to get my bag and the driver runs out and slaps my hand and says naughty. He laughs so I its okay, I get my bag and he says something in Czech like, how do I know this is your bag? I say smelling washing and laugh, I am not sure he understands me but its all okay.

It is a 3 storey shopping centre and I cannot find the exit. I have the directions that Alessandro gave me but I decide to go a slightly different way as there seem to be too many street changes. It is warm and my head is sunburnt. I do not take the bus as Alessandro said it only took 20mins to his house. It will help familiarise me with the area. I text him that I have arrived and head off. Over half an hour later he calls, Am I lost? Does he need to meet me anywhere? I am fine I tell him where I am and say I will see him in about 10 mins. I stop and check the map he sent me on my laptop a bit of a way to go yet. About 15 minutes later I call him I am in his street but cannot find his flat. He says he will come out and meet me. I stand in the middle of the street and then I see a body at the other end waving.

He gives me a big warm hug, even though I am all hot and sweaty and looking like I am a hairball a cat threw up. It does not matter. We go to his flat, I go to the toilet and then we get to know eachother.

He is a Mechanical Engineer over in Ceske Budejovice for 6 months on a contract and is originally from Brazil. He speaks great English and is sweet and polite and cute to boot. My couch for the next few days is a couch that converts to a double bed - whoo hoo, its in the kitchen and he informs me he gets up early and makes a bit of noise but will try to be quiet. I say he can make as much noise as he likes. He is going to leave me a key so I can leave when I please. The kindness and generosity of strangers is overwhelming. We talk travel, our homelands, our lives. Its amazing how quickly you form connections with these random strangers who take you into their lives.

He asks me to promise to share some of my music as he noticed that on my profile, he likes a lot of the same music I do. At around midnight we say our goodnites, I have a good feeling about this he has a nice energy I think I am going to like surfing his couch and getting to know him better.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1211705340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1211705340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1211705340/tpod.html Thu, 29 May 2008 04:53:04 -0400 The Travelling Strawberry

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Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

I shower and make breakfast, I am all excited it is time for horse riding I pull out my horse riding pants and boots and a spare pair of shoes. I decide since this is the last time I will probably ride this holiday I will give the people my horse riding shoes, it means that I have less weight in my bag and they go to someone who needs them instead of a charity shop or the bin.

Driving there is great, I see the hills and open fields where I will be riding and the forests, whoo hoo. I have my camera and am excited. A girl ushers me in to pay but doesn't speak English I try to explain to her about my boots, she goes and gets someone else. They ask about trotting, cantering and galloping, I say trot and canter. They don't speak much English either. Perhaps its my hand signals saying gift for little children, who knows. I put my bag into a locker, get my hat and then follow her out to the stables. Its then I see her tacking the biggest horse I have seen in a long time. He is beautiful but so tall. He is more like a racehorse than say a Clydesdale.

She then gets a box and tells me his name is Archie and he is my horse. She then puts these extra lengths on him attached to his bit to bring his head closer to his chest, hmm strange, she says its because he pulls and it is to stop him going bad (hmmmm!!! great). I have to do a huge lift off to get up and over Archie and when I am there I have to lie straight down as she leads me out into the yard as I would hit the top of the barn. I kid you not he's huge!

I am a bit worried they are going to do some inside ring work not out riding in the forest, I ask am i going forest? She looks like I am speaking Swahili or English. Not to worry she gets a horse bought out, notably smaller than mine. But at least my stirrups are short enough. As we walk out of the yard a girl who is coming in asks what is with my boots and she speaks English I explain I would like to leave them as I am at the end of my holiday, she says that would be fantastic and a small child would use them. And that Archie is a great ride and to enjoy.

We start walking out, it is breathtaking and I see some huge fields in front of me. We cross a road and do our first trot. He is great and so smooth although I am a bit worried being so high up.

We walk some more another trot, then she asks if I would like to trot, then gallop I say sure. We trot for a short period, then I am airborne. Archie jumps up as he goes into an, I don't know what, it is so bouncy and I freak out, and ask to stop. I think it was because he was being held back. We do some more walking and try trotting again, its fine and then I break into a canter and she asks "GO?" I say yes and we bolt along the paddock no feeling so being out of control just huge strides that feel a bit strange with his extra bit.

This is horse riding at its best, i am loving it, we interspersed moments of walking and sometimes just trotting with running along the fields. My legs ache, my arms ache and my mouth aches from smiling so much. It is over way too soon, she takes a picture of me and my mighty steed.

I give her my boots, change into my walking shoes and I then stretch my legs during the 3.5 km walk back to town. It seems I was not so observant on the way in the taxi and didn't see the big hills and or the fork in the road but I choose the right path and everything is fine. I get back and have some lunch and then decide to see the castle. Even if I am feeling like a dag dressed in my riding gear.

I take a tour of the castle its amazing how much I remember from when I was there 5 years ago. But this time I cannot take pictures inside, so if anyone wants to see inside with the gilded carriage and how ornate it is I can just show you my old pictures :)

Walking back down the hill I run into an Australian who is lost, I have helped 5 lost people today, I must look like I know where I am going. It turns out he is also staying at Hostel Postel. I escort him to the Tourist Information to get a map then to our hostel. I change and go get a drink and sit in the courtyard, he joins me as does Timothy a guy from Singapore and we talk the talk of travelers. Where did you come from? Where have you visited? Where are you going next? We are all traveling by ourselves so we decide to go to dinner.

We go to a place recommended by the receptionist it is pretty nice and not too expensive for Cesky Krumlov We then decide to go and have a drink down by the river, we choose South Bohemian Mead a drink made from honey that is alcoholic, it is hot. The first few sips aren't too good but it grows on you. We then decide to go and try something else, somewhere else. They are great company and its nice to hang out with people again. We go to place called the horror bar, it is a pseudo goth bar that is underground and have vodka and a shot of absinthe. Its close to 2am when I get back to the Youth Hostel and we decide in our wisdom that we will go rafting tomorrow before me and Tim leave in the afternoon. I will be couchsurfing again, and I can't begin to explain how good the idea of meeting a new host feels. He seems like a cool one, let's see.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1211687220/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1211687220/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1211687220/tpod.html Thu, 29 May 2008 04:49:21 -0400 The Travelling Strawberry

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Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic

Waking up without a set agenda is a nice thing indeed. Sometimes I feel like I have to fill my days in with stuff to get the most of the time I have on holidays. Today is a day where I don't plan I just do what I feel like and let the day lead me.

I have a shower and a yogurt for breakfast then head out. I decide to head to the train station to see if there is a train to Ceske Budejovice as I am not too keen on taking the bus, there is something infinitely safer and easier about taking a train. Perhaps its less human interaction, who knows.

I take my map and laptop and head off. I follow a road which I think leads to the train station and after about 20 minutes see there is a sign for the horse riding in 2.5kms, so I decide to take this road. Both decisions are wrong, I am on a different part of the road going in a different direction and the sign should point up not right. So for an hour and a half I walk along a two lane road and see some beautiful scenery. It is nice to be out in open air with no real destination in mind. When I think I should have at least seen another sign for the Horse riding the road looks like it continues for quite some time I decide to head back.

On the way back I find another supermarket which is far cheaper, I buy some things for lunch and breakfast tomorrow, its a bargain all that I get for just over $4 Aus.

I stop and have something to eat and watch the rafters going down the river, there are school kids and older people, it seems that about 1 in4 fall out when they go through the weirs (or shoots as I call them). Its great just relaxing. The sun is shining and its quite warm nicer weather than Prague.

I go and look around some shops then head back to the Youth Hostel. I book horse riding for tomorrow. I take the taxi there option for $6 but then I think I will walk back. I am supposed to have dinner with the girls but cannot see sight of them at 6pm, I stay around until just after 7pm and then head out, on the street when I am going out, they are coming back and they ask if I am going to dinner, I say yes, they say enjoy they have just been. Nice one! Again I order dinner for one. I go to a gorgeous place called Pivi Katakomby which is an underground restaurant that looks like a cave. I order Salmon and roasted vegetable and a glass of wine. The meal is delicious, the wine tastes like nail polish remover.

I head back at just after 9pm and do some tidying and then go to sleep.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1211600640/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1211600640/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/penny.hope/1/1211600640/tpod.html Thu, 29 May 2008 04:46:44 -0400 The Travelling Strawberry

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Cesky Krumlov, Bohemia, Czech Republic

I check out of the Youth Hostel and leave my big backpack there and take a smaller backpack as I am heading to Cesky Krumlov for 3 days and don't need everything. I check my email and I have a response from a Couchsurfing Host in Cesky Budejovice and he can host me on Monday and Tuesday which is great so I will stay away for 5 days.

I head to the bus station to get the 11am bus. I had been to the bus station the day before so I would be familiar with where i was going so if I was running late I wouldn't have too many problems. Once there I am informed all the buses to Cesky Krumlov for the day are booked out. WTF!!!! but there are other bus companies so I have to try them all individually. I manage to get on one at 1.30pm that leaves from another station the trip is 4 hour long and costs about 12Aus not bad. Since I have 2 hours to kill I head to KFC where there is free Wi-Fi I am getting so good and spotting which places have free internet access. I order a drink and find the nearest power plug outlet which is up the top of a wall, so I have to climb on a chair and stand on my tippy toes to reach it, but hey, you do what you have to do.

I chat with Fe online for a good hour and with 15mins before the bus leaves I leave. Little do I know but the bus station isn't at the train station it is a few stops away by tram, I get the "I'm running late" butterflies they are quite common, although uncomfortable. I join the large queue, two girls see I have a ticket and say I can go to the front of the queue I have a look and the queue looks to be full of pissed off people so I say I don't want to upset them I will wait. When I get to the front and get on the lady in front of me gets the last seat. Seems they oversell all buses. Me and the girl who was behind me then sit in the toilet stairwell for 2 ½ hours of the journey. Its interesting to see that there are some dogs on the bus, and they have a better seat than I do. It is a painful experience watching the carpeted wall of the bus for over 2 hours and when people finally vacate I relish sitting upright and being able to see the view. It ends all too soon.

When I get to Cesky Krumlov the girl behind me informs me there are two bus stations, I am not sure which one to get out at. The instructions to the Youth Hostel said get out at the depot but the girl informs me we are closer to town and the tower here. So I get off just as the bus is about to leave and I open the door, the bus driver is none too happy with me.

There is a Brazilian and a German who also get off, we discuss maps etc and it works out we are all staying at, wait for it, one of the best names, Hostel Postel. We walk there together and it is pretty easy to find. Again I am stuck by the ease at which I remember how to get around.

There are two Malaysian girls staying in my room. The room has only 3 beds, no bunks - whoo hoo and there are only 3 rooms sharing the same bathroom and toilet.

When I check there is some information about Horse riding in the nearby South Bohemian Forest for only 300 Kc or 20 Aus for 2 hours.

I head out to look for some dinner and see if I can find any of the places I ate at before. I end up at a place by the River which is very cute, but also made for couples (ahhhh!). Asking for a table for one feels a little sad and I am still a bit lonely from my Prague.

I go to Penzion Kristinka and have Beef Goulash with Potato dumplings. It is yummy, the Maitre D is nice although seems to talk to the Czech people more than the rest of us. I walk around town at night it is beautiful and feels very safe. When I get back to the youth hostel I talk with the girls and they ask to see photos from Nechwastein we end up going through a whole heap of my photos. So be warned there are lots!!!!
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