TravelStream™ news feed for member rubr9124 on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/rubr9124 en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:44:07 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rubr9124/1/1215826920/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rubr9124/1/1215826920/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rubr9124/1/1215826920/tpod.html Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:44:07 -0400 Semester At Sea--Summer 2008

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Copenhagen, Zealand, Denmark

Well, I am finally relaxing after an exhausting four days in Denmark. Let me just say that this port was so different from the other two and so wonderful. Norway was scenic, Russia was culturally astounding, but Denmark was home to the nicest people I have ever met.
We docked in a small town called Korsor, about an hour and half from Copenhagen. Because the train to Copenhagen was so pricey, I spent the first day in Korsor. It was a torrential downpour---I was standing on a sidewalk when a truck drove through a puddle and I literally was soaked from head to toe in muddy water. It doesn't just happen in movies folks, I am living proof. Anyway, Korsor is a very small town which doesn't seem to wake up until noon and goes to sleep around five. The people are genuinely kind---walking anywhere you will be asked to come in for lunch five or six times by random people on the street. They even laid out a red carpet in front of our gangway and had a huge band welcome us. It was a very unique experience compared to Russia, that's for sure.
The second day I had an SAS tour. I took an hour and half bus ride to Dragor Village. It is a small village right outside Copenhagen that has been housing the same families for almost 400 years. It is very quaint---all the houses are yellow with thatched roofs and there are swans and ducks all throughout the harbor. We stopped at a local hotel for pastries (DANISH PASTRIES ARE LIKE CRACK) and coffee. It was delicious! We then drove back to Copenhagen and saw the queen's palace and The Little Mermaid (a famous statue). My friends and I then signed out of the trip and checked into a hostel---which was surprisingly nice. It had four twin beds, a little fridge, a table, a closet, and a private bathroom. It was all very modest, but must nicer than I expected. Plus, the location was prime!
Copenhagen is a very unique city. When looking at the city, it is obvious that it is unique and you will never see anything like it again, yet you always get a strange feeling that you have lived in it all your life. Trendy bars and clubs line cobblestone streets while historic wooden building are now filled with Gucci, Prada, and Chanel. The city itself has an active nightlife--street performers keep the walking streets lovely while the rest of the public flocks to the wonderfully lit-up Tivoli Gardens.
I spent my first evening at Tivoli Gardens and also was able to have dinner at a local restaurant. It was amazing food, but very expensive. Tap water costs $2!
My second day is Copenhagen was fun. My friends and I bought an all-day pass to ride on these little boats like drive through the canals and drop you off at certain spots. We saw the Copenhagen Opera House, which is some of the most beautiful architecture I've seen in person. We also saw this old abandoned fortress, which is housed on it's own island in the harbor. It is not restored, simply abandoned...which makes it incredibly creepy.
I road the train back to Korsor today (a unique experience in itself...travel is an adventure when you don't know the language...and trains are complicated enough). It was about a 3 mile walk back to the ship from the station and I'm not kidding, we were offered rides by several good Samaritans and also invited in for lunch numerous times. Denmark is a good-natured, happy place. I would come back anytime and I would suggest anyone visit it.
It was different than Russia, because I feel like I "learned" more in Russia culturally and educationally. Denmark was more of a fun time, I saw a lot of things, but I also spent a lot of time just walking around and enjoying the city (and shopping).
Anyway, now it's on to Antwerp, Belgium. I can't wait :)
Now I have to go do homework! (It's not only a trip, it's also school, don't forget!)
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rubr9124/1/1215255360/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rubr9124/1/1215255360/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rubr9124/1/1215255360/tpod.html Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:58:51 -0400 Semester At Sea--Summer 2008

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St. Petersburg, North-West Russia, Russian Federation

Well, after five exhausting and amazing days, it is time for me to say goodbye to Russia. All I can really say is that you can't understand Russia until you've been here...and I still can't say I understand it completely. Some of us hated it, others (like me) loved it beyond compare. I do not see how another port could even begin to top this amazing experience. For those of you who I'm not torturing nightly with a 3 page synopsis of my day, I'll sum up the experience.
I got off the boat with a fear instilled in me due to frequent warnings of theft/crime...I walked out there feeling like I was in the most dangerous situation possible and I came off feeling like I'd found a hidden pearl. Russia is a complicated place---the culture and society is nothing like America. The people can off come off as brash, uninterested, or downright rude. The fashions are strange to those of us who are used to a different way of doing things. The language barrier is overwhelming and this is not a culture that will go out of it's way to help a confused and naïve American. But when you talk to people, really talk, they slowly let down their guard and though most of them will probably never be sugary sweet, they are intelligent and interesting individuals. You have to see that when you look at someone through America's eyes, they will never be anything but foreign. But if you look at them with human's eyes, you see that deep-down, past our clothes and our languages and our customs, we are all the same in a lot of ways.
I did so much in the last 5 days that I cannot begin to explain it or do it justice so here's a list to make it uncomplicated:
DAY 1
--walked around St. Petersburg (it was about a half hour walk from the ship to city center...let's just say I did a lot of walking this trip...probably 5 miles roundtrip/day at the VERY least)
--went on a home visit...had tea with a lovely Russian couple.
--went out to the bars with some friends (Russian vodka is cheap and delicious. Also strong. Use caution)
DAY 2
--went on a tour of the Peterhof (Peter the Great's palace and gardens). Was overwhelmed by extravagance.
--went out into St. Petersburg and walked Nevsky Prospect. Saw The Church of the Savior on the Spilt Blood...most amazing thing EVER.
--went to a Russian folklore show
DAY 3
--went out into the city again...checked out little shops, ate lunch at a small "kafe", saw a man walking a bear on a leash
DAY 4
--went to the Hermitage...viewed some Da Vinci originals, as well as Picasso, Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir, Rembrandt.
--had lunch at a Russian McDonald's...surprisingly complicated
--laid out in the BEAUTIFUL Russian sun!
--went out to several bars to check out the nightlife
DAY 5
--woke up at 6:30am (this was hard, see above) and took a tour of Catherine the Great's summer palace.
--had a BBQ...it was nice. Except we were flying all these American flags and listening to American music and we're still docked in Russia...all these people were looking at our ship like we were nuts.
Random observations about Russia:
--the weather is very nice is summer...it was 80s/90s all week until today and has cooled off a bit.
--the sun doesn't set fully until about 2am...it's awesome. It's eight pm now and I JUST got done sunbathing J
--the Euro Mullet is BIG...every hip male had one.
--Russian women dress in cocktail dresses and heels 24/7.
--They also like to take random photos of each other in the streets while posing like playboy bunnies.
--No one uses deodorant in Europe. I'm becoming quite used to the sent of BO wafting through the air on a sticky summer day.
All in all, Russia rocked! We set sail tonight for Denmark, woo!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rubr9124/1/1214289780/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rubr9124/1/1214289780/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rubr9124/1/1214289780/tpod.html Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:47:41 -0400 Semester At Sea--Summer 2008

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Bergen, Western Fjords, Norway

We got into Bergen this morning around 8am. It was gorgeous watching the ship pull into port at 5am as the sun rose. Once getting off the ship, I literally got on my knees and touched the ground...it felt so good to be stable for the first time in 9 days. Bergen is beautiful...very historic and bustling. It is pretty cold and the weather is bipolar. When we got off the ship, it was about 50 and sunny...within an hour it was a downpour...then twenty minutes later I was in a tee shirt...and within another hour it was another downpour...my umbrella has come in very handy! We explored Bergen for a while, just checking out shops and stuff and then I got lunch at the Bergen Fish Market, which is very cool! I tasted whale meat (Norway is the only place that still does whaling) and it tastes a bit like beef jerkey, haha. For lunch I had a burger...but not just ANY burger, a MOOSE burger. It was actually very good! After getting lost in the sketchier part of Bergen and getting caught in a torrential downpour, I found my way to this internet cafe from where I write. I love this city. Tomorrow I will most likely be taking a tour of fjords and the day after I have a train trip around Bergen.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rubr9124/1/1213627560/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rubr9124/1/1213627560/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rubr9124/1/1213627560/tpod.html Mon, 16 Jun 2008 10:48:25 -0400 Semester At Sea--Summer 2008

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Middle of the ocean, Canada

Greetings everyone. It is my second official day on the Explorer and things are still getting rolling. The ship is small enough that I feel a good amount of motion (and have fallen down a few times) but I am not seasick. Those patches work miracles, even if they make me want to pass out! I had to get up at 7am this morning and we lost an hour last night, so we'll just say I am EXHAUSTED. Today is scheduled for us to a T (meetings, meetings, meetings) and tomorrow I start classes.

Good things about the ship:

-Free email
-my room is right below the computer lab so I wireless in the room
-never bored
-the rooms are cozy and pretty comfortable
-lots of nice people

Bad things:
-can't walk straight (hoping this will improve)
-cannot sleep when I can feel the engine and my own body vibrating in bed)
-some of these people are a few fries short of a happy meal

Otherwise, things are going great. Love everyone and missing Colorado tons.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rubr9124/1/1213413780/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rubr9124/1/1213413780/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rubr9124/1/1213413780/tpod.html Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:33:20 -0400 Semester At Sea--Summer 2008

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Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Hi Everyone! I'm in Halifax now...first chance I've had to sit down and have a break. The day started off in Denver at 8am...took a 3 hour flight to Toronto and enjoyed the gigantic Toronto ariport with a nice cold Coors Light (yes, I took advantage of being legal in Canada at first chance!). After the layover, I flew into Halifax. I have to say, Air Canada is an amazing airline. Those of you who often fly American airlines would be surprised to know that the seats are bigger, the food is better, and they often tons of FREE television and movies on widescreen tvs! Before I even landed in Canada I knew I was going to like this place...

Halifax itself is an amazing city. First off, landing in Halifax was completely picturesque, complete with lush green hills and a blue waterfront. And the drive across the Harbor provided a look into a city that manages to be metropolitan enough to be exciting but rural enough to be cozy and inviting. The people of Canada are some of the nicest I've met....extremely talkative and friendly. Once we got to the hotel, we walked to a local pub (another great thing about Halifax---a lot of the exciting nightlife is just within walking distance) and had a DELICIOUS meal--Fish N' Chips and a glass of local beer (which was very good---by evaulation of my father and me). What can I say? Greasy pub food can be rivaled by none other, plus the atmosphere inspires excitable conversation and a hearty apetite. Now that I'm stuffed beyond mobility, I'm just enjoying the bustle of Halifax (even in my tenth floor hotel room I can hear city life going on...which makes me miss Denver a lot). Can't wait to explore the city during daylight hours tomorrow and meet the first of my shipmates.

I love and miss everyone,

Michele
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rubr9124/1/1210775760/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rubr9124/1/1210775760/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rubr9124/1/1210775760/tpod.html Wed, 14 May 2008 12:55:31 -0400 Semester At Sea--Summer 2008

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Littleton, Colorado, United States

Contacting Me This Summer
I haven't left yet, sadly, but I wanted to give everyone a heads up on how they can talk to me. I would really like to hear from anyone who has the time. I'll be missing home and getting some sort of contact will make me feel so much better.

Online
-you can contact me online several ways. First, you can comment on this blog, which is easiest for me. All you have to do is sign up for a simple, free account and then you can respond to any of my entries or just leave random notes in my guestbook.
-you can also facebook me. I will check it often, but not nearly often as this blog. Sending me a message/comment will get to me just fine.

-you can email me @ Rubr9124@aol.com. I will check this email whenever I am online. Please do not email me at any other addresses I may have used in the past. I will NOT be checking them at all.

-Please do not message me on myspace if you want the message to get to me, it is unlikely I will recieve it.

Phone
I will have my cell phone with me, but I will only have sporadic service. If we are going to talk on the phone, you probably already know this because I've discussed it with you. However, I will have texting---if you want to just drop me a hello (which would be amazing because I'll be missing everyone!!) I will recieve it, but maybe not for a few days---it all depends if I have service. But I will really appreciate it and it will get to me whenever I have service.

Mail
This would really mean a lot to me if any of my friends or family could take the time to write me a letter or a postcard...anything, really. I can't imagine anything better than pulling into port and getting to read a personal letter from those that I'm missing. Remember that mail may not always get to me, but it's worth a try. Below is the address (which can be modified depending on the port I'll be in). I'll also include a list of all my ports and the date the mail should be sent in order for it to reach me in that particular port:

you can write me at:
Michele Rubright
c/o: MV Explorer
Arrival Date
Port Agent Address (from the list below)

PORT:
Bergen, Norway
arrive: june 24
address:
Grieg Logistics KS
C. Sundtsgate 17-19
P.O Box 245
5004 Bergen, Norway

mail by:
june 10th

PORT: St. Petersburg, Russia
arrive: July 1st
address:
Inflot Worldwide St. Petersburg
1 Maritime Glory Plaza
199106 St. Petersburg, Russia
send by:
June 17th

Port: Copenhagen, Denmark
arrive July 8th
address:
MAERSK BROKER AGENCY
1, Midtermolen
DK-2100, Copenhagen O, Denmark
send by: June 24th

Port: Antwerp, Belgium

arrive: July 14th
address:
ANTWERPEN PORT SERVICE COMPANY
Handboogstraat, 20
2030 ANTWERP, BELGIUM
send byL june 30th

PORT: Naples, Italy
arrive: July 23rd
address:
KLINGENBERG SRL
Piazzale Stazione Marittima
Inteno Porto Napoli
80133, NAPLES ITALY

send by: july 9th
Port: Istanbul, Turkey
arrive: july 29th
address:
I.T.S
Buyukdere cad, Kaya Aldogan sok. 12/1
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL SERVICES
80300 Zincirlikuyu, ISTANBUL, TURKEY
send by: july 15th

Port: Piraeus, Greece
arrive August 3
address:
ISS CRUISE SERVICES
55 Polydefkous Street
Piraeus 18545 GREECE

send by: July 21st

Port: Dubrovnik, CROATIA
arrive: August 8th
address:
ATLANTAGENT
Obala Stjepana Radica 26
P.O Box 40
HR- 20000 DUBROVNIK, CROATIA
send by: july 25

..................

Thank you everyone. Like I said, I would REALLY appreciate an email, a text, or especially a letter from anyone who has the time to write one to me at any time during my trip.

On another note, if you would like a postcard from any/all countries, please comment with your address and which countries you really want a postcard from and I'll make sure to send you one :)


-Michele

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