Rafting the Lutschine in Switzerland

It has taken me a year and a half to finally post the photos of white water rafting in Interlaken, Switzerland but here they finally are... (from bottom to top)
#1: training with our crazy Kiwi guide who might have had 1 total tooth in his mouth. Needless to say he had some interesting life stories -- enough to put me at ease that my life was going to be in his hands. Street smarts, check!
(Did I mention we were being filmed to be on a German TV show?) Never thought my first international TV debut would be in black lycra spandex!
#2: Pierre from Paris, the guy that was going to save my life should I go overboard. I thew him a few extra smile and winks just in case he had to decide who to save first.
#3-6: Let the fun begin! Coldest water I've ever felt in my life by the way.
#7-8: End of the trip, opened up to a still pool of white water surrounded by the Alps, amazing!
#9-10: Pictures speak a thousand words. I can still remember looking up from the raft, seeing my surroundings and thinking how blessed I was to be at such an amazing place.

More Greece Pics

Greek Isles, total debauchery!

So this past June I accomplished a major bucket list item when booking myself a solo trip to Greece. Well, let me clarify, I had always wanted to take a honeymoon trip to Greece but realized, life's too short to be waiting on someone to take me somewhere...especially after my Europe trip the year prior when I realized just how much fun I am with or without someone else around! :0)
I was able to coordinate with my Aussie friend, Maddy, that I met the year prior in Cinque Terre, Italy. She and her friend Emma stayed an additional day in Santorini to meet up with me there (just like we'd planned the year prior). It was as if not even a single day had gone by since we'd shared a hostel and one of the best days ever in Riomaggiore, Italy. But before I got to Santorini and began to party for a week straight doing nothing more than moving from hostel room, to beach, to bar, to beach, to hostel and repeat...I started by flying into Athens. I hit up all the typical sites in the city. My hostel was perfectly located right at the foot of the Accropolis. After 2 days of history and culture, I was on a ferry and 8 hours later, passing all the islands along the way, I arrived at my crystal clear water, white sand beach paradise! Santorini! The island is tiny. I made another Aussie friend, Scottie, who was a bunk mate and became my travel partner the entire week. And boy did we get into trouble...we'll just leave that at that. Our hostel was a few feet away from Perissa Beach (see photo) and one of the many great days we had, we rented a 4-wheeler and drove along the coast of the entire island. We ended the day at the north of the island, watching the sunset before making the drive back to our hostel beach and favorite bar: on the south of the island. Just about every day we'd wake up (well, generally Scottie would wake me up) and we'd head over to our beach post: right in front of YAZZ bar. Probably some of the best food I've ever eaten, we ate there. The eggplant dish and the artichoke dish I highly recommend!!!!
After a very short week, and having made tons of new friends from England, Argentina, Australia, and so on I caught my ferry back to Athens, got lost after there was a strike on the metro and walked for hours before finding my hostel, crashing from exhaustion then, with the $2.00 I had left to my name, caught a bus to the airport the next morning and began a weekends worth of straight sleep that I missed out on while visiting the land of Gods and Myths.

6 Months Later...

So, as many of you probably noticed and surely have long forgotten, I stopped writing my final blogs of my trip before the trip actually ended. My last entry was about Budapest which is the last place I had planned to visit but because I had a little extra cash and time, I decided to continue my adventures in Europe to 2 more destinations before heading back to the US of A.
After Budapest, I took the train over to Vienna again, stayed a night (just long enough to catch a Mozart concert) then headed over to Interlaken, Switzerland (a small town of 5k people on the German speaking side, close to Bern). I stayed in what appeared to be the only hostel in the town, with what was most definitely the only bar in the town downstairs below the hostel, in the basement. I went there for 2 reasons:
1. I wanted to make sure I'd visited somewhere in Switzerland before leaving Europe AND
2. I read that this was supposed to be an outdoor-man's dream.
Indeed it was. They had everything from Bungee jumping, white water rafting, cave diving to parachuting. Since I jumped out of a plane for my 25th birthday, I figured I'd save my money and do the least expensive of the options, but most interesting to me: White Water Rafting! (Photos will come later)

Now, the first moment I stepped into the hostel, I thought to myself, Oh Dear Lord, how did I end up at South Padre Island Spring Break Fest...I was the oldest by far (at age 26!) or so my mature wisdom would lead me to believe. hah! Everyone looked like they'd been drinking since 8am and it was around 10pm. Exhausted from my trip, I went to my room to rest up for the next day.
My room turned out to be not mine at all--unlike the hostel rooms I'd shared up to this point with around 4 people at the most, there were 16 people in my room--the bunks were boot-camp military style and I was 1 of only 2 girls.
I took a top bunk (the only one available) and spent the next hour chatting with a guy from So Cal that now lived in Vienna. We decided the next morning I'd join he and his younger brother on a hike up the Alps.
We hiked 2 hours after taking a trolley up to a pretty high point. Because it was foggy and rainy, it seemed we were the only ones on the mountain. We gave up on the view clearing up and headed back down, but first had a picnic on wine, cheese and assorted veggies. The next day was white water rafting and because we partied so hard that night I had to push my scheduled trip from the 1pm to the 4pm group. The water was ice cold so as soon as we hit the first rapid, my hangover was completely forgotten. It was at that moment that I realized when my life is in my hands, there's no time to be hungover or lethargic! Like every new day on this European adventure, this was one of the most amazing, exciting things I'd ever done in my life!
After another night of hard partying--apparently I wasn't so above the whole spring break mentality afterall--I was arguably the most popular person in the entire hostel! :0) The only downside being another day of extreme hangover, but this time, I missed my train and got to Italy almost too late to check into my new hostel. The train ride took all day and I don't remember most of it, as I spent the majority of the time catching up on sleep, between waking up because other passengers were staring at me, it was too damn hot to sleep or I just couldn't get over the stale cigarette smell.

Finally, Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre, Italy on the Mediterranean coast/Italian Riviera! The most magical place on Earth! Awaiting me in my quaint 11 bed flat/hostel were some of the best strangers/friends I imagined I'd meet: Miona (New Zealand), James, Camila, Maddy (Australia). Miona, Maddy and I did the 5 city hike all the next day, starting in Monteroso and ending in Riomaggiore. The next day we went back to this "water hole" we discovered on the hike the day prior and swam for hours. [Side Note: When life gets crazy, it's that very spot that I go back to in my mind to remember what's sure to always be one of the best moments/experiences of my life]. I don't know that I've ever been happier than that very day that we just sat there on those rocks (see photo) or floated in the extremely salty sea.
That night we went out as a group to the local bar "Bare Centrale" and laughed over drinks before heading down to the marina late night with some of the locals to test out our Italian (mostly mine, thanks to the Spanish).
The funny thing about traveling in hostels and alone is that you very quickly make bonds with complete strangers--because almost always they are out doing the exact same thing you are with the exact same experiences. This was the case for Miona Maddy and I. We felt like we'd been lifelong best friends...so much so that the next day when I had another night in Riomaggiore and they both left for home, I felt somewhat depressed! All the beautiful Italian men I could ask for and nothing would replace the chance to go back to the day prior and just hang out with the girls and soak up the sun without a care in the world.

The next day I took a train to Milan, stayed one night in a hostel, then left for Durham, North Carolina to the reality of my world that patiently awaited me for those 3 surreal months.

Bust out the BIKINIS ladies!!!

That's right, go on, stop thinking about it and just do it. I dont care if you're 22, 42 or 82. If you have small boobs, big boobs, saggy boobs, perky boobs or no boobs. If your butts round, slim, J-lo style or non-existent. For goodness sakes, there have been so many lines created over the years to give you the encouragement you need... 'you go girl', 'shake what yo mamma gave ya', 'got any fries with that shake' and i will be the first to say that any good rap song is all the encouragement one should need--in fact, argueably the most famous rapper out there will tell you 'he likes big butts and he cannot lie'.

So what is stopping you? Maybe u will use the excuse:
#I am a mother now and have to start acting like one
#im too old
#im too fat
#my body doesnt look like the girls in rap videos
#my body doesnt look like a 16 yr old (hello, it shouldnt!)
#and all the other things i listed above
#blah blah blah

I went to a public bath in Budapest on Wednesday and was so proud to be a woman! there were females fitting all the above criteria and every single one rocked a 2-piece bathing suit. And let me tell you, not only were they wearing 2 pieces but mine was probably the least revealing. And the funny thing, no one seemed to notice. No one seemed to care what anyone else looked like. Everyone was just enjoying the sun and the cool water. So when you get dressed to go to the pool next time, stop being an egomaniac and throw on the smallest thing you can find...show that pasty skin what the sun looks like! And as a good friend once told me, if i am looking, it is because i like what i see. So if the men stare, it is a good thing. and if the ladies are looking, it is because they are spilling over with envy at how confident you are!

As for my trip, i will say that Budapest was unbelieveably beautiful, a sort of Paris to the East. Not overcrowded with tourists, lovely people, great sights and great food. i came back to vienna today, am going to a concert tomorrow night (mozart and strauss) then heading to Switzerland (Interlaken). It is a town of about 5700 people but highly visited for its outdoor sports activities like canyoning, hanggliding, skydiving, etc. let us see what kind of trouble i can get into there, shall we? :0)

And finally, i am sure many of you are aware that Americans dont have the best reputation overseas. We are generally referred to as being 'ignorant of the world around us', bad drunks, slutty (sorry but it does get said a lot). Later when I have more time, I will tell a story I overheard at the Bath between two British and two Australian guys that was quite funny!

But the good news is that we do have 1 positive thing going for us: dental hygene. in over 3 different countries i have been to, locals have asked if i was american before hearing me speak a word of english. when i said yes, they all said, i can always tell by the nice teeth. whew, good thing we have 1 thing going for us!

I have 3 words for you...

BOYS ARE NASTY!...

I have come to determine that all boys are, except my brother Blake of course. Everything about them either makes noises, stinks, or worst of all, both at the same time! So allow me to do a little explaining:

My last night in prague consisted of sharing a room with 2 rugby players from England and New Zealand and a guy from Germany and another from Brazil. I went to bed early because I had to check out and catch the train early the next day to Budapest. They got home pretty late but were sweet to try not and wake me, but it was all a lost cause...one of them snored like a bear all night long and then at one point, it got so loud it not only woke me up but also himself. (and i was wearing ear plugs like an old woman too) He made a loud grunt noise, followed by talking in his sleep saying something like "oh baby baby bu bu bububu bubba baby" then it was back to snoring. Of course all i could think is, if he snores and talks in his sleep he might also sleep walk, so the rest of the night i am terrified im going to open my eyes and he is going to be standing next to me. hah! The next morning when i woke up to pack and leave, they are all sound asleep but one of the rugby players is lying on top of the bed in nothing but teeny tiiiny animal print underwear...i am laughing right now just thinking about it. The other was still completely dressed, guess he couldnt be bothered to change clothes after a long night out!

Back to stinky boys...the guy that sat next to me on the train ride for 7 hrs wasnt too shower fresh, and of course he gave me his card and asked me to call him for a drink (no thanks). I get to my hostel where i am staying in a 10 bed room and the guy i am sharing a bunk with had his sox laid out by the window and it was aweful! Then the 2 german guys in the bunk next to us seemed to have what i will politely refer to as "a liquid substance used to make cars run" but can also be referred to as "an external release of air from within the human body". It is times like this when you really miss the comfort of your own house and the few good smelling boys you know! (very few)

My last day in prague, i took a day trip to Terezin, an old WWII concentration camp about an hour north of prague. I dont have a weak stomach and dont get clostrophobic (sp?) in confined places but I could not handle visiting the small fortress where prisoners were kept. I dont have words to describe it other than to say that you could literally feel the suffering that came from the small (unbelieveably small) rooms where hundreds slept on 3 tiered bunks or the floor. As I walked into the first few rooms, I felt a sense of fear that the doors were going to clasp behind me and lock me inside. It was also so cold and smelled of years of disease. I walked with my hand over my nose and mouth the entire time. I literally felt like i was surrounded by death. After that, I walked straight back to the bus stop and caught the next bus back home. I couldnt have gotten away from there soon enough.

On the train to Budapest yesterday, the ticket master informed me my eurail pass didnt work in the Slovak Republic (10 yrs ago the 2 countries were 1--Chekleslovakia) (sp?) and that I would have to pay extra from the border of Czech Republic to Hungary (the journey thru Slovak Republic which is where we were currently passing thru). He said it was 41 Euro and I only had 50, so he said follow him to the restaurant car to get change because he didnt have any. Then he stops me between cars in a small passage when we were alone and pulls out 2 20 bill euros and 1 10 bill euro. I give him the 50, he gives me those then just takes one of my 20s and only says "dont worry" followed by putting his finger over his lips and saying "shhhh" and a smile. I smiled back. Who can blame him for wanting to make an extra buck, especially when it saved me about 20 euro myself!

I got off the train in Budapest and made my way to the metro. Things looked quite a bit more run down than the past countries i had been into and i started to wonder if i had made the right choice to come here for a few nights. The metro cars looked like something that was built during WWI and survived a few blasts from WWII. But then, I get off at my stop, walk up the stairs to street level and low and behold...the national opera house is to my left and directly in front of me are my old friends, Louis V. with Gucci. I was definitely where I needed to be!

Today I am off to explore the Buda side of the Danube River. There used to be 2 cities split by the river--Buda to the west and Pest to the east. My hostel is on the Pest side which is more commercial and business. Buda is more history and culture. After going to the Buda castle, I am going to visit one of the many popular bath houses here in Hungary to try and cool off from the heat and enjoy some sunshine.

I hope you enjoy the new pictures from Vienna and Prague and hopefully i will have some new ones from here to share soon.

final photos from Vienna and some from Prague

Ok, the highly anticipated:
1. final shot of me from my hostel view of vineyard directly in front with Vienna in the distance
2. The palace hotel next to my hostel in Vienna which I WILL be back to stay in some day!
3. Beautiful view at night of romantic lit buildings in Vienna before rain storm
4. Me running in the rain, notice how soaked I am
5. Me stopping to take a quick photo with the branch in the road
6. Hello from Prague
7. Changing of the guard at Prague Castle
8. Neon green Plum, I wasn't kidding people!