The Adventures of BAD ASH!

Rafting the Lutschine in Switzerland

2011-02-04T08:37:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-31T14:17:00.000-08:00

Greek Isles, total debauchery!

2011-01-31T13:35:00.000-08:00

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...

2010-02-11T12:26:00.001-08:00

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!!!

2009-07-31T11:36:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-07-29T00:26:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-29T00:21:00.000-07:00

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!

2 more things...

2009-07-26T15:30:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention 2 very important things:

#1 HAPPY BIRTHDAY GOODWIN!

#2 If you look at who my followers are, that handsome fellow with the beard is my grandfather, Papa Jim...Papa Jim, you look very handsome in your photo and I'm impressed you figured out how to sign up to be one of my followers! You're practically a technology wizard now! Can't wait to see you soon.

Good night everyone.

All Smiles...

2009-07-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

I'm seriously trying to type this update but someone is blasting Tina Turner, "what's love got to do with it" from the hostel kitchen and all I can do is sing the words to the song. It could also be the 2 glasses of wine I just had at an outdoor cafe that keep me from focusing. But I'm gonna go with Tina!

So, let's see, 2 days down in Prague and I'm still having the time of my life! Yesterday I decided to wonder around without looking at a map to see if I could get myself lost and just what I'd find. I was successful at getting lost and ended up crossing the Vlatva River (sp)...
Great, now it's Enrique Iglesias "Bailamos" hahaha Holly, I am totally thinking about "I can be your hero baby" right now! Whew, ok focus.
Yeah so, I walked from Strave Mesto (old town) where my hostel is located up the hill to Prague Castle. I watched the changing of the guard, walked around, had a picnic of cheese and crackers and a nectarine then headed back. On my way, I came across this gravel road that lead into the forest from the best I could tell. I decided to see what I could find...
ok seriously, now the radio is playing a song that's chorus sings "give me give me give me a man after midnight" and I can't stop laughing! ...
I promise, no more radio song comments from now on.

So, let's try this again. Walking thru the gravel road into the woods, I had no idea where I'd end up but let me just say, it's liberating when I can honestly say, I had nothing better to do and was in no hurry, whatsoever! And lucky me, I ended up at the top of the hill of Prague with the most amazing view overlooking the city (again no pictures yet but soon enough people!) I kept walking, wondering where the end of the path would take me. I felt like I was in a fairy tale with the giant trees and their limbs only allowing small splotches of sun to sneak in. It was beautiful but a little cold. Then all of a sudden, the forest opened up and spit me out into an open field of fruit trees. Thousands of them. From cherry to apple to pear to plum. Rows and rows and I was all alone except for 2 other people that looked like locals off the path picking fruit from the trees and eating it. I decided to fit in as best I could so I ate my first ever fruit right off the tree--a plum that was clearly not ripe yet. After rubbing it clean with my sleeve, i bit into purple flesh with neon green inside. It was extremely sour but I ate it anyway, feeling like I had teleported myself back into time. Then I managed to get a pear down from one of the upper branches of its tree and did the same. I called it an early night and got to my room to do some writing then met my new roommates--2 guys from Poland that were only staying one night, on their way to Bosnia to do some camping. Good thing for earplugs because one of them snored all night! Tonight I have no idea who I'll find in my room because the Polish guys left this a.m. as did the guy from Taiwan and the girl from China.

Today I did more exploring across the bridge into Mala Strana then back to the fruit tree field for a nap in the grass after another picnic. Tonight I finally had my first restaurant meal alone from my trip. An italian restaurant where I had wine and a pizza capricciosa (mushrooms, artichokes, olives--hold the ham). It is just around the corner from my hostel so I stayed a while and listened to the live jazz band. Prague is famous for live jazz just about everywhere.

Before dinner, I bought a ticket to a black light theatre show --also famous here-- and attended it at 7pm. It was called "Aspects of Alice", based on Alice in Wonderland. It was a mix of black light, theatre actors and light projection art. It was awesome, but the best way to describe it would be something like Alice in Wonderland on Acid or Absynth, which is everywhere here also. It was strange but an experience, for sure! Sorry, no photos were allowed. Guess you'll have to come to Prague to see it for yourself! (side note, Mom, remember when I did that black light dance in middle school to Elton John's Croccodile Rock? I totally thought of that, how funny! It was me, Suzanne Spain and who else? Denise Devasier?) Ok, sorry to everyone else for that side track...

Before taking my seat, I decided I'd order a drink. And most of you that know me well, know that I like to experience new things and do what the "locals do". Well, I got to the bar in the theatre to order a drink and had noticed a drink that I'd seen a number of times here...something called Campari. I could swear I'd heard of it before or had even tried it somewhere, but when I asked for it, the woman looked at me strangely (as in, no one has ordered that in 100 years). And when she came around the corner with a bottle or pink liquor that looked like it had been sitting somewhere for 100 years, I knew why. I didn't have the heart to say, "actually, I'll just have a glass of wine," afterall, I was trying to act like I knew what I was doing. If she could have seen my face after the first sip, she'd have known I was an imposter for sure! It tasted something like I'd imagine liquid-fire-gasoline to taste like! 2 sips later, I set it down somewhere and walked away, already feeling a bit buzzed.

The last thing I'll mention is that when I planned this trip, I was thinking, after Paris, when I made my way further east in Europe, I'd not be able to understand a word of what anyone said...well boy was I wrong. Spanish is taking over the world. Everyone I pass on the street is from Spain or Mexico and even a few Argentinians. (of course there are tons of English speakers as well, but the Spaniards definitely dominate). Too bad I wasn't close enough to hear what they were saying after we left the theatre tonight. I was all smiles and even a few laughs out loud thinking about what I'd just watched. I remember Alice in Wonderland to be all about talking cats and queens of hearts, tea, etc. This show had giant Jewish creatures, clowns, and a "finding your womanhood" scene (too keep it politically correct). The best part was the show ended with Alice "becoming a woman": experimenting sexuality, then finding a man, getting married, having a baby, and finally dying...I don't know why but I thought that was so funny. Don't get me wrong, it was beautiful, but is that really all a woman can expect???
Again, not the Alice in Wonderland I remembered.

The Irony of Wishing...

2009-07-25T00:44:00.000-07:00

Now that I have a fan base, (which is AWESOME by the way) I feel more compelled to write often! I got to Praha (Prague) yesterday via an old, slow, unairconditioned, muggy train. It took about 5.5 hrs total. At 7pm, after being lost for a moment with my heavy backpack crushing my shoulders, I stayed cool calm and collected and finally found my way to Tyn Hostel in the heart of the Strave Mesto (Old Town). Another foreign language and another currency...

BUT before I start on my first few hours in the Czech Republic, my last day in Vienna was quite eventful. Matt and I met up in the afternoon and rented bikes to ride to an area in town less inhibited with tourists, across the Danube to the north east. We rode along the riverbank and passed a number of parks with locals hanging out. We were on the hunt for a waterpark to try and beat the heat. We passed some rough locals along the way which gave me a chance to see a different side of the city. Most of the locals were on their way to the river bank to take a swim. We didnt find the waterpark (or rather we did but it was just a park called "water park") but it was already 8pm and had cooled off considerably.

So we made our way back to the film festival for dinner and a beer. We got lost on the way and found ourselves in the upper crust of the city with high end stores, restaurants and bars. Good thing I didn't find it earlier because there were way too many stores I could have caused damage at! We ended up walking past the National Archeology museum, Spanish horse stables palace and into a large garden we had visited during the day with museums around it. But we had never seen it at night with the lights showing how truly Grandioso it is. (pictures to follow at another time)

There were groups of 10-20 people parties having picnics and wine along with couples snugged up on the vast grass area. The concert for the film festival had aready begun and it was an opera that was close enough to be heard loudly. In the distance, heat lightening ran across the sky. There couldn't have been more romantic scene for all the lovebirds in the area.

The festival was already packed so we went straight to the line for food. I had the same asian veggie dish as the first night--carrots, zucchini, noodles, etc with steamed white rice but this time I added some salmon. I was starving from the day so a few minutes later, it was gone! And good thing...just as I had finished, it seemed that what originally appeared to be non-obtrusive heat lightening quickly turned into a serious threat.

We were luckily already under an awning, shielded from the monsoon that fell within seconds. But when hundreds of others attempt to join for shelter, then the wind and flooding take over, there was really no hope in staying dry. Oh an did I mention the awning was metal??? No a good combo with lightening. After the hope of the rain passing faded into a flood,we had to make a run for it...but where to? There were hundreds of others already under he only bus stops near by. Th U-Bahn (metro) was a good mile away...I guess after complaining all day about the heat and unsuccessfully looking for a "water hole", we were granted our wish!

Running through water on the streets up to my shins, the sun dress I had on was completely soaked inside and out. But I was definitely not the only one. There were girls in white shirts, tops and one unfortunate soul in white linnen pants that opened the windows to their private fortresses for all the world to see!
The wind was so strong, we passed a few tree limbs obstrcting the roads on our way to the U-Bahn. (also a picture to come) Finally we got to our hostel at midnight, freezing!...funny how things can change on the drop of a dime. That's life and may we never forget it!

Now, I was sweating like an 80s rockstar on the train from Vienna to Prague. I sat next to a Russian interpretive dancer who was without a doubt the most beautiful girl I have ever seen in my life--her face was flawless. She reminded me of Natalie Portman but much prettier.

I got settled into my hostel and went for a walk to the town square, had a beer and sat next to a guy from Belgium and a girl from here. We spoke in Spanish and English and talked about Cuba--which they visited while studying in Costa Rica. Hmm, I feel a Latin American sebatical coming in the future! :0)

more photos: last day in France & Vienna in all its glory

2009-07-23T11:18:00.000-07:00

Here they are... sorry i posted them backwards so france is last and austria first...

1. imax screen for film fest against city hall bldg

2. mozart statue in a park with lovely flower, music note design

3. half of my tangerine...have i mentioned the fruit here is like nothing we have ever tasted in the states!!! pesticides are a serious problem people.

4. view from my hostel in vienna...like i said before, amazing!

5. bike tour of Versailles in France

6. picnic on the bike tour with me petting-feeding-getting bitten by the swans. they are really soft by the way but it almost took my middle finger off.

How do you solve a problem like Maria...

2009-07-23T00:58:00.000-07:00

I am standing in front of this giant computer screen just giddy thinking about writing my latest updates. again i have no pictures to share at this point but once i can upload will do so. i will also go ahead and say for my own comfort that there will be little proper typing on this update as in capital letters and punctuation because im again working with a very strange keyboard.
now that the formalities are out of the way, lets get down to business!
:
after little sleep and what im pretty sure now were a case of bed bugs (vs. what i originally thought to be a heat rash), i left the wonders of paris thinking it would be hard to top. i left hostel picard at 5am, walked to the metro and made my way to the train station across the city where a 14 hour journey awaited me that monday morning. i had finally acclimated myself into the parisian way of life and was getting along quite well with my elementary french then BOOM, i get off the train in frankfurt, germany for a connection and there are large german people everywhere speaking this caveman sounding language (german, obviously).

Now this is very important so PAY ATTENTION:
if you have ever been the person im about to describe and YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE...you should be ashamed and i hope my story will make you think twice...if you are somewhere, say the grocery store, blockbuster, a restaurant, your job, or i dont know, maybe a train station and you try to speak to someone that you quickly realize doesnt speak your language well because they look something like a deer in headlights, dont get impatient, rude or try to speak louder thinking they will understand. just show a friendly smile and try to help them out. you could make a lifelong friend that way or if nothing else, its a great way to 'pay it forward'. karma will come back to you, it always does.

as u can imagine, this was me in frankfurt. having always traveled to romance speaking countries, i really didnt prepare well for what it might be like when i got to german speaking countries like germany and austria...much less what is awaiting me in czech republic and hungary. but regardless i have been amazed by how much a smile and pointing can do for communicating. to explain just how bad it was, i quickly realized my entire german vocabulary was based upon a tv show u might have heard of, hosted by a supermodel u also might have heard of...anyone?
(phonetic spelling) o-FE-da-zane! yep, heidi klum and project runway. so i had 'goodbye' down but what good is that when u cant say hello, i dont speak german or do u speak english. after a quick crash course from my lets go europe book, i got it down and did i mention EVERYONE speaks english...but that is not to deter anyone from trying their best to speak the native tongue of the country they are visiting, always my reco!

ok enough babel. i got to vienna, austria at 8pm monday evening, caught the metro from train station to bus stop, caught the bus to hostel about 10 min out of the city, high on a hill with the most beautiful view ive ever seen. im almost positive paradise does exist on earth and i have found it. this is the most beautiful, cleanest, easy going, friendly city-country-people i have met in my life. paris is a joke compared to hear...yep i just said that! the hostel is right next to a palace built in the 1870s that has been converted to a hotel. i cant stop singing sound of music songs and imagining that captain von trap and maria and all the kids are in the palace signing and dancing also! hah!!

on tuesday i visited Stephensplatz cathedral in the heart of the city, lit a candle for maggie and blake and then took a tour of the catacombs below the cathedral where 11,000 bodies are burried. there is something called a bone house where plague victims (8,000) were just dropped into a hole and u can look in and see all the skeletal remains, skulls and all...chilling.

i toured the haus of musik and learned all about mozart and strauss and beethovens lives and music...and yes i even did a little bit of waltzing thru parts of the museum when no one was around. i met up with a guy traveling alone from new zealand, matt, and he and i have been travel partners for the past 2 days. we found where they are having an international film festival and have had a blast eating international cuisine, drinking austrian beer and watching the imax size screen that is outdoors against the gothic city hall bldg.

yesterday i toured leopold museum which i was most excited about doing here in vienna to see a huge collection of klimt and egon schielle's (sp?) work. I also toured the home freud lived in which was fascinating! naturally, i now have a list of about 20 books i want to read on all 3 of them. my favorite pieces of klimt and schielle are 'the kiss' and 'nude woman with orange stockings' respectively. but there isnt a piece i do not like!

i will end this not-so-entertaining blog post with one more note:
hostels are fantastic if u find a clean one for a good price. they make traveling alone easy, affordable and a great way to meet others just like u. BUT, there are some instances when u really appreciate a single room in a good clean hotel.
instance #1, the bed bugs situation i mentioned above--which can also happen in hotels.
instance #2, ur in ur 4 bed dorm room, u think its just u and the 2 south korean girls uve already met, then a 50 yr old vienesse woman busts in at 11pm, with no teeth and proceeds to prance around the room in her underwear and of course takes an immediate interest in u.
at this point last night, i was sure of 1 of 3 things:
1. this woman was drunk
2. this woman was crazy
3. this woman was a witch and was planning on how she could burry my dead body in the woods or mix it into a potion and eat me.

lucky me, i woke up this a.m. with all my limbs intact. must have been options 1 and-or 2. whew.

Paris and beyond...

2009-07-17T07:38:00.000-07:00

ok so here are the photos I promised. I am attempting to type on a French keyboard and it is taking me forever!

first up: the London TUBE (metro)

2nd: outside wesminster abbey in London

3rd: Stonehenge

4th: only the biggest and best ice cream cone ever (bigger than the Eiffel Tower!!!)

5th: le tour eiffel

6th: street party on the eve of Bastille day

7th: Bon Jour! (yours truly with confetti in my hair)

8th: lots of confetti on the street

9th: picnic Bastille Day on the Champs de Mars

10th: fireworks show with light display off the tower; clearly showcasing the 70s at that moment

11th: me from the view at Montmarte Basillica bell tower

12th: Inside Notre Dame where I lit a candle for Maggie Cobb and Blake (my brother, as always)

That is all for now. Im off to figure out how I can reserve a train seat for Monday from Paris to Vienna, Austria...because the hills are alive with the sound of music!!!!

Oui Oui Paris!

2009-07-15T08:18:00.000-07:00

Bonjour! Again, it's taken a while to find the time and location to write but here I am, sitting in an internet cafe in Montmarte. I arrived via the eurostar (train underwater) from London on Sunday night, checked into my hostel and called it a night. I started fresh on Monday finding another hostel (because the first one only had availability for 1 night but I was desperate). I found a great place in the 4th Arrondisemont (I should preface with a request that you forgive my French spelling--nothing is phonetic like in Spanish!) called Hotel Picard. The man who owns the place is the most energetic, lovely man! After I dropped off my things I headed out to the metro. Hopped on the 3rd and took it to the 7th then got off at Pont Neuf (labeled as the biggest makeout spot in all of Paris in my Let's Go Europe book...I just had to chek it out. Seeing as it was the morning, not too much PDA but still a little--this is Paris after all. Then I walked all the way along the Seine River to the Eiffel Tower. I sat in a grassy area next to it and wrote in my journal and waited until 3pm for my bicycle tour I signed up for. I wanted to do that first thing to see the sites and get oriented before I actually took tours of the individual locations like the Louvre, Notre Dame, Montmarte, etc.
It turned out that I met a girl traveling alone also in my bike group from Australia. She and I exchanged numbers and decided to meet up the next day to celebrate Bastille Day (France's anniversary of the French Revolution--think 4th of July for us).
That Monday night I went back to my hotel prepared to hit the sack early with a bottle of wine and some cheese and bread. Then as soon as I get to my room, loud music starts to come in from my window. I knew it couldn't be in a bar but rather an outdoor band because it was so loud so I decided to take a gander. I poured the wine into my water bottle and headed out to see what awaited me in the streets of Paris at 8pm. Only 2 blocks away to my great surprise was a huge stage with a band playing what I'll call some of the greatest America disco hits of all time aka great karaoke options! (I of course made a list). The scene will go down in history as one of my greatest memories in life--i was surrounded by locals and didn't sit down for more than 2 minutes before a 70 yr old Frenchman came and asked me to dance. I tried to decline but he insisted so I left my things in my chair which he assured me would be fine and headed out to the middle of the street with him. We did a combination of what I took to be salsa and I'm sure he took to be jitter bug--either way they were surprisingly similar because he seemed impressed with my skills. It is amazing that eventhough you might not speak the same language, a smile and a good turn on the dancefloor speaks louder than words. We were best friends! Cut to 1am and the streets are now flooded with locals from kids 5yrs old on parents shoulders to teenagers and young adults to a couple that slow danced the entire night to the french music that had to be at least 90 years old. Again, I couldn't have been luckier that my first hostel was booked which sent me into this little neighborhood to have such a wonderful experience. So yeah, at 1am people in the 2nd floor of a building adjacent to the street we were in started throwing bags and bags of confetti into the street. It was falling all over us and we kept dancing and cheering and catching some of the unopened bags and throwing it on everyone in the crowd. (I have pictures but don't have time to upload now so that will come later!) I have to give you guys something to come back for don't I???
I finally left at 1:30am but the party was going strong. Needless to say, I missed the parade the next morning because I didn't wake up to my alarm. But I made it down to Champs de Mars (between Ecole Militiare and the Eiffel Tower) for the traditional Bastille Day picnic (biggest picnic on Earth every year). That night my Australian friend, Anna, and I had cheese and wine as we sat on a towel amongst what the French papers said were 700,000 to 1 million people picnicing and listening to the concert of a famous french artist called Johnny Holiday??? Doesn't sound very french to me--but just imagine a Neil Diamond meets Tom Jones and you'll get the idea. The evening ended with fireworks and the most amazing visual arts light display reflected off the eiffel tower--also pictures of this to come as well as video. I've never seen anything in my life like it. The French definitely lived up to their infamous Grandeur style.
Now, if you can imagie what 1 million people look like pilled into a grassy area the size of a football field then surely you can imagine what it looks like when they all try to walk to the closest metro station at the same time--sheer chaos! The fireworks ended at 11pm and I got back to my hostel at 1:30am. I must have waited 1.5 hours to get on the metro and once I finally did, I didn't mind the heat or the body odor one bit! Afterall, all day long in the hot sun, drinking wine, not knowing if I was going to ever get home...I was sweating a bit myself.
Today I met up with Anna again here in Montmarte and we followed a walking tour she had in her travel book. This area is a beautiful cobblestone village with a basillica at the top of the hill with the famed 'best view in Paris'. yes better than the Eiffel Tower without the lines and only for £5. Besides, of course it is better beause you can actually see the Eiffel Tower in the panoramic view. (again, pictures to follow at a later time).
Tomorrow Anna leaves so I'm back on my own. Left on the agenda is a visit to the Louvre, Musee d' Orsy, Arc de Triumph, Notre Dame, a bike tour to Versailles and then I'll be off to Vienna, Austria probably on Monday.
Whew, ok I think that's all the updates for now. I've never typed so fast, but time is money and money is limited so until next time...
Au Revoir!
Ashley

Goodbye Ireland. Hello London!

2009-07-07T12:41:00.000-07:00

Hello All! I apologize for taking so long to write my first post since leaving for my trip but here it is! I landed in Dublin on Wednesday around 11:45am local time July 1st. It was quite a trip to get there with many looooong flight delays but I was happy and jet-lag free when I arrived. I took a bus to Trinity college and walked about 5 minutes to my hostel on the Liffey River, more specifically Aston Quay (pronounced key). I stayed in a 4 bunk/8 bed room but lucky me, no one else ever checked into the room so I had it all to myself, bathroom included! I met up with one of my new Dublin friends that first night at a pub called The Porterhouse. We started with our first pint at 5:30pm and didn't leave until they made us around 1:30 I believe. Needless to say we had a blast getting to know each other but I had to pay for it with a horrible hangover the next morning. We did however find an 8% beer--didn't even know those existed. Hence the hangover.
From then on, I did some exploring around the city and the weather turned out nice, only rained a small bit every now and then. The first picture above is from Trinity College where I spent most of my time exploring inside the campus walls, reading and writing in my journal.
On Friday the 3rd of July, my new pal Andrew picked me up from my hostel around 2pm and we left for a 4.5 hr drive to the West Coast--the island I wrote about earlier, Achill Island (pronounced Akil, emphasis on the A). Everyone had a good laugh because I pronounced it like I'm assuming most would: A-Chill. There were 8 of us that stayed in the cottage right off the beach (see second photo uploaded above): Paul G., Sarah, Andrew, Napiz, myself, Eoin, Collin and Dierdra. They were all some of the best people I've ever met and we truly had the best time. We took Friday easy, then Saturday morning Collin, Dierdra, Napiz and Andrew ran a 1/2 marathon...Sarah, Paul and myself cheered them on but mostly sat outside a restaurant eating paninis and drinking tea. We had the best dessert I've ever tasted in my life...something called Binafi (sp?). It is basically a sort of chocolate and banana pie but the consistency isn't like Pie at all, only the crust which is extremely thick and delicious! After the race was over, we headed to the local pub: The Annexe for some pints and to watch the Lions vs. South Africa rugby match. It was intense but a neat experience to see everyone get so into the game. Then we all freshened up, headed to dinner and finally to the only club in town called the Achill Head. We danced all night and ended the evening with some old Irish tunes and lots of singing back at the cottage. All and all, we ended up going to bed at 7:30am Sunday morning. When we woke that same day around noon, we all drove to Keem Beach which holds the title of being the most beautiful place I've ever laid eyes on. The drive alone was amazing up the mountain side via tiny curving roads. We had to stop a few times to let the sheep that were wandering on the roads pass. Then we got to this small strip of beach in a valley between 2 mountains (they were probably really just big hills but for a Texan like myself they classified as mountains). I forgot my camera and wanted to shoot myself but luckily Paul and Eoin had theirs so they promise to send the pictures over and once they do, I'll be sure to share. We swam in the ice cold water that was as clear as something you'd see on the Yucatan in Mexico. I even saw 2 jellyfish. Then we played a game of frisbee on the shore and finished it off with laying on our towels for a good 20 minutes just chatting before we called it a trip and had to drive back to Dublin.
The next day I was on my way via Ryanair at 1:30pm to London Gatwick airport. I caught the Gatwick express train into Victoria station in Central london then the Underground metro (Tube) to Notting Hill where my friend Mandy's husband Ben met up with me. His best mate John offered to let me stay in his flat while in London so I've really lucked out at my first two stops! We had Thai food and 2 pints Monday evening, then I got settled into my new temporary home and got some much needed rest. Today I woke and took the tube from Chiswick Park (pronounced Chisick--silent w) to Temple, got off and walked straight to the Thames River then crossed over to the other side (south) to go to the Modern Art Museum here called Tate Modern. I spent hours in the museum looking around then at about 4:30pm went a block down to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre for a guided tour into the theatre and museum. It was breathtaking to imagine back to those times. The last photo is a picture outside of the theatre. Around 6:30 I headed back to the tube which was a good 20 minute walk, caught it home and here I sit, letting the world know about my adventures.
The spontaneity thing has been working well, clearly, so I don't plan to change that. I think I will be in London thru the weekend then it will be off to Paris but who knows what will happen between now and then.

It's Official

2009-06-22T14:11:00.000-07:00

After a very long weekend, I'm officially homeless and carless. Thank goodness I have a good friend, Alice, who has offered to let me stay a week in her home and other good friends/coworkers that pick me up and drop me off at various destinations--one specific location: work!

I spent the weekend cleaning, packing, moving all my belongings (literally everything except a few t-shirts and shorts for my trip) into storage. So while it would appear I'm completely prepared for my big adventure, I've only managed to change everything familiar to me in San Antonio...I still have yet to plan anything for when I land across the big pond. But, thanks to random coincidence and a little something I like to call fate, I have been put in contact with some friends of friends in Dublin. They've already invited me to the most amazingly beautiful place once I arrive--an island off the west cost of the country called Achill Island (I'd recommend you google search it).

So just as I'd hoped, things are already starting to fall into place. Spontaneity and flexibility are going to make this the best trip of my life! My BFF, Goodwin, sent the most beautiful flowers to my office today for my birthday and in the card she wrote: "This is going to be the best year ever!" And Goodwin, I couldn't agree more!

Just The Beginning

2009-04-30T14:42:00.000-07:00

So it's official...I'm taking a 3 month sabbatical to do some backpacking through Europe. My last day at work will be June 26th, my 26th birthday is the following day and then on June 30th I have a one-way ticket to Dublin, Ireland. Other than that, I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to be doing. No plans, not even a place to stay. Like my recent Vancouver trip, I'm just going to wing it and hope for the best. Spontaneity is my favorite word after all!
Right now, I'm thinking Dublin to London to Paris to Vienna (maybe a stop in Switzerland first) to Prague and maybe Budapest? It's all going to depend on time and money and if I meet some friends along the way that pull me with them to another destination.
The method of my madness? A spiritual journey of self-discovery...what's my purpose, why am I here, where am I going, etc. etc. But mostly because I absolutely love to explore new things, meet new people and learn about new cultures and on the flip side of that, who wouldn't want a break from work! :0)
So please go ahead and start lighting the candles and saying your prayers:
1. For my safety
2. For mental, emotional, spiritual clarity
3. That I don't end up falling in love and getting engaged...I can't pretend it hasn't happened before! haha

I promise to do my best at updating this along the way with photos and details of my adventures and discoveries.