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November 28, 2005
Ice Skating in Budapest
(Day 283) "Where've you been?" is a common icebreaker when getting to know other backpackers. I'm beginning to dread that question. Naming all the places I've visited is becoming a real mouthful. From now on, I'm just going to say, Australia, Asia, and Eastern Europe.
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Posted by markyiin at 01:20 PM | Comments (5)
November 27, 2005
Szechenyi Baths
(Day 282) Showering on the road isn't always convenient. Sometimes water pressure is too low, sometimes the knob for hot water doesn't appear to work. Overnight journeys are the worst. I have yet to ride a train equipped with anything more than a simple faucet to wash my face in. Over the months, I'm sure I've accumulated a fair amount of grime. And so, I've decided to dedicate this day to bathing...
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Posted by markyiin at 04:24 AM | Comments (6)
Queen of the Danube
(Day 281) Budapest is a fusion of two cities separated by the Danube - Buda on the river's west banks and the larger Pest to the east. Like many formerly Soviet influenced capitals, capitalism and commerce have spread like wildfire, yet the city manages to retain much of its culture and history. Studded with World Heritage, it's often dubbed 'Queen of the Danube'.
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Posted by markyiin at 04:12 AM | Comments (3)
November 25, 2005
Kosice
(Day 280) Should there be a purpose to traveling? Besides just looking at the sights and scenery and being amazed at the beauty man and nature came up with? Is the real prize interaction with locals, however brief, and gaining insight on unfamiliar customs? If it's the latter, I - and most other backpackers - are going about it the wrong way. I should be spending weeks in each town, learning the language, to truly immerse myself in foreign cultures.
Posted by markyiin at 12:40 PM | Comments (3)
November 24, 2005
Where the train takes you...
(Day 279) Jason and I were supposed to meet in the main hall at 7:50am, twenty minutes before departure. I wager he overslept, or underestimated morning rush hour, and by 8:05am, when he hadn't shown up, I shrugged and boarded the train alone. If he showed up at the last minute, I'm sure we'd see each other at the other end.
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Posted by markyiin at 01:06 PM | Comments (6)
Bratislava
(Day 278) The journey from Krakow to Bratislava required a change of trains in Breclav. The junction sits just north of the point where Czech, Austrian, and Slovakian borders intersect, so technically, I was standing on Czech territory for about ten seconds.
Posted by markyiin at 12:55 PM | Comments (1)
November 23, 2005
Chilling
(Day 277) Big fluffly flakes fell from above. The kind I loved as a kid, because it meant the possibility of school closings and delayed openings. Several us were sitting in the lounge area, some eating breakfast, some, like myself, staring out the window, watching it come down. All the room needed was a crackling fireplace, and I would've been staking my spot on the couch that night.
Posted by markyiin at 04:10 AM | Comments (6)
November 21, 2005
Krakow
(Day 276) I'm not going to walk through the wild goose hunt I went on. Instead of going as part of a tour group, I tried to reach Auschwitz museum independently. It wasn't an fun experience - only frustrating - and it's something I don't want to relive. Suffice to say it's not as easy as the guidebooks make it out to be, and the circles I walked in wasted an entire morning.
Posted by markyiin at 11:54 AM | Comments (8)
November 20, 2005
Wieliczka Salt Mines
(Day 275) I'm really breezing through Europe. One day here, two days there. On no other continent is it easier to do a whirlwind tour. Distances between cities are reasonable, and the transportation network is extensive and efficient. I decide this morning I'm read to leave Warsaw and go to Krakow? No sweat.
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Posted by markyiin at 01:47 PM | Comments (6)
November 19, 2005
No Joke
(Day 274) I was thinking to myself, what exactly do I know about Poland? Not much, I concluded. I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to Polish customs, Polish history. I do know a few Polish jokes, but posting them here might be in poor taste, and I wouldn't want to offend any Poles that might be reading.
Posted by markyiin at 11:32 AM | Comments (5)
November 18, 2005
Hill of Crosses
(Day 273) I swear, if the weather doesn't improve soon, I'm going to... keep whining I guess. As they say, everyone complains about the weather, but no one ever does anything about it.
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Posted by markyiin at 12:13 PM | Comments (3)
November 17, 2005
Bizarre Vilnius
(Day 272) Just as sightseeing in Thailand revolves around temples, a tour through Europe is dominated by churches and museums. Vilnius' Old Town would be the third such place I've visited, and certainly not the last. In an attempt to avoid redundant entries and having things become 'old', I tried to seek out some of the more bizzare today.
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Posted by markyiin at 09:38 AM | Comments (3)
The Last Baltic state
(Day 271) I made up my mind to move on this morning. Riga isn't really my type of city; The raucous club life and the constant activity in the hostel bar downstairs were a bit overwhelming for my taste. People coming in and out of the rooms at all hours of the morning... Disturbances are a risk whenever you choose cheap dormitory style accomodations, but surely not all hostels are so party oriented.
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Posted by markyiin at 09:35 AM | Comments (3)
November 16, 2005
Riga: By day and by night
(Day 270) People travel for all sorts of reasons. Some do it to broaden their horizons, others, it seems, for bragging rights. Country collectors, I like to call them. I've met people on the road due to an upsetting event, like a breakup or a divorce. Then there are those who are simply out to have a good time.
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Posted by markyiin at 02:00 PM | Comments (2)
November 14, 2005
Sigulda
(Day 269) I'm addicted to cough drops. Those little candies packed with 'vapor action' are a godsend. With two rolls of them in my pocket, I felt ready for more new and exciting adventures.
Posted by markyiin at 01:37 PM | Comments (6)
Sick Day
(Day 268) I think I've had a respectable attendance record so far. I've disappeared for a couple weeks early on, but for the most part, I've been able to plod on through minor aches and pains. It had to happen eventually though. Today, on Day 268, I'm officially taking a sick day from my vacation.
Posted by markyiin at 01:34 PM | Comments (3)
November 13, 2005
Baltic Avenue
(Day 267) Mention the Baltics, and some might conjure up images of the metaphorical Iron Curtain, of a war torn region bandied about by foreign powers. Personally, I think of Baltic Avenue... you know, the piece of property three spaces from 'GO' in that Monopoly board game. Combined with Mediterranean Avenue, it's always been one of my favorite monopolies to achieve, because if I recall correctly, it merely costs $500 in Monopoly dollars to put up little red hotels on them.
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Posted by markyiin at 01:40 PM | Comments (4)
November 12, 2005
Back to school
(Day 266) I thought I overslept this morning until I saw the clock above reception.
"Is that clock right??"
"Uh, yeah," replied the receptionist increduously. Corrected, I turned my watch back an hour. Excuse me if I can't keep track of what time zone I'm in.
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Posted by markyiin at 10:46 AM | Comments (4)
November 11, 2005
The recipe for charm
(Day 265) What goes through my mind when I'm lost. When I've just arrived in an unfamiliar city, so early that it's still pitch black outside? Not panic, because we all know crying doesn't solve anything. Nor frustration. I've been in this situation enough times to get worked up over it. No, my thoughts are rather bland actually. Something to the effect of: Here we go again, Mark. Get out your map and hope you read it correctly this time.
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Posted by markyiin at 03:22 AM | Comments (6)
November 10, 2005
Leaving Russia
(Day 264) I took a bus downtown today. There's nothing wrong with St Peterburg's metro, like Moscow's, the stations are pretty darn impressive. I took a bus because it's a change of pace. A different perspective, that allows me to see the neighborhoods between my homestay and Nevsky Prospekt.
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Posted by markyiin at 08:34 AM | Comments (3)
November 08, 2005
Cultural St Petersburg
(Day 263) My plans today were dicktated by the weather. Rain never killed anyone, and it wasn't even coming down that hard, but there's not a whole lot of purpose to walking around the city, at least from a picture taking point of view, when it's all gloomy outside.
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Posted by markyiin at 02:38 PM | Comments (7)
November 06, 2005
St Petersburg
(Day 262) I try not to have any preconceptions before entering any country. Sometimes though, it's hard to help it; When I think Russia, I picture people queueing in the snow for bread, a country rife with corruption and poverty. Blame the media or my own narrow-mindedness, but from what I've seen, it couldn't be farther from reality. Then again, I could be committing the same mistake many make when visiting China - seeing the highlights of the nation's two biggest cities and drawing premature conclusions about everyone's prosperity.
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Posted by markyiin at 11:12 AM | Comments (11)
The Moscow Metro
(Day 261) My train to St Petersburg didn't leave til five minutes before midnight. Kozlova suggested leaving my bags at left luggage at the station, explaining that she wouldn't be home for most of the day. That was what I was going to do anyways, but, "What station am I leaving from again?"
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Posted by markyiin at 10:44 AM | Comments (3)
Nothing fake about it
(Day 260) I only booked one night at the AST Hof Hotel. In the morning, Kristina from Marlis Travel met me in the lobby to take me to my homestay. We went by public transportation, and even though it should've been after rush hour, the Metro lines were still packed. On the way, she explained that she'd have to take my passport and have my visa registered.
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Posted by markyiin at 02:51 AM | Comments (3)
November 05, 2005
A run-in with the (corrupt) police
(Day 259) 96 hours is a long time to be on a train. I anticipated getting bored and brought something to read. Tolstoy's Anna Karenina is on my list of "Books I want to finish in my lifetime," and what better opportunity to do so than on a four day journey through the Motherland? In my opinion, it has one of the best opening lines ever: All happy families resemble one another, but each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. Sadly, I'd never get much farther than that. Too often, I found myself staring out the window, counting down the kilometers on the white markers next to the track.
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Posted by markyiin at 02:51 AM | Comments (7)
November 03, 2005
The Europe-Asia Border
(Day 258) The Trans-Mongolian Mall didn't operate at Tiumen. The police on the platform didn't allow it. Nor did they allow photos. (Look at Eduardo's face when he saw me taking one anyways.) I wonder if it's because of a military presence nearby. (I have pictures of the tanks too, but maybe I shouldn't post them while in Russia...) Whatever the reason, it was probably like this every week. Unlike yesterday, only a handful of people were loitering around the station.
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Posted by markyiin at 08:40 AM | Comments (7)
November 02, 2005
The Trans-Mongolian Mall
(Day 257) Overnight, our train filled with passengers. Several of them invaded my room, with their loud voices and sacks of luggage. They caused such a commotion, stuffing things in the overhead storage bins, that I wish I had bothered learning how to say, "Will you shut the !@#$ up? There's someone sleeping here!" in Russian.
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Posted by markyiin at 09:45 AM | Comments (5)
November 01, 2005
What time is it?
(Day 256) I wasn't aware of any stops overnight. We had to have made at least one though, because when I woke up, the salami was gone, and I had a new cabin mate. She was a harmless old Mongolian woman. Because of language difficulties, she didn't talk to me, and I didn't talk to her. All we shared was a room on the Trans-Mongolian Rail.
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Posted by markyiin at 01:57 PM | Comments (6)
A Rolling Bazaar
(Day 255) Two days in Mongolia hardly does the country justice. Granted, I didn't come at the best time; Jeep and camel treks to the Gobi Desert are only available in summer months, but I could've easily spent a week here, practicing my horseback skills, visiting nearby towns, and soaking in Mongolian culture.
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Posted by markyiin at 01:53 PM | Comments (2)
Khan!
(Day 254) Genghis Khan is a national obsession here. From the blurbs I've read about him, I'm ready to join the cult. Perhaps the greatest conqueror ever, his empire stretched from the Pacific as far west as tne Danube, surpassing that of the Romans in size. Historians have argued that had he not called back his forces to concentrate on Asia, Europe too may have fallen under his control. Stories tell of his razings being so thorough, he supposedly bragged he could ride through ruins in the dark and not worry about his horse tripping.
Posted by markyiin at 01:44 PM | Comments (0)
The Mongolian Outback
(Day 253) In my dream, Steve (from the Groovy Grape Australian Outback experience) was my guide. We were cruising down the highway in his minibus, him talking in that funky down under accent, surrounded by desert as far as the eye could see, when all of the sudden, I asked, "Wait, aren't I supposed to be on a train?" Immediately I woke up. Yes, I was on a train. At least the desert part was right.
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Posted by markyiin at 01:29 PM | Comments (7)
A new beginning
(Day 252) Mentally and geographically, I break my trip down into different parts. Australia and New Zealand are different from Southeast Asia, which in turn, differs from China. India too would've been its own category had I made it there. Eact act seem to fly by; If feels like just yesterday I was praising the beauty of Yangshuo.
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Posted by markyiin at 01:20 PM | Comments (1)