Prague

I spent another weekend country hopping, this time to Prague in the Czech Republic. The city is always well spoken of by young people, and is a common and trendy spot to visit these days. My fellow American Stasha and I left Cologne early on Friday. It's a very short flight from Cologne, maybe 50 minutes. We took a bus from the airport, and then a Metro to our hostel. At first, it felt like we were traveling to experience various forms of transportation, not to actually visit a city.

We stayed in a very "hip" hostel. It had a modern art appeal to it, and it kind of felt like we were spending the night in the Walker Art Museum. We got a taste of how touristy the city was right away, when we realized that the majority of the people staying at the hostel were Americans, followed by Aussies, Brits, and Canadians. By the way, I think the Czech accent is my favorite accent of English as a second language people. Not sure what it is, but I like it.

We quickly threw our stuff down, and headed out to explore the city. Our first stop was food. We had a typical Czech meal of pizza (just kidding) along with a local brew. From there, we walked towards the city center to explore the culture. It was a bit rainy, and I was beginning to think that Stasha is a bad luck travel mate seeing as rain clouds tend to follow us when we are together. The clouds went away though, and it ended up being a pretty nice weekend.

We first headed towards the old town, which is where the tourist action and hoards of people are. Right away, the city reminded me of a larger Krakow. It is much bigger, but it has that "old" feel to it. The old town square (pictured) has many shops, restaurants, street vendors, and just about anything you can think of. Old churches and synagogues are sprinkled throughout the city, and attract the majority of the picture takers.

From the old town, we made our way to the banks of the Vltava River, and across the famous Charles Bridge. The bridge is strictly a pedestrian bridge. It's very old, and has street vendors all over it. There are so many people walking across it and checking out the goods, that the foot traffic is very slow, and it is easy to get separated from the people you are with. There is everything from jewelry makers, to caricaturists, to instrumentalists trying to make a buck. I told my travel mate that I thought it was interesting the various ways people find to make money.

After we crossed the river, we found a beer garden up a hill that overlooks the city. It had a great view, and we needed a break by that time anyways. We just sat at a picnic table under a bunch of trees, had a drink, and looked out on to the city. After that we made our way back down the hill and across the other side of the river, where we headed back to the hostel to regroup for a bit before heading out for dinner.

Our second eating experience is what you would call more traditional. We only ordered from the "traditional Czech meals" part of the menu, and decided to go with the "Thanksgiving meal". We came to find out that it could literally feed a thanksgiving meal to a family of four. It had various types of meat, cabbage, kraut, and I think fish. Whatever it was, it was tasty. We hardly left a scrap on our plates, and had to be rolled out of the restaurant when it was time to leave.

From there, we thought we would experience the famed Prague nightlife. We took a tram to the other side of the river to visit a music bar recommended by one of the Slovakian girls in our program here in Cologne. She was nice enough to recommend some more traditional bars, where we would be surrounded by Czech people, and Czech prices. True to her word, we were definitely the only non-Czechs in the place. We received a lot of puzzled looks, but everyone we came into contact with was pleasant with us. They played all kinds of music, ranging from Latin to the Macarena, to Summer Love or whatever that song from Grease is called. We were there for a while, but had to leave as the smoke was burning our eyes out. Oh how I miss smoke free Minnesota.

From there, we walked to another club we just so happed to spot while on the earlier tram ride. It was also fun, but had a little heavier tourist presence. There were a few people on the dance floor who provided some amusing interpretive dance. After a while, we headed back to the hostel to get some rest for a days worth of "touresting" the next day.

On Saturday, we had a hearty breakfast at the hostel, and made our way into the town. Our goal this day was to scale the large hill on the other side of the river and get a look at the Prague castle and St Vitus cathedral that were perched above the city. Instead of walking though, we cheated and took the tram. The castle grounds were very medieval, and the cathedral looked just like the one here in Cologne, only smaller (picture was taken from the observation point mentioned in the next paragraph). The admission price to go inside was pretty steep, so we decided to pass on that, and just take our time wandering around the grounds. Besides, as I noted earlier, you can only look at so many tapestries, jewels, and antique furniture.

There were a ton of people there, and I felt like I was part of the herd at times. I was waiting to fall and get stampeded at any moment. We quickly made our way outside of the castle grounds, and scaled up further to Petrin Hill & Observation Tower to get a good view of the city. It was built to look like a mini Eiffel Tower and by the time we walked up the hill and climbed the tower stairs, it felt like our legs were going to fall off. Once we were on top though, there was an absolutely beautiful view of the city (pictured). You could see for miles. You could also get a bird’s eye of the castle and cathedral (picture in previous paragraph).

Although the walk down was easier then the walk up, we were in no mood to move our legs at this point. It would have been easier had they just tied a zip line from one end of the town to the next. I would have gladly taken that trip. We eventually did find level ground though, and ventured across the river, and back into the city center to find a bite to eat.

Since we are both on a budget, we made our way towards some street vendor food. I'm generally pretty leery of street food abroad, but the brats looked pretty legit, so we indulged. It was a great decision. So great, that we visited the stand again the next day. We sat down and enjoyed our food and people watched a bit. We were in an area close to the National Museum (pictured), so we walked up there after we were done with our meal. The building was fantastic, but I think the content is your basic science and history museum. We passed on the entrance fee and again took a breather on the steps. We were way out of gas by this point, and I was praying for someone to carry me back to the hostel.

Although I couldn't find any takers to carry me home, we finally did crawl back to our place. Stasha and I kept saying to each other that we wished we would have brought a pedometer with us to see how far we walked. I think the distance would have been quite significant. To add to that, most of the day was spent walking up hill. You know that old saying "we used to walk both ways up hill in the snow"? That was us. Well, that is without the snow anyways.

After regrouping at the hostel, we grabbed some food, and made our way out into the town once again. After spending a good hour trying to find the club we were looking for, we finally found it. Both Google Maps and an online map of Prague were incorrect. Go figure. We did know the place was along the river though, which provided us a chance to take in some of the late night scenery. The town is as beautiful at night as it is during the day.

We finally found our destination, and the place lived up to its hype. It was a five level club, where each level played a different genre of music. It was a very fun atmosphere, chalked full of tourists, and of course more interesting interpretive dancers. It's interesting to see how some people absorb American music and pop culture. Most are true to their local identity, but there are always some that try to dress, dance, and act the part. It's quite entertaining.

Sunday was kind of a lazy day for us. We had already seen most of the tourist attractions, so we just slowly walked around the town. We again headed for the river, as that is where the majority of the action is. We walked onto some various islands, and again scaled more hills. We walked back over the Charles Bridge, and into the Jewish quarter. We had read about this extremely old graveyard we wanted to get a look at. We came to find out though that in order to walk through the grave yard, you had to pay an arm and a leg to walk through three different synagogues. Lucky for us, we were able to peak through some tiny openings in the wall to get a glimpse of the yard.

After walking around all day, we were again out of energy. We headed back to the hostel, where I spent some time reading my book, and Stasha studying for a test this week. We grabbed a bite to eat, and then spent the remainder of the night sitting in the hostel bar chatting with each other and a few of the hostel patrons. We met a guy from Montreal, who both Stasha and I agreed was in Europe more for the party scene then the culture scene. We also chatted for quite a long time with a British guy who actually has traveled the US more extensively then Stasha and I combined. It's always a joy to meet others as eager to learn about people and places as much as myself.

Overall, I loved Prague. There is plenty to do there, and the culture scene is fantastic. The city appeals to people of all ages, and caters to foreigners very well. Part of me wishes I studied there, but then again, I wish I studied in about every city I visit.

The Green Factor

Much is said these days about living "green" and buying "green" products. Companies in the states talk in great detail both internally and externally about minimizing their global "foot print". There is constant pressure from world organizations and NGO's to monitor the way we live our lives. This concern has come into focus even more as China, India, and Eastern Europe continue to grow and modernize. It's good that millions of people are rising out of poverty and are able to live prosperous lives. With that though comes increased consumption, particularly of fossil fuels and food. This increases prices, and thins out the available supply for the population.

Germany definitely does its part to monitor their global "foot print". This was apparent before I even touched down in Cologne. As my plane from Amsterdam approached the Cologne airport, there were fields and fields of wind turbines literally as far as the eye could see. The country has really dedicated itself to harnessing wind power. There are only two turbines that I can think of in MN, the one off 169 near Princeton, and one sitting in downtown Maple Groove. To note though, MN ranks in the top 5 in the US for wind energy. I believe the majority of the turbines are in Southern MN.

Germany, as well as most of Europe, has great public transportation. The rail system here is extensive and efficient. Traveling from town to town and within the city is very easy. This decreases the need for automobile travel, which decreases CO2 emissions. Many times you'll hear people in the states say that it wouldn't work there based on the structure of our cities, but I think that is incorrect. To me, it makes more sense based on the fact that our urban sprawl is so aggressive. If you set up rail from many large hubs, and then create park and rides and bus routes at those hubs, I think people would see the added benefit. It would decrease highway traffic, and the high cost of owning, operating, and maintaining a car.

Germany is also very good when it comes to recycling. In my flat, I currently have four trash cans. One can is for all paper products, right down to empty toilet paper rolls. Another can is for plastic, and tin. Another is for glass, and another is for general refuse like banana peels or anything that can't be recycled. Outside of my building, there are then four separate large trash cans that we empty our waste into. Again, it's very efficient, and it's something to feel good about at the end of the day.

Plastic and glass drinking bottles are another benefit by themselves. Most grocery stores will accept and refund returned bottles. This includes everything from the normal bottle of Coke you get out of the pop machine, to the large container of water you purchase during your grocery trip. Returns are processed at the checkout of most discount stores, while non-discount mainstream stores have large machines you insert your bottles into. The machine then prints out a ticket with the amount to be refunded, which you then hand to the cashier at checkout.

An added side benefit to this process is that poor and bargain hunting citizens often scour streets and trash cans for bottles to return to the store for refunds. You can't imagine what this does to improve the cleanliness of the city. Basically, they're paying pseudo workers to clean up the city. The "workers" are then compensated when they return the bottles to the store. Many times when we are walking along the street and drinking a water, soda, or beer, we'll simply just leave the bottle sitting on the ground next to the trash can. This is so the people looking for bottles can easily see them, and so they don't have to look through the trash to find them. Believe me, they pick them up pretty quickly!

Regarding grocery stores, if you shop in Germany, then you better bring bags with you to carry your stuff home because they don't have stacks of free bags sitting there for you. Many stores will sell you large plastic bags for 1 Euro (roughly $1.65), but I haven't been to one yet where they were free. I love this policy. Many people have these rolling carts they bring with them to carry their goods home. I just bring my school bag with me as I shop periodically throughout the week.

I know some of you are saying this wouldn't work in big box stores back home, but there are still ways to help. For one, set up plastic and paper bag recycling bins at all stores: discount retailers, grocery, and convenience. It's easy, and it's something a 16 year old working for $9 an hour could maintain. Second, sell or encourage people to bring in their own cloth or environmentally friendly bags to shop. Cap their size so they are easily recognizable and prevent shortage from those who try to sneak goods out by hiding them in their bags. There is a concern about the cleanliness of personal bags and the health risk they pose, but the option is still worth considering.

It kills me back home when I buy $50 worth of goods, and walk out of the store with 10 plastic shopping bags. It takes quite a bit of energy and fossil fuels to create those bags, and minimizing their use would be so easy. Even though it takes a long time for plastic bags to degrade, paper isn't that much better either as it occupies more space in land fills. Even though the resources used to create them are sustainable, you can't really grow a tree overnight.

Ok enough carrying on. The main point of the post was to point out the great lengths Germany goes through to help minimize their global "foot print". You can see it on their streets, in their parks, and particularly in their river. After visiting half the countries of the EU, I can say Germany seems to be the leader.

As this issue becomes more and more popular, it wouldn't surprise me to see companies in the states become more public about the things they are doing to help out. Not only is it the right thing to do, it is an easy way to gain a competitive advantage over competitors, especially in a tough market like right now. I'm also proud to say that the option of recycling in MN is very easy for its citizens, and something I will take more advantage of when I return home.

Hostel Life - Pun Intended

I thought I would devote a separate post to the phenomenon that is staying in a hostel. For the budget traveler, it's the way to go. It often costs half as much as a hotel and you get to meet all types of interesting people. I personally love it. Some hostels have the option of obtaining a single or a double with a shower, but most involve you sleeping in a room of at least 4 people and using a community bathroom. They cater to many different travelers. I'd like to summarize some of the groups I have come in contact with.

The traditional undergrad study abroaders:
These people are usually around the age of 21. They have just received their first real taste of foreign travel and feel they have everything figured out and are experts. I can say this in confidence, because I was once that person. You come to figure out though that there is a lot of world to see, and that the life you have been living abroad is not necessarily a normal life.

Anyways, they generally focus on the party scene as opposed to the historical scene, and have been known to wander into the hostel in the wee hours waking up everyone else in the room. They usually travel in groups of four and the women in the group can be reeeeaaally loud. They tend to dominate common areas, and often the other patrons look forward to them leaving.

Hippy traveler:
These people are a little older, and often travel alone. They are on a current world tour that doesn't have a solid end in sight. They may be college educated, but they are definitely in no hurry to venture into the working world. They work odd jobs in exotic cities, and talk to every single person they come in close proximity to.

For example, during my recent stay in Budapest, there was an American in his mid to later 20's working at the hostel. He was currently living in Prague, but decided just to come stay in Budapest for the month. The hostel let him stay there for free, as long as he agreed to work the overnight shift, which involved him dealing with the above mentioned study abroaders and sleeping on a loveseat.

Very nice guy, but I'm not sure he was necessarily the head of the class. He enforced the stereotype and spoke like a California "dude". I overheard him talking to another traveler about American politics and economics. I couldn't help but cringe a little. Regardless, he was very pleasant, and I found out he grew up playing hockey in CA, and attended a few camps in MN, so he was alright with me.

Wandering souls:
I would like to think that this is the category I fit into the most. This group usually consists of 1-2 travelers, who have a definite plan of attack for each city they visit. They have a set amount of time they will be traveling, and are more into experiencing the local sights and history. They try to accommodate to local customs, and are more understanding when people don't always accommodate to them.

Now you are probably saying that Nick is trying to make himself sound like the perfect traveler. I am not, but most of the places I travel to are for educational and historical purposes. I have never traveled anywhere just to sit on the beach. Although, I will tell you there is a strong possibility that could happen by the end of this trip.

Wandering souls are my favorite people to meet. For example, in 2002 I met an Australian guy at a hostel in Rome. He had worked for a while, saved up enough money, quit his job, and was going to travel around Europe for one year. He had a specific plan of where he wanted to go, and what he wanted to see. He spoke really well, and seemed sensitive to each culture he came in contact with.

I went to dinner with him and the two other girls that were staying in our hostel room at the time. They too just so happened to be from Australia, and also spoke intelligently, and had a wealth of experience traveling. Since this was months after 9/11, much of the conversation revolved around that. I also asked them about Australia though, and their other experiences traveling abroad. It was a very memorable experience.

Another example was my recent trip to Krakow. There was a Canadian couple in their early 30's staying in my room. They had spent a year planning and saving for a 4 month tour of Europe. They both took LOA's from work. Like the previous experience, I had the pleasure of sight seeing and having dinner with them. Another memorable experience. I couldn't help but ask them though what they did when they got sick of each other. I figured no matter how much you love someone, there are always those days when you need a breather from each other. They just simply said that they agreed to do their own thing that day and meet back up at a certain time again. I thought that was cool.

Hostel life is not always sunshine though, don't let my post fool you. I have shared a room with up 7 people before, and you often have no privacy. In a room that big, there is always someone coming in late, and someone leaving early. Of course you have the one person that snores heavily and wakes up the entire room. I've been told I snore at times, so maybe I sought my revenge.

You can't change clothes unless you just don't care if strangers see you in your skivvies. You have to lug your stuff down the hall to the community bathroom, change, and then come back. You have to constantly be on guard with your possessions, and keep them locked away. That leads to the point that you are generally living out of a bag / back pack / suitcase, which gets annoying after a while.

The bathroom is constantly being used, so it is never pleasant to walk into. There is always water all over the floor and sink area. Also, many showers require you to wear flip flops to avoid any foot disease that another traveler may have left behind. Sometimes only one person at a time can use the bathroom, so it is not uncommon to stand outside and wait.

It's hard to find a quiet place to decompress and maybe read a book. Most common areas are always crazy, and it's just too hard to sit on your bed and do it. Besides, there is always someone that wants to chat with you, which isn't a bad thing. It's just sometimes you need a little alone time.

The beds sometimes don't necessarily qualify as beds. They usually just resemble what looks like a bed. My latest experience resulted in me having to sleep on the top bunk. After two days, I had a head cold, and itchy red bumps on my skin. Yuck. That was a first though in all my hostel experiences, and I don't think I will be visiting that particular place again.

So there you have it. A hostel is just that, hostile. Negatives aside, they are the best way to travel when you are on a budget. The staff is always helpful and friendly. They generally have free maps, and a wealth of knowledge. You also get to meet and talk to many interesting people from many different places. In a way, hostels increase the experience you take away from the city you are visiting.

Warsaw

My 10 day excursion finally ended in Warsaw, where unfair to the city I was exhausted and coming off a natural high from Krakow. Unlike Krakow, Warsaw was almost completely destroyed during WWII. Therefore, the city has a newness to it. When the train pulled into the central station, it did so underground. When you come up from above, you feel like you've arrived in another country, it seemed that much different.

There is a definite hustle and bustle to Warsaw. It's a pretty big city, and it's where the big jobs seem to be. The architecture is very interesting. After the war, the city was under socialist rule for 50 years. Therefore, the Soviets rebuilt much of the city, and many of the buildings have a square grey communist appearance. I believe the proper architectural term is social realism. I would call it depressing architecture built after a depressing period in time. Juxtaposed next to those buildings though are large glass sky scrapers that mark the movement into capitalism. There is one structure the Soviets seemed to get right, the Palace of Culture and Science which is pictured.

Even though it was almost completely destroyed, the "old town" was rebuilt after the war to resemble its old form. That is where I spent most of my time, basically sitting, relaxing, and eating. My budget fully enjoyed the cheaper prices in Poland. The old town contained more of the cultural sites of Warsaw, including the reconstructed palace that was rebuilt after the war. Many of the artifacts inside were hidden from the Nazis during occupation. I tried to visit the palace, but 10 minutes into my tour I encountered a frustrating communication problem with one of the employees inside. I could tell by her tone of voice I was in the wrong place and that she wanted me to leave. I think I entered through the exit and she assumed I already went through the museum and was trying to go through again. Oh well, I just left. I quickly realized it was more tapestries and chairs where old royals once sat.

I had one full day, and then two half days to see the city which proved to be enough. My one full day I spent walking around looking at war time sights. A couple of my favorites included the Umschlagplatz, a large monument commemorating the point at which Jews in the Warsaw ghetto were rounded up and sent to the death camp in Treblinka. I also got to the see the remnants of the old ghetto wall, which was a lot higher then I thought it would be.

The city is very proud of the Warsaw uprising, during which the Polish underground launched an attack on their Nazi occupants towards the end of the war. There are various monuments throughout the city which portray the role citizens, particularly children, played in the event. After experiencing Warsaw, and seeing some of its most famous sites, you really get a feel for and understand the movie "The Pianist". I'm looking forward to watching it again when I return home.

In 2004, they constructed a museum dedicated to the uprising, which I highly recommend to anyone visiting the city. It shows the struggle of the people during the war, the planning and execution of the uprising, and the subsequent "reward" of socialism which came out of it. The feeling I got out of it was that they got the short end of the stick in the end, and had to endure a tougher rebuilding period.

For the most part though, I was lazy and kind of loafed around. I spent a good chunk of time eating and reading my book. I wanted to taste what Poland had to offer, although I didn't dare try the pig's knuckle which every place seemed to serve. I do recommend the dumplings though. Very good! I had the sour kraut and mushroom dumplings, although I'm sure the meat ones were good as well.

In all, my 10 day trip was educational and rewarding. Nice weather followed me everywhere I went, and my cheeks and neck got plenty of sun. It looks like my head was literally removed from one body and put on another body. The tan line is comical. Poland is a beautiful country, and exceeded my expectations. Hungary also is great and was a nice little addition to the itinerary.

Auschwitz & Birkenau

My first full day in Krakow was spent taking a day trip to Auschwitz & Berkinau. I had two full days in Krakow, and I decided to do this first in case there were any hiccups and I had to give it a go again the next day. I woke up early, and caught the bus to Oswiecim, the proper name of the town the Nazis relabeled Auschwitz. It took about an hour and a half to get there, and the bus was more like an oversized conversion van.

I'm a 20th century history junky, and have been waiting to visit the two camps for quite some time. I was laughing to myself though on the way out there. The bus / van driver had the radio on. The song "Rhythm is a Dancer" was promptly followed by Madonna and Justin Timberlake. I figured, here I am on my way to see something I have waited to see for some time, a very somber part of history, and I have the group Snap to help welcome me. The world is flat.

I got dropped off at Auschwitz I, which was the first of three camps established in the area. The entrance fee was free, and I only had to pay 3 Zloty for the English language guide pamphlet, which is a little over $1. I thought it was cool that the experience was so affordable for people. I'm not sure how much a guided tour is, but I prefer to move along at my own pace. Besides, the pamphlet was very informative, and every building you walked in had the history summarized on the wall for you.

The self guided tour began with a short film, which included images taken by the Soviet troops that liberated the camp. As you can imagine, the images were very powerful and hard to take in. This is the camp that has the famous Arbeit Macht Frei (Work Brings Freedom) over the main gate. As I walked under it, I almost got chills thinking about what actually happened there, and what it used to mean for someone to walk through that gate.

My first impression was that the camp wasn't that big. I knew Berkinau was bigger, but I thought the first camp would be bigger then it was. Don't get me wrong though, it did cover significant ground. I instantly noticed the barbed wire fencing and observation towers. There were various signs that indicted the barbed wire was electrified, and warned people to stop.

There was a peaceful calm about walking through the grounds by myself. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and it seemed like such a pleasant place. How ironic. I walked through the various barracks, which recalled what specifically happened in each building. One building contains the possessions taken from the people brought there. In one room behind glass, there were piles and piles of human hair. In another rooms there were piles of suitcases. In another eye glasses, and in another pots and pans. One room had the clothing of small children, and another the empty containers of Cyclon B used to gas prisoners.

Within Auschwitz I, there is Block 11, dubbed the "Death Block". It was basically a prison within a prison if you can imagine that. The courtyard of the block was sealed off, and within it were various stations of punishment and death used by the Nazis. The execution wall, at the end of the courtyard is where 1000's of people were lined up and shot.

The end of the Auschwitz I tour ended with a walk through of a crematorium. It was basically a test chamber to see what would work effectively to kill prisoners. It was left intact with the infamous smoke stack and everything. It was a very chilly feeling. When you walked inside, the first stop was the room where the people were gassed, and then the next room contained the ovens used to cremate the bodies. That was very heavy. The method for killing prisoners was basically perfected there, at which point, large scale killing moved to Berkinau.

After Auschwitz I, I made my way to Auschwitz II - Birkenau. I missed the hourly shuttle by 15 minutes, so I decided to hoof it to the camp. It took about 25 minutes by foot to reach it. It was in the neighboring town, just on the other side of the train tracks. As I was walking there, I knew I was getting close. I walked by quaint little countryside houses, and all of a sudden the infamous gate through which the trains traveled through appeared. Instantly I thought, who would want to live right next to this. Maybe after time, you just get used to it.

As I walked through the gate, the enormous size of the camp astounded me. In all, Berkinau covers 425 acres. That's huge. When the Nazis were retreating, they tried destroying the evidence. There still are a number of barracks standing, but many are just shells composed of concrete foundations, and brick chimneys. As I walked into the first barrack, again I got a weird chill. It's basically a wooded shack with large wooden shelves in it. The toilets were holes in the ground, and the wash room just a couple of tubs. I didn't take any pictures inside the barracks, it just didn't feel like the right thing to do.

At the very end of the camp were the two large crematoriums. Unfortunately, 75% of the people that arrived at this specific camp were sent straight to the gas chambers. This was composed mainly of women, children, and old men. Younger men were often retained to do manual labor. In their retreat, the Nazis blew up the crematoriums with dynamite. All that is left now is rubble. You can still see the steps though people had to walk down to get into the complex.

Many areas of the camp are marked with memorials where the ashes were dumped. The are various holes and ponds still visible for everyone to see. The holes still have a grey tint to them, which presumably are the ashes themselves.

The building I found most intriguing was the one used to register those that were actually retained. If you were selected to work at the camp, you first filed into this big room, where you had to take off all your clothes, and have your number engraved into your body. Often times, women that were selected to remain in the camp as workers were discovered to be pregnant once they took their clothes off. They were then sent to the gas chambers. The next room is where they cut off all your hair, and then the next room is where they had a mass shower. You could still see the water spouts on the ceiling. The next room is then where you received your striped clothing before going to your assigned barracks. This building also contained large steamers used to sterilize clothing taken from the prisoners, which was ultimately shipped to the center of Germany for distribution and use.

As I walked through all of this, it was again a very weird feeling. I got to waltz right through there, but the people that made it infamous did not. The whole time, I was trying to imagine what was going through their head. Many times I also wondered what the officers thought as well. I know not all of them could have carried this out without it at least weighing a little on their mind. Maybe their motivation was the fact that they too could be gassed or lined up and shot should they help anyone.

The rest of the day was spent slowly wandering through the grounds. It was quite a sight, and exceeded all of my expectations. Part of me didn't want to leave. I think if I lived near it, I would somehow be employed there. I think just the fact that it actually happened amazes me. That part of history just amazes me.

As I left the camp, I turned around a looked that the gate one last time. The tracks coming out of the camp eventually disappeared into brush and overgrown grass. It's hard to imagine a train full of people rolling by. When you visit a place like that, your perspective on certain things change. It's too bad that not everyone has the opportunity to go.

Krakow

To pick up where I left off on the last post, Krakow was the prized stop on my tour. I had heard nothing but good things about the city, and I was just dying to get a look at it. The train from Budapest left at 8:30 in the morning, and I knew I had a long painful trip in front of me. The ticket SAID 9 hours (I'll get to that in a bit) and I left the hostel too early to get the free breakfast, so I grabbed a jelly doughnut at the train station. Train station food is hardly anything to write home about. Ironically I am writing home about it, so let's just say it isn't that good. Besides I figured there would be a food cart on the train.

Well fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. The trip in total took close to 12 hours, and there was no food cart. We stopped at every bum town from here to there. I did travel through the entire country of Slovakia though. I thought it would be a barren, flat nothingness. It actually is an extremely beautiful country, especially in the north where the Carpathian Mountains are. Picture is the view from the infamous train boxcar.

I have much the same to say about southern Poland as well. Very beautiful, green, and hilly. Still though, even the most beautiful scenery can't take away from the fact that you've been staring out a window for 12 hours without any food. Even people in line at the Pearly Gates would be yelling at St. Peter to get his act together and get this line moving. My personal favorite was the 25 minute wait at the second to last stop before mine. That was fun.

So again, here I was in a new foreign town in the darkness looking for my hostel. After I found my home, I threw my stuff on the floor, and quickly made my way to the center of the city to find food. I found this outdoor cafe, and ordered the biggest pizza and beer they had on the menu. I quickly realized though that I hadn't eaten anything all day and that if I took one sip of beer before the food arrived, I would pass out on the table.

I ordered a sausage pizza, and a sausage pizza in Poland literally means a sausage on a pizza. Picture a pizza crust complete with sauce and cheese and on top is a sliced up sausage. Two meals in one. I have to say though it was pretty good, and I left no evidence behind. The worst part though was that it was now late, and time to go to bed. So, I went to bed completely uncomfortable. My day would not be taught in any logistics course any time soon.

The next morning I woke up early to take a day trip to Auschwitz & Birkenau. That was the main point of the trip, and thus I will reserve a separate post for that one. Make sure to look for it. It took almost the entire day!

When I got back to Krakow, I headed to the city center, or old town as it is referred to, and enjoyed some dinner. I sat in this lovely square where there were tons of outdoor restaurants. I had a lovely dinner for one, and quietly enjoyed the scenery. I have been budget conscious, but I thought what the heck, some dessert and red wine sounds pretty dang good right now. Before I ordered though, a thought came to me. Europeans are very affectionate in public. It is not uncommon to see two people kissing or touching each other anywhere. Now I just realized that for the past 10-15 minutes, the guy sitting at the table next to me has been doing something to this girl's neck, which has thus caused her to close her eyes and twist her face in a manner a mother could not be proud of. I could either A) have my dessert and wine, and continue to witness this, or B) relocate. IIIIIIIII think I'll relocate.

Sooooo, I went to the other side of the square, where I enjoyed a candle lit moment for one along with some really bad cheese cake and Sutter Home wine from CA. I bailed before the couple next to me could start getting into it, and headed back to the hostel where I enjoyed a couple beers with some of the other hostel patrons in the basement bar. They were Canadians from Vancouver, so I made fun of their hockey team for about 10 minutes before actually introducing myself.

The next day I woke up early again and traveled with a couple other Canadians I was sharing the room with to an old salt mine on the edge of the city. The mine was a great sight, I believe construction on it began around the 1500's. Since it is a salt mine, everything is wonderfully preserved. Even the original rope and wood cranks used to raise chunks of salt to the surface were intact. We were told that the salt mines were actually what helped financially develop the town of Krakow. It was valued as currency because it helped preserve food. In fact, the word salary comes from the fact that salt was once used as a form of currency. Bet you didn't know that! (Neither did I until the guide told me).

The tour began with an 800 step decent into the mine (elevator ride back up of course). The guide took us through a cavern of tunnels. The interesting part is that Poland is a highly religious country, and there are multiple chapels carved underground. The end of the tour stops at the main chapel which is basically an underground church. Carved into the salt is an alter with various scenes such as the nativity and last supper. Very cool. Various caverns did have pools of water in them, which our guide told us has a salt density of just a little over 30%. Therefore, if you dove in, the water would basically throw you back up to the surface. It would be impossible to swim beneath the surface. A few brave souls did lick the walls, and they did say it was very salty. Felt a little like Willy Wonka. "The snoze berries taste like snoze berries."

After the tour we had a little lunch at the cafe which is located way below the surface. We only ate there for the blind fact that we were eating lunch and having a beer way below the surface. We thought we would be paying an arm and a leg for it, but it ended up being the cheapest meal of the trip. How does that make sense. You have people trapped way below the surface, and you offer them dirt cheap food. Ironic.

I spent the rest of the day walking around the city enjoying its culture. I wish I could say I went to a bunch of tourist locations, but I didn't. The nice thing about Krakow is that it wasn't destroyed during the war (how I don't know), so it has that old European feel to it. Therefore, I sat in the main square and just relaxed and people watched. I already mentioned that Poland is very religious. There are pictures of John Paul II everywhere, and it is not uncommon to see priests and nuns walking around. It reminded me of grade school a bit. I even saw a priest and a nun walking together in a mall. Very funny!

There is a castle there, and a bunch of churches, but I have seen enough tapestries, crown jewels, and stain glass in Europe over the last seven years then you can shake a stick at. There is something to be said for just doing nothing when you are traveling. You find it to be very relaxing. After hours of sitting, I made my way back to the hostel to meet up with three Canadian travelers and an American. We headed back to the main square for dinner, and then conducted our own little pub crawl to check out the establishments. A very fun, and memorable time.

I woke up the next day a little bitter I had to leave Krakow. It really is a gem, and a very relaxing place to visit. I took my time checking out of the hostel, and walked to the train station to buy my ticket to Warsaw. Now, I encountered nothing but very nice people in Poland. I did manage to find a very crabby lady working behind the ticket counter though. She obviously did not speak English, and I surely didn't speak Polish, so much of the conversation was completed by writing departure times on pieces of paper. I selected the next express train out of Krakow, and now came time to pay. Here is the part where she was supposed to write the total on the piece of paper and show it to me. Instead in a stern voice she just kept speaking in Polish. I kept saying, "I don't speak Polish, how much?" Finally, it got to the point where I just started laying bills down on the counter until she took the money and made change. When the transaction was over, I nicely said thank you. She said something back, and the three people behind me started laughing. I'm thinking it was something along the lines of, "go away stupid English speaking person."

Flustered from my encounter the ticket booth lady, I stepped inside the tourist office to ask where the nearest post office was. My mind on the previous exchange, the conversation with the tourist lady went something like this"

American: Can you tell me where the nearest post office is?
Polach: Yes, it's just outside the main door, and it is the white building to the right.
American: Thanks. Can you tell me where I can buy stamps?
Polach: Umm. At the post office.
American: Right.

I finally boarded my train, and made the 3 hour trek to Warsaw. By this point in the trip I was starting to feel exhausted, and could have used another day to relax in Krakow. Although my upcoming post on Warsaw indicates that is a great city, if you have one place to choose to go in Poland, don't miss out on Krakow!

Budapest

Well, I'm back from my 10 day stint in Central / Eastern Europe, and have a plethora of posts to send your way. I hope I haven't lost any readers during my break. I have a whole new bag of tricks I think you'll find interesting. So, bear with me and read up on my adventures.

I took a plane and headed for Budapest, Hungary last Wed night. I flew on Germanwings, which I was actually impressed with. I guess it is what you would call a discount airliner, except, they don't pick you up and drop you off at some remote airport that was last used during WWII. It was a quick trip, only about an hour and half.

To be honest with you, I didn't know the first thing about Budapest. No stories or knowledge about it's past. I just heard that it was a cool place to visit and it was in a part of the world I have never been to, so I thought, what the heck let's do it. The main course of the trip was a much anticipated stop in Poland, so I needed something as kind of a nice side benefit to being in the region.

I landed in Budapest, grabbed my bag, and headed for the train. As the train approached I was a little intimidated by its looks (for those reading this that went to India with me, picture something a little similar, except without the interesting smells). I guess I witnessed other humans getting on it, so I figured I'd get on it too. At first I couldn't tell if it used to transport cattle or coal (being facetious here) but I fully expected to see Mr. Ed at some point. The train was arranged in compartment style, so each compartment had three seats on each side that faced each other. I sat in my seat, kept all my extremities close, and waited for the 25 minute ride to come to an end.

Generally, I would not recommend going to a city you have never been to in the dark. It's harder to find your way around and you just don't really know what "part" of the city you are in. Not following my own advice, I hit the streets of Budapest around 10 at night to find my hostel, which was supposed to be close to the station I rolled into. I typically use travel guides to find good places to stay, and I've had nothing but good luck so far. Although you can trust what they say about the place, don't follow their map! I aimlessly walked up and down the street my hostel was on for a good 30 minutes looking for the damn thing.

Finally, I caved in and asked this family of four if they could help. They didn't speak any English, and I sure as heck didn't speak Hungarian. I was on the right street, but couldn't find building 12. I found 11, I found 13, now where in JC is 12? Even though they couldn't speak English, I blurted out the number 12. Thankfully the little boy said, "Ah! Ten, eleven, twelve." I shook my head with great enthusiasm, pointed at the address next to where we were, and did the one finger, two finger awkward sign language delivery of the number 12. He starting searching around the street for me and within minutes helped me find my place. Thank you Hungarian speaking Hungarian boy.

I woke up early the next day, had a typical European breakfast of bread and tea (or coffee if you actually like coffee (yuck)), and hit the streets of Budapest. First task was to find the tourist office to get free maps and suggestions on things to do. If you are ever traveling, I highly suggest tourist offices. The people are always friendly, and they have good ideas and free stuff. Anyways, Budapest is huge, and extremely confusing. The streets go in every direction, and looking at a map of Budapest is like looking at a pile of freshly laid pixie sticks.

I figured I would head to the river, as every major city has a river that runs through it, and that is generally where the action is. As I found my way through the street to the river, I came upon a spectacular site. The Danube divides the city into Buda on one side and Pest on the other. There is an entire history lesson on the eventual combination of the city, but I'll leave that up to you to research. Much of Buda rests on high hills that come up from the river. For three days I had to climb those darn dang things. It didn't help that the sun was absolutely blazing. I was sweating like a Republican at an earth summit, or if you cheer for the other team, a Democrat trying to figure out who is going to run in my own party.

The view from the top though was wonderful. You could see all of Budapest, which is a spectacular city. The sun shimmered off the Danube, and you really got a feel for how large the city was. In my opinion, it is the east's version of Paris, except without a steel tower in the middle (you know I love you Eiffel).

My first stop was at the summit of the largest hill (felt like a mountain) to see the Statue of Liberty, which ironically was put in place by Communist Russia, which if you didn't know was good at stealing just that, liberty. It was to symbolize the city being liberated from the Nazis. I almost died walking to the top. I felt like Rocky, I wanted to throw my hands up in the air when I finally got up there. They should have put a statue of me on top, symbolizing the climb I made on that quiet day in May 2008.

After a prolonged breather, I made my way to the Castle District, which is still on the Buda side of the river. The only catch is you have to walk down one hill and then climb up another to get there. I didn't do much in the castle district. I just walked around, breezed through a couple museums, and sat down at a cafe. I had a chicken caesar salad, but there was nothing caesar about it. I swear it was mayonnaise on that lettuce, I'm not kidding.

Intrigued by what was on the other side of the river, I walked over to Pest, and down the most notable street in the city called Andrassy. To use Paris again, it's like a Champs-Elysees. I walked all the way to the end to get a glimpse of Hero's Square (again, history lesson up to you), and then back tracked down the same street to experience the House of Terror museum, which highlights the Nazi and Communist occupations. Very interesting, especially the basement of the museum, which was used to house political prisoners.

After all of that, I thought my feet were going to fall off. I went back to the hostel for a breather, and determine where I was going to eat. I figured that since I was in Hungary I should try the local fare. So, I looked up good places to eat, and promptly picked the one that was the closest walking distance. I sampled the goulash soup and the pickle salad. Very good!

Day two in Budapest required me to use public transportation, which in itself is foreign to most Americans, let alone an American in a foreign city. I jumped a tram to the edge of the city, and then caught a bus to what I consider the country side to get a glimpse of Monument Park. It's a park in the middle of nowhere that has all of the old Communist statues that used to be located throughout Budapest.

Now, riding public transportation in Germany is quite easy. The tram or bus automatically announces the next stop, and the name of the stop is nicely displayed outside; so if you didn't hear it, you can darn well see it. Not in Hungary. Riding on a bus in the country side without a travel companion and not being able to speak the language can be a little tense. Since it is a relatively well-known tourist attraction in the city, I scoured the bus for other tourists. I always look for the ones that are holding tourist books, that is the safest bet.

Since you have to be aware of where your stop is, my forehead couldn't have been pressed against the bus window any harder. If we were able to open the window, I would have looked like a dog with my head sticking out of the car cruising down the road. It became clear to me I wasn't going to find this place on my own. Eventually, I gave up and relied on the other tourists.

As we approached this one stop, still no movement. The other tourists sprinkled throughout the bus looked like we had hours until the final destination. Just then, a little old Hungarian lady tapped me on the knee and pointed outside. I quickly looked at the bus driver, and he to was turned around and just staring at everyone. I realized this was my stop, so I quickly jumped up and got off the bus. As soon as I did that, five other people did the same thing. It appears we all had the same idea, only everyone was relying on a different person to give them the queue when to get off. I'm happy to say I was the person for the group. Thank you old Hungarian speaking Hungarian lady.

My first impression of the park was, this is cool, but why the heck is it in the middle of nowhere? It seems they could make a lot more money on it if it was in the city. Then again, maybe they don't want these anywhere near the city! The statues were slightly comical. All of the famous communist figures were on display: Marx, Lenin, and Stalin. You know, the dream team. My personal favorite was the big burly Soviet soldier holding the flag with the hammer and sickle with a gun strapped around his neck. The statues always look so proud. Too bad life couldn't imitate art.

After that stop, I made my way back to Budapest for some more public transportation, and great Hungarian food. Apparently, paprika is a big export, and they sprinkle it on everything. I had some more goulash soup and paprika chicken which was a delight. That was followed by some more walking around the city which culminated with my arrival at the hostel.

There weren't too many sights to see on my final day, so again I just walked around, enjoyed the culture, and ate, ate, ate. I did stop at the train station to purchase the ticket for Krakow, which I was leaving for the next morning. It was an experience that can only be rivaled by the DMV. I stood in an endless line, only to get up to the window and have the lady close her window and point me in the direction of another one opening up. As you can imagine, it was a mad dash to the next window, but I came through victorious.

My final night in Budapest was just spent relaxing. The food was probably my favorite part. The people were neither nice nor mean. Monotone seems to be the best word to describe it. In all, I highly recommend you visit the city. Just make sure to pack your walking shoes.

Gopher on the Road

I'm writing my first post outside of Cologne from a very sunny Budapest. I've spent the last 10 hours walking around the city, and have stopped back at my hostel for a much needed break. Although I have a ton to talk about so far, I'll save the details until my Budapest experience is over. I'll just say that I'm impressed so far!

I wanted to give you an update to the badminton rematch. This week's contest took place in a much warmer gymnasium, so weather played a factor (adding drama to the event). I came out of the gates sluggish, falling behind 26 - 13. I slowly chipped away and finally pulled even at 40 - 40. My efforts were wasted though as my opponent rattled off 7 straight points before time ran out. I'd like to consider it a moral victory, and I would urge you to place bets in my favor before the next match.

Since my badminton skills aren't up to par, I thought I would try my luck at beach volleyball. The weather has been fantastic lately, so I thought it sounded like a good idea. The school has a couple nice sand courts on campus, which surprised me a little. The amenities on campus are sufficient for learning, but aren't what you would call glamorous.

Anyways, a group of six of us started playing, and wouldn't you know on the third serve, I screw up my thumb. This is after I biff the first two serves sent my way, and before I biff the next four. I looked like a complete doof out there, and my hand puffed up like the Pillsbury Doughboy. Soooo for the next hour, every ball I played came with pain. What was supposed to be a fun afternoon turned into me praying it would be over. Afterwards, I could hardly take notes in class.

I'm happy to report though that the hand is doing much better. I almost have my entire grip back, and the swelling has gone down. I'm glad, I was not hoping to find out weather my insurance covered a volleyball injury or not. It seems that physical activity is not specialty on this trip. The spirit is willing, but the skills seem to be lacking.

Well, I think that is it for this post. I'm itching to get back out and explore the city. I arrived in Budapest late last night, and will spend the next nine days traveling throughout Hungary and Poland. Since I have loaded all of my classes in the beginning of the week, my week long spring break turned into a week and a half long spring break. I will spend four nights in Budapest, three in Krakow, and two in Warsaw. I'm very excited to travel a little further east and hopefully enjoy some cheaper prices. Since I will be on the road and want to write about my experience in detail (with pictures) I will more then likely not write another post until I return on the 16th. Please check back after that time to read up on everything I have been up to!

Rhein in Flammen & Euskirchen

One thing I learned this week is if you challenge a 4'11" Vietnamese/German girl to badminton, you will lose. Still, I think I put up a good fight, and have asked for a rematch slated for 20:00 hours tonight. I think I'm on to her game. She likes to hit the deep birdie, followed by the drop shot over the net. For a week, I couldn't get the sound of her voice saying, "You need to run" out of my head. Of course, the shin splints I have developed from jogging haven't helped anything either. I think as long as I keep her on the back line I have a shot.

Physical limitations aside, it was another great week in Cologne. The weather here has improved quite a bit, and my pale cheeks got pretty red yesterday. On Saturday, a group of us took a short trip to Bonn for a festival they have around the same time every year. It was very similar to the city festivals we have in MN during the summer. I was excited to finally grill some food here; I miss the Weber "big red" back home. I knew I was in for quite an event when there was standing room only on the train from Cologne to Bonn. The Germans I had spoken to earlier in the day had nothing but good things to say, so I figured this would be the thing to do.

As we arrived in Bonn, there was a sea of people, young and old, scattered throughout the riverbank of the Rhine. Attached is only a small fraction of the scene. Beyond that were the fair grounds, complete with beer tents and music stages. The main stage had quite an interesting group playing some tunes. As I approached, they were playing "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", and the lead singer was dressed head to toe in her best pleathers. I couldn't help but think of how nasty sweaty she was underneath. She was followed by the Meatloaf look-alike, but I can't remember the song he sang, I was too mesmerized by the attire he had on.

After a stroll through the fair grounds, we settled in on our spot on the river bank for some food. There were BBQ's going everywhere, and the smell made me think of sitting in the yard at home. We got there at about 6, and the fireworks didn't happen until around 11, so there was plenty of time to hang out and chat. I didn't bring much to drink, and I was happy about that as going to the bathroom was quite the adventure. First you had to fight your way through the people, and then you had to wait in an extremely long line for the port-o-potty. If you've never tried doing that in the pitch dark, you should give it a try, especially trying to orientate yourself once inside the toilet.

The fireworks display at the end of the night was great, much like what you would see at a top spot during the 4th of July. They were over at around 11:30, and I immediately stood up and made a bee-line for the train. Long story short, the trip back to Cologne was absolutely dreadful. By the time the fireworks were over, and by the time I got back to my flat, it took three hours. I was so happy to be home, and to wash my hands.

On Sunday, a German friend took me to a small village called Euskirchen, where she grew up. It's a quaint village not too far from Cologne, and very stereotypical of Europe. It's tucked into hillsides with fields of flowers, and quiet streets. We visited her parents, and stole one of their cars for the afternoon to visit another neighboring village and lake area. It was weird to ride in a car again, as it has been a month since I've traveled in one. She kept offering me the opportunity to drive but I passed.

Overall, it was very peaceful afternoon. The scenery was spectacular, and I was very jealous that she had the opportunity to grow up in such a place. The first stop involved us walking to the top of the remnants of what appeared to be an old fort that surrounded the city. From there, we were able to look down on the little town, and enjoy the view. There was an interesting mix of homes, restaurants, and shops through cobblestone streets.

After that we drove over to a lake area tucked away from busy roads and walked around. It reminded me of northern MN. There were a lot of people in and around the lake, fishing, swimming, and enjoying the view. The weather couldn't have been better, and I was quite tired from the fresh air and sunshine. We stopped at a lakeside cafe to have a drink and some ice cream. My friend, tried to convince me to order in German, but I was a bit hesitant from my previous experience at Burger King. I deferred to her, and the order went off without a hitch. Overall, it was a peaceful and relaxing weekend.

Slight Differences

The main things that makes travel enjoyable are the slight differences. If you visit India, then it is the extremely large differences. For most of Europe though, it is the little things here and there. I've already touched on some things in earlier posts such as living, transportation, drinking, and MULLETS! Really though, it extends to every aspect of your life.

I recently had dinner with a German friend here in Cologne. She studied abroad at the University of MN last fall, and during her time in my city, I would always ask her what was different. I was very curious to get an outsiders view on Minny. I know the obvious things like transportation, food, clothing, seven months of depressing cold, but that is not the good stuff to me. The good stuff is differences in the little things that aren't discussed in newspapers or beer halls.

Now that I was in her backyard, it was her turn to ask the question. I explained that besides apparently having this completely different language thing, I find slight differences around every corner. Take for example window screens. Now, you would never think of the impact a window screen could have on your life. That is until it has an impact on your life. Apparently here in Cologne they do not believe in them. Considering the fact that air conditioning is not custom here, and heat rises, my deluxe flat in the sky feels like an Easy Bake Oven when I return from class. The only way to beat the heat is to open the windows. The windows of course do not have screens. Therefore, Mother Nature has free access to my room.

I don't know what I prefer more, collecting the leaves and seeds from trees off my pillow before resting my head on it, or becoming Lord of the Flies at night. It's a toss up. No wait, my favorite is when it rains. Since a rain cloud visits Cologne once every 30 minutes a lot of my time is spent trying to find the happy medium of a cool breeze venturing into my room, and preventing rain drops from short-circuiting my computer.

You are probably saying to yourself that Nick is starting to crack in his foreign territory. It's quite the opposite actually. I love the life here, and appreciate most (not all) of the differences. I always tell people that they have to lower their expectations when they travel. I think most people feel that if they spend a bunch of money and use up vacation time to travel that it means they should be catered to. That is fine and dandy if you are sitting on a beach at an all exclusive resort sipping Mojitos. If you want to go somewhere to experience its culture and history though, you can't let little things get in the way. If you focus on the fact that you felt the service was poor or someone got frustrated with you because you didn't know their language, then you miss out on the good stuff. If you travel expecting nothing, then you receive so much more out of it.

Ok, to change direction a bit, today is a national holiday in Germany. I believe it is the equivalent to Labor Day, but don't hold me to that. Therefore, April 30 is a popular night for young people to go out. Take it from me, if you are in Germany on April 30, don't go out. That is unless you like hanging out with 20 years olds, standing in long lines, and paying $10 for a drink. Every other night is great. April 30 though, not great.

The interesting part about this holiday is that during the night, if a man fancies a woman, then they are to go into the woods, cut down a specific type of tree, decorate it with colored paper, and put it outside her window. I'm serious; I'm not making this up. I personally didn't participate but during my walk around the city today, I saw various small trees taped to the side of buildings decorated in various colored paper. It's like teepeeing someone only not only to do you bring the teepee, you bring the tree as well.

Besides that, every store in Cologne was shut down today, which doesn't bode well is you are out of groceries. I had a grease craving and justified the fact that since it was a holiday I felt no shame in visiting Burger King. When I got there I thought to myself - when in Rome. So, I tried ordering my meal in German. I thought it was a basic sentence. "Number one with fries". Turns out the lady thought I was trying to order one fry. She rang my order before I caught her (more likely my) error, and she had to get a manager to come reset the register. Her manager then proceeded to yell at her. So, me trying to accommodate to the native language actually made things worse. Guess I should have stuck to English on this one.

The rest of the day was spent wandering around town. I took advantage of the quiet streets to have some good alone time. I walked quite a bit, and boarded random trams to see where they took me. The end of the night was spent sitting in the park by the university until the sun went down. It was very peaceful and calming. I have included a picture of the park. I know it's just water and trees. It's one of those you had to be there kind of things. Until next time!