A Room with a View

Corfu has proved to be the classic vacation experience. I am so happy I decided to come here.

First of all, the weather has been generally excellent. The one day it did rain, I just did a long hike with my umbrella. Most other days, if I were not exploring the island in my rented car, I was at Myrtiotissa Beach. It is just perfect, as it is a very laid back nude beach (they usually are), have crystal clear water, so did some long distance swimming. And of course, you can get fresh food and drinks right there. Fresh fruit with ice cream right on the beach - I'm there.

The other part that is just the best is my cute little pension in Pelekas village. Yes there are some tourists there, but it is the classic little Greek village, complete with a caste of authentic characters. You know the ones you always see on TV, little old ladies all in black, walking with a cane, motorcycles wizzing around her. People smile and wave everywhere, and are so friendly and hospitable.

My wonderful hosts, Elvira and Petros, could not be nicer. Always offering me something - coffee, cake, ouzo, even cooked me dinner one night. There is no saying no, they insisted. In the evening, some of their friends would drop by, and everyone was chattering away in Greek. Made no difference that I didn't understand a word, just being there was fun.














I shall bring home wonderful memories of this wonderful Greek island.

Corfu has it all!

Corfu has it all, it really does. No matter what you look for in a vacation/travel, it is all here. It has an amazing history and lots of historic sites. There is an a wonderful natural beauty here - the rugged mountains, the green of the cypress and olive trees. There is the wonderful Mediterranean climate, and so many beautiful beaches with clean sand and aqua coloured water. Lots of charming little authentic villages full of colourful Greek people. There is wonderful food and wine, served in friendly tavernas and outdoor patios. For those of you who want it, there are even luxury hotels and swimming pools.

And except for the luxury hotels, I am doing it all. I just moved across the island, into a cute little pension in a mountaintop village called Pelekas. You should see the view from my room - stunning vistas of mountains, valleys, villages, and the sea. It is very clean, has its own bathroom, 2 beds, A/C and TV (neither used by me), and a little mini kitchen with fridge, coffee maker and 2 burner stove - perfect! Oh yes, and only 22 euros per night, pretty good for one, and would be even better if I were sharing.

The other reason I moved over to Pelekas is that it is very close to Myrtiotissa nude beach. Beautiful clean sand, water still warm from the summer, relaxed friendly atmosphere - lots of families, and really great food and drinks. I had a huge sandwich the other day, it was a large bagette with olive oil, ham, cheese, wonderful ripe tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, onions, herbs, salt and pepper made fresh for you - 3 euros. Add a beer or glass of wine for another 2 euros, and you have a perfect 5 euro lunch. Puts Wreck Beach to shame.














I have managed to book my trip to Turkey, where I meet my friend Clarence. I am really looking forward to his company, and know he has done lots of research, so the trip will be interesting. Clarence is also a real budget traveller, so he will likely get me back on my budget. I don't think I qualify as a true budget traveller - I like to treat myself too much. I don't spend like crazy, but just prefer a private room to a hostel, and a sit down meal once a day to a food stand.

I know every single one of my friends would find something here they would love. If you are considering an exotic sun vacation in the future, or want to add some nice beach time to a trip to Europe - consider Corfu.

A bit of basic information on Pelekas village at the following link: http://www.corfu-island.org/pelekas.htm

The Sunny Island of Corfu

Arrived in Corfu on Saturday night, and it was charter heaven (or a nightmare, perhaps). Tons of charter air tourists getting off planes, and heading into charter buses to stay at charter hotels..... not this traveller!

So, hmmmm, where to stay. No sign of the little old ladies trying to rent out rooms that you read about in the travel books. Ask at the tourist information office, and the nice woman looks at me like I am out of my mind. "Everyone makes arrangements before arriving" she says. Well, I don't have any. "Anywhere cheap?" I ask. She says not in Corfu town, but maybe somewhere in her village, about a 35 euro taxi ride from here.

Oh god, what now. I decide that the town is within walking distance, so will walk there. What I will do when I get there is anyone's guess. Put on the backback (thank god I packed light), and headed out the door.

A man speaks to me in German, and I reply "English only". He immeadiately switches to English, and asks if I need a room. Well, yes I do. He lives in a little village nearby, has a few rooms to rent, he just dropped off a nice German couple who stayed 12 days.

I decide to trust my instincts and go along with this - he seems like a nice guy. Do I have to pay for a taxi? No, I have my car here - no charge of course. He says the room is 30 euros, and has a double bed and private bath. And its in a Greek village - how authentic.

We zip through a bunch of narrow streets, and in about 12 minutes arrive at his place. The room is just nice, cute, charming and clean. This will do just nicely. After I get settled, George appears again, bottle of wine and fresh bread in hand. He tells me he has to go to his brother's birthday party, but please enjoy the wine and bread in the meantime. A charge, of course not!














Next morning it is sunny and warm, and I awake to the sound of church bells, roosters and lambs. This really is a Greek village, how cool. George appears with fresh eggs right from the chicken (yes, I know that's where all eggs come from, but you know what I mean!). He also has a little pot of hot coffee, and we sit outside my room on some deck chairs enjoying the sun and conversation.

Later, he takes me to his friend Tony's to check out cars. He helps me negotiate a good rate, and I get a nice little Kia for 200 euros for an entire week. OK, I guess this is not budget travel, but I really want to explore the island.

I follow him back to the pension, carefully noting the landmarks. The streets have no names or number, so you just have to remember landmarks. My last turn is by the pink house, and I follow the road until the double potholes, and turn left into George's place.

I then head off to Corfu town, to check out the old fort, the harbour, and the great shops and restaurants. It is a bit of a zoo - I later find out why - three cruise ships in town. Oh well, grab some mousaka in an outdoor cafe (still not sounding like budget travel, Neil).














Later, take a spectacular drive around the north end of the island. It is much more mountainous than I thought. It was an amazing drive, and lots of fun, as the car was a standard. Using info I had written down from Wikitravel, managed to find the lone nude beach in the area. Stopped for a little sun, then drove back over the mountains to Corfu town.














Grab some dinner and breakfast food, and put it in the fridge in my room. George arrvies later with more wine, and we sit outside chatting for a couple of hours. I have made a local connection, and am really liking it.

Wizzing down to the Sun

I really feel that 6 large cities in 3 weeks has worn me out a bit. Plus, the cold cloudy weather never has been something I enjoyed. So, time to put the flex in flexible, and go somewhere that was not planned.

The origins of this trip are in the Barbershop I have been going to for years. A bunch of nice Greek guys work together at this little West End barbershop, and it is decorated with a couple of travel posters. As there is not much to do while getting your hair cut, you tend to look at the posters. One that has always been there is a Corfu travel poster. I remember is says "The wines are Apellia, the place is Corfu", with a beautiful picture of this magic Greek Island.

That image, combined with the fact that Wizz, the discount Hungarian carrier flies there, lead to me buying a ticket.

Got to the airport, and noticed the gates were not crowded. When our plane started to board, I asked how many were on the flight. Would you believe 11 people, on a plane that holds 180 - how weird. Still a full compliment of flight attendants (4) and this weird empty plane. They must have had lots of passengers to pick up in Corfu, otherwise I cannot imagine why it was not cancelled. So off we go, landing in Corfu just after 9:00 on Saturday night.














Very low stress flight - security even let me take my corkscrew on board (their x-ray spotted it, which is a good thing).

A Classic (or cliche) Day in Hungary

My second day in Budapest was going to be a classic one. I felt I had experienced the major sites, so it was time to take in the major experiences of Hungary.

Started the day in my cute little room, enjoying the most delicious strawberry yogurt I have ever tasted. I got it at the little supermarket across the street. Luckily, I bought a 500 ml size, so there was plenty for the next day.

It was still cold, so bundled up, and went out strolling. You are all going to wince, but since it is cold, and I only have sandals, I adopted that fashionable German habit of sandals with socks - Yikes! And I call myself a gay man.

Perhaps it was this high fashion, or just my look of "I'm relaxed and I belong here"; but continued to get asked for directions in Hungarian. From New York to Budapest, I have been asked for directions in the native language in all six cities. I do consider it a compliment of sorts.

Anyway, no doubt I was a tourist when I walked into what turned out to be a very upscale restaurant. It appeared to be way outside my budget, but the menu said otherwise. This is one of the great things about Budapest, alot like Paris, at 1/2 or 1/3 of the price. As I said, you could definitely tell I was a tourist, when I ordered a large beer, Hungarian Goulash soup, and Chicken Paprika (with basil mashed potatoes), mmmmmm! The soup was absolutely delicious, filled with potatoes, beef and vegetables, and lots of paprika taste. After I had it, along with the complimentary bread, I realized that would have been enough for lunch. The chicken was also good, and I was stuffed, but fuelled for more walking.










Made my way across the Elizabeth bridge to the Buda side, and checked out a Hungarian bath. It seemed to be too dumpy to be the famous Gellert Art Deco baths, and sure enough, the lady motioned me further down the river toward my destination.

The outside of the Gellert baths were under complete restoration, so I could not take a picture. A sign assured me that the inside was functioning normally. In I went, realizing I was not really prepared for this visit. Why didn't I bring my towel and bathing suit. Oh well, there were towels for rent, and luckily I was wearing my sexy little undies that could pass for a bathing suit. I would just be going back across the bridge commando (I know, more information than you need in this blog).

As usual, things were very confusing, I paid, went through a turnstile, and could not find my way in from the huge hall. A lady said second door on the right, then turn left. Well the first doorway had 2 doors, so what's a person to do. Well, perhaps walk into the second one, and into the women's change area - yikes. Between that, and the women's undies in my bed in Amsterdam, I am 2 for 2 on the embarassment score.

Anyway, finally found this long underground passage into the men's change area - actually mixed dressing cabins. A lady gave me my towel, and showed me to dressing cabin 67, which she kept the key for. Interesting, just trusted the system, and left my clothes and wallet there. Turned out to be no problem.

Went through a beautiful indoor pool, which I have a great picture of, then into the men's area. There were massage rooms, steam rooms, saunas of various heats, and 2 fairly large pools. The tiles were engraved to say one was 36C and the other 38C. So I soaked and steamed and baked and soaked again. For some reason, there were a lot of French tourists there, but also what looked like a few locals. All in all, very relaxing, and definitely Budapest's most beautiful bath.














My gay male readers will probably understand this statement. It was kind of like a gay steambath, except everyone was wearing bathing suits, and there was no good music or sex happening. Kind of odd, why to you straight guys like to hang out like this together, some kind of male bonding ritual, I guess. But as I said, very enjoyable, and I left totally relaxed, flop-flop.

Back across the bridge to the Pest side, for a glass of Hungarian chardonney (very nice) and home-made pear pie at the Amstel River Cafe, a very Bohemian little spot in the centre of the city (what does Bohemian mean, anyway?). I had discovered it the day before (listed in my gay guide), and the pie just had to be tried.

Hit another little bar further down the Danube, and contemplated dinner at one of the many great restaurants in the area. It was such a shame about the weather, as they all had tons of great outdoor tables. Is a matter of fact, it started to rain lightly, so took this as a sign to head home. Grabbed some cheese, bread, and a bottle of wine, and had dinner at my Budapest home.

Yes, a classic day in Hungary. Tomorrow it is off to Corfu in Greece. I have done some research, and there are some interesting options on places to stay. There are also a couple of nude beaches, which I am looking forward to. And yes, it seems it will cost me quite a bit to get from there to Isambul to meet Clarence.

Hear that Clarence, I'll be broke when I see you.... you'll have to feed me (kidding!).

Shall I do Buda, or Pest..... hmmm, maybe both

I have now spent a few days in Budapest. And in spite of my introduction, I really like it, and would really recommend it to other travellers. It does not get as much press as the other big European capitals, but the centre of the city is very impressive and beautiful.

My first day was similar to my other first days in European cities - walk, walk, and walk more. The bandaids are doing a good job protecting my healing blisters, so who needs a transit pass. When you have no particular destination, you really can't get lost - sort of.

I find that a city's main attractions are usually obvious and very visible. I walked from my slightly scary neighbourhood toward the centre of the city, and the buildings become noticably more beautiful. This is the Paris of the East, after all. It is when I get to the Danube River that the site really takes my breath away. Both side are lined with building just like Paris, but across the river on the Buda side, is stunning Castle Hill, with what else, a beautiful castle set high on a green hill. You can just sense the history of the place.

Across one of the many bridges I go, then climb the hill to see the castle in person. There is a funicular, but I just take a picture of it, and use my legs. The view from the top is amazing, especially looking up the river towards the Pest side. I will include my pictures when I am able to download them.

The rest of the day was spent walking and exploring, seeing many of the amazing attractions of this city. Back and forth across the bridges, also checking out Margit Island in the middle.

Get me a scarf, some boots and a valium!

OK, today is Wednesday, the day of my flight to Budapest. It all started out quite well, but turned into a classic budget travel nightmare. Again, I kept my cool, but really was at my wits end by about 7:30PM.

As I had already done the "dress rehersal", had no problem taking the Paris metro to the correct station for the Beauvais Airport bus. It was only 13 euros, and I caught it in plenty of time, about 11:30. It was supposed to take about 1 1/2 hours, but as traffic was light, we got there in an hour.

Beauvais airport is waaaaaay smaller than the other Paris airports, and a bit out of the way. But some of the European budget airlines use it, so a good option.














Arrived at the airport, and it was little. Probably about the size of the one in Penticton. There was a single Ryanair 737 on the tarmac, with one arriving later, then my Wizz Air flight, an A320.













You walk out on the tarmac, and up the stairs, the old fashioned way. Security was quite easy, as there are only 3 flights at the time. Overall, quite a pleasant experience.

And Wizz Air, again, very nice. The A 320 was brand spanking new, with nice deep burgundy leather seats. Very smooth flight, took just under 2 hours.

Arrived at Budapest Terminal 1, and it was here I started to feel that I did not know what the %^&*$% I was doing. I had pre-booked a bus, and asked the lady at the information counter where I would find it. She looked rather annoyed (probably a distant relation of the Paris metro lady), and waved her arms indicating the bus was outside - well duh!

Waited around a bit, then went back into the terminal to call my EBAB host. Got an answering machine in Hungarian, and left an English message. People think I am crazy not to be carrying a cell phone, and I think they are right.

Finally hooked up with the bus driver, and into Budapest we went. Central Budapest may be very beautiful, but the outskirts leave no doubt this was once a Soviet Block country. Got my bearings from the sunset direction, and the hills ahead (I had read on the plane that the Buda side was hilly).

Traffic was horrendous, and finally the driver just gave up, and dumped us off. I had grabbed a map at the airport, and actually thought I may have found the street my apartment was on.

Found a metro station, and guess what, they don't take Euros. I have no Hungarian money, so what do I do. Tried a bank machince with a Plus logo on it, and no and no to both Royal Bank, and CIBC. Yikes!

Started to walk in the general direction of the apartment, but I knew it was miles away. And yes, my feet are still killing me (started using polysporin right away in Amsterdam, Laurie!). I was also very tired, and hungry, and thirsty, and oh yah, its about 10 degrees outside, typical November weather I heard some locals say. So, I am also freezing!

Bumbled onto an exchange place, and exchanged 50 euros for Hungarian Forint. Bought a metro ticket, and was promptly accosted by a guard telling me I must validate the ticket. Now remember, I don't know a word of Hungarian, and nobody here seems to speak any English.

Got off at the correct metro station, and actually found the street name I was looking for. But the street numbering system made no sense. I was looking for 13, 34???? Asked directions in a store and from a couple of strangers on the street, I just pointed to the printed address on my confirmation. No one had a clue where it was. If the locals could not figure it out, how could I?














Walked alone up a very dark creepy street, noticing the ugly Soviet style apartment blocks - scary. Came to the end of the street, and found the odd numbers on the split side of the street. Found 11 and 13A. 11 had a list of buzzer numbers, but 13A had no such thing. Walked into some even scarier alleys (makes Dwayne and my Santiago nightmare look tame). Was feeling so frustrated and down, what was I to do.

Hobbled along and found a payphone. Now you have not forgotten that I am cold, hungry, thirsty, tired and my feet hurt, have you? The stupid phone would not work, even though I now had Hungarian coins. Now what.

I still had a feeling I was close, so went back to the really scary alleys, and looked into an equally scary open doorway. There appeared to be a janitor in there, so I pointed to my address - 13. He motioned that is was around the back of the building on another street. Bingo! The name on the enter code corresponded to the proprietors name, and it was also number 34, and on the ninth floor as stated in my EBAB information.

It was a big Soviet style building, with a very scary ancient elevator. I buzzed 34 and someone buzzed me in.

I was never so glad to see a friendly face, and a cute little room of my own. Grabbed some cheese and crackers, a huge sprite from the supermarket (very cheap), and sat down to tell my tale.

Feeling better now, but it has been quite a day.

Images that Stimulate Me (a perfect day in Paris)

Woke up feeling great after a good night's sleep in the dorm. Also felt mentally better because it was a bright sunny day - Paris was waiting.

My blisters were still bad, so bandaged them up well for a day that had to include some walking. Zipped back to the Hotel de Ville on the metro, and considered taking the RER train to the museum, as I had the day before. Did not actually do the museum the previous day, as they were searching bags, and I still had my pot from Amsterdam in mine (hey, this is boarderless Europe).

Anyway, decided to hoof it to the Musee d' Orsay, and it turned out to be a great decision. Stumbled upon a wonderful exhibit being held on the Pont des Artists (Artists Bridge). It was about 50 beautifully done photos spead out on the bridge with detailed captions. The subject was Bad Air - Malaria, and had information, stats and of course amazing pictures from various countries, some of which I am going to visit. It really connected with me, and the irony of these pictures of people suffering with the backdrop of one of the world's most beautiful cities, was not lost. Unlike my approach to most museums, I studied each picture, and read every caption. Very moving.














Sun still shining, it was off to the Musee d' Orsay for a dose of Impressionism, perhaps my favourite style of art. I know you will all be outraged when I do not do the Louvre, but this is my vacation.














At breakfast, I had been talking to this nice family from Tasmania, and they gave me the scoop that the best stuff was on the top floor, so to start there. It was absolutely breathtaking - so much beauty in one place. The Renoirs and Monets were my particular faves. Plus lots of Rodin sculptures.














Back out in the sun, it was Sunday, and all of Paris was enjoying a beautiful afternoon. I just had to be part of it, and was very proud to find a great sandwich shop, where I ordered une bagette avec le poulet special. Also found a grocery store where I grabbed some water and wine. Sat on the banks of the River Seine eating and drinking with my fellow Parisians (I know, I am not a local, but I did feel like one). Many tourists boats passed by, everyone snapping pictures; I know I will be captioned as one of the many locals enjoying a sunny Paris Sunday.














This was exactly the kind of experience I was looking for on this trip. As the caption says, a perfect day in Paris. This is what travel is about.















Hit a fun little bar in the Marais district for a couple of glasses of Bordeaux, trying to converse in my limited French. I sound like I know how to speak it to them, but am unable to carry on a full conversation. Oh well, it's all fun.

It is now Monday, I found this internet cafe near my hostel - lots of great news. My friend Clarence has said yes to my request to join him in Turkey - he has it all planned, so I just need to join him, and enjoy his company.

Also got a response to my request for accomodations in Budapest. I have tried this company called EBAB, that specializes in private accomodation in private homes of gay men. It sounds good, and is only €25 per night, and I get my own room. This might be my first chance to really interact with locals.

It is another sunny September day in Paris, not too hot, so off I go exploring again.














More from Hungary soon. Have some interesting options from there. One possibility is a $93 plane ticket to Corfu in Greece. Would be nice, but how on earth will I get to Istambul from there (without breaking the bank)? Other option, Eastern European chicken buses through Romania and Bulgaria. Why don't you guys vote online. You can comment on all these blogs you know (only Tony has figured that out so far).

A Canadian in Paris

Figured out the metro pretty fast, and with a few transfers, was off to an area called Cite de Sciences, where my hostel was supposed to be. Got off the metro, and got my bearings pretty fast, and voila, there was the hostel, right where I thought it would be. It was a member of Hostelling International, so was of a much better standard - the clientelle was improved as well. All this for only €19 per day, including breakfast.

Got a carte d orange for the Paris metro, unlimited travel for 5 days - money well spent. Zipped into the centre of the city - line 5 to line 11.














Unfortunately, it was kind of cool and cloudy, but that was not about to stop me. Got off at the Hotel de Ville (City Hall), and started taking in the sites. It' funny, but it reminded me of Buenos Aires, but that was really backwards. BA is sometimes called the Paris of South America.

By the way, typos are now because I am using a French keyboard - merde.

Unlimited metro meant I could get to the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triumph, the Musee d' Orsay and a bunch of other sites in one day.














Fell into the non-budget trap of wanting to eat on a sidewalk cafe - this is Paris after all. Found one that was no too outrageous, and enjoyed some good food and wine.

Found the gay area, and wandered around a bit for the evening. Had a couple of drinks, but home relatively early for another good sleep.

Amsterdam to Paris

Decided that since accomodation was so expensive in Amsterdam, why not see if I could get to Paris early. Besides, it was pouring rain in AMS.

Headed over to the Eurolines bus station, and was told there was a 3:00 Bus to Paris. Was very surprised to find out the trip took 8 hours. Waited around the bus station for a while, then was off to Paris with no supplimentary charge.














The traffic in the Netherlands was crazy. We were stop and go for hours, and were soon running 2 hours behind. Chatted with a nice doctor and his family from Karachi, Pakistan. He made an offer that seemed totally genuine, that if I made it to Karachi, just phone him, he would come to the airport to pick me up.

Arrived in Paris at 1:00 AM. My hostel booking was for the next day, so decided to see what I could get near the bus terminal. Turns out I could get a private room with a Queen sized bed and private bath for €55. You have no idea how excited that got me, I have really gotten used to budget travel fast. Plus, this was €2 less than the dumpy bunkbed would have been in Amsterdam.

Got a good sleep, grabbed a cheap breakfast, and was off to explore the Paris metro system the next morning:

Amsterdam

Woke up in the hostel, bodies and clothes everywhere. The English girls were dead to the world. I got into the shower quickly, this does not seem to be a problem. The hostel includes breakfast, so grabbed some toast, orange juice and coffee.

Headed out exploring the city on foot. More canals than I had imagined, Amsterdam is truly wonderful. Blundered onto the Homomonument which also was the site of the gay tourist centre, how fortunate. Got the scoop on gay Amsterdam, and headed out on walking more.














You don't really need to take a city tour when you get to a new city. If you walk enough (which I do), you really do see everything.

Grabbed a herring sandwich, with lots of onions and pickles, for lunch. I really love to do the "when in Rome" thing.














Hit a cafe, and bought some pot (hey, it's Amsterdam). Really weird discussing the various types with the shop owner. Grabbed a pipe and lighter, and I was in business.

I just walked and walked and walked. That evening I had a huge blister on the side of my left foot. Hey I should have known, new sandals. I had the correct size of bandaid, so covered up. The next day a better solution proved to be wearing my shower sandals, which I bought in Pennsylvania. They are just basic flip-flops, and as Amsterdam is so casual, no problem fitting in.

Hit the Van Gogh museum in the afternoon, and really enjoyed it. Of course they have some of his best paintings. A nice surprise was the collection of paintings by Impressionist painters, which I love. Really liked the Monets and Gaugins.

Easily found the gay area, and discovered happy hour where 2 Heineken beer were only 2.30 Euros. Talked to a few guys, then grabbed a light dinner. Decided to be brave, and hit a naked night at Church, a special club with theme nights. The guy at the gay info centre had given me a brochure, and it just happened to be naked night the day I was there. Very familiar, much like home, except the guys were much younger and cuter.

Back to the hostel, and actually slept fairly well. It's amazing the difference earplugs, beer and pot make.

Up the next day, and limped around Amsterdam slowly because of my blisters. Found a print shop where I could upload photos, so that is why you are all now up to date. got caught in a rainstorm without my umbrella. Back to the hostel to dry out. Checked with the front desk, and there is no availablility on Friday night. I cancelled as I thought it was rediculous to pay 57 euros for a dorm bed in a dump. Well, now I have no place to stay on Friday. Have just checked a few things on the web, and have the emergency override protocol ready again, although it won't work as well in Amsterdam - no private rooms.

Stay tuned....

What a dump!

Arrived in Amsterdam with my hostel reservations in hand. It was raining, so go to test my backpack cover and rain jacket. Both seem to work just fine, although the rain quickly eased off.

Jumped on tram #1, as per hostel's instructions. Got off at the correct stop, but was confused by both the directions, and my terrible map. Asked some locals, and even they could not figure it out. Finally, went into a hotel, where a nice guy gave me a better map, and clear instructions.

It was right around the corner, very lively neighbourhood, to put it mildly. Found the Granada Hostel, was buzzed in, and went up to the second floor. Told him I only wanted it for 3 nights, not 4. He said why. I told him 57 euros for a dorm bed on Friday was rediculous. He said he would see what he could do.

Went up 2 more narrow flights of stairs to room 26. Opened the door, and it was fairly dark, could see that several people were sleeping. Its now about midnight, by the way. Briefly turned on the light to see my bed number - great, and upper bunk again.














But the room, oh my god, besides the fact there were 4 bunkbeds stuffed into such a small space, the room looked like a used clothing store had been blown up by terrorists. Clothes, shoes, underwear, packs, and lord knows what strewn around everywhere. And the noise, the french doors were opened to let fresh air in, and people outside the windows were literally screaming. Dogs barked, horns honked, sirens wailed, and everytime the bar door was opened, the horrendeous sound of a live rock band blarred out.

It did not tense up, I did not freak out, I just kind of snickered to myself and said - this is what adventure travel is about.

Decided the best plan was to stack all my stuff on the upper bunk with me; besides there was not a square inch of space to put anything on the floor anyway. Settled into bed, and just listened to the deafening din. About half an hour later, a tipsy Englishwoman comes into the room (this is a mixed dorm). She mumbles something to her friends about someone taking her bed. Ah, that could explain the pair of women's panties I found when I first crawled in.

I apoligized to her, and said that was the bed the front desk had assigned my. She said no problem, and crawled into the next bunk.

About and hour later, there was a knock on the door. No one seemed to hear - where they somehow sleeping with the loudness? More knocks, and finally Miss English wakes up and lets her friend in.

And what an enterance. Door opens, in falls her friend facefirst on our floor. Not even a step. Very Patsy and Edina.












She lays on the flour explaining to her friend she got into a drinking contest with some guy, and she won. She claimed she drank 30 vodka shooters. Her speech and smell seemed to confirm this fact.

You don't need further details, except to know is was classic girlfriend helps other in need. The toilet got a good workout, and they generally just babbled for about an hour.

Again, no stress.......... I am a traveller!

Little things that make me smile

My new sandals, comfortable and stylish, only €19.90














I may have left my heart in San Francisco, but I also left my Tevas in Hamburg














Budget lunch, German style.

Other things that are putting a smile on my face this trip: my wonderful camera, the huge memory card for my camera, the water bottle Tony gave me (a real life saver), my travel clothes (not only do they wash and dry quickly, they also seem to resist stains), my shoulder bag (fits right in in Europe).

If people from Berlin are Berliners, people from Hamburg must be....

Well, as I said, survived the night quite nicely. Woke up this morning feeling great, but in the total dark, had no idea what it was doing outside. Packed up my backpack with the raingear and umbrella on top, and headed out. Early, cool morning in Hamburg, but beautiful and sunny.

Now, it was a bit weird, as I was not staying anywhere, so headed to the train station to lock up my backpack, so I would be much more comfortable (not to mention lighter!)

*Sidenote* Everztime I tzpe a y, I should just let what appears staz, this interchanged y and z is driving me crayz!

Anyway, back to Hamburg. Noticed hundreds of spandex clad bikers heading in the same general direction as I was. After locking up my pack, checked out the back of the station, and it appears the biggest bike race of the year was taking place Sunday morning. It got underway at 8:00, and I was in prime viewing position. Funny how this non-planning can work out.














After watching them for a while, headed out on foot to explore the old city. Headed over an old bridge into an interesting part of town that was definitely part of the trading system years ago. Interesting buildings and waterways. Deep into the inner canals, headed back over the bridge towards and old church. After that, bumped into the bikers again, but this time in a very crowded downtown area, with thousands of screaming fans. I captured it on my camera' video function; now if I can just figure out how to upload it to this or flickr.














*Sidenote* I am already a bit frustrated by my inability to capture the essence of these places. Dwayne, you should definitely dig up a video cam somehow.

After the race, hit an internet cafe to provide you guys with my sparkling repartie, but also to book a hostel in Amsterdam and my trip to Paris after that. Turns out bus is much cheaper than train, so it is train Hamburg to Amsterdam, but bus Amsterdam to Paris. Also had to cut a day off Amsterdam due to hostel inavailability and price on the weekend.

"Computer, activate emergency override protocol Gay-Stay 6.9"

OK, I admit that travelling without a plan is a bit scary, and yesterday the classic problems of such a travel style came up in spades.

Our train from Denmark got into Hamburg station at about 4:30. The station is huge and busy, but I did not let that intimidate me. I decided the first thing I should do was make some future plans, so hit the Deutsch Baun office to inquire about tickets to Berlin. All around me there were ads showing an amazing price of €29 for many cities, including Berlin. I got to the front of the line, and informed the lady I wanted to go to Berlin in 2 days. She said it was €69, that the €29 was for 3 days advanced. I had not planned on staying in Germany this long, so passed on that one. I was playing with one of the ticket machines outside that likely could not take my PINless Visa, but it did seem to indicate that the 3 day advance ticket to Amsterdam was €39 - that might be the plan.

So, where the hell am I in Hamburg? The tourist office was jammed with a huge lineup, so I pulled out my trusty Spartacus Guide map. The gay area was in the red light district, but I could not figure out if I were close by the pattern of the streets. I consulted the guide, and noticed a cluster of bars in one area, and checked their listings - all had the same Metro station. There is the solution, metro maps are easy to read, so just hit the Metro, and get to that station. I went down the escalator into the station, only to discover I was already there!

OK, so crossed the street (don't forget I am lugging my pack) and got my bearings. Headed into the area to find a hostel. No sign of any, or any backpackers for that matter. Well, maybe splurge on a hotel, people say Germany is relatively cheap.

Guess what, every roachy hotel in the area was full for the weekend. So decided to hit an internet cafe, and look for hostels. The one I could find was way outside the area, but did locate a nearby hotel with rooms available. Being the thoughtful person I am, I also took the time to upload my personal photos to previous blogs (for you, gentle readers).

Hit the hotel in question, and was told in spite of the internet, there were no rooms at the inn. I had previously checked out a gay hotel with a single room for a very high €52 (at least on my budget), so went back there.

Guess what, room gone, no rooms available. I was quite proud of myself, as I had remained calm throughout this ordeal, and continued in such a manner. Great, I thought, my first night sleeping in a park, and in the red-light area to boot. Well my First Time Around the World guide said it would happen at least once.

The proprietor suggested the Dragon steambath. Ah yes, that was my original backup plan for this trip, why did I not think of that!

Before heading over to the steambath, dashed back to the rail station to secure a ticket to Amsterdam. Again, no luck, but pleaded with the lady to keep looking. Bingo - she found me one, with a connection. I am now 3 for 3 in beating the Eurail Pass price. Also checked out lockers while at the station. There were some, and I tested squeezing my bag into the smaller/cheaper one. There is the plan for tomorrow.

Headed over to the steambath, but while checking in, realized like most baths, there were no in/out privileges. So, stopped the check in, and headed out for a nice cheap spaghetti dinner. Back to the bath about 9:30, and checked in for the maximum 10 hours. The guy at the front was real nice, he gave me a quiet room, that he said was in the warmer area.

Turns out the bath was out of some kind of fantasy world, huge, every facility you could want, a very stylish Chinese style bar in the middle of it, and imaculately clean. The floors and walls just shined. All this for €24, and I get a private room, yes, a very small one. This would definitely do.

Early evening details censored. I did get a wonderful sleep. My sarong was more than enough to keep me warm, and it was a quiet room. I fashioned a pillow by wrapping my microfleece around my rain jacket, and did just fine.


















I feel like a true world traveller now.

By the way, these &%$§??&% Germain computers have keyboards with symbols in all the wrong places. And what is really weird, is the position of the y and z keys are reversed - aauuuuhhggggggg! It took me 2 minutes to find the @ key yesterday. Hope you all appreciate the effort.