Small town Mountain Man

Well, I am currently sitting in a tiny little town called Zakopane at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains that stretch between Poland and Slovakia in the south. As a matter of fact, today I was concquering some of my biggest fears and took a cable car trip up to one of the peaks in this range. It is one of the tallest in Poland, but pales in comparison to many others. It still was very sweet, about 2000km or so to Kasprowy Weirch. I had a hard time maintaining control of my fear as we climbed the mountain in this little metal box stuffed over capacity with 20 people, swaying and knowing that I am dangling over this massive forest of pines and cliffs below. Though I struggled, I think I'm stronger for it. The views from the top were amazing for a while with the sun out and loads of slick snow on the ground. Then the fog set in, so I had a bowl of soup before gathering my courage and making the descent in that tin can box.
To back up a bit, Warsaw ended very well. Dominika and Hubert the two folks I stayed with there were hard to leave. Over my three night stay they were so kind to me and did so much to make sure I was comfortable. Each night after school or work they would call me on the cell they gave me and either both or one of them would meet up with me and we would go grab a bite to eat or go get a drink. The second night was fancy cocktails after a grand driving tour of the outer edges of the city that I wouldn't see on foot. The third night, Hubert picked me up and he and I had supper in a nice little Polish resturant in the Old Town. Getting home we had some Polish Beer, and looked through pictures and talked for a few hours about his experiences in the States. Both of them were so eager to talk, I think just to use English a bit and keep it fresh in their minds. They are amazing people,a nd I can't talk them up enough. It's been a long time since i've recieved that much genuine kindness and charity.
They saw me off at the station to Krakow. I was sad to say goodbye, but new things were to come. I hoped Krakow would be decent and my living accomodations would be half as good as what I was leaving. Krakow surpassed all my expectations,a nd through a great hostel, interesting and entertaining city, and meeting some interesting and inspiring travellers like myself it made my trip to Poland worth it all. Warsaw is the Capital, and thus the largest city in Poland, and Krakow would have to be the one that draws the most tourists. It helps that just outside the city are two of Poland's biggest tourist attractions: Auschwitz, and the Wielicka? Salt Mines. I never had time in my two days there to see the Salt mines, though they are the only ones like it in the world complete with underground chapel and grand rooms carved into the salt. I knew that Auschwitz/Birkenau would be more important. It was about an 1.5 hour bus ride and I was prepared for a grim and moving day. Auschwitz/Birkenau for those who don't know is the largest extermination camp created by the Nazis in the world during WWII. There were many others, but this one played the biggest part in so many lives. To see the buildings that the people who suffered there had to live in and not just know but truly see all the devastation and killing that occurred was surreal and at times too much for your mind to believe. I couldn't and still can't fathom 8,000 EVERY DAY passing through the doors of the massive gas chambers and then to be incinerated! I get chills still trying to understand that. If I still have the numbers right about 1.5 million people whether they were Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, or any number of targeted races were killed in this camp alone. I saw the original buildings renovated to exhibit a room full of more than 40,000 pairs of shoes. Or another room full of mounds of female hair that was shaved off the women after the gas chambers and packed into bags and stored in warehouses to be sent to germany to make rugs and other textiles. Tons and tons of hair. How horrible. Clothing in another. A large pile of spectacles the germans saved, and another case full of crutches and prosthetic limbs taken from the dead. The Nazis saved everything. It's unbelievable! That is all I will say, though there is so much more like the torture and the wretched conditions, but this is something that a person, every person should experience at some point in their lives. It will forever hang with you. I have never seen so much brutality and also resiliance of the human spirit to live all at once.
On the ride back, I talked to a girl for the whole hour named Rachel from Virginia, doing her masters in Brighton England and travelling before going home. She is working with some environmentalist program, but has done some amazing things herself. I was impressed to hear she had lived in Kajikastan for a year and also Moscow. I was impressed, and then I met her two travel friends Chloe, an Australian who was on her second month of backpacking around the world! Can you imagine. This was definetely eye opening. I never knew people actually did this. Their third friend Stuart was from England and was finishing up his year long stint travelling the world. 12 Months! Think about that. That is so much time to never see home, never stay in the same place, always have the same set of clothes and whatever else you can fit in your backpack. Incredible. Here I was talking to a guy who had been in the forests of Central america, floated down the rivers in south america, talked to natives in africa, walked the wall, and did so many other things that most people would never dream of in their lives. I asked him if he was anxious to see home again for the first time in a year, and he honestly answered that he didn't want to go back to a real and normal life. Travel becomes adicting, and his world has been a constant adventure full of new things and people to meet everyday, it will be hard to settle down. Chloe agreed. I just stared at these people and asked tons of excited questions. We had a good time going out for supper, splitting a bottle of wine and chatting for a few hours. I loved these people even after a few hours and it was tough to say goodbye.
I also made two closer friends in my hostel. lMy roomates both happened to speak english. A girl named GEorge from Australia, and Chris from Wales. It was fun getting to know them, and both my nights there were spent out on the town with them. The first night we had a few .5 liters in a crazy metal pub with organ pipes above the bar, and metal music complete with screaming pumping out of the speakers. It was a neat atmosphere nonetheless and we had a good time chatting and getting to know each other. The second night we hung around the hostel for a while watching music videos in the eveing and then ventured out to a pub that is one of the last private brewers in the country, and managed to find it enjoying different varieties of this CK Browner beer, we then proceeded to a vodka bar and became acquainted with Polish Vodka. These two are very outgoing folks and lots of fun. Chris teaches English in Japan for the last 7 years. He is 31, but seriously looks like he is mine and acts like he is 8. Funny guy, your typical drunken Welshman. When I first met him, he had been drinking at different pubs in the city since 11 in the morning that day, and I met him after about 8 different pints and shots throughout the day. He knows about tons of differnent beers and ales from all over the world and that is his basic goal as a traveller. He goes to different places, even researching before he leaves all about that country and each cities particular brews and such. He even takes notes sometimes. He knows his stuff. I don't want to paint a bad picture of him. He is a good guy with a pretty decent head on his shoulders, but with some interesting habits. don't worry, they haven't rubbed off on me. Drinking like that would drive me poor so quickly! Oh, yeah, and George is a horse trainer, particularily show jumping, and has worked in both Germany and England for a year doing so. Spunky girl, and easy to make conversation with. The three of us were a good trio.
Well, I do believe I'd be impressed if your still reading this right now. There is so much more to tell, and so many details I am leaving out, but I need to get away and make more of them instead of spending this time in front of a computer screen. Hope gift-buying and house decorating is finally complete for everyone, and we can all find ourselves in that relaxing, lazy downward slide into the holiday week!
Dohveetsehnah!!

Gjhen Dobre, Greetings from Polska

I shouldn't be writing this write now. I am sitting in a gorgeous 9th floor apartment outside the center of Warsaw, Poland, the capital city with a great skyline view of everything. It is now 2;15 in the morning and I should be resting before my train ride to Krakow, but this is the last that I have free internet so I'm gonna use it. Can't do pictures though so sorry! It has been an interesting last couple days to say the least. I left the flat officially at 7 on wednesday night. It was tough to go. This was now my home, and held all that felt safe and secure, and I was about to embark on a journey living out of a backpack for almost a month. Not to mention that the first week I would be all alone. Caught my bus to london at 7:30 and comfortably made it to Irene my luther friends london flat to sleep over. Connections are everything! Got up before the rest of the house, and jumped on a 1.5 hour bus ride to Stansted Airport for my flight to Poland. I got up plenty early, and was in the highest of spirits and was determined to start my day out right as I did, but it only went downhill from there.
Our plane left an hour late, which was ok seeing that the flight to poland was apparently downwind and thus an hour and a half shorter than flying to London (go figure). As we were coming in to Poland, I could't help but notice that there was no buildings or any signs of a city. I could see below the tops of trees flicking past as we decended into a heavily wooded area, with shacks and random little roads crossing the forest. As we landed we past some hangers with grass growing on top for camoflouge, and a fleet of polish fighter jets (small ones) all lined up outside these buildings. At the end of the runaway was a small little building which was our airport, and men in uniform were wandering around as our airport personel. I guess I just landed in a military landing or something, but things didn't look too good.
I get off the plane, and a lot of families are reuniting and going god knows where. I exit the building expecting a bus or something to the nearby city, but all I see are a few huge vans almost full with luggage and people and 2 taxis. I talk to the first driver, but he doesn't understand me and just ignores me. I am getting scared seeing very few possiblilties around and it's getting dark. The second driver, I try to communicate with. No English whatsoever there either. I don't know what I expected, but I figured that a few people would speak the language like my Polish friend back home. This was a foolish notion as I learned over the next few days. He agrees to drive me after I convince him with train noises and motions, and showing him phrases in my book, and he convinces me to pay a ridiculous amount of money. i agree because I am scared and desperate and don't want him to leave me stranded. The ride was a whole whopping 45 minutes to the city through all these woods and open land. No city to be seen!
He takes me to the central station, and I excitedly get in a lengthy line, and manage to miss my train to Warsaw by 5 minutes. When I get to the front, a grouchy lady frowns at me, and shoos me away motioning that she knows know English. I am already scared again, as I notice the cruddy doors hanging off of the building, graffitti all around and chipped paint. The place looks like a shit hole, and it's the first thing I see of Poland, after the military base,a nd neither paints a pretty picture. No one speaks my tongue,a nd I find the schedule and learn that I must wait 7 hours for the next train. That is almost 11 at night! What am I gonna do!?? Seriously wanted to sit down and cry. the whole world was against me, and I haven't met a single person who understands what I need. I have never ridden a train and don't know how to get my pass stamped and no one is there to explain. Let me just say, this was one of the scariest few hours of my life...really. Not as in fear of death, but so utterly lost and dazed that I just wanted to give up. But... I didn't cry, nor did I give in.
I called Hubert. He is the man I was supposed to meet in Warsaw and would be staying with for the next few days. Kat, my Polish friend from the Bakery back home hooked me up. Through a pay phone and a special card I got a hold of, hubert was there and picked up. What a joyous moment! Someone to talk to and to understand me. He assured me that I could be in a worse position (hard to believe) annd would pick me up in the station at 6 that morning. A huge weight felt like it had just been blown off by Hubert, and I hung up with better spirits. I stowed my luggage in the locker, and hit the city to explore and grab some grub. The first few blocks were gross and intimidating but it got nicer nearing the center, and I started to feel comfortable, then my new bracelet broke and I lost a piece on the sidewalk throwing me into another temporarily foul mood. it was dark so the atmosphere was a little nerve wracking wandering around but nice. Found a nice Jazz Cafe to eat and read at, and with a full stomach felt much more comfortable.
Found my train just before 11. I settled in for the long 7 hour journey through the night, till last minute, to young (16-18) polish girls asked in jibberish if they could sit in my booth. I gestured that it was alright. Two more people...know big deal I thought to myself. Two minutes later, another two girls of about the same high school age show up, and now I have this little train booth with four jibbering and chattering teenage girls, and I can't understand a word. I figured out that they could speak a little English, and tried to make conversation. Showed them my book Eragon, and that peaked their interest for a while, but they weren't too interested in trying to talk English. I then asked them if they could ask the man next door if he would let me stay with him, so they could have the booth to themselves, I just wanted to sleep really, and wanted a bit more of a relaxing journey, but they misunderstood and insisted that I stay with them. Well that was that, and I spent the night trying to read, listening to music and staring blankly into nothingness. Managed to grab a couple hours of shuteye but that was all.
5:50 rolls around, and we have arrived! I jump out and make my way to the waiting area. Hubert comes from behind me and says my name, and as soon as I hear that, I know life will be better. Someone is here to take care of me, and that he did. Both he and his girlfriend Dominika are wonderful people and more than helpful. He gave me a key to his great apartment, a local polish cell phone so I could call him or her anytime and to be in touch. And helped me with some maps and getting a tram pass. They are truly godsends the both of them! I then crashed around 9, and accidently slept til 2. Well deserved I think though!
Well that was the great calamity of day 1, but that was 2 days ago but I also need sleep so I must bid farewell for now and will make all known as to the positive and enjoyable experiences I've had here in Warsaw!
Dohveetshehnah!!!!!!

Our Little life is Rounded in a Sleep

Hmmm...I think this is about where Nottingham would be. Not sure, but this sculpture is pretty cool. The discarded cutout pieces are splayed on the ground behing it where I'm standing. Sweet idea. I have finally made my pilgrimmage to the hometown of Shakespeare, and now can say my life is complete with nothing more to hope for... well...actually the list of things to do in life is just too long to number, count or remember, but I can at least say that I have made it to Stratford on Avon in order to see some of the now dormant places where the great genius that is William Shakespeare, great poet and playwright of England, and probably the greatest writer the world has ever seen, resided and worked for some parts of his life.
I must be full of myself, but I always have to throw a random picture in that seems to have no bearing as to where my surroundings might be and of no importance to the actual trip. Either way, here's another to mark the beginning of our fourth month in such a wondrously new world.
I love Shakepeare's work, and spent all of last semester at Luther reading some 8-10 plays of his, and analyzing them like a mad fiend, and loving every second of it. Analyzing literature is what I love to do most, and is the whole reason I aspire to be a teacher. Not for writing, not to be able to be the center of attention for hours on end, nor to relive my high school days now long forgotten, but to be able to get excited and share my passion for great works and to try and get kids to love it too. Almost an impossible feat, but I look forward to those little breakthroughs that are bound to occur. Dang!! Just writing about teaching is getting me excited to get out there to see what I can do. but that will have to wait, and all the stress and anxiety that goes with it gladly.

I really loved Stratford on Avon. As far as the "urban" town comparison complete with cute little shops, with the randomnest things to see, and a big old antique mall (Oh Yeah, I was sure to spend some time there, again another dorky obsession looking at old postcards, stamps, and other dusty, old discarded items that are at times priceless at times, and time has made them unobtainable for a poor college student like myself.) This place wins the cake. Just so much to see and do. I also managed to find a really awesome used bookstore with Kate, and bought a few really good books for an amazingly cheap price. All reading material for those long rail rides through Europe which I will be experiencing in exactly one week! Hard to believe I will once again touch an even more foreign soil than what I find myself living in already. Better start learning Polish! Rambling, I heartily apologize.
Great festive atmosphere here too especially at night!

We spent these couple days meandering through the restored yet depressingly quiet buildings of all that is Shakespeare and even homes of those closest to him. Let's see, first it was his actual birthplace and the Shakespeare Center...

The Next morning we went to visit the childhood home of Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare's wife. A beautiful little place with some great gardens, including a grove of trees called something lame like the Shakepeare Orchard, and some scultptures and plants with different parts of his play quoted around them. Hard to explain really, but kinda cool for dorks like me... The rest of the day I kinda went off on my own to explore. Had a nice time walking along the river
This fine gentleman here is Falstaff. He just so happens to be my favorite Shakepearean Character, a man of excessive stature, girth, and an obnoxiously loud and jovial personality. He makes for a hilarious character and the brunt of many jokes from his fellow friends in the play Henry IV. Through his ridiculous traits and seemingly idiotic and unimportant rambling he often manages to say some pretty wise things under the veil of his foolery.
The theater is very interesting to behold both inside and out. I have not seen a theater in quite the set-up that this one was. We went to a show put on by the world's greatest players of Shakespeare, The Royal Shakespeare Company, on both friday and saturday night.
We saw the shows: A Winters Tale,a nd Pericles. Both were great performances set in some very interesting historical settings very different from Shakespeares intended time. One was set in the central conflicts in the African society during the middle of the 20th century. The other, Winters Tale, one of my favorite Shakespeare plays occurred in the 1940's through to late 70's or so. This night, Ryan and I didn't go back to our seats on the third floor, and craftily snuck our way into the theater below which was standing only, but all the people were part of the show. The actors would often move and rush around past us, and we were oftentimes a part of the celebrations of weddings and ceremonies, as well as the deep moments of unveiling near the end. Even managed to get fed some food they had on stage. It was some sort of sausage and tasted all right I guess. Can't expect much out of stage food when it is real.

Though it wasn't the last thing I saw, I figured it would be appropriate to mention visiting Shakespeare's grave last. Not a whole lot to see there really, though that may be appropriate. It was just that I was expecting some grand monument, basically a great tomb devoted to him, but instead it is a simple stone slab placed in the altar of Trinity Church. Nothing too extravagant, but at the same time, he has this whole town practically devoted to him, and theaters and resturants all over the world with his name smeared across their signs and windows. It is a respectable grave in the hometown of the man who has and will always continue to inspire writers and lovers of literature and will cease to amaze us.

This is a shop/store that sells...well...take a guess. Looks really sweet, creamy kinda, and in the form of a liquid.
It's actually a whole chain of stores that sell liquors of all kinds of crazy flavors. Kinda like a grown-ups candy shop, buying things by the shot, as if they were gumballs. We actually didn't try anything though, just sat with our shriveled wallets and gaped in awe at such a crazy concept.

I also need to include this amazing picture of my new family. This might be the first we've taken, or at least the first quality photo we've had with mom, dad and all the kids. Hard to do, but here 'tis!


Happy St. Nick's Day Folks!