Hello All,
Jamie and I are now in London, after a very interesting departure from Spain, which kinda happened to be over my birthday.
First off, I'm sick. I don't know with what, but it's essentially a sinus infection of epic proportions, with the added funness of a fever. I know funness isn't a word, but it fits my purpose, and you know what it means, so there. There have been rumors that I might have swine flu, but, I feel somewhat better now, so I don't think that was the case. However, I have been sick for the past... week or so. Nothing like waking everyone up in the dorm room of 10 with my late-night coughs. Or the cold sweats in the middle of the night. Or the horrible pressure that was behind my eyes, which have finally presented themselves in a stuffy nose that I have now.
Regardless, I was excited to be leaving Spain, to have an actual bed here in London, where we are staying with the Omene family.
On the eve of my birthday, Jamie and I went out with some Swedish guys (who also introduced me to a cheese in a tube, which was absolutely delicious) and a british girl who has been traveling for 4 years to a Tapas bar. You order one drink, and can then eat as many tapas as you want. Considering my health, I was more into the food, and not as into my drink. After stuffing myself with little delicasies, I promptly went to bed, since apparently 1 beer is 1 to many for myself in a sick state. Jamie woke me up at 12:30, to say "happy birthday!", give me some medicine (I didn't even hafta move), and then I went back to bed, content to know I was now offically 22, and still sick.
So, we wake up around 10:45 on my birthday, and decide before we go to the airport, we wanted to see El Parque Guell. A park designed by Antonio Gaudi. We checked it out for about an hour, and then decided that it was about time to get to the airport. We ask our hostel manager, Jonathon, "Where is the Reus airport, and how do we get there?" He must have heard the word "Airport," because he quickly told us how to get there. We jump on a train, and around this time Jamie says "wouldn't it suck if this was the wrong airport." Well, Jamie has a budding career in being a psychic, because she was right. Sure enough, we ask "where is the terminal for RyanAir?" They say "Not in this airport...." Well, begin panic mode.
We hop in a cab, and said "Maneja muy rapido" (Drive very fast), and off we go. About 10 mins into our journey, we are hit with traffic. Not normal "end of the day" traffic, but "A car burnt to embers on the side of the road, and everyone must rubberneck for a solid 10 mins before passing." Turns out the RyanAir Barcelona Airport is actually in a small town called Reus, which is about 100km away. At 1.1 euro/km, we dropped about 150 euro on this cab ride, only to discover that we were about 20 mins late to our flight. We begged, we pleaded, we mentioned that it was my birthday, but they simply said "no, the flight left". So we "changed" our ticket to the 24th, and it was decided that for the next 24 hours, we were going to be in the airport... happy birthday.
We did what we do best in airports: sleep. I was still semi-feverish at the time, and Jamie was in a weird gleeful state, coming up with fun ways to spin the situation "Well, at least we get another day in the spanish sun!" And "At least the airport is air conditioned!"
24 hours passed, we boarded our plane, and arrived at Luton Airport. Luton is about a 55 min bus ride away from central London. So once we got there, we hopped on the Jubilee line, and rode the tube all the way up to Canons Park. After a brief walk, we ended up at the lovely Omene Abode. Jamie and I said "hello, nice to meet you (/see you again), now if you don't mind, we'd like to sleep." It was 11pm. We woke up today at 3pm. We slept 15 hours. 15 hours of wonderful, blissfull, dreaming sleep. I can't say I feel 100% yet, but I can certainly say that I feel better. Jamie, on the other hand, feels slightly worse, I hope that tonights resting will cure her of that.
Unfortunately, the Jubilee line is down for the weekend for repairs. So, while we are not "stuck" here, we now must take a bus, rather than the Jubilee line back down. Oh well, such is life. At least we aren't in an airport.
David and Jamie
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Espana! (and Belgium)
Please excuse the delay, we have been traveling about, and haven´t had much time to update the blog.
So, after leaving Amsterdam, Jamie and I went off to Bruge (or Brugges, or Brugge, all of which were used there). Bruge is a little picturesque city, where we spent two days. On the second day, I stayed in town, while Jamie rented a bicycle and biked to the beach. Well, apparently she got a little lost, but she eventually got to the beach. In the meantime, I bought a bottle of wine, a baguette, and a wheel of cheese and went to a park with my book. I had a great little time, including a nice nap in the perfect weather. While in Amsterdam, it was kinda rainy for the entire time we were there, but since then, the sun has shone upon us. (Actually, both Jamie and I are burnt from our day at the beach yesterday, but Im getting ahead of myself).
From there we took our first train ride--until now it had all been buses--to Brussels. In Brussels, we met two Americans from Washington state, Aaron and Adam, and played many a game of 13, which is a fun little card game. The four of us met up with some Spanish girls, and the 10 of us went to Delirium, which has the Guiness Book of World Record for most beers... over 2000. I had a few Delirium Temens, which is honestly probably one of the best beers I have ever had. Even Jamie enjoyed the beers there. She said Belguim Whites are some of her favorites. Even better, they all were overproof doubles or triples, so each beer was 8% or more.
So, from there we caught a plane to Madrid. We actually almost missed the flight, but, we got lucky, as this was the first time that Jamie was not singled out as a possible terrorist, and we got through security with time. For the record, RyanAir does not give you assigned seats, its first come first serve.
So, off to Madrid, where we went straight from the airport to the bus station, to dash off to Valencia. We have been here for 2 days, and plan on being here for a few more, and then we will be off to Barcelona. We are about a 20 min bus ride to the beach, or about an hours walk back. We were there for only a few hours, 1:30-4ish, but both of us got rather burnt (spf 15 isn´t that strong apparently). The sun doesn´t set here until 10 or later, so I guess we got the peak sun time. The beaches here are good, the water is warm, but a little dirty. Everyone is sooooo tan.
Food wise, Jamie and I went to a place called ¨100 Motadillos¨where you order small sandwhiches, not quite tapas, and down it with a beer... well, I had a beer, she had a diet coke. We cooked last night, and had some Paella for brunch today. Overall, the food in spain is delicious.
Ok, I gotta go book a hostel in Barcelona.
-David
So, after leaving Amsterdam, Jamie and I went off to Bruge (or Brugges, or Brugge, all of which were used there). Bruge is a little picturesque city, where we spent two days. On the second day, I stayed in town, while Jamie rented a bicycle and biked to the beach. Well, apparently she got a little lost, but she eventually got to the beach. In the meantime, I bought a bottle of wine, a baguette, and a wheel of cheese and went to a park with my book. I had a great little time, including a nice nap in the perfect weather. While in Amsterdam, it was kinda rainy for the entire time we were there, but since then, the sun has shone upon us. (Actually, both Jamie and I are burnt from our day at the beach yesterday, but Im getting ahead of myself).
From there we took our first train ride--until now it had all been buses--to Brussels. In Brussels, we met two Americans from Washington state, Aaron and Adam, and played many a game of 13, which is a fun little card game. The four of us met up with some Spanish girls, and the 10 of us went to Delirium, which has the Guiness Book of World Record for most beers... over 2000. I had a few Delirium Temens, which is honestly probably one of the best beers I have ever had. Even Jamie enjoyed the beers there. She said Belguim Whites are some of her favorites. Even better, they all were overproof doubles or triples, so each beer was 8% or more.
So, from there we caught a plane to Madrid. We actually almost missed the flight, but, we got lucky, as this was the first time that Jamie was not singled out as a possible terrorist, and we got through security with time. For the record, RyanAir does not give you assigned seats, its first come first serve.
So, off to Madrid, where we went straight from the airport to the bus station, to dash off to Valencia. We have been here for 2 days, and plan on being here for a few more, and then we will be off to Barcelona. We are about a 20 min bus ride to the beach, or about an hours walk back. We were there for only a few hours, 1:30-4ish, but both of us got rather burnt (spf 15 isn´t that strong apparently). The sun doesn´t set here until 10 or later, so I guess we got the peak sun time. The beaches here are good, the water is warm, but a little dirty. Everyone is sooooo tan.
Food wise, Jamie and I went to a place called ¨100 Motadillos¨where you order small sandwhiches, not quite tapas, and down it with a beer... well, I had a beer, she had a diet coke. We cooked last night, and had some Paella for brunch today. Overall, the food in spain is delicious.
Ok, I gotta go book a hostel in Barcelona.
-David
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Oh, Amsterdam.
'Ello all. David has officially called me out on my lack of contribution to "our" blog, so I suppose I will make a rather short entry in hopes of appeasing him.
So, last night around 7PM we hopped on an overnight bus to Amsterdam. The bus was surprisingly comfy with working air conditioning and lots of room. Anyway, since the sun has been going down around 10 or 10:30, we had a nice view to keep us occupied until we eventually fell asleep for a less than sufficient night's sleep. I luckly managed to grab two seats; whereas, David was sitting next to a Swedish girl who apparenly kicked him every ten minues in her sleep. This might help explain why David is currently taking a much needed nap.
Amsterdam greeted us with a downpour when we arrived around 4:30 AM, and we waited in the Metro station until we could catch a bus downtown a little later. The wait was surprisingly entertaining, as we met a man named Abu who spoke virutally every language in the book, including perfect English of course. Also, we spent a good 15 or so minutes giggling at the ridiculousy of the Dutch language. Apparently it's a mix between English and German? Seeing as thank you is pronounced more or less "donkeyveil," and German for thank you is "danka," I guess that would stand to reason.
Around 6:30 we arrived at the Downtown Flying Pig Hostel, where we were supposed to be catching our bus to the beach hostel a few hours later. A crazy Aussie DJ let us in, and through the blairing techno, he invited us to hang out for a few hours. We quickly met a group of kids with whom we shared a few hours, a few cups of coffee, and a free hostel breakfast (that of course we probably shouldn't have been eating). Also, across the street we met a few other kids in a coffeeshop. One guy, named Jay, is apparently opening for Lil Wayne in a few nights. Safe to say, we're trying to get the hook ups on some tickets.
Jamie
So, last night around 7PM we hopped on an overnight bus to Amsterdam. The bus was surprisingly comfy with working air conditioning and lots of room. Anyway, since the sun has been going down around 10 or 10:30, we had a nice view to keep us occupied until we eventually fell asleep for a less than sufficient night's sleep. I luckly managed to grab two seats; whereas, David was sitting next to a Swedish girl who apparenly kicked him every ten minues in her sleep. This might help explain why David is currently taking a much needed nap.
Amsterdam greeted us with a downpour when we arrived around 4:30 AM, and we waited in the Metro station until we could catch a bus downtown a little later. The wait was surprisingly entertaining, as we met a man named Abu who spoke virutally every language in the book, including perfect English of course. Also, we spent a good 15 or so minutes giggling at the ridiculousy of the Dutch language. Apparently it's a mix between English and German? Seeing as thank you is pronounced more or less "donkeyveil," and German for thank you is "danka," I guess that would stand to reason.
Around 6:30 we arrived at the Downtown Flying Pig Hostel, where we were supposed to be catching our bus to the beach hostel a few hours later. A crazy Aussie DJ let us in, and through the blairing techno, he invited us to hang out for a few hours. We quickly met a group of kids with whom we shared a few hours, a few cups of coffee, and a free hostel breakfast (that of course we probably shouldn't have been eating). Also, across the street we met a few other kids in a coffeeshop. One guy, named Jay, is apparently opening for Lil Wayne in a few nights. Safe to say, we're trying to get the hook ups on some tickets.
Jamie
Monday, July 6, 2009
Fun times on the Friendship Bridge
So, Berlin has been absolutely amazing. Jamie and I rented bikes and rode all over the city for the past few days. We finally returned our bikes with sore butts and are happy to simply walk and take the subways/railways, which are all called Bahns. Go figure.
Story time:
Close to my good friend Sean's house off Kottenbusser Damm Street is a little bridge called 'the friendship bridge.' It is usually packed with people, and we decided to have a few drinks there before going off to see a series of one-act plays where Anya, his girlfriend, works. (For the record, the show was amazing). However, when we lock our bikes up to the bridge, a nice german lady tells us 'we are shooting a documentary here, and you might need to wait a minute or so before you can get it.... but, if you'de like, you can join our documentary. We have free beer and food and red bull'
They had sold me on the beer, Jamie on the Red Bull (her blood sugar was low) and Sean on all of it. We ended up waving German flags chanting 'Deutchland, Deutchland' for the next 45 mins, drinking free beer and red bull. After a little while of this, the director told us to go in the background, in an attempt to make the fake-party look even larger. Even funnier, they asked us not to enunciate, simply to mouth the words. I have a feeling they could tell by our accents we were not from Germany, and maybe wanted that to be kept quiet.
Apparently this will be shown on German television during their elections in September. So you are now talking to international TV stars.... well, international TV extra's.
Today Sean, Jamie and I went to a lake off in the suburbs of Berlin. It started out being quite a nice day, so me and Sean went for a little swim, followed by munching on something along the lines of blended salami spread. While I cannot attest to its health values, I can say it was delicious. We discussed its possible role in scrambled eggs, and agreed that it would be perfect as both a butter substitute and a flavor boost.
We continued around the lake, which had a disturbingly large number of dogs. I'm not sure if it was the lake, the time of day, or the alignment of the stars, but I'm reasonably sure we saw more dogs than people at this lake. And the people we did see... well, they were naked. Apparently Germans enjoy being very very free during their free time.
It is at this time that we realized that neither Jamie nor I have the cord to take our pictures from our cameras, so this blog will be sans photos. Sorry.
-David and Jamie
Story time:
Close to my good friend Sean's house off Kottenbusser Damm Street is a little bridge called 'the friendship bridge.' It is usually packed with people, and we decided to have a few drinks there before going off to see a series of one-act plays where Anya, his girlfriend, works. (For the record, the show was amazing). However, when we lock our bikes up to the bridge, a nice german lady tells us 'we are shooting a documentary here, and you might need to wait a minute or so before you can get it.... but, if you'de like, you can join our documentary. We have free beer and food and red bull'
They had sold me on the beer, Jamie on the Red Bull (her blood sugar was low) and Sean on all of it. We ended up waving German flags chanting 'Deutchland, Deutchland' for the next 45 mins, drinking free beer and red bull. After a little while of this, the director told us to go in the background, in an attempt to make the fake-party look even larger. Even funnier, they asked us not to enunciate, simply to mouth the words. I have a feeling they could tell by our accents we were not from Germany, and maybe wanted that to be kept quiet.
Apparently this will be shown on German television during their elections in September. So you are now talking to international TV stars.... well, international TV extra's.
Today Sean, Jamie and I went to a lake off in the suburbs of Berlin. It started out being quite a nice day, so me and Sean went for a little swim, followed by munching on something along the lines of blended salami spread. While I cannot attest to its health values, I can say it was delicious. We discussed its possible role in scrambled eggs, and agreed that it would be perfect as both a butter substitute and a flavor boost.
We continued around the lake, which had a disturbingly large number of dogs. I'm not sure if it was the lake, the time of day, or the alignment of the stars, but I'm reasonably sure we saw more dogs than people at this lake. And the people we did see... well, they were naked. Apparently Germans enjoy being very very free during their free time.
It is at this time that we realized that neither Jamie nor I have the cord to take our pictures from our cameras, so this blog will be sans photos. Sorry.
-David and Jamie
Friday, July 3, 2009
Israel in an Acorn-Shell
So, Jamie and I are now in Berlin, about to go meet up with some friends. And for the record, the z and y keys are swapped on german keyboards, so excuse anz tzpos.
The Birthright trip that we went on has a few notable quirks that I would like to discuss.
1- The Organizers did not plan time for sleeping. I guess that is what you get when zou put 40 18 to 26 year olds together, for a short amount of time, but long story short, most of us averaged about 2 hours of sleep a night, followed by exhausting touring on a bus whos air conditioning could only be described as a tease. It would work for small amounts of time, but even then the nozzles could never reallz be aimed properly. Long story short--it was hot.
2- There are a lot of jews in Israel. I have never been so surrounded with so many jews. Really, it was a humbling experience. Growing up in a town where I felt to be the token-jew, this was a huge shock. Also, the difference between what I thought Judiasm is and what an Orthodox jew thinks it is is MASSIVE. There are so many intricacies that I cannot even begin to type up, but would love to discuss with anyone in person.
3- The dead sea is amazing, but if you have any cuts/scratches/open sores, be prepared to be in pain. Lots. Of. Pain.
4- Jamie loves camels. I think they smell, and hurt men when you ride them. We agreed to dissagree on this point.
5- I write very random blog posts, but that is what you get when you only have 20 mins left at an internet cafe.
So, from Berlin, I say goodbze. But expect more posts soon (and hopefully with pictures).
The Birthright trip that we went on has a few notable quirks that I would like to discuss.
1- The Organizers did not plan time for sleeping. I guess that is what you get when zou put 40 18 to 26 year olds together, for a short amount of time, but long story short, most of us averaged about 2 hours of sleep a night, followed by exhausting touring on a bus whos air conditioning could only be described as a tease. It would work for small amounts of time, but even then the nozzles could never reallz be aimed properly. Long story short--it was hot.
2- There are a lot of jews in Israel. I have never been so surrounded with so many jews. Really, it was a humbling experience. Growing up in a town where I felt to be the token-jew, this was a huge shock. Also, the difference between what I thought Judiasm is and what an Orthodox jew thinks it is is MASSIVE. There are so many intricacies that I cannot even begin to type up, but would love to discuss with anyone in person.
3- The dead sea is amazing, but if you have any cuts/scratches/open sores, be prepared to be in pain. Lots. Of. Pain.
4- Jamie loves camels. I think they smell, and hurt men when you ride them. We agreed to dissagree on this point.
5- I write very random blog posts, but that is what you get when you only have 20 mins left at an internet cafe.
So, from Berlin, I say goodbze. But expect more posts soon (and hopefully with pictures).
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