Back to the alps baby!

Sorry for no updates in a while.

Birthday was a blast! Me, a brit and an entire italian bachelor party hit up Ljubljana saturday night. We ended up following some croatians to a killer yogoslavian night club. I think i drank every possible kind of alcohol...good times.

The last couple days, ive spent in the Julian Alps (in slovenia) on a two day adventure tour. These were 2 action-packed days filled with hiking, rafting, canyoning (jumping 9m into a pool of water and sliding down 15m natural rock slides), and bridge jumping (the final day i jumped off a 12m bridge...kawabunga dude).

Now im in the austrian alps ready to do some more hiking!


Julian Alps

Birthday in Jail

Today is my 26th birthday and i feel that the past 5 months have been a big birthday party so i dont feel a big urge to celebrate...but im sure ill end up doing something fun tonight. My hostel is a remodeled communist prison, so i can say i turned 26 sleeping in jail.

Back in the EU

After three days of utter relaxation in korcula...i decide to move on. I spent my days loungin on the beach, reading, watching sail boats float by. The hostel on the island absolutely rocked, every night kicked off with a movie (Team America the first night, and Motorcycle Diaries the second) followed by a themed party night. This was the kind of place that could suck you in for weeks. Anyway, a ferry ride to Split, then a bus ride to Zegrab, followed by two trains and im in Ljubljana, Slovenia. If you have issues pronouncing Ljubljana...try Liubliana (j`s sound like i`s in slavik languages)...oh and dont confuse slovenia with slovakia (another no-no thats sure to piss off the locals).


View from ferry on the way to split

Tattoos

Before i get on the topic of tattoos...heres a little update. I spent the last couple day on mljet...a remote island with a nice national park. I rented a scooter and drove around...found remote stretches of ultra blue water for swimming. Also went swimming though a natural cave as well as a salt water lake. Today i arrived on my next island Korcula...Korcula town is like a mini, chilled out dubrovnik.

I guess there are good and bad tattoos. Although im not a fan of them in general, i have seen some really original ones and some really really bad ones. The coolest tattoo ive seen, i actually witnessed the tattoo being made, was in istanbul. A canadian girl at the hostel had the bartender (who doubled as a tattoo artist) create a tattoo on the inside arches of her feet. So that when she placed her feet side by side it read: "All the world" "at my feet". Apparently very painful...but was a cool way of remembering her travels. The worst tattoo ive ever seen was on a guy from san diego. San diego has a big tattoo culture and this guy fit right in. His background was german/norwegian/mexican so he had one tattoo dedicated to each piece of his heritage...no problem. For his german heritage...his chose a german phrase, which i cant remember at the moment but when translated into english seemed fine. The tattoo was written in large fonts that spand the underside of both his arms. Unfortunately for our clueless californian dude (and his clueless californian tattoo artist...who probably just picked out this phrase from some tattoo book), the phrase was straight out of the anthem for nazi germany. To make things worse, it´s also written in a similar font used by the nazis. We were sitting at an outdoor cafe along with a bunch of other people including a group of germans who noticed it right away and asked him if he was a nazi. Poor guy. Apparently he walks around with is arms at his sides every time he´s in germany.


My daily chillout spot

Just chillin

Spent the day swimming in the blue waters of the adriatic. Yesterday, i sat down with a Croatia lonely planet guide book and read about all the islands in the area. Any island that had pictures of swarms of people lying on beaches was automatically thrown out. Ive chosen to visit the two most remote, natural, islands that are still accessible by ferry. Tomorrow morning, i board a catamaran and sail off to my first island, Mljet.


If i can aim the cannon just right...

Blackjack

For all you gamblers out there...You've heard the story...MIT kids make millions in vegas counting cards. Read the book, hype. Bringing Down the House

"The new greece"

After hearing marvelous stories about Croatia for the past few months i decided to come here and check it out for myself. It didnt take long to see what all the hype is all about. Set on the adriatic sea, with green mountains in the background, Dubrovnik with its 7th century defensive walls is a stunningly beautiful city that just must be seen. My plan is to spend a couple days here and then head out island hopping.


Windows

1 minute left of internet...

Im in Mostar, Bosnia...famous for a bridge built by the ottoman empire.


Jump off to impress the local ladies

Gem

I like this city so much that yesterday i went out and bought a "Sarajevo" sweater. Last night i saw an awesome Ska band at a local pub...the place was jam packed, the band was awesome...monday night. Apparently the nightlife is in full gear every night except for wednesdays...but the locals do admit that it has gone a little down hill. Apparently the nightlife was best during the four years that the city was under siege! Even the Sarajevo film festival got its start during the siege. Today i took a tour of the town, we visited the tunnel museum...a regular country home which contained the entrance to a 800m tunnel that went under the sarajevo airport. The tunnel was built by the bosnians during the war and was the only connection the city had to the outside world for nearly four years (serbian army controlled all the hills around the city).

Im frustrated with the fact that i came here with little knowledge, and incorrect stereotypes of the people and culture. After speaking to other backpackers, it seems most people feel the same way. This is a city where people of many religions have lived side by side for hundreds of years without major conflict. A city, where during the second world war, important jewish artifacts and books were stored in islamic mosques. Its the only city in the world (apart from jerusalem) where you can find a mosque, a Catholic cathedral, a jewish synagogue and an orthodox church within 150 meters of each other. And most recently its a city where people of different ethnicities and religions fought together to defend their city and home from an invading army. This has been by for the most enlightening and interesting stop on my trip. Add to this the beauty of the town and the lack of tourists, i stamp this city the "hidden gem" of europe. Try to get here before the fast food chains and tour buses start rolling in.


Parliament building

Headin west

One final word on bulgaria. The bulgarians have an interesting way of serving food at restaurants. In north america and western europe, one usually orders a whole meal and it arrives on one plate (maybe a separate salad). In may parts of eastern europe, one selects the meat, and each of the sides separately...fine. The same is done in bulgaria, the weird part is that they bring things out as soon as their ready. So one day i received a plate of hot rice, 10 minutes before i got my chicken. Or received my coffee before my cake. Or the first person at the table gets their food and can finish by the time the last person gets theirs. Takes some getting used to.

Ok, that was more than a word. Over night i traveled through serbia and now im in Bosnia. Sarajevo to be exact. I've been absolutely blown away (no pun intended) by the beauty of this city. It's nestled in the middle of beautiful green hills (which are very tempting to hike, but unfortunately are littered with mines). The old town, most of it resorted after the war, has influences from so many cultures and religions...and everything feels so authentic...the people, the shops, the buildings...not to mention that there are very few western tourists. Of course, there are still visible signs from the recent war, which makes the place even more interesting. The people are very nice and welcoming...you feel the spirit is about rebuilding and looking towards a better future. While at a border crossing, i needed to use the toilet but i didn't have any of the local currency (you gotta pay to pee)...a serbian guy who was leaving the washroom reached into his pocket and paid for me without a thought.


cemetery

Sofia

The overnight bus ride from istanbul to sofia, bulgaria was altogether fine. The border crossing took 2 hours...we were required to show our passport a total of 5 times and had to leave the bus a total of 3 times. The line was the longest ive ever seen at a border, luckily buses bypassed most of it, but im guessing the rest of the people had at minimum a 6 hour wait. I arrived to sofia early in the morning and decide to spend the day hiking. Right next to the city is Mt Vitosha (around 2200m). My hostel is very well setup and cheap...10 euros which includes free internet, breakfast and dinner. Last night i went out with a couple brits, a scottish dude and another canadian...we got bottle service at a club (since a liter bottle of vodka only cost 30 euros). Good times had by all.

Gotta get out

Over the last few days in Istanbul ive had some interesting experiences. When entering big markets ive continued the tactic that worked so well for me in morocco. Whenever a person approaches me (most of the time to sell you something or take you to their shop) the first question they always ask is 'where you from?'. Sometimes they try to guess right off the start...ive been incorrectly identified as australian and dutch. Anyway, once they figure out where you're from, they switch to that language. The response of 'Polska' followed by a few lines of polish leaves them looking confused and they just walk away. Well, i was completely shocked when yesterday, a turkish dude busted out his polish like it was nobodies business. Im not talking about simple phrases...we started having a conversion. I was so impressed that i entered his leather jacket store and gave it the once-over before i thanked him and left.

A few days ago i purchased a train ticket to bulgaria. Last night i show up at the station and ask the information desk guy where to find the train. 'No train to bulgaria tonight. Train cancelled'. No other explanation followed and he didn't seem interested talking to me any further. I took out my ticket and he told me to go to desk #4. At desk #4, i again was confronted by a man without an explanation...when i pulled out my ticket his hands reached under the little whole in the glass separating us...i slowly gave him my ticket...he quickly stamped it a few times, put it in a drawer and gave me a full refund. No trains today, no trains tomorrow. Later at my hostel i found out that there have been no trains to bulgaria for 6 months ever since some floods destroyed the tracks...but for some reason they continue to sell tickets and refund them...i guess it keeps people employed which is a good thing. Well, i got a bus ticket today and should be in bulgaria tomorrow in the AM.

Id like some cranberry sauce with my

Turkey, a quick flight from cold Berlin and im sweatin it out in Istanbul. Lots of really interesting things to do and see here...ive already visited the famous Blue Mosque followed by a huge underground Cistern and 'The Grand Bazaar' (think there's a famous Tea Party song named after it). Ive seen all sorts of buildings on my trip, but nothing prepared me for the awe i experienced seeing the blue mosque for the first time. The bazaar was a little disappointing after visiting the soques in morocco...although larger, it was more westernized and had more tourists. I've had turkish coffee, which is about as thick as tar. Oh one last cool tidbit of info: Sultan Ibrahim (lived a few hundred years ago), got bored of his harem of 280 women and decided one day to package them up in bags and threw them in the river. Times have changed, and things are a little better for women here. That reminds me, today i saw a woman wearing a Burberry headscarf.


Hagia Sofia


Blue mosque

The Zahir

Newest book by Paulo Coelho: The Zahir. Another good one, great follow up read to the Alchemist.

Großes Bier Bitte

Im back in Germany, this time in Berlin. This is a mammoth city, with a subway system that rivals london's. Generally speaking, language isnt an issue here since most things are written in both german and english...but occasionally (like when a subway line is closed and instructions are temporarily posted with detour explanations) not. Today i went on a free 3.5h walking tour of east berlin which was very informative. I had taken a similar one in munich and found this an efficient way to tour a large city (and at the same time learn some really interesting things). We must have visited at least 15 different sites...my favorite being a memorial dedicated to every kind of human suffering (slight exaggeration) that has ever existed. I havent experienced too much night life yet (for which berlin is well know for), but my german friends assure me a good time this weekend.

Finally i would like to congratulate and give props to two of my buddies:
- Igor Lovich for finding a great job in paris.
- Shawn Martelock for climbing 4392m to the summit of Mt. Rainier in Washington State.
Well done gentlemen.


Memorial to all victims of war and tyranny

The simple life

It has been a relief to be traveling again with just my backpack. For a while in poland, my sister had brought me lots of nice pants, shirts, shoes which i was very excited to be able to wear. But seeing all that stuff leave on the plane was liberating. I remember departing toronto at the beginning of my trip and remember feeling a little naked with just a backpack. Now i can fully appreciate the mobility and the simplicity of my travel. So for all those interested, here is a list of everything i carry with me (ive been asked this many times):
1 large backpack
1 day pack
3 underwear (only use 2, 1 is a spare) ***
2 pairs of hiking socks
2 hiking t-shirts
1 hiking shirt
1 hiking shorts
1 hiking pants/shorts
1 jeans
1 belt
1 going out shirt
1 pair hiking shoes
1 pair of sandals
1 flip flops
1 ultra-small towel
1 sweater
1 rain jacket
1 toque
camera gear
toiletries
medical kit
books
other small things (flashlight, sink stop, laundry detergent, etc)

*** Yes, laundry becomes part of your daily routine

The first round

Im still in Gdansk...recovering from the saturday night party in Sopot. Went with my ausi friends again, back to good old Copacabana club on the beach...i stayed and watched the sunrise over the baltic. I've been kicking myself ever since...it was the nicest sunrise i've ever witnessed and i didn't have a camera on me. At least i could enjoy the moment.

Today i went to Westerplatte...the site where the first round was fired by the Germans, which marked the beginning of the invasion of Poland and WWII.