Well after three weeks of cross country traveling on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, I returned tired and expired yesterday afternoon into the place I call home. It feels good to be back home and in my element. As much as I loved my trip, it is good to be back in my apartment with my bed, and my stuff. Last night I stayed up late to beat jet lag, but it still has some have some of its sleeping powder in my eyes which I will try to get rid of tonight.
We went across 7 different countries. Pardon me if I sound like a rambling man (ooh, I have to listen to that song now… thank you Lemon Jelly), but I feel like writing a small paragraph about each place. If you follow my blog a little, you probably know most of my adventures, but if not, here is a play by play overview of it.. at least of what I remember. Pictures and videos should follow soon.
Ireland:
Here we went to Dublin and Cork where we were introduced to the wonderful world of Rugby. I don’t follow much sports, but my buddy and I, we were enthralled by this sport. Perhaps it was the fact we were with two rugby players and enthusiasts, but we devoured the matches and wanted more. On our second day we found a jersey shop where I bought myself an official Ireland Home rugby jersey. That shirt is beautiful. That night, I wore it proudly in an Irish pub, surrounded by Irish locals, drinking Irish beer, and watching the rugby match in which Ireland won. Now, that is a memory I will keep from Ireland.
Amsterdam, Netherlands:
The crown jewel of my trip. This city is just so beautiful and wonderful, that most words cannot describe it. Perhaps it was the fact that most people downplayed the place before my trip that made me love it even more. Our hostel was situated directly beside a huge park which was absolutely stunning in the morning. The town is easily accessible by foot, metro, bus, tram, and bicycle. In fact, there are so many bicycles, and very little automobiles. There seems to be nearly no pollution and everybody looks in shape. It has the Red Light District which has to be walked through at least once, but it also has stunning architecture and lovely canals. While some areas such as the Red Light are seedy, you just can’t help but be amazed by the pure irony of a lovely swan swimming in the canal that spans that area. I met wonderful people and I really want to go back. The city’s logo is I AMSTERDAM, and after visiting it, I want to be part of that as well.
Germany
We stayed at three main points in Germany. but rented an automobile to get around during the day. We visited Baden-Baden where I found the house where I was raised as a child. The same town also had natural thermal baths and spas which we took advantage of. We also visited Munich where they had this huge party called Oktoberfest (you might have heard of it before). Essentially, it is the biggest beer festival in the world. Tents hold about 5000 people and lots and lots of beer gets consumed. I loved the experience, but I went over my drinking limit, and I crashed and burned. Needless to say, I did not drink beer again after that experience for the rest of my trip. While in Munich, we also took a day to go visit Neuschwanstein, which is something I have been meaning to see for a long time. It is beautiful, yet at the same time, utterly crazy. It took 4 and a half years for wood sculptors to just do the King’s bedroom! Our last stop in Germany was in Cologne. There we saw the gigantic cathedral and then took a car everyday to visit other areas.
France:
We only visited France two days and they were side trips from Baden-Baden in Germany. We stuck to the Alsace region and were charmed by the small villages and friendly people. I also had the best meal from my trip in a small restaurant which was situated up far in the woods. I will have to go back there again. The meal was divine.
Interlaken, Switzerland:
While we did not get great weather for our three days in Switzerland, we still had a lot of beauty to behold. First of all, the water is a clear cold whitish-blue and it looked so fresh. The air felt clean and we had one of the friendliest hotels we’ve ever seen. We did not do much due to the weather, but we still had a good time. I found some Mr. Babache juggling balls for cheap, so they are my souvenir from Switzerland.. oh, and chocolate!
Vienna, Austria:
We did not know what to expect from this city, but we were greatly surprised. The architecture and landmarks just inspire you to sit down and be creative. Poetry, stories, juggling, music, whatever… you just got a gust of inspiration in this city. One place that surprised us was this place called Café Central which had the most delicious coffee and cakes and food. The inside is breathtaking and if it were situated here in North America would cost an arm and a leg. We got to take a lot of night shots in this city and I want to return to it one day.
Luxemburg:
We only visited this city/country for supper and the sake of seeing it. We were surprised by the amount of great views it has to offer. We had a great time using our cameras and I could have spent another day there easily just waling around and snapping pics.
So overall, it was an amazing trip and I will do it again. I’ve crossed the Atlantic Ocean with this voyage and I am hoping that I can do it again, but this time by crossing the Pacific Ocean. Here’s looking forward to Asiatrip 2008 (or 2009)!
