Don't try traveling overland to Greece from Croatia... it's loooong.
We went from Sarajevo to Belgrade, Serbia. That was overnight train #1. We arrived around 6 AM and spend all day in the city. Shopping, reading, eating, sleeping in the park, wandering, eating popcorn from street vendors. I was kinda of sick from something bad I ate in Sarajevo two days before. But we did buy an amazing amount of groceries with our remaining Serbian dinars for something around the price of 9€. It was just as many groceries as I normally bought in Italia for around 30€.
Overnight train #2 turned into all day train. We arrived in Skopje, Macedonia about 3 hours late... so instead of arriving in Thessaloniki at 1 in the afternoon, we arrived around 5 and also lost an hour due to the time change. Next, 5 hour train to Athens. Thankfully that one was only about a half hour late. Get into our room after midnight and find Gabe passed out.
The next few days the wandered the city and saw the sites. Too many tourists and a stifling hot city. The Acropolis was ridiculously crowded and I was still feeling sick from something I ate a few days before. Thought I was gonna puke on masses of tourists/ancient ruins. Made it out without doing that one. I dunno which would have been better in retrospect.
Finally the 3 of us got away on an overnight ferry to Santorini. Now it has been nothing but beaches and cruising around the island on 4-wheelers. The caldera is amazingly beautiful and last night we did what everyone told us we had to do... watch the sunset for Oia (Ia). I thought it was overrated and would've been happier all the way on the other side of the island without the masses of people clambering for the best view. Otherwise I took in a lot of sun, snorkeled and saw some cool fish, and ate some amazing foods... and drank a lot of Mythos.
Gabe left this morning. Now Ashly and I are onto Crete this evening and soon across the water to Asia... well actually just Turkey but technically everything on the east side of the Bosphorus in Istanbul is Asia.
28 July 2008
19 July 2008
bosnia
Ashly and I Just spent a few days in Croatia on the island of Korčula. Swam in the Adriatic, ate seafood, and rented a scooter to tour around the island. We found a nice sandy beach where we spent the day in the sun.
To get back to the mainland we had to take a passenger ferry to another Croatian island. Then a bus to the other side of the island. Then a car ferry to mainland Croatia. Then we caught the train from Ploče to Mostar in Bosnia and Hercegovina. It was virtually destroyed during the 90's but the old town center has been totally restored and is full of stone streets with inlaid designs and bars, restaurants and cafes. But there are still remains of buildings all over Bosnia that just stand empty with trees growing on the inside and signs telling you to stay away as they are off limits because they could still be structurally unsound.
Early this morning we rode into Sarajevo taking the train, which climbed the mountains making U-shaped turns while winding upward above the valley below. The same is true of buildings in Sarajevo. Food is great but I don't think I could eat like this forever. Been eating ćevapi (little grilled sausages sometimes served in a pita-type bread with onions and you can get it filled with a creamy white cheese too) just about every day. Basically, if you're a vegetarian, you're hard pressed for options in Bosnia... and vegans, they're screwed.
To get back to the mainland we had to take a passenger ferry to another Croatian island. Then a bus to the other side of the island. Then a car ferry to mainland Croatia. Then we caught the train from Ploče to Mostar in Bosnia and Hercegovina. It was virtually destroyed during the 90's but the old town center has been totally restored and is full of stone streets with inlaid designs and bars, restaurants and cafes. But there are still remains of buildings all over Bosnia that just stand empty with trees growing on the inside and signs telling you to stay away as they are off limits because they could still be structurally unsound.
Early this morning we rode into Sarajevo taking the train, which climbed the mountains making U-shaped turns while winding upward above the valley below. The same is true of buildings in Sarajevo. Food is great but I don't think I could eat like this forever. Been eating ćevapi (little grilled sausages sometimes served in a pita-type bread with onions and you can get it filled with a creamy white cheese too) just about every day. Basically, if you're a vegetarian, you're hard pressed for options in Bosnia... and vegans, they're screwed.
12 July 2008
on the move
So it's been quite a while since I've written. Here's what's happened.
Ashly showed up and we saw Radiohead in Milano. The next day we went to Switzerland to visit my friend Antoine. From there Cailan met us and we went to an immense German music festival featuring Foo Fighters, Radiohead, Sigur Ròs, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Elbow, and a billion other bands. This happened in the hot sun surrounding by a war zone of beer cans. Seriously, it was like a refugee camp by the time we left on Monday morning.
Back to Switzerland and then a good rest in Salò. Ashly met some people around the school and town. The family I'd been tutoring for had us over for swimming and a barbeque. We did a bit around the area, laid out by the lake, rode the boat up the lake and hiked around Monte Baldo. Next was Padova and Venezia for a few days... which was way too touristy.
Now it's been Slovenia for a nice little while. Quiet and green, something like 57% of the country is covered in forest. Lake Bled, hiking in the mountains around Kranjska Gora and the Vršič Pass. Been staying with a Slovene who showed me an amazing time. Just a random friend who Kyle and Dwight met in Thailand... but that worked pretty great here.
Tomorrow we go rafting in the Soča Valley and a bit more hiking. Then off to Croatia early Monday morning. There's so much more to say and write... we'll see if I ever get around to it.
Ashly showed up and we saw Radiohead in Milano. The next day we went to Switzerland to visit my friend Antoine. From there Cailan met us and we went to an immense German music festival featuring Foo Fighters, Radiohead, Sigur Ròs, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Elbow, and a billion other bands. This happened in the hot sun surrounding by a war zone of beer cans. Seriously, it was like a refugee camp by the time we left on Monday morning.
Back to Switzerland and then a good rest in Salò. Ashly met some people around the school and town. The family I'd been tutoring for had us over for swimming and a barbeque. We did a bit around the area, laid out by the lake, rode the boat up the lake and hiked around Monte Baldo. Next was Padova and Venezia for a few days... which was way too touristy.
Now it's been Slovenia for a nice little while. Quiet and green, something like 57% of the country is covered in forest. Lake Bled, hiking in the mountains around Kranjska Gora and the Vršič Pass. Been staying with a Slovene who showed me an amazing time. Just a random friend who Kyle and Dwight met in Thailand... but that worked pretty great here.
Tomorrow we go rafting in the Soča Valley and a bit more hiking. Then off to Croatia early Monday morning. There's so much more to say and write... we'll see if I ever get around to it.
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