Departing, Arriving

I am getting on a plane for the first time in 3 and a half years! Also leaving Washington State for the first time in the same.

Going to visit a friend from graduate school and her family in Grass Valley, CA.


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Where in the world went 2009?

2009 went to graduate school and work and teaching and many walks, bike rides, outdoor and indoor parties, coffees, dinners, swims, dances, yogas and (I admit it) posting to Facebook.

As for any travel, I know there wasn't much. I will look at my calendar.

• Port Townsend, WA (twice a year, for school, Feb and July)
• Camano Island, WA (a tiny cabin with 7 ladies in Jan)
• Marysville, WA (does that count?)
• Tacoma, WA: Point Defiance zoo
• Index, WA (nestled in the mountains by river and sky. performed at the art festival)
• Edmonds, WA
• Duvall, WA (poetry reading)
• Rattlesnake Lake, WA (hike with a view)
• Bellingham, WA

In December, I canceled a trip to Iceland.

I have been planning on traveling this summer as a graduation present to myself, but am not sure finances and circumstances will allow. If not this year, next year, I hope.

Olympic Peninsula Retreat

My Olympic Peninsula retreat was lovely--the motel was sweet, simple--
just what I wanted. There was a cafe run by the family and some farm
animals in the back.



Locals stopped in to get their coffee and chat with the proprietors about the holiday, going into town ('PA' one called it; I've never heard Port Angeles referred to that way before), and how they were still clearing trees and chopping wood from the big storm. Apparently, the wind even knocked over a dumpster into the lake! They watched it float for awhile before it sank.

Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of the hot springs because the camera was charging. It was late afternoon and getting a bit dark, too. The hike to the hot springs was 2.5 miles and took about an hour going up the mountain. I had some vertigo on the climb, whether from elevation, exertion, anxiety, I don't know. I was scanning the rock faces for cougar faces (just-in-cases), and wondering what advice Ogden Nash would give on meeting a mountain lion (die tryin?). At one point I thought I heard a jingle and whipped my head around--did I think it would be wearing a big collar that said "Coug"? In defense of my cougar-paranoia, though, the sign at the trailhead on what to do if you meet a cougar said: avoid hiking or jogging alone. And yes, I volunteer at a wildlife center and know that wildlife does not usually attack unless provoked. I also know habitat is decreasing and there have been unprovoked attacks.

The path evidently used to be a road--it was paved, being reclaimed by the mountain. In places there were breaks between trees on the left and I could see the drop to the river below. More vertigo. Then there was a change in the trees with the appearance of a grove of leafless deciduous trees--some kind of birch? Tall, thin, white trunks. They were absolutely still and seemed to eradicate distance and perspective. The rushing of the river below contrasted with the eerie stillness of the birches, which seemed to exist near and far simultaneously. It was like looking at a still photo on television to which sound effects have been added.

I only passed a few people going the other direction. Afraid I would never reach the springs (there was a distinct lack of signs in that part of the Olympic National Forest), I asked a young couple if they've come from the springs.
"How are they?
"They smell terrible," says the boy. I expected that, the smell of sulfur.
"Are they warm?"
"Yeah. There's a group of hippies in the last one," the boy says.
"I can deal with hippies," I say (not bothering to explain I come from hippies).

The springs were a series of small, shallow pools. Most seemed to have water that spilled over the sides (water circulation being a good thing for the health of the water and the people soaking in it), leaving a pale, sulfur trickle across the path. I picked one that was a climb up from the path. It was only waist deep when sitting, with muddy floor and a stream trickling in that was hotter than the pool temperature. Getting in wasn't a problem, but getting out and back into clean, dry clothes proved to be tricky with the muddy slope. I had a plastic bag, but two--one to use as a mat--probably would have helped. I had a flashlight, though, and this came in very handy when heading down the mountain (and across a stream) in the gathering dark. I caught up to the hippies, who seemed to be unconcerned about night falling. I had a nice chat with one of them as we walked along in the dark. I didn't learn his name and just thought of him as "The Hippie". When I got back to my motel I was about to shower when I realized I could take a bath and not have to clean the tub. So I took a bath both nights I stayed there. I went to dinner in Port Angeles, came back to my motel room and plinked on the ukulele for awhile before I fell asleep.

Although I didn't spend much time in the springs, it was special to be soaking out there in the middle of the wilderness, surrounded by trees and fog. I would have liked it if the pool was deeper, though. I am curious to try other natural (undeveloped) hot springs. I will let you know when I do.

Other people's pictures of Olympic Hot Springs:
National Park site
http://www.idahohotsprings.com/destinations/olympic/index.htm
http://www.nwhotsprings.net/olympic.htm

Retreat

I'm planning a two-day getaway to a natural hot springs in Western Washington. More on this later.

Famous Travel Photographer?

No.

But two of my photos of are now part of online travel guides:

Prague http://www.schmap.com/prague/sights_malstrana/. Click on Golden Lane; there are about 20 photos that automatically scroll.

Budapest http://www.schmap.com/budapest/sights_districtii/. Click on Matthias Church- Ecclesiastical Art Collection.

Where Should I Go Next?

A says Australia. She wants to live vicariously through me. I understand; I do the same. I was thinking maybe Hawaii. Right now I would just like to get out of town. A little trip to the coast would be lovely. But it is only lunch time and I will be happy just to get outside before I have to get back to work.

Poetry Nights with Eeyore

I realized it took me a couple weeks to adjust to being back home after my trip. It happened in stages, but I'm not sure why it took so long to feel completely adjusted. I struggled with fatigue, malaise, low concentration.

My friend Robin told me today, "It's good to hear you all fired up again. Although I must admit I also enjoyed my poetry nights with Eeyore."

Although you really haven't met Eeyore until you've met my dad, I appreciated the sentiment and was glad to hear he enjoys being with me even when I'm Eeyore (and not just when I'm Roo).

I had an amazing night of poetry, music, and community at Bai Pai, which I wrote about on my poetry blog.

Jet Drag

Why does going west seem so much harder than going east? I found this to be true when I came home from Ireland, too. I'm usually worn out after these vacations; that probably contributes. I try to drink water and only enough coffee to keep away the caffeine monster. And, although they offer free drinks on international flights, I abstain (which goes against the principal of free stuff). When I get to my destination, I don't sleep until the local time zone says sleep. Tomorrow I go back to work; I hope I remember how to work.

I uploaded more pictures to Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/19255037@N00/sets/72157600005190124/. I am also going back and adding to previous posts. I've added some text to the Budapest entry, and will add more to other entries as time allows. I want to record it before it fades.

The night before I left for home, I dreamt that my cat died. Tamar and Alicia took her to the vet and the doctor told them that this cat had been neglected for a long time (Tamar laughed when I told her this; since I dote on my cat, the idea of her being neglected was funny). I awoke upset and anxious. When I called Tamar from Porland, almost the first thing I asked was, "how's Bird?". "She's fine; she's napping with Alicia."

But, in the area of animal news, there was a pet food recall on brands (that include the ones I feed my cat). Cats and dogs have died and they linked it to the pet food. For those of you with pets, find the FDA press release and links to lists of affected products: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01590.html. And sleep better ; )

Seattle/home

It is good to be home. I arrived at Sea-Tac around 4:45; Tamar picked me up. I made 3 phone calls, showered, ordered Thai food, visited Alicia at work, ate, and crashed at 9 pm. Now it is Saturday and I have had kava/kave/kaffee/coffee and breakfast and I am ready to go back to bed! But I won't, yet. I have errands to do and a new time zone to adjust to. But I will definitely nap before the party (St. Paddy's day, a friend of Tamar's) tonight.

David, thanks again for meeting me in Prague and Vienna. It was really great to see you again...

Vienna/Wien

Arg! Blogger is in German. Don't want to bother trying to figure out how to change it. Internet not cheap heir. Ich habe less time in Wein than I wanted. \nothing went as I had planned on Tuesday, so I left Budapest much later than I meant to. Got to see Statue Park, with a collection of communist statues no one wanted anymore after they got rid of the Soviet government. It was an adventure/ordeal getting there on public transportation.

Tommorow I take the train back to Prague and Friday morning I fly home. David is going to meet me in Vienna, we think. I don't have any pictures of Vienna yet, but I will upload some later. When I get home I will most likely upload all my pictures and go back and update my entries. Right now I am too busy! If you didn't notice, though, I have uploaded some more pictures to Flickr. Click on the logo in the sidebar to view them. Miss you guys, but I am having a good time! Man, do my feet hurt at the end of every day! Finally got caught up on sleep last night, though.

Nein, Mutter, I did not post at 2 am- that is what time it was Pacific Standard time.

American in Budapest

Me after the night train to Budapest. Notice the hair.

Budapest is romantic. It is also busy and grungy, like a big city. Many of the buildings were stark (but still looked European) and covered in stoot. The higher up on the building, the less sooty it was. I saw many canoodling couples (a lot of PDA).

As you can see, I went to the zoo (on Monday). It was an Art Nouveau zoo, but I was distracted by the animals!

I also went to the thermal baths! Spent several hours there, getting all pruny and relaxed. Men were playing chess in the baths. They had many pools of different temperatures. A Hungarian man told me I was very beautiful; I think he was practicing his English. It was another sunny day. I spent most of my time in the outdoor baths, alternating between the 38 degree Celcius and the 36 degree pools. That's where I was when the sun went down. I also spent some time indoors, in various mineral pools, the sauna briefly, and the very hot steam room.

Tuesday was my adventure/ordeal/meditation in public transportation so I could get to...Statue Park.

Oswiecim/Auschwitz

Oswiecim is the Polish name of the town (pronounced, roughly, "os vee chem"). It was very confusing and frustrating trying to get the bus there. Ended up taking the train. Just getting the ticket took a long time, as I went back and forth between ticket windows, information windows, down corridors and back through them, up and down stairs and across platforms. Seeing and hearing the confusion of other English-speaking tourists made me feel better.

There were many people and tour groups at Auschwitz. Although I'm sure the guides give valuable information, it is still an intellectual experience, not that different from reading a history book. And people have the urge to talk amongst themselves, which also detracts from the experience. I think these things end up being distractions from really thinking about what happened--the most important part of actually visiting Auschwitz--and more, engaging our imaginations and emotions--the real triggers of empathy, and not just pity. To cruise through chatting about how bad it was is to miss the point.

Mostly, I tried to avoid the large tour groups and not be distracted by the talking of others. But it made me angry when a group a four people were talking loudly in the crematorium. I actually shushed them. One woman rolled her eyes. There was even a sign in three languages asking people to maintain silence and remember that thousands of people were murdered in this very place. Outside, another member of the party got more photos for her photo album.

I wasn't able to really grasp that thousands of people were gassed and burned right where I was standing. Where I did grasp the horror of the Holocaust in a way never before was at the exhibits of articles stolen from the prisoners--glasses, artificial limbs and crutches, shoes, pots and pans. I first saw the mound of glasses out of the corner of my eye, and I had to go to the window and take a few deep breaths before I could look at them--mound of mangled wire, glass lenses and gaps where lenses used to be--these once belonged to people who breathed, who ate and loved and lived their lives before their lives were stolen from them. The room of pots and pans made my throat close.

Everyone wants to know, "how could this have happened?" Can we all assume that we would never contribute, even passively, to this kind of thing? As I wandered on the grounds I wondered: why did it take three years to save the people of Auschwitz? why was it allowed to go on for three years?

Krakow

The night train sleeping on "couchette" wasn't bad. Getting lost in the rain carrying my backpack all over town at 6:30 in the morning kinda was. But I found the main square and my hotel. Can't check in yet, though. I am the person you don't want to sit next to you in the bakery or internet cafe... I will check in and shower around 12, I think.

Showered, rested, and stretched. My room is beautiful!

I see why Rick Steves calls Krakow the next Prague...it is definitelz up and coming, compact with lovelz public spaces.



Had a fancy late lunch on Friday: the meal started with a complimentary tiny glass of hot honey mead (which went to my head), then delicious wild mushroom soup and (avert your eyes, you vegetarians, vegans, and hangers-on) duck entree with veggies. I think the meal was around $15. It would have been a lot more in the States! Internet was also very cheap here, and prices in general were low.

Went to an art museum of the Polish Art Nouveau movement. Museum was a little funky--some exhibits were kinda boring and I wasn't sure how they were related, and the English translations, when they existed, were a bit strange (like the translations in the Prague Museum of Communism).

Afternoon, I walked to Wawel Hill and wandered the grounds around the castle. Apparently, according to believers in chakra, there are 7 places on earth that have convergence of energy, like the 7 chakras of the body. Wawel Hill is one (although it doesn't market itself that way and the guides are, I guess, forbidden to talk about it). People in the know, though, flock here, according to my guidebook. The place were the energy is most concentrated is a wall--it is covered in smudges from the hugs of kooks/believers. Just in case, I touched the wall. I didn't see anyone hugging it, though.

Went to a couple churches--St. Mary's and St. Francis. Services were going on in both when I was there. Poland is, I understand, devoutly Catholic and boasts a high concentration of churches. At all times of the day, it seems, you can find kooks/believers going to church to pray.

Praha, Thursday

I walked all around, getting lost, and taking much longer to find the places I was looking for. On the upside, though, I walked on some streets I hadn't seen before.

Finally found the Museum of Communism.

Met up with David for lunch. We had lunch at an inexpensive cafeteria, with the only English posted on a menu outside the door. We managed, though. I asked a man if we could share his table (and by this I mean I asked, "prosim?" and he nodded. "Please" comes in handy in many contexts). After a few minutes, I initiated conversation. The man turned out to be Russian, working for the Russian embassy in Prague. David and I enjoyed talking to him.

After a satisfying lunch, we went to the Mucha Museum...Alphonse Mucha was the guy for Art Nouveau in Prague.

Then we hit the Museum of Prague, but unfortunately, the model of Prague wasn't on exhibit!

Lastly came the adventures at the train station...the guy at the ticket window spoke some English and was very patient. I bought my ticket for a "couchette" on the night train to Krakow, Poland. It was confusing trying to figure out which car to board on, and the departure time was rapidly approaching, which made us nervous. This, and the hope that we would meet again in Vienna, kept the goodbye from being sentimental. We hammed it up, with me waving a tissue out the window and him running alongside the train.

---

General impressions...fantastic spring weather on Tues and Wed. Rained Wed night, but Thurs wasn't bad at all.

Women's high heels getting caught between cobblestones.

Surrounded by so many languages!

Even in March, Prague was crowded with manz large tour groups. I canät imagine what it will be like in the high season!

Prague has manz windy, narrow streets and hidden courtzards...verz European. So manz gorgeous buildings in the citz of a thousand spires. Unlike other European cities, it was not badlz bombed in WWII.

Service was often matter of fact more than friendlz, but people were nice.

It was fun and easy to be with David again, even after all these years.

Praha

...is the Czech name for Prague.

View of Prague Castle from Charles Bridge.

Wednesday I went to the Czech Cubism Museum--very cool! Usually my response to art is based in emotion before intellect. Knowing little about art historz and technique, I usuallz onlz make basic observations. (This kezboard is funkz and I donät know how to fix it cause the menus are all in Polish! Bear with me.) But looking at the Czech cubism, I felt for mzself that it was another waz of perceiving realitz. At first, it seems fragmented, but the boundaries between things (say, a woman and a bowl of fruit) become interwoven, thus showing the interconnectedness of all things (as Buddists believe).

In the afternoon, David and I explored Prague Castle, the Old Royal Palace, Basilica of St. George, Golden Lane (where Kafka lived for awhile), and St. Vitus Cathedral. The gargoyles on St. Vitus Cathedral creeped me out!

There was much walking and I was very tired. A late afternoon sit and snack helped.

In the evening I saw Black Light Theater, which was fun, but went a bit long.

Prague!

I'm here. Man, that was a long trip. David picked me up at the airport and led me via bus and subway and foot to my hostel, Hostel Tyn (which he says is pronounced "hostel teen", but he's sure they're very mature). We were both very tired and neither of us hungry, but we still talked for a couple hours before we shuffled off to slumber.

This morning I have been trying to orient myself my usual way, by walking and getting lost. Choosing the perfect breakfast place quickly became less of a priority than getting some food--and kava (coffee)--in me right away. I woke with a bad headache. So far, I have walked to the river, around and around, back to the hostel, and to this internet cafe. I think I just accidentally said "thank you" to someone who said "hello". I can tell that I am going to have to be patient with myself and accept that I may look like an idiot. At least I feel less paralyzed than last night! I feel buoyed by a few positive interactions. A few phrases are sticking with me, even if they aren't necessarily the right phrases at the right time! David told me his first day here he accidentally asked for the street instead of the bill.

Prague is beautiful, and I haven't seen much of it yet. I am staying very close to the Old Town Square. The streets and the buildings look very European. I wish I knew more about what I was looking at. The architecture is lovely. And it is sunny today! How nice is that? David and I are meeting at 12:00 at the statue of Jan Huss in the Old Town Square.

---

I spent Tuesday orienting myself, wandering, strolling to the river and back, sitting in the sun with David, exploring the Jewish Quarter, practicing my Czech, strolling the Charles Bridge at dusk. The Spanish Synagogue was just beautiful. (We weren't allowed to take pictures inside.)

Here is a pic of the Jewish Cemetary, where Rabbi Loew is buried (he is associated with the legend of the Golem).

Ate a late supper of potato pancakes with cheese in a smoky pub. Tried a shot of the Czech liquor becharovka. Chatted with the international law students overflowing the pub (that's international students, not international law).

Check out the link to Flickr for more photos...

Approximate Itinerary

Here is my rough itinerary:

Mon Mar 5 - arrive Prague . Sleep in Prague.
Tues Mar 6 - Prague. Sleep in Prague.
Wed Mar 7 - Prague. Sleep in Prague.
Thurs Mar 8 - Prague. Night train to Krakow.
Fri Mar 9 - Krakow. Sleep in Krakow.
Sat Mar 10 - Oswiecim. Night train to Budapest.
Sun Mar 11 - Budapest. Sleep in Budapest.
Mon Mar 12 - Budapest. Sleep in Budapest.
Tues Mar 13 - Budapest/Vienna. Sleep in Vienna.
Wed Mar 14 - Vienna. Sleep in Vienna.
Thurs Mar 15 - Vienna/Prague. Sleep in Prague.
Fri Mar 16 - leave Prague.

Travel Philosophy

Over Sunday dinner I was mocked by another diner for my desire to plan my trips. She claimed that this kind of planning does not allow for spontaneity. I disagree. It is precisely the planning that allows me to be comfortable, informed, and open to serendipity.

Here is an excerpt from Rick Steves' website:

Traveler 'A' takes off to Europe as a free spirit, without much planning, no real itinerary...and returns home with a backpack full of complaints about how expensive and stressful it all was. Traveler 'B' prepares for weeks as though her trip were some kind of final exam, mapping out a detailed day-to-day plan...and returns home with rich stories of spontaneous European adventures. It's the classic paradox of good travel: structure rewards a traveler with freedom, and "winging it" becomes a ball-and-chain of too many decisions, too
little information...and precious little time to relax.

http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/experience.htm

Prague

I did it! Bought a ticket to Prague for March 2007. I have around 10 days in Eastern Europe. My college friend David lives in Brno, Czech Republic. I haven't seen David in over 10 years (that sentence makes me feel old). We will probably spend a few days together and I will probably spend a few days venturing out on my own. David suggested Vienna. I am also considering Budapest and other possibilities. Suggestions are welcome!

Signs, Portents, and the Wall Street Journal

Just as my dream of living in Ireland was fading, there was a news blurb in my inbox: Ireland looks to U.S. for skilled workers. Is it a sign? (Am I a skilled worker?)


People on the bus last night were smellier and crazier than usual. (That's unrelated to the above topic...or is it?)