Krakow, Poland to Prague, Czech Republic...

My trip from Berlin to Krakow, Poland was not so pleasant. Poland was a former communist state and therefore was a very poor country. The country has made tremendous progress in the past 20 years, but progress and development is concentrated in the major cities. The country side is still very poor and undeveloped. This includes the rail system, which I heard was one of the worst in Europe.

The Polish train leaving Berlin was actually not bad at all. It was reasonably clean as far as trains goes. The restaurant car serves decent Polish food and the first class seats I was in were clean and comfortable. I should have taken this train all the way to Warsaw because the next trains were not so pleasant. I had 2 transfers, and the first transfer was at Poznan to Wroclaw. This was an awful train! It was old, dirty, smelly, and filthy as can be. As soon as I stepped in, there was the stench of human sewage. I heard things were much worse under the communists, but this was pretty darn bad. The train was also late and I nearly missed my connection. Gosh, it would have really sucked to be stuck at those train stations!

From Wroclaw to Krakow was a little better, but still, not a comfortable ride. I heard the Polish train company saves all their good trains for the international routes and the major routes like from Warsaw to Krakow. I spoke with some travelers in Krakow that came in from Warsaw and they said the train was excellent and fast.

As soon as I stepped off the train I did not feel well. At first I thought it was just from not being able to sleep, but I got progressively more ill over the next day. I must of had food poisoning or perhaps I caught the flu. I was not able to do much for the next 3 days. I had diarrhea, fever, headaches, muscle cramps, and an upset stomach. I decided to stay in Krakow until I felt better.

I stayed on the Garden House Hostel right off the main square. This was a decent hostel and Krakow was a decent place to hang out until I felt better. It is a beautiful, clean city, not expensive (although Poland is not the bargain it was several years ago I heard), and with many excellent restaurants, cafes, and shops. It is a bit touristy with people coming in from all over the world.

The main attraction here is the Auschwitz concentration camps, but I decided not to do this. It was 40 km away from the city and there was a lot of walking. I had very low energy levels due to being ill the past 3 days and not being able to eat very much.

My next stop was in Prague, the Czech Republic. Many people think of this as Czech a Slovakia, but it is now 2 separate countries, Czech Republic and Slovakia. They split in 1992, I believe. Prague is a beautiful city. Check out my pictures. The cobble stone roads are really annoying, since my Xootr doesn't work on them. But one thing I noticed in Poland and in Czech Republic is that people here aren't always so friendly. I guess after being from the southern United States I've gotten use to how open and friendly people are in America (and in Australia for that matter). Often, when asking a stranger at a bus stop for directions, a good place to eat, or a good nightclub, people would often just ignore you as if you were not there. I'm sure the language barrier is one issue, but I don't think that's all it is. It's seems to be part of the culture from speaking to some of the Europeans I've met.

What is very popular in Prague are the hot dog stands. There are a variety of sausages all for under 60 crowns ( a little less than 18 crowns to 1 USD). If you come to Prague, do try out the hot dogs. They are much tastier than the hot dogs we get in the States, I think.

I'm in Vienna, Austria now and I like the city a bit more. It's sort of like Paris, but not as big, hectic, or touristy. They have excellent bicycle and walking paths which makes getting around the city quite a bit easier.

Berlin: Where Communism Meets Capitalism

Berlin has become a completely different city in the 20 years since the wall fell. Like in Paris, there is so much history here as the city has been repeatedly created and destroyed in various wars throughout history. More recently, this is the city where Communism was born and also where it died. When the wall fell, East and West Germany were reunited shortly thereafter and the USSR collapsed as well. The city has a very dark past, but most of it has been rebuilt. However, if you look carefully, you can still see the scars of World War 2 on the buildings in the form of bullet holes. The fighting here was fierce between the US, Soviets, and Nazis. In the recent past, you will find it use to be very dark, scary place. Hitler, the wall, oppression, and people living in fear and poverty. It's completely different today. Berlin is now a thriving capital city of Germany with shops, restaurants, tourists, and plenty of international businesses.

I stayed on a Baxpax hostel and hotel right in the heart of downtown Berlin. This is a decent hotel/hostel with a friendly and helpful English speaking staff. It's 15 Euros on the weeknights and 21 Euros on weekends for the 30 person sleeping dorms. If you are not use to it, it can be intimidating sleeping with so many people. Personally, I was worried there would be a loud snoring, but surprisingly, nobody snored! I also stayed in their hotel room at 60 Euros for the night. It was small (but much larger than the hotel I stayed in Paris), but clean, comfortable, and cozy. One thing this place doesn't have is air conditioning. But I guess the summers here don't get hot enough to require it. They have breakfast for 5.50 Euros and you can get sausage and eggs for 2 euros more.

Leaving the hostel every day is a "free" 3 hour guided walking tour of the city. The tour guide just asks you to tip him whatever you feel the tour is worth. It is an excellent tour put on by "New Berlin" and I highly recommend it. He hits all the major sites and tells captivating stories about the history behind each site. This tour is a great introduction to the city, but like Paris, you can start in the center and just go in any direction you please. There will be something interesting to see. There are plenty of statues, sculptures, museums, shops, and historical landmarks in any direction. Pick up one of the free maps and start exploring. I used my Xootr, but you can also walk or rent a bicycle for around 8 euros, or take one of the many guided tours for between 12 and 20 euros.

I like Berlin! Like Paris, it's a progressive, cosmopolitan city with people from all over the world. Maybe it's not quite as diverse as Paris or does it have quite as much history and culture, but it's much cleaner, newer, less crowded, less expensive, fewer beggars, and no homeless people living on the streets (at least I saw none). Berlin does have lots of graphhiti (why do people have the urge to spray paint walls?) and the tour guide said the city is famous for its graphiti.

One thing I noticed about Europe is so many people use bicycles, walking, and public transportation to get where they need to go. All kinds of people ride their bicycles to get to where they are going. I see old people, young people, men and women in business suits, kids, etc. using their bicycles to get where they want to go. It's much less so than in the US where most people are riding their bicycles for exercise. The streets are also far more bicycle friendly. There are extra wide sidewalks, bicycle lanes and traffic signals, and plenty of bike racks to lock your bike to when you get to your destination. This was true in Reykjavik, Paris, and now Berlin.

I will spend my weekend in Berlin and leave for Krakow, Poland on Monday, July 20th.

Paris, France: 3 days/2 nights...

Paris is a sprawling city with plenty of sights to see. The amount of history and culture here is pretty amazing. Everything is pretty expensive here, so I'm only going to spend 2 nights here to avoid spending a ridiculous amount of money. It's a city worth visiting, but I would not live here.

There is so much to see in Paris! You could spend weeks here if you have the budget. There's the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, the Arch, the massive Louvre Art Museum, countless churches, cathedrals, sculptures, statues, and other interesting landmarks and architecture. Just cruise around on a bicycle or scooter in any direction and you will find interesting things to see no matter which direction you go. Cycling or scootering is best way to explore the city. There are electric assisted bicycles for rent throughout the city. There are plenty of bike lanes and most are smooth, but many are cobble stones which makes it hard to for my Xootr's polyurethane wheels.

For urban environments like Paris, a kick scooter like my Xootr is far superior than a bicycle. It's just as fast in most urban situations (12-15 mph on flat terrain), easier to navigate thru thick crowds. It's lighter in weight, smaller in size, and more stable at slower speeds (<>

It's very easy to get lost, however. Paris is a city full of traffic circles. Every time you encounter one of these traffic circles, there are at least 5 different streets for you to choose from. Pick the wrong one and you are going to get lost very quickly. Fortunately, subway stations are almost everywhere and there's a map to help get you oriented. Subways are fast and efficient. They run until 1 am and there's always less than a 3 minute wait for the next train. However, the trains and stations are dirty, smelly and not pleasant to ride in. I'd rather ride the bus if I had more time to figure out the routes. But as a new visitor, I'd recommend the subways as they are the easiest way to get around the city without getting lost.

If you are spending a few days here, I suggest you get a metro pass. For about 15 Euros a day, you get unlimited rides on the subways and busses. The subways (metro as they call it) are easy to figure out. I used it to get from the airport to the hotel without too much difficulty. Taxis are also reasonable if you need to get around after the subways close at 1 am. Many people here don't speak English, but you will usually find someone that speaks English after asking 2 or 3 people. You will also encounter beggars and street venders harassing you to give them money or buy their wares. They can be very aggressive and may hound you until you give them something.

I am glad I stayed in the Boulogne district in the south west corner of the city. It's relatively quiet area of the city. Central Paris is packed with people with massive crowds on the streets, stores, and restaurants. Prices for food and hotels are also higher. The lines for everything can be long. I stayed at Hotel b at 70 Euros per night. I can recommend this hotel. It's a very small room with an even smaller elevator, but the room was clean and a nice breakfast is included in the price. The all you can eat breakfast includes ham, cheese, croissants, fresh breads, cereal, juice, apple sauce.

At 8 pm tonight, I will be taking an 11 hour overnight train to Berlin. I got a sleeper cabin, so it'll be interesting to see how sleeping on a train will be. It's gotta be better than on airplane!

Last Day In Iceland...

My flight out of Iceland is in less than 11 hours. It's been fun, but I think I am ready to go. Reykjavik is a very small city. In fact, the entire country (300K) has just half the number of people of Austin. However, the city has quite a diverse population given how small and geographically isolated it is. The vast majority of tourists are Europeans, but I also saw quite a few Americans, Asians, and Blacks as well.

• Food is very expensive here. A good meal is US$20-$35 per person. A bacon cheeseburger is around US$7 or US$8 at the current exchange rate. A footlong sub is $8 or $9. Even at the supermarket it is quite pricey. A dozen eggs is around $4 or $5. The most popular food here is the hotdog at 260 Krona. There is an endless line of people getting hot dogs all day long. If there is one reason I want to leave it's because I'm tired of eating hotdogs, hamburgers, sandwiches, or paying $35 for a decent meal. Given that food is so expensive here, you might be surprised to see that there are quite a number of obese people here. Despite what you hear from the media, obesity has very little to do with how much someone eats or how much exercise someone does. It's more to do with what they eat as a result of how much money they make. Fresh meats and vegetables are very expensive in Iceland. People eat pastas, potatoes, processed foods, sugars, and other insulin raising foods. Hence you see quite a number of fat people.
• I stayed 4 nights at the Domus Guesthouse Hostel. It cost 3,500 Krona per night (US $31) for a shared room. Its reasonably clean with good facilities, and a friendly staff. I recommend it if you are looking for a budget place to stay.
• The water here is very good. Iceland has virtually unlimited amounts of fresh water and geothermal energy. The only reason to buy bottled water is for the bottle. The water is very good straight out of the tap. All of the homes are heated with geothermal hot water. They drill for hot water pretty much the same way as drilling for oil. They use the hot water to generate electricity, heat homes, and create heated swimming pools like the Blue Lagoon.
• Despite gasoline costing US$5.60 per gallon, there are plenty of SUV, trucks, and 4x4's. Icelandic people love camping and off roading. The countryside is very beautiful and green. There are waterfalls, geysers, mountains, and glaciers that are just outside of Reykjavik. The terrain is very rugged. You will find sheep and horses in the country.
• The tour guide said Icelandic people are a mix of Norwegian and Irish decent. Most of the men came from Norway and the women from Ireland. People here don't seem to be as warm as in Texas or Australia. Perhaps its the culture or the language. Most of the native Icelandic women here are very pretty if they are not overweight from eating all the hot dogs, pastas, pizza, and fries.
• It never gets dark in July. It's basically daytime all day long. The sun never really goes below the horizon and it is very easy to lose track of time. The darkest it gets is around what would be our sunset, then it starts getting bright again. It's pretty strange experience and definitely not a place to be if you don't like long stretches of daylight or night. It doesn't get very hot in the summer. 50 or 60 F is the high for the day and 50-55 at night.
• For a bankrupt country, they seem to be very well off. There are no homeless people, no beggars, no food shortages, no riots, and crime is almost non existent. The tour guide said that they have 1 murder every other year. The country has never been at war and they don't even have a military. It's one of the most conflict free areas of the world. They just have drunk people breaking glass bottles and men urinating on the streets.

Next stop is Paris...

First 24 hours in Iceland...

After spending most of yesterday getting my bearings, I'm getting a chance to write this post. I landed in Iceland yesterday and so far things have gone as smoothly as can be expected. The first few hours after arriving to a new place is always very stressful until I get my bearings. It's scrambling for lodging, food, exchanging money, establishing communications (cell phone, internet), and trying not to get lost. Of course, I forgot some items. I need a heavier jacket as I am not use to this 50 degree weather after spending the past several weeks in 100+ degree Texas heat. I also need to get a sleeping bag, and a bath towel.

The international airport is about 50 km outside of Reykjavik. The ride is was pretty barren. There were only a few very small tow, but mostly a desolate landscape.

Reykjavik is a really small town. I mean it's REALLY small. It feels like the size of Round Rock or Cedar Park, or some sleepy suburb in New Jersey. I arrived around 9 am and there were just a few people walking around on the streets. When I asked the tourist information guide about where all the people were, she said that it was only 9:30 and they were either sleeping (?) or at work. The entire country is really small. There are only 300K people and well over half of them live in Reykjavik. There seem to be almost as many tourists on the street as people who live here. They seem to be mostly Europeans, but I did see some Asians and Americans as well.

Reykjavik definitely has a unique look to it. They seem to use pastel colors here for the buildings. There are no modern skyscrapers and there doesn't seem to be any buildings that are over 4 stories tall.

I spent the last day using my Xootr to scoot (xoot?) around. It's been a great way to get around, but we'll see how well it works in the rest of Europe, especially in countries that have more cobblestones. I went to their largest shopping mall, which looks like any other Simon shopping mall in the US. I had to go there to get a US to Europe adapter plug. The restaurants seem to serve a lot of hot dogs, pizza, pastas, and fast food. There are also several American and Mexican restaurants. Since Iceland is known for its fishing, I had to try some seafood here. Restaurant Reykjavik has a great (albeit expensive) all you can eat seafood buffet.

I will be here until Sunday morning, when I will head to Paris. For the next few days I plan to hit the many local museums, look for the local hot springs, and check out the night life (if any). Today, I need to buy a heavier jacket, a sleeping bag, and a towel.