Seein' Green

So, i am here in Dublin, on what started out a rainy day, and has turned into a sunny one (of course, it has to be because i bought an umbrella...). i will fill you in on my first night in Dublin, as it was a great one, but i must give Madrid some love as well.

So i stayed with friends i met while in Prague, Sarah and Rob. It was really great to see the two of them again, and got to spend some good time with them, amidst their busy work schedules (both are English teachers).

Madrid is a nice city. Lots of really cool buildings, the people are fairly friendly, and the food quite good (what else do i need, right?). The beer isn't bad, and unfortunately, i didn't get a chance to taste some Spanish wine, but they did have Heineken on tap (sounds like your dream place, eh dad?) at the Irish Pub we went to, and we got to watch some really great soccer at that pub.

Met Hayden on Wednesday, as he was in Madrid for a conference in which he is presenting a paper. We walked around quite a bit of the city, and took some good pictures (which i'll post, someday, promise). There is a really nice royal palace in Madrid, and a somewhat modern cathedral across the street. The church is extremely bright inside, particularly for European churches, and has some modern looking stained glass windows.

So yesterday evening i left the sunny and warm Spanish culture and climate, and came to Ireland, where we landed in relatively cold and windy weather. The first thing i did when i got my bag from baggage claim was to pull out my sweatshirt.

The hostel was relatively easy to find, and after i arrived, i figured it might be good to grab a couple of Guinnesses and try to find some live music. The first place i went to wasn't bad, but the band they had took a set break not long after i arrived, and while it was nice, i went looking elsewhere.

The next place i ended up was exactly what i was looking for. i get in, go up the stairs, and hear a five person band playing guitars, a fiddle, a drum, and a pipe, and it was about as "authentic Irish Music" you could get. They even played a song (must be a folk song of some kind) that i had on my one CD of Irish Music i own. Everyone was laughing, singing, clapping, dancing, and having a great time. Within 4 hours of arriving in Dublin, i want to move to Ireland. We'll see what the remaining nine days do...

So yeah, that's it so far. Gonna do a bit more exploring in Dublin while the weather's nice. Hope all are well.

JC

Que Pasa, Amigos

i finally said good-bye to the silly French and their amazing cuisine, and took a train to Germany for a weekend with the Beckers. Peter and Gaby are a couple i got to meet while i studied in Germany, and they are family of a friend my mom used to work with (if you can follow that).

It had been nearly three years since we had last talked, and Gaby actually kind of forgot what i looked like (handy yellow hat saved the day...), but it was really great to see them again and spend a weekend with them. Peter, who speaks really no English, continued to force me to use what little German i had. It was a weekend of laughs, coffee and cakes, great food, and some beautiful drives around the German countryside.

i am currently in Madrid, and will fill in on details of my trip here, later, i´m afraid, as my internet time has run out, and i must catch a flight to Dublin this evening. Hope all are well!

JC

Third Time's A Charm?

Ahh, the French.

So, i've been able to relax quite a bit and see a good amount of Lourdes. It's been quite nice, actually. The weather's been warm, the sun shining, and the people pretty friendly. On Tuesday, i did some laundry and met a girl from Australia, Victoria. i told her of my woes at the "authentic" French restaurant, and she suggested we try it together, thinking that maybe she'd let us in.

In the afternoon, i went on a little tour around the town that focused on St. Bernedette, the girl who had the apparitions, and areas around town that were significant in her life. It was certainly informative, as i knew nothing about it before the tour.

It's quite amazing, actually, how many people come through this town. Something like six million every year, they say. My tour guide was a volunteer from Great Britain, and she comes several times a year, including a month to do tours. She seems very drawn to Lourdes, so much so, that she has no desire to really explore any other places in Europe where there have been apparitions. She said she's found all she needs here. Very nice lady, knew a lot about the area, to say the least.

i met Victoria at 7, and we headed to the restaurant. Seeing a few open tables (seating a minimum of three people), i thought we would be set. We get in, ask for a table, and the lady tells us no, but if we come back a half hour later, we might be able to sit. So, we decide to take a stroll around town for a while, and end up back at the restaurant. The same tables are open, and the lady, again, tells us no. She said to come back later again, but we decided to just find something else. Ended up at a nice cafe with outdoor seating and really good food. At the end of the night, i joked i would try the restaurant again the next evening, just for grins.

So, yesterday, before my valiant attempt, i walked around town, again. Went up to the castle, pretty much right in the middle of the town, atop a very tall hill. Awesome view of the entire town and some of the surrounding area. Felt good to see some mountains again.

Went to an international mass in the morning, offered by a Cardinal. Pretty nice mass. Took a while, as they read the gospel in four different languages, and sang a whole lot of songs. It was the first time i had seen a mass offered by a cardinal and several bishops, as well as a ton of priests. There were probably close to a dozen bishops there. Lots of brass.

So, last night, i tried my restaurant again. Expecting to get denied, i had a whole slew of other options in my head. i was actually really liking the idea of Chinese. But i had to try, just to say i did.

And, sure enough, the place was practically empty, and, she let me have a seat. i originally planned, if i got a spot, to just order a coffee or a wine and leave, but, i figured that since i was afforded this great honor of actually eating in this restaurant, i oughtta see if it was worth a damn.

Turns out, the food was actually quite good. The French never seem to fail in impressing me with their culinary practices. i don't exactly know what i got, i think it was a turkey leg, as it was too small to be a chicken (but smaller than the Thanksgiving turkey), but whatever it was, it was really, really tasty. i ate as much that was soft as i could. The salad i got to start wasn't bad, but i'd had better, but the dessert, some kind of cream puff thing with chocolate, was amazing. Honestly, i gotta say, it was worth the trouble. i was as shocked about that as anyone.

So, the moral of my French stories, so far, i guess, is that persistence pays off.

Tomorrow, i'm off to Germany for the weekend, then Madrid for most of next week. Is it really mid-September already??

JC

Ahhh, France

So, after spending a wonderful week in Germany tasting some incredible wines and meeting some amazing people, the three of us parted ways, and i am now in France. Friday i left Bad Krueznach for Lisieux, to see the former home of St. Therese.

In order to get to Lisieux, i had to go through Paris. Not only did i have to change trains in Paris, i had to make my way to another train station. Fortunately, i had two hours to do so. i had little trouble making my way to the next station, and only a few back and forth moments to different ticket windows to purchase my ticket. After an hour and a half train ride, i arrived in Lisieux.

The first thing you notice getting out of the train, if you look up at the top of the nearby hill, is a humongous Basilica. From a distance, it almost looks fake, especially against the blue sky that was present when i arrived.

Signs for an information center were hard to find when i arrived. i made my way to the Basilica, only to find that the info center associated with that closed about five minutes before i got there. Disappointed, i went looking on my own for a place to stay for the night. Part of my hope was to make a small retreat out of my three nights in Lisieux. i should have looked online for that stuff, but well, didn't.

i spent my first night in a hotel not far from the Basilica. It was simple, but fairly nice. After getting aquainted a bit with the town, i made my way back to bed.

The next morning i set out to try to find something that would fulfill my retreat desires, and the info place sent me to L'Ermitage, which i don't have a clue what it means in French, but it was a "spiritual center" run by the Carmelites for pilgrims. i never really considered myself a pilgrim, but explained that i had two nights left in Lisieux, and would really like to make a small kind of retreat out of it. They fortunately had a room available, and that afternoon i lugged my stuff from my hotel to my new accomodation.

Now, the Carmelite sisters (i'm pretty sure they were sisters), while not by any means rude, weren't exactly overly friendly, like other Carmelites i had encountered. The one lady, after showing me to the elevator, took the stairs up to the third floor. i admit, i probably didn't smell that great (the weather in France was much warmer, and i was still dressed in clothes fit for the weather in Germany), and i did take up most of the elevator, but there was certainly room. So, my goal, by the time i left Monday morning, was to get the nuns laughing.

Explored some more of the town Saturday, and took care of some stuff on the internet. There was a market in the main square of town, where you could buy almost anything you wanted. It was quite busy. People were friendly, and the man who made me my sausage for lunch, while he didn't speak any English, wasn't at all upset about my inability to speak French. He loaded me up with Frites (french fries), and sent me on my way. It was a tasty lunch.

Visited the Basilica, which is beautiful, and some other churches in town, including the one i guess Therese went to while living there as a child. In the Basilica, there was a very unique crucifix, one with Jesus off of the cross from the waist up, but still with his arms out-stretched. It almost looked like he was hippy-dancing. i really liked it, and would love to post a picture, but the internet place i am at won't let me plug my camera in. : (

My dinner Sat. night was similar to my lunch, and when as i returned to my room after picking up my key, the Asian sister who i swore did not like me at all that morning, had a hint of a grin. Ahh, success was coming.

Sunday i did mass at the Basilica. The bishop was in town, and a troop of old style french horn players did the music for the beginning and the end. By old style, i mean the ones with no keys, only a couple loops of brass. They certainly offered a new musical experience for me, but i must say, the modern french horn, from a sound and tone perspective at least, is a significant improvement. i had to hold myself back from laughing at first, but i couldn't keep the grin off my face. Not that it was bad, it was just funny. Ahh, the French.

After the long mass, i decided to head out of the main part of town to find the house that Therese and her family lived in while in Lisiuex. Well, it was well marked where to go, then the signs stopped, and i found myself at a round-about quite a distance from town. So, instead of going back the way i had come, i decided to go back towards town, but a little further north of town, kind of in the nearby countryside.

It was a nice walk, and i eventually ran into a trail that was a "sport trail" or something, that had stations you could do different exercies. i think i hit it towards the end, but followed it back to town. After grabbing some stuff for dinner and some postcards, i returned to the Carmelites, and asked to check out, given that my train left very early the next morning.

There were four African ladies behind the counter (and, for the most part, they were much happier), and, by the time i had left, i had them all laughing. Success!

Yesterday, i spent most of my time on a train to Lourdes. i had to go through Paris, again, and find a completely new train station, again, only this time i only had an hour to do it. Fortunately, i made it, and am in my second day in Lourdes. It's a very pretty town, with some pretty impressive mountains around it. Apparently some six million people come here every year. Last night, i had my first experience getting kicked out of a restaurant. i tried to sit by myself at a table, and the lady said that i would not be allowed to eat there alone, and told me to leave. It was supposedly the best "authentic" restaurant in town, so i was a bit disappointed. But, i found a Scottish restaurant that didn't mind my being alone, and had a good feed there.

Went walking last night, and stumbled across a ton of people with candles. Apparently, every night at 9pm, there is a candlelight parade of sorts (the correct word is escaping me right now). Basically, they say a rosary in about half a dozen different languages, and everyone walks around. It would seem a bit cultish, i'm sure, to an outsider, but it was a pretty cool experience. i might try it again.

The French experience, so far, has been eclectic to say the least. While i got kicked out of a restaurant, many people i've encountered on the street or in the shops have been incredibly kind and fun. Ahhh, the French.

Hope everyone is doing well out there.

JC

Bikes Gone, Movin' West

Well, it certianly has been a long time since my last writing, and much has happened. So, i will get started:

i last left you with us in Bulgaria, preparing one more ride to Russe, then across the border into Romania. Our 100km+ day to Russe was hot, but otherwise not bad, and we found a nice place to stay. The next day, we crossed the Danube on one of only two bridges that cross the river from Bulgaria into Romania, and made our way to Bucharest. It was something like 80 km, really flat. We made good time, and made it into Bucharest.

Bucharest, put simply, is huge. There are six lane roads that intersect with another six lane boulevard, and the intersections are humongous. There are many roundabouts as well. i hate the things in a car, and despise them even more on a bicycle, particularly considering i almost got a quick end to my trip while trying to go through one (thankfully, all i got was the sound of skreeching tires and a honk).

Greg left us after one night in Bucharest. His last meal on the bike trip was appropriately Pizza Hut, as he was always on the lookout for pizza throughout our trip. In his defense, though, it was the first (and only time) we settled for an American Pizza place. The rest were all European, of varying quality, of course.

Fitz and i spent two more nights in Bucharest. It was extremely hot, but good times. We hit the night life a bit harder than we had previously the rest of the trip, basically meaning we stayed out really really late, but for whatever reason managed to stay pretty sober. Our last morning in Bucharest, we awoke to rain, which was nice because it meant the 100 degree plus days were coming to an end, but was a bummer because in a 15 minute ride to the trainstation from the hostel, we got soaked.

We took a train to Brasov, which is on the edge of Transylvania. We got into town and found it actually quite cool. We were able to walk around with a long sleeved shirt for the first time in a while, and the weather felt quite nice. We spent two nights in Brasov, visiting two smaller towns not far away for their castles and landscapes.

We got up early to leave Brasov in preparation for our last ride, a 115km journey (according to the map) to Sighisoara, another quaint and pretty Transylvanian town, rumored to be the birthplace of Vlade the Impaler (more commonly known as 'Dracula' (insert deep, scary laugh)). The ride turned out to be just over 120km, and quite honestly, probably the best ride of the trip. Definitely my favorite. The weather was perfect: partly cloudy, not rainy, not windy, relatively cool, but not cold. The terrain, rolling, with some hills but nothing too terribly steep or overly long, also perfect. The scenery was Transylvania at its finest. The pace was great. The road was good, though a bit busy with traffic (and a bit unnerving with signs that plainly said no bikes. The cops didn't seem to care, though). We got into town much earlier than expected, and felt good about a really great ride.

Left Sighisoara, and made it to Cluj, where we met officially Fitzy's second cousin-once-removed or something like that. Her name was Lynn, and her husband's name was Jim, and they were two of the most fun people we met on our trip. Cooked us plenty of great meals, helped us sell our bikes (which made the rest of our travels so much easier), and let us relax, while sharing lots of good jokes and stories. They are both Peace Corp Volunteers, working with a variety of projects in Cluj ranging from prison ministry of sorts to work with stray dogs. It was great to enocunter again such great enthusiasm, and wonderful to meet such friendly people.

From Cluj, we trained it to Budapest, a city both Fitz and i had already visited during Christmas. The city was certianly very different with green all around, no snow, milder temperatures, and of course, no Christmas Market. We had a pretty good night, until the end, when we encountered some older ladies who really took us for fools and left us with a huge bill for only wine and schnapps. Was the most expensive bottle of wine i have ever bought, and certainly the least fulfilling. An unfortunate ending to our trip, but does little to shade the overwhelming light of kindness and hospitality we encountered throughout the Balkans by locals and ex-pats alike.

We made our way back to Prague to again meet up with Greg and help him move some of his (and our) stuff out of his apartment. Then, we took an overnight bus to Germany, where we are now staying with Christian, a friend of Fitz's from his winery days in New Zealand. Christian has hooked us up big time with an incredible place to stay and tastings all around the area. We have met some great people, very passionate about the wine they are creating, and tasted some great wine, not the least of which has come from our host's family winery. Greg left today for Ireland, and Fitz and i will leave tomorrow, i for France and Fitz for another short stint in Prague before finally returning home after a year abroad.

Fall is here, which is kind of nice. My travels are half over. The east of Europe has produced many great memories and experiences. We shall see what the west has to offer.

JC

A quick note on Bulgaria

So, here we are, in a Bulgarian town which i can't pronounce let alone spell, but having a good time. Bulgaria has been a great experience for us, as we have continued to run into tremendous hospitality. This time, however, it's come from a variety of different Americans.

John and Nancy were kind enough to put us up for three nights. It was a wonderful visit with some great people. We got some much needed R & R, got to hike up a nearby mountain and get a really cool view of the city of Sophia, and then we got to explore the city itself. John and Nancy also exposed us to some other great things in Sophia, including the US Embassy, which was a very unique and interesting experience, some dining at a local microbrewery, and an authentic Bulgarian meal, prepared by their incredibly kind housekeeper, Sladka.

Sad to leave the comfort and warmth of the Sassers, but excited to see what more the road would bring us, we departed Sophia via a short train ride to a town called Karlovo. From there, we rode about 15 km or so to a smaller town called Kalofer, where we connected with a Peace Corps Volunteer named Matt.

Matt works for an NGO in the town (in the tourist info center) that works with the national park that is near the town, as well as deals with tourism in the town. He was very kind to us, and put us up at his place for the night, and showed us around the town a bit. We went to really the only restaurant in town and had some pretty good food (i did have to send my chicken back to get fully cooked, but it was tasty the second time around) and a couple of beers with our host. Got a good rest, and prepared ourselves for a ride through the Balkan Mountian Range, over the Shipka Pass.

The pass was long, 15km or so from the bottom to the top. It took quite a while and i had to stop a couple of times along the way, but we all made it to the top with little problem. Going up, i did see some brave people going down, attached by a tow-strap. They're even crazier than we are.

At the top, we met an older guy who made all three of us look like wusses. He was a Swiss, who had biked from Switzerland all over the continent, almost 6000 km when we met him. He was headed the opposite direction. His bike was loaded down, front and rear bags, a huge bag on the back, and a 10L jug (which was empty when we met him at the top) for water. He shared with us that he had been hit from behind when in the Ukraine. His left knee was certainly missing a chunk. Nice guy, though.

We made it over the pass, the way down taking only a fraction of the time it took to go up, and at least the same distance, and into the town of Gabrovo, where we had planned to meet a couple of Peace Corp Volunteers, who were also going to put us up for the night.

Casey and Lindsey are from Oregon, and work with the local municipality doing a variety of projects, including work with a women's shelter, a local orphanage, and some teaching at the University. Amanda was another volunteer who lives right next door to Casey and Lindsey, and who will be teaching English starting this fall. Amanda was kind enough to take in our bicycles, while Casey and Lindsey took us in and gave us a place to sleep. They were three more great people, with whom we had a very wonderful time.

We got an afternoon start out of Gabrovo, and made the short ride through Veliko Turnovo to a nearby town named Gorna Oryahovitsa. Yeah, say that ten times fast. Say it once, and i'm impressed. Anyways, here we met Melanie, who is kind enough to put us up for two nights, as we explore the tourist town of Veliko Turnovo in the evenings and rest today before a long ride tomorrow to Russe, where we will stop tomorrow. From Russe, it's across the border to Bucharest, Romania.

It's been a pretty and good ride through Bulgaria, and has been wonderful to meet so many young, kind, and ambitous Americans during our travels. It's been a great insight into the Peace Corps, and great to see what motivates these young people, and the difference they can make within their communities.

Hope all are well!

JC

Finally, Pictures!

Yep, you read it right. Finally, you all can get a glimpse of some of my trip, the way i've seen it (or at least the way my Sony has seen parts of it):

My travel mates, Day 1 or 2 after my arrival

Me after two days worth of cramps, getting ready to do some serious mountains on Hvar, an island off the coast of Croatia

The statue of Our Lady of Peace, in Medjugorje, Bosnia. i think it is now my favorite depiction of the Blessed Mother

Greg chillin' over the canyon in Montenegro

Our heads are dry, no matter what kind of shower

Foosball's not for the devil, it's for hoodlums like us

That's all i've got for now. Hope you weren't expecting anything too exciting. You might end up seeing some more from me when i make it back to Prague. Until then, don't hold your breath waiting for pictures.

i'll fill you all in on Sophia later. Hope all is well.
JC

Beautiful Bosnia

Well, we have finally left Bosnia behind, at least i think. And our final days there left us with memories i am sure none of us will ever forget.

We left Sarajevo, to make it to a place called Visoko, where apparently the largest pyramids in the world are. However, there is debate as to whether or not they are really pyramids or if they're just mountains in the shape of pyramids. Only time and digging will tell, i suppose.

We left Visoko, and continued north. Our eventual destination was to be Banja Luka, but it would take us two more days to get there. So we rode, and rode, and rode. Out of Visoko, we did a 120km day, that certainly didn't go as planned.

We got lost. Partly due to a road we couldn't find, partly due to our poor excuse for a map. We had a town point we wanted to stay at (as camping amongst land mines isn't my first choice), but we didn't get there. On the road, towards the end of the day, we found the first person in the area who didn't really like Americans, and we rode on. We eventually came to a place that pointed towards a campground. We figured it safe, and headed towards it.

The old lady there was not friendly at all, didn't speak any English, and wanted to charge us a lot of money for a room with no running water or toilet, despite the fact that there was no one else at the campground. Across the road, some people were just sitting by a small fire and eating, and came over to help us.

It was two families, one from Germany, the other from Bosnia. The wives of each were both Bosnian, and cousins. The Bosnian man was a police officer in the area, who also served in the last war, and the man from Germany was of Albanian decent. He was the one who spoke some English.

After some talking, the police officer told us that the area where they had a small fire and were eating was public land, and that we could sleep there for free if we wanted to. We jumped on it, and spent the evening with the two families. Of course, they had lots of left over food, which they cooked for us and made us eat, and while we did so, the policeman made a campfire for us, found us extra wood, and chopped some stuff for us as well. It was a graced ending to a stressful and frustrating day.

The next morning, as we were preparing to leave, some guys show up at the place where we are at. They start to get a lamb out of their car, put it on a stick, and relight our fire, which was still warm, but far from burning. As we're almost leaving, one of them offers us a beer, and though no one there at that time spoke English, we communicated a small bit.

A beer turned into a beer and a coffee, then two beers, and more people showed up. Turns out, one of the crews from a shoe factory in one of the towns we passed through the day before was having their yearly picnic, where they roast a lamb (and bring one that was recently roasted), eat a ton of food, drink beer, play football, and have a good time. We happened to be at the site, and we were invited to share in the festivities. One of the guys spoke some English, Budo, and we were set. We spent the next four to five hours drinking beer, eating some amazing food, sharing stories, and getting our butts kicked in a Team Bosnia vs. the Dream Team football match. Team Bosnia went up early, but the Dream Team came back with a couple quick goals. After that, Team Bosnia turned up the heat (they had one guy we nicknamed "Ronaldinho" because of his fancy footwork) and was pretty much toying with us as they left victorious, 6-3. The game was called after so many minutes, and all six of us went straight back to the beer (and them their cigarettes as well) and fatty meat. It was a great afternoon.

The picnic got relocated just after the lamb finished roasting, as the weather began to look ominously like rain. We all said our good-byes, and they even invited us to the public shelter area where they were going to continue the festivities, but we took the opportunity to finally get onto the road. 3pm i think was when we finally left camp.

Heavy from the beer and the lamb, i actually had my best day in the mountains. It was a bit more uphill than we anticipated, but much of the nearly 80km we road that day was down, so it wasn't too bad. Of course, the rain came back, but it was slow, without wind, and actually fairly warm outside, so it wasn't nearly as bad as before. The change in signs from the latin alphabet to the cyrillic alphabet, however, once we arrived into the Serbian Republic area of Bosnia, did throw us for a short loop. But we eventually found Banja Luka, and accomodation.

Just kind of relaxed and slept during our night in Banja Luka. The next day, we had tentative plans to explore some of the city before taking a night train to Belgrade. That was, of course, until we met our soon to be friend and personal tour guide, Nikola.

When i came down the stairs with my stuff, the guys had already met him, and were talking with him about his car, which he described as having two motors. He told us some stories about it, how he rally raced with it and street raced with it, and offered to bring it by the hotel to show us, if we were interested. We of course, were. He then offered to drive us to his house to show us, and we took him up on it. The car was pretty sweet, two 16 valve engines, one in the front and one in the back. He showed us how he connected everything, and it was quite impressive. He fired it up, and actually took Greg on quite the ride around the city, some of which he got on video.

While Greg was gone, Fitz and i talked with Nikola's son, Nikica, who is about our age and who not only races cars, but also bicycles. He had with him his mountain bike, which was incredibly light but looked more than capable of taking on the most rugged terrain.

Nikola returned with a dazed Greg, and offered to take us back to the hotel. On the way, he said he would show us around some of the city. He took us to a medical center which is on the top of a hill overlooking a city. He then took us to another overlook, then to another hotel in the city, which is actually owned by the same lady, Maria, who owned the hotel we stayed in. This hotel was along the river, very peaceful, and had a 14 hole miniature golf course. Nikola is friends with the owner, and he hooked us up with a round of putt putt, from which Fitz took home the gold. Afterwards, we had some lunch by the river, and just relaxed and talked some more with our friendly host.

The rains returned, and we left the hotel. Nikola spoke of an overlook on the other side of the city near a WWII monument, that he said was the best in the area. The problem, though, was that it was a three km hike on a road from where you could park your car. Driving up, usually, is not an option. Nikola drove us there, and worked some magic (telling the guard at the parking lot that we were Americans working on a special report), and was able to drive us up to about 500 m or so from the top. We waited a bit for the rain to cease, and walked the rest of the way up the hill. The view was spectacular, and the monument offered a very detailed picture history of the area during WWII.

On the way down, we were fortunate enough to get a very thorough and relatively objective explanation of the most recent war in the area. It was the best personal story i had heard on the issue, and was very informative.

Nikola drove us back to the hotel, after what felt like a day of VIP treatment. We thanked our host, who was to turn 63 the following day, picked up our stuff, and headed towards the train station to make our train. After pleading our case to allow our bikes on, we had to attach them above the seats in the train. We slept a little on the train, but arrived early the next morning in Belgrade, pretty tired. Fortunately, we found a hostel right away, and slept a few hours, before exploring the city.

Belgrade was a large, bustling city, particularly relative to the cities we had recently visited. Larger than probably Banja Luka and Sarajevo combined (Sarajevo really hasn't regained a lot of the population it lost during its seige), it is home of the largest Orthodox Church in the world (started in 1935 and still not anywhere near completed) and an incredibly large castle, which sits right where the Danube and the Sava rivers meet.

After exploring the city for at least half the day, we ended up eating at a less than high quality Italian restaurant. We were just finishing up our meal, prepared to make it an early night and go to bed, when someone walks up from the street and covers up Fitzy's eyes. We were all surprised to see our friend from the day before, on his birthday, with Maria, in Belgrade.

Nikola, of course, had us join him for a birthday drink. We had beers, he and Maria coffee (they were going to drive back to Banja Luka that night), all of which he paid for. The outdoor cafe we stopped at had some musicians, which we got to come to our table and play for us. It was a wonderful conclusion to an exhausting day, and it wasn't without some sentiment that we said good-bye, again, to our last link with Bosnia.

It is a truly wonderful and blessed person who can offer so much hospitality, and expect nothing in return. If there is one thing i have encountered on this trip so far that has simply caught me by surprise, it's the unassuming kindness that we've been shown by complete strangers. We're foreigners, don't know really any of the language, and yet we're treated like family.

And in that same light, Bosnian hospitality, we have found ourselves with an American family in Sophia, Bulgaria. The Sassers, John and Nancy, have been incredibly kind and hospitable to us, letting us stay in their house, hooking us up with incredibly comfortable beds, great food (Nancy's brownies are amazing), and a great place to kind of use as a base to explore Sohpia and the surrounding area (they live on a mountain that overlooks the city, which we will try to climb probably today, since it is clear).

So, yeah, that's the update. It was three days in the making, sorry it is so long. i may actually get a chance to get some pictures up while here at the Sassers, so look for that in the coming days, and as a precursor to that event, here's a video from Fitz's camera of me jumping into the Adriatic (pardon the obscenity):

(How about that tanline, eh? The midsection has definitely shrunk some (i'm down to 87 kg now) and the hair is looking short and poofy. Still don't like heights, though. )

And as usual, check Fitz's and Greg's blogs for more exciting pics and videos. Thanks for holding out this long on this incredibly extensive post. Hope all are well.

JC

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

So, that's the song we have been singing on the trip the last couple of days. Our last two days of riding -- leaving Montenegro and heading into Sarajevo, Bosnia, where we are now -- have been marked by rainy, cold weather, up and down mountains. But it hasn't been all bad.

First, a catch up, as it has been quite some time since i have had time to update this thing. We had a great time in Dubrovnik, and actually ran into some girls from Colorado, one of which i knew from as far back as high school. They were all visiting from Sarajevo, where they were each doing a different internship through DU. Unfortunately, their internships are now all finished, and they all left before we got into town.

It was hard to leave Dubrovnik, not only because we had a good time, but also because it was impossible to find a bike shop with an intertube for our bikes. We left later in the morning, planning to only have to ride about 35-40km to cross the border into Montenegro and get into the next town. The plan was to find a bike shop on the way out, get some tubes, and hit the road.

Well, we found the tubes at a bike/auto shop, but the connection didn't fit either of our pumps very well. We thought it was good enough, and headed on. Perhaps fortunately, Greg got a flat in town, and needed to replace the tube. We soon discovered that we couldn't inflate the new tube fully, and returned to the bike shop to try to get different tubes, which they didn't have.

Six hours, 12 km, and four bike shops later, we ended up with the same tubes, a new pump, and most of the day done. We left Dubrovnik at about 5pm. We camped just on the Croatian side of the border in a vineyard, and finally made it into Montenegro the next day.

After riding most of the day along the coast, we made it to the town of Kotar, which is along the coast of the largest fjord in southern Europe. It was certainly impressive, and we got a view from much higher up as we climbed out of town, and into the mountains behind the town. That night, we camped out in a spot that overlooked a harbor on the other side of the fjord. It was to be one of the many beautiful sights we would see in Montenegro.

The next couple of days consisted of more hills. We made it to a town called Nekšič, where Montenegro's best beer is brewed. We didn't stay long there, just long enough to buy some food and get some directions. The market we visited was just outside of town, and upon our arrival, some neighborhood kids stopped by to chat. They didn't speak much English, but they were very friendly and enjoyed checking out our bikes and gear. They rode their own bikes with us down the road towards town aways, almost sending us off. We left town, and when we finally stopped to camp, we had ridden our first 100 km day.

The goal the next day was a town called Zabjlik, which is a ski town near a national park. The park is home to the second largest canyon in the world, the Tara Canyon. Not as sheer as the Grand Canyon (at least from the outlook we hiked to), it is nonetheless quite impressive. It is 1.3km deep, just a shade under a mile. We spent two nights in Zabjlik, and then headed north towards Bosnia. The road we had planned consisted of crossing a pass 1907 m above sea level (the town we started in was around 1450 m or so), and then going through the hills to a campsite near the border. We crossed the pass and ran into dense fog and wind, and upon arriving into a small town for lunch, we decided to take a different route, one that followed a river, hoping it would be both warmer and less hilly. We were more than happy with what we found.

About a half an hour after leaving the town, the sun finally appeared for the first time all day, drying out our clothes and our spirits. As we continued on the road down towards the river, we discovered that the river had actually been dammed, and that we were riding towards a reservoir. The road was littered with tunnels. Never in my life had i gone through so many tunnels on the same road. There was even one tunnel with an intersection inside!

We reached the reservoir, and continued on towards the dam. We were now riding in the valley, and the views of sheer cliffs, the beautiful blue-green water, and the many more tunnels all lit by the warm sun made this the most beautiful road i have ever been on. We stopped several times to take pictures and videos along the way.

Rejuvenated, we continued on all the way across the Bosnian border, to a town called Foče. Upon arrival, we had little to no clue where to find any accomodation. We stopped at a cafe/bar and asked some young guys, none of whom really spoke any English. They understood our gestures, and one of them hopped into his car and led us to the hotel in town.

After an omlette for breakfast (included in the price of the stay, we found out), we set out on the road to Sarajevo. The rain had already started to fall, but it wasn't falling hard, so we decided just to do it. It was a slow, cold day. We stopped for lunch under a tree, finding at least some temporary relief from the rain. Tired and soaked, we continued on, finally arriving into a dry but cold Sarajevo.

We have three nights left here, and are anxious to explore this exciting city full of modern history and conflict. The apartment we are in is cozy, but nice, and the son of the family has already shown us around the town some, pointing us to good places to eat and drink.

Almost 900km in, i am certainly getting more used to the bike. The problems that arose from the big pothole seem to have been corrected, perhaps by hitting smaller subsequent potholes. All the bikes are holding fast, though the ride through the rain certainly gave them some extra designs. It's hard to believe we are almost a week into August already, and only about three and a half weeks remaining for the tour.

Sorry this was long, hope it wasn't boring. Hello, and good-bye, to all who still are reading...

JC

"Pity the Country without Bosnia in it"

Apparently, that's the gist of a phrase that used to be fairly common around this region, offering some insight into Bosnian hospitality. Our short first round in Bosnia would lead us to agree with this catchphrase, and has made us excited to return in another week or so.

We left Mostar, and headed south back to Croatia towards Dubrovnik. On our way, we made a stop in the pilgrimage town of Medjugorje. i am sure many of you know the story of Medjugorje, but basically there are six girls there who reported having aparitions of Mary. The aparitions have not been officially recognized by the Church (nor have they been deemed non-existent), and only three (and maybe even only one) of the original six girls report still seeing Mary. Nonetheless, thousands upon thousands of people flood to this small town for a pilgrimage. While small, there is certainly lots to do, and i do see how one could spend at least a few days there and in the surrounding area.

Leaving Medjugorje, we continued south. After crossing back into Croatia, i began to have some problems with my front derailer. This required some major work, actually, and we ended up having to set up camp where we stopped. We worked on the bike for about two to three hours, and got it working well. As of today, in Dubrovnik, i am having problems again with it, which is not good. We will have to do some more work on it either today or tomorrow, before we leave.

Our camping spot was perfect, though. We ended up on a public bocci ball court, that was just off the road. Flat spot, only somewhat visible from the road, fit with picnic tables and such. We still wanted to get to Dubrovnik the next day, our early camping just meant that we would have to ride a little more to do so.

So, we awoke at about 6am, trying to get on the road by 7am. i think we hit the road a bit later, but not much. We started the ride, and the morning was nice and cool. We crossed into Bosnia again (Bosnia has a very small costal section that splits Croatia), then back into Croatia. We had a route planned out that kind of cut through the hills a bit, shortening our route some as opposed to going along the coast.

Well, we get on the road, and fitzy ends up getting a flat. Just past an area where we first found signs warning of land mines. By this time the sun is high, and it is hot. Very hot. We get moving, and end up going up one of the steepest, longest hills the guys said they have climbed yet. After a small downhill, we get another shorter but still very steep hill.

We finally got off the shortcut from hell and got onto the main road. Though much busier with traffic, the hills were much more gradual. We stopped for lunch between 20 and 30 km out of Dubrovnik, and finally arrived at our destination around 5pm, after 89km of brutal hills and hot, hot weather.

Our accomodation in Dubrovnik isn't too bad. We have a two room thing to ourselves, but it is up from the city quite a bit, and requires lots of climbing to get to. Unfortunately, it is also the first place we've stayed in without A/C...

After riding both, i would have to say that coastal Croatia is extremely beautiful, while inland Croatia is like a desert wasteland. The beaches here aren't too bad, but have yet to find one with any sand. It has all been rocky beaches, which the people here don't seem to mind at all, but is very different from my typical idea of "beaches."

Our next stop is the country of Montenegro, which is no longer associated with Serbia, and is supposed to be a very beautiful country with actual sandy beaches. We shall see how it goes.

JC

Got the bike, found the boys, and the rest is makin' history

Well, it has been quite a while since my last post. i've only gotten access to the internet once or twice since, and neither warranted enough time to post, so, unfortunately, this is gonna be a long one, and probably without pictures, as i can't get my ipod to work on this computer. So, let your imagination run wild (really wild with some of this), and have some fun...

As planned (for once), my bike finally did show up on Friday, after i arrived in Prague. There was an extra bolt floating around the box, and the big heavy homemade (thanks, dad!) box had only three of its original four wheels as well as some scuff marks, but it made it, delivered right to my door. Actually, apart from the moderate stress created by not having it with me right away, it was almost easier getting it delivered. Carrying the 70lb box up the four flights of stairs to the apartment i stayed at, though, was just as brutal.

Miraculously, i got the bike together in relative working condition. The gears were a little off, and the handlebar ended up not quite as tight as it should have been (found that out later), and of course, i didn't have any air in the back tire, but other than that, it was ready to go.

So, i loaded up my bags, grabbed my bike, and caught a 22 hr train from Prague to Split, Croatia, where i would have to take another train to Šibenik. So, i left Prague at 8am, and sat, and sat, and sat. Had a six person compartment in the car to myself for much of the ride. in fact, during the stretch through Hungary (which was BRUTALLY hot), i had the entire car to myself. I tried to sleep as much as i could when this was the case, but the heat made it difficult. Evening finally came, and i was in Zagreb, Croatia, about 8hrs from my final destination, and the train kinda filled up. Slept a little, lightly, but at about 3am, the nice lady left in the car with me found out i spoke a little german and talked the rest of the way to Split. It was a good excuse to try out some more rusty german, but i was extremely tired. i also didn't pack enough water, and would have killed for a bottle. i arrived in Split at about 6am hoping to quench my thirst and get the next train by the late morning, only to find out the next train would leave shortly, and had no bike car. i didn't have a chance to exchange any money, and, consequently, didn't get any water. i loaded my bike haphazardly onto the back of the train, much to the ticket guy's dismay, and, after an hour and another train change, i finally made it to Šibenik. i started to wonder around a bit outside of the train station, looking for an ATM and massive amounts of water, when i finally saw Fitzy and Greg ride up the street. Ah, what a great sight!

So, being that i had 22hrs on the train to think about this, i painted what would be the perfect picture of my arrival: i would get off the train and find the guys almost immediately; they would have a place for us to stay for the night; we'd stash our stuff, perhaps walk about town some, drink lots and lots and lots of liquids, go to bed early, and wake up after a full night sleep ready to ride.

Well, the first step happened as dreamed, but i would not be so lucky with the rest. After saying hello and getting me some water at the station, we headed to a park, where we chatted some more, relaxed, and shared plans. We ended up going to a small bar/internet cafe for a short time, then started riding. Day one, for me. 25 total brutal km, up (and only sometimes down) hills. We made it to a national park, which was pretty cool. It was weird, because the brochure you read before going down said no swimming, yet when you got to the bottom of the falls there was a swimming area. Greg definitely enjoyed the swimming, i just chilled.

As we were leaving, we got stopped by this guy in a car who had a campsite for a good price for the three of us, so we did it. Turned out to be a good campground, with good showers and bathrooms, so my first night out wasn't too bad.

The next day, we rode 75km, again with many hills (i seem to have met the boys in the hilly part of the trip). My legs cramped many, many times, once or twice to the point where i could hardly stand. Definitely very painful. The guys have been very understanding of my 'growing pains,' and took my groaning and moaning in stride.

Because of the heat, the guys usually stop in the middle of the day for a 'siesta.' The one my first day was the national park, and the day two was to be something near the water. Well, we missed some turns and ended up behind a school, sitting on the concrete in the shade. It wasn't the most comfortable, but a place to lay was enticing to me, especially for a couple of hours.

That night was to be my first experience 'squatting.' We found a trail off the road, took it up a ways, and just made camp. Pretty area, on top of a hill that was away from the road. One could see the Adriatic Sea in the distance and mountains all around.

Woke early, to start riding again. We made it (back for me) to Split, found a place to stay, and, yes, finally put the bikes in the room, and walked around. The place even had A/C. i felt like i was in heaven.

Split was a nice town with an ancient roman-era palace made almost totally out of white marble. The palace really consists of walls surrounding an area. Much of the area inside the walls actually has been adapted to the needs and uses of people living there, which is both interesting and maybe from a historical perspective, unfortunate. However, it was amazing to see so much marble in the streets and buildings, not just in the palace area but all throughout the city. In fact, apparently the marble is mined from islands off the coast of Croatia, so many of the towns are littered with white marble, the same kind that is shipped all over the world for buildings such as the White House.

Split was also the place of my first jump into the Adriatic Sea. Very salty, but it felt really, really good.

Our comforts of home left us early the next morning, as we realized we needed to catch a 5am ferry to get to the island of Hvar. Lots of lavender fields, lots of sunshine (though not more than CO), and the greenest of the islands are the highlights of this island. It was a beautiful ride along perhaps the prettiest road i've been on, but also one of the steepest. We road 62km across the island. We started at sea level, and ended at sea level, but it seemed like we went up hill more than down, though it was likely pretty even. Beautiful views of the sea and more mountains, especially looking out to those on the mainland. Prettiest ride, and definitely brightened my spirits and gave some reprieve to my exhausted muscles.

When we reached the other end of the island, we ferried back to the mainland, a bit further south than we started. Our goal was a town called Ploće, but we ended up squatting about 7km out. We were running out of daylight and options, and ended up at this place pretty close to the sea, which was amazing. You could hear the waves as we fell asleep.

Two things, though, made this campsite sketchy. First, we found out during our siesta that the train out of Ploće to Mostar only ran at 5:40 am and 3:15pm. So, we had to wake up at 4am, again, and hike our bikes out of the place where we squatted, and then ride the rest of the way to town. Second, the house we thought was abandoned below us, turned out not to be, and we all awoke at 12:30 am to the sound of the guy talking on his cellphone, not far from where we were camping. We found out that the house was not abandoned earlier, when a family of three came walking down the trail to the house right on the ocean. We had all our stuff, not out, but with us, ready to sleep. We said hello, and they said hello back, and just walked on by. Kind of strange, but we thought it meant things were going to be okay. So, just after midnight, we're awake, not sure whether he was talking to the cops or not, and not sure of what to do. Needless to say, i was freaking out some (i am very new to the camping thing, and especially very new to the squatting thing), and the other guys were a bit unsure also. We decided that since he didn't come talk to us, we were okay, and i said Hail Marys until i fell back asleep. We woke up at 4am, again, packed up, and were on the road.

Turned out, the train didn't leave until 6:20 (not too far off, but that's what we get for using a travel book that is three years old), but it was no problem. The train also did not have a bike car, so we took up the rear entrance. The train guys were pretty nice, though we did have to pay a little more for the bikes once we got into Bosnia.

And Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina is where we are at now. We arrived into Mostar just before 8am and were actually able to find a place right away. My German came in handy again (well, just so he could tell us to follow him in his auto, to the left, 2 min away, not exactly rocket science), and we got into our room, again with A/C. Showered, chilled, planned some of our day, and then headed out.

Mostar has a very interesting history. A river splits the city into East and West. The east side consists mostly of Muslim people, the west, now, predominantly Catholic. Orthodox Christians also used to be a major population percentage.

The city is named for the 'Old Bridge' (Stari Most) that was originally built in the 16th century. However, during the conflict in the '90s, the bridge was destroyed, an almost symbolic gesture of the relations between the Muslims and the Christians. The conflict was brutal and bloody, and much work was done to try and save the bridge. However, in 1993 it was destroyed. When the fighting finally ended, work began on patching relations between the Muslims and Christians, and also on the bridge. In 2004, the bridge was fully restored, and relations between the two sects in the city have also become much more peaceful.

Walking around the city, though, there are many, many reminders of the war that ended over 10 years ago. Abandoned buildings with bullet marks and collapsed sections stand right next to newly restored apartment buildings. The rubble in the streets shown in pictures taken during and immediately after the war is gone, but there is still much rubble in the structures themselves. Some buildings that are still used have bullet marks (including the building we're staying in). Much of the east side and all of the mosques were destroyed, and today many of minerats that sit atop the mosques again stretch high into the sky. There are several old mosques, the oldest dating back to the 1400s, and one we toured today dating back to the 1600s. Atop some of the minerats were speakers, where we could hear the call to prayer.

One of the coolest things today, was just after touring the mosque, we were able to talk with a young man, probably in his 30s, asking him questions about the mosque and what some of it means. It was interesting to hear the history of the town, especially the relatively recent history, from his perspective. He seemed very happy about how things were now in the town, and hoped it could again return to some of its 'golden years' of tourism, that apparently took place in the late '80s.

So, yeah, that's all for now. We're headed to Medjugorje tomorrow (for our siesta) and onwards back towards the Croatian coast, towards Dubrovnik.

Check out the other guys' blogs for other accounts, videos, and cool pics, as well as Fitzy's for a map of our route, which he links at the end of his entry.

JC

Back in Europe

Well, after some months digging ditches and fixing sprinklers, i am now fortunate enough to return to Europe and continue my travels.

Getting back to Prague was an adventure in and of itself, one that my bike has yet to complete. The craziness started in Denver, where my flight was extremely late. Fortunately, bad weather made my flight from Chicago to Frankfurt delayed. However, the weather was so bad, we ended up leaving three hours later than scheduled, and i missed my next flight to Prague. Fortunately, i was able to catch a later flight, and one of my three checked bags made the entire journey with me. The second bag (well, actually it was a cardboard box) followed not too far behind, and was just dropped off at the apartment i'm staying at about a half an hour ago. Hopefully, the big box (the one with most of my bike in it) will arrive tomorrow.

My former neighbors (who are in the apartment below where i used to live) have been very hospitable to me so far. It's great to be back in Prague, in a foreign country that yet in some ways feels a bit familiar. i haven't gotten to do any exploring. Hopefully i'll have some time to do that tomorrow.

For now, it's off to bed, after a very, very long day.

JC

Sometimes, Things Don’t Go as Planned

Perhaps one of the most important things about taking adventures is being flexible and knowing when it is time to make a change. Last weekend, i came to a point where i needed to make a decision that would have a major impact on the rest of my time in the Czech Republic.

It’s time for me to go home. Yes, it’s early. Much earlier than i had both planned and hoped. But right now, i think it’s the correct decision, and on Feb. 13^th, i’m flying back to the states.

Probably the biggest reason for my early departure is money. It seems to be an almost universal fact that there isn’t much money in teaching. What little savings i did have got sucked dry by essentially four months rent before my first paycheck. My first paycheck, which i didn't even get until today, is certainly nothing to write home about. I have had to borrow money from my roommate for a couple of things this month, one of them being next months rent, and after doing the math last weekend, i discovered it would be March before i’m out of the red, and actually saving money. However, the amount i could save would be miniscule, and traveling in the summer would almost be impossible. I told myself before i left that if i ran out of money, it meant it was time to go home. I have reached that point, and therefore, it’s time to go home.

However, the travel bug hasn’t left me. The whole purpose for this trip was to travel, and that is still the goal. Working was simply something that we tried to add on, and only one of us has been able to find a job in Europe that covers the time period until summer. Fitz had to head off to New Zealand, and i have to go home. But the three of us are certainly still planning to travel in the summer.

And so, my ticket home is round trip, meaning i’m coming back, in July, to bicycle around southeastern Europe with my boys. After that, i’m planning to see a few other things that i really want to see, before i return home. While it is of course a possibility, teaching English after our travels is likely not in my future. I honestly have no idea what i’ll do after i travel, and that’s okay. I’ll deal with that when i need to.

So, yeah, i want to thank everyone for all of the support while i’ve been over here. The e-mails, letters, and packages have all been great, and i apologize to the many of you i haven’t gotten back to. While i am sad to leave this beautiful city and wonderful country filled with the best and cheapest beer and some of the prettiest girls in the world, i am really looking forward to coming back home.

Sometimes, things don’t go as planned. And that’s okay.

JC

February? Already? And the Bears are in the Superbowl??

Well, i was doing well posting on this thing. Then i realized i only updated this twice in the month of January. As the Czechs would say... "pity."

There is lots to tell. Lots to tell indeed. For the sake of time and length, i will start with some stuff that has already happened, and get to some more recent news in a later post.

First, i must say that the weekend following my previous post was highlighted exceptionally by the Bears' entrance into the Super Bowl. Twenty-one years in the making, and i'm out of the country. Fortunately, there are sports bars that will be showing the game. Unfortunately, i have to wait until midnight for it to begin. Good thing i didn't take a monday morning class!!

Speaking of classes, i must say that the teaching thing actually has gotten better. Much better, in fact. My students are all great people to work with, and i'm having a good bit of fun. Haven't had any plum liquor for a while, but that's bound to change, i'm sure. I have another class that seems to perpetually involve drinking, which is with a couple of computer guys. It's a night class, 7pm to 9pm, and the last thing they want to do is sit in a room and read through a book, or do much of anything that requires a lot of thought (they've put in a rough 10 hour day, you know?). So, last week, to my enjoyment, they declared that it was going to be a "special class," and they took me to a nearby pub where we had a few drinks and spoke for two hours. i'm not sure if it's what my employers have in mind for a class, but it's what the students want, so i'm not going to argue. This week was also a "special class," and i'm sure next week will be as well.

Fitzy left this week, and as a good-bye, we took a weekend trip to a town three hours outside of Prague called Olomouc (pronounced Oh-la-moats). College town. Cool place, not too large, but not tiny (they use the word 'villages; quite a bit here, but not in reference to a place like Olomouc). Found a pretty nice hostel, and also met some good local folks. On the train, we shared a cabin with a young man who was from Olomouc. We spoke with him, and he pointed us in the right direction of good pubs and places to see. We ended up meeting with him later that night at one of the pubs. On our way out, Fitzy asked him where we might find some good food. He mentioned this place that he said was really good, and that he enjoyed a lot, that had some burgers, fries, and other good stuff. In asking more about it, we finally realized he was sending us to McDonald's, though he pronounced it "Mac-Doh-nads." "McDonald's?" we asked. "Oh, yeah, McDonald's. You like, don't you?" We laughed, and said sure, but ended up somewhere with a bit more local flavor.

That's all for now. Stay tuned for another update, which i promise will not be far behind. Hope all is well with everyone who is reading this. Also, i will be moving soon, so if you were inclined to send some mail, please hold off, as i may not get it!

JC

Might need a cup of tea and a comfy chair for this one...

So, it’s been quite a while. I had been doing a pretty good job of giving semi-regular updates, but, as is typical of me, life happens, and writing took a back seat. But, now that it’s Thursday night, and the official beginning of my weekend, i finally have some time to catch the rest of the world (or at least as much of the world that cares), up on what’s been going on in my life.

It is the end of my second full week of teaching. Quite honestly, it’s been a rough two weeks. Teaching is not all it’s cracked up to be. It’s a very tough job, and, at least in TEFL, you only get paid for about half of the work that you actually do. The relatively easy part is the time spent with students. The incredibly difficult part is planning what the heck you’re going to do with these people for one to two hours. And planning it to a point where at least you feel comfortable, and the students are at least somewhat content that they’re getting what they’ve paid for.

I’ve been told by many people that it gets better, easier, as you go. You can reuse lessons, get more efficient at spending time planning for lessons, and feel less overwhelmed the more you do it. I’m giving it the chance to do just that, but i’m not totally convinced yet that that’s the way it is. I’ve reached my 20 hours a week minimum for scheduling, so as of now, i’m not taking any more classes until i figure out what the heck i’m doing, and at least feel comfortable teaching the load i have. I think even if i do take on more classes, it’s gonna be hopefully on a private lesson basis, as that’s where the money is. I could easily make two-and-a-half times the rate i make at the school, teaching private lessons. And it’s cheaper for the student, too. So, we’ll see what happens.

But there’ve been lots of good stories to tell of things that happened over the last two weeks. First, two weekends ago, we went to Plzen, where the ever famous Pilsner Urquell is brewed. The best beer in the world, after Guiness. Definitely the best pilsner in the world. After taking the tour, we got an opportunity only given to those who go to Plzen to see the brewery: we got to taste unfiltered, wooden-barrel-aged, Pilsner Urquell. It was even better than the stuff you get in the pub. Don’t know how, don’t know why (i’m not too good with that technical stuff, and my brain’s shutting down right now anyways), but all i can say is that it was just really damn good. It was the only beer we got to sample, but we got to sample a good amount.

Plzen is also home to the tallest church tower in the Czech Repubic, at 102 meters. We took the 306 (or something like that) step journey to the balcony, which was something like 63 meters high, and looked out over the city. Very nice view. Also saw the synagogue from the outside. Apparently it is the third largest in the world (the first being in Jerusalem, and the second in Budapest). All i’ve gotta do is go to Jerusalem, and i’ve seen the outside of the three largest synagogues in the world. Yep, that’s all i gotta do… : )

The week that followed Plzen was my first full week of teaching. It was probably the most hectic week i’ve known for some time, and quite honestly, i don’t remember a whole lot from it, save for the fact that Friday night we met with our friendly neighbors below (the guy who really likes vodka, and sharing copious amounts of it with people who come visit), and had a pizza party. It was a Greg-inspired evening, which meant we were all likely a bit unsure how it would work - or if it would even happen at all - but all our fears were quickly put to rest as it turned out to be a really fun evening. Greg and Fitzy went to the store and bought all sorts of toppings for pizzas, some already made dough to put it on top of, and some tomato sauce, and there was a whole lot of pizza making going on. Every small pizza that came out of the oven got cut up and shared amongst about 8 or so people, and they all tasted great. Mine were of course layered with meat, and others’ had a good mix of everything else. It was a blast. Of course, there was a good amount of vodka consumed, though i managed to control myself a bit better this time and avoid the hangover the next morning.

Last weekend was more relaxed, but felt busy. Don’t exactly know why. Sunday we played some Frisbee in the park, which was cool, but it was a bit windy to have a good game. The unpredictability of where the Frisbee would go got old rather quickly, but apart from that, the weather was great and it was a good chance to run around.

This week has been crazy as well. I’m getting more accustomed to my students, and finding out what they want. I have a class on Tuesday evenings from 7pm to 9pm with three guys who work for a software company. They’re great guys, really good at English, and, i found out, not too keen on bookwork. Apparently, the way they used to study was at the pub with their teacher, just talking. So, i think my Tuesday evenings will be fun and relaxed, as i try to create some interesting lessons that at least cover something from the book in a conversational way, all at the pub. Whether or not i teach them anything is yet to be seen, but it will at least be a good time.

Had another interesting experience just today, involving alcohol. There’s nothing like being drunk at 10 am on a Thursday, especially when you’re doing it at work. My student this morning was telling me a story about how he had a friend over to his house over Christmas and they went through a half of a bottle of some Czech spirit. He was talking about it, and then asked if i wanted to try some. I naturally said of course, and he poured us each a half a shot. Good stuff, actually. Distilled plum alcohol, 110 proof (they would say 55 voltage). One half of a shot turned into another half of a shot, and we eventually finished off what was left, about one-third to one-half of a liter, between the two of us. Needless to say, it was an entertaining lesson. We talked about a variety of topics, and, given the fact that he wants simply conversation and has no book, it really wasn’t much of a problem. I had something prepared on nuclear power, but we didn’t get to it at all. So basically, i got drunk, saved myself some prep time next week, and had a really good time. All by 10am. What have you done today? : )

That’s about all i got. Congratulations to anyone who made it to the end of this. I hope it wasn’t too unbearable. The pictures take so much work which i’m feeling too lazy to do right now, so instead of making another unfulfilled promise about them, i’ll just say that i’ll put some up when i really have time, and can resize them, and have a steady internet connection. Which translates to it may be a while. Fitz and Greg have some, though. They must have a lot of spare time.

Hope all is well with all of you. Sorry to the many of you i owe e-mails to. Someday i’ll get to them…

‘til next time!

JC

Wow, 2007 already?

i apologize, as again, i have no pictures. Internet has been tough to find, but i wanted to at least supply some dialogue. Also, the rest of this post is a bit outdated, as of the time of this writing, i have visited Plzen, which was cool, but i'll share about it in my next post. I wrote this one a few days ago, and wanted to get it up before it became too outdated! Fitz and Greg have a few pictures, though, so if you're dying for some visuals, you can try their blogs. Thanks to the many folks who have sent mail and more! Postcards are written, and will soon be in the mail. There's more to write, too, so don't feel forgotten if you don't get one soon!

So, the Czech way to ring in the New Year is quite different than that of the states’. It involves a lot of drinking (as does most everything else in this country), and a lot of fireworks, and not a lot of restraint. We made it into Wenceslas Square about 30 minutes or so before midnight, and the fireworks had already begun. It’s a bit atypical to see so many fireworks shooting off between so many large buildings. As midnight approached, the show only got bigger. Further off towards the opposite end of the square there was a band of some kind playing, or music at least playing.

Midnight came, and while the fireworks seemed to get bigger around the time of 12, there was no sign or anything that it was midnight, just a clock behind that no one really seemed to look at much. The fireworks went wild for several minutes, people cheered, sang, kissed, whatever people do in a large group when the new year comes around. We waited around for a while, then decided to try to go closer to where the music was as there was a stage and a concert earlier in the night. As we were walking, it was the closest i ever hope to being in a war zone. Fireworks were going off everywhere. There were street fires in the middle of the square, and people would just toss fireworks into them, and they’d go off all over the place, very near to where there were crowds of people. Sometimes someone would even toss a firecracker onto the sidewalk, and folks would just scatter. It wasn’t too bad, sometimes a bit unnerving, but more exciting to watch the reactions of the girls walking with us as mortars exploded 30 ft away. The street in the square was littered with broken glass, exploded fireworks, fires, and people. It was hard to imagine that anyone would drive on it again, let alone that by the next evening it would all be cleaned up.

We made it through the fireworks, and got to a point that was being blocked by security, so we ended up walking out of the square and tried a couple of places on the way that had outrageous covers (1800 Kc for one). A couple of us ended up back at the apartment, just chilling, while some others tried another dance club that turned out to be full. It turned out to be another very late night, but a good one, and a good way to ring in the New Year.

The biggest news as of late has been that i started work this week. I am working for the Caledonian School, and i taught the first class for them on the 4th, to a group from a kind of telecommunications company. Nice people, and i think it should be a fun class. It was an early morning, and i think they weren’t too excited about it, as they asked if we could change either our Tues. class or our Thurs. class to the afternoon. I was happy to oblige where my schedule would allow. Right now, i only have 15 hours, but will likely get more, up to 20. We’ll have to see what happens.

So yeah, that’s the latest. Gonna try to go to Plzen tomorrow, possibly tour the brewery and try some of Czech’s best beer closer to the source. Still some uncertainties about this whole thing, but the amount which i seem to trust is the amount by which they seem to disappear, which is kind of reassuring in some ways.

JC

Preparing for the New Year

Back from a great time in Budapest. Most things were closed in the city, but we were still able to find a few places to eat and of course, we walked, and walked, and walked, seeing all the things one can see on the outside. Midnight mass at St. Stephen's Basilica was very beautiful, and was actually given by a Cardinal. Pretty cool stuff. The place was packed, but it was a very nice, and actually pretty short, mass.

Bottom line, though, it was a weird Christmas. Not bad, not necessarily great, just different. The hostel was kinda cool, and the people working and staying there were fun and very social. It was my first hostel experience, and very positive.

So, the trip back to Budapest was problem free. The bus was actually quite comfortable, for a bus, and there were really no problems. It was actually very nice to be back in Prague, as it almost felt like home. Budapest was a pretty city, but not quite as nice as Prague. Even though i don't know really any of the language, it was nice to hear the familiar words on the metro, see the park i walk through near my house, and honestly, return to what has become my own bed. It is still somewhat of an adjustment for me to be here, but i didn't realize how accustomed to this new place i have become until i travelled somewhere else.

So the next big step is the New Year. We're gonna try the big celebration thing, starting with dinner at home, going to hopefully some jazz club for a while, then heading to Wenceslas Square for the big celebration. Who knows what to expect, but from what i've heard, it's going to be a rocker unlike any other i've probably been to. Should be fun.

The other big news is the arrival of another visitor, Rob. Rob is actually someone i've known since high school, and who i went to college with, and who spent a lot of time with Fitzy in college, as they studied together. He's here for about 10 days total, and arrived two nights ago. He and Fitzy have gotten to see quite a bit of the city in two days (i've had to teach a lesson, but also do some sightseeing with them), and have also partaken in the old Czech custom of beer drinking. Very, very good times.

As usual, i'll try to get some pictures up later. Happy New Year to all!
JC

And now...Budapest

So, a lot has happened, again, since my last post. For starters, i have a job. i don't quite know what that means nor what it looks like, but i will be working full time in some form or another after the new year. So that's cool. Very cool.

Fitzy came into Prague on Friday night. His plane was a bit late, but it was very good to see him again, and be the guy who would show him around. I wasn't the best host, as I was feeling a bit sore and we were supposed to have an early morning the next day to catch our bus, but I took him around a little, got him a sausage and a beer, and then went home and had some more beer and bread and cheese as we just chilled out.

Due to the delay with the plane and everything, we ended up not getting to bed until almost 2am. Not bad for a Friday night (actually, rather early relative to most of my previous ones), but given the fact that we had to catch a 6:30 bus the next morning to Budapest, it proved to be a bit too late.

i know i set my alarm, but for some reason, it didn't wake me, and i awoke when Jessica, our third travel partner, called to find out where we were. I told her we were at home still, and she informed me that it was 6:20. As there was no way we were going to get there by 6:30, we missed our bus.

So, we still hurried and got our stuff together, and met Jessica at the metro station. We figured the next option would be the train, and we were able to get a train ticket, one way, for about $55 or so. Not bad. Fitzy and i also split Jessica's ticket. We ended up at Budapest close to our scheduled time, and actually got pointed in the right direction by a Hungarian friend of Jessica's also on our train.

We made it to the hostel, which is actually quite nice, and then walked around a bit, found some dinner, and then walked around some more, taking some night pictures. Budapest is a nice city (i'm a bit more partial to Prague) and very pretty at night. Lots of history, amidst the buildings, bridges, and the beautiful Danube.

Being that it's Christmas (and Sunday today), a lot of stuff is closed. But we're here 'til Wednesday morning, so hopefully we can check out some museums and such. The sights we can see no matter when, so we'll do some of that tomorrow. Budapest is known for its baths, and we hit up one of those today, which was cool. Planning midnight mass at St. Stephen's Basilica.

Merry Christmas! Vesele Vanonci! (i think. my czech lessons are still at the very basic level...)

JC

Wild Week, and I’m now TEFL Certified!!

So, the madness that is my intensive TEFL class is now completed. I can take my certification anywhere in the world (at least to a country that doesn’t already speak English) and theoretically get a job teaching English. So, with the world as my playground, i’m deciding to stick around in Prague, and see what kind of trouble i can get into.

I won’t bore you with the details of the week, but will say that my training has been successful in allowing me to meet many new people. Beyond my classmates, all of whom are very cool, i’ve also gotten to meet several of the students we have to teach. The most fun, of course, is when you can get to meet people outside of the classroom setting, and there are a few students that have come out with their “teachers in training” after classes, and we’ve all had a good time. It’s always fun meeting new people, and one of the great unexpected benefits of the class has been the people i’ve gotten to know. Some of my classmates are staying in Prague, which will be fun, and the rest are going all over the place, which means contacts, now, throughout the world. Pretty cool stuff.

The last two weekends have consisted of getting familiar with the night life in Prague. Clubs and bars here don’t have to close, and it’s very easy to lose track of time. Needless to say, i’ve experienced a couple of late nights the last two weekends, and even though i’m near dead the next morning, they have thus far been a good time.

This week, after my late night on Friday, i got on a bus at 10:15 Saturday morning to take an almost two hour bus ride to a town called Turnov, which i think is in the Eastern Bohemia region. It’s a very pretty area, with some small mountains, and lots of spire-like rocks similar to those found in the Black Hills, and also (of course) castles. I got in early afternoon on Saturday, and met up with Greg and Stania, and we hiked around the hills til dark (which is like 4pm now), and went to our hotel place.

The hotel thing was actually a house, in a neighborhood near Turnov. No one apparently lives in the house, and there are like a few rooms, two bathrooms, and a common kitchen and dining room. Greg and Stania got their own room, and i got my own as well. There was also another couple staying there in a different room. My room was very spacious, very comfortable, and all this only cost 350 Kc, which is about $17 or so. It was a much needed break from the city, almost retreat-like. Too short, of course, but nonetheless very refreshing.

So, Monday i have a job fair at my school. Hopefully, i’ll be able to connect with an English teaching school or something. One of my teachers already connected me with some kind of job for a couple of hours a week but supposedly well paying. Still waiting to hear from the guy, though.

My friend Fitzy is coming this Friday, which should be a lot of fun. We have our bus tickets and hostel booked for our trip to Budapest with Jessica over Christmas. Should be a good time.

I’ve got lots of free time this week, so i’ll try to get back to people with e-mails and maybe even send out some postcards (not gonna make it to the states before Christmas…). ‘til next time.

JC

Ballet? No way...

So, the biggest experience i’ve probably had since i last wrote was going to the ballet last Saturday. It was my first ever such experience, and i gotta say, i was impressed.

The ballet was Romeo and Juliet, which was pretty cool. I’m not totally sure, but i heard it was done by Tschaikovsky, but i may be wrong about that. Whoever wrote it, they did a good job. I even recognized one of the songs, which was kinda weird. Musta been from a movie or something. But anyways, the dancing was really incredible. Some weird things, like seeing a dude dance and flutter around right before he dies, but some pretty neat stuff, too. I started to get a little bored towards the end, but i suppose i would do it again.

I would definitely do it again, though, if i was told it was at the Czech National Theater. The theater was incredible. It was extremely ornate and incredibly beautiful. I was amazed when i got out of the tram and saw the outside, and then even more amazed when i went in and saw what was inside. Unfortunately, i have no pictures of either, but hopefully will get a chance to take some shots of both at a later date. The tickets were cheap, too. 280 korunas for the show (about $14). It was a matinee, but that was all the better. Went with some of my classmates and my roomies.

Sunday, we went and played some ultimate Frisbee. Was fun, but it just happened to be the coldest day out of the last 10. But, hypothermia be damned, we went out and did it anyways, and had a good time. Prior to that, i went to church at the Cathedral located in the center of the Prague Castle. It is a very, very impressive structure. Rather simple and undecorated inside relative to many other European Cathedrals, but that seems to make it only the more incredible. It was very cold during mass, but it was cool to be in such an old building. I kind of zoned out while the priest was giving his homily, ‘cause he started in Czech. When i finally decided to try and pay attention again, he was speaking in German, then seemed to go to Spanish, which made me wonder if i missed the English part of the sermon. If i did, oh, well. The church was fun to look at, and i was off in my own place, anyways.

School this week has gone fast. Monday and Tuesday were our only in-class days. The rest of the week we’ve been giving lessons. Yesterday i taught my first advanced class, and had a good time. I talked about racism, and more importantly, racism in the Czech Republic. I had never taught any of the advanced students, and only knew one of them through Greg, so i was a bit worried that they might get offended, but all went well, and they seemed to be very into the discussion. Today, i taught my grammar lesson (we have to do one during the four weeks, and it is observed) to a beginner class. It was a bit challenging going from an advanced class, where they can follow you almost no matter what you say, to a beginner’s class, where if you say something they don’t understand or if they get confused, you’ve lost them for at least the next 10 minutes. The beginners are a fun group, so that’s good. I had to teach them possessive pronouns, and only got tripped up once when a student asked why sometimes there was an ‘s’ after ‘their,’ and why sometimes there wasn’t. I fought the urge to say, “because i’m the teacher, and i say so,” though that may have cleared things up for her better than what i ended up telling her. At the end of the class, my teacher who was observing me had to come up and clear things up for her, but i still got a better than passing mark, so i guess i did everything else okay.

That’s all i got for now. You should have received an e-mail with my address on it. If not, it’s on my blog now, so you can send me a postcard. I’m gonna try to get some out for Christmas, but i haven’t sent any yet, and that probably means they’ll show up after the fact, but i’ll do what i can.

‘til next time…
JC