Leon's Guide To Backpacking In Europe...

For those of you thinking of backpacking through Europe, go ahead and do it! You will see things, meet people, and experience cultures that you will not find in America. It does not matter where you go. There is so much to see in Europe that it does not matter where you go. There are interesting places to go, history to learn, people to meet, and food in every direction. Just pick a place that interests you and is within your budget. Backpacking is incredibly popular in Europe with the under 30 crowd. Young people there do not just travel for 1 week like the typical American vacation. They travel for many weeks to months to several different countries and cities. It's not that these people have a lot of money either. Many were living on less than 30 Euros a day.

What To Bring

Backpacking is just that. Instead of luggage, you have a large camping style backpack to carry everything you need. Try to travel as light as possible. Only carry what you absolutely need and will use. The less weight you have to carry, the more you will enjoy your trip. My total weight was 45 lb., which is quite a bit heavier than what many backpackers travel with. The major items in terms of weight were my Xootr (10 lb.), laptop computer (10 lb.), and camera equipment (10 lb.). I only carried 15 lb. of personal items such as clothes, shoes, hygiene products, etc. When you have to carry everything you need, you learn how to get by with very little. Traveling in the warm months is much easier since you will need to pack and wear less clothes. Some items that you might find useful.

• Passport. You absolutely need to have a passport. You will need this at many border crossings as well as identification at hotels and hostels. Keep it safe and always have it on you. Don't lose it!! A US passport will allow you to go just about anywhere in Europe without a visa. Belarus and Russia are the exceptions.
• ATM Card. This is the cheapest way to get money. The best exchange rates are at the ATM machines. Use the machines rather than the currency exchange counters wherever possible. Try to use an account with a bank that refunds your ATM fees. I use United Heritage, which is a local credit union in Austin.
• A medium jacket. If you are visiting northern countries, it can still get cold enough for a jacket even in the summer. Being from Texas, I found myself needing a heavier jacket than what I brought with me when I was in Iceland in July.
• Laptop Computer. The Internet is an indispensable source when traveling. You can find out where the accommodations are, events that are going on, book travel reservations, etc. I carried a heavy Macbook. Next time, I may try to take something smaller and lighter, but I used my computer a lot, so perhaps the extra weight was worth it.
• Xootr. A kick scooter greatly expands the area you can explore compared to being on foot. Unlike bicycles, these are small enough to bring onto an airplane as carry on baggage. It's also small enough to carry into most places rather than having to lock it outside. I can cruise at 12-15 mph on smooth pavement. It's not that useful in cities with cobblestone roads (i.e. Prague), but in most cities, you can cover 3 to 4 times more area on a kick scooter compared with walking. This was my primary mode of transportation within a city. If you have decent fitness, you can easily cover 30 miles or more in a day. This makes it worth carrying the 10 lb. as I was able to see and do a lot more than I would have without it. It also saved my feet from painful blisters, which happens to me all the time while I travel because of walking so much.

There are 2 ways to do your trip. The first is to plan out where you want to go, where you are going to stay, and what you can do. The other is to just decide as you go. If you have limited amounts of time or  money, it is better to plan ahead so you don't run out of time or money. For my trip, I decided as I went depending on what I saw, who I met, how much it cost, and the local events that were going on.

Transportation

To find a good deal to get to Europe, I use Travelzoo.com. They publish various sales that the airlines have.

Once you are in Europe, the first thing you need to worry about is where you want to go and how you are going to get there. My main mode of transportation within Europe was by trains. I took the bus twice; once into Maribor, the other into Sarajevo. Airline flights can be just as cheap or cheaper than trains, but they usually require you to book in advance for these low rates. For traveling on short notice, trains are cheaper than flying and more comfortable than a bus. The trains in western Europe (i.e. France, Germany) are generally clean, comfortable, fast, and reliable. The trains in Eastern Europe are much more unpredictable. Take this into account when you need to change trains. You can buy train tickets either at the train station or online. The DB Bahn website is invaluable. I found myself visiting that website consistently for train schedules even outside of Germany. Depending on how and where you travel, it may or may not be worth to buy an EU Rail pass. I did buy one, but for where I traveled, it would have been cheaper to just buy the individual tickets.

My favorite trains were the German ICE trains. They are fast, clean, modern, and reliable. They reach speeds up to 300 km/hr which is the fastest I have ever traveled on the ground. The worst trains were in Poland. These communist era trains were dirty, smelly, unreliable. The international trains and trains between major cities were acceptable. But stay away from the regional trains in Poland if possible.

Mass transportation is much more developed in Europe than in the US. For the entire two months, I did not ever need to rent a car. Most cities have a well developed mass transportation system of buses, subways, or trolleys. But remember that most of these mass transit systems stop operating at midnight. You may need to take a taxi if you stay out late at night.

Accommodations

After you have decided where to go and how you will get there, the next step is to find a place to stay. My recommendation is that you book a place to stay BEFORE you arrive. Getting your bearings in a new city is already stressful enough. I find that it is a bit too stressful if I don't know where I am and I don't know where I need to be. Book at least one night at your new destination. This will give you time to orient yourself to the new city. This will also give you someone to call if you get lost and can't find anyone to help you with directions. Before you leave, find out where your train or bus will drop you in the city. Then find out how to get from the station to your accommodations. This is the most stressful part of the trip. Once I get to the place where I am going to spend the night, I am "safe". From then, I am free to plan the rest of my stay since I have a home base to operate out of.

Life revolves around hostels for backpackers. They are how backpackers can travel for months at a time in Europe. Hostels are dormitories where you share a room and bathroom with multiple people. Staying at a hotel every night would make trips far too expensive for most backpackers. I recommend staying in hostels for most of your nights and only staying in hotels when you need some privacy or just want to pamper yourself. It is a big part of the European travel experience.

Hostels are set up to allow you to meet fellow travelers unlike hotels which are designed for privacy. It allows you to chance to make friends with people from all over the world and perhaps even meet that special someone. ;) The hostel experience is something that you don't really find in America. My favorite website for booking hostels was Hostels.com. Their list of hostels is very comprehensive and I booked the vast majority of my stays there. Most of the hostels were reasonably clean and many included breakfast with their stays. It seems to be a very competitive business and the subpar ones aren't around very long or get poor reviews. Since you are sharing a room with strangers, most hostels provide lockers where you can secure your belongings. I've never had anything stolen while staying in a hostels, but do take common sense precautions.

What To Do

Once you know where you are going to spend the night, the fun begins! Talk to the staff about where to eat, what to do, where to go, etc. They will be more than happy to guide you and provide you with maps and literature. The people working in hostels and hotels know their city very well. This is far better than carrying around a thick guide book. Talk to your roommates about where they have been and what they plan on doing. All of the people staying at hostels are there as tourists. It's far more enjoyable to find out about the city by talking to the locals and other travelers than reading a guide book. In many cities there are "free" walking tours that start off in hostels. They are free in the sense that you are only expected to tip the tour guide what you feel he or she is worth. They are a great way to find out the best things to do and to meet new friends as well.

That is all there is to it. Transportation and accommodations are your main worries. Once those are out of the way, it's pretty easy no matter where you go.

Stay Safe

Europe is generally a safe place to travel. I'm sure that there are places you should not go to, but you seem to have to go out of your way to find them. I never felt unsafe in any of the 17 cities I visited. The main thing to watch for are pick picketers and money exchange scams. I have heard of stories of people being robbed in trains while they slept, but the only time I felt a bit uncomfortable was the trains in Poland while I was heading into Krakow. It seems safer to travel in Europe than it America. Nearly every American city have a bad neighborhood which the locals will tell you to avoid.

Most European cities don't seem to have this. It is safe enough that you will see young girls traveling alone by themselves. But as always, stay alert, be aware of your surroundings, and take common sense precautions.

Communications

A nice thing to have is an unlocked quad band GSM wireless phone. Prepaid SIM cards are widely available in every city. If you get lost or have an emergency, it is good to be able to call for help. In Vienna, I got terribly lost, and having a mobile phone to call the hostel I was staying at me saved me a lot of grief. Incoming calls are free. You only pay for outgoing calls.

McDonalds is a good place to get Internet access for free. Hostels may either charge you for Internet access or give you access for free.

Many people speak English in Europe and you will not have trouble communicating in any of the big cities. The further east you go the fewer people there are that speak English, but I was able to get around just fine. All of the staff in hotels and hostels, and most restaurants  and retail stores speak English. Just ask if they speak English and most of the time they will say "a little". :)

Cost

With the US Dollar so low against the Euro (Between $1.40 to $1.50 to €1), Europe is noticeably more expensive than the US for many things. Your main cost is accommodations, food, and transportation. Some common costs that I paid while I was there:

• Hostels: Between €15 to €30 per night.
• Restaurant Meals: €10-€20. Tipping is accepted but not mandatory. If you want to tip, 10% is usually fine. The wait staff get a salary unlike in America. 
• Turkish Kebab: €3.50-€4.0 
• McDonalds Big Mac: €3.50 - €5.0
• Rail Tickets: €30-€90.0
• Museum entrance ticket: €10
• Prepaid wireless SIM card: €10

Western Europe is much more expensive than eastern part. Paris was the most expensive city I was in. But Eastern Europe isn't dirt cheap as it once was. Prices have gone up considerably since the fall of communism.

That's all there is to it! Europe is definitely a different place than America, but it's not hard to do for anyone that is a little adventurous. :)

Kebabalicious: A Taste of Europe in Austin...

Trying out the local food was one of my favorite things to do while I was in Europe. I did spend a lot of time in McDonald's; in fact I ate more McDonald's Big Macs in Europe than I do at home. They are everywhere in the most convenient locations, cheap, fast, they have free Internet access, and often times they were the only places that were open.

But looking for and eating the local food was one of my favorite things to do when I wasn't stressed, rushed, or on the move. Two of my favorite foods were the Döner Kebab while I was in central Europe (mainly Germany) and Burek while I was traveling through the Balkans. These are perfect traveling food. They are cheap (around 3.60 Euro in Germany), widely available foods, high calorie foods that will keep you going for hours. The establishments that serve them usually stay open well after other restaurants close.

I have not be able to find Burek anywhere in Austin or in America for that matter. But there is only one place in Austin where you can get an authentic Turkish Döner Kebab. It originates in Turkey and is a flour wrapped in chicken or lamb, with vegetables, and a particular kind of sauce that gives it its unique flavor. It is similar to a Greek Gyro. What is unusual about it is that the meat is mounted on a heated rotating stand to keep it warm. It is shaved off in thin slices using an electric razor.

Kebabalicious replicates the flavor and style very closely to what I was eating in Germany. They are a small food stand located on 7th and Trinity in a parking lot. Unfortunately they only open from Wednesday thru Saturday late nights (after 9 pm or 10 pm)  and only if the weather is reasonably decent. I would suggest you get there well before 2 am as the lines get very long when the bars close. I highly recommend it as a great place to get a late night place to grab a bite to eat. It's too bad that they don't open longer hours and only serve the downtown bar scene.

European Vs. American Mentality As Seen In Architecture

One of my favorite things about traveling to different places is looking at the architecture. I love buildings. A large percentage of my pictures is of buildings in the various places I travel to. After roaming around Europe for two months, I can conclude that the architecture in Europe is very different than America. I think you can tell a lot about a society and their mentality by the type of buildings that they build.

Let's look at the Austin skyline for example:

Notice the number of large buildings we have. This picture is a little dated as there have been several new buildings that have been constructed since I took that photo. Here are the tallest buildings in Austin:

• The Austonian - 628 ft (208 m) 56 floors
• 360 Condo Tower - 563 ft (172 m) 44 floors
• Frost Bank Tower - 515 ft (157 m) 33 floors

You can see a list of the tallest buildings in Austin here. We have 7 buildings over 100 m and there are 6 more under construction at the moment. I rarely saw such tall buildings while traveling in Europe. Keep in mind that Austin is not even one of the largest cities in America. It's only the 15th biggest city with a population of 758 thousand people with a metro area of 1.6 million people. Take a look at all the major US cities and you'll see that all of them have impressive skylines.

Let's take a look at a typical European city that's comparable in size to Austin. One of my favorite mid size European city happens to be Dresden, Germany.

Unlike American cities, European cities don't look impressive at all from a distance. There are not a large number of tall, large buildings that dominate the skyline. Instead, European cities are much more artistic. Take a look at these buildings in Dresden:

Notice how artistic they are with the colors and sculptures. In general, European cities emphasize the city's art and culture. Even large, wealthy, European cities such as Munich or Paris are built in this manner. There are very few buildings that will grab your attention from a distance. European cities are meant to be enjoyed up close and in person. You can't appreciate buildings like this from 5 or 10 miles away.

Meanwhile, American cities build buildings to emphasis the city's economic strength, prosperity, and status. The Austonian represents this:

There is no economic reason to build buildings such as The Austonian in Austin. It is purely a status symbol for the residents of the building and the city. The whole mentality of Americans can be seen in the architecture of the buildings that we build. It's to show strength, prosperity, and wealth. It represents what is known around the world as The American Dream. Most Americans I know (myself included) have big dreams of wanting to become "the next big thing" in their field. You can see this mentality at work at the buildings we build in all of our cities. We have a very ambitious, competitive nature and mentality. Heck, I want to live in the Austonian. :)

Contrast this with Europe where the cities are built to emphasize their art, culture, and history. Europeans have a very different mentality than Americans. The mentality there emphasizes people's welfare, happiness, and quality of life vs. material wealth and economic status. Hence you see this in their politics as well. Most European countries have a more socialist policy, stronger labor laws, more welfare benefits, and much more vacation time. It's why you see Europeans traveling so much. They have enough vacation time to do it.

Which is the better model? I think both have their advantages and disadvantage. American mentality is definitely more individualistic, independent, and competitive, while Europeans seem to have a more social, cooperative mentality.

My European Adventure

I spent the past 2 months (actually 7 weeks) in Europe. It has been an quite an experience! I have always had a desire to explore the world around since I was a small child, but what inspired me to go on this trip was my trip to Australia last May. There were so many Europeans (especially Germans and British) traveling Australia for months at a time. I had never traveled for more than 3 weeks at a time, so I wanted to go on a multi month trip to see what it would be like. My original plan was to go around the world. I would fly to Europe, then end my European tour in Amsterdam, fly to Asia, and then go home from Asia. That turned out to be a little too ambitious as I am tired from living on the road and a bit home sick as well. Asia will have to be a separate trip.

My plan was to focus on north eastern Europe. I figure western Europe may be too similar to the United States and since I was traveling in the summer, I should do the northern countries while the weather was good there. I could goto southern countries (such as Italy) during the winter on a separate trip. It didn't quite work out that way as I missed the Scandinavian countries (save Iceland) and the Baltic's and ended going into the Balkans (long story), but it was still a great experience.

The first thing I noticed was how far American culture extends around the world. Even in far eastern Europe, you see American icons everywhere. McDonalds, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, KFC, are almost everywhere. These American brands seem even more popular in some European cities than in America. For example, McDonalds is much more popular in Paris than in the states. There were lines at the register at every one I went to. I went there quite often as 1) they are almost everywhere in the most convenient locations, 2) they tend to stay open for longer hours, and 3) there have free WiFi in most locations. In Venice it can costs €5 for an hour of Internet access.

Hollywood movies are everywhere and so is American pop music. They play much of the same top 20 songs in clubs as they do in the states. The influence of America is much more obvious than say, the Soviet Union in the former communist countries.

As I traveled, I started to realize just how American I am. For the most part, America is a very self segregated society. Perhaps there is still discrimination, but it has evolved to the point where it is not immediately obvious as say in the 1950's. People tend to cluster along the lines of race, ethnicity, or religion. They form ethnic or religious communities and we see ourselves as hyphenated Americans (i.e. Asian-American, African-American, Italian-American, Irish-American, etc). You see this in schools, communities, even bars and clubs. Our diversity is both our greatest strength and weakness. Within America, I would say people see me first and foremost as an Asian.

Here in Europe though, I felt that I was first an foremost an American, who happens to be Asian, which was a bit unusual (most thought I was either from China or Japan), but immediately obvious upon speaking to me. At our core, we are a nation built around an ideology and philosophy rather than a race, ethnicity, or religion. I found the easiest people for me to associate with were other Americans (of course), Canadians, Australians, New Zealand, and British. It was not just a common native language, but also mannerisms, attitudes, their view of the world, and social customs.

I found that Europeans in general are a bit more reserved than Americans. They are much less likely to approach and chat up a random stranger. At times, I felt that it would probably be more difficult for me to integrate into a mainstream European community than say Australia or Canada.

However, people from the Balkans (Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia) were a lot different in temperament than the rest of Europe. It is very different there even for many Europeans. There they were extremely outgoing (the men were a bit crazy) and sometimes a bit aggressive. I was approached many times (since I am obviously not from there) on my trip to Belgrade by people asking me where I was from and what I was doing in this part of the world. But they are a fun people and they love to laugh and have a good time.

What Europeans Think Of Americans

As the result of George Bush, there has been a lot of anti American sentiment in Europe. I can say that George Bush is universally hated in Europe (and probably in America as well). However, Obama seems to be universally loved here. The sentiment seems to have improved with his election. Nevertheless, despite all the good America has done for Europe (defeating the Nazis and Communists), there seems to be great dissatisfaction with our foreign policy. People in Europe seem to have strong dislike of America being the "world police". The people in the Balkans seem to have the strongest opinions of American foreign policy as the Yugoslav wars are still fresh in many people minds. Just about everyone here seems to have a strong opinion about America and unfortunately it's mostly a negative one in the places I've traveled to. Regardless of one's opinion, it is undeniable that America has greatly influenced what has happened in Europe and the rest of the world.

Staying In Hostels

This was the first time I've traveled so extensively in hostels. For the most part, it was a great experience and totally different than staying in hotels and motels. I met so many new friends and interesting people staying in hostels. It was a big part of the experience. Unlike hotels, most of the hostels are set up so that you can meet people. Sleeping in the same room with strangers can take some getting use to, but for the most part, I didn't have too many problems. However, I did need to get a hotel room every few days because sometimes it's nice to have the privacy, security, and convenience of your own room.

I really want to come to Europe again. There is an enormous amount of history and culture here no matter which direction you go. It's a great learning experience to meet people, cultures, customs, and food from everywhere in the world. Just the new friends you will make traveling make it worthwhile. :)

Amsterdam: Drugs, Hookers, and Just About Everything Else

Amsterdam is a much different place than the rest of Europe. It must be one of the most liberal, tolerant cities in the entire world. Drugs, prostitution and just about anything you want to do (as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else) seems to be tolerated here. The city is a melting pot much like New York is. There are people from all over the world because the Dutch must be one of the most tolerant societies in the world.

I spent more time than I care to admit in the Red Light District. You can spend hours here just watching the prostitutes in the windows and the men interacting with them. I found it fascinating just to people watch because of the honesty and openness of it all. Many men would sit there and gawk at the women, but were too scared (myself included) to actually go and try out one of the girls. One British lad I walked around with was virtually foaming at the mouth and wanted to do one of the girls but was paralyzed with fear of actually going to one. You won't find this anywhere else in the world. It was a quite surreal experience...

Dresden, Germany...

This is one of my favorite cities in Europe. Dresden was completely destroyed during the war, so this is a new city. However, they rebuilt it in the old style, so it's a "new" old city. The city is beautiful, clean, and not as overrun with tourists like in Berlin, Munich, or Paris. The city is cleaner than Berlin and perhaps even Munich. It was certainly a relief after being in the Balkans and Budapest because everywhere I went, it was clean (bathrooms, buses, trams, etc).

I don't remember seeing any beggars here either. The public trams are clean, new, and always seem to run on schedule. Right when you walk into the central station it is new, clean, brightly lit. It looks almost clinical. I came into the city from Budapest, so immediately after stepping off the train, I knew I was back in the first world. I felt a sense of relief as being in the Balkans, I was always a little bit uneasy because I was never quite sure what to expect. Germany is a country where everything pretty much works predictably and there is a process and structure to everything. Compared that to many places in Eastern Europe where anything goes. It is the last first world country before going into the relatively undeveloped parts of eastern Europe.

Put Dresden on your list if you want to go somewhere in Germany that is nice and not where a typical tourist go. Most of the tourists there seem to be German tourists.

Vienna (Wein), Maribor, Ljubljana, Venice, Munich, Zagreb, Belgrade...

I haven't made a blog entry since Prague. I got a bit distracted by various things and people. I'll try to make a quick summary of each city since then:

Vienna - The city looks like Paris light. Lots of great museums like Berlin. Vienna and Berlin were two of my favorite cities so far.

Maribor - Sleepy little city in Slovenia. I stayed with a Slovenian family and they were super nice to me. Thanks Grega! Save up your money so you can come visit me in Austin!

Ljubljana - Another relatively calm European city. It's pretty clean and quaint. There's a castle on a hill top that is worth going to.

Venice - The world's only pedestrian city. It must also be the world's biggest tourist trap. It's very crowded, some places are derelict. The city is a maze and I spent much of my time getting lost in the various alley ways. The city is safe, but walking through a dark alley reminds me of bad movies.

Munich - Beer, beer, and more beer. People here drink massive amounts of beer. It's the richest city in Germany. Munich has always been a wealthy city. Bavaria has thought of becoming independent many times.

Zagreb - Only stayed here for 5 hours, so don't know much about it.

Belgrade - One of the most dirty, ugly, and smelly cities I have visited in Europe. But I like it! The food is rich and they serve large portions. Some of the women are stunningly beautiful. There's also great night life and parties going on every night. It's also one of the more affordable places in Europe.

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.