Interlaken, Switzerland

I arrived in Interlaken on a very late train. It was the last train in I believe. From Munich I had to travel through Zurich, through Bern and finally to Interlaken. When I got there the streets were pitch black. If I didn't have my iPhone, I would have been screwed trying to find my hostel. I stayed at Balmers the first night. It took me about 15 minutes to walk to it from the Interlaken Ost station. It was not a scary walk, it was just black and eerily quiet. You have to remember that I noticed I was in the mountains coming in but when you arrive in Interlaken you are surrounded by them. Since it was pitch black I could not see any of them! The air smelled clean and refreshing. The people at Balmers were at the desk when I arrived and helped me to my room. It was probably the most awkward arrival because I had to go in when everyone was sleeping. I tried to be quiet though.


I woke up in the morning and looked out of my window. The mountains were amazing. I walked around Interlaken and I was on a mission to go skydiving later that afternoon. I scheduled it up with Skydive Interlaken and was ready to go. I had a few hours to kill so I got some lunch and jammed out to some adrenaline pumping music on my iPod while I waited. It was my birthday and I really wanted to jump out over the Swiss Alps. It cost around $400 and was one of the most expensive things of my trip but it was totally worth it. I began to get nervous because it was a 15,000ft skydive. I kept telling myself that it was going to be a scenic view and I turned on some adrenaline pumping music. I suited up and "Beat" and crew took off. The trip up was amazing. The views were incredible and words cannot do it justice. I'd recommend it. Check out my video!

After I got done I walked into town and ate some lunch and checked out all of the stores in town. I called home and then told them what I did so they were enver worried about me. Ha.

The next day, I walked down with some friends I met from Canada who were also staying at Balmers. We all went to the Lauterbrunnen Valley to do some hiking. Balmers gave us some discounted Interlaken transit passes which got us to the region. We then started walking! We had no idea what was down the trail but we knew we wanted to see the Trummelbach Falls. After about 30 minutes we got there. The falls were very scenic. I have posted some of my own pictures of the falls on my pictures page.

We got to an area of the valley called Stechelburg and there was a small home and a local lady who had opened a restaurant there. She was making apple pie. We ordered some from her. She gave us apple pie with ice cream and it was delicious! This is where my Canadian friends split off from me. They were hiking back to go back to the hostel but I did not want to. I was really enjoying it out there and decided to go on another adventure all by myself. I went on the cable car system known as: Luftseilbahn Stechelberg-Mürren-Schilthorn (LSMS). This car takes you up to the Piz Gloria which is where the 007 movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service' was filmed! I took this up to the small mountain town called Mürren. There were several stops on the cable car. I then walked around and since it was getting late decided to abandon my hostel I had back in Interlaken and stay here for the night. (This is one of the perks of having a single backpack. I had all of my possessions and could do whatever I wanted!) I stopped at a local grocery store and bought food to make a sandwich. No stores were open because Mürren is not a very touristy place. It's something to see, but they do not have a massive tourist industry. I found a hotel at the edge of the cliff called the Eiger Guesthouse. I booked a room, my only request to them was that it have a good view. They did not disappoint. My room had a very good view! I was on a corner of the building with nothing else around but mountains. My balcony was wide open and the bathroom had a shower with a full window that you could open while you were taking a shower in it!! I washed some of my clothes in the sink and hung them up to dry overnight. I went down to the bar and chatted with some of the locals over a nice cold beer. I quickly fell asleep from a long day of hiking.

I got up and took advantage of the view in the shower. It felt a little odd taking a shower like that, but when in Rome right? :) There was nothing but me and the mountains pretty much. I packed my bag and set off for the top of the mountain. It was another cable car ride away. When I got up there the view was breath taking. It was fairly cold and I stayed up there for about an hour. There was no time limit so take your time!

I ventured back down via cable car and hiked back to Interlaken later that day. It was a nice walk by myself. Gave me a lot of time to think and be grateful that I was on such a trip. I had to catch a night train to Barcelona, Spain that night so I tried to relax for a bit and just enjoy the surroundings. I figured that in 24 hours I would be kicked back on the Mediterranean Sea! I had to make sure I enjoyed the Alps because you never know when you'll be back.

Munich, Germany

I got to Munich on Friday after a few days in Prague. Prague was very beautiful but out of all the places I have been, I had the hardest time with the language barrier there. Shoot, when I left Prague I just kind of listened for certain words in the crowd standing under the train board. The departure board never actually displayed what dock that the train would be arriving on. The ladies in the information booth were pretty unhelpful as well. I ended up following this older couple. On the train I rode next to Peter who was also 25 and grew up in the Czech Republic. We talked the entire train ride because he wanted to practice his English with me. After a four hour train ride to Nuremberg from Prague, I successfully made my first less than 5 minute train switch to Munich later. I was so damn proud of myself for reading the departure board and navigating the train station. I did not have much room for error!

Anyway, my friend Moritz (Paul) who was a foreign exchange student with me back in high school lives in Munich so he met me at the train station when I came in on Friday. For those of you who know him as well, he is exactly the same. Not changed a bit! We hit up a jazz club, drank a few beers and then met some of his friends out at a dance club. We pretty much watched the sun come up as we were walking home. It was a crazy night. It was nice to be in an era where I could be taken around and see some of the things without being a full blown tourist. I was able to let my guard down and not worry about getting lost because I knew Morita knew the way home.

It was amazing to hear some stories regarding World War II and see the area. Munich was where the Nazi party has a lot of roots and it was amazing to see how the area was cleaned up from the bombings. (Most of the old building debris is under the Olympia Park!) My grandpa was an American WWII veteran and he knew about WWII from a German side of things. Now we are both walking the streets together and are good friends. It's amazing how the world can change even in a lifetime.


On Saturday we took a bus tour of Munich, walked around the city, grabbed some food from the market and then went to the English Gardens. The gardens had quite the eclectic crowd. Between all the naked people, African drum circles, people playing football and the guys and girls surfing the "wave" in the river that flows through. Later in the afternoon we walked into the Englisher Garden and saw some drum circles and all of the nudists taking a dip in the creek. Over there it's like nothing, they don't even care about the nudity. America seems so stuck up and prudish compared to Europe and especially Germany. We spoke about music and shared some of our favorite songs. It was really a blast from the past and it was nice to be able to meet with an old friend while on my adventure. We chilled out for a few hours there just chatting about the old band days. Then we walked over to the world famous Hofbräuhaus and had an authentic German meal and drank a few more beers. I think I've tried about 11 different types of beer just this past weekend in Munich!


Before I forget, there is this pretty good cola drink called Mezzo Mix. The first time I saw it was at the train station in Germany so I don't know if it is sold anywhere else. It is cola mixed with a bit of orange flavor. Pretty tasty!! I also tried the carbonated water and absolutely hate it. If I need to quench my thirst, I'll just stick to something else.

We walked around town the next day and had breakfast at a little pastry shop near where he lived. He also cooked some German sausage for lunch and I did a load of laundry which was my second load on the trip! Needless to say, with the one backpack mentality, you have to hunt down laundromats during your trip.

Later that evening I left for Interlaken, Switzerland. The time was too short as always, but Moritz was a great host and one day I'll be back!

Prague, Czech Republic

I flew from Brussels to Prague because it was fairly cheap. I had no checked baggage and also because the train ride was going to be 12+ hours and an easily accessible night train was not available. I'm glad I flew.

...I'm also glad I didn't cross Prague off my list!

It was quite a sight flying into Prague at 10:30pm. As the airplane came down you could see outlines of all the main streets. It was lit up beautifully. It put London Heathrow and Chicago OHare to shame.

On the way in, my taxi driver asked if I was a tourist and I hesitantly said yes. I mean, it's pretty obvious when I have a backpack on. It's something that you can't hide and I sure can't speak any Czech to cover it up. He was very nice and told me that he would point out spots in town as we headed to my destination. It was dark out so I got to see the city in lights. We drove past the mini Eiffel Tower and after seeing the real one I can tell you that it is definitely a joke. I saw the Charles Bridge all lit up at night and I can say this is one thing that I wish I had a picture of. It was beautiful. We drove past a long line to get into a bar and he said that the area was popular with younger people who go to Charles University and "you go, you nice, you fit in, pretty girls in Prague." Haha. He was not lying though, there certainly were lots and lots of pretty girls in Prague!

I noticed that the Czech language sounded very harsh. Almost like they were mad at you! Before I go any further, you have to be careful in Prague if you decide to take a taxi. I did all my research beforehand and found reputable taxi companies (AAA Radiotaxi) because I knew I was going to come in late and I did not feel like learning yet another public transit system when it was dark out and partially shut down. I never had a problem. From the research I did, any taxi you order inside the airport will be a reputable company and you won't be scammed. Being ripped off by taxi drivers in Prague is well documented on the internet. I'd recommend taking the public transportation as it is cheaper and actually very easy to use. (except late at night...read on) There is a subway and also a tram system that you can use. You can buy many different types of passes and use both with the same pass.

It took about 25 minutes to get to my hostel. The cab ride was pretty cheap at about 20USD. Also, make sure you are carrying some Czech Korunas as well as Euros. Even though Prague is part of the EU, Euros are not excepted everywhere. Be glad of it too, it makes for a better exchange rate! In Prague I got the best bang for my USD. Everything was cheaper compared to other parts of Europe.

I checked into my hostel. The Czech Inn. I'd highly recommend this place. It is a bit off the main area, but it was hands down the nicest place I stayed on my entire trip. It actually felt like a hotel and people were so nice there. The wifi was great so I decided to grab a Czech Pilsner at the bar and fire up the Skype app on my iPhone to make a few phone calls back home. It was the first time I tried to use it internationally and it worked pretty well. Definitely worth the 12 dollars.


I woke up the next morning and my friend Megan and I hunted down the Prague Castle. It was guarded by soldiers and it was huge! We got poured on before we could make it there and I thought the weather looked nice in the morning so I didn't take my umbrella. Luckily it only rained for about an hour. After the weather cleared up, we walked into Old Town Square later that afternoon. This was the most architecturally beautiful thing I saw on my trip. The streets in Prague never really feel like they intersect. The roads seem to always just have a rounded edge and they always seem like they fork and it is easy to get lost. It is a good lost though, there is plenty to see. I remember turning on the road the led into the square. It felt awesome! It is nothing like you have seen anywhere else. Words and pictures don't do it justice. Just go see it!!


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We got lunch at a restaurant on the square and then we had to find a store. She needed a jacket and I needed a belt. We wandered around for a bit and then found a Tesco. I forgot my belt at home and with all of the walking I had been doing I ended up needing one by the time I got to Prague. I'm telling you, finding a belt in Prague was a pain in the ass! I went into all kinds of stores and even the one I bought was not your typical American plain belt. I had a choice of looking like I was blinged out or one with a bigger than usual belt buckle. I went with the bigger than usual belt buckle. Lesson learned. Don't forget your belt.

Later that night I decided to go on a Pub Crawl. What an adventure that was! Everyone who wanted to go was told to meet under the astronomical clock (see my pictures) in Old Town Square. I ventured up that way and met some Aussies, Canadians and a couple Irish guys. The first place we went to felt kind of touristy. I met all kinds of nationalities but it never felt like it was "true" Prague. We all stuck together for the night. The Irish guys dominated the alcohol as myself and the Aussies sat back and watched them down shot after shot after shot. For every 3 they did, we took 1 shot. If it were the alcohol Olympics, Ireland would take home gold. It's true what you see in the movies. Those cats can drink! We sat at the bar for an hour and politely poked fun at each others countries. It was a great time! They rounded us up and we went to another bar where I did my first shot of Absinthe. Why was this stuff illegal in the United States? (It's legal now) Who wrote that law back in 1912? Oh that's right, probably somebody who never tried it but decided it was bad for you. At this point we were all having a good time. We met Adalie and Marianne (hopefully those are spelled right.) from Sweden and we all learned a bit about Sweden.

We then went to this club. It was definitely more a club than it was a pub. I walked in and they were playing one of my favorite DJ Tiesto songs. They played it all. Bonobo, Sasha, Oakenfold and even some Timo Maas. I felt like I was at a bar and I finally fit in. I'm a huge fan of electronic music and Prague did not disappoint. In order to enjoy a club like this in the states you have to be in a big city. Nothing like this place would even survive in Indianapolis because people live and breathe the crappy Billboard Hot 100 here. Needless to say, I took advantage and lived it up.

A few more beers later and we all had to say goodbye. This is where it got interesting for me. I wouldn't say I was drunk, but I'd have to say the level of being impaired should be increased by default being that I'm in Prague. I speak English, they speak Czech. I never made a mistake on a transit system up until this point. I got on the Metro 22 back to Francouzská 240/76. It's the same line that I used to get there so why not take it back right? It makes logical sense even after a few beers. I was wrong. Prague changes their line numbers at night. I got on the wrong line and went to the opposite side of Prague. Awesome. I was just glad I didn't have my backpack so I could be flagged as a tourist just by looking at me. I wouldn't say I felt unsafe, I just felt awkward. One girl who you could tell was just as lost as I was stopped and asked me how to get somewhere in Czech. I just shrugged my shoulders and said "English." I felt like a jerk because the local people I met were always so helpful. She just kind of looked at me like a dog does when you say its name. A little back and forth curious head tilt. I told myself that I would give myself a set time of 15 minutes to find a metro stop. If I couldn't find anything within 15 minutes, I'd just flag a cab. I google mapped it but couldn't find anything near. Remember, the streets make no sense. I watched for a cab from a company that I knew was legit. At this point I thought I was a genius for researching it earlier. A $20 cab ride later and I was back at the Czech Inn. Honestly, I felt safe. I'd actually feel more unsafe walking the streets of the Indianapolis ghetto at night and I know the roads and the language. This was verified later, more shootings were committed in Indianapolis than Prague that night.


The next afternoon, that's right, I had a hard time getting up at my usual crack of dawn that day in Prague. It's a vacation, damn it! :) I ventured into town again and got some food at an outdoor patio. I had to catch a train to Munich, Germany later in the day so I wanted to at least stick near the train station.

When I left Prague I just kind of listened for certain words in the crowd standing under the train board. The departure board never actually displayed what dock that the train would be arriving on. The ladies in the information booth were pretty unhelpful because they only saw as much information as we did. I ended up following this older German couple. On the train I rode next to Peter who was also 25 and grew up in the Czech Republic. We talked the entire train ride because he wanted to practice his English with me. He was well aware of the two Indianapolis sports teams. I was shocked to find out that he knew who the Pacers were. He only knew Reggie Miller, but he is really the only Pacer you need to know. Shoot, I couldn't even tell you the current starting line up. He was very into the Colts. He was able to name several starters and he said he did not like the Patriots, so he and I got along just fine.

Prague pictures are here.

Brussels, Belgium

Before going to Brussels, I had to activate my Eurail pass. I ended up taking an earlier train out of Amsterdam as well which was a bad idea in hindsight. I got to Brussels in mid afternoon on the 9th. This was the first place that the language barrier kind of worked against me. In Belgium they speak French. I can't even really read it, much less speak it. Once I got to the train station I just started walking towards the hostel I was staying at. I didn't have the address but I knew it was north of the central station. My wandering around eventually got me about two blocks away and then I had to pull out the trusty Google street view. The crazy thing was that I walked totally around Grand Place. I didn't even notice it! I stayed at 2G04. It was a pretty nice hostel. The internet they had was total garbage though. I ended up meeting a few more Canadians and went out for some Belgian beers with one of the girls. It was fun sharing travel stories and definitely interesting comparing our schedules.

The next morning I got up and hunted down some Belgian waffles. Those things are great! They are nothing like the Eggo waffles you buy back home. I have to admit that in general, I have not eaten many healthy things on this trip because later that day I ate some Frites. They are basically just a plate of French Fries. Really, I did not eat anything healthy in Brussels!

I walked over to Grand Place later that afternoon. The architecture was pretty amazing. Brussels has different districts and skyscrapers as well. One of the experiences I got was trying to find a post office to mail postcards back home. Let's just say that they are not labeled clearly. I walked past so many of the drop boxes because they were covered in graffiti. So if you are in Brussels, just look for unlabeled red boxes covered in graffiti if you need to mail something.

One thing I noticed was everything pretty much shuts down at 6pm. Unless you want to go drink at a bar, you are out of luck in Brussels. I'm just glad I met somebody to go out with and have some great conversation with for the one night I was there! Brussels can easily be done in a day. Everything was within walking distance and really, there is not much there. I don't mean to insult the city, it's just that it's not for everyone. I'm glad I went because I have family history that goes back to Brussels. I've been telling people I went to Brussels to send my Great Grandma back in the states a postcard from my visit there.

I must also say that I THOUGHT Paris, France would be the rudest place out of the eight countries I visited. Not by a long shot. Brussels wins that award. (I'm putting together a ratings list I'll post later.)

Brussels pictures are posted here.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

I arrived in Amsterdam via overnight ferry and train from London to Harwich and on the Holland side, Hoek van Holland through Rotterdam. The customs guy was quizzing the crap out of me. Where you goin? Where you been? What are you doing here? Where else you going? He just smiled at me when I kept on rambling off all of my places. "Is this documented" he said. I told him to check my blog. On the way in I noticed a ton of graffiti and shanty houses everywhere. Business buildings and all were just covered in graffiti. The countryside had fields just like the states, but they have creeks of water running through them everywhere. They also have brown sheep everywhere. Nothing like the midwest.

Spent the first part of the day in Amsterdam just walking around. I met a few other travelers on the overnight ferry we took from London. They just happened to be from the US (Chicago, Miami and San Diego) and we decided to just walk around together. We went into one of the many cafes for lunch. I had a goat cheese sandwich and an ale from one of the local breweries. The cafe was cool. The place was full of bean bag chairs and low tables. We scheduled up a bike tour for three hours. One thing we all noticed was the amount of pot smoke in the air. It was totally unavoidable. It was Monday afternoon and every coffeehouse was open and had people in it. I wonder how Amsterdam has a functional economy? Oh yea, weed and prostitutes. Apparently, Amsterdam used to also have legal heroin usage but it was banned. The crazy thing is that the government still gives heroin to about 500 addicts simply because they cannot break the habit (according to the tour guide, I've not verified this.)

On the bike tour, we visited several different parts of the city including the Vondelpark (locals call it fondelpark) where public sex acts are legal and the Amsterdam Zoo, the many breweries Amsterdam has and eventually stopped at a cafe for more beer and some homemade falafel's. The tour lasted about 3 hours. It was booked through orange bike, if you are interested. We got to see an old jail where they used to put prisoners back in the day. When the water levels would rise, it would flood and the weak prisoners would drown.

FACT of the day: New York Central Park is modeled after the Amsterdam Vondelpark.

I met some more backpackers at the hostel from France, UK and Australia. We decided to venture out to the famed Red Light District. Holy crap, that was interesting. I wish that I could have taken more pictures but there is a no picture zone in place. (cmon, did you think this place had NO laws???) We were in the middle of the place and felt very safe actually. I've never seen so many sex shops in one place either. 8 way vibrator you say? This place has it! Pretty much everything on both sides of the street and in each alley was either a bar, strip club, coffeehouse or a red glowing window with a practically naked girl in it pointing at you saying come here baby! To be perfectly honest, most of the girls were not even all that attractive. Probably the most insane thing I saw was at the top of this building with the windows wide open and for all to see this guy was having sex with two girls and they were not trying to be discreet. Everyone was just looking on from below with their jaws dropped.

...and that was when I realized I was definitely not in America anymore.


I woke up on the second day in Amsterdam and walked around the market. I had to hunt down a McDonalds to verify something on the menu. Allen, there was only a "Chicken Royale." ... and what is up with not serving hashbrowns? What kind of crap is that? Burger Kings have been everywhere. No taco bells, but I've seen KFC. I didn't really see that many fast food places in Amsterdam though. The food at the street shops is way better and about as cheap anyway.

I walked back to the Amsterdam Centraal station and stumbled into Nate from Arizona. Another solo traveler. We met two Canadian couples who were all over 68 years old and have been backpacking, yes, I said backpacking for the last 42 days. So we are all on our way to Brussels now. I'm typing this on the train and will upload when I get some wifi. I'm already at 17MB of my 50MB of international data plan. Google Maps with street view rocks!!

My Amsterdam pictures are here.

London, England

London was my first stop on my trip. Looking back now, I think it was a smart move for any person who's native language is English. Heathrow airport was massive but it was easy to navigate. I arrived at terminal 3 and went through UK customs. It was fairly easy. They just asked you the usual questions. Here on business? How long are you staying type of questions.

My overnight flight arrived around noon and my goal was to make it to the Tower Hill tube stop at 2:00pm for the "This is London: The flash-bang-lightning" tour. I found the entrance to the London tube and picked up an Oyster card. I'd highly recommend this card. It is rechargeable and I used it the entire time I was in London and added more funds so I would be ready to go when I had to come back to London from Paris on my last day. I made it with about 15 minutes to spare. Which from what I hear, is good time to Central London.

The tour guide was great! Judy was fantastic and very informative. Our group walked past the Tower of London and then went on a cruise down the River Thames. We got on near London Bridge and got off near Westminster. We visited Big Ben, St. Pauls Cathedral, St. James Park, Buckingham and St. James Palaces, Whitehall and Trafalgar Square. Needless to say, you can't just come to London and see it all on that tour though. I'm glad I had more time.

After the tour, I found the nearest tube station and hopped on. London had probably the easiest transit system to learn. There are many different subway lines but if you know Piccadilly and the Circle line to start, you should be fine. Just grab a tube map. I had to hunt down the Great Portland Street exit to check into my hostel. I found it funny because when I got off I knew exactly what the streets and buildings would look like. Google Street view helped me out big time. I checked in and then went to find a pub to grab some food because by that time, I was pretty hungry.

I got back and decided that I should stay up for a bit to get my body adjusted to the time change. I grabbed some beers and chatted with other people in the hostels. I traveled solo but I was never alone. I always met other solo travelers and we'd just go out in groups. The hostels in Europe are nothing like what you've seen in movies. Most of the places were very nice and the Central London YHA hostel is no exception.

The next day, I got up crazy early because my body was still adjusting to the time difference. I actually made it to the tube stop about 15 minutes before it opened. I was glad also. It was raining a little bit so I bought an umbrella and about an hour later it stopped. I never got rained on until a week later in Prague.

I wanted to check out Piccadilly Circus and get a better look at London Bridge and Buckingham Palace. I decided to head to the south bank and the London Bridge tube stop. I got off and took some pictures and then headed back to the north side over London Bridge and took some nice pictures of the castle. I walked along the River Thames and crossed back over to the south bank on the Millennium walking bridge. I was running on perfect timing again. Pretty much out of luck. It was 9:45am and the Tate Modern art gallery opened at 10am and it was just on the other side of the walking bridge. Big Ben signaled 10am and the doors opened. It did not cost a single pence to get in either. I spent about an hour checking out Tate Modern and then walked further down the south bank. I saw the London Eye but the line was just ridiculous and I did not want to wait in line. I continued on down and saw Shakespeare's Globe theater. I crossed back over the river and back into Westminster on the hunt for Buckingham Palace. I found it just in time for a changing of the guards which I caught in high def video. :)

I was getting hungry after I ventured into SoHo (think shopping). I decided to find a pub for some fish and chips. What you have to understand about this trip was that not much was planned. Myself or the groups I was in just kind of walked around until we found something that looked nice. I found The Crown at 64 Brewer Street.


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I walked in and ordered. I instantly gave away my identity when I spoke. I sat down and waited for my food and just kind of soaked in the fact that I was in Europe. The waiter brought out my food and asked me if I was an American. I told him yes and he dug out a photo album and sat down next to me. He proceeded to tell me that the pub I was sitting in was a very popular hot spot for the American Airborne during World War II. "They threw plenty of shindigs in here." He mentioned that the pub had not changed and that the furniture I was sitting in was the same as back then. The wood had only been refinished because the scratches gave it character. I really was kind of set back. He recommended an English Cider and I finished eating.


I decided to head towards the Liverpool Street station tube stop because I had to check in for my overnight ferry to Amsterdam. I had plenty of time so I just wandered around. I found the London Brick Market. It was just a bunch of people selling art and food and clothes. It reminded me of the Indianapolis City Market. Except they had Eel and no corn on the cob. I picked up my first item to haul home. A small picture of London on a small piece of wood. I bought some ice cream from a street vendor and then realized I had no idea where I was. I hit the locate me button on my phone. I am not kidding you, my iPhone helped me out a lot on this trip. I liked it because I could take it out and look at a map without looking too overly touristy.


I found my way back to the Liverpool Street station and boarded a train to Harwich. This was where I met my first group of travelers that were just like me. From here on out, I had no idea I would meet hundreds of new people. It was great!

My London picture gallery is here. Note, I still need to fill out captions.

I'll post Amsterdam and it's pictures in a few days.

London: Quick Post Day 1

I've got like five minutes to post but I made it to London. Hopped on the tube like a pro when I arrived this morning and made it to central London 15 minutes shy of the walking tour I wanted to go on. It was great! I saw Big Ben, Westminster Abby, Sting (the musicians) house, cruised down the Thames and saw a ton more that I don't have time to mention right now. I'll upload pictures later.

I'm drinking a Zywiec beer right now (seems kind of weak frankly) and about to go hunt down some fish and chips.

I've got another day in London and then I head to Amsterdam via ferry on the English Channel. This time change is a bit rough but I'll manage. I should have it out of my system if I stay up tonight.

It is time to head to Europe!

Well, many many many months of planning, feeling like a nerd watching Rick Steves European travel videos (twice), lots of planning online and I can now say that I'm ready to head over to Europe with nothing but the stuff I have on my back. I guess that one can never really be fully ready, but it is certainly time!

I've seen a 23% increase in web traffic over the last week. For those that are just arriving, I've never been out of the United States and am going solo. I got the kick to do this last summer and this was one of the things that I would not be denied of in 2009. I planned on going with people initially but things came up and I thought about it and why should I not go solo? Some people thought I would back out then. I'm certainly not shy and I don't mind meeting new people. I just have to be a bit more cautious. Honestly, I think I actually enjoy being out of my shell just a bit. We always seem to say "next year" or "maybe later" but then life hits you and you can't.

I fly out tomorrow evening. One of my co-workers is taking me to the airport after I get out of work. I've been packing for what feels like an eternity and everything fits in a 30L backpack. For those that care, a 30L backpack is enough space for about two days worth of backwoods camping. Since I won't be needing a sleeping bag, I can fit about 4-5 days worth of stuff back there. All of the pack dimensions are legitimate carry on size.

For those that have visited since I started this blog, thanks for helping the cause. I've now disabled the advertising I had up. You all got me just enough to purchase all of my overnight reservations and airfare from Brussels to Prague. $312.76 USD. :)

It's on!

What I am taking:
8" netbook, iPod/iPhone (international plan w/Skype subscription also), in ear headphones (I had to give in...I wish I could take my Sennheisers), lightweight jacket shell, north face khaki pants/detach shorts, 6 moisture wicking shirts, 5 pair underwear, 4 pair socks, 1 pair flip flop sandals, 1 pair jeans, 1 cargo shorts, passport, eurail pass and reservations, digital camera, high def camcorder and all the needed power conversion tools. The netbook power adapter is nice because the charger has a built in transformer for 110-240V. (Everything can suck the juice out of the netbook via USB if I get in a bind.) I'm wearing the north face pants, shoes, a shirt and the shell over on the plane.

My Hostel: Paris, France

Paris is my last stop before I head home. I will be staying in the Vintage Hostel.


I'll have one full day and a night in Paris. I literally get off the train from Barcelona and either hit the hostel to check in or drop my backpack off at a locker at the train station and start checking Paris out. Because I had to take an extra day to catch the night train out of Switzerland to Barcelona, I had to remove a day from Paris. I sure did not want to give up a day in Switzerland, and Barcelona was just too far of a trek to not spend two days in.

I have to catch the Sunday morning Eurostar train through the chunnel (under the English Channel) to London the next morning so I don't really plan to stay out really late.

I think if I hit the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, I'll get my share of Paris.

iPhone / Twitter application for travelers.

Just a quick post, but one of my co-workers mentioned this iPhone application to me today. It is called TwitterLoc.

From the site:

A nice freebee, based on the same map code as all the streetmaps on this site, except the map is fetched live over the internet, no part of the map is self-contained. This application allows you to send messages to Twitter.com containing your location information, like this:

Also, if you are doing any traveling and want to download full maps of where you are going without wasting the precious mobile data plan, I'd recommend checking out his city maps. They load much faster and you don't have to pull from Google Maps all the time. You can also pinpoint where you are on the map and get nearest points of interest.

Hopefully this will keep everyone back home at ease. All they need is this site URL. :)

My Hostel: Barcelona, Spain

I will be staying at the Sant Jordi Alberg in Barcelona. Barcelona is a city that I have to travel by night to get to and from. I'll be arriving from Interlaken, Switzerland. Technically it is Bern, Switzerland. I am going to travel up to Bern during the morning and check it out and then board the night train. The night trains from Bern to Barcelona are available on Monday, Wednesday and Friday only.


I plan to visit La Rambla, hit up the beach and also check out the Barcelona nightlife. Sant Jordi Alberg does regular club/bar crawls.

Barcelona is quite the trek. I sure hope it's worth it!

My Hostels: Prague, Czech Republic

I have booked a room at the Czech Inn. I'll be there June 10th and 11th. I'll arrive in Prague on the 10th at 10:30pm. I decided to fly to Prague from Brussels. The train ride would be so long otherwise. Once I arrive, I'll have to find the Prague bus stop at the airport. It runs until 12:10am so I'll be able to take public transit to get to this hostel. I plan to head out that evening and do some exploring as well.

From the Czech Inn website:

Czech Inn is the only design hostel in Prague. The stylish cafe and bar is a nice place meet fellow travelers over a local Czech beer. Located close to the town center, and on two of the best tram routes, Czech Inn Hostel is an ideal base to explore ancient Prague.

My Hostels: Interlaken, Switzerland

I will be staying the most consecutive nights in Switzerland. I've decided to try two different hostels as well. I'll spend two nights at Balmers Herberge and then move to Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof the last night. I've been told Backpackers Villa will allow you to substitute your free tea/coffee passes for laundry service. I plan to take advantage of that! I'll spend my birthday in Switzerland and I am looking forward to it!

Balmers:

Backpackers Villa:

Interlaken City Guide

My Hostel: Brussels, Belgium

Brussels will be my third city I visit. It is a short train ride from Amsterdam. Trains run frequently between the two cities. I will be staying at 2G04. It is located near the city center.

One of my must hits for Belgium is the the Déleirum Café. They have over 2,000 available beers to choose from. Belgian waffles are a must and I've been told that the best waffles are available from street vendors.

There are many comic art displays throughout the city as well. I am hoping the 2G04 has walking tours available. (I didn't see one.)

Brussels City Guide

London to Amsterdam: Overnight Ferry = Booked!

I'll have every mode of transportation covered on this trip. Planes, trains, a helicopter, a boat, cars and bikes. The only thing missing is John Candy and Steve Martin. That's fine though, this isn't a low budget comedy! Someone seriously needs to invent teleportation.

To maximize the time I have and to hit all the countries I want to see, I have to travel as efficiently as possible and that means traveling at night. On the Sunday I visit London, I will head to the Liverpool Street station at 8pm and take a train to Harwich, England to board the Stena Line night ferry which leaves at 10:30pm. The ferry crosses where the North Sea and the English Channel meet. I'll have a bed, bathroom and shower all to myself so I am hoping to get a good nights sleep. I'll be in Amsterdam in time for breakfast!

My Hostel: London

I searched high and low for a hostel that was centrally located, clean and had good reviews. I've chosen to stay at the YHA Central London (pictured above). Hopefully I have chosen the right one! My time, like in every other city I plan to visit is limited so being close to everything is an absolute must. I checked out some other places near Hyde Park but I'd really like to avoid hopping on the tube to get back to the city center. I am hoping to be able to beat the jet lag when I arrive. I'm sure the excitement and adrenaline will be pumping the minute I get dropped off at the airport. However, I HAVE to find a way to sleep on the plane.

In addition to the regular London sightseeing hotspots, I'd like to visit the Tate Modern art gallery (pictured below) while in London. I recently saw a video about it and it looks like something I would be interested in.



London City Guide

Travel Tip: Laundry

I received this tip from Julie in Tennessee:

A friend and I just returned from a trip to Japan, and what we learned along way can easily be translated to European travel. I used a XL Ziploc bag as a clothes washer, and it worked wonderfully! Just put in the clothes, add the soap and water (I had individual packets of Tide for sink washing), close the bag and agitate. It got everything WAY cleaner than just washing in a sink, and it made rinsing equally easy. When it was time to come home, I purchased about a dozen bottles of Japanese soda to bring home to friends, so I just put all the bottles inside the Ziploc bag to prevent leakage in case any of them came open during the flight. The bag folded down very small and was packed into an interior pocket, so it only took up room that would have otherwise been empty!

Seems like a good idea! I might do this is a backup. I will have to do laundry probably 2-3 times while over there and most areas I will be in will have easy access to a laundry room.

Ordered my Dell Mini 9!

I have just placed the order for a Dell Mini 9.

As much as I wanted to just take the iPhone, I could not talk myself out of having a full fledged internet browser. Since I am only going to go over with the first 3-4 nights planned and booked, I will need a way to make reservations on the fly. This thing will work perfectly and will fit in my backpack without the need for a full blown laptop.

For those of you interested, I do plan on converting this into a Hackintosh! :)

Europe Travel: Intial Thoughts

I've done a bit of homework over the last few days on how I will be able to fit in all this travel in a two week time frame. At least one city will have to be cut out of my original plans and right now, I am leaning towards removing Rome. As you can see below, it has already gotten the axe. I am going to be in Italy, but only for a short time and that will be in Milan. One of the issues I am running into is there is no quick way into or out of Interlaken, Switzerland and there is no way I am removing this destination from my list. What I will probably do is use Milan as a hub. I can board a 3 hour train from Interlaken in the morning and head south to Milan and then later that day take a RyanAir flight from Milan to Barcelona. It adds an additional cost for the flight but it will be worth it because I would burn 12 hours on a train from Interlaken to Barcelona otherwise.

Depending on my situation, Berlin might be kicked off as well. I've decided that at least two overnight trains will be needed and at least one additional RyanAir flight.


London, England <-> Amsterdam, Netherlands (Overnight Ferry)
Amsterdam, Netherlands <-> Brussels, Belgium (2Hr 45min DIRECT)

Option 1 - Visit Berlin
Brussels, Belgium <-> Berlin, Germany (6Hr 20min w/Connecting Train)
Berlin, Germany <-> Prague, Czech Republic (4Hr 50min DIRECT)

Option 2 - Skip Berlin
Brussels, Belgium <-> Prague, Czech Republic (OVERNIGHT 12Hr 58min w/Connecting Train)

Prague, Czech Republic <-> Munich, Germany (6Hr 4min DIRECT) (Speed Rail looks to be available at 3Hr 16min)
Munich, Germany <-> Interlaken, Switzerland (6Hr 50min w/Connecting Train)

Milan will be used as a jumper to Barcelona.
Interlaken, Switzerland <-> Milan, Italy (2Hr 50min w/Connecting Train)

Milan, Italy <-> Barcelona, Spain (RyanAir Flight)

Barcelona, Spain <-> Paris, France (OVERNIGHT 11Hr 55min)
Paris, France <-> London, England (2Hr 27min)

P.S. I used Rail Europe to get the times listed above.

http://blog.ryanbirk.com

Step 1

An old friend...

So, I figured I'd try to hit my buddy Paul Sperl up when I ventured into Germany. Paul (Moritz) was a German exchange student my junior year of high school. We were in a funk band called Blu Martini. Yea, we won the battle of the bands in case you were wondering! :) I rocked the drums and he rocked the trumpet. Needless to say, we've not seen each other in quite some time. I figured I would try the email addresses that I had for him back in high school.

Drafted up an email....email bounced back. "Delivery to the following recipient failed permanently:" Weak!

Tried another email I had for him....email bounced back. "Delivery to the following recipient failed permanently:" Again, Lame.

I tried an international phone number I had for him. "This number is no longer in service." Well, damn.

Enter Internet.

This is where having some searching skills comes in handy. I MaltEGO'd his name using various search libraries and plugins. Now we are talking.

About 30 minutes of filtering and I found several pages of soccer teams he had played on. They were all removed, so I hit the Google cache, still no emails or contact info. I found a few pages that linked to a University in Munich, Germany and looked at the geography. There was a high probability that this was him. I revised my search terms and found another dead link. Google cached that up and whaalaa, email address.

Drafted up an email...."Hey!!! Blu Martini kicks ass, give me a call at xxxxxxxxxx"

Needless to say, if you want something bad enough on the internet, you can find it.

Paul does go to that University and we are meeting up in Munich for 1,2,3,4 or maybe a few more beers.

iPhone Tips for International Roamers

When using your iPhone outside the U.S., Puerto Rico or U.S. Virgin Islands (for either voice or data), international roaming rates apply. Your iPhone provides access to email, visual voicemail, web browsing and other applications that can use a significant amount of data, so remember-international data roaming can get expensive quickly.

How iPhone Users Can Minimize International Data Charges:

* Turn Data Roaming "OFF": Be sure to download and install the latest version of iPhone software from iTunes. By default, this setting for international data roaming will be in the "OFF" position. To turn data roaming "ON/OFF" tap on Settings>General>Network>Data Roaming

* Utilize Wi-Fi Instead of 3G/GPRS/EDGE: Wi-Fi is available in many international airports, hotels and restaurants to browse the web or check email.

* Turn Fetch New Data "OFF": Check email and sync contacts and calendars manually instead of having the data pushed to your iPhone automatically. This way you can control the flow of data coming to your iPhone. To turn off the Auto-Check functionality tap on Settings>Fetch New Data, change Push to “OFF” and Select to Fetch Manually.

* Consider Purchasing an International Data Package: Purchasing an international data package can significantly reduce the cost of using data abroad. AT&T now offers four discount international data packages. The 20 MB package is $24.99 per month, the 50 MB package is $59.99 per month, 100 MB package is $119.99 per month, and the 200 MB package is $199.99 per month. See att.com/worldpackages for details and international roaming rates.

* Reset the Usage Tracker to Zero: When you arrive overseas access the usage tracker in the general settings menu & select reset statistics. This will enable you to track your estimated data usage. To reset Usage Tracker to Zero tap on Settings>General>Usage>Reset

Embedding Trip Pictures and Data to a Blog

I have always been interested in the different ways you can embed outside data to your blog or website through various APIs. I've decided that I will use a mixture of three different providers offerings to track my trip.

They are:

Google Latitude
Google Latitude allows you to see where your friends are and what they are up to, quickly contact them with SMS, IM, or a phone call and control what your location is and who gets to see it. My interest is in the location tracking. As I move from city to city, I'd like to track where I am going, train's I am taking and most of all cities and landmarks I am visiting.

Twitter
I know there are a lot of twitter haters out there, but for a trip like this, I think their offering works best. I can easily link my twitter account to my other social networking sites and save the hassle of replicating everything out.

SmugMug
I am opting to purchase an account through SmugMug for a few reasons. First, they have upload through email. Most places have this, but SmugMug also has customizable galleries, an application for iPhones with GeoTag uploading, high definition video uploads and from what I have been told, good customer service because of the relatively small company size.


Blogger also allows remote posting through email in case you find yourself in a bind.

The data that I post to these sites, will in turn be replicated to my facebook page and other social networking sites via RSS, as they are now. Right now, it is simply a matter of pressing the activate button and embedding the widgets.

Passport has arrived!

My passport is here! Time to start getting things in order. I've also noticed that airfare is dropping the longer you hold off. As much as I hate waiting, I will probably purchase airfare 2.5-3 weeks out.

Initial thoughts on what to pack.

Well, I have finally put some thought into what to pack. Two weeks in Europe has to be done on one backpack in order to be manageable. I initially thought a 60 liter backpack was the way to go but after checking several forums and talking with other backpackers, I am confident that the 40 liter is the way to go. Anybody I have talked to that gives me advice says over packing was their biggest problem on their first trip.

I have decided to go with the North Face Terra 60 as my backpack. I tried on several different backpacks at Gander Mountain and Dicks Sporting Goods. I found that the shoulder straps are the weak point in many packs. The suspension on the Terra 60 is incredible, and the waist belt is made of a really soft almost gel like material. It can expand as needed and has lots of adjustments so you can get that perfect fit on your back.

So enough about the backpack. Here is my initial list of what I am packing. Any advice?

* One pair of khaki north face pants/zipoff to shorts
* One pair cargo shorts
* 3-4 north face/under armor moisture wicking shirts
* 3-4 boxers
* 3-4 pairs of socks
* Sandals
* Light shell, one long sleeve shirt
* Sneakers (will purchase new and wear in one week prior)
* Small thin towel
* Camera and iphone, small headphones, ipod. (possibly netbook/high def camcorder)
* Lightweight daypack, padlock.
* Toiletries, toothbrush and paste, chapstick, tanning lotion, deodorant, shampoo, soap, asprin, antacid, ear plugs. (I plan to pack very light on all of this and pick them up over there. That way I can discard them before I board the plane to come home.)
* Sunglasses, money belt
* One credit card, one atm, some cash, two id's, passport, plane tickets.
* Guidebook and .pdf cheat sheet (which I am currently writing, will post later)

Ryan

Passport should be here shortly.

Well, my passport is now en route. It should be here in about two weeks. I went to the local US post office to order one. For those of you who are interested in international travel, you better plan at least 4-6 weeks in advance.

Here is what you'll need for a first time applicant:

* A completed DS-11 application form.
* One of the following: Previously issued and undamaged U.S. Passport, Certified birth certificate issued by the city, county or state, Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certification of Birth Naturalization Certificate or a Certificate of Citizenship.
* If you apply in person, you will also need 2 photos, a drivers license, military or government ID.
* You will also have to pay a fee, which is about $100.00.