Moldova

Chrisinau

July 5-7th 2008

This Mosque is one of the prettiest buildings in the city, and the inside is as nice as the outside.

Day 1
I don’t know if it is just me or if bad luck follows everyone around? To be honest I can’t really complain because there was only one unlucky circumstance on my trip! My bad luck started and ended when my train from Rheine to Munster (where the airport is) was cancelled. The next train would arrive at the airport after the flight was supposed to take off. I was in a bind, I couldn’t take train, the best way to get to Munster, nor could I even think of taking a cab; it would have been 60 Euros, easy. I didn’t know what to do so I called Victoria and she asked her landlords if they could take me to Munster, thankfully they said yes. I got lucky again when I got a nice lady at the check in counter for Airberlin. My carryon luggage was a lot heavier then the allotted weight, but I had a really tight connection in Rome. I was so relieved when she said: I didn’t see the weight, you can take this as carry on!” It was a good thing too, because when I got to Rome I had to walk like 2 miles to get to the next gate, re-check in, and then board the plane. Anyway I made it to Moldova only 30mins later than expected. I found the “mini-bus” as they call them, and it took me to the bus station, which is just a little runoff where they all happen to stop; there is no formal sign or anything! I couldn’t find my connecting mini-bus so I just took a cab, for like 2 euros. I arrived at my hostel with much curiosity since it looked a bit run down! The inside was small but clean and not even close to being the worse I have ever stayed in. I dropped my stuff off, paid, and then went out for dinner. In Moldova they really don’t like it when you don’t order drinks (aka alcohol!). I ordered my pizza, and the waitress looked at me for a while, expecting me to get a drink. I did not budge! Even after she came over later with the menu and opened it, in front of me, to the drinks page; I simply closed it and resumed my people watching. After dinner I went back to the hostel, read for a little while and then went to bed!



Day 2
Today was a well different. I wasn’t really in the mood to do the “touristy stuff,” which is no surprise as that was a phase long since passed. I now consider my self, not as a tourist but as a wonderer. I take pictures like tourist do, but I do not seek out the most important sights to see, I simply wonder upon them. I roamed the streets, not in a hurry, yet not empathically. I people-watch, observe buildings, cars, noises and cultures. I often have a purpose, which is usually driven by hunger or thirst, but a purpose nonetheless! On this morning the purpose was food and thirst! I woke, changed quickly and went to fulfill my purpose. I found a supermarket, bought some bread, some bananas and apple juice! I ate as I walked. I walked to the city center. On my walk I passed a large church, which appear new, and park that was quite large. For most of the morning I simply walked and checked out the shops. I walked through all of “downtown” happening upon a mosque. I couldn’t go in because I was not dressed appropriately (it was rather warm and I was wearing a skirt). I ventured back in the direction I had hence come, when it started to train. I ducked into a Gallery full of shops and killed some time there. After the rain subsided I sat in the park and red my book. I ended up meeting this guy around 18, that was from Germany and staying at my hostel. We talked a little while we walked, then he showed me to the internet café. I was at the internet café for an hour, acquitting that I went back the hostel; where to my pleasure all the inhabitants were conversing! I joined in and we soon became fast friends; 7 in all. We all decided to go to dinner together. We went to a local place called Andy’s! They love their pizza in Moldova! I had chicken fingers to spice things up a little. After dinner we went to the supermarket to hangout and have drinks! Sounds weird but it was actually fun and there weren’t too many hobos hanging around! I went to be early because I had to catch a flight at 7am the next morning.

Day 3
I made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare. I happened to get lucky again and was able to split a cab on there way there with a kid from the hostel. I had a little money left over and decided to use it to get snacks for the day and water. The money went farther than I thought and I got a little breakfast too! I boarded the plan on time. It was a little propeller plan and It was the smallest I have even been in. It is the definition of a puddle jumper! But it got us there and efficiently too. Thus my time Moldova was over. See Romania for more of my 10 day trip.

Moldova is a 2. Cheap, small but developing nicely. It could one day be a tourist destiation.

Ukraine

Kiev

June 20-22nd 2008

On a bridge looking at Independent Monument Square.

Day 1

Waking up early and catching flights is becoming a regular event in my life! This time I did it to go to the Ukraine. I had to fly out of Koln/Bonn airport. So I took a bus to the S-bahn station, then a train to another train, and then finally arrived at the airport. At the airport I learn that my flight was cancelled! I thought, just great, I’m going to get there so late, or there isn’t going to be a flight at all! I had to wait in line for 30 minutes for them to tell me that I was already re-booked on another flight. Luckily I arrived early and had time to run to the other check in counter and still make my flight. I fly into Prague and had a lot of time in-between my flights. I tried to sleep but that didn’t work out so I walked around. I found this free place to use the internet and as I was getting ready to sit down at the computer I glanced over to the guy next to me and he was looking at Eastern European women; naked and doing interesting poses. He was taking notes and writing stuff down on a piece of paper!! I thought weirdo! Anyway, I checked my stuff online, walked around some more and then ate KFC at 10:30am, a first for me so early. After breakfast I went to board the plane. I finally got to Kiev by 2:30pm, and hour later than scheduled. I attempted to follow the direction that the hostel gave me. So I took the bus to the train station, got lost, asked for directions and finally found the metro. I couldn’t read anything so I just followed the crowd, going down, down and down. I asked this girl, by pointing, how to get to my desired stop. She pointed in response. I had no idea if I was going to the right place or not, but I had to take that chance. I got out of the metro station, baffled as to where I was or where to go. So I said, screw it I’ll just walk and take a taxi, and that is what I did. I walked and ran into some interesting stuff, took some pictures then hailed a cab. It took less than 2 minutes in the cab, indicating that I did in fact get off at the right spot! I checked in, rested a little, and then went to find food. I ate at this place called Pizza Leggera. I had lasagna and it was delicious! After that I just sat around, met some interesting people, chatted for a while, watched TV, and then went to bed.



Day 2
The bed was total crap so I didn’t sleep long even though the day before I had slept less than 4 hours. I felt more refreshed then I did the day before, so it wasn’t bad. I got dressed, and then went to the TV room to wake up more. I talked again with the people that I met the night before. They were heading out for breakfast so I joined them. We ate this bakery down the street, then I went back to hangout some more and these American girls that I met the night before were going out, so I joined them. We walked all around the city seeing the St. Sophia’s Cathedral, and Assumption Cathedral. We then ventured to Independent monument, which was a huge square with an underground mall right in the center of it. The mall was just like the ones that you would find in the states. I was impressed. Anyway we ate at Double Coffee the great chain diner that I mention I found when I was in the Baltics. They had it in the Ukraine too and it was just as good as I remember! After lunch we headed back to the hostel to take a little break. On the way I decided to go into St. Sophia’s Cathedral, which was a good idea considering right when I get in there it starts to rain. It was small on the inside but interesting and very old. After that I decided to go to the opera house and see if there was anything playing that night. There was so I bought a ticket. I didn’t know what the show was, but I didn’t care. I went back to the hostel and rested until the opera. At the opera I found out the name was Norma, an opera set in ancient Rome, so naturally it was all in Italian. The only downfall was that the translation was only in Ukrainian! But I read the acts before it started, so it was fine. After the opera I went to the hostel and talked to this German lady for an hour in German, which was pretty challenging considering it was late and I was tired! I finally went to be at midnight.



Day 3
As usual I woke up early, changed, watched TV, and then headed out for breakfast at McDonalds! After that I just walked down the streets that I hadn’t been before in hopes to explore more of Kiev. I succeeded. I saw some really nice parks and buildings along the streets I choose. At the end of one street, I found more underground shops. I went under to check it out, and then came up totally disoriented! But what I had stumbled upon was great. They were filming some type of old film in the city of Kiev. I’m not sure if it was American or Ukrainian film or what really, but they had all these old time cars, and the extras had 60’s looking clothing on. I hung out there for a while watching the movie come to life, but decide that I needed to rest so I headed back to the hostel. I watched TV for a while, and then the American girls were going for lunch so I joined them for another round at Double Coffee! After lunch I had to go back and get my stuff to go to the airport. I took a cab, and enjoyed the hassle free ride! I got to the airport early and yet the flight was still late. So that meat that I had to run to my next flight. I thought I was going to miss it, but oh wait it was an hour late; which meat that I was going to miss the train and maybe not get another one to Düsseldorf. AAAHHHH. It all worked out though although I did arrive home 1.5 hours later that expected!




Kiev was a 3. Big, pretty, modern with plenty of interesting people and good food!

Netherlands

Amsterdam

June 14th 2008

This is Amsterdam minus the all the bikes, the cheese shops, and plethora of tall people!

Day Trip

Procrastination is the word to use when it comes to me seeing Amsterdam. I have been living in Dusseldorf for 4 and a half months now, which is only a 2 hour train ride to Amsterdam. Well at least I made it. The morning started early, but I didn’t get into Amsterdam until 12:00 because my train was late. Leaving the train station, we headed immediately for the Dam square with the historical museum and royal palace/town hall. Wandering east we walked through some of the Red Light District, which proved to be rather tame during the day. The only thing you really noticed was a slight hint of marijuana in the air. For lunch we first tried to find a local café that was recommended by one of our Dutch friends. Unfortunately, it was packed and the Dutch proved to be too much for us. We ended up eating at a café along the flower markets, trying “Amsterdam’s best pancakes”, which really turned out to be more of a crepe. We also stumbled upon one of the best used bookstores we have seen in Europe. They had three different floors of books, with every topic imaginable. It was basically just a “Half Price Books” (but not really half price because of the whole Euro thing!), but we hadn’t been able to find anything like it in Germany. The best we have is bookswapper.de where you can post and trade books. Anyway, the rest of our afternoon was spent people-watching in Dam Square and shopping. But before we got to the train station we decided to get some cheese, Dutch cheese is amazing, and eat it on a wall over a canal. Then we took a train back to Rheine, and that was the end of Amsterdam!





Amsterdam is a 4. The Dutch are great about keeping things real. They don't dub films, and they read English novels! Not to mention the city is beautiful.

Albania

Albanian Boarder!!!

June 5th 2008

They don't really like you taking pictures of the boarder, so this is all I could get!!

My first Albanian Attempt...