Poland- The trip from Hell

I will start off by saying they do not speak English in Poland. This hasn't been too much of a problem in other countries that didn't speak English, but this was Eastern Europe. We land in Poland, and get a taxi to the hostel, and when we arrive it is 100 zloty, the Polish currency. This sounds like alot but the money is cheap, so with the exchange rate it is about $35, so for about a twenty minute taxi ride split between two it was cheap. Cheap became the theme of this trip, with the average price of a beer being around $1.25, compared to $6.00 in other countries. When we get to the hostel we are given a leaflet about Auschwitz, which was 99zloty for students, so again, roughly $35 all inclusive.
So the hostel itself made the trip amazing, for three reasons, it was cheap..again, it was an awesome place, and we et some awesome people there. We go down to the basement which is a converted brick dungeon, I kid you not, a dungeon. So we go in, get a beer, and walk into the movie theater down there, and Schindler's List ironically is on. So we sit down and watch it with three other guys, and after the movie, we decide to play pool but these guys decided to play too, so we got to talking. We would spend the rest of our trip with these three Aussies, and a fourth that arrived the next day. We played pool, watched movies, and drank cheap beer. It was awesome, because it was about -15 degrees outside. We are playing pool when some random guy in a sweater walks in with a glass of wine and his own pool cue. First impression was he was some lonely dude who was too cheap to pay for a hotel, but liked to be classy and buy wine. Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong. This was Nathan, which till now is irrelevant to you, but it was to us too. It wasn't until Nathan leaves that his friend walks in, and after a few minutes of talking we find out he owns the place. We were drinking with the owner, and he even bought us a round. He downplayed it by saying he only did a few odds and ends here and there, but I really like that.
The next morning, the five of us get up and head to Auschwitz. This was about a six hour tour, and the thing about Europe I was most looking forward to, and the only reason we went to Poland in the Winter. So you can understand how much I wanted to go, and how much I appreciated it. So outside of saying it was an incredible experience, but saying it was fun, or awesome just seems wrong. We were a little rushed, but n matter what I would feel rushed. And when we got to the gas chamber and crematoria, there were scratches on the wall that you knew was someone's last effort at survival, and right next to it, "JIM WUZ HERE 2009". That infuriated me, that someone had the balls to disrespect something like that. But apart from that, I was very affected by it.
The next day, we did a walking tour of the Jewish part of the city so we could see Schindler's factory, but that was the biggest disappointment since I have been here, because the one from the movie doesn't even exist. It is a renovated office building that had no significance to the movie other than it was an office building of Schindler, the movie didn't even mention it. We did get to see a lot of Schindler set pieces, and the last remaining part of the Ghetto wall, so it wasn't a complete bust. But the fact we were walking in 4 hours in -24 was beyond terrible. So we got a tram and headed back to the hostel for dinner. We had traditional food, peirogies and potatoes...along with a lot of kebab and calzones during the trip. But the traditional food was very good.
We were supposed to leave the next day so we get a cab to the airport, sit there watching blizzard conditions, and eventually after a few hours of delays, they finally cancel our flight. Stranded. We get a cab back to the hostel tell them what happened, and start looking up flights. From Krakow, where we flew into, it was about a week until we could get a flight because of all the cancellations rebooking. So we look at Wroclaw, and one is open in 2 days, but it was a 5 hour train ride. So we blow 620 zloty to get that flight, and 80 for the train to get there, and then 70 for the taxi to the airport again. Then booking a hostel for two more nights didn't help either, so needless to say it was an expensive snow storm. Afterwards the Aussies arrive back and are confused as to why we were there, but their flight was the next day, so they were worried the same thing would happen. But either way it bought us more time to hang out.
The next morning our room is robbed, but they gave us free locks and lockers, so I was fine, but our friends got raided. So the guy got caught raiding another hostel, and we were all informed to look for missing things, but I was fine. So our friend had to go down to the police station to claim his things, and make his 3:00 flight. I walk down to the lobby, and who is there sitting, at 4:45? Yup, they missed it too because some guy stole his things, but he got them back. The only thing missing, were his pictures, the guy deleted them, but this is no small problem. The camera is replaceable, the pictures aren't, and that was the only reason he went to get his stuff, was the entire European trip was on that card.
Finally it comes time to book our train at the station. It is 8:55, and the train leaves at 9:30, will get there roughly at 3, and our flight is at 6...plenty of time. WRONG. The receptionist wrote everything in polish s I could just give the lady the note. That worked fine for booking the ticket. Once we got it, the train platforms were about a ten minute walk, after we found our way. So it is now about 9:15 when we get to the platforms, 20minutes to spare, no problem. WRONG. The train is not on the board, so we do not know what platform. We have to wait in line to ask. The lady doesn't speak English, so we struggle to communicate, until she flashes the number 4 on her hand, which we understood. So we go to platform 4, everything is fine. WRONG. We go back to the same lady, there is no train on that schedule, and there no people waiting there, with only 5 minutes to go. We are going to miss it. So we go back in line, and ask again, luckily some old guy speaks broken English, and we get out of him, number 5, 20 minutes. Perfect. Now we have the correct platform and time. We finally get there and confirm our ticket matches everyone else,. Thank God it was snowing, and the train was 30minutes late. The train doesn't announce the stops, but we know the time of travel so we estimate, then pay attention, and right on time, we see our stop. We get off the train, amazed we have made it, and mad at all the trouble we have gone through. In looking through my pockets, I realize my wallet fell out while I was sleeping on the train. I see a conductor and run up to him, tell him what happens, and he says this train is leaving in two minutes, I ran on as he was shutting the door. This really was something out of a movie, and I regrettably begin to run over old people in this small train car, get to the car I was in, say "I lost my wallet." I don't think I need to remind you, they do not speak English. I start to feel the crack of the seat, conveniently placed next to a 50 year old lady's skirt. But I found it, managing to only creep her out a little, but I didn't care, I had my wallet, and was never going to see her again.
FINALLY, at the city we need to be in, all we need is a cab to the airport, which finding one was no problem, convincing him that 70 mph in a foot of snow wasn't the best idea, not so easy. Luckily we made it alive, and with a few little procedures we could finally breathe, no snow, and sitting at the gate. Now you know why the title of this entry is what it is.

Rome 2- Vatican

For Dinner, the night I had posted the blog Rome 1, we had the best meal of the trip... figures it was the last. The guys name was Mario, he owned the restaurant we were eating at, and absolutely loved us. He originally came up and put his arm around me and shouted, IRELAND? I told him no, we were from America, and he then told us he was born and raised in NY, so when I told him we were from NJ, he smiled from ear to ear. He immediately told us how much he loved Springstein, and that he had be to so many concerts in Europe and America, then says, "Barack may be the president, but he will always be the Boss" That was amazing, and before we could blink, we had appetizers in front of us, to be honest, they were to our liking, but it was the gesture that counted. Then he proceeds to run to the stereo, turn off the traditional Italian music, and put on Springstein, and let everyone know that we were his friends from NJ, and he was listening to Springstein. The gifts did not stop there, we were treated to a bottle of wine, and free dessert because of being from NJ. We also got the most amazing lasagna I had in Rome at this place. Just nice to see how happy people get, and how nice they can be.
The last day here we get to the Vatican, the Museum, and all that good stuff. The lines were extremely short because we got there very early, but when we were leaving it was clear how true it is to get there early. We started in the museum which was cool, but after 100 rooms, and two hours I just wanted it to be over. We got to the Sistine Chapel, and that was as amazing as I thought it would be, we spent about 30-45min in there, but could have been there all day studying the paintings. From there we went to St. Peter's Basilica, which was one of the most impressive buildings I have ever seen, which is a phrase that was repeated numerous times, but I am running out of ways to describe the things I am seeing. We climbed the stairs, which felt like a million of them to the top, up narrow, winding, and slanted staircases, so needless to say, being claustrophobic didn't help. However, the view from up there made it more than worth it, one of those moments you just look and don't talk. We then went from the very top, to the very bottom, to the tombs. I got to see where Pope John Paul II is buried, which was pretty intense, and the shrine to St. Peter was equally as impressive, but less attractive because of the recent death of Pope John Paul II, and I mean recent as being within 300 years.

So, the question is "How did you like Rome?"
My answer would be, it is the most amazing, yet disgusting city I have ever been in. When you are at the monuments, in Ancient Rome, at the Vatican, or on a tour, it is simply amazing. When you are walking around, seeing the graffiti on everything the 20 bums per block, the people selling the same 4 products (umbrellas, sunglasses, tripods, and bags) all day it makes you mad. I got scammed for 10 euro, but it was a cheap lesson that people are lazy scumbags. Every person you talk to on the street is real interested in you for two minutes, then wants money, and will follow you if you say no. The smells were disgusting, and yes, I understand that is what you get in a city, but Philly, NYC, London, and Edinburgh all fail in comparison to this city. So it is a must see city, but please do not expect everything to be as beautiful as what you see in pictures, you will be disappointed.

Rome 1

Haven't updated this is in a while, but the weekend before this was a softball tournament in Galway, so there was not much to explain. It was my first hotel experience outside of the country but other than that it was just a fun time.
We left Limerick on Friday the 12th, stayed the night in a hostel, and had an interesting night in the Dublin pubs. We had to get up semi-early for a flight on a Saturday to Rome. When we landed in Rome we went out to the bars, not pubs here, sat at a fountain and drank in the streets, it was a new experience to say the least. The cops walked by us, and let us go, until they started to sweep the streets at about 3 AM.
The next day we went to the Colosseum, that was a breathtaking experience, we got to walk around it and just take it all in. After that we just walked around and got to see a lot, but it gets really dark really early here, at around 5pm. The weather was the best of what we have had in the entire time in Europe, it was about 70 and bright sun the entire time we were here. We had the most amazing food at every meal, minus the hot dogs, those were good, but they were hot dogs, just on Italian bread. The gelato here is amazing, it is ice cream, but a million times better, in the most exotic flavors available, including Viagra flavor. The wine is as cheap as they say it is, with an average bottle costing E6, or about $8.
We got up early on the next day, to get breakfast, which consists of a roll, and half of a glass of orange juice. When we were done this snack, we headed off to the Roman Forum, and Palantine Hill, which is the heart of Ancient Rome, it is an excavated city, with some impressive structures, there was a stadium, churches, and Caesar Augustus' house. This was about lunch, so we headed back to the hostel, then to attempt to ride scooters around the city, but got jerked around for two hours about that because we are American, and do not have a motorcycle license. So we decided to take a city tour on an open-air double decker bus. We got to drive past the Vatican, and see most of the huge monuments in the city. After the bus, we head back to the hostel.
When we wake up we go to the train station to catch a train to Florence, but it did not work out because one guy wanted E115, or $135, or the city train was E88/$110 which would have taken 4 hours each way, and ruin the day for a lot of money, so we chose to see more of the city. We literally walked everywhere, and had I not forgotten the camera, you would see what I saw, but once my room mate uploads the pictures, they will be on Facebook.
Tomorrow is the Vatican, and then Dublin for two nights, then off to the Dam

Edinburgh Part One

We left Limerick at 1:00 pm, and finally got to Edinburgh at 9:30 pm. It was a long day of travel from bus to bus to plane to bus, then a lot of walking in a new country with a very limited map. We found our hostel, the Brodie, but the sign said it closed at 6:00 pm, so we ring the bell for a few minutes, and have no answer, so we are out of luck. On Halloween weekend in Scotland, you are not going to find a place to sleep, but we try anyway instead of sitting there pouting. So we walk about 15-20minutes and find a hotel, it is the nicest looking hotel I have seen in a while, but we're desperate. The guy informs us that they are fully booked, but gives us a phone to try and call the hostel. Turns out there are two of the same hostels pretty much directly accross the street from one another. So they were open, and we are now relieved, but you can imagine how stressful that hour was. We wanted a beer, but by the time we actually got back and put our stuff down and got to a pub, it was pretty much closing time. We went to eat at a hole in the wall (where you get the best food), and some guy from a show called the 'X Factor' walks in, and the entire staff, all five of them go nuts. They begin taking pictures of this guy and telling him he was the best and blah blah blah, turns out it is a form of American Idol. Next we just want to get to the hostel to sleep, passing a guy in a costume who we talk to, and tells us we should have gone to Glasgow, another Scottish city, where he lives. He was also the source of my new favorite quote, he says, "you would have been as welcomed as a fart in a spacesuit, but you still would have a great time."
When we woke up we had breakfast, followed by a free walking tour, by the same company that we used in Dublin. This tour was 3.5 hours of walking so you can imagine there is a lot to learn, and too much to share. The most interesting thing I found was a graveyard that was the biggest in Scotland, and they told us that when a person is buried there, they can pay a family member or friend to sit on the grave for two weeks and prevent graverobbers from trading their recently buried friends to the black market. This was the origination of the term, 'Graveyard Shift.' We got to have Haggis, which is the national dish of Scotland, and it is the unused parts of a sheep, like the heart, neck, and that good stuff, inside of a sheep stomach, cooked and served on a bed of mashed potatoes, and as nasty as it sounds it actually wasn't too too bad. We got to have American pancakes as well, and tonight going to watch football, and celebrate Halloween with a haunted underground tour of the city.

London- Football match

Tuesday night, we went to the England V Montenegro football match. And by football, I mean soccer. The game was at Wembley, and even though there was no scoring it was still by far the most exciting sports experience of my life. The atmosphere was unlike anything I have ever witnessed, and UEFA is a dry venue, so you can not drink in the stadium, and people were getting kicked out for trying. When we arrived at the stadium and showed our tickets, the ushers asked us if we were England fans, and we said, not really, why? They told us we were sitting on the Montenegro side, and if we were England fans, they would have moved us. We got to sit in the heart of the Montenegro cheering section, which was awesome to experience, because it was real passion for a team. There was one annoying guy who was blowing a whistle that put a vuvuzuela to shame. But, fortunately for us, he tried drinking, so he was escorted out in a hurry. The game ended in a draw which was very disappointing, but it was still an amazing experience.
When we were headed back to the train station there was the biggest mob of people I have ever seen. The attendance was near 75,000, and it looked like every one of them wanted to get on the train.
The experience really made me wish America had a real passion for soccer, because it was better than any baseball game I have been to, and outside of the 700 level of Vet Stadium, there is no passion like I witnessed, at an NFL game.

London

Saturday-
This was a rough start to the day, because we had to catch a cab to the airport at 4.45 AM, and the softball team kept us out until 2.30, so that wasn't a fun cab ride. But we got to the airport, got on the plane, and took the short flight (1h15m) to London. When we landed, we had to catch a train, but being dropped in the middle of the most confusing transportation system I have ever experienced, after a night out, and with no sleep, was no easy task. When we finally got a train, and then a connecting train to our destination, we were here, finally. As soon as we walked out of the Underground, we were in front of a huge clock, and we were positive there is no way that this train randomly dropped us in front of Big Ben, but it did. The first things we see in London are Big Ben, Parliment, and the London Eye (a huge sight-seeing ferris wheel). We wanted to locate the bus station so that we would know where to go tomorrow, for a day trip. On this trip we saw Westminster Abbey, which we planned on returning to later, but for 16£, (28$), it wasn't worth it to us. We finally did the London Eye, and then went back and crashed at the Walrus Waterloo, our hostle, which was different from the other two I have been to, but still good.
Sunday-
Another early day, as we catch a bus to the bus station, where we are set to depart for our day tour of the Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and Oxford. The tour guide asked us which one we were most excited to see, and Stonehenge won by a landslide. Our first stop was Windsor Castle, which I was later informed, is where the Queen lives. This castle was amazing, and soon became my favorite stop on the trip. We did a self-tour of it, and a little bit of the city in front of it. The next stop was Stonehenge, which was exactly what I expected, an awesome thing to see, but not something that fits into the 'exciting' category. We got audio-guides to tell us what we were seeing, but this was a quick stop, you get out, walk around the footpath, and then get back on the bus. We depart Stonehenge for Oxford. When we get to Oxford, we are led on a guided tour of the city, which was beautiful, and then after we saw a few key places, we made our way around the important parts of the campus. We got to see some famous authors' houses, like J.K Rowling, J.R.R Tolkein, and the inspiration for the scar on Harry Potter's forehead. When the tour was over, we went to lunch, and had to be back at the bus at 4.30 to go back to London. We got to the bar at 4.08, and told the guy we were in a hurry, because we were a 10minute walk from the bus. So we got our food, and left the bar, getting to the bus as the guide was stepping on. If we missed this, it would have been a long, expensive ride back.
I am running out of time from the internet cafe, and will blog the rest of my trip when I land back in Limerick.

Aran Islands

Today started early, 7.30 to be exact, in order to catch the 9.25 bus to Doolin, the connection point to the Aran Islands. We caught the first bus out of Limerick, and had to rush to catch the last one back, and we only spent 3-4hours on the island. The Aran Islands are a little group of islands outside of Doolin, the smallest consisting of 250 people, only 25 children, and 7 school teachers. The largest of the islands is about 900-1000 people, so you get the idea of how small it is. When we got to Doolin, we had to get a little boat to the bay, then transfer boats to a bigger boat, to finally go to the island. When we got to the island, it was obvious we were in a place like no other I have ever seen, instead of the normal cab line that greets you, it was a buggy line. There was a mob of horse and buggies, with people almost begging for you to get on their buggy. We were starving so we got something to eat, and one guy was so pushy that he offered a free ride to the restaurant if we paid for a tour after, so we agreed.
I dare you to find a more rural place than this place. It was great food, and a great time, and not too pricy. There is an airport there, about the size of a baseball infield, and can only handle single engine private planes. The "towne center" consisted of three shops that supply EVERYTHING the town needs, which was different. There were more horse and buggies than cars, from what I saw. This was cool, but there is one problem, the poop. The whole island smelled like a farm/bathroom. When we asked the guide if everyone knew everyone, he said, "this is the kind of place that everyone knows what you had for breakfast." And it looked that way.
The attractions on the island were castle remains, a church, and a cemetery, and a shipwreck from the 1960's. The shipwreck was cool because the boat had washed ashore, and was still there, and the guide said that it was an English ship that got in trouble, so the natives picked them out of the water, and in return go to keep the ship's contents...whiskey. After the tour, the guide let us off to walk and explore, before we had to run to the ferry.
The ferry ride was a cool experience in itself, as it provided a sea view of the Cliffs of Moher, which was great, but would have been perfect had it not been cloudy all day.