Behind the (former) Iron Curtain

First day of school entering the 8th grade I was excited for a number of reasons. A new football season was just about to begin, I couldn't wait to see who would be in my classes for the year, and of course being highest rung on the middle school totem pole has it's advantages. I had no idea walking into school that day that A) my fresh new sneakers would be stolen that afternoon at practice, and B) I'd meet a new kid fresh from Hawaii in my math class named Phil. Eight years later and I'd forgotten all about the shoes, but Phil recently reminded me of them while we were discussing our plans for my visit to Romania, where he is living at the moment. I couldn't wait to see my best friend.  

I touched down in Bucharest a few days ago and Phil has done a fine job of showing me around town. I guess things have come full circle for us as his stories of world travel all those years ago partially inspired me to get some of my own, Now here we are overseas together. There aren't loads of things to see in Bucharest so our schedule has been rather relaxed, but between catching up and enjoying the city's nightlife we have visited some cool places so far. 

The Palace

My first full day here we went to see the Palace of the Parliament, also known in English as the People's Palace. Built by misguided (and that's putting it lightly) communist despot Nicolae Ceauşescu, the Palace is the second largest building in the world to the Pentagon and a truly awe inspiring sight to behold. Ceauşescu never got to see the building completed, but I'm guessing he would have been pleased as it really puts the White House to shame. For whatever reason, tour groups aren't allowed access to the palace's terrace, which offers an amazing view of Bucharest that any dictator would envy. Unfazed by such restrictions, we snuck away back through the palace near the end of our tour and were greeted by this dramatic scene. And yes I know that 'snuck' isn't a word but 'sneaked' just sounds idiotic. 

Phil lives right in the middle of Bucharest's old town, where many pre-communist buildings have somehow survived the test of time and remain as a reminder of the city's past. The neighborhood has been pedestrianized and is now a hub of retail and nightlife. Other structures, from grand mansions to orthodox churches and museums survive elsewhere as well, and although the architecture is definitely European, it retains an eastern character that I find immensely pleasing to the eye. One building of note is the Atheneum, known worldwide for its exemplary interior acoustics.

Couldnt find my picture of the Atheneum... so here is this bank instead. Still nice. 

In just a few days I've been all over the city. By now I know the benefits of travelling with someone who is familiar with a place, and since Phil has been living in Bucharest by himself for a few months now, he knows all the best spots. From cafes, clubs, and parks to delicious places for kebab and Romanian cuisine, I've been taking full advantage of the excellent exchange rate to make the most of my stay and get a real feel for the city. My overall impression is that it's not such a bad place all things considered. Given that the Iron Curtain fell some fifteen years ago, I am a bit surprised that the city hasn't come further in terms of aesthetic improvements, but I guess there is only so much you can do with ugly communist-era apartment blocks besides tear them down... and people need places to live. That said, I'm told the country is enjoying a healthy economy at the moment, and judging from the bustling malls and busy streets I don't doubt it. Back in the 1930's this place was on the rise, described glowingly as a lesser Paris. We all know what happened next, but I have to believe that at long last Bucharest will soon have its day in the sun. 

That's all for now, it's late here and tomorrow we have an early morning rendez-vous with a castle in Transylvania. More on that later. Here are some parting shots.    

A quiet weekend in Amsterdam

So if you haven’t figured it out by the title, I went to Amsterdam over the weekend with my fraternity brother. A relatively short flight away from Britain, the price of the ticket was right and we were able to find a hotel (NOT a hostel!) in a very central location for a more than reasonable price, so there was little reason not to head to the Netherlands. So many things I want to say about Amsterdam... where to start…

Amsterdam is kind of a two-faceted city in terms of why people visit. For one, its old town is packed with canals (explaining the nickname ‘Venice of the North’), historical architecture, and a charm unique even in Europe. There is also the matter of it being a vaguely Las Vegas-eque place, where prostitution, marijuana, and many other things are either completely legal or technically illegal but fully tolerated. What happens in Amsterdam stays there more or less. But I wouldn’t know anything about that stuff.

View from our hotel onto the Rembrandtplein

Typical Amsterdam Scenery

Amsterdam is a tourist destination no doubt, but there aren’t a ton of ‘sights’ to see per se. The city’s main asset is its atmosphere. We flew in early Friday morning, and after checking into our hotel on the Rembrandtplein we spent most of the day just kind of wandering around. Like I said before, the city is really unique and definitely unlike any place I’ve been before. The canals, row houses, brick streets and narrow alleyways, cafes… one can walk for hours just enjoying the vibe that the city gives off. The same thing goes for at night when the street lamps and Christmas lights (I thought we started early in the states) glisten off the water making for some serious ambiance. Almost made me regret being single… but not really. As a side note, evening strolls are a legitimate pastime as the city is apparently one of the safest in Europe.  You might not believe that after the tenth or eleventh time being asked if you want to buy some coke, but a polite ‘no’ or a request for a comically harder and more dangerous drug will send these businessmen on their way no questions asked.

See what I mean?

If I remember correctly, that first night we hit up De Wallen (Amsterdam’s much ballyhooed red light district) to see what all the fuss was about. That was something else… it was like being in some alternate reality. I don’t know whether to describe the prostitution situation there as a marker of a more progressive society, or a marker of social decadence and degradation… maybe a little of both. It’s a legitimate industry though, to be sure, and the workers get regulated wages and benefits like everyone else. I guess what I took away from it was that prostitution is going to happen no matter what laws are on the books; there is a reason why it’s called the oldest profession in the world. Given that fact, I see no reason not to regulate it and turn it into a tourist destination… still weird though. Oh and you can't take pictures in the RLD, sorry. 

Wheatfield with Crows, possibly Van Gogh's last work

Saturday broke fairly gloomily, so it was a perfect day to explore the depressing life of one of the most famous painters in history, Vincent Van Gogh. Right near the Rijksmuseum, which had a 20 euro price tag I wasn’t trying to pay, Van Gogh’s place is a more modest affair but still sports four stories and an impressive collection considering how it seems like I’ve seen at least a few of his works in every major art museum I’ve ever been to.  The audio tour was useful but not as comprehensive as one might expect. Still, Van Gogh is a fascinating figure and it was definitely worth learning a bit more about him.

Next day we went to the Anne Frank Museum, which consists of the house the diarist called home during the Nazi occupation as well as a conjoining space for more exhibits. I read the diary for class when I was in elementary school so it was definitely a little surreal walking up to the real thing. I was expecting the house to be set up like it had been during the war, but instead the rooms were mostly bare, with information and exhibits on the walls. Various excerpts from the diary were scattered throughout, and the museum did a good job of presenting the chronology of the affair as well as the people involved.

The Anne Frank House is in the middle

Monday, our last full day in Amsterdam, we walked out to the ‘Heineken Experience’, an interactive exploration of everything involving Heineken beer. This particular attraction I was less than impressed with. For starters, I don’t care for Heineken. Fraternity life has conditioned my palette to appreciate brews of a more cost-efficient variety. Secondly, there just wasn’t much to the place, mostly just fluff. They don’t actually brew the beer there anymore, and although they give you a rundown of the brewing and bottling process, it’s not like you’re really seeing it. Most of the ‘experience’ consisted of watching beefed-up Heineken commercials and hearing about how wonderful the brand and its patriarchs are. You do get some free beer, but like I said, I’m not a fan.

So, you may be wondering what I did in Amsterdam the rest of the time, seeing as I was there for a little over four days and I wasn’t in museums for the whole trip. Well, you’ll just have to go to Amsterdam and find out for yourself. I said at the beginning of this post that there are two main reasons people visit Amsterdam, and I really believe that the combination is what makes it such a cool place. As an added bonus, the Dutch culture is definitely a distinct entity...but literally everyone speaks English, which makes getting around pretty seamless. I’ll look back on my weekend with fond memories for sure, and I would definitely be down to visit again- if only to continue reenacting my favorite scenes from Oceans 12.

Becoming a Highlander

The entire time I’ve been in Scotland people have been telling me I needed to visit the Highlands, and I agreed. Not only did their descriptions of breathtaking beauty compel me to go, but my satirical fascination with the movie Highlander was also a significant factor. I had made no plans up until a couple weeks ago, but interest by my flatmates and my fraternity brother studying in London convinced me that now was the time. A few days of planning later and the trip was set. Here is the route we followed over three days (which was obviously a lot more windy than those red lines):

After some initial setbacks in getting our rental car, we headed to St. Andrews on the East coast and arrived just before running out of daylight. Although our original plan was to hit Dundee and Aberdeen on the way up as well, we were fortunate to be in St. Andrews for the sunset as the view looking out to sea was gorgeous. Just beforehand we had a look around the ruins of the once-mighty St. Andrews Cathedral, and after dusk had fallen we made our way to the famed golf course as well as the university before grabbing some dinner and beginning for Inverness.

Inverness is the capital of the Highlands (which is an actual political entity as well as the general name for the region) and quite a charming city when you venture into the center along the River Ness.  Although a few hours north of Edinburgh and higher in elevation, Inverness wasn’t noticeably colder.  This would change once we ventured into the Cairngorm Mountains just South of the city (the big green section on the map) for our hike the morning after arrival. We had planned to take a trail around a couple of the mountains for a scenic view of a nearby loch, but with less daylight than we had anticipated and misty conditions, we decided a ways in just to climb one of the nearby mountains instead. It wasn’t the most difficult endeavor of my life, but I will say that the mountain definitely looked shorter from the valley. About halfway up we began to get pelted by tiny water molecules from the surrounding clouds until, by the summit, we were fairly wet. The top afforded little in the way of views, but a convenient wind shelter made from boulders allowed for some rest before the descent.

For whatever reason on the way down, the beauty and enormity of the landscape really started to hit us. We hadn’t seen much on the drive up due to the darkness, but here right out in the middle of the wilderness with not another soul around but us, there really was a feeling of mystique that eludes any proper description. In one moment I understood what has brought master painters and movie directors alike to the Highlands- they’re just beautiful. The mountains looked like hills because of their gradual rise and lack of trees or the typical rocky façade, but a more thoughtful gaze revealed that they were far bigger than any hill I had ever seen. If you don’t really focus, the scale of the place can be lost on you. 

That night, after the hike, we returned to Inverness where I tried haggis for the first time. I’d been waiting to eat it in the Highlands as I thought that would be most appropriate, and I’ve got to say it tasted pretty good. It was served on top of mashed potatoes, and in that fashion it reminded me a lot of ground beef.

After another night in Inverness, we set a course for home down the West coast of the famed Loch Ness. Just as in Burma when I saw the Kayan women with the gold rings around their necks, Loch Ness was definitely a watershed moment for me in terms of realizing that I was actually seeing some of these famous and remote things with my own eyes. After watching countless TV documentaries about Loch Ness, standing on the shore was pretty awesome and I made sure to grab a rock to bring back with me. The scenery looks a lot different than it does on TV, more mountainous with less rolling hills than one might expect, but the view was still amazing to put it lightly. We stopped at Urquhart Castle halfway down the length of the loch, but settled for taking pictures from above because of the high price of admission (which I hadn’t expected).

Luckily, our last stop provided a much better opportunity to explore a medieval castle, this one situated near the base of the tallest peak in Britain, Ben Nevis. Inverlochy Castle in Fort Williams, circa 1270’s, is mostly ruined now, but that only added to its romantic allure. Watching part of Braveheart before the trip didn’t hurt either.  According to one of the info-placards outside the castle, Queen Victoria once visited and was not impressed, saying something to the effect that there wasn’t much left to see. I have to disagree, as I found the ruin nothing short of fascinating. Walking along the ramparts I couldn’t help but be impressed by the authenticity of it. It’s a real castle, and real battles were fought over it for hundreds of years. You just don’t get that sense of the distant past in America.

After leaving Fort Williams we headed home and returned the rental without incident, thankfully. Although the trip ended up costing almost double what we had estimated, it was definitely worth it for me. The scenery without a doubt lived up to expectations, and a road trip with friends  beats sitting around on the weekend any day. I apologize if this post seems a little rushed, but I’ve got a flight leaving Edinburgh in few hours to... somewhere. You’ll have to check my next post to find out, but suffice to say I’m highly enthused.

Anyway, here are some additional pictures. 

  

21 in London

Had you asked me a year ago how I would spend my 21st birthday, wandering around London would not have been my first guess. Nevertheless, that is what I did last weekend, making for one of the more interesting birthdays I've ever had. Travelling down to meet one of my fraternity brothers who is studying in London, my primary focus for the trip wasn't exactly of the sightseeing variety. Still, I was determined to use what free time I found myself with to catch a few of the more notable landmarks in one of the most important cities in the world, and for having no map or itinerary I think I did a pretty good job just wandering about. Here's how it went down...

My sleeping schedule here in the UK is all kinds of messed up. I never have class until 3pm, making it all too easy to stay up late and sleep in with relatively few adverse consequences. In fact one positive consequence was how easy it was to catch a 4am Megabus from downtown Edinburgh to London on Thursday night, arriving at about 3pm (it is a looong bus ride). With the night's festivities not kicking off until later, and a few hours to kill, my brother and I had a look around the British Museum. If you aren't familiar with it, it's massive and would take a couple of days in its own right to properly tour. With only hours at most, we limited ourselves to an abbreviated version comprising the Rosetta Stone, some ancient Egyptian artifacts, European swords, clocks, and some Renaissance sketches. 

Some debauchery and a good night's sleep later, I showed up in downtown London armed only with my camera and half-charged phone to see what I could cram in before sunset. Lucky for me, most of the top-priority, postcard plastered, world-famous, 'look, I was in London!' sites are clustered within a few square miles of the Thames River near the London Eye Ferris wheel/monstrosity, so I made quick work of a few places straight away.  

Not St. Paul's

Big Ben and Parliament were of course first up, and with the weather typically dreary and gray it felt just like I always imagined it would gazing at them from across the Thames. The weather here in the UK is rarely sunny, but I can't complain because that's just what one expects here. If I were in Rio it would be a different story, but in Britain bleakness is just par for the course.  

A thirty minute walk brought me to St. Paul's Cathedral, site of such notable events as Churchill's funeral and Princess Diana's wedding to Prince Charles. This notoriety I suppose is what helps justify the expensive admission fee. Trying to spare my wallet more suffering, I settled for pictures from the outside. 

After St. Paul's I had the vague notion of continuing East until I hit the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge (London Bridge from the song). Heading in that general direction, I stumbled upon a bit of a hidden gem in 'The Monument', a 202 ft. column finished in 1677 to commemorate the Great Fire of London. For a mere two pounds, you can climb the 311 step spiral staircase inside and enjoy a surprisingly good view of the city from the top. Two pounds doesn't typically get you much in London, so pleased with my find I went right on up and snapped this beauty:

So many cranes...

Continuing along, the Tower of London wasn't quite is imposing as I had imagined it. Built by William the Conqueror in 1078 to strike fear in the hearts of his subjects, I found it rather plain. Perhaps the horrors of the modern world have numbed me to the terrors of stone masonry. Right next to the tower is the aptly named Tower Bridge, and this I must say was more imposing than I had imagined. I even got to see it open up for a passing ship, one positive in a mixed bag of timing that would slight me at my next stop.

Oooooooooo scary

The Shard, just sayin'

The slight I speak of was the closing of the National Gallery 10 minutes before my arrival at Trafalgar Square, an unfortunate occurrence I may have planned for had I...planned anything. Instead I was greeted by a massive crowd of people (as opposed to some other animal) watching this awkward Japanese cultural show/celebration, which at that moment consisted of scantily clad cheerleader-esque dancers jumping around to a recorded track. Absolutely nothing wrong with that in my book, but not exactly an apt replacement for the works of J.M.W. Turner and John Constable. Oh well.

Westminster

The sun was beginning to set, and for photograph-minded individuals this means one thing- amazing shots. With the sun just above the horizon and the sky clearing up, bleakness gave way to radiance and the city opened up in a way hard to imagine just an hour before. I took a shortcut past Westminster Abbey racing back to Parliament, my camera gorging itself on a steady diet of statues and sun-bathed marble on the way. Finally, I made it back to my point of origin, and just as I had expected Big Ben was drenched in the evening rays. Snap snap snap, mission accomplished. 

By this time my phone had long since died, but I had one more stop in mind- Piccadilly Circus. Kind of the 'Time Square' of London, I heard it was a pretty happening place, and since the bright glow of advertising made sunlight unnecessary, there was no reason not to check it out. So... here it is. Lots of people and ads, and a particularly un-entertaining street performance. Not much else to say. 

The ads are on the other side, too bright for a good picture

I'm told I had a lot of fun that night... so now you know as much as I do! Unfortunately I was far too ambitious in booking my return ticket for the next morning, scheduled for 9am. I was pretty much on schedule until I fell asleep on the Tube and rode it to the end of the line, which forced me to catch a later bus that didn't get me back to Edinburgh until 2am. All in all though, it was a great time. Big thanks to my fraternity bro for having me down and helping me celebrate. 

As I was only in London for just over 2 days, it's hard for me to draw any conclusions about the place, however it didn't take me long to realize one thing- London is damn expensive. I spent some time in NYC this summer and thought that city was expensive, but London will now forever hold a special place in my consciousness as where money goes to die a painful death. I sort of rationalized it as a 21st birthday present to myself...but I'll have a hard time finding an excuse to visit again. That said, there is easily enough other stuff I would like to see and do to keep me busy for at least a week (Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, the Tate just to name a few), so I can't rule out another visit at some point. Still, for going in without a battle plan, I would say my blitz on London was an overall success.  

Soldiering on across the pond

Needless to say, I have been pretty busy these past 3 weeks. Between travelling Yangon>Doha>NYC>Providence>Boston>Toronto>Edinburgh  in just over 8 days, with some couch-surfing and wardrobe-swapping in between, to getting settled in here and dealing with all the hassles of fashioning my class schedule, I was just a little warn out I will grudgingly admit. Now that things are normalizing and I'm getting a routine down, however, I realize that I miss posting on here. After all, what's the use taking a bunch of photos and travelling to cool places if I keep it all to myself?

For that reason, I made this page, which will serve as my general travelogue from here on out. All of my posts on Burma are still accessible via the tab near the top of the page, however a name/address change was obviously in order so I slapped on the first thing that came to mind. If you were following by email previously, you won't get the updates for this page unless you subscribe again. Don't get me started on the many, many problems that blogger presents its users...

Anyway, keep an eye out for new posts. I'm planning some cool trips both in and around Edinburgh over the next couple of months, and maybe some surprises if my budget holds up, so read at your leisure.