Munich, Germany: February 16-18, 2007
So i went to Munich hoping to meet up with some friends of mine who live in Berlin. They don't exactly speak the best English, but they had said they were coming. So i fly out there and hadn't really heard from them the week that i left. They end up e-mailing me that they're not coming; as i am already in Munich. So i decided to make the most of my solo travels and signed myself up for a guided tour of the Dachau Memorial.
The Memorial was something that took out all the breath in one's throat. Just thinking of the horrible things that occurred to the people who were sent to the camp. And all i could think about was why... where does evil like this come from... and why hasn't it ended? It was haunting to see the plaque with the words "never again" written in various languages,
as it has been a common phrase in the campaign to help stop the genocide in Sudan. I find myself repeating the question of why over and over again.Out of going on this tour i made friends with a group of army guys who i bumped into frequently around Munich. Then i also met two Peruvians, who invited me out to have lunch with them. We ended up hanging out all afternoon in an attempt to make it to a museum, but then seeing it closed we made it to a beer garden instead. Well the Beers are a liter big and the Germans can take down about four and not feel a thing. As for myself one liter was enough. The night ended at 12 for the Peruvians, but at the hostel i met these Chilean guys who wanted to go out and catch a drink, so that's just what i did.
That next day i saw some guys surfing in a river, and happened to stumble onto a festival.
At first i had many fears of traveling alone, as it could have been dangerous; but i've learned to follow my instincts... lets hope those hold up.
Lisboa, Portugal: February 23-25, 2007
Well my Portugal trip was a little more risky then the last one. So i had met these Portuguese guys at our usual bar, Princesa 23, in Barcelona. They seemed like pretty cool guys, so i kept in good contact with one of them named Andre. I decided to buy tickets to visit these guys in Portugal, but originally planning on staying at a hostel they insist that i stay in their town. So i get to the airport in Lisbon and just hope that this weekend doesn't lead to my death. Andre picks me up in his BMW and shows me around the city, then we go home and i met his family.
The weekend consisted of hanging out, relaxing, going ATVing, and i felt kind of sick so lots of sleeping. There isn't much to tell of things that i did in Lisbon, except that it was an amazing experience to really see Portuguese culture by being friends with them and not just from a tourist perspective. But maybe i should have at least taken one photo... oops.
Amsterdam, NL: March 1-4, 2007
Ahh best trip yet! So Brian meets up with me coming from Ghana on the first of March; and then Friday Drew also came and met up, coming from his busy life as a grad student in London. It was such a great time. It consisted of the Heineken Brewery, Van Gough Museum, Anne Frank House, and lots of good times. I've been having a really hard time not sharing everyone's excitement when friends come into town of they meet up abroad; since none of my close friends are abroad right now.
I'm not really sure if seeing them made me less homesick or if it made me more lonesome for to see all my friends back home. Right now i feel very homesick and wish that i was able to share all the same stories of my AXO girls and UofI friends. But at the same time i can't turn away from this experience or miss out on it, which isn't what i let myself do. But again i took no photos : ( I think of this sometimes and realize how bad that is, but then at the same time i don't want to be so busy making sure i have pictures to capture the moment, versus living the moment.
Well thats the rundown,
~PeeCola
