A long time comming

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Here's a long update that covers a bout a week, Get comfortable and enjoy!

I need to catch you all up on a few days. I think I last entered comments having just arrived in Gryon. I checked in for 1 night and w/in 5 minutes had extended it to 2. The girl working there had just finished her undergrad pre-med and was enrolled in med school. She had been there 3 months and was working on defering her enrollment for the next year to stay there. Bert runs the place, there are a group of flight attendents staying there, a bohemian type guy named bo, who had just finished highschool, but seemed much older. He and I went hiking and had a great time. There were also a pair of girls from Ireland, a guy just out of colege from Michigan, a guy from louisiaana, and a two girls from England, and another couple. The hostel is a very warm cottage w/ a fire pit out As I said I had a great hike w/ Bo, then came back to the Hostel just in time for the trip to the hot springs. It was great! The hot springs is a big heated pool w/ saunas and turkish baths, jazcuzi jets and beds along the sides of the pools, and a big whirl pool that sens you spinning around. I left so relaxed! We came back and I pitched in for some soup the Louisiana guy made, then it was on to the wine. I drank a bottled and a half I think, sitting around the camp fire talking about our travels etc, playing the instruments that wew laying around badly. I think it was 3 AM before we all went to bed. I got up the next day to go to Prague.
The Irish girls recommended a Hostel in Prauge that was a little out of town, but a lot of fun, the flight attendants had stayed there too, and said it was dirty, and not that great. I decided to stay in one more centrally located in old town instread.
Of course I missed my shuttle to the train staion and had to wait an extra hour, but it ended up forcing me onto a train w/ much better connections. The train ride there felt a bit sketchy, but in the end I slept fine in my couchette. I shared the room w/ one other guy who didn't talk much , and a 70 old woman traveling alone. She was Swiss and had stayed at the hostel in Gimmewald when she was 20! I made it into Prauge, and though I slept the entire night on the train, I was groggy and not well rested, but new I had to forge on. I got myself well orineted with the city, went up to the castle district and around old town, went back to the hostel and took an hour nap. Determined to hear the music in Prague (what it's famous for) I asked around for the good spots, but no one knew. I started walking out to the area that is popular among young people, just across the Charles bridge, but at the foot of the bridge there was a line for an organ concert. . . of course I went in. It was awesome, the organ was the oldest in Prague, built in 1702. There was a flute and violin accompaniment, I wandered over the bridge after that looking for some more modern music (and some food) but found neither. I came back across between the beggars on the bridge, it was a different sight. The men get down on their elbows and knees w/ their hands folded above their hanging heads. tThey have a bowl in front of them and never look up or move from that posssition, truely begging! A this point I was starving, so I found a restaurant w/ Dixieland sounding music, it turns out the restaurant was the ccenter of the tourist area call New York. I had some pork chops and went to bed.
I realized that Prauge would be a lot of fun w/ a friend or a group, but alone the beer capital of the world isn't so great, I don't really like to drink alone, so it's not much fun. I decided to cut my visit short and go down to Chesky Krumlov for a day. I got up and toured te Jewish historical center w/ its synagogs and the cemetary. I couldn't belive the density of the headstones piled on top of each other inches apart. I saw the cafe Kafka wrote most of his work in, then I went back to train station for the schedules, chose an evening train an mapped out the rest of my day. I hiked back up to the monastary where the books were all kept and controlled by the monks. Then went down for the 1 pm concert in the castle. The music again was great again. The night before, I saw someone who looked like Rick Steves, but thought "Naw, I just saw him in the store last week, there's no way he's here." I noticed some musicians who I had seen on Rick's show and went to say hi, and that I had seen them, they responded that they had just met w/ Rich the day before, so it may have been him. There was a changing of the guards cerimony going on, so I snapped some shots then started my hike back to the hostel to get my bags for the 4 hour train to C. Krumlov. I navigatted my way ontot the train and was off. about 20 minutes to the station where I needed to transfer, the train ground to halt, and they made an announcement over the loud speaker. The conductor came through and told us that the train had de-railed. Great. It'
s 6 pm I have to make a 7 pm connection and the train is off its tracks. The managed to get it back on line after about 20 minutes, and I was able to sprint to my 2 car train for the last leg of the trip. We motored towards a beautiful sunset, and arrived shortly after dark at teh train station half an hour from the town center. At this point I figured I'd get to town, check into a hotel, have some dinner, and call it a night. I started walking down the main drag to what I assumed was the town center following uncofortablly close to two young girls who seemed to know where they were going. The street narrowed got dark, then turned into a cobblestone foot path in the middle of what must be a very nice park, but at night in the dark, I fwelt like I was in central park @ midnight w/ all my camera gear and laptop. Not such a good feeling. Finally we rounded a corner and there was the town lw/ the castle lit up. Made me feel good! Since I was staying in a hotel I thought there was little chance of meeting anyone, so I'd get some sleep, tour the town in the morning and catch an afternoon train back to Prague to catch the night train to Munich.
I did as planned: checked into the hotel, went down for diner, but as I was leaving the restaurrant I heard some English being spoken, and starved for social interaction, I followed the voices into a bar down the street. They belonged to a group from all over including a guy from the San Juan Islands, and a a guy form Vancouver. There were also a bunch of Ausies there, so I ended up staing there and talking for hours. I played the best pool of tmy life, wining three games in a row on my first turn of each game! It was a blast. We wandered off to another bar, but a big wine and 3 beers later, I could barely make it to my hotel so I said good night, They gave me their e-mail address to catch up with them in Munich. They've been driving a van around Europe for 3 months,a common thing to do among Ausies and Kiwis, and all the vans meet up for Oktoberfest in Munich. They say it's an increadible sight 100 or so vans full of Ausies and Kiwis afterpartying Oktoberfest. I'd love to see it if I can catch up with them.
I stayed in this amazing hotel, a bed room as big as my condo, a kitchenete, and a big bathroom w/ a tub big enough for 2. It'd be a great place to come back to later. The town is cute, I wandered around a bit then went to the castle to climb the tower. Nice and relaxing then got on the train for Munich. I don't have a place to stay tonight, I think I'll try to get another night in Munich then go to Fussen after, still haven't figured that part out yet, but I have some time to think about it on the train! See you soon!
Steve
I'm going to have to go back out of memory . . . I got into Munich 3 nights ago, went to the hotel and found I could check in a day early. I dropped off my bags and went looking for dinner. I wandered around Munich for an hour or so, got a brat, then went to bed. I got up in the morning and lined up outside the tourist info center to figure out where to go. I got a walking tour map, and some information about the festival. I ran into a guy who promotes bike tours, and it sounded good, so I headed off on the walking tour hiking around 'till 2:30 when the bike tour began. I came upon the opera house, and thought what the heck, I'll see an opera tonight. I went in and got a 70 Euro ticket and continued on my way. Past the first church built in the 10th century, into and out of the Residence gardens that are beautifully manicured, etc. there was an incredible air of anticipation in the air, everyone out and about waiting for tomorrows party. I came back for the bike tour and ran into the Irish girls from Gryon, waiting for the same bike tour. The tour was fun, we got a good overview of the city w/ some fun historical insight. We took a break 2 hours in in the middle of the second largest metropolitan park in the world ( three times the size of Central Park), to have a beer in the second largest beer garden in the world. Unfortunately the tour went long and I missed the opera! I went back to the hotel showered and met up with the crew from the bike tour at the Hoffbrau House, a brewery started by the king for him and his men only now open to everyone. It was madness! I saw a huge Scotsman being carried out passed out by three of his friends, kilt flapping in the wind. You can only order 1 liter beers here, so you can't help but get drunk. There was a band playing and fun was had by all.

The parade of the brew houses into the Oktoberfest grounds starts at 10:30, so I got up a little early to make sure I could get a view. By 8 am I was out heading for the parade route, thinking it was like the Macy's T-giving day parade. The streets were dead. I wandered around until about 9:30 when people started showing up. I bumped into a travel photographer, and he told me all about it. I hung out with him for a bit then the parade started half an hour early. Next thing I know, I'm walking the parade rout with other photographers no one bats an eye. I walk the Parade rout and end up in front of the main tent for Oktoberfest. The main guy (I think the mayor of Munich) gets out of a carriage with his wife, surrounded with secret service type guys. I get pushed in with the mass of media people and pop into the tenet with only about 5 other photographers. We follow this guy around to the main staging area and 5 feet in front of me is the barrel that gets tapped to start the festival. I got some awesome pictures. The main guy hammers in the tap and everyone goes nuts. The bar maids start grabbing 12-1 litre mugs of beer and distributing them. The pass a few back to the "press core," so I got a beer of the first barrel of Oktoberfest. A1-litre of beer in me, I went to the press center and asked for a pass. They looked at my camera and filled one out for me for tomorrow. I took my camera back, grabbed the disposable, and went back in. I started drinking with this New Zealand couple, really nice people. This place is madness! There are big tables crowded together, w/ benches to sit at them. You can only get a beer if you're sitting at a table, each of the 17 major tents seat about 10,000 people. The benches become the floor, as everyone is standing on them dancing and toasting, every 5 minutes the band plays a song that everyone knows the words to, but no one reallly knows, wich is the same as yelling social. everyone drinks. I've never seen so many people sooo drunk! It's crazy.
Today's parade was much bigger, all the people from near by come, dressed up in the traditional costumes. Now with an actual press pass, I got a front row seat for this one too; it was fun. Chatted with another photographer for a bit and he suggested I put my pictures up for sale a few places. The handed outr beers to us so we sat, drank, took pictures, and had a great time. I wndered back having to check out and get ready for the train trip to Fussen,, when I started thinking, a little buzzed, the bike tour place has a tour going there tomorrow. I can stay here, have some fun, not have to carry my bags on the train down there, not have to figure out where to stay, not figure out how to get to the castle from Fussen, and oh yeah they have a detour to a swimming hole in a river on the way back. I turn around to ask the shop what time the tour gets back to make sure I'll make the train to Paris, but can't find the shop. I'm all worked up for this, but now I can't do it 'cause I can't find the shop! Still buzzed, starving, and a little dejected I sit down for a Bavarian Bread Soup, and a nice salad. Refreshed and sober, I walk out of the restaurant and on the left is the bike shop. I get all the information, call my hotel to make sure I can stay an extra night, and rejoicing I head back to the hotel to get my laundry (I'm out of clean socks and just about everything else again). I take a 30 block tour of Munich with my laundry on my back to find there are no Laundromats, just dry-cleaners that are expensive, slow, and closed Sundays. First stop in Paris . . . laundromat! I'm back in the hotel to catch you guys up, and relax a bit before heading out again. It's back to the fest tonight!

-Steve

I got into the tour to King Ludwig's castle. It was 39 euro, which I thought was a good price, but then . . . lunch wasn't included, the tour of the castle wasn't included, the bus from the train station to the castle wasn't included, the tour ran long, so I had to leave early and couldn't do the bike ride or the sled ride (louging through a tunnel in some old ruins, and I had to navigate my way back to Munich on my own, a bus and two trains (not included). They can expect a letter from me soon! The castle was nice, but it was a short 25 minute tour, and not that informative, but I'm glad I went to see it! It must be beautiful in the winter. I got back to the train station, grabbed my begs and jumped on the train. I was feeling shitty at this point, I had a soar throat, felt a bit feverish, and was feeling jipped by the tour, but a went to sleep in a much nicer couchette than the one to Prague. I sweated through the night, I think it was a fever, but finally slept soundly and woke up in Paris refreshed and feeling great. The hostel I was planning on staying in looked to be about 10 blocks from the train station, but I wasn't really sure where, so I stopped for a capachino, got my bearings, and headed off. NB read the note at the bottom of the map that says, "not to scale." 2 hours and 5 miles later I finally find the place, which is full. They can squeeze me in tonight, but they're not sure about tomorrow. I'll worry about that later. For now, a little laundry, then off to explore Paris! Love to all!!
-Steve

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