Day 29 - Croatia

When I wake up in the morning and I am feeling fine you know I am loving everything today. -SlightlyStoopid

Well pretty much every day has been like this. I get up, feel great, and love everything in this world. I feel that I am opening my mind enormously on this trip, not only to other cultures but to a way of life that has alluded me until now. The backpacker way of life is one of fluidity, freedom and cultural exchange. I have realized now it is the people that make the trip. Not the room you stay in, the beer you drink, or the place you are staying, it is the people that determine how enjoyable your time is. Needless to say the people are great....

Kitty and I met two Danish guys on the train from Sofia to Belgrade that we have been traveling with for almost a week now. These guys are great. They are positive, fun, and open minded. They are curious about our way of life as we are theirs. Though Denmark is a western civilization their system of government is much different. They believe in social programs that any American would likely call communist. For them university is free, healthcare is free, transport is free, among so many other things. Yes the country of Denmark only has a population of 5 million as opposed to the USA's 300 million, so it is much easier to manage social programs, but the country has a lot of good ideas that I think the USA can implement over time if we started thinking more about the common good than just our own good. This philosophy of common good trickles all the way down to the hospitality that we have recieved since we started backpacking.

It is apparent that lots of people here truley care about the common good and not just their own good. As a capitalist I still think that many things in America are much better than things in Europe, but I cant help but agree with the Europeans on matters such as Heathcare. The notion that if you need medical attention but cant recieve it because you dont have insurance really is a ridiculous idea. Yes medicine is expensive and we have great doctors in America, but would it really be a bother to pay more in taxes for everyone to have healthcare?

More pictures and thoughts comming later...

Day 22 - Bulgaria

Heylo. I know I am jumping really far and havent made a blog about Istanbul (Which I will soon), but I just had to tell you all about Bulgaria.

Bulgaria first of all is much more than just a country that steals kidney and sells black market babies. After all Kitty, Ashley and I got through our first night organ doner free. However when we first got here tit had a very eerie feeling.

You can see on the right a picture of the train station, which had nearly no light fixtures or any color to it. It had a strange vibe like that of a russian communist state (up till 1989 it was). The people were all very tired and bland looking. Kitty and I just looked at eachother and said, "This is just wierd." Perhaps the wierdest part of the train station was the buzzing that would be concentrated in certain spots. You would walk 10 feet, hear a high pitched buzzing in your head, then walk another 10 feet and it would be gone. I felt as if someone was honing into my thoughts.

We eventually got a taxi and went to our hostel in the city center. We were delighted to find a very clean, colorful, and friendly city with lots of churches and interesting shops. The first thing we went to see was St. Alexander Nevis Cathedral.

This cathedral must have been about 150 feet tall. It was built about 100 years ago with inspiration from the Hagia Sofia in Istanbul. It is the centerpiece if the town and just a magnificient structure. There was almost no light inside, so I couldnt get any pictures even if we were allowed, but from the outside you can see just how cool this structure is.

After sightseening for a while we went to a little flea market in the park that sold antiques. The antiques were how do you say...interesting? They ranged from old guns and knives to Nazi and Soviet memorabilia. Maybe it was classless but since I have never seen any type of antiques from the Nazi party before I had to get something. What I got was a Nazi pin that said at the top "SIEG HIEL," which translates, "Hail to Victory." I know what you are thinking, "Spencer why in the hell would you buy Nazi memorabilia?!" Well I promise it was in good taste. I bought it because I feel that the holocaust is something that needs to be remembered. I see it as a part of history that has come and gone, but never should be forgotten or watered down. When I pass this pin on to my children one day I will tell them the same story. About how my great-grandmother and her brother were the only two siblings of 5 that made it out of Poland before the holocaust started, which I wouldnt exist today if it wasnt for that lucky decision.

After I had bought my Nazi memorabilia we went back to the hostel, talked with the hostel attendant for a while, then dressed up, ate dinner, went to an irish pub and thats when things started getting fun.

We met some Bulgarian guys, they were extremely well spoken in English which was great. We exchanged ideas, talked about our countries, and then they bought us beers. We then told them we wanted to go to a Bulgarian bar so they took us to a club that was a block away and they bought us Whiskey drinks there. I was a bit apprehensive to drink the drink at first after seeing movies like hostel, but after hanging out with them for a few hours I realized they really did just want to hang out and have a good time with us.

It really has astounded me how nice the people have been in most of the places we have gone. In Turkey the hotel concierge took us out to a club, last night the Bulgarians took us out too. I dont know where people get the idea that everyone hates Americans, but it is just not true. Almost all of my experiences on this trip have been positive. They want to know about our country just as much as we do theirs. Sparking up conversations with people brought up with such different backrounds is so enriching for both parties. Its funny that Americans get the misconception that everyone dislikes us. Maybe in the touristy areas like Rome they have less patience, but almost everyone that I have met does not express any anti-american sentiment, its just great.

We have to catch a train to Belgrade now so I need to stop ranting. I will update soon. Peace, love, travel... - Spence

Day 12 - Capri

Sorry for the lack of updates the past 2 weeks. I have been busy and havent really felt like updating because I have been exhausted.

Right now I am waiting in the lobby while some of the girls I am with are getting Turkish Baths. Would love a massage right now but for 70 dollars I will have to pass.

The first picture here is of the island of Capri. Capri is a little island off the coast of Italy. There is a modern town there now, but in ancient times there were 6 Villas that the Roman emperors used to vacation to. Now it is just that, a tourist destination that everyone can enjoy.

First thing we did was rent a boat when we got there. It was resonably priced when split between 9 people. The boat was an absolute blast. We sailed around the island for about 3 hours. We stopped at ruins by the water, jumped off of 15 ft cliffs into deep trenches, and even got to swim in Grottos It was absolutly beautiful. By far the best part of the trip.


The whole island is pretty much a huge mountain that jutts out of the water. Some of the cliffs can be up to 2000 feet tall. They just dwarf you as you pass them by on a boat.

This was a natural archway that we passed under. The arch itself was probably about 50 ft tall, so you can get a perspective of the total height of this rock.

Here is a picture of the cliffs that we climbed to jump into the water. We didnt go all the way to the top but it was amazing to jump into crystal clear blue water.

Capri from the port. You can see the little town in the foreground. It was dwarfed by the cliff sides.


Will update again soon. I promise.

Day 10 - Rome, Sorrento, Capri

Thanks for everyone for leaving the comments, makes me wanna write alot more. Sorry I havent updated in a while, I have officially detached myself from the computer for almost a week and it feels great. I know for all you facebook whores out there that a day without facebook is like a day without water, but I beg to differ(not naming any names hehe). Being here so far I have learned so much, not just about history and Europe, but about myself. Our group has been living by our motto, "Dont live to work...work to live."
I know now what it is to live the way we were intended to. This past year I have worked my butt off trying to be the best in school, extracurriculars, and social situations. The stress is killer and when you are only worried about being the best, and not about being yourself, you can make yourself miserable. If there is one thing I have learned so far on my trip it is that being comfortable with yourself is paramount to happiness. Until you accept your flaws, embrace your strengths, and live in the moment you may never achieve that happiness that we all desire.
Now for the pictures...
First picture is from the vatican. Painted by none other than Rafael himself, this hall was at least 100 meters long, 15 feet high, with the most intricate beautiful paintings that you can see anywhere in the world. It supposedly took him and his student 5 years to paint this hall. Rafael designed and painted up until the final year, in which he passed away and his student finished it up.

The statue here is of Remus and Romulus. Legend states they were the children of the god Mars, who were abandoned in the wild then were nursed back to health by a shewolf. After they grew older then were eventually returned to their rightful throne and decided to start a new city. That city was Rome.
The Roman forum was perhaps one of the most interesting places we have visited so far. It was similar to a modern day downtown area in its purpose. It was the central market, the central spiritual area, as well as the center of politics for centuries.
The grassy area in the middle would have been the marketplace, the large boxy brick building was the Senate house, and the white Arch was a triumphal arch built for one of the emperors in honor of his military conquests.
Though the forum is old and in ruins now, it is not to hard to get a feel for the grandeur of it as you walk through the complex. There is an altar (or stage) that many of Romes greatest emperors and politicians spoke from to the masses. There are also several temples, each dedicated to a single god or goddess. Though most the temples have long fallen some columns still stand so you can get a picture of how tall these temples actually were, some in excess of 100 ft. Almost all of the roman forum would have been covered in marble during its use, however after the forum went out of use the christian church and the vatican stripped 99% of the marble and used it to build their own churches. One can only imagine how magnificent the forum was 2000 years ago.

This building, its name evades me, was one of the largest buildings in the forum. It was used for multiple reasons, one of which was judicial. This building would have been completly enclosed at one point but during an earthquake a whole half of it collaped. The vatican then did its thing and stripped all the marble away from the walls and this is what is left.


Here is one of the triumphal arches. Forgot which emperor had built this arch, but the reason for its construction was to honor the conquest of the Romans over the Jews. You can see the menorah carved into the wall being carried off. After a conquest most emperors or generals would ask the senate for a triumph, where they would march through these arches into the roman forum with all their spoils of war in a parade like fashion. Oh yeah apparently the Jew gold aquired during this campaign was used to fund the construction of the collosseum. Ironic...


For all you soccer houligans, yes I saw the WORLD CUP FINAL in Rome! We stood in a crowd of probably 20,000 people and cheered spain to a victory (not many dutch there). Awkwardly I was wearing a blue shirt, which was the color of the Netherlands, good thing they didnt win or I might not be here right now.

Other picture is from the subway. Chris, Hannah, and I sweating our balls off trying to get home after a long day.



Three brothas at Pompeii taking it all in!
Pompeii was an ancient city that was founded around 600 BC. It had a population of 20,000 which was a large city by ancient standards. In the year 44 AD Mount Vesuvius Erupted at 12 noon, litterally burying the entire city in ash in a matter of minutes. It was not rediscovered again until a few centuries ago. When excavation started the archeologists were astounded to see how well preserved the city was. Original wall painting still exists. Look below to see the Broffel painting.



This guy met an unfortunate end. Look at him whining and crying, while being burnt alive by 1000 degree ash. Oh well the city of 20,000 didnt die in vein. If it wasnt for the city being covered in ash then we would not have it as a glimpse into the past from this modern day.




Group in front of the Medditerranean at Sorrento. When I tell you these people are great I mean it. Our group chemistry was been so fun and everyone is very considerate.


Putting on my wifebeater before going into Pompeii (See it in the backround). Kristina dazed.











Original painting in a Broffel in Pompeii. Since Pompeii was a martime town there was a huge market for prostitutes. Sailors would come off their boat, come to this place, and if they didnt speak the language they could just point to which sex position they wanted. This one is called, "Doggy Style."


Funny story behind this fish. Catch of the day 6 euro per Kilo is what I heard. After eating this amazing fish I was hit with a 60 euro bill(80 dollars). Well I guess I have to pay attention to the waiters accent more often. Me and Chris enjoyed sharing it, and in all honesty, I would pay 60 Euro for it again, it was THAT GOOD!


This might be the best picture of the trip so far. Really looks like a green screen in the backround, but its actually just Sorrento. I dont know why this picture came out so good, but Hannah and I both look dead sexy in it.

Thats all for today. This blog took me 2 hours to write so I hope you all enjoyed it. Will update again soon. Hopefully with pictures of Capri cause that island was freaking amazing. Chao!

Rome Day 6

Today was amazing...again. Sorry I havent added pictures in a while. Its a hassle to have to come down to the internet cafe and pay to use extremely slow computers.

First picture is from the a veranda overlooking Rome. St. Peters Bacilla at the Vatican is by far the largest and tallest building in the city. It completly dominates the skyline from almost any vantage point in the city. It might be one of the most beautiful manmade objects (natures mountains own all) that I have ever seen from a distance. As always the pictures DO NOT do it justice, as it is larger than life and a masterpeice when you see if with you own eyes.

One of the more spiritual buildings we entered was the Pantheon. During the afternoon the sun raidiates through the hole in the roof creating an effect that makes you feel that the sky is watching over you. This is perhaps one the the best preserved buildings from ancient times. Almost 2000 years old! It was originally built to serve as a place of worship for the many dieties that the Romans believed in. Later during the spread of christianity it was converted to a Church to serve as a place of worship for one god. I cant describe the feeling you get as you walk in, the building is absolutley massive and was the largest dome ever constructed for 1000 years.

Me and my buddy Chris clowning in the Pantheon.

The collosseum was simply awe inspiring. Built 2000 years ago it served as a model for stadiums for centuries.

This place was HUGE! Held 50,000 people (UCF Stadium) but built so long ago and still standing. When I look at it I cannot believe that engineers using first century technology could build such a structure. Massive rocks had to be lifted hundreds of feet in the air to build this.

Thousands of animals and men were killed at this very spot. Our professor told us that many north african animals probably became extinct because they were used for entertainment purposes during gladiatorial battles. There is also evidence that this place could hold water, litterally. Ship battles were reenacted in this center and it was able to hold up to 20 feet of water.

But that is enough of the history lesson. All I can say is put this on your list of places to go and educate yourself of roman history beforehand!

Today was perhaps the most tiring day so far. We walked probably around 5 miles in the heat and humidity because of metro rail strike, but saw so much cool stuff.

Being in rome with a group of really down to earth people has made my time here so much better. We have stayed up till 5 am almost every night drinking wine and talking about life. However that is now taking a toll on my body and I need to go take a nap to catch up on sleep. Goodbye, wish I could upload more photos but the internet is slow as mollases.

-STF

Rome Day 2

Ahhhhh Rome is amazing! I never thought I would actually appriciate wine in my life, mom you were right its great I just wasnt drinking the right kind! Jennay dont worry I didnt spend all my money in one place. Shmo you dont even know about Dandrow, Ill have to tell you about him later, funniest guy ever. Kimmie you are right Rome is HUGE but at the same time so easy to get around!
I am having a great time right now but I wish all you guys were with me cause I know you would appriciate this place so much. Though our AC in our hotel room completly sucks(sleeping in a pool of sweat) its still nice. I think I have figured out why Americans are so fat, its because we dont sweat in our sleep.
Anyway will post pictures later so check back, I have so many good ones! Colloseum today!

Day 1

After a night in Amsterdam this is the only money I had left. I think I will jump back on a plane home soon.
For real though Amsterdam was an extremely expensive city, but for good reason, it is ifinitley more beautiful than I realized. The city is centuries old. In the 1600's the Dutch built these canals during the Dutch golden age. I am told it was designed by the same architecht that designed Venice, and although not as well know for its canals, Amsterdam has more canals and bridges than Venice.

One of the many canals of Amsterdam. All the canals are situated in a series of concentric circles, so you always know which direction the city center is just by following the circles inward.

My first day in Europe did not dissapoint. It seemed like a blur considering the jet lag and a total of two hours of plane ride sleep, but that didnt stop me from drinking and relaxing with some new friends at the end of the night. Write more later gotta go catch my connecting flight to Rome.

The guy beside me in the airport has succeeded in being the most disgusting person I have yet to see so far on this journey. He has spit a pile of sunflower seeds on the floor in front of him, that also happens to be right in front of me. Based on the accent I would suspect he is French, however considering my lack of any european experience he can just as well be any other nationality.
It still hasnt hit me that I will be in Europe in less than 12 hours, I want to just get up and scream YEAHHH!!! but that would probably be inappropriate. Next time this is update, Yes, I will be in Europe!

2 more days...

As I am sitting here in my hot sticky room and I cant help but hope Europe is somewhat cooler. Ive heard its pretty hot in the summer but blissful wishing never hurt anyone.

Whether its hot or not I still have the same image of the continent in my mind. I see urbanized towns, even small ones, just because most of the towns I imagine were founded before the advent of the automobile. Not to mention I have heard lots of Europeans don't even own cars due to the efficient mass transit.

Really stressing the whole packing thing right now. I know I am going somewhere civilized but I don't want to have to deal with the hassle of buying things that I forgot. I think packing is my least favorite thing to do.

Regardless of the surprises the continent throws at me I have a hard time believing that I will be anything less than extremly satisfied by the time I get back.