80s night at Maskata...

Maskata. One of my favorite night clubs in Bulgaria. And they have one of the best live music stages! Well, the only live music stage that I know of. Every night - a different band! Every night - a wild party till dawn! Located in the student district of Sofia, it is definitely worth checking out. I miss places like this, I miss the live bands. And I just don't get enough of it here. And thats why I love this place!


This time, we were out in full force celebrating a number of events. The welcoming back of a good friend Link, the birthday of another Link, and the farewell of Peace Corps volunteer Mark. It was fun times had by all.

See here. This isn't even the whole gang. They must have been on the dance floor getting their groove thing on.

And to make it even more interesting, some of the girls (with my convincing) decided to dress 80s style. That meant really hip clothes with crazy fun accessories. I had a weird off the shoulder shirt that said gym girl in sparkles and Carin sported an odd shirt for aerobics featuring heating class. (Tell me, what exactly is heating class in aerobics?) We had the bright jewelry, the fish net gloves, and of course the side pony that are all very classic 80s. With no real planning we couldn't go all out. But next time, beware. It is going to be a fantabulous 80s night!!!


Notice the black ballet slippers. Next time, I promise hot pink sparkle shoes in action!! Just you wait.

Savage Chickens

I have never loved the internet more than I do now. I don't like watching TV anymore as there never seems to be anything on. CNN replays the same stories over and over, there is only so much family value I can get from the Hallmark channel, MTV is just not my style of music, and I cant stand to watch the Orange County Chopper guys argue anymore.


So, what do I do? Well, I read a lot, watch movies, and waste most of my time on the internet. I am not a huge internet freak like some of my nearest and dearest friends here, but I do have my favorite sites I like to visit daily. And most recently I discovered the "Savage Chickens." (Click on the link to go to the blog.) It is a short comic blog about chickens done on post-it-notes. It's awesome.

(*Note: I originally found them when doing a random 80's search. And this is the comic that came up. I instantly fell in love!)

The Forbidden Picture...

While wandering the streets of Krakow I happened upon the United States Consulate. And feeling rather patriotic at the time, I decided to take a picture of the flag hanging outside. I took the photo and continued walking. I looked in the window from across the street to notice a sign saying no photographs. Thinking to myself, "Oh well, no one saw," I went on my way. Suddenly I was approached and stopped by a big meaty man in a police uniform. He informed me photos were prohibited and made me delete the picture from my camera. He even watched to make sure I had.


So, how do I still have a picture of the consulate? Little did he know I snapped two photos!

But tell me, what is the big deal with taking a picture of the building? What harm can a little photo do? Seriously?

A Canadian, a Kiwi, a Texan, and more...

These are just some of the friends I met along the way. In all my travels over spring break, I managed to meet loads of new people. People who I shared a few laughs and a couple of good beers with. Some even became travel buddies during my trip. And some I met up later with in different cities.


City One: My new friends in Budapest. Out on the town enjoying a few drinks wrapped up in some cozy blankets. Really, this is their ploy to get you to sit at their restaurant. "We don't have heaters to keep you warm, but these soft blankets are much more cozy and romantic. " Pictured here are a few Americans, a Kiwi, and a Canadian.

City three: Kitsch, the coolest nigh club in town. On the third floor of an old warehouse building in the center of Krakow, Monica (the Canadian) whom I traveled with to Bratislava and Krakow, Slavek (the hostel owner), and I got our groove on to some good old American music. Quite fun actually.


City Four: It's always nice running into a friendly face, and that is exactly what happened. I met back up with my friend Kiwi friend Amanda, whom I originally met in Budapest. From Budapest to Prague, we had a little fun with some Aussie boys. Who knew they were so crazy?


And finally, Easter: While waiting for my train in Poland, I met a couple girls traveling around on their spring break from semester abroad. We chatted but went on our ways. Randomly enough, I ran into Louise on the streets of Prague and we made plans to meet up for Easter. We got some Mexican food and a few beers. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect Easter when traveling alone.

Now you have it all. Lots of travels, stories, pictures, and friends. It was a great kind of "last hurrah" before I finish up my service. A much needed hurrah!

Can tourists ruin a city??

The answer my friends is...YES!

Prague, Czech Republic. This city is so hyped up right now being called the Paris of eastern Europe. And maybe it is, but for me, I found it to be too overrun with people making it hard to truly enjoy the city and all it has to offer. And really, it is quite an interesting and extensive city.


The cityscape is stunning. Simple as that. It has a medieval center that proves to be an evocative maze of cobble stoned streets that lead to ancient courtyards, dark passages and many, many churches. All this, and an 1100-year-old castle. But sometimes, just sometimes, it is hard to appreciate all this when you can hardly manage to walk down the street. Most times I felt like I was cattle being herded down the street. There were just so many people everywhere.


During my visit, in order to get off the main path, I headed to the Communism museum ironically situated next to a McDonalds. Here I learned that Jan Palach who burned himself in protest of the soviet-led invasion. The funeral of Palach turned into a major protest against the occupation, and his action was followed by two more people. Although these suicides didn't have much of an impact on the actual political situation at the time.

Later, I wrapped my head around the very strange Kafka museum. The peeing statue above is one of a pair outside the museum. Kafka is one of the best known Czech writers of all time that has become amongst the most influential writers of western literature. Although I have not read any of Kafka's works it is said that he has come to embody the blend of absurd, surreal, and mundane which gave rise to the term "kafkaesque."

And finally, the quietest place I found in Prague was the Lenin Wall. Seriously, there was not one other person roaming around in this area. It is not really mentioned in the guidebooks and it is definitely off the beaten track, but here I was. In the old Communist days, this was the outlet for the locals to express their views by spray painting their feelings and messages here. It was dominated by old Beatles lyrics, so hence the name. Today, you can see many faces of Lenin hidden beneath the other graffiti scribbles.

Well, thats about all for now. Hope you enjoyed Spring Break 2007: Eastern European Extravaganza. I know I did!!!

Krakow....my new favorite city!

Krakow, Poland. A very understated city in all the guidebooks and I hope it stays that way. This had to be my favorite city on my route by far. It is an amazingly gorgeous city alive with so much character and soul. As one of the oldest cities in Poland, it has maintained its medieval look. And for an interesting fun fact, in 1945 a sudden encircling maneuver by the Soviets forced the Germans to evacuate the city, therefore Krakow was saved from destruction.


After only ever hearing great things about Krakow, I can now say I see why. It is a city that captures so much history. The Old Town harbors towering Gothic churches and the great Wawel Castle. The Jewish quarter, Kazimirez, recounts a more tragic story. This later became the home to Jews fleeing persecution from all corners of Europe. During WWII there were about 65,000 Jews in Krakow, today there are only around 100. Several of the sites in and around Krakow have, at one point in time, been put on Unesco's World Heritage list.


On the outskirts of Krakow there are also a few sites of interest. First, the Wieliczka Salt Mine. Remarkably, the entire mine of long hallways and chambers is all hewn out by hand from solid salt. Not to mention every single element , from chandeliers to altarpieces to statues is made of salt. The picture shown is the largest chapel that took more than 30 years to build, and is located 135 meters below the surface, where even the floor is one solid slab of salt carved to look like tiles.


And the second site of interest, although meant only for the strong and mature, is Auschwitz. As most of you reading this know, it was the scene of the most extensive experiment in genocide in the history of humankind. The concentration camp was established in 1940, originally intended to hold Polish political prisoners, but later developed into the largest center for the extermination of Jews. Auschwitz is made up of 3 camps total, Auschwitz itself, Birkenau, the larger camp where most of the exterminations took place, and also Monowitz. The death camps eliminated 1.5 to 2 million people of 27 nationalities -- about 90% of whom were Jews.


After a busy few days in Krakow it was time to get back on the road. Although this time I was a bit more nervous about getting there. I had to take a night train to Prague. And with all that I kept hearing, it was not sitting well with me. Everyone kept telling me, even the guidebooks, not to take Polish night trains, especially alone. People on trains will gas you in the night, and the attendants are in on it. Scary. Well, I said heck with it! Prague here I come!!! I went ahead took the risk and was put in a cabin with a harmless old lady who didn't speak a lick of English. I came out alive, passport and money intact.

Boring Bratislava

Bratislava is another city I have previously visited during a different spring break trip about 5 years ago. Not too much has changed since then. I only spent a day there then. And I only spent a day here now. It is a beautifully quaint city with its own version on eastern European goulash, but as far as the sites go...it's not all that interesting. But after busy Budapest, I was up for a more relaxing time.


I visited a castle, the massive rectangular building with four corner towers stands on a quite isolated rocky hill directly above the Danube river in the middle of Bratislava. It is probably the most outstanding feature of the city, but to be honest, I just wasn't that impressed. Most of it looks to be fully restored, but going in is out of the question.

Every time I travel, I always manage to meet a new friend. A new statue boyfriend that is. And here is yet one more. And apparently Bratislava is known for its quirky street statues around town. This guy, my new friend, is Napoleon's army soldier. This soldier is supposed to reminds visitors of Napoleon himself wearing a typical hat. Napoleon I visited Bratislava in 1805, then in 1809 Napoleon's army blew up the Devin Castle near Bratislava.


And the adventure continues. Poland here I come!

Spring Break 2007!!

Am I too old to be saying "spring break"?? I mean, I am not in college anymore. Oh well. Here is to one last spring break. SPRING BREAK 2007: Eastern Europe Extravaganza!!


For 10 days I took my first solo trip. Traveling is nothing new to me. I have traveled all over the states, Mexico and Europe. But I had never traveled alone, alone. Several people had told me it is quite an experience to travel solo. You meet lots of new people, you get to be the boss of your trip, and you ultimately learn a lot about yourself. It gives you ample to time to reflect on, well, everything. And that is exactly what I did.


First stop: Budapest, Hungary. After taking a short relaxed flight, where I managed to fall asleep before takeoff (Why do I do that on every flight and bus ride? Is there something in the air?) I arrived in Budapest, hopped on the city bus, took the metro, then the tram and finally made it to my hostel. There, I was greeted by the friendly faces of new friends.


For the next three days I ventured around Budapest, a city I had visited once before.The Danube River flows majestically through the center of the city, splitting the city into the Buda and Pest. Buda is home to some of the older landmarks in the city, including the Buda Castle, the Fisherman's Bastion, and Gellert Hill where some of the oldest thermal baths lie. While the Pest side appears to be more modern, with the market hall, opera house and the main shopping street for tourists.


I even managed to get out to somewhere new. I went to Statue Park, a relatively new sight for Budapest that houses the statues of Lenin, Marx and memorials to The Soviet Soldier and the Communist Martyrs. And much more besides. After the change of political system the statues were removed from Budapest's streets to the museum. This is the world's only such collection from the period of communist cultural politics. With a tour guide explaining the significance of each statue and giving a bit of history into communism in Hungary, it was really quite interesting. Especially when thinking about all the stories I have heard Bulgarians tell about their experiences during the communist era.


Next stop....Bratislava, Slovakia!!!

Close of Service Conference

As I mentioned before, I recently attended my last Peace Corps conference. The much anticipated event was filled with all the emotions that come with finishing service, and leaving Bulgaria and the 2 very memorable years spent here. Many thoughts raced through my head as I looked around the room and saw my group, simply strangers 2 years ago, but now my family. We are the 17th group to serve here in Bulgaria and over the years we have shared lots of laughs, tears, new and old stories, good times, and if you were lucky, care packages full of American goodies.

(Me, myself, and my training group.)

On the first day, the remaining 35 or so Peace Corps Volunteers broke up into our original training groups. For most this was no problem. But for me, it was a rather sad time. I was alone. I was the lone man standing after two years (my wing man Lincoln was not able to be there to stand by my side, although he will finish his service.) My fallen men included: Jim during training and who I have not heard from since, Liz after a year in BFE and no vegetables, she is now working at her dream job, and Jon after some health issues, who is now getting married to a fellow PCV. Most training groups had lost one or two members, and there were even a few where the entire group was able to stick it out. Bravo to them.

(The group photo. Probably the worst arrangement ever, but eh.)

But now it was all coming to an end. All I could think was.... "Oh my gosh! I cant believe two years has come and gone! What am I going to do now?"

So, what am I going to do now? Well, I am going to finish my last 3 months of service with as much enthusiasm and energy as when I came. I am going to thoroughly enjoy the spring and all the good things that come with that. I am going to look back on my service with no regrets. I am going to remember all the good and bad times. I am going to cherish all my new friendships, both PCVs and Bulgarians. I am going to stick around the region until I see all that I can and want to see. I am going to say all my proper goodbyes. And finally, I am going to leave this country a stronger, more mature person who has learned so much about life, people, and myself.

Here is to you Bulgaria and to Peace Corps!

Is it time to go??

After any long vacation it is always hard to get back on track. You have to re-settle yourself, catch up on things and just plain relax. The old saying goes, you need a vacation from your vacation.

Well, things certainly did not change this time around. I had been gone for 2 weeks and upon my return I was exhausted. My last day of travel was even a bit extreme. I had to take a night train from Prague to Budapest, then a flight from Budapest to Sofia, and finally a 3 hour bus back to Stara Zagora with no time in between. Needless to say, I was tired. And to top it all off, I had to go to class the next morning and teach for 6 hours. "Ugh" was all I could think. But something happened that day on my walk to school. Something that gave me a new realization.


As I was walking to school, I went to cross the street. I looked to see a car driving hurriedly down the road. I even had to step back a bit so it wouldn't run over my feet. After the car passed, I continued my usual route to school. But then I thought... "Man, if that car had run over my feet, I wouldn't have to go to school today!"

Whoa. What kind of person hopes her feet get run over so she can miss work?? I think that is my cue to head home soon. And fortunately enough I guess, I am headed home in just about 4 months. But don't get me wrong, life here is good. It is great even! Several days have passed since that incident, and things are back to normal. I am enjoying life and keeping busy as always. Not to mention the weather is amazing and all the outdoor cafes are back! This is the best time to be in Bulgaria.

So, don't worry guys, I am not hoping for any more close run ins with passing cars (especially not in my emerald slippers)!

Updates coming....

I am back! And my two week hiatus is over :(

I have been busying myself with two things. First, my close of service conference with Peace Corps. An important time to figure out all the logistics with leaving and a time to show people how much you really love to sing off key, especially the Bangles', "Manic Monday"!!!!!!!!


And second, traipsing the world.. well, more like eastern Europe. But traipsing nonetheless. My traipsing took me to Budapest, Bratislava, Krakow, Prague and back again. And it is good to be home.

With all my long travels, getting settled back in, and some quality cuddle time with the cat, I will leave you now with this oh-so-short blog and promise to fill you all in soon....

(*Note: Jumping photos rock my socks!!! It can't get any better than this, can it!)