aimlessly ali

Travel Light

“If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness and fears.” Glenn Clark

Have you ever sat back and just marvelled at the power of words? At how something you hear or read can halt you in your tracks as it grabs your subconscious and forces you to pay attention? Tonight I had another one of these moments with the quote above. And I can’t believe I’m going to write about it publicly since those are qualities I would prefer to keep locked away, out of reach of my own attention and certainly anyone else’s.

This quote from Glenn Clark first found its way to me about 6 months ago, I don’t remember where I saw it but I added it to my little notebook list. I liked it then, and also the other times I’ve seen it when I open that page to add another quote or thought. Somehow though, I didn’t need those words until right now. I sometimes passively wonder when the others I have jotted down will spring to life….

I’ve been travelling for the past 12 or so weeks, and as I absorbed these words tonight I had a flash of recognition. A vision of myself and the backpack I’ve had with me, smiling for the camera in front of some far-flung location. That smile is genuine, by the way, full of hope, the excitement of adventure and pride of accomplishment in equal measure. But my pack is too big and becoming more unwieldy as I pose and I realize I’ve brought along too much with me – those negative emotions I’d stuffed in with the rest of my dirty laundry.

In just this past week I can easily list off the times I harboured envy, nursed petty jealousy, felt unwilling to forgive and thought selfishly. It has been a significantly harder week than my usual, but I don’t want to allow that any foothold in my life nor do I wish to get used to the idea that my circumstances control me. I still get to choose my reactions. So I choose now to ‘unpack’ and leave these behind. I know this won’t be the last time I’ll allow negatives and fear to burden me, but for now I’m repeating this quote as my mantra until I can travel lightly enough to fly far and fast to the great things ahead.

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P.S. I did say in my very first post (Introducing: aimlessly + anywhere) that my blog may end up with a bit of everything. This one certainly fell under the ‘therapeutic diary’ category rather than travel journal…. But I’ll be back on the road before long and hopefully have some good stories to tell soon!

If you’re as inspired by the quote as I was, and would like to keep it with my picture you are welcome to save the image at the top of the post. In case you’re curious, I took that photo from the Citadel at the top of the Gellert Hill in Budapest.

Playing Ball in the Fall

My last post a few days ago was from Bogota, and now here I am again in Calgary, some 6350 kilometres later. I have been bouncing around the globe in the most inefficient fashion, back and forth across the Atlantic twice, then a couple times across the Americas, with no end in sight yet. I love it! When else in life will I ever get a chance like this to be so irresponsible with my itinerary and fully live up to my Aimless potential?? Maybe I’ve seen that “It’s not the Destination that counts, but the Journey” quote in all its various Pinterest forms too many times and have really taken it to heart….

As I’m forming my thoughts right now, I’m soaking up the last of the afternoon light on a patio and absolutely revelling in the feel of the warm sunshine on my bare skin. These are the kind of days I will always associate with HOME: The sky a bright blue in all directions, the air just slightly cool but the heat from the sun making it more comfortable to be in shorts than jeans, green grass and yellow leaves. Summer will always be my true love, but apparently I’ve got a bit of a thing for Fall now, too. Fall is mysterious in my home town, changing daily and forever leaving me wanting more of these perfect days.

Like if we back up to earlier this week when I first arrived off the plane, Calgary was cold! Of course it was, since I had plans that kept me outside… Here’s a little secret just between us: I came all the way home only to keep a commitment to my softball team after I had told them earlier I’d be at this final tournament. That was before I knew I’d be in Colombia, and before I realized just how much I’d like Colombia and want to stay longer. Oh, don’t get the wrong idea, it is NOT my skill that the team was relying on. Nope not at all. I’m really terrible at this sport. Embarrassingly bad. But I’m a good cheerleader for the rest of the team, and I think I help by making everyone else seem like a superstar in comparison. It’s good to know your role, right?!

The tournament was held in a tiny rural town, and even though it was all new to me (I’ve never been there nor attended a ball tournament before) I had a sense of familiarity. There’s something that just felt so quintessentially Canadian about this; where else would you find a couple hundred people camped in an open field and everyone smiling and having a great time despite nearly freezing?

Everyone is smiling – and no one knew I had a camera out! Maybe it’s the breakfast beers….

Natasha and I around the campfire. Finally not cold!

I didn’t take many pictures, I blame my sudden shock at being reacquainted to the Canadian weather. Too hard to take good photos when my fingers are numb and teeth chattering from the cold! Still glad I came back for this, however much I miss my sunshine and beaches. After travelling alone so much it felt great to be part of a team again!

Being Brave in Bogota

My first impressions of Colombia’s capital city are admittedly coloured by its dangerous reputation, so it’s not very surprising that the things I notice on my first day here seem to line up with that. Confirmation Bias – “I think I’m right so I subconsciously look for things that prove my opinion” – can be tricky to overcome.

I knew that Bogota has been an immensely dangerous city, and that within the 8 million or so people living here the extremes between extravagant wealth and utter poverty are jarring. So when I arrived and saw a city full of graffiti and security guards with rifles, police with dogs, or soldiers on every block it just seemed scary to me.

As I was thinking further about it, though, I came to realize that the heavy police presence was a good thing, and an indicator of the city’s efforts to stop the crime that had been so rampant. Once I had that shift in my thinking it became easier for me to see the good side of Bogota, and I ended up really enjoying exploring some of the sights. I was still careful as I made my way though the city streets alone, staying aware of what was surrounding me. Before I left my room I also prepared for the possibility of being mugged by only bringing a small amount of cash with me at a time and by hiding my phone in a secret pocket in my scarf. (If you haven’t heard of these yet, check out what I consider my “security blanket” for when I’m out….. Travel scarf. I love it!!) Don’t worry though – I ended up completely safe without any close calls and instead found people here to be very generous and helpful!

Everyone says the best tourist thing to see in Bogota is the view from Monserrate, a mountain right at the centre of the city. My hotel happens to be close to the base of Monserrate, so I was able to walk and in about 20 minutes I reached the ticket office to purchase my cable car ride to the top. Here’s a little tip for you if you plan to go see for yourself: Anyone afraid of heights should try to stand in the middle of the cable car, the huge windows mean it can be very clearly seen that the car is dangling from high above the steep face of the mountain; and anyone claustrophobic should avoid the middle of the car that is packed shoulder to shoulder with other people and at least try to be squished up against the window. If you suffer from both, well, there is a path to walk up to the peak, if you’re patient!

As well as the panoramic views of a city seemingly unending, there are gardens with plants that look like they sprung to life straight from a Dr. Seuss book.

I was delighted by the flowers, but I’m sure most people spend more time noticing the church, as it’s a popular pilgrimage destination, or the souvenir shops or restaurant. Whatever the draw, a great way to spend a morning!

My next stop on my own Discover Bogota initiative is the Gold Museum, as it’s the other item always listed in the guidebooks and blogs. I loved the museum! It’s so well laid out over 4 floors of a large building and jam-packed with the history of civilizations that inhabited the Northern part of South America, telling about these lives by what was done with gold and other precious metals. The entrance cost me about $1.35 and I could have easily spent more time here, so this will be back on my list of things to see when I return to Colombia one day.

Another shift I’m beginning to notice while I spend more time out in Bogota is the artistic vibe as an undercurrent throughout the community, even in the graffiti that first seemed so unsettling. Some of the street art I stumbled across appears to be a social commentary, others beautiful murals. See for yourself:

Maybe sometimes being brave isn’t about surviving something scary, once in a while it might be about the hard work needed to overcome an incorrect bias.

And finally, since I can’t get Dr. Seuss out of my head, here are some of his words to send us off with.

Oh, The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss

A traveller not travelling (much)

I wrote most of the last post while I was en route from Cartagena to Santa Marta, so I’ll pick up my narrative again from there. I had planned (and I of course use that term loosely) to start a trek into Colombia’s mountainous jungles the day after arriving in Santa Marta. This trek is Colombia’s version of the Inca Trail in Peru, an intense 5 day hike to the “Lost City” of an ancient civilization. Since I’m reasonably fit, and happened to have running shoes, first aid kit, flashlight and insect repellent all my in my bag I deemed myself ready to tackle whatever would come my way. However, as soon as I arrived at my Santa Marta Hostel I saw a sign informing travellers that the Ciudad Perdida (Lost City) Trek was closed for 10 days. Ugh. Maybe if I had done some actual planning I would have known that, but it came as a surprise to me, and of course just after I had spent 3 days getting excited about it.

I think that should actually be the theme of this post: Things I Didn’t Do in Colombia. Starting off with this trek, I also managed to miss seemingly all the other highlights. Whenever I would chat with people I would inevitably end up having to weather the surprised looks from them as they learned how little of the tourist trail I was experiencing.

I didn’t get to Medellín to take the Pablo Escobar tour.
I missed Salento and the stunning scenery there.
Skipped the National Park Tayrona where people camp in a hammock on the beach to see the bioluminescent algae at night.
Never made it to the Pacific side of the country, nor the South at all.
Even touring a coffee plantation somehow got knocked off my to-do list, and that really is surprising considering how much I had been looking forward to learning about (read: stocking up on) those magical beans that I rely on to kickstart my brain every morning.

Looks like I need to get back to Colombia, pronto! I still want to experience it all!

So, sensing that I might be in danger of losing my Travel Blogger Badge after that list I think I’ll launch right in to what I actually did experience…. Which is in short the rejuvenation that comes from meeting great people I really click with at a hostel that I didn’t want to leave. A special shout out here to the New Zealand kids that kept things entertaining, Victoria from New York, and Marc from Zurich – you guys were exactly what I needed this week!

Victoria and I took a day trip to a small town in the Sierra Nevada mountains called Minca. We had heard about a hike to a waterfall near there and decided to see for ourselves. After negotiating a ride in a shared Jeep up the mountain we were dropped off on the Main Street of town where local teens were waiting to take tourists up further on the back of their motorbikes. We came to hike, so we declined and set off on our own.

By early afternoon our destination revealed itself to be shimmering pools at the bottom of a small series of waterfalls, and we both happily plunked ourselves in the cool clear water. As it turns out, I learned later that night that “the” waterfall of guidebook fame was actually in the other direction… so chock that up to another item I missed!

We knew we were in the rainy season so we’d need to start back down before long, but I’ll admit we took our time, naïvely assuming that a little rain while we walked after already being wet from swimming wouldn’t bother us. Wrong again – but it did bring in the adrenaline portion of our adventure when we realized we needed to get to town ASAP to avoid drowning in the torrential rain. Only one motorcycle was still up there, so both of us squeezed on a tiny bike behind our young driver and hurried off down the steep muddy and rutted trail. I was just hoping that when we crashed the worst injury would be scrapes and bruises, but I’ll give credit to his skill and admit that it was actually fun. Needing a place to wait out the deluge, Victoria and I agreed to have a late lunch at the home of this driver – he assured us his mother’s cooking was better than any restaurant in town. Agreed! The very traditional meal of vegetable soup followed by chicken with coconut rice and fried plantains was amazing!

Still flooded, more than an hour after the rain stopped

Well. For a post on the 5 days I stayed put in the Santa Marta area, this is really getting long. The rest of my time was beautifully busy being lazy; alternating the beach, pool and hammocks with occasional walks to explore the area. Full of reading, laughter and conversations, and great food. I mentioned already I loved the hostel but I need to reiterate: If I could have moved permanently into Hostel Calle 11 Santa Marta I think I would have! Rumour has it the building was a former drug cartel mansion, but the new owners have created the perfect space for lounging. I think I’ll always smile when I think of this part of Colombia. Plus, the tranquil atmosphere was the perfect prep before arriving in the extreme chaos of that is the city of Bogota!

Feeling chill in Cartagena

My last post from Cartagena was a bit abbreviated, as I couldn’t seem to find enough time to write like I wanted to. But here I am again on another bus and the perfect opportunity to sort out my thoughts and activities during this five hour ride.

My main thought right now is “I’m freezing!!” Why is it that people seem to believe that any time AC is an option it must be set to replicate Arctic conditions? I vehemently disagree, but seem to be the only one who would appreciate a more moderate touch with the temperature controls… Well, on the bright side, I think I read of a study recently that concluded that being cold could help keep a person slim (I’m paraphrasing) so I guess I should be thankful for this chance to shiver off a bit more of my croissant-cushion I’m still carrying from Europe.

My chance to warm up during a pit stop for coconuts and empanadas

Air conditioning gripes aside, I really quite like the climate here on the Colombian coast. It’s hot and humid, which makes me feel like I’m on vacation and I’m automatically inclined to enjoy that despite understanding being sweaty half the day is kinda gross. I noticed a fun illustration of how hot it is here the other day when I caught sight of a cat sleeping on an ice cream freezer… Aren’t cats known for finding the warm sunny spots and heat sources to snooze on? Not in Cartagena! (I posted a picture of this already, if you want to see it check out my Instagram )

The cat and I were both at Castillo San Felipe, a massive imposing complex built first in 1536 and expanded in 1657 and again in 1763 to protect the city from invading armies. One point I remember most is that this Fort is credited with stopping the British from their advance and is perhaps the reason why English is not the language spoken throughout South America. Impressive. This actually wasn’t my first introduction to the Fort, as I saw it a few months ago during an episode of The Amazing Race. I’m a big fan of the show, both the original and Canadian versions, and I got a kick out of exploring where the other contestants had been. I even found a distinctive yellow and red sticker marking an entrance to the tunnels so I imagined myself racing through to complete the task first. I didn’t tell this to the guys I was with – they would have thought I was weird – so naturally I won. Ha!

Another thing I found while wandering Cartagena was a small chocolate museum and shop where I learned all about the cacao bean and how it’s harvested. The free samples I continued to munch on aided in my learning, for sure!

Cartagena has some amazing beaches nearby that I wanted to see, and yesterday I hopped on a tourist bus to Playa Blanca. During the hour drive to the beach I found out what two Brits, an American, German, and Canadian have in common: Travel Stories. When we arrived at a beach with the Caribbean sea’s trademark crystal water we knew we were in for a great day. The five of us stuck together all day, and the only downside is that I was having so much fun I forgot about taking pictures.

Colombia still has a remaining residue from its danger days in the 1990’s, but my experience so far has been very positive. By following common sense and the safety advice of those in the tourism industry here, this has been a great and relaxing week so far.

Cheers for Colombia

I’m celebrating today, feel free to join me. Why the celebration? I hit a big milestone that I’m excited about…. Drumroll please…. 50 Countries! My tally of places I’ve seen is somewhere between a fifth and a quarter of all the countries in the world, depending on which method you use to count. (The number is contested: you could say there are 195 according to the UN, or you could go with the Olympic committee that recognizes 206, or the ISO Standard list that has every (current) overseas territory listed separately and say 249.) I guess I need to go with the largest number since I have places like Greenland and Gibraltar in my count despite them technically being part of another country. Either way you slice it, I’ve been a lot of places but I have waaaay more to look forward to!

One thing that I’m most immediately looking forward to is seeing more of Colombia, where I am currently. I’ve now had 2 full days here and I’m hooked. The city of Cartagena is the perfect mix of Caribbean and Latin flair with stunning colonial buildings painted vibrant colours in the old walled city, and modern skyscrapers like in Miami or Vancouver to contrast and add interest to the skyline.

Lots more to come from my time here in another post. Stay tuned!

More from New York

I have a confession to make. I have been avoiding this blog for a week, even though I still have lots to say and even though I really do love writing it. That’s weird, right? I would want to sit down and start a post telling you about all the great things I saw on my last trip, (finishing off the post I started in Naming New York ) but then I would open YouTube or Pinterest instead, or watch a movie or pick up a book, pretty much anything to avoid productivity. I’ve also managed to avoid laundry and vacuuming through these same tactics. But I think it’s about time for me to wrap up this little brain break I’ve given myself and get back to seeing how much I can accomplish in my day instead of how little. Do you know the feeling – have you ever had a chance to just let yourself be a blob for a while? (Not counting any times prior to your 23rd birthday! I remember lots of us choosing to be brainless at times before the full pressures of adulthood kicked in!)

So here we go. I think I’ll still start off with something easy, though, and keep this to a pretty simple recounting of the time I had in New York with my girls last week.

Four childhood friends from a small town are set loose in a big city where they discover new adventures and new things about each other. If you didn’t read that last sentence in an exaggerated movie-trailer-narrative voice then please go back and read it again the way it was meant. Or skip it entirely – lines that cheesy aren’t meant to be taken seriously!! But actually…. that pretty much sums up my 5 days in New York. The four childhood friends are myself and 3 of my cousins that I grew up with, and we really did keep busy with exploring for the entire trip.

We’re not always so elegant… That photo was just before the one Broadway show we were able to see. And side note – go see Cirque Du Soleil PARAMOUR if you ever get the chance. I loved it sooooo much!! I think my exuberance to see the show must have caught the attention of Karma, because when we arrived at the theatre to pick up our tickets, (cheapest ones available and at the top back of the room) we were given an upgrade and watched the show from nearly the best seats in the house! Made my night!!

Another highlight was going to Yankee Stadium to watch a baseball game, again made even better when our team won! Go Jays! We had jokingly wondered before if it would be a problem cheering for the visiting team, but when we got to the stadium we saw almost as many Toronto fans as there were for the Yankees. It was incredible to sit out in the sunshine with about 37,400 or so other people and cheer on the teams.

On a day that was slightly less hot and sunny, we chose to be a little more active than we had been previously so we found some bicycles to rent and cruised our way through Central Park. I still find it amazing that a park so big can be in the middle of 8.5 million people… and there were times where it felt like we were the only ones there! Beautiful! As we were making our way through the park, Julie saw signs leading to a castle in the park so we made our way to go see it. Now, the part that I really want to convey other than the fact that an almost secret mini castle exists, is the fun coincidence that this is Belvedere Castle. If you’ve been reading my other posts, you may remember that I was just at Belvedere Palace in Poland with two other friends. Unless I was just the only one that hadn’t realized Belvedere was a major global name, this seems an unlikely parallelism. Not that I’m reading anything into it – I doubt the universe is trying to get me to drink more Belvedere Vodka! – but it’s made me smile none the less.

FullSizeRender 13 — Part of Central Park’s Belvedere Castle in New York

Other things we did during our days there: Ate a lot of ice cream. Gawked at the crowds in Times Square. Walked through SoHo and countless other communities. Shopped on 5th Ave. Saw the Statue of Liberty. Took a moment to reflect at the 9/11 Memorial site. Rode the subway. Noticed two rats. Marvelled at the Brooklyn Bridge. Gossiped together while getting pedicures. Laughed at the “Pretty Lady Discount” we were offered by creative vendors. Took a ton of pictures of the four of us together. Further cemented our bond as friends for life.

Naming New York

New York City. Those three words together are almost certain to evoke a reaction whenever they’re used. Clearly more than just a mark on a map, New York has a persona of its own, and in the realm of cities, New York is an A-list celebrity that everyone recognizes and wants a part of. The fame of this city makes it seem completely familiar, but with an edge and enough mystery to keep us intrigued.

I’m here with 3 other girlfriends, and I am soooo happy to have their company on this trip! Always happy to see them, but especially now after travelling alone for the past 6+ weeks!! Having their excitement and seeing their view of NY along with the way they’ve relayed that to their own friends back home has been fascinating for me. It’s fun to have another perspective – a reminder of what it’s like to experience the hum of the Big Apple for the first time.

For me, it’s the rush I feel just as I step outside the theatre after watching a great Broadway show that keeps me coming back. Having so many sounds and sensations saturating my nervous system is the best intoxication for me, and I’m floating on that energy for the rest of the night. The skill of the performers; the set, costumes and lights and music; then to walk outside into the crowds – sirens and horns and bike bells and street hawkers and advertisements all blaring; the sizzle of hot dogs and kebabs lingering over it all. This is New York. Not the mountains of garbage on the curbs or the smells on the subway platforms, those seem to fade away to the background of what I notice or remember. And that, in my opinion, is what really makes any A-lister, whether city or celebrity: that certain magic equation where the good is so great that it subtracts away the negative.

Suddenly

It’s funny how quickly situations in life can change sometimes. Not long ago I was bemoaning the loneliness that can set in with solo travel, and then in the metaphorical blink of an eye I found myself so busy socializing that I could barely manage the time to keep up with my writing. (A problem I will happily choose any time!) My other big change has been location again…. Yes, I realize this is a travel blog and so it’s not news that I’ve travelled… But I’ve left Europe and I think that any continent change deserves specific mention. Friday morning I flew out of Warsaw, enjoyed a 5 hour layover in Amsterdam, and wound up clearing customs in Edmonton. This city isn’t home for me, but close enough that I have my own people here. People like Tricia, who will be in most of my stories this post. I’ll give a visual to help while you continue reading; she’s the blue-eyed beauty on the left. You’re welcome. 😉

And a little foreshadowing… she’ll feature prominently in this blog when we go to another new continent, Asia, this fall.

When I set out on my travels I had people say to me “aren’t you worried about the dangers?”, and my answer was always along the lines of “of course I am, but I’ll be careful. Plus who says home is safer anyway??” So not that I’m keeping score or anything, but I have two new examples proving MY point on this issue.

Number 1 – Crime: It seemed like a man was following us in a store last night, and just after we started paying closer attention he set down his basket full to the brim with items and bent over it for a moment as if looking for something. Suddenly he’s dashing straight out the door and into an SUV that screeched up to the entrance. My theory is that he was using us as a distraction cover while he boldly shoplifted a ton of stuff. Jerk.

Number 2 – Wildlife: I still can’t quite believe this happened, and it happened to me, with witnesses! Walking along the river valley in an Edmonton park, on a paved pathway through the trees, I nearly stepped on a snake. (!!!!!!) Good thing the snake was fast, and it disappeared away into the bushes along the path before my heart was able to resume beating. It was BIG! And black with a bright green/yellow stripe down the length of it. As my foot was about to come down on it, and it began to move away I gave a startled yelp and hopped back/over away. That’s how I remember it, but another version is that I ‘screamed like a girl’ and jolted over to the other side of the path. Sounds a little dramatic to me…. I prefer to think I kept a bit of dignity in that moment, but who knows?! One thing for sure is I was awfully jumpy for the next hour. A Google search has me convinced this was a Prairie Garter Snake, which can grow to be about a metre long. I had no idea there were snakes like this in Alberta. I think I liked it better in that ignorance.

So since I’ve established that home (home province) does not equal an automatically safer environment, it’s easier to announce that my next trip begins in a day from now. I’ll be on my way to another country again early Tuesday morning. See what I mean about change happening quickly?

Winding down in Warsaw

This morning I’m sitting in Warsaw, and thrilled to be here except for the tiny little wish that I could have kept the weather I’ve gotten used to – I’ve been so lucky with sunny days and 30• heat for several weeks now – and it’s cold here! Thankfully at least the sun is out.

In a few minutes my friends will be arriving to meet me and start another day of exploring the city. Until then I’ll try to get a few of my thoughts written down here.

One of the countless beautiful buildings in Warsaw

One thing I love about travelling is how it challenges me to be a better person, by allowing my eyes to be opened to things I may have never otherwise thought of. The other day was a perfect example: I’ve been on the go for a while, and the wallet I’ve been using was already old and worn out. It’s ripped and torn, and missing a zipper. I grabbed my wallet at a cash register and ended up with coins fallingout and clattering all over the place. As 3 people stooped to help me collect my money I made a comment in my embarrassment along the lines of how I needed to get rid of my gross ghetto wallet. And instantly as I heard the words come out of my mouth I was horrified with myself, as I had JUST finished touring through a museum exhibit of the atrocities of the Warsaw Jewish Ghetto… I can really be an insensitive ass sometimes…. It never occurred to me that the origins of the word are so awful; it was an adjective I used to sprinkle in my speech as a way of joking about anything I own that’s in less than perfect condition. So that stops now.

Speaking of the museum, anyone travelling through Warsaw should make a stop at the Warsaw Uprising Museum. It’s full of detail and wildly interactive, if a little confusing to find the correct order of walking through the exhibits. I wonder if that was intentional… It IS commemorating a period in history full of chaos, after all…

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My friends that I mentioned at the beginning arrived, and this part of the post is being written more than a day later than the top of the page was. (Thought I’d better explain that in case I start to confuse you with a mix of past and present tenses in my writing.) So I introduce you to Jeff and Jeanette, two great goofballs and my official guides in Warsaw. Who, by the way, seem to be very connected in the city – in the hours we were out we bumped into different people they knew four times, plus she still has family here. Keep in mind there are over 2 million inhabitants so it’s not just some little village where everyone generally knows everyone else… Jeff joked a couple times about how he could arrange for me to end up stranded somewhere so I’d have an interesting story to write about…. I’m just glad they chose to have their people stand down!! Ha!

During the two days I had in Warsaw, I think we did a pretty decent job of hitting the city highlights. We ate a lot (and you already know my love affair with food!) walked in calm city parks, and ogled the architectural achievements of the city. Oh plus we accidentally wandered into the middle of a political demonstration at night. All of a sudden we were surrounded by a noisy crowd and the lights from tv news vans, and in the time it took us to get to the other side of the gathering the noise had become organized into a demanding chant – we took that as our cue to make a hasty exit before things got out of control.

Back to the food again, where it’s so easy to get a sense of an area’s culture by seeing what may be unique, and being able to contrast that with tastes that are pretty much universally enjoyed. I can’t picture a scenario that would have me choosing to eat raw beef at home, but in order to test out culture I dipped my raw hamburger in a raw egg too! It was kinda good, actually…. At least not awful when I got over the fear of eating it. So far so good – no food poisoning! And on the other side of the scale we have chocolate. Lunch was at Warsaw’s original chocolatier, and cumulated in Chocolate Perogies! Delicious!

This grin looked a little devious to me, so I didn’t take a bite until after I watched her eat it first!

The palace on the label of Belvedere Vodka

Winding down in Warsaw…. Definitely not physically since I was busy the entire time, but this is the end of my European jaunt. I’ve had a blast exploring places I never expected to see, and am already looking forward to (hopefully) having a chance to come back, but it’s back to North America for me again now.

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