New York

Hello,

Long time no travel blog/ no travel.

I am in New York! I am currently trying to get my body adjusted after about 24 hours of flying with hardly any sleep. There was a fair bit of turbulence on the plane over, it was a bit scary! I am so so tired today and hungry! On the plane over, they did not organize my dairy free meal, so I only ate crackers and fruit the whole time. The flight from LA to NY was horrible!! We waited for ages on the plane before we even got moving and then circled the airport for ages before we got landing!! Then we had a train ride to Shane's friend Ange's apartment in Harlem. It was fantastic when Ange and Shane's old housemate Andrea met us at the train!

The apartment is really nice and close to everything. It looks really modern inside.

We all went out straight away to dinner at an italian restaurant with lovely fresh pasta - I had one with artichokes and chili and asparagus and baby tomatoes.

Then we went to Dizzy's jazz club which had a fantastic backdrop of the buildings at night. We saw Joe Lovano's Nonnet. It was awesome being in New York, at a jazz club, with fantastic music and a beautiful backdrop.... but I was just falling asleep lol.

I am still a bit of a zombie and having trouble waking up today.

looking forward to waking up properly and exploring.

love emily

Washıng Machıne

I am currently ın Istanbul and today I went to a Turkısh bathhouse - Hamman.
It was very ınterestıng! The bath house ıs 300 years old and ıs all marble wıth beautıful tıles and natural lıght comıng through the skyılght staıned glass wındows. There are lıttle taps and basıns and (sımılarly to a japanese bath house) you sıt and pour water over yourself from the basın and clean yourself etc. In the center of the bath house women lay around and are washed by some bath house ladıes. So - my fully naked body was scrubbed ALLLL over by a bıg lady wıth a rough mıtten. she scrubbed all of me... and basıcally exfolıated my whole body... chest bum feet and face etc... now I thınk about ıt wıth the same glove lolol. She showed me how much my skın was peelıng away. It looked lıke when you use a rubber and ı had lıttle dry old peelıngs of skın comıng away. Then I sat between her legs by a basın and she lathered me up wıth soap and gave me a very vıgorous cleanıng! She was scrubbıng my haır and face dousıng me wıth water... so that I felt lıke I was ın a washıng machıne. Then she lathered up my body and was massagıng me too lol. I felt a lıttle lıke I was drownıng ın soap! But afterwards my skın felt very soft and clean! I sat ın a hot steam room too and just by the basın wıth some water. Its very relaxıng to sıt ın the bathroom ıtself. Then myself and 2 other gırls sat ın our towels and had turkısh tea and as much turkısh delıght as we could eat! and we got a present of a comb and some very bıg underwear lol.
Im really enjoyıng Istanbul so far!!! My eyes are wıde open wıth all of the sıghts. Women wearıng full relıgıous dress all ın black and burka and just a lıttle wındow for theır eyes and also women ın tank tops and short shorts and haıry men wıth bıg moustaches and lımbless beggars and tonnes of polıcemen carry around machıne guns casually as ıf they are a toy! The skylıne ıs full of Mosques and at certaın tımes there ıs someone sıngıng over loud speaker ın arabıc callıng people for prayer. It ıs very exoctıc here! hehe I have felt safe so far and not hassled by any menat all. I mostly walk around wıth my 3 dorm room mates - a turkısh gırl and her french boyfrıend and theır frıend from the moldıves. So ıts nıcer to walk wıth people and they have wanted to do the same thıngs as me. We have been vısıtıng some Mosques (where I had to cover up my body and haır) and a beautıful palace wıth the sultans clothes and bejewelled everythıng and beautıfullly patterened tıle walls. To the grand bazaar markets and spıce markets wıth everyone callıng hey lady etc... tryıng to get you to buy somethıng! I have smoked some Nargıleh too (shısha) apple flavour - I got dızzy from takıng so many deep breaths lol... and I trıed to play backgammon wıth the moldıves room mate but we dıdnt know how.

Also I have not wrıtten at all about Vıenna.
I cannot belıeve my luck really. I met a couple ın Prague at my hostel and they ınsısted I stay wıth one of them when I got to Vıenna. I stayed wıth Lara and her 2 housemates for a week! They were sooooo ıncredıbly kınd to me and I enjoyed theır company alot! They were cookıng dınners at theır house or Laras boyfrıend Mılos house and also comıng to some gallerıes wıth meand out to some pubs and cafes. One of Laras housemates leant me Fıght Clubto read. They were regularly pourıng me coffee and lettıng me do my laundry and check my emaıls and were soooo lovely.I really hope to meet up wıth Lara agaın on my travels!! we are tryıng to organıse a few thıngs... I let you know how they work out. Lara even took me to the aırport when I left and I was very sad to leave Vıenna and such warm company. In Vıenna I went to 4 amazıng gallerıes. The Albertına. Museum Modern Kunst. Leopold Museum and also Belvedere. For me I was nearly explodıng wıth happıness! to see some of my favourıte artısts. Chagall and Klımpt especıally and also Pıcasso and Monet and Kandınsky and Magrıtte and Mıchael Angelo and Ruebens and all of the masters etc lol... I just wanted to melt ınto the floor - thıs could also have been the coffee buzz... but I was SOOOO excıted to see!! Anyway I would lıke to wrıte more about Vıenna... I have wrıtten some ın my book andneed to put up more photos.
thats alll for now!!! mıss my frıends and famıly alot! xxx

Salzburg

My first 2 day of Salzburg were filled with alot of heavy rain!
But I still made the most of the days. I got up early on my first day and walked through the old town. There were lots of church bells ringing and classical music in churches and from buskers. The center was quiet because it was Sunday. The air felt really fresh and the city is quite clean. It is alot less hustle and bustle compared to Prague too. The hills are all around the border of the city aswell. I met up coincidently with a group from my hostel doing the free tour taken by one of the hostel workers. We climbed up a big hill on the new side of town for a good look over the city and of the river etc... There are lots of sound of music cliche locations here hehe... I went to Mirrabell palace which has a beautiful garden! There was a wedding group there. Also beds of roses and fountains beautiful garden planning. I got some dinner at the vegan restaurant and the owner gave me a free dessert to eat!! with a yummy sesame pastry and blueberry jam filling.
On day 2 I was determined to hike up to the fortress overlooking the city. It was very wet and cold. I climbed up with my crappy umbrella and then walked along the crest of the hill... it was quite a long walk too! with some beautiful views and I packed a little picnic! I bought some bread from a very cool bakery with lots of pretzels and even little hedgehog pretzels... lots of creative dough molding there! So I had a pretty good day! and looked around in some churches in the afternoon etc... had to give in and buy a waterproof and windproof jacket... I was soaked and still have possibilities of windy raining cold day on my trip! So its an investment...
I had the best hotdog for lunch too! It such a good sausage with very nice mustard! Extremely satisfying.
Today I had the best day of all. The sun came out!!! I watched a bit of the sound of music whilst it was still cloudy and then went on a bike tour run by my hostel. I think it was good value as it was just the cost of the bike hire plus the cost of entry to the palace and it was a discounted entry to the palace. Also the day was beautiful for riding and it was a very small group of 3 plus me! We through lots of shady trees and some very nice house properties and past fields of grass with wild flowers and past some very beautiful views of the mountains too! The very big one even had a little snow on it!!!
The Hellsburn palace was very cool too! We walked through the trick fountains! which are very tricky... and I got pretty wet. It was like a summer palace built by the king for his amusement. He had a dinner party etc and as the guests are not allowed to stand up until the king leaves the table etc... he had built these trick fountains into all of their chairs and around the table... so they got really wet but they weren't allowed to get up. Everything had a surprise fountain in it... statues... like a deer will shoot water at u from his mouth and then his antlers will start spurting water everywhere... and walls ... alot of jets just seem to aim at your crotch too. He had some beautiful fountain rooms with like a feature wall of a woman in water or like king triton. etc... suprise fountains in door ways and from the roof and floor... haha There was a very cool musical water room where the water moved around pipes and blew out conch shells in a special way to make music and bird sounds... he had water powered moving displays... It was a very nice fountain garden! Inside the palace was cool too... he had lots of weird paintings of animals and exotic animals...They reminded me a bit of my style of paintings. He had a bird room just full of paintings of birds and a room with beautiful Chinese wall paper and a fish painting room and another music room with beautiful gold and red painted walls with people and birds everywhere... it had good acoustics for renaissance style music etc... he seemed to be a very eccentric king Anyway! We rode back along the river and the sun was fully out with a nice breeze and lots of green trees etc... very peaceful.

I haven't been able to afford to eat too much here... but eat some pretzels and very nice frankfurters with mustard and grated horseradish! When not eating those I eat bread and jam or fruit or soy milk or juice poppers... for like breakfast, lunch and dinner. hahaha
Salzburg is expensive! and my hostel is no where near as nice as the one in prague... staying in a mass dorm with bunks and the bathrooms are mass ones and toilets too are unclean. No kitchen here!! which is why I cant cook good meals for myself. It is very busy and party and lots of big groups of backpackers who r traveling together... The other night I was in a common room and I realized it had 12 Australians and 3 Americans in it... no one else. I'm trying to get away from Australians!!! ... and Also...internet is not free!!! and no place to sit quietly... The hostel tours have been good though and the train station is really close! Also i enjoy staying in an all girls dorm... its nice :)
I really love salzburg though... all of the surrounding nature is very fresh and exciting... I have an urge in me to hike everywhere hehe and swim in lakes etc... and crunch around in the snow... Id love to stay but I will be heading to Vienna tomorrow I think... :)

OK well... it takes me a very long time to put up photos on these computers... I put some up of latvia on facebook if you haven't seen them yet.

Love Emily

The hills are alive...

Dear Travel Diary, I have now left Prage. I will be heading to Salzburg via a series of confusing trains. The first one was so packed that I stood in the aisle for 3 hours. Literally every man and his dog were on there. Plus bikes and lots of camping gear. It was nice bz the window with the wind blowing in my face and lots of hills rolling bz... after a while I sat on my bag and fell asleep. The train kept coming to deafening screeching stops and everyone would stick their heads out the windows. My train was late and I missed the transfer so I now have to catch 3 more trains to get to Salzburg... providing that I dont miss THEIR links... hehe
Yesterdaz I got up early and did a day trip out to Kutna Hora on the train. It was a hot sunny day which was very uplifting after the past few cold dribbly ones in Prague. The train passed a few fields of sun flowers and on the way back a man mowing the lawn in only jocks, boots and gloves. ( I get the impression that a lot of Europeans strip off in the summer heat)
I had a really nice time in Kutna Hora. Again walking passed red and purple wild flowers. I had a new spring in my step. The area near the train station was very quiet and like suburbs... I went to the Kostnice Seldec Ossuary! Which was the one thing I really wanted to do in Czech... It held up to my expectations after a big crowd of tourists left and it was very quiet. The whole interior of the church is decorated with human bones! After about 40000 were buried their as a result of the Plague. There were skulls and cross bones hanging from the ceilings in arches (like you might thread popcorn on a string and hang it up for Christmas). There were towers of skulls with angels on top, bone shields and a great chandelier made of bones... The frame holding it up were all jaw bones and then lots of arm and leg bones cascading down. The skulls were the centerpieces for candles (on top of their heads) and the skulls sat on like a fanning plate of hip bones. I was very fascinated with all of the bones. I didn't feel such a sombre atmosphere - but it was very beautiful.
I walked up to the main town with lots of Gothic architecture and a beautiful view of the town, forest and fields. I got really lost on the way back and it was so hot and I was in the sun constantly. I ate a stick of cooking marzipan on the train ride home.

For my last night I went out with Martins and I brought an Australian girl with us too. She was little and blond and traveling alone like me. We all caught a tram out to a really nice row of beer gardens along the river... during the day there were swimming fountains and volley ball nets. There were lots of lights along the river and a backdrop of the hills with some big houses and castley style buildings. We drank beer at a cool sandy outdoor pub with hammocks and wooden chairs etc... it probably felt more like Bali than Prague though hehe... We ran around in the rain and tried a few pubs it was fun. On the way home to our hostel Me and the other Aus got lost on the tram and were a bit scared... we ended up in a random suburb... but worked out how to get back! :) hehe

Anyway... I AM IN Salzburg now... after catching 4 trains... near the Austrian border there were lots of campers getting off the train... I think that there are some white water rafting rapids... there were lots of guys with paddles and big plastic barrels with their clothes and stuff in it (which I suppose is to keep their stuff dry). There would be some other reallz nice places in the Czech country side to visit too I think. Austria had an immediate distinct appearance. The buildings look very typically german... you know with the wood and flower boxes etc... hehe
Passed lots of sunflower fields and mountains with woods and grassy hills...
More about salzburg tomorrow!

Prague-ing around

I am still wondering around Prague. Maybe enjoying the comfortable hostel too much. It has been around 5 days... and people that stay for 3 say that there is not much more to see, but I think there is much more to be uncovered and that I am only just scraping the surface. Each time I walk through the city I find new things... there are lots of book stores and cafes and tourist shops, but I think on 3rd glance there are 2nd hand book stores and interesting pubs with galleries in them and art student fashions stores and antique stores... with lots of interesting bags and necklaces and old boxes and cups... you could do a lot of op shopping here. There are lots of theaters and art galleries to be found too... Also there are police or ambulance sirens almost on the hour! lol I dont know if people are being murdered or somethign!! but I hear sirens allll the time! I really like the ornamentation on all of the buildings. Like men holding up window sills and women laying across doorways or a big lion or owl looking down over a door way and lots of gold painting too... like some gold flowers or a gold fence or a gold star up the top of the building...
I dont really even think I have covered all of the sections of the city yet. I really like the islands in the middle of the river... they seem like such a nice place to escape the tourists and the city... I visit them a fair bit to eat some lunch or sit down and relax with the river view.
I have been doing alot of drawing. The other day I sat and drew a homeless man sleeping on a bench infront of a really beautiful art nouveau building. Then some police came and were poking and hitting him because he wasnt allowed to sleep there... so I drew them too! I also bought a heap of berries at the market (blueberries, raspberries and black berries) and ate them in the park after I went to visit the DANCING house... which is a very twisted up looking building.
I had spent my budget for the day (mainly on vegetables) so I sat outside a wine bar on a bench with a muesli bar and listened to some free jazz (a sax and guitar).
I have been making lots healthy food whilst away: vegetable stew, vegetable and sausage stew, and zucchini and tomato pastas...
Today I walked across the main bridge and up a big big flight of stairs to the prague castle! There was a really beautiful view of prague... and a fantastic violinist... I even gave him some money. I ate a bagel in the park... and it was successfully dairy free... after much discussion about mlairchnair virobky (milk products... i spelt it how it sounds). Tonight I went into the jazz club redutta. I saw a band playing alot of jazz standards but it was pretty enjoyable and they were good musicians. Their guitarist and bass player especially... and they even had a guest trumpeter (just for me). Then... I walked home on my own... with my hoody on... without being robbed or attacked! Im very happy about this. I avoided walking near the park and also quiet streets! I felt safe though... lots of people walking around still.
Anyway... just drifting around prague, through the town... there is a lot to take in! so tired... its nearly 2 am... the cobble stones make my feet and legs sore!!! long dayy...

kafkaesque...

Im going to skip Latvia (it is written in my book) and write about it later... so I dont forget to write about Prague...

I am loving Prague soo much... there are lots of tourists here but that hasnt taken away from the vibe and the beautiful scenery. The city center is really pretty with cobble stones and beautiful decorated buildings and churches... a very big old clock... and surrounding prage are lots of little mountains with castles and church steeples peeking up. When you cross the main bridge it is such a beautiful sight... the bridge has lots of statues of saints etc and the river is busy with row boats and paddle boats and riverside cafes/beer gardens and pretty buildings and the mountains and castles in distance etc... Also lots of nice islands in the middle of the river that have bridges leading to them and there are people reading books on the grass, lots of dogs, people drinking beer by the river and even one island I went to had a little artist camp set up with tents and people painting the river/city view. There is a jewish district, and lots of funky cafes... and jazz music around the place. Im not sure exactly what it is but I have a content smile on my face in Prague...
I have a really nice hostel too! I paid a little bit extra but it was worth it... the beds are NOT bunks... and super clean sheets with a squishy white doona and big squishy pillow... about 4 beds per dorm room with lots of natural light and space. The bathrooms are like super modern... and has a MASSIVE SHOWER HEAD lol... like dinner plate size... and sensor lights that go on and off as u go in and out of toilet and rooms etc... and a nice cosy lounge/kitchen with leather couches and like a brick cellar room. So clean and comfy... (called Miss Sophies)
Yesterday I went to the Franz Kafka museum... it was very interesting... and the whole museum was set up like metaphores for his writing/life ... so it kind of made u feel like you were suffering a bit like Kafka... walking down file cabinet rooms and listening to old telephones to hear some of his readings... lots of strange music... but it was VERY interesting to read about his life and also get a bit of prague history from it... I bought a Kafka book (metamorphisis...plus other short stories in it and also Judgement... a guy in the hostel that studied kafka at uni told me to read judgement first...)
I climbed a hill where I could see all of Prague. Lots of red roof tops and steeples. Warm with a light breeze, sitting on the grass under some shady cherry trees. Green stringy grass with flowers and fallen cherries. The smell is warm like freshly cleaned sheets that have dried in the sun. Cicadas and birds twittering and bees buzzing to each other in the grass. Distant sounds of traffic feel far away. I read Kafka on the grass and drew girls sunbathing in their bikinis on the hill. I ate a few cherries and tried an apple.
Last night I went with Uldis son (read latvia... later) and he took me to a castle and some beer gardens. The beers are very large here with about 1 third head... So you get tankd quickly lol...
The beer garden had a view of prague and there were lots of dogs wandering around with their owners... It started to rain and everyone piled in the reggae pub and EVEN the dogs piled inside too... about 5 big dogs all inside! lol...
Today it is raining... and unfortunately this internet cafe... was misleading in its internet facilities on its website SO i cant put photos up... or use skype... sorrry readers... photos will be added later... aswell as latvia... latvia is a whole novel lol.

Finland last days

So I need to write and catch up some blogs!!!!
Finland was really nice, a quiet town... except for the seaguls...
But I enjoyed walking around the markets and the slick design shops and crazy old antique shops. However, finland is soooo expensive so I couldnt afford to do much.
I bought food from the markets and tried to copy the local food...
Potatoes and salmon and dill... (looked very fancy once I cooked it... the backpackers were impressed) Also lots of fresh raspberries... they are such a novelty for me... like in the opening of Amelie... I put them on all my fingers and then eat them hehe...
And the most delicious sweetest juice ever! raspberry and mixed berry juices... omg... like drinking cordial hehe
On the last day I went to the island soumoleina... with some english backpackers... one of them does Hash... look it up on the net... its like a communal running group all over the world and they have meetings everywhere... and basically you run and drink beer and have code names and its almost like a special running game... with short cuts and cheating and fast runners and yeh... I think look it up should be interesting... they even have songs... which are rather like college songs with rude words etc... lol Anyway the island was really pretty and has all of these fortresses built on it for protection etc... it had a very cold looking swimming beach and lots of tunnels to climb around in which was fun. The view was beautiful and lots of grass and foresty trees and yellow flowers. It was nice seeing little surrounding islands with like one little shed of a house on it and like one pine tree lol... apparently the sea in helsinki harbour freezes over in winter and they need big icebreaker ships every day.
That afternoon back from the island I walked for half an hour in the rain... and I thought it was a seedy area too... some hobos and guys trying to talk to me (whom I ignored) and yeh I was freezing and wet and lost... but once I found it - the wooden Sauna was very nice!! (pronounced sOWna)
1. I got my 4 hours of nudity fix. 2. it really warmed and cheered me up and was so relaxing.
I talked to a finnish lady but it was quiet because of summer and during the week... it was fun having cold showers and then sitting in the sauna on the wooden slats... or having a drink and readning a magazine in the cool air and back to the sauna again! I caught the tram home !
Oh also I cant remember if it was the same day... but I went to a beautiful church built into the rocks... like carved in... and you go in and it has beautiful rock walls and water was trickling down from the rain and an amazing wooden spiraling dome roof... and glass looking into the elements...
to me it actually felt like a spiritual place because it was built into nature... it was so relaxing sitting there listening to some gorgeous piano music and listening to the water trickle down the rock walls... :)
Anyway I enjoyed finland... !!!
I need to find a computer that lets me plug in my camera desperately.