The twin cities of eastern Europe - Buda & Pest

Budapest - If you have not been, you need to go and visit! I arrived via train, an hour late of my scheduled time. At noon I exited the railway station and it was pouring out. Talk about a shitty way to start my weekend. When navigating through crowded train stations keep your wallet in your front pocket, keep your hands free to push people away, and DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING that people try to give you.

If you follow those directions you will more than likely be ok.

So this trip included my first hostel experience, and it was not too bad. (No one yelled at me for snoring) I arrived at a hostel called Central Backpack King of Budapest. It was a relatively small hostel (so I was told) consisting for 3 large dorm rooms, four smaller rooms. My reservations were for a large dorm room, but a large group extended for another an extra night, and I ended up in a 4 person room. My first roommates were a petite Brazilian girl, and a Canadian guy who works in London, with one empty bed. They were all very nice, and none of them snored, or tried to sleep naked. (If the Brazilian wanted to sleep naked I would not have objected) Saturday morning my roommates left, with out even saying Goodbye. My next roommates where far more interesting. Well 2 out of 3 were. There was a Spanish guy who had an afro that would put some of my black friends to shame, and two french gals. They spoke enough English so that we could communicate. I met various other people in the hostel, some from Canada, One from Chicago, an entire group from Amsterdam. It was weird, yet so much fun to hang out with so many different people from different parts of the world. All in all the hostel experience was a good one. 

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http://www.triptobudapest.hu/

If anyone reading this ever travels to Budapest, I highly recommend the website listed about.  I took multiple tours with this group, and they were free. At the end of a the tour they would have a recap of everything, and would then solicit tips. There was minimal pressure about tipping, the guides were awesome, entertaining, and very knowledgeable. I took their communist tour, Jewish quarter tour, and their regular Budapest walking tour. I have added blisters on top of blisters, on top of blisters. On one of the walking tours, I saw a manicure place that had the fish... Yes you know the fish that eat the dead skin off of your feet...I think it would have been an amazing experience, but unfortunately after the tour, I could not find my way back to have them little guys make my feet silky smooth. 

St. Stephen's Basilica

• Named after Stephen I of Hungary

• Stephen I was the first King of Hungary from 975 - 1038
• Located in the Reliquary is his right hand
• 315 feet high
• Height is equal to the Hungarian Parliament Building, it is suppose to symbolism Chruch and State are equal
• took 54 years to complete
• The southern bell tower contains Hungary's biggest bell, weighing over 9 tonnes.
• 364 stairs to climb to the top of the dome

The only remaining memorial to the Russian's who "liberated" Hungary during WWII, only to then occupy Hungary, and force communism upon them. To learn more about the Communist history, check the link below.

Peoples Republic of Hungary 

There was so much to see in Budapest. I know there has to be some things I have left out, and I know there are many things I did not even get pictures of. The day I took the tour through the Jewish Quater, it was pouring down rain, and I did not bring any camera with me. I can tell you Budapest has the largest synagogue in Europe, and the 2nd largest in the world. It really is an incredible site to see, and to think of the recent history such as WWII, I do not know if I should describe the experience as unsettling, or awe inspiring. The courage, and strength that some people showed in one of our World's darkest hours is an inspiration. 

 

Night time view of St. Stephen's Basilica

 

Lion at the foto of the Chain Bridge

 

A wine fountain in the Labyrinth below the Castle

The Statue in front of the Cave Church, overlooking the Danube.

Women's World Cup FInal - better late than never

It has taken me forever to get around to writing about these few nights in Frankfurt, partly because I was busy, and partly because I could not truly find the words to describe what I experienced. By now everyone knows the USA Women's national team lost to Japan in the World Cup Final. The game went through overtime and was settled with a shoot out. I do not feel I need to recap the game.


I have had many interesting and odd train experiences so far during my trip. In a sleeper cabin, someone had their dog, German teens getting on the train with 4 cases of beer, but taking the train from Frankfurt station to the World Cup Stadium, 6 hours before the game was the funniest. We pile into a rail car, most of the seats are taken to begin with so I go across to the far side doors, I figure with my ass against the wall that 1.) It is harder to steal my wallet (my back pockets do have fasteners but still) and 2.) the odds of someone trying to stick a finger in my bum are slim.

DO NOT LAUGH PEOPLE! The bum rapping finger bandits are real! Ask anyone in Frankfurt!!

As this rail car gets filled to capacity, the doors close, and everyone stops sucking it in, then a wonderful individual will push the open door button, and with no obviously place to go, they dive right in, like a rugger taking a penalty from 10 meters out, first was a middleaged man (ok no worries I thought), next was a woman.....With a stroller...Some how the stroller found its way to my testis. If it was legal to slap a woman, it would have happened. Finally the train is rolling and I look across the car at my friend. He gives me a knowing look (early in the day at the hotel room, I had the worst gas), and boy I wish I could have complied with what he wanted me to do. This gas was the room clearing kind, and it would have been deadly in an elevator!! The hilarity that would have ensued if I could have let one go on that train! If you could get that on video, you would have had over a million hits on youtube!

With my almost being fingered in the bum, I want to change subjects. What I would like to speak about is Pride. I would imagine it could be compared to going to an Olympic event when your Country is the host. In this city, filled with people from various countries, pride became very apparent. Groups of Americans sporting red, white and blue, Japanese women wearing kimonos. Faces painted with flags, it was very apparent everyone was proud to be there. The Germans who's team did not make the finals were all wearing their National team jerseys. I unfortunately was not able to get a ticket to the game, (they were a little out of my price range) so my friend and I went to a pub, that was filled with Americans. Cheers and curses filled the air through out the game. Shots went down, beer chased. I met many people that night, none of whose names I remember. There were the girls from Michigan, there was the guys from Texas, an American from Charlotte who happened to be in Germany on business, US Military stationed in Germany, Old and young. We watched intently, sometimes laughing, sometimes on the verge of tears as the shootout continued.

Game over, The U.S. lost. The pub emptied out quickly, most of the Americans going back to their hotels to sulk, or to pass out. My friend I was with had decided to take the midnight train back to Austria, so soon I was left there alone, with only a few other Americans. Then it happened. The first trains coming back from the Stadium started to arrive. It was the modern day WWII. There I was in Germany, as the pub was invaded by the Japanese. Their smiles bright, as they rushed the bar, laughter ringing out as they celebrated their victory. The pub closed down, and I wandered to the Brazilian bar to keep the night alive. The feelings, and experience was amazing.

Frankfurt WWC is coming

Sorry folks, its been a crazy short week of school. I have had alot of homework so I have not got around to submitting my report on Frankfurt and the Women's World Cup final. I assure you it will be coming..... Right after I get back from BUDAPEST! Ciao

Caen – Normandy – Omaha Beach Part II

Jesus is a Cab driver in Caen

Initially we called a cab to get from the Caen War Memorial, to the train station to go to Bayeux. Explaining this to our taxi driver, his face light up and he told us he would take us to Bayeux, and give us a private tour. The three of us (Mike, Jim and I) were skeptical at first, and asked him how much, and where we would get to go. The American Cemetary, Omaha Beach, Utah Beach, Point Du Hoc, and the beach front D-day Museum, all for 130 euro. His face lit up when we jumped at the chance to save money (our original tour was going to cost 150 euro), and have a private tour. With me in the front seat, Mike and Jim in the back, Patrick hit the freeway. While driving he was digging through his brief case pulling out maps, and books in English that were all about the D-day invasion. Like a kid on Christmas, his excitement was infectious. We sat in the car, listening intently as he explained what he knew about it. Our first stop in Bayeux was the American Cemetery, which is actually not on French soil. The property was given to the United States by the French govt. There is a governor who oversees all the care that is required. In the American cemetery it is illegal to smoke, or to have any dogs.

• It is 172.5 acres, 
• 9,387 US service men and women buried there
• 307 of those are unknown
• three Medal of Honor reciepients
• four women 
• 33 pairs of brothers buried side by side. 
• It is the largest American Cemetery from WW2, but not the largest in Europe: that is the Meuse-Argonne Cemetery from WW1 with more than 14,000 burials.

Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr (Block D : Row 28 : Graves 45 & 46)

- 4th Division.
- Died 12th July 1944
- son of the President and buried beside his brother Quentin, killed as a pilot in WW1.
- Recipient of the Medal of Honour.

Two brothers who inspired 'Saving Private Ryan' (Block F : Row 15 : Graves 11 & 12)

- 2/Lt Preston Niland 22nd Infantry and Sgt Robert Niland 505th PIR.
- Robert was killed on D Day and Preston on 7th June. A third brother was thought killed in the Pacific, so the fourth was allowed home. However, the brother in the Pacific actaully survived the war.
- It was their story which inspired the script writers for 'Saving Private Ryan'

Father and Son (Block E : Row 20 : Graves 19 & 20)

- Colonel Ollie Reed, 115th Infantry, 30th July 1944.
- 1st Lieutenant Ollie Reed Jr., 163rd Infantry, 6th July 1944.

Medal of Honour winner: T/Sgt Frank Peregory (Block  G : Row 21 : Grave 7)

- 116th Infantry, 29th Division.
- Killed 14th June 1944.
- Awarded for Grandcamp Maisy 8th June 1944.

Medal of Honour winner: 1st Lieutenant Jimmie W. Monteith Jr (Block I : Row 20 : Grave 12)

- 16th Infantry, 1st Division.
- Killed 6th June 1944.
- Awarded for Omaha Beach, D Day.

The cemetery sits high above the beach, and there is a steep winding path that leads you down. It was very awe inspiring to set foot on the beach. Taking off my shoes it was the first time in a month that I had my toes in the sand. Unfortunately I did not have a cold beer in my hand, but as I walked from the entry way out toward the ocean, I tried to soak in the view, and assess my feelings. Here I was walking toward the ocean, on a sunny day in 2011, in a place where many years ago a war that killed many Americans was started. It was low tide, so it felt like a mile to get to the ocean’s edge. With my feet soaking in the waters of the Atlantic, I turned around for the first time since setting foot on the beach, trying to imagine what it must have been like as I looked up at the hills that overlooked the beach. It is said that at sun rise that morning, the German troops could see nothing but ships out in the ocean, all the way to the Horizon. An elevation of at least 400 feet above the water was a bunker used by the Germans. It made me tremble to think about the landing craft door dropping down, and the machineguns starting to take aim, like shooting fish in a barrel, it must have been insane.

Trying to grasp the size of the invasion force was very difficult for me. It has to been stated that over 160,000 troops landed on June 6th, 1944. That is more troops than the United States currently has stationed in Afghanistan. The beaches are clear of the obstacles the Germans put to stop or slow the landing craft, but a few can still be found at the museum. The museum is actually housed in a former field hospital that was built shortly after D-day to treat casualties.  

Our tour guide proved to be excellent, he truly saved our trip. On the ride back to our hotel, I thought about everything I saw, and everything that our soldier's must have experienced, and I became very greatful that my Grandfather fractured his ankle, and could not fight in WWII. I could not imagine my life with out ever having him in it.

Caen – Normandy – Omaha Beach

Our hotel was 45 euros for the night. I learned a few important things about France.

1.       City Center is a defined area, not an actual point in the center of the city. Our hotel was 3 km outside of the city center, this translated into being a 20 euro cab ride from the main train station in Caen.

2.       As we all know, you get what you pay for. Our room was cheap, and it showed. The shower was so tiny, I could not turn around in it with out either turning the water off completely, or pushing the handle to ice cold or scalding hot. Needless to say, that made the showers a interesting ordeal.

3.       Most French people I interacted with were rude! Unlike the Germans, the French were not helpful,

4.       TGV – the French rail system does not like Rail pass holders (more to follow on that one)

We arrived in Caen at around noon, and Bayeux was only another 20 mins up the rail line, so we decided to find our hotel, drop our bags, and clean the traveling filth, and beer stench from our bodies.  With clean boxerbriefs on we set out. The only problem is the location of our hotel did not make it optimal to catch a cab, and the hotel “front desk” attendant did not, or would not speak English to us. We set out on foot, remembering the Caen memorial was not far. Twenty minutes of walking, and a few minutes picking lavender, (lavender seemed to be growing everywhere) and we made it to the Memorial. It was a pretty impressive sight, and there was a museum that was 18 euros for entry. My group decided not to pay the entry, instead we asked the information desk to order us a cab, so we can go to the train station, and get to the beach (the entire point of entering France in the first place. Our cab driver arrived, in a brand new looking Volkswagen, and he spoke English. It was a big relief. We told him where we were trying to go, and why.

Munich enroute to Caen – July 14th

Class let out early and a mad dash began. Students were rushing to catch a bus in hopes of getting their bags and making it to the train station in time to catch the 2pm train. It seems almost everyone made it. Lucky for all of us, in the train station is a grocery store. Redbull, champagne, wine, vodka, and beer was purchased at a rapid pace. (if ever purchasing a drink at the train station - reach for the ones in the back, they are the coldest) Standing on the platform waiting to bored, it looked like it was going to be an exciting ride. Within a few minutes of boarding the train, champagne popping open was echoing through out the car. I enjoyed my beers, and had some vodka and redbull that was being passed around. It seems our entire group all stopped off in Munich.

Munich seems to be the stepping off point, unless you were going south to Italy, well no one was going to Italy this weekend, after Munich, we would be enroute to our separate destinations, somewhere going to Amsterdam, some to Northern Germany, and some to France. We rendezvoused at the Hofbrauhaus. We ended up at two different tables close together.

           Drinks are flowing, people are laughing, it truly was a great bonding experience, til it was ruined. While no one is really sure how it started, we all agree somehow we offended the German wait staff. Maybe it was because we were loud, talking from table to table, maybe it was because we were loud, and speaking English, or maybe it was because we were moving from table to table, regardless they were upset. Our table had ordered food, and waited over an hour and It still had not arrived. Many of us were now intoxicated and hungry, not a good combo. To further elevate things, while I was outside smoking, I started talking to a group of Germans, explaining to them about our group, and where our weekend was taking us. The German proceeded to talk about how much he loved beer, and how he loves to chug beer. I agreed I enjoyed both of those as well. Next thing I know, his friends and him are challenging me to a contest. America vs. Germany, 1 liter each, chugging. I said ok, I have no shame, so it was on.

      A few minutes later we hear 1….2….3….Go and the hefty liter mugs filled with Hofbrauhaus Summer beer came flying up from the table. I was told it took me 7 seconds to down my beer, (there is video that I have not seen yet) while the German was not even ¼ the way done. After the cheering and laughter, we left the hofbrauhaus much to the delight of the manager. Onward to the overnight train!

Neuschwanstein Castle and Linderhof Palace

Sunday started early!! I had to be out in the lobby to meet up with the rest of our group for 7:20 am. Yea I know some of you folks reading this regularly wake up at 6am or earlier, (SUCKS TO BE YOU) but I do not. I specifically schedule my classes to not be before 10am. (Its great to be me) The bus was suppose to be departing at 7:30am.

         Needless to say, there was an issue with scheduling and the bus was 40 mins late. I climbed on the bus, camera bag in one hand and a 1.5 liter bottler of water in the other. I was kind of excited because the only castle I have ever seen was at Disney World, but I was kind of dreading this because I had not started my Business finance homework yet, and it was due the next day. As the bus starts rolling, I am hoping to sleep most of the way there. Our bus driver has other plans. It is rather difficult to sleep in a bus when it is weaving in and out of traffic and he was jumping on the brakes as hard and fast as a group of frat brothers after the last beer. Every time I started to fall asleep, I was jolted back to reality. As we climbed into the mountains the scenery grew very peaceful, tall mountains with a little bit of snow at the very top, green trees everywhere, my nerves were calmed, and I was able to take a short nap. We finally arrived at the base of Neuschwanstein Castle, and 30 cramped legged individuals climbed off the bus to stretch. The groups slowly left the parking lot, breaking into smaller groups, I found myself talking to Dr. Mallet. I turn to him on trips like this because he has been here 15 + times. On his advice I followed him to the bus that takes you above the castle, near the observation bridge. For 2 euro, I could save myself the walk, and get some incredible pictures he told me, so I was sold. Little did I know how comfortable  I would have to become with those on the bus with me. Wanting more bang for their Euro, the bus operator ensured that we felt more violated than a palyboy model with no bra on going through a TSA checkpoint. I at least had two random older ladies in front and in back of me, because I had an arse pressed against me (no it was not a nice one, and no I did not cop a free feel) and my arse was pressed perilously close to the woman behind me. I wondered how many men have had their wallets stolen on this bus...Yet I did not worry because I have been carrying my wallet in my front pocket. Now maybe it was wishful thinking, or maybe it really happened, but I think this mid 40s MILF squeezed my ass. If she was looking for a wallet, or if she gets excited grabbing random people, that I will never know. Squeezing off the bus, like cows being lead to a slaughter house, I started a climb (a vertical walk) to the observation bridge. This bridge is of relatively new construction, but there was a bridge that stood there in the 1840s, when King Ludwig the II was only a boy.

The climb was well worth it. The cool wind blowing, the view was breathtaking. I must have taken 30 pictures from this small footbridge, before descending down the path to go on the castle tour. I met up with the rest of my group at the castle, and I could not help but smile as I saw them all flushed in the face and out of breath from the climb up the "crag" as it is called. I must say I was greatly disappointed when I was informed no photography was allowed inside the castle. Now, before people yell at me, I do understand that FLASH photography can cause damage to many things, but in today's modern age, where you can shut a flash off with the push of a button, WHY was photography not allowed in the castle? I do not know.



I sit here searching for words to describe what I saw, and all I can come up with is wow, incredible, amazing, splendid, insane. Murals hanging everywhere, gold plating covering more inches than it was not covering. An interesting fact about the Neuschwanstein Castle is that is was not completed before King Ludwig the II's death. So there are only 14 completed rooms, the entire second floor is unfinished. The throne was never constructed, and therefore never placed in the throne room.

The room looks so empty with out the throne. It left an odd feeling in my stomach. The rest of the room however was amazing.

The chandelier hanging over the center of the room weighs approx. 2,000 lbs, and holds 100 candles.


After leaving the first castle, we traveled by bus to the Linderhof Palace. It too was one of King Ludwig the II's properties. He would spend on average two weeks out of every month at this residence. It is located in a rural area, and the king rarely had guests.

This photo was taken from high above the palace on the pathway leading back down from the Grotto... Yes I said Grotto. Hugh Hefner did not have an original idea! Ludwig's grotto was built by man, designed to host personal opera performances for the enjoyment of himself and a very few select friends. As it was built, it also had electricity, so a spot light with different color lens could be used to change how the grotto looked. Inside the grotto is a small rowboat, that Ludwig would use for pleasure, and as his seat during operas. Below the grotto swimming area is a large wood fired stove, which Ludwig would use to heat his water up to a nice swimming temperature of 35 Deg. Cel. That is between 86 and 104 deg F.  As I walked around this palace, there were sculptures and fountains everywhere. It truly was an amazing place.

This was my favorite sculpture on the property.  The water flowing down from above shoots out the horses' nostrils.

Innsbruck report # 1

Its been five days since I arrived in Innsbruck, and I must say it is beautiful! It seems you have a view of the Alps no matter where you are in the city. I was one of the first from my school to make it to the Haus Panorama (my home for the next six wks), the director greeted me as I arrived. I told him my name, and what school I was with, and immediately he had a key in his hand and he lead me a very short distance to my flat. I paid an additional fee so I can have a room with no roommates, and I must say that money was well spent. I open my door, and enter my "sitting room," and am immediately drowned by the sun streaming through the large window. I have a small table, and a large storage area. At the end of the sitting room, I open another door and turn left, entering what I would call my "hall way." In my hallway is a floor to ceiling wardrobe, (it would receive praise from almost any woman) and right off my hallway is the bathroom. Small, but it does the job. The water in the shower runs super hot, so I will not complain. In the hallway is another piece of furniture, a place I could sit to put my shoes on if I needed to, and then the 3rd and final door.

I was very happy to see what was behind door number three. A large L-shaped desk, two chairs, a small tv all on one side of the room. Opposite the desk is a bed that feels smaller than a twin. (I have not rolled over in the middle of the night and ended up on the floor...YET) The best thing about my room is that it came equipped with a two burner stove, a mini fridge, and a sink to was dishes. I was able to unpack everything and get settled in rather quickly. The rooms do not have a/c but the windows open very wide, and so far there has been a nice breeze everyday.

The group flight finally arrived and for the second time ever I got to meet/interact with all the people from my school on this program. I will quickly admit I felt a little out of place. Not because of the age difference, but because it seemed everyone already knew everyone, and their cliques were already formed.

"This will be a long six weeks," I thought to myself.

The first night in Innsbruck was very laid back, we had a group "welcome to Austria" type dinner, where some traditional Weiner Schnitzel, and I must say it was alot better than the fried pork chops my mother makes! (JUST KIDDING MOM)

Dinner was followed up with a few beers, and an early bed time because I was still recovering from my last night in Germany.

Sunday morning there was an orientation meeting where we learned more about the area we were in, and we even took the city bus to the school so our professors were sure we won't have any trouble getting to or from class. My first impression as I started to walk toward the old city center was one of amazement. I have said it before, but I will say it again, I grew up in Florida, historical buildings in Port St. Lucie are from the 1940s if you are lucky, while some of these buildings that I am looking at were originally built in the 1700s, or before. I think my favorite thing to have seen so far is Golden Roof.

The Golden Roof was built by Archduke Friedrick IV, in the early 15th Century. It was constructed to serve as a royal box where Emperor Maximilian could sit and enjoy various tournaments in the square below. The roof tiles are not solid gold, but copper, that has had gold "fired" onto it, a old process, similar to Gold plating used today. I have not gotten to see many sites so far, but I have found a beer garden. It is called the Hofgarten. It is located directly inside a park, a few mins away from the old city center. They serve excellent tasting, ice cold beer! I was expecting to have one or two beers, and call it a night, but as I was outside smoking, I struck up some conversation with two gentleman. It turned out they were Law School students from St. Mary's University of Law, in Texas. They too had come to Europe early to travel before school started, so we compared stories. Paris vs. Hamburg, Munich vs. London, I can only hope they walked away with some traveling ideas like I did. Regardless of story telling, I was soon invited to join the rest of their group. I have never really been big on "card drinking games" like asshole, or circle of death, I was always more of a beer pong kind of guy. With that being said, would there be any need to play "asshole" while drinking some amazing bavarian style beer, in a beer garden in Austria? I did not think it was needed, but sure enough the mini deck of cards was spread across the table, with one young girl passed out in her seat, another barely walking, I could only wonder what the Austrian waiter was thinking of this situation. As it became apparent half of their group would die from alcohol poisoning if they continued to another bar, the SM group split, and I continued on with a few of my new friends.


After the Hofgarten closed we went to a small irish bar. Upon walking in I knew that was my kind of place. Flogging Molly was playing as the door opened, and smoke billowed out. Now this is my kind of place. Needless to say I felt right at home at the Irish Bar, (it is called Limerick Bill's) and ended up staying there the rest of the night. At 12:01 am, on July 4th, I witnessed the entire bar break out into song. Most of the bar was filled with Americans so naturally the Star Spangled Banner was sung to start the 4th of July Celebration. At around 2:15 am, the bar started closing down. I wish I could have gotten video as all of these college kids, most of who where more intoxicated than a group of soldiers at a open-bar wedding, stumbled out of the bar. You could not tell who was the supporter, and who the supportee was as they stumbled down the cobble stone streets of the old city. I was walking myself, to the end to the old city, where the taxi's gather, and I could not help but laugh as I came upon a fountain area, where three men (they appeared to be Frat brothers) who based on their t-shirts were from University of Georgia, sat I could best describe as utter misery. Frat boy # 1 sat, leaned forward, hands holding his head up as he puked between his legs, frat boy # 2 sat there, mumbling something that was inaudible, and there was frat boy # 3, obviously the most sober of them all, laughing at his "brothers," calling them pussies, and taking pictures that no doubt would be used in the future for embarrassment or blackmail.  I can only imagine the three of them would be fistbumping before the night is over.

With all the excitement dying down, I caught a cab back to my flat. I laid in bed playing the nights events back in my head. It was alot of fun, and I met some great people. Some my conclusion after my first night out in Innsbruck-


                              I am going to enjoy living in Austria til August 9th                                                        

The Reeper Bahn report

The long awaited Reeper Bahn report is now completed and ready for your reading pleasure. Now I will preface this with a very clear statement.


I DID NOT HAVE ANY SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH ANYONE WHILE IN HAMBURG, PROFESSIONAL OR NOT, NO ONE.




So with that being said, if you want an eastern European girl who will grab you as you walk down the street and tell you she "want to make you happy down there," than Hamburg is your place to visit. What truly fascinated me about the "Red light district" was how these women where like vultures, stalking their prey. On one street, directly across from the Poliezi station was approximately 20 women, spaced out every eight to ten feet, waiting to jump on any man who looked like he was from out of town (because surely a Hamburg man would not subject himself to the commercialized prices). I sat with a beer in my hand, watching with amazement as the lioness on the corner pounced. Many times she would physically restrain the guy from walking by, or crossing the road.

When it appeared Lioness A had a "john" on the line, then Lioness B would swoop in and attack as well, latching her claws into his otherside. I was amazed at what I was witnessing. Local businessmen, a mother with a child in a stroller, all going down the same street that these vultures were using to prey upon many unknowing victims. I wondered what kind of conversation they were having, but I did not wonder enough to go down and engage them. I would be afraid to! I only have two hands, how could I possibly protect my wallet, my railpass and my camera.

As I sat there watching all of this take place, a gentleman sat down next to me on the steps, his name was Ross. Ross appeared to be in his mid-30s,  and was an American, claiming to be from the Chicago area. Ross said he had been in Hamburg for a little over a week for business, (He did not say what kind of business he was involved in, and he was not dressed in a suit) so I asked him the normal questions. How do you like it? Has the weather been this bad your entire time here? What do you think of the World Cup? To those questions he gave normal, plain-jane answers. Then I asked him what he thought of this (as I pointed at the working girls), and looked toward them, and then looked at me, before making eye contact he turned away.

I sensed some sort of embarrassment or shame coming from him, and then he started to speak. Ross went on to explain to me how they got him. He was walking down the street after having spent a few hours in one of the table dance joints (another story) when he was pounced on by not one, but two lions. They were not toying with their prey today, they went directly in for the kill.

 "We gut special fer you"
"Oh yea? what is that?"
"2 fer 1"
"What does 2 fer 1 mean? I get to take both of you? for how much?"
"Ja, you gut both us, fer 60 euro"
"What do I get for 60 euro? hand job? blow job? sex?"
"Ja, we make you happy down there"

"What do I get for 60 euro? Sex?"
"Ja, you come with us (both ladies take an arm and walk him around the corner to a entry controlled building, going up three flights of non-descriptive stairs entering another coded door, and they enter a blood red hallway.)


He described the room as if it was a cheap porno set, red, with a bed in the middle, a bedside table stacked with condoms, lube and sex toys, two chairs near the front of the room, and a sink with soap and paper towels.)

"tak care of muny first, 60 euro please (money exchanged) ok, we be right back, have to put money in safe, please get undressed and lay down"

Ross tells me how he did as he was told, and lays down counting the time in his head wondering if his two beautiful (probably russian) women would be coming back in or if there was gonna be a bait and switch. He continues to tell me how right as he was about to get up and look for them the door opened, and this two blondes walked in.both of them stripping to their bras, one into her panties, the other still wearing pants. The one in the panties climbed into bed and nuzzled up next to him, almost as if trying to cuddle, while the other sat on the edge and massaged his testis and flacid penis, and then the upselling begins. After a few mins. of the massage he asks whats going on.

"We wrelly lik jou, but this is what you paid for, for more money though we can do anything you want, you can stay entire night for 3000 euro, we can use your card to pay for it"

"You said for 60 euro we would have sex!! and now you want more money? I do not have 3,000 euros on me right now."

"We take card, slide in machine, zip zip, then we fuck you all night, 3000 euro."

At this point, I felt bad for Ross, as I saw where the story was going, I told him I would love to hear the ending, but I wanted to go piss, and get another beer. He said no worries, he will be there waiting for my return. I offered him a smoke as I walked down the stairs. I took a piss, bought two beers, and was back in no time to hear Ross's conclusion.

Ross tells me at this point, "what the fuck am I suppose to do, I am butt naked and already out 60 euro, and I have a hard on, I can not just get dressed and go back into the street."  I would imagine that is a horrible predicament to be in, and I could not help but laugh. So did you pay more I asked. Looking at the ground, as if embarrassed he mumbles yes. When I asked him how much more he say two. Two thousand? Two hundred? HOW MUCH!!! The suspense was killing me. 

"200 Euros man, don't laugh at me!" I pointed out it would have been a total of 260 euro.  (376 US Dollars!!!!) With curiosity killing me I asked what did he get for 200 more euros. At this point I truly believe I saw a tear run down his cheek, as he tells me one of the blonds gave him a hand/blow job combo, while the other stood over his face, and had him (Ross) use a condom covered vibrator on her twat... As Ross finished his story I could not help but feel bad for him. I gave him the second unopened beer I had just bought, and told him I am sorry for his luck.

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To sum up the Reeperbahn experience

1. Like in the states, women in Hamburg are vultures 
2. Sometimes it is good to live vicariously through others
3. The word of a hooker is not worth anything
4. Happy down there = massage

Lastly - Even if you do not put your penis inside a Hamburg hooker, you are still getting fucked by paying so much for so little.

Reeperbahn - the Redlight district

Report coming soon

I am on a midnight train to Hamburg!

My first overnight train experience pretty good. Lucky for me our sleeper cabin was not full, and I was the 2^nd one there, so I got a bottom bunk. While climbing the ladder with all the lights on would be no problem, I definitely could foresee myself crashing down when the lights went out, all because I had to piss. So in my cabin was a small asian lady who was very quiet, and a gentleman from Amsterdam, who was enroute home from Venice. Needless to say thank god he was on the train. There is a way for the bunks to be adjustable, so I could sit on my rack, without hitting my head on the rack above me. He took care of that, and it made for a more comfortable sleep. The Deustche Bahn even provided a pillow, sheet and blanket, I must say I could get use to traveling like that. Have a few beers with whomever you are traveling with, climb on the train, crawl into bed, pop your ear phones in, and then you wake up at your destination. I was a good experience on the train.   AND NO ONE COMPLAINED ABOUT ME SNORING!

As for my arrival at Hamburg HBF, let me tell you this much. The morning scene at that train station was pure chaos. A sea of bodies moving  in ten different directions. I was afraid to stop and read a sign, so Instead of trying to find a locker for my bag, I went outside to have a smoke, and see what was around. After a few minutes I worked up the courage and found my way through the sea of people and made it to the lockers. I was able secure my big bag, and remove my camera bag, and I was off to the races. At first I simply took a walk around the train station. That alone took 20 minutes. It truly was massive! As well as having 14 above ground platforms, there was also the U and S lines underground.  Since I was not in a position like I was in Munich (having a German speaking person to help me along) I started off with the tourist bus. For 13 Euro (with Student discount) I got a pass that allowed me to hop on and off the doubl-decker tour buses. Driving those monstrous beasts through this heavily traveled city takes balls of steel. From my viewpoint on the top deck, very front of the bus, I feel there had to have been at least 50 near misses inside 40 mins. The complete tour without getting off the bus takes 90 mins they said. I got off and on a few times, I think my entire tour took 2 and a half hours. The greatest thing about my tour bus ride was I found a small square infront of the town hall building, where a very large white screen was being erected. As some of you may know, there is this thing called the World Cup that happens once every four years. It is the year for the Women’s World Cup, and it is taking place in Germany. After finding out what time the game started, my plans for the night were decided. With the evening plans formed, I continued to wander the city streets, drinking beer mostly when I was thirsty. (Why pay 1,80 Euro for water when a 16oz beer is 1,75 Euro?) I truly have become fond of people watching. Usually every couple of blocks there is a square, where you can sit, or store with some tables outside, and I found myself just hanging out, watching how the people interacted. I found myself making up stories about some of the characters that where in my own private play. Of course I know many of you are wondering about the “Red light district,” which I will address in another post, but I will simply say maybe because it was my first time there I was not too impressed, or maybe it is because I did not stay in the area late into the night, I am not sure which, but I do not care. I can check the box or visiting the “World’s most famous Red light district.” My evening included catching the Germany Nigeria game on an temporary screen erected in front of the town hall. Now I did not know what the hell they were saying, but the crowd was very tense throughout! Finally somewhere around the 54 min. mark Germany scored, taking the lead 1-0. That was the only goal of the game, and while low scoring, it was truly an intense experience to see how Germans viewed their soccer, their women’s world cup in particular.  In the U.S. you are unlikely to find a bar showing the U.S. Men’s national team games, let alone the women’s World Cup. For the few soccer fans that are out there, is that not a frustrating fact? I made it back to the Hamburg Central Station a little before midnight, and found me some food to eat, bratwurst with spicy mustard, and it was amazing. With every bite you feel the snap of the outside skin, it was better than any brat I have every had stateside.  I walked around, had some smokes, generally tried to avoid contact with the hoards of drunks that were wandering throughout the train station that night. At 4:53 am my train departed, and I was on my was back to Kempten, and boy was I looking forward to a hot shower.

Munich Vs. Mongo Round 2

My day in Munich was nothing short of amazing. First, as it worked out, being a little late made my day even better. The original plan called for catching a 9am train, and while I woke up to my alarm, I did not wake Sebas up in time, so we were going to make it to the station for the 10:14 train. Well we got there, with only two minutes to spare. It being my first time trying to navigate the German rails, I did not rush it, I knew another train would come along. After figuring out which train I was going to take, I hung out for a while before finding my platform. While standing there, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see who on earth  would think they know me as in this country far away from my own, and it was none other than Michaela, a very funny and beautiful gal who I had met twice before. (Bonus for me – She speaks English) It was a pleasant surprise, but me and Michaela sat down together and talked until the train arrived. Upon climbing onto the train, we looked for an empty compartment to claim as our own, but unfortunately there were none. We settled for one in the middle of the train that was inhabitated by an older gentleman doing Sudoku.  We dropped our bags down and sat, talking for a while. I stared out the window and could help but notice how beautiful the countryside was, and my nose could not help but notice that it smelled like shit! Thirty minutes into our journey to Munich we stopped, and Jenny, Michaela’s friend joined us. As it turned out, Michaela and Jenny are going to Munich today to meet up with a group of people whom they met while during a semester abroad at Florida Gulf Coast State College. When Michaela asked me if I would like to spend the day with them, I was very excited! I will finally be around English speakers all day long. I hardly know what to do with myself. As we got to Munich Central Station, a plan formed in my head.

 Step 1. Get my reservations for the night train,

2. Secure my bag in a locker at the Central Station

 3. Enjoy a beer.

Steps one and two were easy to complete, and by that time our group of three turned into 7 with the arrival of everyone else.  Michaela had lived in Munich for six months, but we could not relay on her to get us where we wanted to go. Flo and Mark assumed the position of pointman, leading us out of the train station and into the underground station, and on the subway we got. The only problem was nobody checked the map. As it turned out we got off of the subways 3 stops too far, and we decided to walk. We passed the University which was crowded with bikes and scooters, turning left we walk down a small two lane road, leading us to a park. The temperature was a warm 85 Deg today so going for a swim would have been great. As we walked through the park, bodies everywhere of half naked people, some were laying, some were sitting, some reading, and some drinking, but all of them enjoying the sun. Unfortunately for me this was not to be my destination, and we continued to walk, over a footbridge that allowed us to cross a crystal clear river, and around the “mountain” as it was called, in hopes of finding the lonely Chinese tower that would be a symbol of how close we were. After asking many people which way we had to go, we stumbled upon it. Eagerly securing a table in the shade, we then went to get our first beer of the day. It was a liter, and boy was the mug heavy. I looked around and could not help but laugh when I saw some people required two hands to drink from the mug. So this is how our afternoon was spent, in the company off good people, sharing laughter and jokes. I can see pictures of all the tourist attractions on the internet, but I can not find that afternoon spent laughing on the net. While it was not how I originally saw my day in Munich going, I truly enjoyed myself. Besides, I will be going back to Munich again, where I will take plenty of pictures.  As for now, I must catch this overnight train to Hamburg. Ciao.