Monsieur Bart

Java Outsourcing

2011-01-17T09:09:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for Java Outsourcing go to Baroo Software

May I present...

2006-05-03T15:49:00.000-07:00

Celtic Bart, my new blog!

To Blog or not to Blog...

2006-04-24T05:38:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been thinking about whether it's worth continuing blogging...my trip is basically finished, and lets face it, no one's life is as interesting when they're working 9-to-5. One thing that the blog has allowed me to do over the last year is too keep in touch with lots of people, which is great. This is probably the only reason I would continue. So my thoughts are to start a new blog: commenting on life in Ireland, working in Europe, the joys of project management, vacations, etc. Readers, how does this sound? Forward any suggestions about content, format, or maybe better blog engines.

Afterword

2006-03-23T14:32:00.000-08:00

For those of you who sit in the movie theatre waiting for hidden scenes, for those of you who listen to CD's all the way to the end in hopes of a hidden track and for those of you who give standing ovations just to hear one more song...this post is for you.

It's been just under a month since I've come home after the long trip. I've had a chance to catch up with old friends, spend plenty of time with my family and eat that amazing home-cooked food. Toronto has been cold, but I've spent most of my time indoors so it hasn't bothered me. After an initial week of settling down, I spent my days reading books, job searching, and plain old relaxing....even caught up on a few movies. Other highlights included a weekend ski trip with my parents and sister to Blue Mountain, a trip to the theatre to see a Polish play and catching a concert by my favorite blues band who just happened to stop in Toronto for this first time ever - The Eric Tessmer Band.

Now onto the exciting news: Come this May, I'll be trading in the maple leaf for a shamrock when I move to Dublin, Ireland to start my new job as a TPM for a small software company. I'm very excited, not only for the new role but also to be moving to Ireland. The time gap between then and now will be filled with a month-long trip back to Poland. So what are your plans next St. Paddy's day?

That's all Folks!

2006-02-27T08:14:00.000-08:00

Surprise, it's been just over 10 months and I've decided to pull the plug. That is, my trip is finished and this blog posting is coming to you from the comfort of my parents home in Toronto. Im a huge fan of Seinfeld, not just the show but also the guy. One thing ive always admired about Jerry was his decision to cancel the show after years of being the top comedy on TV. I guess he sensed it was starting to slip so he ended it. "It's better to go out on top then fade away". A few days ago i made the same decision with regards to my trip. The last couple of months have been absolutely amazing: the unreal beauties of the antarctic, my most amazing trekking experiences in patagonia, livin "the life" in my favorite city in the world and finally experiencing carnival with my long time buddy. And although central america would have it's own share of highlights, I realized that this was the moment to go out on top. What is interesting is that there were two events that were the tipping points in my thought process:
1) While on top of Volcan Baru, my camera decided to call it quits.
2) Stubbed my toes, loosing a couple toe nails. There is a great and lengthy story behind how this happened but ill save it for a good travel tale over beer.
Of course this meant no hiking for the next few weeks and of course no photography. In addition, I read through Lonely Planet Central america and there absolutely nothing i was dying to see or experience...everything i had dreamed about for so long, i had already achieved. Add to this the joy of returning to family after a long time apart made this one of the simplest decisions of my life (literaly was made in 2 minutes).

I hope you've enjoyed following me around for the last little while, reading my tales and soaking up the pics. Seems strange, but today is the happiest ive ever been. Maybe it's the feeling of accomplishing a dream, or the memories of experiences or the prospect of things to come. The feeling is similar to the day you graduate university...minus all the built up stress.

Finally, let me answer the question everyone keeps asking me "What was your favorite place?". It's very complex since ones enjoyment of a particular place heavily depends on many factors: your interests, weather, what languages you speak and most importantly the people you meet. That said, below is a list of my fav places broken up by the two legs of my trip:

Europe Leg
Amsterdam (it's amsterdam!)
Prague (best over-touristed town)
Sarajevo (best non-touristed town)
Granada (ultimate Andalusian experience)
Munich (feels like an amazing city to live in)
Poland (huge bias here)
Alps - French & Swiss (best hiking)
Morocco (most interesting culture)

South America Leg
Bolivia (undiscovered natural beauty, friendliest people)
Argentina (country that captured my heart)
Buenos Aires (in Argentina, but so amazing it's worthy of another note)
Cuzco (backpacker heaven)
Patagonia (best hiking)

Of course, if you got a bit of excess cash, then the antarctic is not to be missed!

Hasta la vista!

Carnival Vets

2006-02-25T09:50:00.000-08:00

Well it´s Carnival time in the latin world, shawn and i are on an island off the panama mainland called Bocas del Toro. Last night was the first day of carnival and the entire island (along with plenty of tourists) was celebrating. We began early at a very cool hostel which had 50c happy hour beer specials. This was followed up by a street party and then a beach club. Shawn and i now consider ourselves carnival veterans.

Coffee & Strawberries

2006-02-23T14:36:00.000-08:00

After leaving central america´s most modern city, shawn and i headed west to the mountain town of Boquete. A beautiful place, with panama´s best coffee. After spending the day organizing our trek we set off on a three day adventure. The first day, we climbed to the top of Panama´s highest peak, Volcan Barú (3750) where we camped a couple hundred meters below the summit. The volano has another interesting characteristic that sets it apart from all other peaks that line the pacific rim: at the peak, it´s the only place in the world, where on a clear day, one can see both the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. After setting up camp the first night, we watched the sunset from the peak. The second day, we climbed over and down the backside of the volcano...witnessed one of the most breathtaking rainbows either one of us has ever seen and ended up in a small town on the other side. This small town (can´t remember the name at the moment) claims to have the worlds best strawberries. I enjoyed the best strawberry milkshake ive ever had that night. The final day, we trekked back to boquete around the volcano on a path this know to be the most beautiful in panama. Basically jungle, with tropical birds (that we could hear, not see) and a lone horse who followed us for half and hour. Tonight we rest in boquete and head for the coast tomorrow.

Last shot of me before my camera went kaput<

Diablo Rojos

2006-02-19T14:28:00.000-08:00

One last note about argentina...our final night, Igor and i saw a Tango show at a famous BA cafe. Although i have no desire to learn, i must admit that the argentinian tango is the most suductive "classic" dance that ive ever witnessed.

Now onto Central America! Im in Panama City with my buddy shawn. Yesterday was his 27th birthday, so we promply celebrated by drinking large amounts of alcohol, chillin on our hostel patio. Today we visited the famous canal where we saw some boats go through the locks. One of the most interesting things we´ve seen here are the buses. All the city buses are pimped up school buses. You know the yellow ones from back home, spray painted with various designs (jesus seems to be very popular), chrome rims, huge exhausts (18-wheeler style), tinted windows, and massive sound systems pumping the latest latin beats. The local name for this buses on steriods is Diable Rojo (red devils). More chillin this afternoon, it´s really really hot here and tonight we´re off to the western part of panama for some trekking!

Tight squeeze

Can´t believe it´s over...

2006-02-17T05:19:00.000-08:00

Its my final day in South America and i must say ive gotten really attached to this place. So many experience and memories, i smile everytime i scroll down my blog. Ive spent 5 months here and without hesitation i could spend 5 more. Places that i didnt have a chance to visit but will be dreaming of include venesuela and columbia. By the way, if you havent seen my brazil blog (from last year) check it out! Tonight we´re throwing a little party and hitting our favorite nightclub until the wee hours of the morning. Tomorrow i start the final (boohoo) leg of my trip...central america.

Devil´s throat from both sides

2006-02-15T10:07:00.000-08:00

Igor and I just got back from a trip to Iguazu Falls. The only waterfall that ive seen in my past that is comparable is Niagra. Definetly not as strong or powerful as niagra, but iguazu is set in a national park, surrounded by rainforest and stretches much longer than it´s canadian rival. The highlight of the day was when we reached the boardwalk that was at the rim of the biggest waterfall called Garganta del Diablo (devel´s throat). A storm was starting to come through bringing in cold winds, while the devel expelled warm mist from its base. We were soaked with both warm and cold air hitting us from various directions...heaps of fun. The following day, we crossed over the the Brazilian side to get a different perspect of the falls. Now back im back in BA enjoying my last few days of south america.

Bit of the falls

Quinta

2006-02-12T10:53:00.000-08:00

Quick update from Buenos Aires. Not much has changed, just enjoying the everyday, doing a little sight seeing and lots of nightlife. We took a tour of Theatro Colon, which due to its excellent accoustics ranks up there with the best theaters in europe. Night life has encluded: 1) an "afterwork" disco modeled after the opera house in sydney where we partied with a few thousand people until 3am on a wednesday night 2) a normal disco that had a full-blow transvestite dance show half way through the night (ask igor for the videos) 3) a quinta (argentinian word for house party in the country) in a pimp suburb of BA. Today, we´re off on a trip to Iguazu.

Only decent photo i was allowed to take on the tour of theatro colon

The Return of the Croc

2006-02-07T07:13:00.000-08:00

Im back in Buenos Aires! Igor, a friend of mine from seattle has joined me for two weeks here. We´ve rented a penthouse apartment in trendy palermo and i get to lead a little more of a "normal" life for a while.

Goofing around in La Boca

Sushi restaurant just outside our apt

Last night was very tripy. After eating at an all you can eating sushi restaurant (muy bien) we went out to a popular irish pub downtown (monday night, what else can you do?). We were sitting by the bar and at one point igor went to the bathroom. While he´s gone, a guy walks up to the bar stands right next to me and orders a beer. I recognize him right away but im completely shocked, so all i do is keep looking at him. Im thinking maybe i had too much to drink. He notices me looking straight at him, he looks at me and then looks away again...no expression on his face. I keep staring, he looks back again at me (probably thinging "what´s this weirdo doing?")...and again doesnt recognize. Finally a third time he looks at me, then looks behind him thinking maybe im looking at something else. Finally i say "crocodile!"...and then it hits him as well "Bart you bastard!". Chris is a guy i hung out with for 4 days in budapest...one of the english guys i beat in the cold water challenge. He´s the guy who quit his job after hearing about my future south america travel plans and booked an overland trip of the continent...and they´ve stopped in BA for a few days. Ive heard many "oh my god, you wont believe the coincidence" travel stories before, but this one takes the cake. If you remember my little blog about A Few Fun Interesting People chris and i are on there...look for us wearing red shirts.

Reading update

2006-02-04T11:02:00.000-08:00

Couple more books that i have not been thrilled with:

Digital Fortress by Dan Brown. If you have knowledge of any of the following subjects: software programming, cryptography or chemistry then this book is worth a read for a good laugh.

If you like their ice cream and interested in business then Ben and Jerry´s Double Dip is worth a read. Got bored about half way into the book...im just not in that frame of mind right now.

Doin´ the Dabooya

2006-02-03T14:30:00.000-08:00

Wow, just back from Torres del Paine national park. Over the last 5 days, ive "done the W". The "W" is most likely south americas second most popular trek (behind the inca trail). I did a slighly extended version, roughly 80km. Everyday was filled with highlights...sunrise at the famous towers (after which the park is named), watching distant avalanches in the Valle Frances and sunset at Grey Glacier. Its not all flowers and butterfies though, patagonia makes you work for it...a couple days i had severe winds, the kind that will knock you over if you´re not careful. Very gusty (the day before i arrived, 150km/h gusts had been measured), changing directions every few seconds...sometimes i felt i was a boxer getting his fair share in the ring. But no rain and lots of sun made everything, even the wind a pleasant experience. That´s it for patagonia! So, so, sad...

Me hiking in Frances Valley

Glacier at sunset

Torres at sunrise

Resting me feet

Beautiful even on a grey day...

A little "me" time

2006-01-26T12:00:00.000-08:00

After being cooked up on a ship with 100 other passengers, i decided i needed a little "me" time. The glacier trek in El Calafate was a nice start, but i was craving more. So after arriving to El Chaltén (also in argentina) i rented some camping gear, strapped it all to my backpack and set out for a 4 day trek in the northern part of Los Glacieres national park. Starting the trek, i remember thinking...geeze my pack is heavy...my worries were confirmed on the second day when my waist buckle snapped due to the weight. That was also the day that it rained the entire time...soaking half the things in my pack...i wasnt a happy camper :) But everything turned out for the best...beautiful weather, Mt Fitz Roy was out in all its glory, skinny dipping in glacial lakes...the usual stuff. My feet are sore, my belly is hungry, my beard is out but ive got a big smile on my face. Have a couple days of bus rides and ill be back in Torres del Paine national park for some more trekking.

Fitz

Too close! Just enjoying the sunset...

Clouds in patagonia are the coolest things you´ve ever seen

Back to old Perito

2006-01-22T15:24:00.000-08:00

Yes im back in El Calafate, can´t seem to get enough of patagonia. This time instead of just looking at the glacier (Perito Moreno), i spent the day trekking on it. Went with a great company called Big Ice...we trekked for the whole day...and finished off the day drinking whiskey with glacier ice on the boat ride back from the glacier.

How did that get there?

Antarctica!!!

2006-01-21T08:10:00.000-08:00

Was sad to leave south america behind but after my 10 day antarctic expedition im back to my favorite continent. Due to excellent weather the trip was brilliant. The 2.5 day voyage crossing the Drake Passage was very interesting, got sea sick on the second day but nothing major. In total we spent 4 action packed days in the Antarctic. Everyday, we made two landings with our zodiaks, did some hiking, photographed wildlife and just enjoyed our surroundings. What makes this place so special is it´s remoteness from human civilization. No towns, no cars, no people, nada...just water, iceburgs, massive glaciers and the freshest air i´d ever breathed. Penguins were the main attraction...one colony we visited had roughly 150,000 penguins! Seals were very abundant...my two favorite were the elephant seals for their shear size and leopard seals, vicious penguin eaters. Finally we saw at least a dozen humpback whales. I´d also like to mention that i swam off the boat in 0C water (salt water freezes at -1.8C)! Save the albatros!!

First one to blink loses

Embarkation day

Antartic Reflections

Penguino

Mini iceburgs in still water

Humpback

End of the World

2006-01-10T11:25:00.000-08:00

It´s the middle of summer here in Ushuaia (no easy way to teach you how to pronounce this one), the southern most city in the world! That means it´s light outside until 11pm at night and we see temperatures peak at a sweaty 14C. Ive spent a day hiking in Tierra del Fuego national park and taken a morning boat cruise on the beagle straight. But the best thing about this place is the food! Meat lovers paradise. Patagonia has the country´s best lamb, plus you have the standard (but amazing) argentinian beef. Next comes the king crab! Fresh out of the water and cheep! Add to that a variety of fresh fish, mussles, oysters complemented with the contient´s finest wines and you get the general idea. Would have never thought the end of the world would be so tasty :) Ushuaia is also the starting point for my antarctic cruise! See you in a couple weeks...

Much busier before the boys up north built their stupid (panama) canal

Patagonia...not the company...the place

2006-01-05T12:35:00.000-08:00

Over the last three days ive been hiking, horseback riding and having a great time in Torres del Paine national park in Chile. This is¨"the" big attraction in patagonia and its easy to see why. One of the most beautiful places on earth that ive ever been to. The first day i did the famous Towers hike. The following day, i went horseback riding...this was my third time ever...and i must say it was for real this time. The horses were magnificent...strong, fast and very responsive to every command. On several occasions we were in a full gallop. For those unaware (as i was a few days ago) there are different names for the various ways a horse runs, each one getting progresivly faster...walk, trot, canter and gallop (think horses racing on a track). Luckly i had a great teacher. Tonight im in Puerto Arenas, still on the chilean side but will be crossing back into argentina tomorrow.

buźki do słońca

New Years in Patagonia

2005-12-31T15:01:00.000-08:00

Happy New Years everyone! Im spending it in patagonia in a town called El Calafate. Today i visited the magnificent Perito Moreno glacier. Its a piece of ice the size of Buenos Aires, need i say more?

Argentina Rocks!

The pulse of south america

2005-12-28T10:26:00.000-08:00

Finally in the big city...Buenos Aires. Ive been hearing great things about this city for months from various travelers and finally im here to see if for myself. So far it has not disappointed...there´s a reason they call this city the paris of south america. Lots of really unique and interesting neibourhoods, great restaurants, cafés and nightlife. A danish guy i met a while back in cuzco hit it spot on..."Buenos Aires is a city with a pulse". I spend most of the day walking around this massive place, so far ive seen Recoleta a very high-end neighborhood with an interesting above ground cemetary and San Telmo, the Soho of BA.

Feliz Navidad!

2005-12-24T07:45:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! Have a relaxing holiday season, eat lots, be merry and instead of making a typical new years resolution...instead imagine something that will make you unbelievably happy and make sure you do it next year!

Tonight ill be spending christmas eve with follow students from my spanish school...we´re having a BBQ outside :) Later, around 1am tonight we´re hitting the nightlife as is customary in argentia...one of the biggest party nights of the entire year. Tomorrow sleep and later i depart to the big city, Buenos Aires.

Do as the argentinians do

2005-12-22T10:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday i did something very risky...entrusted a south american to cut my hair. Actually it wasnt all that bad, the argentinians are by far the most stylish latios ive come across so far...i found the best salon in town, asked for a cut thats very popular in argentina right now (without cutting it too short into the mullet), 5USD later and i can say im very satisfied :) Weather is great, school is great, life is great.

A little rest

2005-12-21T09:13:00.000-08:00

Ive decided to settle down for a week in Bariloche. This is "the" vacation town in Argentina. Im still in the lakes district, so there are plenty of them around, plus mountains in every direction. I went for a really nice hike yesterday to Ser Otto where i saw about 7 or 8 condors. Ive also enrolled in a spanish school for the week, i attend classes everyday from 9am till 1 and we usually do things together in the afternoons. We already have christmas dinner planned for later in the week. The group lessons are amazing...the four hours pass by really quickly. There are only 2 students in my class (including myself) and we usually spend at least half the time chatting about stuff in spanish. This costs 6USD per hour...money well spent. Mi escuela de Español.

Learning new languages is such a drag...
Left to right: Favia (teacher), me (on 3 hours sleep), Angelique (other student)

Done with Chile for now

2005-12-18T13:24:00.000-08:00

Spent the weekend in Puerto Varas, another small town in the lakes district of chile. Cute town, lake, volcano...you´ve heard the story before. Last night was a long drinking night, so today i only had time for a short but very pleasant hike near Volcano Osorno. Tomorrow i depart for the land famous for its beef, wine, chocolate, nightlife, hiking and tango...

Pucon and Area

2005-12-16T14:15:00.000-08:00

Found a cool drawing of the area on the web. The big volcano that i climbed, Villarrica is in the center, the lake to the left and the Pucon is the tiny town on the top right of the lake.

Region IX

2005-12-15T13:54:00.000-08:00

Lots to write about! For the last few days ive been in a town called Pucon in Region IX of Chile, also known as the lakes district. FYI, chile is nicely sliced up into 12 regions, the first one being at the north and the 12th in the south. This area of the world looks like Ontario cottage country (lots of lakes and big green trees), plus some magnificent volcanos and of course the Chilean people who come here on vacation. I must admit, the locals here have been the nicest, most welcoming people in SA thus far.

The town is situated on lake Villarrica and has a very german/swiss feel to it...actually there are many german/swiss immigrants here so at times it doest feel like chile at all. The big attraction is Volcano Vallarrica...a beautifully shaped volcano, much of it covered in snow which hovers in the horizon. The weather was perfect yesterday so i took the opportunity and rented a boat to get some nice pictures of the volcano with the lake in the foreground. Today was my adventure day. The plan was to hike the volcano...but when i woke up this morning the entire sky was clouded over. I still managed to get myself up and walked over to the tour company and to my surprise the trip was still on. Fine i thought...but we´re not going to see anything. But as the bus drove up to the base of the hike, we broke through the clouds to reveal the mountain lit up by the morning sun. The hike was simply amazing, when we reached the sumit (2850m) i had my first look at lava. A whole at the bottom of the crater would every few minutes makes some gurgles, then heat up red and finally blow lava over 100 feet into the air. Even the guides were impressed since it was more active than usual. But the best was saved to the end, sliding down the entire volcano lying on my back and using my ice-axe as a brake. Great fun.

The Goal

The Lava

The Hippie

Touring the Island

2005-12-10T13:28:00.000-08:00

So instead of going on a group tour, a couple other backpackers and i rented a car and toured the island oursleves. This gave us more time around the island yesterday (including a sunrise this morning), allowed us to find a secluded beach for our lunch stop and we didnt feel like cows being hearded from one Moai to the next. Plus i got to drive a 4x4 jeep for the day :) Yesterday was so action packed that we´ve all decided to take a day off to relax. Not too difficult in 30C weather. Other notes, ive been buying my food from the local farmers market here...fresh everything including amazing mini-bananas, pineapples and avocadoes. Yum.

Birdman competitions were held on this volcano

More Moai

Goofing around

Rapa Nui

2005-12-07T15:35:00.000-08:00

Quick update cause internet is f&%$´n expensive on Rapa Nui, that´s Easter Island. Before flying over here, i spent a few days in Santiago...i wasnt very impressed. Usually described as a north american slash european city, i would throw in the word "average" in there as well. Although i did see a cool Andy Warhol exibit.

Back to Easter Island. Its hot and humid, kinda reminds me of maui without the vegitation. The history of this place is what drew me here (and what draws all the tourists)...its long and controversial so read up on it yourself if youre interested. Last night i watched Rapa Nui the movie (produced by Kevin Costner) which was a good hollywood into. Ive walked around a bit, seen some Moai statues and visited the museum. In the next few days i plan to take a guided tour of the island, relax, relax, and relax.

Moais from my daily sunset spot

It aint chilly in Chile

2005-11-30T13:05:00.000-08:00

Spent my first few days in Chile but Bolivia is still on my mind. Prices are shockingly expensive (except for the wine) so im back on my tuna/tomato/bread diet with the addition of avocado (yum). San Pedro is really hot (about 30C) since its located at the edge of the Atacama desert (driest place on earth). Ive spent some time relaxing, visited places like The Valley of the Moon and The Valley of Death where i invented a new sport...sand dune jumping. Hard to explain, but ill attach a picture later.

Un-bolivia-ble!

2005-11-28T11:28:00.000-08:00

My two weeks in this amazing country has come to a close. It seems like my south america trip is following a similar pattern to Europe. That is, once again, a place i had no prior knowledge of has surpased my wildest imaginations and engrained a strong positive impression into my mind. Yo amo Bolivia. Over the last three days, i have crossed Salar de Uyuni (the largest salt flat in the world), passed countless volanoes, visited a train cemetary, touched 1200 year old cacti, and photographed beautiful alpine lakes inhabited by flamingos. After spending 3 days driving in a 4x4 truck, i found it kind of amusing when we crossed into Chile and hit pavement. Our driver remarked "Bienvenidos a Chile" with a smile on his face. Ill let pictures tell the rest of the story...

Typical bolivian bus

Salt as far as the eye can see...french fries anyone?

...translate for yourself

Llama at sunset

Older than your grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand.........parents.

Nice reflection in mud

Giant snot

Rock tree

Rule 1: Never photograph into the sun

Hotspring i bathed in for a couple hours at the end of the trip...water was 26C while the surrounding lake was frozen.

Green lake

Silver anyone?

2005-11-24T14:14:00.000-08:00

What do crackers, coca leaves and dynamite have in common? These are the gifts i purchased to give to miners on my way to the worlds most mineral-rich mine, San Miguel. The mine, is located in a volcano next to the town of Potosi. BTW, Potosi is the worlds highest city at 4010m. My guide and i ascended into the depths of one of south americas busiest mines, we got to level 6/12. It´s dark, cold at times and stuffy at times, cramped, dusty and the smell of dynamite fills the air. This is no tourist destination, this is the real deal. Currently about 6000 people work here, and as we passed various miners, we made some chit-chat and gave them a small gift. The stick of dynamite was first to go...followed by the coca and crackers. These men work hard, and i mean hard. I met a few miners as young as 12 years old running down shafts with wheelbarrows filled with rocks. Silver is the key mineral, and as you can probably guess, the spanish had a hay-day here. The mine, about 500 years old, took the lives of (an estimated) 8,000,000 indigenous people. At an early age, men were lowered into the mine destined to worked their days away, never to see the light again. Of course there were many protests and revolts... the solution? Religion of course! The clever spanish created a Devil idol within the mine and convinced the indigenous people that he would kill them unless they continued to work. Today, local people still respect the idol, lighting him a cigarette and drinking some 96% alcohol before starting to work. A really eye-opening experience.

What a World

2005-11-22T13:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Andrea, a Romanian-born Australian and I, a Polish-born Canadian shared fondue at a Swiss restaurant in Sucre, Bolivia. Thought that was kinda cool. Other than that, ive enjoyed the last 4 days chilling out in this beautiful colonial city.

11hr Hike

2005-11-18T08:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a long day...but very rewarding. There is plenty of hiking around La Paz, ranging from day hikes to multiple week expeditions. We covered around 20km, went as high as 5350m, stood on a glacier and took pictures of multiple alpine lakes. Of course as with the Inca trail, i ate Coca leaves the entire way to help deal with the elevation. Got to love Bolivia. I should have left the city this morning, but the roads are blocked due to protests so we´re flying out tomorrow.

Condor Glacier

Llamas

Got to love Bolivia

2005-11-16T13:49:00.000-08:00

Only a few days in Bolivia so far and i must say im enjoying every minute. On the way from Puno we crossed the border and stopped for lunch on the Bolivian side at a town called Copacabana. Beautiful little place on lake Titicaca, feels almost mediteranian. Although i dont write about food most of the time, i figure id let you know what you get for 1USD at a restaurant here: big soup, fresh lake trout, rice, salad, fries, and fresh banana juice. The town also had a magnificent white church that looked very mosquish...on one side, there was a separate room with hundreds of candles and graphitied walls.

Now im in La Paz, the highest capital in the world. Spent the entire day at various markets looking for some warm clothing to buy. Bought a nice hand-knit sweater for 5 bucks...and then i found an unique store where i spotted the coolest scarf and tuque (beenie) that ive ever seen...all hand made in a small village outside La Paz...cost was about 10 times the amount youd pay for the similar stuff on the street but the quality was just so good i had to buy. Still only cost me the equivalent of $25 for the two. (will post the web address of the store later...they export).

Titicaca

2005-11-13T14:36:00.000-08:00

Lake Titicaca is the worlds highest navigable lake (at 3800m). I took a boat trip around the lake and visited a few islands. Two of the islands were inhabited by the Uru people, who actually make their floating islands out of dried totora (bamboo-like plants that grow in the lake). These people fled to the lake during Inca times and have lived there ever since.

Very strange to look at the peruvian flag and not see a maple leaf in the middle.

Cuzco

2005-11-12T16:05:00.000-08:00

Just thought Cuzco deserved one last post since it has been such a great city. The final night we partied until the early ours of the morning...all free. In the main square, there are people whos job it is to lure gringos into various bars. If you pressure them enough, they give you free drink tickets. Spend about 10 minutes doing this (really easy, they come to you) and you end up with more tickets than you can drink. All the bars/clubs have no cover, so you end up bar hopping all night...great mix of backpackers and locals...really a unique place. Today spent the day on a long bus ride to Puno.

Oh, i also ate Cuy (Guinea Pig) and Alpaka (small llama) in Cuzco.

Cuzco

Highs and Lows

2005-11-11T08:30:00.000-08:00

I just came back from the four day, 43km long, Inca Trail which finishes at Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas. Overall i was really happy with the experience...but the whole trek was filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. The first 2.5 days of trekking were nothing but clouds, rain and fog. It was very frustrating to come up to vistas only to see nothing but white...also, rain, rain, and more rain gets to you after a while. We passed Inca ruins everyday and my only joy was the mysticism caused by all the fog around the ruins...actually the word "mystical" was a theme word used by optimists in my trekking group quite frequently. In the afternoon of the third day, the clouds opened to reveal a beautiful valley surrounded by snow capped mountains and a rainbow to boot. Big smiles from everyone, we were optimistic about the final day. Unfortunately, the weather turned again...and as i crossed the infamous Sun Gate (located on a mountain pass), the moment ive been waiting for for so long, 4 days of hiking, all i could see was clouds, rain and a faint machu picchu. Ive thought about it a bit, and i stand by the notion that this was the most disappointing moment of my life. Not my worst moment or most difficult moment, but most disappointing. Im pretty sure if there were any people contemplating suicide then the view would have pushed them off the edge. All is not so bad...a few hours later the weather turned again for the better and i had my long awaited time with machu picchu. I hiked up Huayna Picchu, which is the mountain you see behind Machu Picchu in all the photographs. I also met a crazy mexican guy named Alexandro, who had spent the last three weeks walking around Machu Piccu in his bare feet feeling "the energy" of the place. At one point be broke out into some Tai Chi, followed by hugging the walls for energy. In the end, i wouldnt have changed the trip one bit...working hard for a goal makes it so much more enjoyable when you reach it.

"Mystical"

Another inca ruin

Finally a view

Me & MP

Almost Inca´d Out

2005-11-06T12:12:00.000-08:00

Cuzco, what a town. The center square is beautiful and very very touristed. Luckly all of the tourists are of the backpacker type. The nightlife has been the best in all of south america thus far...most bars giving free drinks just to enter. During the days ive been visiting Inca ruins in the area, including a trip to the Sacred Valley today. Ive also purchased my first peruvian hat at the Pisac market, i need something warm for the 4 day Inca trail that starts tomorrow.

Biggest inca ruin near cuzco called Sacsayhuaman (pronounced "sexy woman")

Corn at Pisco market

Everyone loves Jesus

The Rebel Sell

2005-11-05T14:23:00.000-08:00

Smart, witty book about countercultural rebellion. Ive lent the book to other people in my travel group and it has the topic of endless discussions. Here´s one of the many great quotes from The Rebel Sell (american version here)

Consumers are like crabs stuck in a bucket, each one trying to escape but getting pulled back in by the others. It´s not that the crabs want to stay in the bucket. It´s just that as soon as any one crab makes any progress toward the rim, the others try to crawl over it, using its progress as a way of furthering their own escape. As a result, they all wind up back where they started.

Donkey Pull

2005-11-03T14:26:00.000-08:00

Ever tried to pull a donkey across a bridge? Spent the last three days on a trek though the Colca Canyon, the deepest canyon in the world (generally accepted as such, although there is another canyon nearby that some claim is the deepest) at 3400m. Thats twice the depth of the Grand Canyon btw. So day 1 we decended to the bottom of the canyon, where we had to cross a bridge and thats were the donkey trouble began. We had two donkeys with us carring our camping gear and they had no intention of crossing the bridge. It took myself and three other grown men about 10 minutes per donkey to cross the 40m long bridge. Im sorry, donkeys are plain dumb...even when there was only one meter left to go, they would resist and try to walk backwards. Day 2 we hiked along the base of the canyon until we came to an oasis where we spent the rest of the day swimming, relaxing in the sun and listening to bob marley. Day 3 we woke up early in the morning and climbed out of the canyon. As a final reward after the hike, we went to a hot spring. I slept outside both nights under the stars, life is good :)

Inside the beast

Don´t play with fire

Nunery

2005-10-31T12:44:00.000-08:00

Quickly moving through peru and im in Arequipa. Im half dead from the night bus but have managed to visit a nunery built in the 16th century when christianity was brought over. This was a nunery for the rich...each nun had her own quarters with multiple servants. Ok lets start from the beginning. Back in those days, the first born son would have to marry to carry on the family name. The second born son had a choice, join the military to become a priest. If he chose the military then the second born daughter was to be a nun. The idea was that every family needed at least one person praying for the salvation of the whole lot. The second born daughter, at the age of 12 would spend 4 years as a "Novice"...living in the nunery but speaking to no one (although family could come and visit now and again and speak to her through a gate). After 4 years, she would become a nun afterwhich she would never have contact with the outside world again. Even after a nuns death, her family members would not have the oppertunity to see the body. This all sounds horrible, but life outside the walls of the nunery was a lot worse.

Blue,red and white: the three main colors found in the nunery.

Aliens?

2005-10-30T15:46:00.000-08:00

Today i got into a 6-seater plane and flew over the famous Nazca lines. You may be familiar with these drawings from such shows as unsolved mysteries. Basically huge drawings of animals (some of which span hundreds of meters) and straight lines that extent as far as the eye can see. There are many theories about how this figures were created...everything from maps of water sources to aliens. Personally, i think any culture with a few centuries of time to kill and nothing but desert to play with would have built it our of bordom. From the plane i could also see the worlds tallest known sand dune...over 2000m of sand. In the afternoon, i visited a Nazca cemetary...where i got to casualy hold 2000 year old human bones.

Hummingbird

Sandboarding

2005-10-29T20:12:00.000-07:00

Great day today. Was back in the dessert...this time instead of riding camels (like in morocco), we took dune buggies which turned the huge sand dunes into an amusement park of roller coasters. Every now and then we would stop and sandboard down the dunes. Good fun. This was in the Ica dunes btw. In the afternoon we stopped in the Pisco winery, got a tour and of course tasting at the end. The most popular drink in peru is the Pisco Sour...which is just pisco liquer plus some lime, sugar and ice. Here´s a great saying that ive picked up and should be used before taking a shot:
"Por Ella, la botella, la mas bella."
(For her, the bottle, it is more beautiful)

Like a pro

Lima...boooo

2005-10-27T15:24:00.000-07:00

Just passing through Lima...cause this town sucks from a touristic stand point. I did manage to buy an "Inca Kola" t-shirt that im very proud of. Inca Kola is the peruvian answer to Coca Cola, looks like Mountain Dew and tastes like cream soda.

Sand City

2005-10-25T16:53:00.000-07:00

Im in Huanchaco another coastal town. Today we visited Chan Chan, a huge city built out of sand during pre-inca times by the Chimu. The coastal part of peru does not get rain...none... except during El Nino, so at its peak Chan Chan was a sand city supporting around 60,000 people. Of course we can thank our spanish amigos from destroying most of it. You still dont believe me about the rain...internet cafes here do not have proper roofs. When you ask "what do you do when it rains"...the answer you get is "it doesnt rain".

Chimu design

From Ecuador to Peru

2005-10-23T13:16:00.000-07:00

I should mention that im traveling with a bunch of backpackers from Quito to Santiago with the help of a local guide. Ive booked a few of these, the first one being Galapagos, the current being the second, then a Patagonia trip and finally my antarctic voyage. We finally managed to leave ecuador and now im in Mancora Peru. A tiny surfing town on the coast. Its sunny and warm, i spent the day on the beach reading...went for a jog...that kind of stuff. The trip here was exciting, it included a broken mini-bus in the Andes, restaurant staff running after us through a busy square, counterfeit money, and the "interesting" ecuador/peruvian boarder which is essentially 45km of no-mans land.

Cajas National Park

2005-10-20T18:43:00.000-07:00

Its my final full day in Ecuador...staying in the colonial city of Cuenca. Today i spent the day hiking in Cajas National Park...very high elevation with a couple hundred apline lakes. On the way back we stopped by "Che" restaurant and had some smoked pig...our cab driver was really cool and took us to the place, he even got the women to add extra meat for us because he thought our portions were too small. Tomorrow we cross the boarder to peru.

Funny lookin plant

Hikin ´in Bikin

2005-10-18T16:22:00.000-07:00

Im in Baños. Spent the day biking down curvy roads surrounded by mountains, stopping every once in a while and hiking up to waterfalls (the most famous being El Diablo). ...great day, boring post...im sorry.

Cucarachas

2005-10-17T10:02:00.000-07:00

I spent the last three days in the Amazon Jungle...La Selva to be exact. This is in a very remote part of ecuador...from quito it took 30 minutes on a plane to Coca then a 3 hour motorized canoe ride down a river, followed by a 1 hour hike and then another 30 minute canoe ride to reach our lodge. The lodge was very pimp by jungle standards...three course meals, hot water, etc. I had a private hut which i shared with about a dozen cockroaches (jungle sized). We did about 2 or 3 hikes each day...saw plenty of huge insects, hundreds of parrots and other exotic birds, and some caimons. I did fish for pirannahs...but unfortunately the buggers are just to fast...after lowering a piece of meat on a hook into the water within 20 seconds it would be polished off...very frustrating. Weather was perfect...rained for 15 minutes one day.

PG-13

Lake that we spotted caimon by night, fished for piranahs in the evenings and swam in during the day

Cloud Forest

2005-10-13T15:54:00.000-07:00

Spent the entire day hiking in a sub-tropical cloud forest in north western ecuador. Highlight of the hike was seeing a tucan (like Sam, the one on the Fruit Loops box). Tomorrow i leave for three days to the jungle (eastern ecuador close to brazil) were i will have the opportunity to fish for piranahs.

Biking down Cotopaxi

2005-10-11T15:52:00.000-07:00

Today i spent the day cycling down the worlds highest active volcano, Cotopaxi. We started with snow, then hail, some rain, and by the time we got to the bottom (4 hours of cycling) i had a big grin in my face. The company that i went with was called the Cycling Dutchman. I had a chance to meet the dutchman himself when we pulled up to his huge mansion to pick up bikes. Here´s the quick story...but its really funny to hear him tell it in a thick dutch accent.
- travelled the world for 5 years...would work summers in the netherlands painting houses and travelled the rest of the time
- when he was in vancouver, he bought a bicycle and cycled down to LA where he fell in love
- not with a girl, but with a boat. he sold his bike, and bought an old decrepid 21 foot sail boat for 400 dollars. painted rich peoples homes in LA for 8 months while restoring the boat.
- sailed by himself from LA to cabo st luca in mexico...took several months...realized half way through his trip that he didnt really know how to sail...got lost for weeks without land in sight...the only maps he had with him was a world map (just a piece of paper) and a map of india...almost got run over by a huge tanker but somehow managed to reach his destination.
- travelled south and met a girl in ecuador and fell in love
- they went back to the netherlands to paint for another year and then moved back to quito
- he bought 5 bycicles, and old pickup truck and started the first volcano cycling business in latin america. of course everyone though he was crazy taking people to the top of a volcano and cycling down...but the business grew.
- he now lives in a pimp mansion in quito with his wife and 2 children (who are fluent in spanish, english, dutch and french)...other people do most of the work and he collects money...loves ecuador (claims europe is shit).

Who´s That?

2005-10-09T16:38:00.000-07:00

Me silly... pictures have just been posted from my adventure trip in slovenia.

yeeeeee!

Diving but no sharks

2005-10-07T20:55:00.000-07:00

Quick Galapagos update. Ive gone scuba diving twice. The first time was not successful due to very difficult conditions (strong currents, waves, bad vis, etc) but the second time was very pleasant. I swam with a sea lion...err...actually he swam circles around me and i just stared in amazement. We saw a huge sting ray...over one meter in diameter. Ive also snorkeled with galapagos penguins...so cute and way too fast. Weather has been fantastic everyday, so ive got a tan and of course im very relaxed. One and a half days left on this trip before i fly back to Quito.

Me again

Galapagos

2005-10-05T09:15:00.000-07:00

Hey all, i have a few moments to blog from the galapagos islands. Ive been in a boat the whole time but today we have stopped in town to pick up some more people. The boat is small, holds 14 tourists plus the crew. I have a private room and my own washroom on the second level. It gets very rocky at night when we are sailing, but i haven't experienced any sea sickness. The experience has been amazing so far...im going to try to list a the things ive seen over the last couple of days: marine iguanas, land iguanas, hybrid iguanas, sea lions (and many cute sea lion pups including a very rare albino), reef sharks, sea cucumbers, sting rays, sea turtles, giant tortoises, fish fish fish and more tropical fish, pink flamingos, blue footed boobies, and many other species of birds. The great thing is that all these animals are tame...so ive been able to get some really close up pictures just using my 50mm lens. We also did a short hike to the top of St. Bartoleme (the best island IMHO) which is the highest point in the islands giving you a nice view of the archipelago.

Land Iguana

Blue Footed Booby

Sealion pup trying to wake up

"Salty" the albino sealion pup

Giant Tortoise

Good old TV

2005-10-01T19:13:00.000-07:00

Nothing very interesting to report...i switched from my hostel to a pimp hotel in the new town which is included with my galapagos trip. Having my own room, a nice shower and a TV is a nice change. I spent the afternoon watching random spanish shows and half of Clear and Present Danger which im dying to find out the conclusion. Tomorrow i fly to the galapagos and begin an 8 day cruise.

Flushing the toilet

2005-09-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

Today i visited the Equator. Early last century some frenchies came down, made some measurements decided the exact spot for the equator. A monument was built, some restaurants and everyone was happy. About ten years ago, westeners came back with some better tools (GPS) and decided that the original location was about 200m off...so they built a museum that showcases the actual equator. I visited both, just in case they decide to change their mind again. One great trick they do on the actual equator (this may be a hoax...but seemed very real to me) is take a simple metal sink...fill it with water and pull the plug while it sits on the equator line...the water just flushes down without making a swirl. Then they move the same sink to either side of the equator, refill it with the same water, pull the plug and it drains swirling in different directions. Its friday, fiesta tonight!

Me and the E-dot

Oye my head

2005-09-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday i climbed by first volcano: Guagua Pichincha. Our guide dropped us off about 1000m below the sumit and we hiked up the rest of the way to 4800m. The weather was great the entire way up followed by a nice hail storm on the way back down. Speaking of going down...we chose a path that had very soft sand which allowed us to run down (similar to my moroccan dune experience). After a few minutes of running, i stopped for a little break and then it hit me. You know the feeling you get when you drink a slurpy too quickly...ok, multiply by 2 and have it last for 20 minutes. Lesson learned, high elevation and running dont mix too well.

Guagua...pronounced ´wawa´ and when translated means ´baby´...get it?

Oro

2005-09-28T13:44:00.000-07:00

And lots of it...in fact 7 tons of gold was used to decorate the inside of La Compania church in old town Quito. No cameras were allowed but i did manage to get a few pictures...the moment i walked into this church the only thing i could say is Wow. Im getting antsy staying in the city knowing that all these beautiful places are around me, so ive booked a trip to climb a volcano tomorrow. Booyakasha!

La Compañia

Its Cold

2005-09-27T08:20:00.000-07:00

Yes, i left rainy skies and mild weather in toronto...a quick stop in sunny, warm, humid miami and ended up in cold, rainy Quito (11C). What can you expect from the worlds second highest capital city (2850m)...my head is still spinning from the elevation. Hostal is great, met loads of people already...today im taking it easy...4 hours of spanish lessons is the plan.

Here we go again

2005-09-25T11:11:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow's itinerary: Toronto -> Miami -> Quito Ecuador. Bag is repacked, some old gear, some new gear...there's more stuff (mainly rain and warmer clothing for patagonia) but i've managed to drop the weight a little. Bob Marley, Shakira and Pimsleur Spanish have been added to the ipod. I think im ready. I must say im a very anxious before this trip...just need to get started. I have no idea how frequently i will have access to the internet, presumably less than in europe, but i will do my best to update the blog when i have the opportunity. Enjoy the winter everyone! Adios amigos!

Visitors

2005-09-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

I have site meter measuring the number of visitors i have to my blog. If you scroll to the very bottom you can get a count. Today, i was playing around with their site and found a cool feature. Below is a generated map of the places in the world where people are reading my blog from:

And although it looks like there's a huge number of people reading from greenland...no, it's just ice.

Certified

2005-09-18T17:32:00.000-07:00

1 book, 5 assignments, 5 written tests, 5 videos, 4-hour in the swimming pool and 4 open water dives later...im now a fully certified, PADI Open Water Diver. I just got back from Tobermory where i completed the certification...yeehaw. From my limited experience, scuba diving is a very relaxing but entertaining activity...i had issues equalizing my ears all weekend mainly due to my allergies. But all is well in the end.

Campground...no, i did not scuba in this pond

Trip Rename

2005-09-13T18:41:00.000-07:00

Well, it's come time to rename this blog. In less than two weeks i'll be flying into ecuador so the whole "European Adventure" bit goes out the window. I thought about "European, South American Adventure" but that's too long...and anything else i come up with sounds cheesy. So, lets do the easiest thing and name it after the URL..."Monsieur Bart" it is.

Now onto more exciting things...below is a map of my planned itinerary for south america. The plan is to fly into Ecuador, chill out for bit...then onto the galapagos (which are off the map) and then continue south. There is also another flight out of Santiago (marked by blue)...which also is off the map. This will be a surprise, but im sure if you looked at another map you could figure it out. Oh, and there's a little green line at the bottom...again cut off...ill be visiting the antarctic to chill (pun intended) with penguins. Finally, the trip seemingly ends in paraguay...truth is, i haven't figured out exactly what to do at that point so you'll just have to stay tuned to find out.

People

2005-09-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

Im in Toronto taking care of a whole bunch of stuff before my next trip. Vaccinations, scuba diving certifications, dentists, etc. It's really one big headache. In my spare time ive managed to put up a few new pictures on this blog (just scroll down) and ive also created a new blog dedicated to people i met along the way.

Last post from europe

2005-09-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

So sad. Today is my final night in amsterdam. Tomorrow morning i jump on a train to paris, party with old friends and the following day i fly out to toronto. Bu-bye europe.

Hope everyone's enjoyed reading about my europe travels...but dont worry im not done yet! Things to come: more pictures from the trip, a new blog dedicated to people (pictures and comments) i met throughout my journey, maybe a few posts from toronto, and then my south american adventure begins.

A&D

2005-09-04T00:06:00.000-07:00

Everyone ive met who's read both Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code prefers A&D. I fall into the same boat. So if youve read Da Vinci and liked it then you owe it to yourself to read A&D. The only disappointment is how similar the stories are.

End is nearing

2005-09-03T23:40:00.000-07:00

My european adventure is quickly coming to a close. Its a bittersweet feeling; im anxious to see my family back in toronto, im also starting to look forward to my next trip but at the same time i think ill miss europe. As much as each country in europe differs from one another, they all have that european feeling...a feeling ive gotten used to. Ive come back to Amsterdam since my first visit earlier in the trip was very brief. Gonna eat some breakfast and then off to the Van Gogh museum.

Genious

2005-09-01T10:07:00.000-07:00

Innsbruck austria has got things figured out. Heres the deal, if you stay in the city (in a hotel or hostel) then you get a free Innsbruck card. This card entitles you to free guided hikes as long as you stay. So this morning, i arrived at a meeting point, got in a van with with driver, guide and 3 other tourists and spent the entire day hiking in the austria alps...free, paid for by the city! They also have a badging system...the more hikes you do, you get cool pins. Other than beautiful views, i also saw the worlds 2nd most poisonous mushroom and a rare alpine flower called the Edelweiß. Tomorrow morning, i get up for a sunrise hike that begins at 5am.

Look at me!

Great when fried with onions

Back to the alps baby!

2005-08-31T11:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry for no updates in a while.

Birthday was a blast! Me, a brit and an entire italian bachelor party hit up Ljubljana saturday night. We ended up following some croatians to a killer yogoslavian night club. I think i drank every possible kind of alcohol...good times.

The last couple days, ive spent in the Julian Alps (in slovenia) on a two day adventure tour. These were 2 action-packed days filled with hiking, rafting, canyoning (jumping 9m into a pool of water and sliding down 15m natural rock slides), and bridge jumping (the final day i jumped off a 12m bridge...kawabunga dude).

Now im in the austrian alps ready to do some more hiking!

Julian Alps

Birthday in Jail

2005-08-27T00:56:00.000-07:00

Today is my 26th birthday and i feel that the past 5 months have been a big birthday party so i dont feel a big urge to celebrate...but im sure ill end up doing something fun tonight. My hostel is a remodeled communist prison, so i can say i turned 26 sleeping in jail.

Back in the EU

2005-08-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

After three days of utter relaxation in korcula...i decide to move on. I spent my days loungin on the beach, reading, watching sail boats float by. The hostel on the island absolutely rocked, every night kicked off with a movie (Team America the first night, and Motorcycle Diaries the second) followed by a themed party night. This was the kind of place that could suck you in for weeks. Anyway, a ferry ride to Split, then a bus ride to Zegrab, followed by two trains and im in Ljubljana, Slovenia. If you have issues pronouncing Ljubljana...try Liubliana (j`s sound like i`s in slavik languages)...oh and dont confuse slovenia with slovakia (another no-no thats sure to piss off the locals).

View from ferry on the way to split

Tattoos

2005-08-22T12:40:00.000-07:00

Before i get on the topic of tattoos...heres a little update. I spent the last couple day on mljet...a remote island with a nice national park. I rented a scooter and drove around...found remote stretches of ultra blue water for swimming. Also went swimming though a natural cave as well as a salt water lake. Today i arrived on my next island Korcula...Korcula town is like a mini, chilled out dubrovnik.

I guess there are good and bad tattoos. Although im not a fan of them in general, i have seen some really original ones and some really really bad ones. The coolest tattoo ive seen, i actually witnessed the tattoo being made, was in istanbul. A canadian girl at the hostel had the bartender (who doubled as a tattoo artist) create a tattoo on the inside arches of her feet. So that when she placed her feet side by side it read: "All the world" "at my feet". Apparently very painful...but was a cool way of remembering her travels. The worst tattoo ive ever seen was on a guy from san diego. San diego has a big tattoo culture and this guy fit right in. His background was german/norwegian/mexican so he had one tattoo dedicated to each piece of his heritage...no problem. For his german heritage...his chose a german phrase, which i cant remember at the moment but when translated into english seemed fine. The tattoo was written in large fonts that spand the underside of both his arms. Unfortunately for our clueless californian dude (and his clueless californian tattoo artist...who probably just picked out this phrase from some tattoo book), the phrase was straight out of the anthem for nazi germany. To make things worse, it´s also written in a similar font used by the nazis. We were sitting at an outdoor cafe along with a bunch of other people including a group of germans who noticed it right away and asked him if he was a nazi. Poor guy. Apparently he walks around with is arms at his sides every time he´s in germany.

My daily chillout spot

Just chillin

2005-08-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

Spent the day swimming in the blue waters of the adriatic. Yesterday, i sat down with a Croatia lonely planet guide book and read about all the islands in the area. Any island that had pictures of swarms of people lying on beaches was automatically thrown out. Ive chosen to visit the two most remote, natural, islands that are still accessible by ferry. Tomorrow morning, i board a catamaran and sail off to my first island, Mljet.

If i can aim the cannon just right...

Blackjack

2005-08-18T10:35:00.000-07:00

For all you gamblers out there...You've heard the story...MIT kids make millions in vegas counting cards. Read the book, hype. Bringing Down the House

"The new greece"

2005-08-18T10:23:00.000-07:00

After hearing marvelous stories about Croatia for the past few months i decided to come here and check it out for myself. It didnt take long to see what all the hype is all about. Set on the adriatic sea, with green mountains in the background, Dubrovnik with its 7th century defensive walls is a stunningly beautiful city that just must be seen. My plan is to spend a couple days here and then head out island hopping.

Windows

1 minute left of internet...

2005-08-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

Im in Mostar, Bosnia...famous for a bridge built by the ottoman empire.

Jump off to impress the local ladies

Gem

2005-08-16T06:18:00.000-07:00

I like this city so much that yesterday i went out and bought a "Sarajevo" sweater. Last night i saw an awesome Ska band at a local pub...the place was jam packed, the band was awesome...monday night. Apparently the nightlife is in full gear every night except for wednesdays...but the locals do admit that it has gone a little down hill. Apparently the nightlife was best during the four years that the city was under siege! Even the Sarajevo film festival got its start during the siege. Today i took a tour of the town, we visited the tunnel museum...a regular country home which contained the entrance to a 800m tunnel that went under the sarajevo airport. The tunnel was built by the bosnians during the war and was the only connection the city had to the outside world for nearly four years (serbian army controlled all the hills around the city).

Im frustrated with the fact that i came here with little knowledge, and incorrect stereotypes of the people and culture. After speaking to other backpackers, it seems most people feel the same way. This is a city where people of many religions have lived side by side for hundreds of years without major conflict. A city, where during the second world war, important jewish artifacts and books were stored in islamic mosques. Its the only city in the world (apart from jerusalem) where you can find a mosque, a Catholic cathedral, a jewish synagogue and an orthodox church within 150 meters of each other. And most recently its a city where people of different ethnicities and religions fought together to defend their city and home from an invading army. This has been by for the most enlightening and interesting stop on my trip. Add to this the beauty of the town and the lack of tourists, i stamp this city the "hidden gem" of europe. Try to get here before the fast food chains and tour buses start rolling in.

Parliament building

Headin west

2005-08-15T04:57:00.000-07:00

One final word on bulgaria. The bulgarians have an interesting way of serving food at restaurants. In north america and western europe, one usually orders a whole meal and it arrives on one plate (maybe a separate salad). In may parts of eastern europe, one selects the meat, and each of the sides separately...fine. The same is done in bulgaria, the weird part is that they bring things out as soon as their ready. So one day i received a plate of hot rice, 10 minutes before i got my chicken. Or received my coffee before my cake. Or the first person at the table gets their food and can finish by the time the last person gets theirs. Takes some getting used to.

Ok, that was more than a word. Over night i traveled through serbia and now im in Bosnia. Sarajevo to be exact. I've been absolutely blown away (no pun intended) by the beauty of this city. It's nestled in the middle of beautiful green hills (which are very tempting to hike, but unfortunately are littered with mines). The old town, most of it resorted after the war, has influences from so many cultures and religions...and everything feels so authentic...the people, the shops, the buildings...not to mention that there are very few western tourists. Of course, there are still visible signs from the recent war, which makes the place even more interesting. The people are very nice and welcoming...you feel the spirit is about rebuilding and looking towards a better future. While at a border crossing, i needed to use the toilet but i didn't have any of the local currency (you gotta pay to pee)...a serbian guy who was leaving the washroom reached into his pocket and paid for me without a thought.

cemetery

Sofia

2005-08-13T04:36:00.000-07:00

The overnight bus ride from istanbul to sofia, bulgaria was altogether fine. The border crossing took 2 hours...we were required to show our passport a total of 5 times and had to leave the bus a total of 3 times. The line was the longest ive ever seen at a border, luckily buses bypassed most of it, but im guessing the rest of the people had at minimum a 6 hour wait. I arrived to sofia early in the morning and decide to spend the day hiking. Right next to the city is Mt Vitosha (around 2200m). My hostel is very well setup and cheap...10 euros which includes free internet, breakfast and dinner. Last night i went out with a couple brits, a scottish dude and another canadian...we got bottle service at a club (since a liter bottle of vodka only cost 30 euros). Good times had by all.

Gotta get out

2005-08-11T02:11:00.000-07:00

Over the last few days in Istanbul ive had some interesting experiences. When entering big markets ive continued the tactic that worked so well for me in morocco. Whenever a person approaches me (most of the time to sell you something or take you to their shop) the first question they always ask is 'where you from?'. Sometimes they try to guess right off the start...ive been incorrectly identified as australian and dutch. Anyway, once they figure out where you're from, they switch to that language. The response of 'Polska' followed by a few lines of polish leaves them looking confused and they just walk away. Well, i was completely shocked when yesterday, a turkish dude busted out his polish like it was nobodies business. Im not talking about simple phrases...we started having a conversion. I was so impressed that i entered his leather jacket store and gave it the once-over before i thanked him and left.

A few days ago i purchased a train ticket to bulgaria. Last night i show up at the station and ask the information desk guy where to find the train. 'No train to bulgaria tonight. Train cancelled'. No other explanation followed and he didn't seem interested talking to me any further. I took out my ticket and he told me to go to desk #4. At desk #4, i again was confronted by a man without an explanation...when i pulled out my ticket his hands reached under the little whole in the glass separating us...i slowly gave him my ticket...he quickly stamped it a few times, put it in a drawer and gave me a full refund. No trains today, no trains tomorrow. Later at my hostel i found out that there have been no trains to bulgaria for 6 months ever since some floods destroyed the tracks...but for some reason they continue to sell tickets and refund them...i guess it keeps people employed which is a good thing. Well, i got a bus ticket today and should be in bulgaria tomorrow in the AM.

Id like some cranberry sauce with my

2005-08-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

Turkey, a quick flight from cold Berlin and im sweatin it out in Istanbul. Lots of really interesting things to do and see here...ive already visited the famous Blue Mosque followed by a huge underground Cistern and 'The Grand Bazaar' (think there's a famous Tea Party song named after it). Ive seen all sorts of buildings on my trip, but nothing prepared me for the awe i experienced seeing the blue mosque for the first time. The bazaar was a little disappointing after visiting the soques in morocco...although larger, it was more westernized and had more tourists. I've had turkish coffee, which is about as thick as tar. Oh one last cool tidbit of info: Sultan Ibrahim (lived a few hundred years ago), got bored of his harem of 280 women and decided one day to package them up in bags and threw them in the river. Times have changed, and things are a little better for women here. That reminds me, today i saw a woman wearing a Burberry headscarf.

Hagia Sofia

Blue mosque

The Zahir

2005-08-06T08:01:00.000-07:00

Newest book by Paulo Coelho: The Zahir. Another good one, great follow up read to the Alchemist.

Großes Bier Bitte

2005-08-04T13:00:00.000-07:00

Im back in Germany, this time in Berlin. This is a mammoth city, with a subway system that rivals london's. Generally speaking, language isnt an issue here since most things are written in both german and english...but occasionally (like when a subway line is closed and instructions are temporarily posted with detour explanations) not. Today i went on a free 3.5h walking tour of east berlin which was very informative. I had taken a similar one in munich and found this an efficient way to tour a large city (and at the same time learn some really interesting things). We must have visited at least 15 different sites...my favorite being a memorial dedicated to every kind of human suffering (slight exaggeration) that has ever existed. I havent experienced too much night life yet (for which berlin is well know for), but my german friends assure me a good time this weekend.

Finally i would like to congratulate and give props to two of my buddies:
- Igor Lovich for finding a great job in paris.
- Shawn Martelock for climbing 4392m to the summit of Mt. Rainier in Washington State.
Well done gentlemen.

Memorial to all victims of war and tyranny

The simple life

2005-08-03T03:23:00.000-07:00

It has been a relief to be traveling again with just my backpack. For a while in poland, my sister had brought me lots of nice pants, shirts, shoes which i was very excited to be able to wear. But seeing all that stuff leave on the plane was liberating. I remember departing toronto at the beginning of my trip and remember feeling a little naked with just a backpack. Now i can fully appreciate the mobility and the simplicity of my travel. So for all those interested, here is a list of everything i carry with me (ive been asked this many times):
1 large backpack
1 day pack
3 underwear (only use 2, 1 is a spare) ***
2 pairs of hiking socks
2 hiking t-shirts
1 hiking shirt
1 hiking shorts
1 hiking pants/shorts
1 jeans
1 belt
1 going out shirt
1 pair hiking shoes
1 pair of sandals
1 flip flops
1 ultra-small towel
1 sweater
1 rain jacket
1 toque
camera gear
toiletries
medical kit
books
other small things (flashlight, sink stop, laundry detergent, etc)

*** Yes, laundry becomes part of your daily routine

The first round

2005-08-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

Im still in Gdansk...recovering from the saturday night party in Sopot. Went with my ausi friends again, back to good old Copacabana club on the beach...i stayed and watched the sunrise over the baltic. I've been kicking myself ever since...it was the nicest sunrise i've ever witnessed and i didn't have a camera on me. At least i could enjoy the moment.

Today i went to Westerplatte...the site where the first round was fired by the Germans, which marked the beginning of the invasion of Poland and WWII.

Hello Baltic

2005-07-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday i arrived in Gdansk. A quick tour of the old town and i was off with a bunch of aussies and canadians to party the night away in Sopot (20 min train ride from Gdansk). I guess you can call Sopot the 'Cancun of Poland'. We spent the night at a beach club called Copacabana (very original). Today i took a day trip to Malbork, famous for its 13th century castle built by the Teutonic Order. They built many castles in the baltic region...roughly 100km apart (the distance a knight can travel in full armor in one day). The castle in Malbork was not only the biggest but also served as the capital.

Anyway, Gdansk is jam packed today...a bunch of large sail ships docked, hence attracting lots of tourists. Im gonna try to get a few pictures of the town and then back to Sopot for round two. Uwaga jest Sobota!!

'Long Street' Gdansk

Coming Home

2005-07-27T11:54:00.000-07:00

Amanda and I have spent the last few days in my hometown, Warsaw. In addition to spending time with our cousins and family friends, we've managed to visit many of the sites: Church of the Holy Cross (which has Chopin's heart), old town, Warsaw Uprising Museum (very new, and excellent museum dedicated to the only substantial uprising during WWII (in which our grandmother took part in)), and a chopin concert in Warsaw's largest park. Tomorrow is Amanda's final full day in Poland before she flies back to Canada :(

Standing next to one of my few, polish, childhood memories

Fire dancer in Warsaw's old town

Spreading Canadian Culture

2005-07-24T04:48:00.000-07:00

Last night at the bar, my sister and i introduced our friends to the Canadian Bar-Sport of Boat Races. Basic idea: two teams, it's like a relay race, each person has 2 beers. There were two teams: Canada/Finland (we met a couple Fins wandering the rynek last night) and USA. Team CF took the early lead, but the 'F' part lagged a bit and the American captain was strong. So here is the final scenario...USA is down to their last pint...our captain at the end accelerates and finishes, next Fin goes without a hitch, then me and finally the anchor (my sister) finishes the job. Team USA has already issued a request for a rematch.

In other news, i went to another polish cabaret and a shisha bar.

School's Out

2005-07-23T03:40:00.000-07:00

Three weeks have come and gone and our polish school has finished. Last night was the closing ceremonies and a goodbye party at a nightclub. Most people are staying the weekend, but im sure it'll be a bittersweet mood. I'm already looking forward to my next destination.

There is a climbing wall set up in the main square, im planning on going there with a friend from class. Amanda is off on a rafting trip and will be going to Austwitz tomorrow (a place everyone should visit once in their lifetime).

Tatra Mountains

2005-07-17T12:18:00.000-07:00

This weekend, our school organized a trip to the town of Zakopane. This is a fabulous little hiking/skiing town on the boarder with slovakia where you can find the High Tatra Mountains. I don't really like hiking with large groups...usually a group of 3 is plenty, we where a group of 33. As you can imagine, we didn't get to much hiking done, although we did go through a cave: the "largest lit cave in poland". Instead of heading back to krakow with the class, i decided to stay in the national park. I hiked some more on saturday, spent the night in a Mountain House and hiked the next day with a couple from the US and a polish gal. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't the greatest...and on the way down i got rained on pretty hard. I think it was God trying to tell me that i need to take a shower.

Forgot to mention that last week Amanda and i went to a Cabaret in the jewish district of Krakow.

The clouds are comin'

Karol

2005-07-13T09:47:00.000-07:00

School is going just fine, my sister and i are having a blast. Last night we took a break from partying and went to see a movie. Karol is the story of Pope John Paul II from the beginning of WWII all the way up until he becomes pope. Excellent, im pretty sure it'll win the Oscar for best international film. We saw a dubbed Polish version.

PJPII

Polish Class

2005-07-06T11:07:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of polish language classes for my sister and I. In my class, level 5, there are 10 people (2 guys, 8 girls). Teachers are cool and i think im learning a lot already...although i still think the best place to learn polish is at the pub (which we invest a lot of our time and money into).

Me and sis at the bar

Future Star

2005-07-03T11:50:00.000-07:00

While waiting for Amanda (my sister) at the airport i noticed a group of photographers and journalists waiting by an arrival gate. A flight had just come in from London...i was expecting a spice girl or something...instead i got 16 year old Agnieszka Radwanska. She had just won the Wimbledon Juniors. I was actually holding a polish newspaper at the time when she walked out and her victory was the cover story. Of course, i managed to get a pic with her.

Agnes and I (btw, this photo was taken after a day of travel and 2 hours sleep)

Proof of victory

MS2

2005-07-03T01:27:00.000-07:00

Thinking like a software engineer, i've reached milestone 2 of my euro trip. MS1 was the Alps, and MS2 is Poland. I arrived in Krakow after midnight and decided to go out for one beer just to relax...i stumbled home after 6am. Partied nice and proper. I love Poland. Im leaving to pick up my sis from the airport...

Underground

2005-07-02T01:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday i went caving under Budapest. It was a four hour guided tour through caves that have been created by thermal waters millions of years ago. In the caves, we did a little bouldering as well as squeezing through some impossibly small holes. The coolest moment was when we reached a depth of 40m and everyone turned off their lights as sat still...no light, no sound...two of your strongest senses are telling your brain `dude, there's nothing`...instead of relaxing...your brain races to figure this out `there's gotta be something´...then the tour guide flicks on his torch and life is back to normal.

So im a little sore today...going back to another thermal bath.

Taking a bath

2005-06-30T08:11:00.000-07:00

I spent the day soaking and relaxing at a Turkish bath in Budapest. Ive been hanging out with 3 brits (one of sri lanken descent) and an american since i got here. Last night we had shisha and went out clubbing...there are plenty of large outdoor clubs here. Anyway, back at the bath we had a contest...who could stay longest in the 8C (46F) tub. The sri lanken guy dipped his foot in and decided against going in the tub at all...first man out was the american...and one by one the brits left. Gold medal goes to Polanada.

Hungarian parliament

Hardcore

2005-06-28T04:28:00.000-07:00

Last night i talked to an Irish girl from Belfast who is by far the most hardcore traveler ive ever met. She started her trip one month ago in Warsaw and traveled south over the tatra mountains into Slovakia...on her bike covering 100km a day. I saw the bike...it's not any high tech machine either...its a standard bicycle...the kind you can pick up second hand for 80 bucks. She has a sleeping bag with her but no tent, not necessary if you dont mind getting wet once in a while. To top this off...she travels with a saxophone strapped to her back...which she uses to make some money when stopping in cities.

It's interesting how many misconceptions western media feeds us about places around the world. Coming to Bratislava i had really low expectations. Maybe it was a clip from Top Green's Eurotrip or something...but i was expecting a very bland, lifeless place. Not the case, there's a nice old town filled with cafes serving amazing food (and cafe lattes like in vienna but for one fifth of the price). There's a castle, plenty of museums, no visible mcdonalds and very few tourists. On the other side of the coin, you have dung-holes like Casablanca which attract western tourists simply because of a hollywood movie.

Frozen in time. One of the many random, but cool pieces of art in the streets of bratislava.

Classical Music

2005-06-26T13:57:00.000-07:00

I set off on a grand tour of downtown Vienna. I didn't get very far...while walking through the Imperial Palace I came to a romanesque building shaped like a dome. Inside, i estimate the ceiling was 80m. Nothing particularly interesting inside since a street road and pedestrian sidewalk going right though the building...although the architecture on the walls and cieling is stunning. A chelo player sat against the wall playing beautiful classical music. I sat down, closed my eyes and didn't leave that spot for 2 hours. The acoustics of such a building make the music experience so much more enjoyable. I think this is the first time in my life where ive sat through a couple hours of classical music and not have been bored. While listening there were always other ambient sounds: the clapping of sandals against a person's heals as they walked by, the ticking sound a bike makes when you stop pedaling, the clicking of a dog's chain, the trotting of a horse and of course the odd car. But there was on moment, it couldn't have lasted more than 10 seconds when all distractions when silent. It felt like a staged scene...everything acting in unison. People exited on both sides of the building, no dogs, no horses, no cars. Even the man who was standing next to me received a phone call and left. And there i was, in Vienna, sitting in the Imperial Palace listening to my very own, private, classical music concert.

After this, i needed some more...so i went to see a real concert at a place called Sound of Vienna. The orchestra played mostly Strauss and Mozart pieces; there was ballet/waltz dances and singing. Since this was a spur of the moment thing...i showed up in my hiking cloths...somehow they let me in. I felt a little uncomfortable at first...but i had the last laugh. It's warm in vienna and with a sold out show...the room got hot real quick. I could see the irritated looks on people's faces...foreheads red from the heat...just trying to make it though. But they did look good in suits. I on the other hand, with my REI synthetic clothing, had no problem dispersing the head. Every now and then, i would reach down to my Sigg water bottle and take a sip of my cold water while others watched in jealousy. Fun time.

Those crazy kids...

2005-06-26T06:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my last day in the Czech Republic in a small town called Cesky Krumlov. It was listed as a ´newly discovered gem´ in lonely planet so i gave it go. It´s a relaxing place...has a nice castle, unfortunately the castle has a section where they hold 3 bears in captivity. Felt bad for them. There´s also a nice river that flows through the town...what´s strange is how many people are rafting it..there are no rapids...just a lazy river. Almost forgot to write about the crazy kids. Here´s a new way to do a tequila shot (a class of 15/16 year old czech girls where doing this at the bar):
A) Snort a line of salt
B) Shoot the tequila
C) Squeeze lemon in your eye
*** Repeat until Anosmia, Inebriation and Blindness occur.

Cesky Krumlov