October Where?

If you have a chance to take a trip, say yes to most everything, try things that come along and try everything for the first time and listen to everyone and everything around you… do it!  If you don’t have a chance to take the trip, you can just do it all  wherever you are.  I dont know what is going to happen next but i know its going to be great.Joel 

I REALLY like Paris. I have decided that if you are not working and you are letting your money spill out for everything, its really nice in this city. But I better get out of here. Im going to be in the negative digits soon if I dont. Last night I invited my host out for a modest meal at a bar kind of place, not fancy at all, and it was the equivalent of $75. Today I brought $50 of cheese to take home, spent $35 on museums, and got a box of macaroon cookies, a marshmallow, and 3 chocolate bars for another $35. Mmmm. . . cookies good. I also bought dinner and drinks again tonight.
All right, Im going home.
The Natural History Museum of Evolution is awesome, the Museum of Hunting and Nature is just incredible!

caio.

But friday was a good Pristina night.  After playing with some kids by the railroad tracks making a bonfire, I went out with the local photographer guy and his girl. First we went to cafe and met their friend, a woman in charge of media regulation in Kosovo.  All 3 were locals, and a little younger then me. Then the camera crew from Greece showed up and thast when it started to get crazy.  We went to another bar where they gave us the room downstairs and we had great time.  Only one of the camera crew was actually Greek, the others were a French, a Belgian, and a Kosovar.  The Greek, was about 50 and owned and operated the satellite truck. He was especially interested in me, how I drank, if I was sitting macho enough, if I had a big enough dick.  After crouching through the attack on Baghdad, he thought the “war” that happened in Kosovo was just some kids throwing stones around. I mentioned Macedonian tobacco and he stood up and made a big deal, “California, if you say that word again, I will not be your friend, Im serious” etc…

Eventually we went to a club that was almost all guys, no one dancing except us, general dance beat music.  Then taxied home around 1:30am. But this was Pristina, I couldnt waste it by sleeping! So I walked back into town to a club Nick told me about, a small concrete box under the stadium.  The music was so great interesting stuff, not very loud, fun people, lots of dancing.  Wandering home at 4am through the center of the capitol was so nice.

 So, sorry for the diversion.  I better just stick to the facts now.

Friday morning, (a few hours later) Nick, the local photographer, and left in Nicks great 4wd car to a village to look for a guy Nick picked up hitching months ago.  Nick didnt remember the name and we went around asking farmers and people in the village if they knew the guy who hitched up through Serbia looking for work. Its a rather dangerous thing for a Kosovar Albanian do, he had a lot of kids, no money, just a wallet of phone numbers on scraps that night lead to work.  No luck finding him, just so many great interactions with everyone else.  

Then we went onto Mitrovica, a special town in the north.  It is a divided city- on one side of the river are the Kosovar Albanians, on the other the Serbs.  With both sides killing each other in the very recent past, the way the city works is very delicate.  There are a few bridges that cross the river.  There is a very small neighborhood that is mixed.  Like, maybe a few blocks.   We visited a store that sells Serb nationalistic stuff, a kind of souvenir store. The stuff is kind of a joke to everyone, except its real when things get hot.  Next we visited a cafe in the Serb part run by one of Nicks friends.  Nick came in joking a bit in Albanian and his friend immediately shushed him.  This is a barometer for Nick of atmosphere of relations.  We had intense discussions in hushed tones in the back.  Very interesting conversation including a map made with sugar grains and packets to illustrate their different views of the current situation.  When we got back to the car, the photographer tried to take a picture of a Putan poster on a ladys stand outside and she went ballistic yelling and started calling to report the lisence plate to the “Big Guys”,  local nationalistic bullies.  We left.

Next we continued north,  past the huge smelting factory that piles its wastes into mountains along the river, past small villages,  then drove up behind Nothing Hill.  Its a KFOR base, (the nato force) and they took photos of a helicopter taking off.  Nick dint get permission in time to take pictures there, so as we left 3 American troupes stopped us and asked what we were doing and no more pictures, etc. 

Moving north to the border we encountered French troops delivering water to some locals who were repairing a water line across a dirt street.  The troops had a big transport truck and a couple jeeps, they were hanging around and everything was really relaxed and not much happening.  It looked like they delivered a few boxes of bottled water, less than would fill up the back seat of a Yugo.  People were joking around some untill one of the guys living there just got really angry that pictures were being taken and started yelling and left.  The party was over.

Finally as night fell we made it to the UN border checkpoint and stayed for about 45 minutes. Its a collection of people from all over the world who applied for a job and got one, living in Kosovo and standing around briefly checking papers of each car that passes. They come for 1 year trips and it looks pretty boarding.  I hung out with a guy from Poland and another from Nepal.  Had some coffee in the office. 

Later we headed back to Pristina and Nick and I went out to a neat restaurant and then I went out on my own.  I walked around for a bit and then heard bangs going off in the city center, I hurried over and saw fireworks and a big crowd.  That day had been the national elections and supporters of the winning party had a party.  They were a couple hundred or so and setting off roman candles for about 15 minutes.  But more exciting were the big traditional fireworks that rocket up and make a sphere of points of light.  Many of them seemed to be shy of rocket fuel, and dipped back down over the audience before going off!  Some didnt even make it off the ground.  It was exciting to see the crowd, laughing and giddy, rush out from the center to be followed by a hemisphere of red flaming points. 

They moved to the sports complex and had a party in a big hall there; pumping music and lots of flags waving. 

The next morning we left Pristina, drove to Belgrade, and I flew to Paris.  It felt pretty strange to be back, especially after waking up in Pristina.

This moring I woke up in Pristina, capitol of Kosovo, and now Im going to bed in Paris.  Took in the Eiffer Tower tonight, as well.

Yesterday was the most complex day of the trip, concentrated like some tourisim bullion.  Ill try to post the events tomorrow, because I need some sleep.  I wrote about yesterday lqst night, but then the server hiccupted and it didnt get posted.   I cant fix it now cause I had only 4 hours of sleep lqst night, and the night before was only 3 hours.  I cqnt keep the words strqight, especially with this french keyboqrd laqout.  Better turn in now, Im getting next to … I cqnt even finish q sentence without falling asleep….

Allright, its not really so special, but I am in Kosovo, suddenly.  Yesterday morning I met  Nick Wood, who is the New York Times reporter for the Balkans.  Super nice guy, about the same age as me. He was looking for a person to accompany him to Kosovo.  I would have to miss my Wizz air flight to Brussels, and get a new ticket to Paris from Belgrade sunday,  So thats what I did and a couple hours later we were on the road.   So, Im in Priština, Kosovo, instead of Paris Disneyland like I was trying for.  It smells like coal.  Like the title of this post, it seems like the air would be filled with tension and energy, as it hs threatens to declare independence from Serbia in 3 days when the UN peace talks are formally over.  There is a Serb enclave to the north, and graves of young soldiers in the park behind me from war that was fought with Serbia some years ago.  But really, like this blog post, not much is happening, and they are probably not going to be any bold moves from anyone in the next few days.  More like a slow transition to formalise the reality of a separate state as is already exists on the ground.

I just bought a ticket home, and it really freakes me out, as usual.  I got thursday, Dec 13.  Should I have come home Saturday instead?  What the heck would I be doing for days in Paris?  Um, maybe those 2 extra days would have been good.  No, its time.  Dont dottle.  I have seen plenty of Paris.  Ill be going to Ljubljana tomorrow, see friends there, then I have to get to Paris, maybe through the Venice airport, then hang in Paris and go home.

Allright, thats plenty of time.  No rush.  I have been around here long enough.

Yesterday evening I arrived in Gorizia,  and found a street festival.  I put my stuff down at the friends house I came to visit and went out there and got into the fest!  I had a hot veggie panini, carnival style, fries, and a fried bread with sugar on it.  The fried bread was the best part, it had some lemon or somehting in the batter that turned it from fried dough to magic mouth surprise.  Before all this dirty food, I found the carnival.  There were some rides, but really all the lights, pumping jams and phat graphics were coming from “EROS EXPRESS” and there was a big croud.  I got really close and saw people putting money down so I just did the same and suddenly, without thinking, I was locked in to EROS EXPRESS.  Its a little rollercoster that goes in a wavey circle, and features all the features featured above, and a canopy that periodically folds over the cars.  After spinning you really fast so you are all squished together, I guess the canopy gives you the privacy to make your move. Also, the strobes help, and then they try complete darkness.  Wow. I made out with my digital camera.  it was hot.

Well, got to go, my ride is on the way, didnt have time to tell you about finding hundreds of Swarovski crystals on the ground and ashtray in front of the aquarium in Milan, but it was dazzling.

Every week I get a few emails, “are you back yet?” and the answer is, no. Im not back to california. Im really far away, in fact. But I do have an idea about coming back now. I think it will be in a couple weeks. I was pretty close to visiting Morroco, which would have pushed me pretty late, into the Christmas zone, which is also expensive zone for flights. Unfortunately, its not an ideal set up there- Brianna just moved into her new family’s house and doesnt know Berber yet, its better to go when she has her own place I guess and is settled in the community. And really, I realise I feel like coming home. I miss everybody, and want to start some more living. I could keep visiting people in  other great places where I have invitations- London, Santiago de Compostela, Madrid, Finland, and spend more time in Ukraine, Paris, Serbia, and Ljubjulana. I think I better come back here and say hello some more. Hopefully Ill plan for it more next time, instead of surprising myself by staying 2 1/2 times longer than expected. Or, Ill just know I dont have a plan! I guess that works anytime.

Anyway, I have been checking out Milan a lot. Tuesday I went and saw the cathedral at the center of town (the Duomo),  an astronomy exhibit,  the museum of natural history, and a beautiful walk in a park. Today I saw 2 more museums, and visited with Karen and Andy, creators of “This is not a Magazine” and “This is a Magazine”. That was great, we spent hours talking about aesthetics, animals, web programming, projects, and the flow of work and art.

I have been trying to eat all the inexpensive, good Italian food I can. Tonight that cost me $30. But, I have most of a leftover pizza from the experience.

Last night I went out to look at shopping stuff on the funky clothes street. Didnt see anything to buy, but had great experience anyway. I got some pizza and a big beer from one place, which was mostly preparation for the crape I had with homemade pistachio gilato inside! I wandered home, thought old neighborhoods and past the cathedral, down fancy shops street. Many of the streets are lit up for the holidays. Its beautiful. When I say fancy shops, I mean the top fashion makers of the world. Their window displays were stunning.

Tomorrow Im going to the Leonardo De Caprio National Museum of Science and Technology. I guess they have scale models of all his inventions, like the Titanic and the Spruce Goose.

Its 6am, and I just finished putting up some more photos!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/17896883@N07/sets/72157603328334405/detail/

Now Im going back to bed. Or back to cot, to be precise.  If it was a bed, I probably would not wake up at 4am.

Yes, Im in Milan, suddenly. I got an email from my friend Miltos that he and his girlfriend were going to be here about 5 days and I should come and see him, so I got on a 2am train a day later and arrived at 10am, $75 poorer. Which is nothing compared to the ravages Milan will do in your wallet during even a brief stay at a friends house. The take out chinese we got last night was $75, for 3 of us, and it was nothing spectacular. However, the gelato is amazing. We spent a couple hours at an antique/whatever market that lines the streets along the river, much like an antique flea market in the US except more range of old stuff. The gelato I got in a little shop was Green Apple, (and tasted of fresh apple, which it was full of, including bits of bright green peel) Coconut (full of coconut, like eating one) an Yogurt, which frozen yogurt places in the US should taste and they could get some ideas.
The night before I was caught in the rain walking around Ljubjuana, (thats pronounced at 2 syllables, by the way) cold and miserable and had to do laundry and try to rest at the Hostel without being a guest so I could get dry and stay healthy. The night before that I was dancing an hanging out at the bicycle factory until 6am, but I pre-slept that night from 8pm till midnight to get ready and recover from the whole previous day’s adventures.

Stuck in there, between the sleepy details, I spent Saturday at the #1 tourist attraction in Slovenia, Postojna Caves!!!!
Take a look if you want….
http://www.burger.si/Jame/PostojnskaJama/2005/seznam_pespot.html
WOW!!!! I came to Slovenia because I heard they had some of the best caves in the world. I had hopes, ideas, maybe I would see something like I remember in Carlsbad Caverns as a kid. Maybe it would be even bigger. Maybe twice as big! Well, I was measuring my ideas in the MINIATURE TRAIN RIDE out of the cave, and I think the Postojona caves are about 30 times bigger than my biggest ideas of what I had hoped to see. Its that big. We rode in to the cave system onboard a little tram/train, many passages so small we all ducked or leaned to the side to avoid getting hit by cave walls, inches from our heads (or so it seemed). To the left, to the right, above, below, or all the way around the little train would open up corners, pockets, or vast chambers of stalactites, funny driplings, weird shapes and such. Wow. I wish the train was going slow, but we were really jamming through that place! An it didnt take 30 seconds, or a minute, we went in over a mile. Yeah, it was crazy. SO many rooms, so much stimulation, it went on and on. And then we got to the place where we started walking for an hour through the BIG stuff. Woah. I wasn’t sure if I should take a bunch of photos, or just try to absorb the place. I got to do both, cause after about 15 minutes of taking pictures, you just give up with the camera. Its overwhelming. I didnt give up eating gummy bears though, I ate a lot on that walk. Maybe it was the anticipation of seeing the famous “human fish” that lives there. They looked very gummy.

After writing last nights post, I met an acapella group in the hostel lounge. I herd them earlier practicing traditional folk songs in the meditation/prayer room. One of them went behind the bar and made me a fancy drink and they ended having me at their table to sing me some songs! They also wanted me to buy their CD, which I was happy to do. Being with their singing was really deep. We looked eachother in the eyes as they sang (and I joined them on the last one). Later I some people from the hostel dragged me out to an old bicycle factory that people have taken over and now its a crazy space for parties/shows/whatevers. Not much was happening there last night. Ill be going back tonight after I take a nap. I already knew about the place. Cause I have friends in Ljubljana. Im cool.

Today I tried to get some people to make a big underground trip to the caves, the 50 euro trip that is rated difficult and takes you all kind of special places for 5+ hours! But you need to reserve the guide a few days early and I just couldn’t find 2 other people who would be around and interested. So, I went to the Technical museum of Slovenia.

It was soooo big! Here are some of the technologies exhibited, in depth-

Waterwheels, powering all kind sof heavy machinery in working order

fishing, lures, reels, rods, flies, etc

Papyrus, parchment and paper making, ink, early printing, making lead type, to xerox.

Bicycles, from the very old to the very new, over 100 Im sure

the automobile, gasoline and even the mecanisms inside gasoline pumps.

fibers, how natural ones are produced, man-made ones are made, hand looms to huge machines.

Electrical generation

and on and on and on! With great design, english, videos, interactive things, everything. Not just pictures of these objects, rooms of them, to industrial scale. In an ancient church grounds with the rivers channeled for the waterwheels. Here are some pictures from a car enthusiast-

http://www.photonhunter.co.uk/photos/events/technology-museum-vrhnika

You can tell he liked the collection of Tito’s cars. Tito was the ruler of Yugoslavia after WW2, and he had some nice caddies and such with 4 inch think glass windows, they were amazing automobiles.

Getting there and away was tricky. I got off at a tiny station, at the end of a little road that just goes to a gravel mine. So, I hitched and the first car (after 5 minutes of no cars) picked me up and took me to the museum. Afterwords,I decided to to to the other station which was the bigger one, and the lady at the souvenir shop confirmed that it was hard to get to the museum or away. I enjoyed the walk for a little while, seeing the old village and up a trail to a little ruins, all under a beautiful sunsetting sky. I had to get going to catch the train, so I hitched again and the first car picked me up again, it was the lady from, the souvenir shop. She took me to the train station and I had time to walk around under the beautiful sunset sky and look at some stray cats.

Well, got to get to that nap!

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