Europe's Travel Journal
Journals on January 23, 2009 at 3:32 amHave I told you I have a scanner? I thought so.
Here is the scan(12mb) of the notebook I kept in Europe.
My handwriting in this one is pretty poor. I used it a lot at the start of my trip because I did not have internet and I had time to kill. Then once I had access to this site again I wrote a lot less because I was writing about it on this site. So it's pretty much a detailed version of my first 3 days and then the rest is just when I was bored.
9/10 Madrid
Plane to Dublin was fine guy nest to me raised the armrest to get up and he kept it up for a long while which was nice because it felt bigger and while I'm thinking this he jumps and brought it back down.
Weird timing.
I use to wonder everyone had awesome mind reading ability that was like widespread.
Dublin to Spain was also fine, the kid I sat next to in terminal sat next to me on plane. First row is cool except assholes put their stuff in your bin forcing you to fight your way backwards to retrieve your bag from the only open bin you could find.
Navigated the metro stupid easy. Like real stupid easy. Had a guy ask me for 2 euros for a phone call because he missed his flight back to England. I had just visited the atm, but even if he was telling the truth your immediate reaction to people as for money is 'no.'
Had a woman ask me in Spanish if the train I was getting off was #8 and it was. Cool when you understand Spanish.Not cool when you don't. Walked around the train station for a while trying to figure it out. There was a ticket office and this nice foresty area so I just got a drink and tried to think.
Went to ticket office gave him stuff and asked if he could validate it and he just shoved me a ticket to get through the turnstiles to the trains.
I suppose he just wanted me to get it validated on the train. Which they can do for like 30 euros.
So I walked by all the trains and to the salida. I had seen a hotel from my excursion into the forest so I just went that way. I walked down some side streets and walked into the first "hostal" I saw.
They don't speak English which sucks. It's 30 eros a night. He asked for my passport I tried to pay, but he just wrote down the room number and pointed up.
So here I am in room 106 without passport.
Should be fine though. I'll just go downstairs tomorrow pay, get my passport back and try to get out of Spain because it's not going to plan here.
My phone had no service in Dublin or Madrid. Two capital fucking cities.
I'm about to smack AT&T. I might go in search of an internet cage shortly. I was hoping the room would have a phone I could figure out, but it doesn't. Rotary[in the actual notebook I say turnstyle]. Fuck.
It's only noon here. I don't really want to leave my room because I'm tired as fuck.
No clue what I'm going to do about this train ticket. I can take the metro to the other large train station and hope for success there I suppose.
Going to take picture of the room in a second.
The other station Charmartin has an aid office for EURail pass people. I'll go there tomorrow. If I went today I need passport to validate and the hostel has my passport.
If I can get my ticket validated there I'm taking train to Anywhere, France.
Phone is useless without service.
Looking at my map I could snag a night train to Bordeaux, France it's 9:20 hours.
Maybe me and Spain weren't meant to be.
There's probably 3 people wide awake in Massachusetts thinking, "oh go, oh god, oh god."
09/11 Madrid
Slept from like 1pm to 7pm and when I woke up I had service so I called my mom. Then fell back asleep until about midnight.
Woke up to someone talking downstairs.
Can hear/feel trains passing underground.
Basically sat listening to music 3-6am, but now seems like a decent time to get going.
Passing on shower here because I don't know how to use it.
The plan right now is…
Breakfast ->
Metro to Charmartin ->
Assistance office there opens 8:30am ->
Barcelona ->
Navigate to a hostel I found online that looks good.
Actual order so far…
Metro to Charmartin ->
Found a sign for EURail ->
Got validated ->
Back to Atocha ->
Got a ticket to Barcelona.
The guy that validated my ticket didn't speak English, but he figure it out.
Me: ¿Puede validar?
[Which in my head means, "Can you validate this?" The this is more implied because I'm handing him a ticket.]
Him: -Spanish-
[This is where I learned I cannot speak Spanish.]
Me: Necesito validado.
[Which in my head means, "I need this validated," but it's more "I need validated."]
Him: ¿Te quieres?
[What do you want?]
Me: …
[This is where I forget the Spanish language entirely.]
Him: ¿Quieres validarlo?
[Do you want to validate this?]
Me: Sí.
[Yes.]
Picked up a delicious croissant in Atocha. Came back here because I didn't see anything to Barcelona on the boards at Charmartin.
Here I saw Barcelona 9:30.
So at 8:30 I tried to get past security and the woman was like "Where are you going? Sorry, you need a ticket that says Barcelona." That's the gist of what she said, but in Spanish.
So I found the info desk, I can navigate Atocha Station and the metro easy just can't navigate out.
Asked the ladies if they spoke English and explained what had just happened. She told me it was a high speed so I needed a reservation. I had read about this I just don't know how to tell what needs a reservation.
I should have asked the ticket lady if she spoke English. First I tried…
"Necesito uno resevacion por el tren proximo a Barcelona."
["I need a reservation for the next train to Barcelona", kinda sorta]
Which she understood because she booked me one for 4pm.
Then she asked me something Spanish so I told her my Spanish sucks and she asked me if I speak English.
Turns out she just wanted to know if I was paying cash or credit.
So that was embarrassing, but now I'm heading to Barcelona after I killed crazy amounts of time here.
I have direction to a hostel in Barcelona from the station, but I'm not making reservation. Reception is 24 hours. If they are booked they can probably send me elsewhere.
ALBAREDA YOUTH HOSTEL
Greenline 3 towards "Montbau" to "Paral.lel" (4th stop).
Exit "Avenida Paral.lel" Apollo theater
Straight to UBASH(a gas station)
Turn right
First street on left #12
Sat down on some ledge to write last page and by the time I was done like 6 people had joined me.
I guess I had made it ok to sit on the ledge.
The kid to my left was from UK with a NZ t-shirt. That's how I knew he'd speak English.
He pointed me in the direction of where I am now.
Some park that's huge.
Passed a museum, but screw that. It would pass time, but not sure if backpack would be allowed and I'd have to use my Spanish and it's just a museum.
Forgot about a woman I met on plane to Dublin who told me about her $30,000 Martin ukulele.
On the way to where I am now I stopped to play the ukulele a bit. Maybe for like an hour in this median place that no one seemed to walk down. Figured a low foot traffic spot would be best so I wouldn't draw crowd or need to deal with police if there was some permit bullshit.
Ton of people walking dogs in that area.
It's 11:11am right now wish I had fallen asleep last night and woke up around now.
But not really because I had no lines to wait in for tickets and I kind of thought I could get a train to Barcelona earlier than 4pm.
Some guy just boogied by hunched over like Christopher Walken in the Smash Mouth video or whatever he is in. The one where he has his hands in front of his chest and sort of sways them side to side like a Raptor would. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMZwZiU0kKs
Normal looking guy with full roller blade armor just went by. That's knee, elbow, and wrist guards.
I'm tempted to follow groups of English speaking people because they are probably going somewhere interesting.
Hopefully I can find someone to travel with that has an itinerary of sorts.
At my current rate I'll have like 200 pages of text of more by the end. I don't have anything going on yet. I think this notebook is only good for 120-180 pages.
Mao'd through a book a guy I know wrote. Wasn't really a book it calls itself a novella. Gonna leave it somewhere for someone else to read. The guy that wrote it's name is Don and Don is probably the most used word even more than and it or the.
Finally on a train in what I would gander is like the first class of the second class, see diagram next page. [in the pdf "next page" is page 11]
[The page has a shitty picture on it, but if I wrote the comments on the page here they wouldn't make much sense alone. Basically I sat in the front of the train in a section that felt almost exclusive and shit because it was separated by an automatic glass door and wall with classical music and such.]
Trying to watch Jumper on train they can't figure it out first 5 minutes were in English. I think they changing to Spanish because someone's navigating the menu, poorly.
Fucking stupid they just put on Shrek in Spanish because they can't handle that menu.
They doing cockpit tours I guess. Beautiful women keep going in and out.
09/12 Barcelona
The hostel was decent I couldn't stay up so went to bed @ like 10pm. They all stayed up to like 2am.
Breakfast was @ 8am, but I looked and it was just cereal so I've come to the train station to try and get a ticket to France.
I see no indication that trains go to France from here.
Got some fresh squeezed OJ which is solid.
[The actual notebook now has a note "Not sure when I managed to step on this page." Because there is a footprint on it.]
Some kid was obviously looking for the hostel in the wrong direction so I ran after him, from LA.
Thought the place was close originally because it's like a bunker.
Now I need to go test out my Spanish or hope they speak English.
___
Nothing goes to France, but there is a train @ like 11:00 to a border town. So I guess that's where I'll go.
00475 21:05 Paris
00522 12:30 San Sebaitan
15831 11:25 Cerebere
15095 10:25 Portbou
00460 18:42 Montpellier from Portbou
15831 goes to two stations that would be fine both are border stations. One needs reservation other says no, but it is same train. Whatever guy at desk told me platform 13/14 and that I was fine when I showed him EURail pass.
After much iPhone battery usage I found a night train to Paris so I went back and I think I got the last seat. The other dude told me nothing goes to Paris.
Normally ticket would be 155 euros, but I paid like 40 euros so already saved 100 euros and the EURail pass costs 751 euros so 1/7 used in one ticket.
The train goes out of a different station so I metro'd that way to make sure I could find it now I'm back in the more touristy area.
Train leaves around 9pm arrives 9am.
Gonna go for hotel in Paris. NEED to wash clothes.
Saw a girl on subway from UK with a bag at least 3x bigger than mine plus a day pack.
Keep stopping at benches to keep the sweat level down.
The city is kinda eh. Trains will only take you to cities though. I think Nantes and some French towns will be night though.
I can navigate the metro like a pro, but I walked like 3 miles down a road passing stops I could have taken. So not so good when I don't know destination.
Kid from LA I thought he said Elay like some Middle East place I didn't know about he also claimed a 12hr flight???
Trying to keep money log, but it's not exact. I guess average is 40 euros a day if I can keep that I can go 2 months with cash to spare.
While on phone with dad fucking 8 kids with clipboards wanted "signatures" told them now and they left.
Once I got off the phone fucking all 8 come at me trying to get into my backpack I was ready to through elbows.
Grabbed one hard by the arm to let them know I wasn't fucking around. My bad got open a little, but nothing lost to my knowledge.
Lot of good looking girls in Spain or a lot of good looking girls come to Spain.
Women that wear huge/dark sunglasses want you to look at their body. When you take the eyes out of the equation you have nothing to hone in on on the face and naturally move south.
If you're a girl that bitches about people not looking you in the face don't wear massive sunglasses.
Vampire on subway, pale, long dark hair, eyes bloodshot. Legit walking in slow motion up stairs and when I looked back he had done a kickass vanishing act. You might say he just turned the corner, but only vampires can turn the corner like this guy did.
Passed like 6 prostitutes working the street around noon.
Attacked by 8 prick kids.
24 Japanese girls all wearing sunglasses, 80s style sunglasses.
At least 30 men lining this one street being statutes and other lame shit even one guy was trying to be Ronaldinho.
Everyone is interested in the notebook I feel something like…
[I drew an upside down smilie face]
is appropriate for people looking at page.
And I bludgeoned a man with my uke.
I keep turning on phone to check time, but the phone's got so much else going on that I get distracted and don't. And then I remember after I turn it off. I actually think turning it off and on probably uses more battery than it saves because start up probably uses more power than when it's on, but inactive.
Counting Crows?
[about 30 yards from this weird lobster thing I played the uke for a bit and I think I figured out how to play the hook for what I thought was a Counting Crows song, but it's not.]
A—————————————
E—————————————
C——-52520-57——-52520-75——-
G-0h2p0———-0h2p0—————–
Showed up at train station at about 6pm for 9pm train walked around found some park where a guy was playing some tambourine, but better and some frisbee I considered trying to get in on.
I think I've seen most of the city just by walking around.
I can smell myself. Person next to me is gonna be bummin. Backup mp3 played died I guess I left it on last night. iPhone almost dead. Read book I brought already.
¡Que lastima!
Wish I could draw.
[shit drawing of below picture]
So far 1 plan ride, 2 trains, 10 subway rides.
Trianon gare de lyon
52 blvd diderot
Best Western Aurore
13 Rue Traversiere
Relais de lyon
64 Rue Crozotier
09/15 - Paris
Walked a shitload in Paris.
My hands feel retarded like it's hard to write.
Saw at least 40 people on roller blades following a guy pushing a sporty baby carriage converted into a loud speaker system blaring Grease Lightning soundtrack. Wearing glow in the dark gear.
Can navigate Paris on foot real well. Spain by metro equally well.
The blog is going well. 5 people to 30 people to 70 people so not sure what up there. Wish Google Analytics worked with iPhone.
[Hand drawn map of part of Paris]
Passed a ton of places selling crepes, but don't feel like waiting in line and no idea what kind to order. They seem like the Hawaiian Ice of Paris.
There's stuff I want to put on blog, but I don't want to 8x a day cause that'll look sad, but then I don't write it here either and it's forgotten.
Podcasts are nice to listen to while traveling. They take up large blocks of time and are dialogue which is nice when traveling alone.
Do NOT walk behind old people you will match their pace subconsciously. So now you are following them slowly and they think you are going to rob them. So just speed up and walk on by.
09/19 on route to Hamburg
Was watching the News and this guy was "explaining" the financial bullshit going on and an anchor asked,
"Where are they getting this money?"
-"Well, Cindy, they don't just print it out of thin air. Ha ha."
Yes you fuckhead they do. That is why our dollar is worthless and I have to pay 50% more for everything here. And all the politicians are talking about greed, corporate greed. Fuck you. Greed is why America exists. To blame someone for being greedy is like saying I blame you for being human.
It's not greed that creates these issues its fucking regulations. When you try to regulate you fail. People will naturally work around your regulations safe in little loopholes in your inefficient and inadequate laws. Safe where in a true free market they would be wiped out by the natural regulation and correction that exists in a free market.
The regulators allow there companies to take on a retarded amount of risk and now we bail them the fuck out when they realize the risk is real not just a number on a piece of paper. What does that fix, gah.
The government is trying to cover up their complete misunderstanding of the effects laws they pass have on the economy. Trying to cover up their failure with more regulation.
Need to let these companies fall flat on their collective asses otherwise we are being set up to fail, again.
I think of this nonsense everyday when I have to pay $15 for 1 cheeseburger, 1 drink, 1 fry, or any other time I need to convert euros to dollars. I realize it a lot more after China where to convert yuan to dollars you divide by 6-7. Here I need to divide by a number less than 1. And it doesn't take a math major to know what happens when you divide something by a number less than 1.
/end rant (for now)
Oh what about the jobs, the people with foreclosing homes???
Fuck 'em.
Learn to balance a checkbook like the rest of the millions of people in the country. No one brings debt upon you besides yourself. This is why I only have debit cards, why college tuition scares the shit out of me, and why I don't borrow money I can't pay back.
One news caster suggested this is the inevitable failure of Capitalism Karl Marx predicted. How the fuck are you going to suggest that.
This is the inevitable failure when you have socialism and call it capitalism eventually people see it for what it was all along.
But don't bother listening to me. I can't cite any sources other than myself a product of many influences. I'm not a news syndicate you needs to remind you to trust that I am unbias. But know the train I took today was advertised as high speed, but it was slow as shit.
"From the forest itself comes the handle for the axe."
Saw in the news 250 page amendment "snuck" into a bill. Now either this is a ludicrous statement or you can really sneak in a novel sized amendment, or your congressmen can't be bothered to read the bills he votes on.
I know which one I think is most likely.
Sitting with a German family which is weird.
[I can't even read my handwriting at this part, but basically there was a man sitting in my seat so I just sat down near him. Then the family came and he got up so he wasn't even suppose to be there. Then the guy kept moving seat to seat as people came to claim their rightful seats.]
09/23 Rome
Wasn't impressed with Rome first time. Colosseum is cool, but I've been in already.
This big ass building is cool too, but seen it and it wasn't under repair last time.
Forum was free last time I tried to follow similar route to tour guide lady last time, but backwards and hit a toll.
Fuck that.
The forum is most boring part of Rome.
Thinking about going to an Irish pub I passed. Guinness for breakfast. But I ate a ton of candy because that's all I had and now I'm all 'blah.'
Munich at 7pm arrive at 6amish going to Dachau then going to Vienna, Austria because can't get beds in Munich probably. Spend day in Vienna then next morning try for Oktoberfest. Or if I get done with the concentration camp early enough get a beer at Oktoberfest.
Oktoberfest starts at 12noon-11pm, but people line up at like 8am and tents open at 10am. There's 20ish tents I'm told, but I should be able to pick up a seat.
09/24
I wrote most in this notebook in Spain because it was easy way to kill time.
Then the blog came and I wrote a lot in that together/combined I'm sure it's a lot of writing.
I figure there's a ton of ways to go home I just need to pick one.
I could go Vienna, Prague, Switzerland and fly home from there. Czech is where the guy said to go to get crazy absinthe but I'd have to pay extra.
[end]
