Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Rome: Day 2
Rome: Day 2
For those of you viewing this on Facebook, the original post can be found at htttp://henrickatlarge.blogspot.com.
This post reflects events that took place on July 9th, 2009.
I woke up a bit late today. Didn't feel so hot either. Yesterday seemed to have taken a lot out of me. I must have walked around for fifteen hours or so. I also had this 'eye' thing going on. The connective tissue in my right eye was a bit inflamed and there was pressure. Kinda sucked. I had my sunglasses on the entire time, so I didn't look like some freak with a case of pink eye! Well, I grabbed a quick breakfast (consisting of a roll with Bruschette), washed it down with the usual four 'Americanos', and jumped a bus to the Vatican.
I arrived within a few minutes. I was originally planning on walking it, but my feet were screaming from yesterdays marathon. The panoramic view at St. Peters was incredible. The line to get in, was even more so. While waiting in what appeared to be a two hour line to get in to the Basilica, I heard some guy 'bird-dogging' a private tour to the people behind me. I asked him about, sounded good so I signed up. It was 40 Euro, but it got me out of the 2+ hour line I was in.
The tour guide was really great. An American (from Texas), she was super knowledgeable. She was probably one of those art/architecture students that didn't go into the academy, but never left Rome either. She filed us in on a lot of history and factual information regarding the Vatican and its' art that I never would have known (smart move with the tour). It's really interesting! I recommend anyone with half an interest to get a book on the early Christian movement and the grounding of the church. She also pointed out a few places where Dan Brown makes some real horrible mistakes in 'Angels and Demons'.
The Vatican museum was grand. The Sistine chapel, was stunning (smaller than I expected). The ceiling and the back wall (the judgment)was really impressive. When we went in to St Peters, I actually got to see the Pieta (Madonna of the Steps), which I have been in love with for quite some time, it was very moving.
After leaving the Vatican. I strolled along the Tiber to Castle St. Angelo (the ancient fortress), and walked across the bridge (the one with the statues of angels from Dan Brown fame), of the same name. I followed the ancient river north and then crossed over to Piazza del Popolo. From here I got into the Villa Borghese. The old home of a very famous religious figure and art enthusiast. his place had been converted into a huge public park. It was lovely, and slightly cooler than the rest of Rome. I especially liked the 'Gardens of Venus'. I relaxed the rest of the day in the park, and then had dinner. After dinner, I chilled at my local cafe (as well as a few drinks at 'Druids Rock'). Tomorrow is the day to tie-up any loose ends. I leave at 5 Pm.
Rome: Day 1
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For those of you reading this on Facebook,Original posting found on www.Henrickatlarge.blogspot.com.
This post reflects events that took place on July 9th 2009.
I woke up early. Somewhere around 6:30 Am. I put on clothes, checked my gear, and headed out into the streets of Rome in search of history and antiquity. I repeated the path that I had the night before. Going down towards the Imperial forum. Went around the Trittoria, toward the backside of the ancient forum, and ended up toward the read of Colloseo. There was a huge line in front of the Colosseum when I got up to it. It probably took about 2 hours to get inside, so I decided to come back at a later date. Maybe in the morning when it wasn't so crowded. That section of Rome finished, I walked off in search of some of the other very notable sights. When you get to Rome, you can get all of these little books and guides. I recommend them very much. But the map that you can get anywhere, the own that the city gives out is priceless. It is very accurate, detailed, and above all else clear. This little handy dandy thing came through for me so many times on my trip that I have to acknowledge how great and useful it actually was. Like I said, I also got one of the small guides. These are dispensable because it tells you about stuff that you normally wouldn't have know about. I used it to add in many sights to my already dense list of 'to-sees'.
From the ancient forum, I went through most of the other notable places. These include, but are not limited to: Fontana Trevi, the Spanish steps, Fontana del Tritone, Porto Pia, Piazza de Poppolo, Piazza de Spagna, et al. All in all I walked around for 15 hours that day, and my feet were almost broken and on fire. I had stopped only a few times for coffee or a snack. Striking off in search of the next target as soon as I was finished with whatever I was eating at the time. I decided that I liked the fountains the best. For some reason I think that the art in fountains is the most 'watchable'. Maybe this is due to the dynamic and practical nature of the fountain. There are also always people around these fountains and there is lots of people watching possible (especially like Fontana trevi or the Spanish steps). After the fact, I realized there was something about the work of Bernini that I am very drawn to. At the end of the day I consulted my little guide book in order to correctly name the sights of my pictures. In doing so, I realized that all of the statues and fountains that had really struck me were from Bernini. On another note, I was noticing a tremendous police presence around Rome that day. I don't know why. I mean, there was nothing to say that there weren't always this many police officers in Rome. Being that I had never been their before. Though I couldn't help but feel that this wasn't normal for some reason. I found out later on, while at an internet cafe for a spell, that Barrack was in town. Kinda cool I think. Me and Obama picking to visit Italy at the same time. Hopefully no stupid shit goes down here.
Supplemental:
I have never seen so many scooters in any one place at a time in my life before! Automobiles are aplenty here, though they are outnumbered 50 to 1 by the little cycles. I have seen every style, make and model of scooter that was ever made. Joe Negri would be in heaven! The classic 'Vespa' is all over. From the slick, to the practical, to the luxurious, every type of scooter can be found in Rome. It makes a lot of sense though, to have a scooter in a place like this. The streets are narrow, crooked and cramped. There isn't much space to park, or store a car for that matter. My God, if every scooter was replaced by a car tomorrow... Well there just wouldn't be enough room for all of them. There would be piles and piles of cars in mountainous heaps were a small scooter-parking area was. I guess it's just out of necessity. Like an species of animal adapting to its surrounding environment. Hmmmm, Darwinistic transport. Very interesting.
After my sightseeing marathon, I went out for a very unremarkable dinner, with bad service (one of the let downs of European tourist cities). Though I got over it, and went to my usual cafe for an Americano and Campari. I then took off to the hotel room and bed. Tomorrow was huge, The Vatican!!!
For those of you reading this on Facebook,Original posting found on www.Henrickatlarge.blogspot.com.
This post reflects events that took place on July 9th 2009.
I woke up early. Somewhere around 6:30 Am. I put on clothes, checked my gear, and headed out into the streets of Rome in search of history and antiquity. I repeated the path that I had the night before. Going down towards the Imperial forum. Went around the Trittoria, toward the backside of the ancient forum, and ended up toward the read of Colloseo. There was a huge line in front of the Colosseum when I got up to it. It probably took about 2 hours to get inside, so I decided to come back at a later date. Maybe in the morning when it wasn't so crowded. That section of Rome finished, I walked off in search of some of the other very notable sights. When you get to Rome, you can get all of these little books and guides. I recommend them very much. But the map that you can get anywhere, the own that the city gives out is priceless. It is very accurate, detailed, and above all else clear. This little handy dandy thing came through for me so many times on my trip that I have to acknowledge how great and useful it actually was. Like I said, I also got one of the small guides. These are dispensable because it tells you about stuff that you normally wouldn't have know about. I used it to add in many sights to my already dense list of 'to-sees'.
From the ancient forum, I went through most of the other notable places. These include, but are not limited to: Fontana Trevi, the Spanish steps, Fontana del Tritone, Porto Pia, Piazza de Poppolo, Piazza de Spagna, et al. All in all I walked around for 15 hours that day, and my feet were almost broken and on fire. I had stopped only a few times for coffee or a snack. Striking off in search of the next target as soon as I was finished with whatever I was eating at the time. I decided that I liked the fountains the best. For some reason I think that the art in fountains is the most 'watchable'. Maybe this is due to the dynamic and practical nature of the fountain. There are also always people around these fountains and there is lots of people watching possible (especially like Fontana trevi or the Spanish steps). After the fact, I realized there was something about the work of Bernini that I am very drawn to. At the end of the day I consulted my little guide book in order to correctly name the sights of my pictures. In doing so, I realized that all of the statues and fountains that had really struck me were from Bernini. On another note, I was noticing a tremendous police presence around Rome that day. I don't know why. I mean, there was nothing to say that there weren't always this many police officers in Rome. Being that I had never been their before. Though I couldn't help but feel that this wasn't normal for some reason. I found out later on, while at an internet cafe for a spell, that Barrack was in town. Kinda cool I think. Me and Obama picking to visit Italy at the same time. Hopefully no stupid shit goes down here.
Supplemental:
I have never seen so many scooters in any one place at a time in my life before! Automobiles are aplenty here, though they are outnumbered 50 to 1 by the little cycles. I have seen every style, make and model of scooter that was ever made. Joe Negri would be in heaven! The classic 'Vespa' is all over. From the slick, to the practical, to the luxurious, every type of scooter can be found in Rome. It makes a lot of sense though, to have a scooter in a place like this. The streets are narrow, crooked and cramped. There isn't much space to park, or store a car for that matter. My God, if every scooter was replaced by a car tomorrow... Well there just wouldn't be enough room for all of them. There would be piles and piles of cars in mountainous heaps were a small scooter-parking area was. I guess it's just out of necessity. Like an species of animal adapting to its surrounding environment. Hmmmm, Darwinistic transport. Very interesting.
After my sightseeing marathon, I went out for a very unremarkable dinner, with bad service (one of the let downs of European tourist cities). Though I got over it, and went to my usual cafe for an Americano and Campari. I then took off to the hotel room and bed. Tomorrow was huge, The Vatican!!!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Rome: Ist Night
Taken from: www.henrickatlarge.blogspot.com
This blog-post recalls the events of July 7th 2009
As previously stated in the last blog-post, I had arrived to Rome later than I anticipated. This was due to the less than 'Teutonic' attitude that the Italians have toward punctuality. During the ride there, I was a little stressed about not having a hotel room booked and waiting for me when I got there. "Will there be any rooms left?" "What if I can't find a hotel room?" "Where will I sleep if all of the rooms are booked up?" I was feeling quite irresponsible actually. So the stress and panic-level was quite hi. While changing trains in Milan, I saw a kiosk, which looked like they had hotel connections, and offered assistance in finding rooms for travelers. Maybe there would be one of those in Rome (hopefully).
When I got to the station, I spent the first 5-10 minutes looking around for aforementioned kiosk. Much to my chagrin, I could not find one. My mind started racing. I guess I would have to find the nearest hotel and ask. hmmm. I found someone near the entrance to the train station, and asked him about the existence of such a kiosk. It just so happened that he was with department of tourism (he showed me his badge and name-tag). It also just so happened that his job was to direct tourists toward any of the accommodations that they wanted/needed. So, within minutes I was headed toward a hotel about three and a half minutes walking distance from the termini (train station).
The hotel was cheap (I wasn't planning on spending much time indoors there). It was however, clean and safe (albeit small). I quickly set up 'camp', took a shower, changed into some fresh clothes, and head off for the city. This was approximately nine o'clock. I was about a five minute walk due-south of the ancient forum, the imperial forum and the Colosseum. I will let the pictures do the rest of the talking for this post. The photos aren't great. For some reason the iPhone takes crap pictures at night. There is also a lot of 'light pollution' from the way that the monuments are illuminated during the evening hours (they should go to Vienna and see how its done). The one thing you can't see from the photos, is the vast quantity of doves that fill the night sky in Rome! Its quite picturesque and beautiful. They float and hover on the tops of all the monuments. It was quite a scene, and I am a little bummed that the photos don't reveal there presence, but trust me, they're all over the place! After my little sight -seeing venture, I visited a Cafe (which would prove to become my 'end of the night' place in Rome), for a Americano and a Campari-Soda. I drank up, then cruised back to the hotel-room for some rest. The next day was going to be huge!
This blog-post recalls the events of July 7th 2009
As previously stated in the last blog-post, I had arrived to Rome later than I anticipated. This was due to the less than 'Teutonic' attitude that the Italians have toward punctuality. During the ride there, I was a little stressed about not having a hotel room booked and waiting for me when I got there. "Will there be any rooms left?" "What if I can't find a hotel room?" "Where will I sleep if all of the rooms are booked up?" I was feeling quite irresponsible actually. So the stress and panic-level was quite hi. While changing trains in Milan, I saw a kiosk, which looked like they had hotel connections, and offered assistance in finding rooms for travelers. Maybe there would be one of those in Rome (hopefully).
When I got to the station, I spent the first 5-10 minutes looking around for aforementioned kiosk. Much to my chagrin, I could not find one. My mind started racing. I guess I would have to find the nearest hotel and ask. hmmm. I found someone near the entrance to the train station, and asked him about the existence of such a kiosk. It just so happened that he was with department of tourism (he showed me his badge and name-tag). It also just so happened that his job was to direct tourists toward any of the accommodations that they wanted/needed. So, within minutes I was headed toward a hotel about three and a half minutes walking distance from the termini (train station).
The hotel was cheap (I wasn't planning on spending much time indoors there). It was however, clean and safe (albeit small). I quickly set up 'camp', took a shower, changed into some fresh clothes, and head off for the city. This was approximately nine o'clock. I was about a five minute walk due-south of the ancient forum, the imperial forum and the Colosseum. I will let the pictures do the rest of the talking for this post. The photos aren't great. For some reason the iPhone takes crap pictures at night. There is also a lot of 'light pollution' from the way that the monuments are illuminated during the evening hours (they should go to Vienna and see how its done). The one thing you can't see from the photos, is the vast quantity of doves that fill the night sky in Rome! Its quite picturesque and beautiful. They float and hover on the tops of all the monuments. It was quite a scene, and I am a little bummed that the photos don't reveal there presence, but trust me, they're all over the place! After my little sight -seeing venture, I visited a Cafe (which would prove to become my 'end of the night' place in Rome), for a Americano and a Campari-Soda. I drank up, then cruised back to the hotel-room for some rest. The next day was going to be huge!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Vienna: Day Three
Today I didn't wake up as early as I have been. Slightly behind schedule, I had some coffee with Nathan and Ka, then promptly took off in search of more sights. I then began a 'second-time' tour of all the places I went with Nathan on our 'night ramblings' less than 12 hours earlier. This time, to see all those things during the day. I visited the Hapsburg's palace, the library (where hitler addressed the people when the Nazis took Austria, the museums, the gardens and all the other excellent sights in the 'inner city'. About noon it started to get cloudy, which then steadily progressed into a gray, gloomy drizzle, followed by an upgrade to real rain. This worked out to both my delight and advantage. I had been at a point in my day where I wanted to go to a museum. There is one problem with that in Vienna. Which one? The rain limited my choices by forcing me to choose a museum that was very close. The upswing here, I was in the 'museum quarter' (a kind of 'enclosure' with four major museums in the same compound) when the rain started. So, the decision narrowed itself down. I had a Melange (Viennese Latte), and thought over my decision. I ended up going to the Ludwig, which focused on modern-era stuff. It was particularly centered on Klimt, Schiele, and other artists associated with the 'Secession' movement in Vienna. I like it, especially the 'art nouveau' stuff they had going on there'' (Jugendstil in German). I also realized I like art when it has a function. I found myself really noticeably more drawn to the design of furniture and implements more than anything else. I guess I like 'design'. Whatever. But all in all I had a great day and saw some amazing stuff. After all the running around was done and said, Ka and Nathan took me out to dinner. We are in a traditional Viennese restaurant. We had Schnitzel and so forth. It was delicious! A perfect ending to a great and awesome day. I also saw some pretty cool graffiti in Vienna that was done by an international artist name Banksy (click on this link its pretty awesome, thanks Nathan!)
Monday, July 20, 2009
The funny thing about trains.. and stereotypes...
(Written on the 7th of July 2009)
It is about 3:30 pm. I have just switched trains in Venice. I have been riding since 6:30 am. I got on an inter-city train from Vienna. The most note-worthy thing about this train, besides the excellent cafe-car serving delicious melange (viennese coffee with milk), was the fact that it was on time. All the stops we took were like surgical maneuvers. We stopped, people got on, people got off, and we moved toward the goal. It left the station exactly as it was planned, punctually, and every train announcement was in both English and German (both on the train and in the station). We even made up some time because of a delay due to inclement weather at the foot of the Austrian/Italian Alps. Needless to say, we pulled into Venice one minute before we were scheduled to arrive.
I have just waited a half an hour for the train to Rome. Two other trains have pulled into the station (also running late), there were no announcements in English to say that these were not the train that should have been here (the one to Rome/Naples), and I barely got off of both of them in time to not get 'shanghied' to Milano. I find these events both interesting and notable because of the fact that they are completely in line with stereotypes associated with each culture/country. I mean, Italy can't even have a stable government for more than 6 months at a time. Precision is not there strong point (I mean, look at the Quadrofuglio engine and its' reputation in European automotive engineering). The Austrians, though a far cry from German precision, still have a cultural distinction that is a bit more focused on precise execution and seamless articulation than the Italians (though I must admit the Italian trains did look nice!).
I am very glad I decided to take the day train, rather than the overnight. The views have been absolutely incredible. The best was that of south Austria. In the vicinity of Klagendorf (the capitol of where Ka is from). It was so green and lush, low flying clouds clung to the hillsides, and the sun shone through in illuminating staffs. It was quite the scene! Also, right inside the Italian border at the foot of the Alps was an incredible view. I totally recommend this trip to anyone traveling in this region. It takes half the day, but the view is worth it (oh yeah, don't get spoiled by the precision of the Austrian train operation when your here. Your Italian train will be late, and it will be confusing, with little or no direction... its OK, you'll get there)
It is about 3:30 pm. I have just switched trains in Venice. I have been riding since 6:30 am. I got on an inter-city train from Vienna. The most note-worthy thing about this train, besides the excellent cafe-car serving delicious melange (viennese coffee with milk), was the fact that it was on time. All the stops we took were like surgical maneuvers. We stopped, people got on, people got off, and we moved toward the goal. It left the station exactly as it was planned, punctually, and every train announcement was in both English and German (both on the train and in the station). We even made up some time because of a delay due to inclement weather at the foot of the Austrian/Italian Alps. Needless to say, we pulled into Venice one minute before we were scheduled to arrive.
I have just waited a half an hour for the train to Rome. Two other trains have pulled into the station (also running late), there were no announcements in English to say that these were not the train that should have been here (the one to Rome/Naples), and I barely got off of both of them in time to not get 'shanghied' to Milano. I find these events both interesting and notable because of the fact that they are completely in line with stereotypes associated with each culture/country. I mean, Italy can't even have a stable government for more than 6 months at a time. Precision is not there strong point (I mean, look at the Quadrofuglio engine and its' reputation in European automotive engineering). The Austrians, though a far cry from German precision, still have a cultural distinction that is a bit more focused on precise execution and seamless articulation than the Italians (though I must admit the Italian trains did look nice!).
I am very glad I decided to take the day train, rather than the overnight. The views have been absolutely incredible. The best was that of south Austria. In the vicinity of Klagendorf (the capitol of where Ka is from). It was so green and lush, low flying clouds clung to the hillsides, and the sun shone through in illuminating staffs. It was quite the scene! Also, right inside the Italian border at the foot of the Alps was an incredible view. I totally recommend this trip to anyone traveling in this region. It takes half the day, but the view is worth it (oh yeah, don't get spoiled by the precision of the Austrian train operation when your here. Your Italian train will be late, and it will be confusing, with little or no direction... its OK, you'll get there)
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Vienna: Day Two: Schoenbrunn, the zoo, and midnight runabouts
(Written on July 4th 2009)
The second day I was in Vienna, I woke up early. This was followed by a nice breakfast of fresh rolls, cheese and cold cuts (SWINE!). After washing the aforementioned breakfast foods down with about a liter of Austrian coffee, we (Ka, I, and Livia) took off to visit Shoenbrunn.
Schoennbrunn is the name of the 'summerhouse' of the von Hapsburgs. It is a palace and estate that it slightly outside of Vienna's 'inner city', though still well within the city limits. The grounds and mansion themselves are just another testimony to the flair for grandeur that the von Hapsburgs had. Fountains, gardens and fabulous architecture abound in this place. If I was going to have a summer house built, this would be it. The Roman-style fountains and Barouqe gardens were particularly wonderful.
One of the very cool things about it (besides the Romanesque fountains and statuary), is the zoo. Yes! You heard me correctly, I said zoo!(It is also the worlds oldest zoo, dating back to the mid 1700's It was a little small (as zoos go), but the habitats were very nice, tidy, and quite convincing (to me anyway, maybe the opinions of the animals differ). exhibits of note: The tigers! The bat room, boars and praying mantises. It was all quite cool, Thanks Ka!
When we came back from ShoenenBrunnen, we went directly into the heart of the 'inner-city'. This was nice! We visited Stephan's place (very famous church). It was gorgeous. We even went inside and I got to take some really great pictures of the inside of the place (hope I don't go to hell for that). We also visited a bunch of other great buildings, churches and fountains in town while we were there. Again, I will choose to show you in picture albums rather than futility try to capture it with unwieldy words.
Vienna: City of Art and Archtecture
Vienna is the answer to the question: "What would happen if Rome and Paris had a baby and it was raised by a disciplined German nanny?"
After spending some 'quality time with Nathan, Ka, and Livia, I went out to explore the city. Wow!!! Paris does not have shit on Vienna! This might be the most ornate place I have been to yet! I do not think that words could give an accurate account of the city and its art/architecture. So there are an extreme amount of photos attached to this post. I basically just walked a bit down the street from Nathan & Ka's place. To give you an idea, you can't walk thirty meters in Vienna without encountering a Garden, a statue, a fountain, or an ornately beautiful building with freezes, gargoyles, statues on the roofs etc. This little expedition took me to the Rathaus (federal building), the Parliament building, and the area around the university of Vienna.
One note about the Viennese: They are not German! However they do show a few Teutonic characteristics. One of these is the complete following of social constructions such as traffic laws. It is very common to see crowds of Viennese standing at crosswalk, with no cars in sight from any direction. They will wait like this until the light indicates they can go! I also did not see a single jaywalker in the entire time I was here. This was quite refreshing. In Oman, people wander across the streets, at any time, any place, with little or no rhyme or reason. It was nice to see something like pedestrian traffic carried out like the internal mechanisms of a fine Swiss-watch. Quite a departure from the chaotic game of 'pedestrian Frogger' that takes place in most places of the middle east (Ok, that was actually a LeRouxism).
In the evening, I want to a poetry reading at a Cafe called Cafe Kafka (I know right, awesome name). That was pretty cool. I however, was a bad little beatnik, because I kept falling asleep. This had nothing to do with the poets or the poetry, I was just worn out from travel. After the reading, we walked home through the red-light district of Vienna (interesting)! Tomorrow is another day!
Leaving Oman: 10 Months in the Hole
Leaving Oman: 10 months in the hole...
Events in this blog-entry take place on the 3rd of July, 2009
As I have already reported, the last few weeks were hectic. Why should the very last day be any different? Everything is packed, and by the door. 'Uncle Don' picked me up right after I dropped off the key to my Landlord; We left quite early. I arrived in Muscat and finished some of my final business in mall (Western Union, and procuring some last minute gear for my flight). On the way out, we stopped by the Muttrah souk (traditional market) to pick up some souvenirs. Now, if you've never been to a souk before, you really are missing something. Think 'the market scene from Aladdin'. All types and varieties of merchants 'harass' you as you walk buy. If you even look in their direction, they grab the nearest of their wares and shout things in your direction like "For you my friend, special price, talking camel... only five dollars". Below is a video of Mutrah Souk:
So the trick is to act like your blind, deaf, and dumb when walking through the souk, until you see what you are looking for in your periphery and make a b-line for the shop in question. I did manage to pick up a great little ring at a silver shop (Oman is known for their silver and silver-smithing). I didn't get one of the 'traditional Omani rings' (which are quite big, and feature a large, semi-precious stone in the center of a over sized gaudy band), opting for a more modern 'spinny-ring'. I like it, money well spent.
After the souk, we went off to the airport. Much of our 'lead' had already dwindled away, and we were now in a hurry. Thankfully we didn't see any of that famous 'Muscat traffic' that can easily tie you up for hours trying to travel three kilometers. At the airport, I met 'my guy' (a representative of my sponsor), we then jumped through all the hoops of canceling my visa, and I said goodbye to 'uncle Don'. After a small ordeal of changing some large amounts of money, I said goodbye to Oman and got on the damn airplane.
The flight was quite nice. It was the first time I ever flew KLM. It is one of two airlines I could never really afford to fly when I was going to Europe on my own (the other being Lufthansa). So, I was very interested in seeing what the experience was going to be like. Verdict: Very Good/Great. With the exception that I DO NOT FIT IN ECONOMY CLASS SEATS, I had a good flight. I especially liked the entertainment console built into the back of every seat. I got to watch some TV, play some video games, and see a movie, whose release I missed this year in the states (Watchmen)! The flight-time was about 13 hours with a stop in both Abu-Dhabi and Amsterdam ( I was very concerned that there was no 'coffee-shops' in the airport (which is strange because it might be the most notable cultural icon outside of windmills, which strangely enough were also missing in the airport). At the end of the flight, I arrived safely and soundly in Vienna. I Quickly found my friend Nathan a buddy of mine from my time in Boston at UMASS, who was waiting for me with his daughter Livia (an absolute darling of child), who promptly cried as soon as she met me ( I sometimes have that effect on women).
Well first things first, we had a coffee and croissant at the airport coffee house, then we hopped on the subway. At one of the major points of transfer, got out and visited a supermarket. What did you buy, you say? What do you think? We bought PORK! A few sausages, some cold-cuts and so forth, which we quickly consumed on the rest of the way back to the house!!! Sin, you are definitely a tasty temptress indeed! We then promptly got to his house to meet his wife Ka (who is awesome), and unwind with a few dozen cups of coffee, and some conversation, and plan my 'siege' of Vienna!
Events in this blog-entry take place on the 3rd of July, 2009
As I have already reported, the last few weeks were hectic. Why should the very last day be any different? Everything is packed, and by the door. 'Uncle Don' picked me up right after I dropped off the key to my Landlord; We left quite early. I arrived in Muscat and finished some of my final business in mall (Western Union, and procuring some last minute gear for my flight). On the way out, we stopped by the Muttrah souk (traditional market) to pick up some souvenirs. Now, if you've never been to a souk before, you really are missing something. Think 'the market scene from Aladdin'. All types and varieties of merchants 'harass' you as you walk buy. If you even look in their direction, they grab the nearest of their wares and shout things in your direction like "For you my friend, special price, talking camel... only five dollars". Below is a video of Mutrah Souk:
So the trick is to act like your blind, deaf, and dumb when walking through the souk, until you see what you are looking for in your periphery and make a b-line for the shop in question. I did manage to pick up a great little ring at a silver shop (Oman is known for their silver and silver-smithing). I didn't get one of the 'traditional Omani rings' (which are quite big, and feature a large, semi-precious stone in the center of a over sized gaudy band), opting for a more modern 'spinny-ring'. I like it, money well spent.
After the souk, we went off to the airport. Much of our 'lead' had already dwindled away, and we were now in a hurry. Thankfully we didn't see any of that famous 'Muscat traffic' that can easily tie you up for hours trying to travel three kilometers. At the airport, I met 'my guy' (a representative of my sponsor), we then jumped through all the hoops of canceling my visa, and I said goodbye to 'uncle Don'. After a small ordeal of changing some large amounts of money, I said goodbye to Oman and got on the damn airplane.
The flight was quite nice. It was the first time I ever flew KLM. It is one of two airlines I could never really afford to fly when I was going to Europe on my own (the other being Lufthansa). So, I was very interested in seeing what the experience was going to be like. Verdict: Very Good/Great. With the exception that I DO NOT FIT IN ECONOMY CLASS SEATS, I had a good flight. I especially liked the entertainment console built into the back of every seat. I got to watch some TV, play some video games, and see a movie, whose release I missed this year in the states (Watchmen)! The flight-time was about 13 hours with a stop in both Abu-Dhabi and Amsterdam ( I was very concerned that there was no 'coffee-shops' in the airport (which is strange because it might be the most notable cultural icon outside of windmills, which strangely enough were also missing in the airport). At the end of the flight, I arrived safely and soundly in Vienna. I Quickly found my friend Nathan a buddy of mine from my time in Boston at UMASS, who was waiting for me with his daughter Livia (an absolute darling of child), who promptly cried as soon as she met me ( I sometimes have that effect on women).
Well first things first, we had a coffee and croissant at the airport coffee house, then we hopped on the subway. At one of the major points of transfer, got out and visited a supermarket. What did you buy, you say? What do you think? We bought PORK! A few sausages, some cold-cuts and so forth, which we quickly consumed on the rest of the way back to the house!!! Sin, you are definitely a tasty temptress indeed! We then promptly got to his house to meet his wife Ka (who is awesome), and unwind with a few dozen cups of coffee, and some conversation, and plan my 'siege' of Vienna!
The Kitty-Halfway-House (or how to collect stray animals, for dummies)
(Written on July 1st 2009)
It's the night before leaving. All is quiet. Everything is packed, and I am quite ready to leave for Vienna tomorrow (via Amsterdam). I have done just about everything I can think of to prepare for my trip. The bank utility accounts are closed. I have given away or sold everything I have bought here (even my excess store of food have been donated to the Pakistani workers at the college), cleaned everything (to a much larger degree than when I moved in). I even drew a schematic of my luggage with a detailed account of everything I have packed and where (Yes, that's the Teutonic gene coming through)! So I guess I'm ready.
Well, the last few days have been a bit tedious and empty. I have a severe case of 'empty nest syndrome', because of the absence of 'Kiebler-Khan the conqueror'. As a result of this absence I have tentatively adopted the family of cats that have taken up residence in the building I live in. They hang around here mostly due to the fish-store on the first floor. The Indian and Pakistani workers that work and live in the building have started feeding them. The family consists of a mother cat and six kittens. What is very curious, is there is a discrepancy in the cats. There are two that look similar, and are much bigger (or older) than the rest. Then there are 3 almost identical kittens. These vary in size alone. Add to this, one cat that is not from either litter, but has managed to get itself adopted by 'momma'.
I am really struck by her situation. A single mom, obviously taking care of an other's litter, and she has also adopted a straggler. What an insane maternal instinct. I think humanity could learn a thing or two from her. I am so in awe of her good-naturedness, that I have helped out too. I give them milk twice a day, as well as feed Momma. What is truly remarkable, is that she is still giving all six milk. So, I try to help with some food to keep the 'tap' open for her kittens. She's great! very loving animal that comes over and demands love and affection every time she hears my door open. Last week, she started laying down in front of my door so the air conditioning could blow over her from the crack between floor and door. It drove Nibbles crazy! I m especially fond of the three identical kittens. I took the littlest one (I call him 'Mouse' because of his small size) under my 'wing', and often take him to the side and 'power feed' him so he gets strong, Tomorrow, right before I leave, I plan to go downstairs to the fish store and buy them an entire fish to eat! A feline farewell fish-feast it will be!!! I'm sure everyone will be very happy, fed, and appreciative. Well any of you that know me, also know that I am quite fond of strays (on sooooo many levels)
I look forward to seeing you all very soon...
H
It's the night before leaving. All is quiet. Everything is packed, and I am quite ready to leave for Vienna tomorrow (via Amsterdam). I have done just about everything I can think of to prepare for my trip. The bank utility accounts are closed. I have given away or sold everything I have bought here (even my excess store of food have been donated to the Pakistani workers at the college), cleaned everything (to a much larger degree than when I moved in). I even drew a schematic of my luggage with a detailed account of everything I have packed and where (Yes, that's the Teutonic gene coming through)! So I guess I'm ready.
Well, the last few days have been a bit tedious and empty. I have a severe case of 'empty nest syndrome', because of the absence of 'Kiebler-Khan the conqueror'. As a result of this absence I have tentatively adopted the family of cats that have taken up residence in the building I live in. They hang around here mostly due to the fish-store on the first floor. The Indian and Pakistani workers that work and live in the building have started feeding them. The family consists of a mother cat and six kittens. What is very curious, is there is a discrepancy in the cats. There are two that look similar, and are much bigger (or older) than the rest. Then there are 3 almost identical kittens. These vary in size alone. Add to this, one cat that is not from either litter, but has managed to get itself adopted by 'momma'.
I am really struck by her situation. A single mom, obviously taking care of an other's litter, and she has also adopted a straggler. What an insane maternal instinct. I think humanity could learn a thing or two from her. I am so in awe of her good-naturedness, that I have helped out too. I give them milk twice a day, as well as feed Momma. What is truly remarkable, is that she is still giving all six milk. So, I try to help with some food to keep the 'tap' open for her kittens. She's great! very loving animal that comes over and demands love and affection every time she hears my door open. Last week, she started laying down in front of my door so the air conditioning could blow over her from the crack between floor and door. It drove Nibbles crazy! I m especially fond of the three identical kittens. I took the littlest one (I call him 'Mouse' because of his small size) under my 'wing', and often take him to the side and 'power feed' him so he gets strong, Tomorrow, right before I leave, I plan to go downstairs to the fish store and buy them an entire fish to eat! A feline farewell fish-feast it will be!!! I'm sure everyone will be very happy, fed, and appreciative. Well any of you that know me, also know that I am quite fond of strays (on sooooo many levels)
I look forward to seeing you all very soon...
H
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Going off the air for a while...
Ok guys, tomorrow I start my vacation. Almost all packed and ready to 'boogie'. Well Here is the sample itinerary for anyone that cares:
I've been waiting for Omantel to shut off my service since Sun. I've filled out the appropriate papers, paid my bill and even gotten my deposit back. This might be the only time I've been appreciative for Omani inefficiency!
I will try and blog in 'real' time as events unfold on the road, but I can't promise anything (because I don't know what my access will be like). But rest assured, that I will post this little adventure as soon as I get back to Boston.
Well now I must disconnect my modem (a friend is buying it and he's coming over right now)
So farewell and be good...
Talk to you all soon,
H
 |
| Vacation Plans |
I've been waiting for Omantel to shut off my service since Sun. I've filled out the appropriate papers, paid my bill and even gotten my deposit back. This might be the only time I've been appreciative for Omani inefficiency!
I will try and blog in 'real' time as events unfold on the road, but I can't promise anything (because I don't know what my access will be like). But rest assured, that I will post this little adventure as soon as I get back to Boston.
Well now I must disconnect my modem (a friend is buying it and he's coming over right now)
So farewell and be good...
Talk to you all soon,
H
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