Dreaming of Romania

This place really has a grip on me.. I can't stop thinking about it, and soon i can visit again and explore everything that i missed. i've started reading romanian blogs and searching out any pictures i can find..

My book list

Before it slips my mind, here's what i read while traveling europe; * = favorite

mort - prachett
*neverwhere - gaiman
neuromancer - gibson
da vinci code - brown
foundation - asimov
istanbul: memories and the city - pamuk (skipped)
fancies and goodnights - collier
40 watts from nowhere - carpenter
barrel fever - sedaris
hells angles - thompson
*another bullshit night in suck city - flynn
the man in the high castle - dick
slaughterhouse 5 - vonnegut
death in the afternoon - hemingway (skipped)
gangland - williams
the joy - howard

Final thoughts?

Here are some rambling and perhaps final thoughts...

I really appreciate toilet paper, both the existence of, and quality, in most public restrooms in the US so far. Yes yes, what a thing to say but its really the small things that make the most difference. In Romania they had either 1) none or 2) party streamers. seriously.

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At the beginning of our trip someone told us that for him traveling was all about meeting people (to party with). Bah! what are you talking about?!, we replied, its all about the sites and scenery. Now after a month of solo travel i see exactly what he meant. Some of my destinations were made great because of the people i met there.


Simple living was another wonderful part of my trip. I lived out of a medium sized backpack for 2 months and shopped for food at tiny markets... and now i'm home with dozens of tshirts, 4 pair of pants and 2 pairs of sneakers! so much stuff... and i went to walmart yesterday. it almost drained all the europe out of me. good lord. what a giigantic crapfest of useless junk. hmmm. i see that i'm back to my cynical self. :)

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post trip resolutions
- stop being an anti-social bastard and meet more ppl
- walk more (although i just bought a new car, doh!)
- avoid TV and over-working, do more "living"

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Top 5 things to bring when backpacking europe:

1. earplugs (check!), for the loud snorers in ever hostel
2. flip flops (didn't bring), for use in showers... sometimes the soles of my feet itch when hiking, is it a longing for europe or shower foot?
3. small compass (didn't bring), would have help me get oriented with maps many many times.. instead i got lost
4. flash light (didn't bring), to avoid getting killed at night on unlight irish roads and for late night rummaging in hostel dorms
5. toilet paper (check!), for eastern europe (see above) or long hikes only

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My favorite places:


Bucharest, Romania


Jungfrau Region, Switzerland (aka interlaken, lauterbrunnen and gimmelwald)


Doolin, County Clare, Ireland (off season only, i've heard its hell in the summer)

Ireland, Finally

Here are a few favorites from Ireland, see more in my ireland photoset.

thatched roof on St. John's Peninsula

Giant's Causeway
Giant's Causeway
Irish breakfast aka heart attack
zen/buddhist adam in galway
session in The Crane, galway
dangling on the cliffs of moher
socializing at the aille river hostel, doolin
buring peet and wood in the hostel, toasty
Our hostel in dingle
Good music at The Small Bridge pub in dingle
A rainbow over the dingle peninsula

Home!!

Got in last night, weird feeling to be home, to wear different clothes and hold a cell phone. More commentaries, pictures and a full recap of ireland on the way. stay tuned.