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| Happy 2012!!! Here's to big smiles and no tears!!! |
I would like to say a new year brings better things but in my case over the last few years, they have brought worse, so I’ll refrain.
I spent the holidays in Germany and Amsterdam with a couple of my friends from back home, Linds and Court. It was a big detour from my route back to the US but Linds had just accepted a job with the government on the Army base in Heidelberg, Germany. Her contract is for 3 years so I figured, if I didn’t go now it wasn’t going to happen later. So, here I am! Here’s a bit of traveling advice: don’t travel from a cheaper, to cheapest, to the most expensive country being last. I don’t regret coming but it definitely hurts the bank account a bit. **Donations are now being accepted!
I flew in to Frankfort, Germany on a red- eye flight. All though they sound nice, thinking you might sleep, you should know, you don’t. AND on international flights you get free booze, which means you miss out on that unless you want to buzz the flight attendants and feel judged every time you ask for a refill. My flight landed about 7am and because I came from Bangkok, I’m wearing shorts, flip flops and the two light-weighted sweatshirts I had brought (which were all the warmest things I had.) Thinking I’d get out in a terminal, I didn’t think it’d be too much of a problem. Haha, riiight. As I’m looking out the window, I notice we are no where near the terminal. We either have to walk or get shuttled. The guy next to me chuckles as he notices me touch the window to see if I can get a feel for how cold it is outside to prepare myself. I give him a shrug and say “I think it’s going to be bit chilly!”
Linds and Court pick me up at the airport and take me back to Linds’ place in Heidelberg.
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| The view of the street outside Linds' window |
Linds had to go to work so after I pull myself together, take a hot shower (which was amazing after the cold showers I had be having), and put on some warmer clothes, Court and I decide to walk to the Christmas market to get some Gluhwien and then to the castle. We made our way to the market but nothing was there anymore, so instead we decided to hit up a nearby bar for a beer. That beer turned into about 5 and 2 well-poured Jameson shots... we didn’t make it to the castle. However, We did find a wall vending machine in the bathroom which would normally dispense tampons or in Thailand dispense toilet paper but not this one! This one had mini vibrators for sale. You don’t find those everyday! I was trying to think of the logic behind this... could it be for the ladies to think twice about the dude they might take home after consuming a few cocktails or maybe it could be to make the drunk sex about to be had, better? Hahaha, who knows but it was entertaining to find.
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| The vibrator dispenser! |
For Christmas we decided to venture to Holland and enjoy the novelties of Amsterdam. Such a beautiful city. Since it was the holidays, most things weren’t open or they closed early. We weren’t staying for too long as Linds had to work the following Monday so we just wondered around the city for the most part. Among wondering we found the Red/Green district. :) Walking along the Green district you could smell the aroma of weed in the air. For those of you who might not know, marijuana is legal in Amsterdam! Apparently recently, there has been talk about banning it to tourists, and having it only allowed for locals only. Now, when I’m traveling I’m a firm believer to do as the locals do, I mean why not, right?! So, we asked a few locals about this. We found many answers but amongst them we found the one we wanted. Along our way to a coffee shop we met a stranger who just so happened to be from Portland as well. What are the odds,huh?!! He turned out to be cool, as us Oregon folk usually are so he accompanied us on our journey. After our coffee shop adventure, we walked our way to the red light district. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s where you can window shop for ladies to have sex or engage in other sexual acts with. During the day there are also live sex shows. Sadly, I did not witness any of these NOR did I see a show in Thailand where women shoot ping-pongs and gold fish out of their vaginas. :( (Ok, for those of you who are cringing, or are starting to think differently of me right now, hold your thoughts!!! I never said I condone these acts but in all reality, these ARE events/ things that happen in other countries. They are apart of the culture and society. Yes, countries don’t always approve or want these acts but they are still there. As a traveler and being myself, these are things that at one point in my life, now or when I’m a grandma, I can say “I saw it!” And shoot, the same things (give or take) happen in the US whether they’re legal or not. Just cause you choose not to think or believe, doesn’t mean it’s not there. BUT, like I said...I didn’t see either of them.) I don’t know what I was expecting when witnessing this district. Which is basically a neighborhood of buildings all lined with windows in front where the girls/ women/ old ladies stand behind the windows doing whatever they fancy... talking on their phones, putting on make-up, dancing, siting on a chair, flirting through the window with potential costumers... I found myself with mixed emotions. The main one being curiosity followed by disgust. Curiosity for the women in the windows and disgust for the men who actually pay for their services. The curiosity= Where are they from? How did they get to be a prostitute in the window? How does one have a job where the wage they make is determined by how many men/women they have sex with? How can your job be “boning” dudes? How do you have sex with one man, then prepare to have sex with another.. and on and on again in the same day? Do they work 7 days a week or just a few? What do they do outside of work? SO MANY QUESTIONS! And for the men, gross!!!! How do you have sex with a woman knowing that she most likely just had 5 penises inside her already?!! ...especially if you are shopping late night style. Yuck. Anyhow, that’s probably more then you wanted to think about but like I said, that stuff is super interesting to me. I was also fascinated by how attractive some (the majority) of the women were. Don’t get me wrong, not all of them were good looking! At one point I felt bad for a lady who was definitely not even close to being attractive but there were still a group of guys that were in front of her window. They didn’t speak English but they obvisously weren’t being nice. How does one deal with that?!!
Anyhow, I enjoyed Amsterdam a lot. I wish we could have stayed longer and explore more but that just means I’ll just have to come back another day.
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| Amsterdam!! |
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| Ah...the gluhwein!! |
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| You have now entered the Red Light District |
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| We might have made a stop here. |
Back in Heidelberg, Court and I would try to find things to do during the day while Linds was working. Though many of those things resulted in us going to a bar or the store to bring back booze to the house. I’ve been here 17 days now, and I have not been sober yet. An excessive amount of booze, a diet of meat, cheese and bread and limited physical activity has done nothing good for my body...nothing! We did manage to make it to the castle (though couldn't go in because I managed to lose the Euros needed to pay on the way there) and we walked up to Philosopher’s hillI to see the views. This last weekend we drove to France for dinner. It was only an hour drive. We had a thin crust pizza thing which was absolutely delicious!!! We had a little confusion with ordering the first round, and the lady instead of giving us 3 different types gave us all the same. So, we opted for a round two! 6 pizza for 3 girls...Yup! I'd do it again!!` Courtney left yesterday to go back to the US so now it’s just me during the days and Linds at night and on the weekends so I’m hoping to be less of an alcoholic and be more productive. I bought some cheap athletic shoes so I can be more active and not such a fatty, in hopes to nurse my knee back to health so I can exercise on a more regular basis. And I will be updating my resume and posting it to available jobs in hopes to find a one. If anyone knows, or hears of an opening, my ears are open!
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| The view of the Schloss Heidelberg from Old town. |
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| The views of Heidelberg from the castle |
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| You have to have a beer at the top! Court and I enjoying a cold German bier on castle grounds. |
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| Love this pic! Photographer me. |
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| Philosophenweg "philosopher's wall" |
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| The view from it. |
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| The drive to France. Passengers can drink!! |
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| The restaurant where we ate, drank and were merry! |
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| The food. So, so, sooooo delicious!! |
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| The only not blurred picture of the town. |
January 26th, I’ll be back in States!! So far it’s only a flight to Vegas (which could be trouble) but from there I’ll be continuing on to Ventura, CA where I have some friends. Until then I have another 16 days in Heidelberg! What will I do? I don’t know. A trip to Vienna, Austria is in the works and hopefully I can find a place to rent a bike because I am tired of walking. I have no doubt I’ll find something...
