Pictures from London

Big Ben and Parliament
British Museum

The Globe Theatre

St. Paul's Cathedral

The Tower of London

Two Tower Bridge

Westminster Abbey Trafalgar Square

The Queen's Guards

Buckingham Palace...the queen was in, but no luck of seeing her

Just found this funny

The arch that I can never remember the name too..

Gates to Hyde Park

Really London?

London was one of the best weekends and worst that I have had here so far. Friday night, my friend Scott and I headed to the Munich airport for a packed weekend of sights. Everything went ok in Germany, but once we landed in the UK things started to get a little hectic. Customs went well and we made it through ok. After walking to the train station, we realized that the only train to and from Gatwick airport (southern airport of London) was almost 20 pounds each! We bought two tickets and took the 30min train ride into the city. While on the train, an older Italian couple sat next to me and I was so excited to talk to them...sure they spoke Italian and I spoke Spanish, but we could understand each other enough to carry on a small conversation.

The underground was to be our savior once arriving at Victoria station. Sadly enough, we found out that the lines we were to take to our hostel happened to be under construction for that weekend. We decided to try and get as close to our hostel as possible on other lines, so we bought tickets and hurried downstairs, only to see the last train pull away as we ran up. After being defeated, we went upstairs and took a taxi to the hostel. It wasn't too far, but it was fun to see some of the sites at night.

The next morning we woke up early and went to see everything. We saw Westminster, Hyde Park, Marble Arch, Two Towers Bridge, Big Ben, Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, London Eye, and many more interesting sights. The whole day was packed with the underground and buses. Westminster was by far my favorite place to visit. We paid the extra money to go in and look around. It was so beautiful and had a lot of history in it. I was able to see the graves of the Queens and famous poets. The next day, we went to see St. Paul's cathedral, the Globe theatre, and the British Museum. While at the museum we were able to see the Rosetta Stone and also Cleopatra's mummy. I wish we could have stayed longer, but we had a plane to catch...so Scott and I headed to a restaurant to have fish n' chips and then leave.

Sadly, we underestimated the amount of time it would take the buses to get to the train station and we were 5mins late to catch the train to the airport. We took the next one and ran to checkin, only to find out that we were 10mins late for checkin and they wouldn't let us through even though the plane wasn't leaving for another 30mins. Scott and I were forced to purchase another ticket for the next day and to sleep in the airport for the night. The next morning, Scott and I were able to get back to Munich and were almost 5hrs late for work. Overall, it was a great weekend, but the travels were harder than any other trip. Thank you London!

Prague Pics!

Salzburg Pics

Me at the castle overlooking the city

Mozart's house

Salzburg in the day

Salzburg at night

A Long Time Ago...

Obviously it has been over a month since I have written and truly not much has changed...well a few things. Within the past month I have traveled to Salzburg, Austria and Prague, Czech. Both cities were amazing. Salzburg was small and had amazing Sound of Music tours, while Prague was a chance to see an old housemate from Seattle. Who knew that I would be able to say that I met a friend in Prague! Out of the two cities, Prague was definitely my favorite. It was large, but not overly big...you could still walk around to places, but it was so beautiful.

As of now, I have two more trips planned: London in a little over a week and a roadtrip through Luxembourg, Belgium and Holland. It is going to be quite the adventure. I am hoping to see as much of Europe as I possible can, hence all the traveling in just three months of being here.

I have also made some amazing new friends. Samantha arrived about a month after I did. She is from Colorado and we have really hit it off, since she's considered the other religious girl. And then there are Ben and Scott. The two guys with complete different personalities. Scott is the goofy kid while Ben is the quiet one, but we all get along so well. We all like to hangout and watch movies or go out for a game of pool.

The most recent activity though is Oktoberfest in Munich. It started last on Saturday, but I went yesterday with an extremely large group. The festival was more like an oversized state fair, without the animals and demolition derby. Right off the bat, everyone wanted to go into one of the beer tents, so we wandered into the Hofbrau tent, which is the only one that you can order a beer while standing at a table. Dressed in our dirndls and lederhausen, we passed for local Germans...well some of us did. Morgan and I were taken for German girls and asked to have our picture taken a few times throughout the day. We were so happy that we passed for locals! After the Hofbrau tent, we moved next door to the Hacker tent which wasn't as roudy, but definitely as loud. I'm not really one for sitting around and drinker and extremely large glass of beer, so I became bored pretty quickly, but soon enough we all were out riding the rides. It was such a great day and I was able to hangout with people that I had not been able to before. I don't think that there will be a second day of fest though...one was enough for me.

If you can do it, I can do it

What is the most manly task that someone could perform to show his strength? I didn't know either, but apparently in Garmisch one must pick up a 500+ lbs stone to show that he is tough man. I was expecting something else, like moving the stone or throwing, but nope, you stand on a podium and dead lift it. The person you lifts it the most centimeters receives a free beer, or that is what we heard. All sorts of men came out to lift the stone. There were different weight classes: heavy, middle, and light. A bodybuilder in the heavy weight class was able to lift it 95centimeters. Three of the guys from our table went up to try it. Two out of the three were able to lift in a few centimeters, but nothing more. At one point, two girls tried to go up and lift it together, but it didn't even budge. After a watching a few men try and lift the stone, it became boring and I left fest early to go watch a movie...

Two bee fights and the Kramerspitz

The chapel on the way up

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Everyone said the Kramer is a difficult, yet beautiful hike. Once hearing this, I decided that I would hike it one day. So bright and early Monday morning, I woke up to the sunshine and decided it was the day for a hike. I got ready and headed out, not knowing what I was getting into. First off, I thought I would be ok without hiking boots...that was a no. I was wearing my running shoes and paid for it later. Secondly, I took my Nike cinch backpack, this ended up digging into my shoulders and didn't hold enough. I learned all this during the trek, but it was still a great hike. Right up the first hill, there is a beautiful small chapel that is set out in a field. Around the field, there were benches and on one there was an elderly gentleman just sitting and taking in everything. He looked so peaceful. Right before I had entered the peaceful setting, I had my first bee fight. As I was walking up the path, a bug flew into my cheek and I just brushed it away, thinking it would keep going. Next thing I knew, I had a bee chasing me and it kept buzzing my face. I tried to ignore it, but that was impossible. I swatted it, which then irritated it even more. Next thing I knew, I literally kicked the bee and it didn't return. After the ordeal, I had used way too much energy, but I kept on. Once leaving the field and the chapel behind, I followed the signs for the Kramer. I went up a gravel road that switched back and forth up to a restuarant or the halfway house. It was along this trek that I had my second bee fight. Really, the first one must have told the rest and one of them decided to finish the fight. So out of no place, a second bee starts to buzz me and won't leave me alone. I thought that if I left it alone, then it would leave, but it didn't leave me. So the second bee start began, I swatted and kicked, and killed that bee. I had to have been a sight to see, swatting at a tiny bee, but I got it! After that was over, the rest of the hike was very pleasant. It took me almost 3hrs to reach the top. It was worth it though. The view was so great. I could see the whole valley and overwhelmed by God's creation. Everything was so beautful. Sadly, my camera died before I reached the top, so I wasn't able to capture the view. I will have to hike it again some day so that I can take pictures. The hike back down wasn't too bad. It took about 2 hrs to get down and I even passed some people that I had passed on the way up. The strange thing around here is that all the elderly hike. They are machines! A few passed me on the way! But they were nice and talked to me. Once returning to Abrams, I showered and took a nap because the hike really took a lot of energy out of me, but so worth it!

English Church

The morning after Garmischer fest, Jenn, Mike, and I all headed to church. Jenn had found an English church some how so we were on our way. The church was in a small apartment building in between a souvenir shop and a backery. There were 10 people in all. Half of us were American and the half were English. The service itself was good and afterwards we all had coffee or juice and ate cookies. Almost as soon as church was over, the Garmischer fest parade began. It was a parade of the the different Germany groups within Garmisch. Each group had a different traditional costume and some had small bands as well. They paraded around for a few hours. After the parade had passed, we decided to get some lunch. Although I did not want to eat here, we all went to get Doners (pretty much like a Gyro). We took our lunch to the park since it was a beautiful day. It is kind of odd to see people eating in the park, so we stood out like a sore thumb. But we didn't mind. After finishing, Jenn showed us a small walking trail that you are suppose to go barefoot on. The trail has different items that you walk on that supposedly helps to get rid of something bad in the body. We walked through pinecones, mud, small rock, big rocks, dirt, beauty bark, stumbs, grass, and lastly a small creek that was so cold it hurt. Overall though, it was fun. Jenn and I really enjoyed ourselves and Mike sat on the side watching.

Garmisch Fest

Saturday night...my friday night, was the start of Garmisch fest. The biggest party in town and next week is Partenkirchen fest for the town next door. There are rides and a giant beer tent and people dressed in all sorts of traditional outfits. Really it's just a time for the community to get together and drink. This is exactly what the Abrams (dorm) community did. Everyone was there in their drindls and lederhausen. We had fours tables for our groups and each one was packed. In the back of the tent, there was a large stage where traditional dancing was being performed. It was so amazing to watch. The dancers were all youths and doing the slap dance as we all called it. Through out the night though, people became more intoxicated and roudier...which made for a really loud area. Twice, I had people try and order beer from me. Supposedly I look more German than I thought. It was a fun evening though and a good cultural experience to see what the fests are all about. I'm not sure if I'll go for very many nights since it is going all week, but I think I'll see what Partenkirchen fest is like and whether it is any different. I heard that a local monastery makes beer specifically for Partenkirchen fest and it is delicious I was told. Guess I'll just have to wait and see till next week.

Pictures from Innsbruck

The view from my windown

Chess game in the park

This arch was right outside of the hostel

Golden Roof

Last Week/This Weekend

So...I didn't blog at all last week. Not because I forgot, but really because nothing exciting happened. I had work every day and I zoned out while there every time. I did enjoy the company of a temporary guy named Timmy. He's the youngest out of all of us here; he's only 19. I heard stories of him growing up in Bend, OR and we shared some funny memories. He wasn't used to being down in the dungeon for 8hrs, so he would randomly break out in song or really just yell. And of course, I always enjoyed the company of Shane and Dave. They really help to keep things upbeat down there. I swear though, that I started to fall asleep while working one day, except my arms where still moving while my eyes were closed. It really was a strange feeling.

Out of the whole week, Thursday had to be the most unusual because I became sick at work and threw up three times while there. I'm really not sure why, but I was not feeling well, so my boss let me leave early. After leaving, I went and got a package from my mom. It had my comforter and other things in it...along with candy! Not the most necessary thing, but definitely delicious.

So for the weekend, I decided that I wanted to go to either Innsbruck, Austria or some place in Italy. I found two other guys that wanted to go to Italy with me, so we made plans. We had it all figured out and I had found rooms in a hostel for us. Sadly, the day of, they said that they no longer wished to go and would have to back out. So, I decided to go on my own, but then something happened with the trains and they weren't running. No Italy for me then. I decided that I would go to Innsbruck then. I found a hostel and got train tickets. It was about a 2hr ride and very beautiful along the way. I saw lakes with small houses out by it, older folks taking walks along paths, hikers, and sheep...lots of sheep. I didn't realize Innsbruck was as large as it was, but I didn't have much difficulty arriving at my hostel. I promptly found it and then headed out to check out the town. I started down one stree and found a beautiful church, but realized I wasn't going in the right direction for the Old Town. So I turned around and headed back. I found more monuments and came across a bridge. On one side there was a promenade and the other there was the Old town. I headed to the promenade at first and walked along the river. It was a beautiful day. There were lots of people out riding bikes and for walks. After a short ways, I headed to the Old Town. I walked through bustling streets and spotted cafes lining a street that had the Golden Roof on it. I had pictured it bigger, but it was still an amazing sight. I wandered around more and saw tons of people eating gelato, but resisted getting any for myself. I found the Gardens and strolled through them. I came acorss huge life-size games of chess. Old men were sitting around them chatting and watching others play. I stayed for awhile, just enjoying the game and conversation that I couldn't understand.

After the Old Town, I decided to go in search of dinner. I should have stayed in the area that i was, but didn't. I began down one street, recognizing a name from a map I had glanced at. After 15 mins of walking, I started to realize that I didn't know where I was. I ended up walked in a large square that was not needed. It took me almost an hour to get back where I had started, but along the way, I saw some sights that I probably wouldn't have found if I hadn't have gotten lost. I saw the Olympic stadium and the soccer field. Once returning to my hostel, I laid down looking out my window at the snow covered mountains thinking that this was a good choice instead of Italy.

This morning I got up and ate breakfast at the hostel. I was given some funny looks by others there and not really sure why. The maid came to start cleaning my room at 845 so I left early to head to the station. I arrived not knowing when the next train would leave and found that it was in an hour, so I sat on a bench and began to read. Truly, the one day in Innsbruck was just enough to feel like I had gotten away for a few days. It was nice to travel and almost better by myself so I could see things at my own pace. Next time, I think I really will go to Italy for sure.

Munchen!

Monday morning arrived and Ally, Michael, Matt, and myself headed off to Munich for the day. We caught the train in Garmisch and took the hour and a half long ride to the city. While on the train, we were able to see a lot of countryside that we usually didn't get to. At one point, Michael fell asleep and Ally and I began to throw pieces of a gum wrapper into his open mouth. A German couple were sitting across the aisle from us and laugh at us while we tried our best to make one in. Finally I made one and it stuck to the back of his throat. Ally was worried that he would choke on it, but it was too small for that. When Michael woke up, he didn't even notice it and swolled. Afterwards, we told him what we had done and he said that he felt something when he swolled, but didn't pay any attention to it.


Once arriving in Munich, we got on the subway to go to Marienplatz. In Marienplatz I saw the Glockenspiel. It's a giant clock that has characters that move around when it chimes. The characters are actually kind of creepy. After that, we went to the main cathedral and saw the devil's footprint. It was pretty cool and way bigger than my foot. The cathedral was really beautiful and had a very tall bell tower. Our next adventure was to go in search of the Hofbrau Haus. This is the most famous beer house in the world. It turns out that the two guys we were with are the most directionally challenged. We wandered around Munich for about 30mins and asked people for directions until we finally found it. Ally and I both ordered the 1 liter Helles, or light beer. Neither of us could finish it. I only drank maybe half of mine. We all actually ordered the same thing: brautwurst with sourkraut...gross! I did not like mine at all.

Once leaving HB, Ally and I decided to go separate from the guys so that we could see more things. Our first stop was the English Garden where we saw people surfing on the river. It was a really cool thing to see. After the garden, we saw the garden next to the Residence, some theaters, and a few other places. We met the guys back at the train station and headed on to our next stop.

There was a festival going on in a town close to Garmisch, so we stopped by to see everyone. While there we ate at restaurant that had really good pork...except for the fact that it made me nauseous the whole night. Afterwards, we went to the festival with everyone. It had rides and food stands and a beer tent. The tent was filled with people holding glasses and toasting all the time. I joined in with the group and danced on benches, but stayed sober with a few others. It was a lot of fun .We sang and laughed all night.

Relaxation

What a wonderful day. I woke up and went to church on post at the little chapel they have. Oddly enough, there are only two services: Catholic and Protestant. So, I headed off to the Protestant one at 11. Aside from myself, there were only 6 other people in the chapel, which makes church a little more interesting because you know the pastor is for sure looking at you when he talks. After church I came back to Abrams (dorms) and Megan and I sat in our room pretty much all day reading. It really was great. I finished a book that I had started on the plane, while Megan tried to not get too upset while reading the Twilight series. Overall though, a very relaxing and unexciting day.

My first Saturday night...

Thank goodness tomorrow is my weekend...it couldn't have come fast enough. Today at work, two guys returnef rom their trip. Shane and Dave are hilarious guys full of great stories. They had just returned from running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. They actually ran with them and two of the guys were thrown/hit by a bull. Shane said he was being chased and right as the bull got close, he threw himself into the crowd standing along the road. Dave on the other hand was not as lucky. A "baby" bull throw him over it's back. Luckily, he wasn't run over or hit by any other bulls after that one. Their other friend, Josh, tried to man-handle the bull. He is from Montana and a farm boy, so he grabbed the bull literally by the horns and tried to jump to the side. One of the horns caught him right under his chin and he had to have a few stiches. The guys said that afterwards people were spraying sangria every place and that it was an amazing adrenaline rush....I can only imagine. The guys were nuts to do that. Someone died doing it while they were there as well. With those guys in laundry for the day, it went by faster than any other day.

After work, everyone decided to go to a resturant called Zerbils. It is super small, but really good. We had to eat outside because there was 12 of us, but it was freezing out. I thought it would be warmer since it is July, but I heard that it snowed in the mountains the other night...hopefully it will warm up soon. I decided to try something that wasn't German at the place so I ordered enchiladas. They were so good, but also really spicey. I had my first wheat beer too and it was really good. The guy sitting across me had four during dinner and was going to stay for one more after we all left. I couldn't believe it. Dinner was a lot of fun though. I met some new people and we all got to know each other a little more. While waiting for our food, four other girls showed up completely trashed. They were funny and ordered some food with us to help them sober up. Once we had all finished, some of us decided to go back to the dorms and others decided to go out to another pub called the I pub, or Irish pub. I politely declinded and walked back with four other people. I am really enjoying here. I like the people and it seems like there is always something to do.

Sore feet

Day two of laundry arrived bright and early at 8am. I don't hate my job, but at this moment, I strongly dislike it. The people I work with are so great though. I tried to learn a few words in Germany from Nina today, but I have already forgotten them sadly. All I know is Morgan for "morning" and kapote is broken. Overall, I hear some pretty interesting stories from everyone...like my boss's night and how he had a terrible hangover the next day when he had to train me. It's pretty bad when your boss is burping and looking terrible the second day, but oh well, he's nice.

Today a guy named Geoffry returned to work. He's from Kenya and supposedly my roommate went with him last time he returned. I also found out that my roommated knows some Swahili! I wouldn't have guessed that at all. I'm excited for another worker to return. His name is Jose and he's from the Dominican Republic so I'll have some one to talk with in Spanish. Finally I'll be able to understand at least what one person is saying instead of using hand signals.

When that evening rolled around, I ended up making dinner and then sitting around in the kitchen while three michaels made their dinners. I don't know how it happened, but all the michaels in my wing of the building all made dinner at the same time. So we all sat and ate and played 20 questions for a few hours....you learn a lot about people that way. I was questioned deeply about the universities I attended and why they had so many rules about smoking, drinking, and premarital sex. They looked so surprised to hear about contracts for college...those public college people! They were super nice though and we made plans to go hiking and try out some resturants around town. Overall, it was a decent day.

Laundry...

First day of work! Jimmy and I walked the halfhour walk to the lodge, trying not to get lost since we only knew one way to get there. Upon arriving, we were issued our uniforms; his a nice black suit, shirt, and tie, mine was brown slacks and a brown and white, boxy, stripped shirt. I found out that I would be working in laundry for a week or so before being moved over to custodial. I was truly not prepared for the job....8 hours on my feet and putting sheets through a macine called the Mangler, really was not the best. It is easy, yet boring. I did the same thing over and over the whole day. Luckily, Amanda is in there with me and we talk most of the time while working. After a long day, I stumbled my way back to the locker room to change and when I walked outside one of the girls asked if I would like a ride home. I quickly accepted and was so thankful so I didn't have to walk....lazy I know, but still.

Later, I wondered down to Jimmy's room to see what the guys were up to for dinner. I found out that Kane and Jimmy didn't really know how to cook, so I helped them make dinner...rice-a-roni with chicken...that's all Jimmy wanted. While eating dinner, a girl came in the the kitchen and announced to all that there was going to be a sleepover party that night and everyone was invited. The three of us were not sure about going, but we headed towards a local store to buy some alcohol. With Jimmy and Kane carrying six-packs, we headed back to the dorms. Since it was a sleepover party, we were to wear our pjs. Once changing, I made the mistake of laying down and promptly fell asleep, missing the party and everything, but a good night of 8hrs was the best thing.

Food! And a few other things...

Another lovely breakfast at the lodge and we were off to get our ID cards. Our ID cards are the most important thing we own at the moment...it gets us on to base and also helps to let us back in to the country when we leave. The ID cards took almost a half an hour to do because they had to get our fingerprints and learn practically everything about us. After getting my card, I opened up a bank account on post and then went to the PX to shop for some things I didn't have...like a pillow! The commissary was next and although it was small and a tad old, it still had food for really cheap prices. It really is true that you shouldn't go grocery shopping when you're hungry...I bought so much food it seems like, but I know it'll be gone in a week or so.

So after finishing all of our important business, Rob (our driver) drove us around Garmisch to show us where all the local places to hangout are. There are quite a few little shops downtown and super busy during the afternoons. While driving around, Ally and I noticed a H&M that is in town, so we made plans to go later. We also found out that right down the street from our dorms is a large parking lot and field that has a beer tent that goes up every August for some kind of festival...supposedly it will be a lot of fun. After another long day, Rob brought us all back to the dorms where we unloaded everything and then crashed for a few hours.

Paperwork, paperwork, and a tour

Thank you jetlag! I woke up at 4:30 this morning, fell back asleep till 5 and finally got out of bed at 6 to get ready for the day. At 730 I met the other new employees: James, James (Jimmy), Kane, and Ally. We met our guide for the day, Niel...an interesting Irish man, that seems to be more American and German than anything. He drove us to the lodge where we ate a delicious breakfast and then began the dreaded paperwork. Right before the paperwork began, the General Manager came in to meet us all and tell us a little bit about the lodge and it's purpose. After that: paperwork, paperwork, lunch, paperwork, and then we took a tour of the lodge. This was not the most helpful tour. Brad, showed us around and told us the story of the paintings on the outside of the buildings: a love story between a young couple. All of us felt like we would most likely get lost in the lodge because of all the possible ways to move from one section to another.

After the lodge all of us decided that we wanted to go for a hike, but during the time we returned and wanted to go, 4 out of the 5 had fallen asleep. Ally said she knocked on our doors, but jetlag had us again. Later that evening, we all decided to go out to dinner. Ally's roommate, Amanda, told us about a great burger place called the Lodge. It was "supposedly" near Peaches, the bar we had been the night before. So we walked to the Lodge, which turned out to be a half-an-hour walk and way past Peaches, but so worth it. Our waitress barely spoke English, so we played charades to order our food. I had my first beer in Germany and it was delicious. It was a hellis, or a light beer. After dinner, we all walked back in the pouring rain and I tried to sleep, but thankfully I awoke at 430 again for the second day in a row....great!

German plane rides

Today was one of the longest days I've ever spent on a plane. I left Seattle at 3pm on Sunday the 5th of July and arrived in Germany at 5:30pm on Monday. An 11 and a half hour flight from LAX to Munich was not my best plane ride. Yet, the flight attendents were pretty much amazing. They started to speak German to me, thinking that I would understand, and I did reply with Ja a few times, but they soon realized I didn't understand a word they were saying. Plus the old lady sitting next to me would practically yell at them in English. I guess she thought they didn't speak English.

Anyways, I slept for almost 6hrs so that help with the flight, but the old lady helped to entertain me. It turned out that she was going on a house exchange to Vienna and the other people were going to her house in Maui. After Vienna, she was going to Berlin. She had many interesting stories about her exchanges...I didn't think people actually did that, but I know better now.

Once arriving in Munich, I went through the easiest customs ever. The man looked at my passport and travel papers, asked where I was going, and then said thanks and looked at the next person. Right then, I knew I'd like it in Germany.

A guy named Rob from the lodge picked me up and we drove the hour and a half to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. I was surprised to see that the scenery in Germany was not that much different than the NW. The mountains seem to just come out of nowhere though. There are rolling hills, with small towns, and cattle roaming the fields...pretty much like the Sound of Music. It is truly beautiful.

I arrived at my dorms and found out that they are 2 to 3 miles away from the actual lodge and that I would either have to walk, run, or invest in a bike to get to work...great. Rob helped me load all my stuff inside and move into my room with a girl named Megan. She's 27 and a ski instructor...nice girl, but extremely messy. After moving in my stuff, I toured the dorm and found that it has everything from a laundry room, to a movie lounge. After unpacking, Megan invited me to dinner at a place called Peaches with her friends. I went since I hadn't eaten since 11am. The place was packed for cheap pizza night. We sat around eating pizza and drinking Germany's finest beer...