Wow its really hot on this plane, and uh is that rain

As i left venice i was flying Ryanair which is the low budget airlines of Europe. You can get flights from 20 bucks to 100 dollars to any of there destinations. Problem is that if you check a bag that charge you 15 Euros. Your carry on can only be a certain size and can only weigh 10 kg. I have watched people try to fit there bag, i have even took pictures as a guy jammed his bag into the rack to see if it would fit and 3 guys had to help him get the bag out. Well karma got the best of me, i should have know because im an advocate of My Name is Earl. Anyway so when i weighed my bag it was 15 KG. I then started to put the clothes on my body, Every jacket, shorts and long sleeve shirt i owned was then on. That alone got me down to 11Kg. I then switched my shoes, and put the basketball shoes on and my lighter Nikes into my bag. This plan actually worked, i then waddled my way to the plane and took my seat and sweated the entire trip

When i got to Paris it was almost 11 and i had nowhere to stay, so i did what anyone would do slept outside. I found a residential area and laid down behind a bush up against a gate so i was not visible from the street. It was pretty cold that night but i had a blanket from one of my flights.( the thinnest thing ever) As i was sleeping i was having a dream that i was getting rained on, i then woke up to realize it was raining. Not to bad, but i was prepared and already had my rain gear on so it was okay. I had some cover from a tree and the bushes so i went back to bed. I then had a dream that a dog was peeing on me. I woke up to find out the sprinkler went off next to me, i grabbed my stuff and took of. At 4 30 am i was now ready for the day of Paris. Thanks to the 2 football players they told me to go to Paris early i dont think they meant this early but i was off.

What a beautiful city to walk around and see the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Notre Dame before anyone was even awake. While at the Louvre i found out that on Tuesday its actually closed(hmm should looked that up) I then headed back to the eiffel tower to climb to the top. It was about 8 30 and it didnt open until 9. Problem was that they do not have a bag drop and i had all of my stuff with me. I found a restaurant to store my bag and told them that i would then come back and eat there. They charged me a ton for a soda, but at least i got to the top of the Eiffel tower. The view is amazing, the way Paris is laid out is amazing to see. I will say something else that was wild to see was people fears of heights, to see them clinging to walls and not wanting to be near the edge.

Well im hoping to write another at the airport tonight, we shall see how that goes.

Milan no wait Venice

After Germany i was booked to go to Milan, on the way i decided that i no longer wanted to go there. So when i got to Milan i got on a bus for Venice. So off i went to a city i had no idea what i was gonna do when i got there. I found a camp site that for 9 euros a night i could stay. The tent is actually pretty nice, has a bunk bed and a twin bed. It was a short bus ride outside of venice. When i arrived i headed to the city and walked around, its somewhere i think everyone should visit. however if your not on a honeymoon or a trip with a special someone Venice is ahh okay. Still cool to see how people live there lives without cars everyday. The gondola rides i would say are at best a tourist thing. You see on movies how great it looks, the guy in his outfit rowing the boat and the music is playing. Well all i saw was a guy rowing but definitly wasnt playing any music, usually they were talking on a cell phone and rowing LOL.


This was the halfway point of my trip, the campground had a pool and a bit of a workout room. I took advantage and laid out by the pool and got a workout in. At night i talked through the walls to my neighbor tent and talked to a couple from canada. They had quit there jobs as engineers and were traveling for one year. They were great, and so was a American couple that i met from Vegas. That night we had dinner at the restaurant, they had drinks and cooked some sausages on the grill, really a great time. I have been very fortunate to met some great people. My luck on the trip continues to flow.

Brr- Lin

My time in berlin and were a great success thanks to the people that hosted. Couchsurfing went great, i didn't have to stay at any hostel, and had great experiences with the people. In hamburg it was very cold, i did a lot of walking. To be honest not to much to report on this city, i had a great host who made homemade pasta which was amazing. After hamburg it was off to Brr-Lin.





In Germany i was really hoping to drive on Auto-bahn, but i do not have good news to report on that. Most people dont have a car, most have bikes and travel faster then a car in the cities. When they travel they use public transportation, its more of a privilege to own a car here. The couch surfing host i stayed with in Berlin were a crew to say the least. 4 American girls and 1 guy who basically have a revolving door of people come through there house. They definitely embrace the idea of couchsurfing to the fullest. The guy andrew who lived there gave me a pass to get into almost any museum in Berlin for free, so i took advantage of that. I loved that guys were on the street selling bratwurst for 1 Euros. then at night we all went out to a bar that had Belgium music. That was something to see, that music is definitely not for me. The best part about the night was after you drank your beer you took it to the bar for a 50cent refund. Andrew and I were rounding up bottles off all the bar, most were empty, some not as much but we dumped them out. So i ended up making money that money after going to the Bar.





In Germany you can return any bottle, water, beer and get anywhere from 5cents to 25 cents back. On way home from bar Andrew and i decided that it would be best to walk for some reason. We somehow stole a shopping cart and went around collecting empty bottle we could find. The cart after the 30-45 minute walk was pretty full. Not gonna lie i was pretty proud of myself, think of the chocolate milk i was gonna buy with that money. Unfortunately certian bottles do not give you money back. So for our hours work of collecting bottles that night we each got 20cents. Whomp Whomp Whomp.The next day we took off early to a concentration camp. That was an amazing experience, people talk about Osama bin Laden but he cant hold a candle to Hitler. What he did was ruthless, is unreal and to see a taste of that first hand was something to see. Later in the day i went to a Holocaust Museum, to read the stories of the people was touching. That day i also go to see what is left of the Berlin Wall, another site to see. The artwork that is up on the wall is awesome to see. The wall being that gives you a glimpse into what life was like only 20 years ago. Right now I'm in Dublin enjoying that, hopefully another blog tomorrow to catch up.

Way behind. Dont take home strangers

First the things i left out from the last blog. when i went to the beach i neglected (how i have no idea) that half of the women were topless. The more i think about i think this is a good strategy to try in the States. The guys are all pratically in underwear as well. Also i forgot to mention that i drove a moped. The whole time i was thinkin oh boy if i crash this will mess up my trip.

I feel like in my lfie that things just have a way of working themselves out. I probably have to much faith in that philosophy and im sure it will back fire on me during this trip at some point. As i was leaving Rome for Florence i got a email on couchsurfing to inform me that i would not have a host. When i got to Florence i looked around the train station for maybe an hour trying to figure out where to go. I then decided to go find an internet cafe. While in route i asked 2 american girls for directions(changed my entire trip to Florence). They then decided to take me to one. 15 minutes later we were all lost, they then decided that i passed the test of not being a creeper and let me use there computer. While using there computer we decided that we would all hang out that night. One of the girls friend suggested a hostel and i was able to find a place for cheap with an amazing view of the city.That night we walked around Florence which was beatiful city, we saw none other then Jersey shore taping for there show. I was watching the episodes before they aried,sweet.Later that night we made homemade pizza, which was awesome because i have not been eating a lot and it was a bunch of girls so i had a hearty meal. The next day we all got lunch and off to Pisa for me. I cant thank the girls enough, made my trip to Florence awesome.

I have to give the abbreviated trip to Pisa because my hour on this computer is running out. I had to sit around the train station beacuse Italian trians decided to strike that day. I finally got on a train to Pisa after a hour or so, could have been a lot worse. When i made it to Pisa i met two Idaho football players. Went to the tower with them which turned out to be great. Because i had no idea how hard it was to get the exact picture of pushing the tower over. My favorite part of the trip was after the guys left i asked a chinese man to take the picture and he handed me the camera and i was literally in the middle of the tower. after that i went to the airport and spent the night at the airport. I met two great american girls that passed teh time a lot faster, problem was the airport was closed from 1am to 4am, so i had to sleep outside for a bit.Well the internet cut out and i had to do this last paragraph all over. K im off, hopefully i will update my german experience, i just finished eating pizza in venice yummy.

When in Rome hang out with the Palestinians

Well a lot has happened since the last post. Unfortunately i dont have a lot of time to post so trying to recap. Ive seen a lot of historical things in Rome,such as the Colliseum, the Cathedral. the same square from the movie angels and demons. I went to the Couch Surfing meeting on Tuesday night in Rome, and was able to find a host Piettra.I met Saad and Amrite and Tom from Poland and Moriah from Chicago, meeting then changed my whole trip to Rome.Pietrra was great, and walked me to a few spots in the city.My plan was to go see a few historical sites then play basketball with Saad and Amrite. Problem was i didnt know what park, as i was done at the Colliseum i was walking to a bus(in the wrong direction)i saw Tom and Moriah. Moriah pointed me in the right direction and Tom walked with me. Moriah got a text from Saad saying which park. In Rome the buses cost money,i found out no one pays for a bus, so i did not pay at all. So that was great not paying money for that, the subway i rode for free the first two days, until we got busted at the station. Not to big of a deal, except then Saad had a huge argument with the guy.

I was hosted by two great guys in Rome, they helped me out more then anyone can imagine. Took me around the city, took me to pizza, took me to the beach. The beach was a great experience, went with my friends from the CS meeting. We went with a girl from Chicago named Moriah. Went to the beach, we ended up playing american football with 3 italians, having to explain the rules was a great time. Easy to say that i won, i could make the rules up as i went, they had no idea haha. My favorite part of Italy, had to be the FREE water everywhere. I had my canteen with me, filled up every time i saw one. I was gonna stay in a hotel one night and i guess you have to be back at a certain time and was locked out. Luckily amrite stepped up and i stayed at his old apt by myself.

While walking downtown Rome i met the Rudest 6 cofc girls ever. First while walking they pointed and said look an American, then the first question was hey can yall get us Weed. Typical CofC student,ha the guys im with said they didnt have it but couldnt get it for them. They bought food the next night and supplied the girls with what they want. I went out to eat with some people that i met the night before, thats a blog in itself. I went to eat with 3 spanish people that spoke very little english. That night was great but i got stuck till 5am at the station because certain trains don't run that late at night. Back to the CofC girls, they went to Saad and Amrite place, where Amrite paid. Enjoyed dinner and got thier weed, then gave fake fbook names because they thought they were to cool for everyone else. I didn't hang out with them that much, but from the time i saw them they WERE nothing to write home about, maybe a 5 at best. They thought they were to good and gave Saad and Amrite fake names on fbook. Id like to let them know that they are not that cool,a picture is posted of the girl on my facebook (if you go or went to CofC check that out). My last night in Rome we had a big dinner, Many different nationalities represented at the table from the Nigeria to the US. The dinner was the best, spaghetti in some kinda tomato chunks was awesome.

Travel Day..zzzzzzz

I had to be at the airport at 3am for my flight at 4 50. Luckily i waited till the last minute and was up packing because the alarm on Sams phone never went off,the alarm she set ha. I got a ride from the taxi to the airport only to find the airport was packed, i was shocked. The Tel aviv airport must be the safest in the world. They scan you and your bags at 3different times in the trip. I guess they think after your scanned the first time that someone at a restaurant will slip you something and then scan you again before the boarding area, on some flight you get scanned before you get on plane and are placed in a special waiting area. The flight itself was great, noone was in a middle row so i got to stretch across 4 seats and was out cold the entire time.I was supposed to fly into Dusseldorf Germany and have a 2 hr layover and off to Rome. Of course thats not how it worked.

When i got to Dusseldorf, im sure im spelling it wrong but i just dont care enough to get my ticket out and check. I realize that i now have an 8hr layover. I surveyed the situation and went to where i do my best thinking the bathroom. There was a lobby in bathroom and then a door you enter to actually go to the bathroom. When i was finished a man was in lobby in shocked that he had left his bag there in lobby and it was now gone. This then became a very awkward situation as i think he told me in 3 different languages that i cant believe this would happen right here. It was as if he was telling me/accusing me. So i hot to the streets to find a Hotel. Luckily there is a huge maritim here. I walked in and went straight to the business center to kill time. Then headed for the workout room. Took me two different elevators and 6 doors only to need a card swipe that i didnt have. I could have waited for someone to either enter or leave but i saw a Sheraton across the street. I headed there, walked in and straight to the workout room that did not have any key access needed. After that off to the bathroom to freshen up and change my clothes. I am disappointed i couldnt get into the Maritime, it had a pool, a Sauna and a great workout room. Im now headed back to the airport to catch my 4oclock flight. Then i will need to decided where to stay tonight :)

Whats the difference between schneitzel and scheckels

The night before my trip to Jerusalem, yes my family all has gone been paid top dollars for an armed security guard. This guy was going with himself and no map of anywhere. I learned Jerusalem is a bit of a tourist trap at least the part i was in. Walking the streets of the old city, vendors on each side and everyone looking to help out for some money. I will say a few locals offered help and i almost shut them off because i was thinking they were out for money, and some were just being considerate. Ive posted pictures of my journey, but unless your there its hard to really describe the pictures. The church of Seplcher is a place all Christians need to be. The Tomb that Jesus was buried,(the line is very long but i bypassed it by accident, i helped a guy pick up a wheelchair up steps and then followed them in. When i came out i saw the line wrapped all the way around the Tomb. Then you can go to Golgtha or the Rock of Calvary the spot where the cross was placed and also the Stone of Unction where Jesus body was laid out after he was taken down off the cross. I took the train to Jerusalem and then taxis to the Old city. Israels are the worst drivers ever, they dont care about turn signals, or pedestians in the street, they will just keep going. As for the taxi drivers they all want to get you in the car without turning the meter on so they can charge you whathever they want. I guess they see an American and assume they are going to get over on him.

Also before i go i must give shout out to Chuck and Sam for not only letting me stay in there house this year but for watching out for me this week. Sam may give me a hard time but ill let her slide. Its now 1 05 in the morning here and im in the process of packing. My taxi picks me up at 2 30, then off to Rome. When i arrive in Rome i do not know where im staying, which i think is pretty cool. Im armed with rain proof gear just in case the situation calls that i need to sleep outside. I do not know when the next time i will blog is, im going to try to keep writing notes so i dont forget anything that happens

Schneitzel is chicken and schuckles is the money. Tonight at dinner the waiter gave us on the house some Plum wine. I must say it wasnt bad. Hopefully in each city i visit i will try a different drink and report back on that. The schneitzel is breaded chicked fried,with chips and chips here means fries and i refuse to admit that.The picture of the bottle with the rest of my photos is on facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=518508693192&set=a.518494317002.2014574.93100042&type=1&theater
Sean