Just Another Mad, Mad, Day...
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Day 331 | Tuesday, November 24 | 2009
Mom...We are back in Albuquerque and I feel so tired. I can't help but fall asleep as I type this -- it was hard to fall asleep on the airplane because I was in a seat that didn't recline for most of the trip. We flew from San Antonio to Salt Lake City and then Salt Lake City to Albuquerque. It is good to be back here, though. I love this city even though after time I would probably find some things to complain about.
Anyways, it's good to be here and I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Day 327 | Friday, November 20 | 2009
Packing...Tomorrow morning, Dad, Mom and I will leave to Austin, Texas to meet up with my brother Dustin (and Uncle Jim) to go to my cousin Stephanie's wedding on Sunday. It doesn't seem real that this is all happening -- I've been looking forward to going to Steph's wedding all quarter because Austin is one of my favorite places on earth -- but it would be a whole lot better if I didn't have to write a 5 page explication on Spanish Romanticism by Tuesday. One part of me is telling me to bear the brunt of it and do a lot of work tonight and another side of me is telling me to just retire to bed.
Today has been a long day -- two finals, packing, driving, and then more packing. It's been a hard day too personally and I realize that I have a lot of work to do in my life. We all have handicaps for sure and I need to focus on trying to get well in one specific area of life. I am lucky to have those around me who love me despite my flaws and imperfections. I would feel lost without them...I especially am lucky for Caitlin. Her love is deep, honest, and strong. When I feel like my head is in the clouds, she is always there to bring me back down to earth and hold me in her warm and loving arms. I really love her.
Day 215 | Sunday, August 2 | 2009
Peripatetic Summer...Back to Athens for today and then Columbus tomorrow for my usual Monday class.
I have realized that I have been slacking off again on this blog. My plan now is to just keep updating a couple a lines of day in my journal and then just transfer them and the pictures to my actual blog once the GRE is over. It is crunch time now (less than 2 weeks!) and I need to focus all of my energy on getting ready.
Day 172 | Saturday, June 20 | 2009
Rest Stop...I took Caitlin back to Columbus today. Here is a rest stop on the way back to Cincinnati. I need to work on the boringness of posts like these.
Día 152 | Domingo, 31 de Mayo | 2009
Rickety bridge...Another mad day on the road. Now we are in Otavalo (a fairly-sized town about two hours outside of Quito). We couldn't just go from point A to point B in a straight line though. (Mindo is actually somewhat close to Otavalo but because lack of roads we had to back to Quito and then to Otavalo; kind of in a circular merry-go-round method).
It feels good to be pampered. In Mindo, the rooms had more of a woodsy camp feel and there wasn't any hot water. Here in Otavalo, though, we are decked out with warm water and a more comfy hotel atmosphere. We will be here tomorrow night too and then Tuesday we are off to Quito.
I am feeling even more homesick to see family and Caitlin today than I was yesterday.
Día 146 | Lunes, 25 de Mayo | 2009
Thoughts of Jumping...Today we spent about 8 or 9 hours on the road. In Ecuador, everything moves so slow. The drive was probably only about 200 miles at the most. Factor in the poor roads, the mountains, and stopping for lunch -- you can see why it takes so long to get from here to there in this country. We stopped for lunch in Baños de Ambato. Ate at a place called Café Hood (where the food is good) and then roamed around the city for a bit. It was a nice feeling to walk around and not necessarily have to think about what assignment we were needing to finish.
The rest of the bus ride cut through the Andes and our group watched a couple of movies during the trip.
We finally arrived in Puyo and had horrible Chinese food for dinner. Billy (one of the guys on the trip) seemed to really like this food however. Our place we are staying at tonight is really cool -- I am definitely starting to feel like we are in the jungle -- lots of palm trees, bugs, and interesting flowers.
Día 143 | Viernes, 22 de Mayo | 2009
Helado...After a short but strenuous 8 weeks, I am finally finished with classes here in Cuenca. To celebrate the occasion, I went to this ice-cream store called Frutilado to get a one-scoop cone.
It feels so good to be done with classes. The next two weeks will go by even faster and I will be back sooner than I realize.
Today we also had an orientation meeting for our next week of traveling. I feel really lucky to get to travel to the places we are going to go. In fact, I thought I would write down the itinerary of our next week to show you where we'll be:
Monday, May 25 -- Cuenca -- Puyo
06:45 Meet at CEDEI to load up the bus with suitcases
07:00 Leave Cuenca for Puyo
13:00 Lunch in Baños de Ambato
16:00 Leave Baños de Ambato for Puyo
17:30 Arrive in Puyo, check in at the Hotel Flor de Canela
19:00 Dinner
Tuesday, May 26 -- Puyo -- Sachamazonica
09:00 Breakfast at the Hostería; buy snacks for the trip
10:00 We will leave for Sacha Amazónica, a tour led by la Comunidad Unión Venecia
12:00 Lunch in Tena or bring a packed lunch to eat on the trail
13:00 We continue the trip with la Comunidad Unión Venecia
14:30 We will arrive at our accommodation in Sacha Amazónica. Here, there will be two
bathrooms, two showers, and one bathroom outside for men in total. This
accommodation will be pretty rustic and appropriate for this Amazon region.
15:30 We will take a hike through the Napo river in order to see the gold washing process
and to swim in the same location.
19:00 Dinner that is typical of the region
Wednesday, May 27 -- Sachamazonica -- Cotococha Lodge
07:30 Breakfast that is typical of the region
08:15 Artisan and agricultural demonstration
09:30 We leave for Cotococha Lodge
10:00 Arrive en Cotococha
10:30 Prepare to take a canoe to Misahuallí
13:00 We will have lunch on the banks of the Napo river. This will be more or less a picnic
lunch.
15:00 We will return to the cabins.
19:00 Dinner
Thursday, May 28 -- Cotococha
08:00 Typical breakfast
08:30 Canoeing and hiking on the Napo River. Here we will observe flora and fauna of the
rainforest. We will also see a waterfall called Las Latas. Then return to the cabins.
13:00 Lunch in the cabins
14:30 In the afternoon we will go to the river to rest and from here we will go down the
river by inner-tubes.
16:30 Return to the lodge
19:00 Dinner
20:30 Fogata (I am not sure what this means)
Friday, May 29 -- Cotocha Lodge -- Quito
07:15 Breakfast
09:00 We will leave for Quito by way of Tena and Baeza
12:30 Lunch in Baeza
17:30 Arrive in Quito, check in at Hotel Quito
Saturday, May 30 -- Quito -- Mindo
10:30 Leave to Mindo
12:30 Arrive in Mindo -- check in at the Hostería Mariposas de Mindo
13:00 Lunch
***After lunch, we all can rest for a little bit and then later, before visiting the butterfly farm. Or instead of resting, we can hike down a trail led by Rosie, the owner
of the Hostel.
17:00 Visit the Butterfly farm
Sunday, May 31 -- Mindo -- Otavalo
07:30 Breakfast at the Hostería
08:30 Various hikes observing the flora and fauna of the region
11:30 Lunch
12:30 Leave for Otavalo
16:30 Arrive in Otavalo, check into the Hotel Otavalo, get maps, free time and later dinner
Monday, June 1 -- Otavalo
09:00 Wake up call and breakfast
10:00 Otavalo market
10:30 Leave for Peguche
11:30 Leave for San Antonio
12:30 Leave for Cotacachi for lunch
14:00 Leave to Cuicocha
15:30 Return to Otavalo & dinner
Tuesday, June 2 -- Otavalo -- Quito
09:00 Wake up call and breakfast
10:30 Leave for Quito
13:00 Arrive in Quito, check in at the Hotel Quito
15:30 Leave for the Capilla del Hombre
16:30 Return to the Hotel
19:00 Goodbye dinner
Wednesday, June 3 -- Quito
Free day. Breakfast is served until 10am. Students who are staying in Ecuador will either stay in Quito this day or will leave to their destinations.
Thursday, June 4 -- Quito
03:00 Wake up
03:30 Ride to the airport
06:45 Leave for Houston
So... there it is. If you find the wording a little awkward it is because I quickly translated the itinerary from spanish to english.
It is likely that I might not be able to update my blog until next Friday, May 29. I doubt that there will be any internet access when we are in the jungle.
I'll talk to you all soon! I love you and I'll be thinking of you. I'll be sure to be safe and smart during our travels.
--adam
Día 123 | Sábado, 2 de Mayo | 2009
On the Road...A very long day. 14 hours in the bus from Canoa back to Cuenca. I finished reading Savages today. About a hundred fifty pages of reading. I am so tired. Here is a picture from the road. I am amazed at how much the landscape of Ecuador changes as you drive from the coast to the mountains. It is a very big difference – banana plants turn into very rugged trees and brush. The air becomes so much lighter, the fog rolls in, and the temperature drops about 20 degrees. Forget West Virginia, Ecuador is wild and wonderful.
Día 119 | Martes, 28 de Abril | 2009
Hostería Mandála...Today we spent about five hours or so in the bus traveling from Guayaquil to a little fishing village called Puerto Lopez. The ride was extremely humid, hot, and uncomfortable. The vehicle that we ride in is a pretty spacious twenty passenger van but when we put all of our luggage in there things get a little cramped. With the relentless sun and the thick coastal air streaming through the windows, it is easy to feel physically agitated on our trips. In addition, being cramped inside of a vehicle with the same people you see pretty much every hour of every day can make for mild psychosis. Another observation, too, is that transportation in Ecuador is wildly different than it is in the United States. When traveling across the country, a vehicle can maybe attain an average speed of about 35 miles per hour. Rarely do the vehicle break 50 let alone 60 miles per hour. This can be attributed to Ecuador's poor road conditions, swerving mountain passes, and constant road construction. Whenever construction workers are repairing or modifying a road here, they shut down a lane completely and sometimes we must wait at a standstill for about thirty minutes just to be waved on by the flagger. Really different than in the U.S.
Anyway, we arrived in Puerto Lopez and I felt as if we had entered into Heaven. The landscape (like in the picture above) was so beautiful. The place that we are staying is pretty incredible too – it's called Hostería Mandála – and there are probably about 20 or so bungalows in which we are staying. All of the habitations are situated in a very lush and very beautiful garden – there are hundreds (maybe thousands) of flowers everywhere, all sorts of bushes, and a wide variety of trees. The whole feeling feels like we are staying in the jungle – in our rooms we wear mosquito nets while we sleep. I have been taking my malaria pills anyway but the mosquito nets come in good handy to make sure I am not eaten alive. Anyway, the place here has almost any accommodation imaginable – all sorts of board games, books, musical instruments, and art supplies for guests to use during their stay. The Hostería is also located on the beach, literally a thirty second walk to the waves. When we got here today, our group had the afternoon off so we just decided to relax by swimming, playing beach soccer, ultimate Frisbee, and just laying around.
Today was a really great day.
Día 103 | Domingo, el 12 de Abril | 2009
Familia...It has taken me awhile (two weeks now) to be comfortable with my family. The trip to Playas I think made me finally feel at home with my host brother, sisters, and parents. Here is a group portrait of my family. From left to right: (squatting) Johanna [my host sister who is 29 years old], (sitting on a chair) Lida [my host mom who is 60 years old], (standing) Oscar [my host dad who is 62 years old], (in cradle) Joaquin [my host nephew who is 2 months old], (standing in blue) Verónica [my host sister who is 25 years old], Paúl [my host brother who is 27 years old], and his wife (in pink) María.
Today was a long day. I wasn't able to communicate it but I wish that we had not gone to the beach again. Because my malaria medicine makes my skin very sensitive to the sun, I just wanted to stay in the shade. I perceived that my family (specifically my dad) was a little taken aback by me not wanting to swim but it wasn't a big deal. It was all smiles in the end.
The drive home was a little rough -- everyone was exhausted. Compounded with the fact that my host dad ran into a pot hole and flattened both tires on the right side of the car, we were stuck in the dark mountains (it was about 7 o'clock) for about a half an hour changing out the tires. We didn't have sufficient light to change them, so I used the light on my camera (it actually came in really good handy) to shine on the tires so we could see what we were doing. We didn't get back home until about 9:30 and the trip back ended up taking 8 1/2 hours on account of the flat tires. What an adventure though!
Día 101 | Viernes, el 10 de Abril | 2009
Playas...Today we woke up at about 4:00 A.M for our drive to the coast. The name of the city we stayed at was Playas (literal English translation is Beaches) and it was about a six hour drive from Cuenca. The drive was particularly South American in the fact that the roads were really bumpy, swerved through seemingly perilous stretches, and there was fog everywhere. It was really beautiful (maybe even majestic) to see the sunrise as we were driving through Cajas National Park. We stopped for a short break after Cajas and then we pressed on. Going down the mountains was the worst part of the trip -- lots of bends in the road -- and it was practically impossible to get any rest. Once we got through the mountains it was smooth driving to the coast. The landscape -- vegetation, architecture, and everything -- seemed to change drastically as we got closer to the beach. We also drove through the city of Guayaquil (the largest city in Ecuador) for about a half an hour. After driving through, I now understand why our program prohibits us from visiting Guayaquil by ourselves (without our families or someone with the program). It just looks run down, tougher, and more prone to crime than Cuenca or even Quito. Maybe we hadn't been to the right places in Quito,...I don't know...but I was noticeably uneasy while we were driving through. I don't think that I will ever live in Guayaquil, that is.
We finally got to Playas around noon (we actually hadn't left the house until about 6). Once we got there, we had a bite for lunch and then we were off. Immediately, I was struck by the differences of beaches here than in the States or otherwise. People just seem to be so much more laid back, tolerant, and joyous here than any other beach I've been too. No one seems to be conscious about their bodies here -- or maybe is that just me being ignorant to subtleties of culture...? Regardless, I felt so much more at ease at this beach and it was the beach of dreams. En el mar, la vida es más sabrosa (In the ocean, life is more rich) is what my host dad told me as we were both running for the surf. I felt great swimming, jumping, and splashing -- as if there was no need to worry about anything at all. Total relaxation. We stayed at the beach until sundown, then went back to the hotel to swim in the hotel pool, and then we finally had dinner and went to bed. It was a strange day -- a lot of new experiences -- but also one that I'll never forget.
Día 85 | Miércoles, el 25 de Marzo | 2009
Quito...It was a quick plane ride from Columbus to Houston -- especially sitting next to Nick. We got into some really good conversations and he is a nice dude. Leaving Columbus was difficult but I did not feel how sad and how much I am going to miss Caitlin (and her family), my family, and friends until today.
We got into Houston for our connecting flight to Quito and we had a couple hours to kill. Milling around bookstores, making fun of useless junk that airport vendors try to sell us, perusing the duty free store -- these were things we did to pass the time and to get to know each other a little bit. I was a little hungry and had an Auntie Anne's pretzel. Eating the pretzel, I realized how funny it was when my brother worked at King's Island at a place called The Pretzel Factory. It was either called that or something else -- I can not remember. Anyways, the point is that they both (both stores) seemed to have the same recipe. I bet that The Pretzel Factory stole the recipe from Auntie Anne's, just to throw out a little conspiracy theory there.
The plane ride from Houston to Quito was fairly good -- a little shaky touching down in Quito with the altitude and low-lying clouds. Every night, clouds roll in to Quito and the entire city is immersed in a great fog. Landing in Quito was quite terrifying, as we were not able to see the runway until we were about 50-100 ft. above it. It felt like we were about to land in a cloud.
On the plane ride, I began to read a book called The Soundscape: Our Sonic Environment and the Tuning of the World by the famous R. Murray Schafer. Schafer was practically the founder of The World Soundscape Project back in the late 60s at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver Canada. He and his team of researchers were hugely responsible for the creation and development of acoustic ecology in its nascent stage. The book has been altogether mind blowing -- this is the first book in a while where it has jumped off the page at me, sort of changing my world instantly. Here is the abstract from the book's back cover, to give you an general idea of the topic matter:
"The soundscape -- a term coined by the author -- is our sonic environment, the ever-present array of noises with which we all live. Beginning with the primordial sounds of nature, we have experienced an ever-increasing complexity of our sonic surroundings. As civilization develops, new noises rise up and around us: from the creaking wheel, the clang of the blacksmith's hammer, and the distant chugging of steam trains to the "sound imperialism" of airports, city streets, and factories. The author contends that we now suffer from an over-abundance of acoustic information and proportionate diminishing of our ability to hear the nuances of subtleties of sound. Our task, he maintains, is to listen, analyze, and make distinctions.
As a society we have become more aware of the toxic wastes that can enter our bodies through the air we breathe and the water we drink. In fact, the pollution of our sonic environment is no less real. Schafer emphasizes the importance of discerning the sounds that enrich and feed us and using them to create healthier environments. To this end, he explains how to classify sounds, appreciating their beauty or ugliness, and provides exercise and "soundwalks" to help us become more discriminating and sensitive to the sounds around us. This book is a pioneering exploration of our acoustic environment, past and present, and an attempt to imagine what it might become in the future."
One of the central concerns that Schafer highlights even in his introduction is the warning of eventual universal deafness. He postulates that with the progression of man-made sound -- the over-abundance of acoustic information -- our ears will no longer be able to distinguish acoustic information, thus leaving us with limited or no hearing capabilities.
The final question that Schafer says that we need to answer will be "is the soundscape of the world an indeterminate composition over which we have no control, or are we its composers and performers, responsible for giving it form and beauty."
Our group has been touring Quito today and all of these thoughts are running through my mind. Ever since I have read just the first part (out of four) of Schafer's book, I am looking (hearing) at the world differently and sharpening my distinctions. Quito is a city of roughly 3.3 million people. The housing, building projects, commerce, transport, factories, -- everything is sprawled out on a giant scale. The sounds of the city are overwhelming -- traffic, car horns, car alarms, cell phones, sounds of machines, the constant roar of airplanes flying in and out of the port -- I couldn't help but feel the over-abundance of acoustic information that Schafer is talking about.
I recorded a lot of material today -- an indigenous woman from Otavalo singing folk songs, city sounds from the top of La Catedral (where this photo above was taken), sounds of our tour guide Rafael telling us information about Quito, sounds of our tour guide at La Compañia de Maria Jesus (an old Colonial church), sounds of an apparent blind woman singing and playing the accordion in the streets of Quito, sounds of the light wind and hum of the city from the hilltops, and finally the sound of a man-made waterfall right on the equator in the La Mitad del Mundo park.
Tonight, I think some of us from our group will go get Mexican food across the street from our hotel and then I will return and read some more of The Soundscape. I have already finished the first part, entitled First Soundscapes. I am interested to learn more the other parts are:
Part Two: The Post-Industrial Soundscape
Interlude: Music, the Soundscape and Changing Perceptions
Part Three: Analysis
Part Four: Toward Acoustic Design
I am not sure what we are doing tomorrow. I suppose it would behoove me to look at the guide that explicitly tells us what is going on but I am too tired at this point. If you are interested in seeing what our hotel looks like go here -- www.hotelquito.com
Day 84 | Tuesday, March 24 | 2009
Departures & Arrivals...We are about to board right now in Houston to Quito. It has been a busy day of travel -- I am equally tired and excited to get to Ecaudor!
September 2007
September of 2007. Hmm. My memories reflect a sweaty time of working outside on May street at Lance's house. Stalwart was working on extending the kitchen on the lower level and then extending the bathroom on the second floor that was directly above the first floor kitchen. There were a lot of early mornings and even earlier nights during this period. The band was in full swing in preparation of releasing our record in October. We practiced at least once a week and I am surprised to find that I was able to keep this exhausting schedule. The band met with a filmmaker and were talking about shooting a music video. All sorts of discourse resulted from this and I remember getting early morning phone calls from some members of the band. Indeed.
Other than that I was trying to keep myself busy and having a great time with it too. I was in the middle of marathon training and was doing pretty well with it. This all halted later with subsequent touring (it is nearly impossible to train while on the road with Southeast Engine) but maybe next year is what I say.
These pictures from September are from one evening after work and probably after running. I went to go meet up with friends at Donkey Coffee and then later at the Smiling Skull Saloon for open mic night. The band pictures are from the Mid Point Music Festival in Cincinnati. Right around that time I was pretty busy re-vamping and redesigning the Southeast Engine website in collaboration with Charlie MacArthur.
Let the good times roll.
*****Jukebox Whore*****
This was the old jukebox at the Smiling Skull. Since then, the owners have replaced it with a newer and on-demand-friendly one. The old one had a lot of charm.
*****Me and Jessie*****
I laugh at this photo eternally. Jessie looks like Quasimodo.
*****Beer in the Smiling Skull*****
*****Converse All-Star*****
Leo and his phone.
*****Riley*****
*****One of the band's favorite tour stops*****
We took a bunch of photos inside with a Wendy's sign. Those photos can be seen at southeastengine.blogpsot.com along with a lot of other photos I took.
*****Midpoint Music Festival Street Performers*****
They seemed so happy.
*****Rem and Leo -- the constant navigators*****
******On the Wing*****
Photos taken from the trip from Switzerland to Atlanta. This picture was probably taken over Canada. It was such a clear sky although it's hard to not see a clear sky when you are flying 30,000 feet above the earth.
*****What a mess*****
All of it looks so serene from this high but just think about what is going on down there.
Other than that I was trying to keep myself busy and having a great time with it too. I was in the middle of marathon training and was doing pretty well with it. This all halted later with subsequent touring (it is nearly impossible to train while on the road with Southeast Engine) but maybe next year is what I say.
These pictures from September are from one evening after work and probably after running. I went to go meet up with friends at Donkey Coffee and then later at the Smiling Skull Saloon for open mic night. The band pictures are from the Mid Point Music Festival in Cincinnati. Right around that time I was pretty busy re-vamping and redesigning the Southeast Engine website in collaboration with Charlie MacArthur.
Let the good times roll.
*****Jukebox Whore*****
This was the old jukebox at the Smiling Skull. Since then, the owners have replaced it with a newer and on-demand-friendly one. The old one had a lot of charm.
*****Me and Jessie*****
I laugh at this photo eternally. Jessie looks like Quasimodo.
*****Beer in the Smiling Skull*****
*****Converse All-Star*****
Leo and his phone.
*****Riley*****
*****One of the band's favorite tour stops*****
We took a bunch of photos inside with a Wendy's sign. Those photos can be seen at southeastengine.blogpsot.com along with a lot of other photos I took.
*****Midpoint Music Festival Street Performers*****
They seemed so happy.
*****Rem and Leo -- the constant navigators*****
******On the Wing*****
Photos taken from the trip from Switzerland to Atlanta. This picture was probably taken over Canada. It was such a clear sky although it's hard to not see a clear sky when you are flying 30,000 feet above the earth.
*****What a mess*****
All of it looks so serene from this high but just think about what is going on down there.
Romantic Road
***From Switzerland to Fussen***
The drive was easier than what I remembered traveling in Europe than before. Before I had felt nervous, anxious, and unsure. I am talking about the past few summer vacations my family and I have taken while I visited them in Switzerland. Road culture anywhere else (even in different regions of the U.S.) can be overwhelming -- all of a sudden there are an array of different signs, signals, etiquettes, routes, and especially geographic landscapes to remind you that you are in a foreign land, chartering undiscovered waters.
***Out the Window***
The drive was about three hours or so. We stayed in the Hotel Sonne in Fussen, Germany -- a small town (15,000 or so) in Bavaria -- just 5 km close to the Austrian border. Fussen is situated near the so-called "Romantic Road" -- a term coined by german travel agents in the 1950s to describe a stretch of highway in southern Germany (Bavaria). The name makes sense though. The views and landscape are picturesque and idyllic.
***Dustin***
My brother is getting psyched for our tour of the Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles. Both of these castles relate directly to the Bavarian King Ludwig II. King Ludwig is known as "the Swan King" and also "the Fairy Tale King." Ludwig was well known for a number of things -- his eccentric personality (many thought he was mentally ill), his patronage to famous opera composer Richard Wagner, and his love for art and architecture namely in the building of Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein Castle.
Before we left to tour Hohenschwangau Castle, there was some down time to take some photos and I thought I'd give my new camera a spin. The weather was great -- it was mid morning (about 10 o'clock).
***Flowers outside Konigsschlosser Ticket Office (1)***
***Flowers outside Konigsschlosser Ticket Office (2)***
The first castle we toured (the tours were about thirty minutes each) was Hohenschwangau Castle. Hohenschwangau (English translation -- Castle of the High Swan County) was the official summer housing of King Maximillian (Ludwig's father) and was finished in 1837. Here are some photos of the tour:
***Hohenschwangau Ticket***
***Outside Hohenschwangau Castle (1)***
***Outside Hohenschwangau Castle (2)***
***View from Hohenschwangau Courtyard***
***Hohenschwangau Courtyard***
***Looking down the roof grooves***
***Lime tree in Hohenschwangau Courtyard***
***Lion Fountain***
***German Inscription***
(Note: They would let us take photos in the castle but I managed to sneak this one)
***View from a room in the Queen's quarters***
The next castle was the more impressive and more famous Neuschwanstein Castle. Neuschwanstein (English translation -- "New Swan Stone") looks like a building from a fairytale. Actually, it is said that Neuschwanstein Castle was the inspiration for Walt Disney in the development for Sleeping Beauty's and Disneyland/world castles all over the world. Again, they wouldn't let us take pictures inside the castle but all the views were very impressive.
***Ticket***
***Neuschwanstein Castle***
***Neuschwanstein Castle (2)***
***Marrien Bridge***
This is the bridge I took the photos of the castle from far away. It was about a ten minute hike up through the steep woods. It was all worth it and there were lots of people teeming (like me) just to snap photographs of this magnificant building.
***Neuschwanstein Entrance***
***Neuschwanstein Inside***
***Dad***
After the tours we had time to unwind and look at souvenir shops. I bought a wooden sword and waited outside the Olde German Christmas shoppe while Dustin, Gretchen, and Mom shopped. Dad and I were tired and losing our minds.
The drive was easier than what I remembered traveling in Europe than before. Before I had felt nervous, anxious, and unsure. I am talking about the past few summer vacations my family and I have taken while I visited them in Switzerland. Road culture anywhere else (even in different regions of the U.S.) can be overwhelming -- all of a sudden there are an array of different signs, signals, etiquettes, routes, and especially geographic landscapes to remind you that you are in a foreign land, chartering undiscovered waters.
***Out the Window***
The drive was about three hours or so. We stayed in the Hotel Sonne in Fussen, Germany -- a small town (15,000 or so) in Bavaria -- just 5 km close to the Austrian border. Fussen is situated near the so-called "Romantic Road" -- a term coined by german travel agents in the 1950s to describe a stretch of highway in southern Germany (Bavaria). The name makes sense though. The views and landscape are picturesque and idyllic.
***Dustin***
My brother is getting psyched for our tour of the Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles. Both of these castles relate directly to the Bavarian King Ludwig II. King Ludwig is known as "the Swan King" and also "the Fairy Tale King." Ludwig was well known for a number of things -- his eccentric personality (many thought he was mentally ill), his patronage to famous opera composer Richard Wagner, and his love for art and architecture namely in the building of Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein Castle.
Before we left to tour Hohenschwangau Castle, there was some down time to take some photos and I thought I'd give my new camera a spin. The weather was great -- it was mid morning (about 10 o'clock).
***Flowers outside Konigsschlosser Ticket Office (1)***
***Flowers outside Konigsschlosser Ticket Office (2)***
The first castle we toured (the tours were about thirty minutes each) was Hohenschwangau Castle. Hohenschwangau (English translation -- Castle of the High Swan County) was the official summer housing of King Maximillian (Ludwig's father) and was finished in 1837. Here are some photos of the tour:
***Hohenschwangau Ticket***
***Outside Hohenschwangau Castle (1)***
***Outside Hohenschwangau Castle (2)***
***View from Hohenschwangau Courtyard***
***Hohenschwangau Courtyard***
***Looking down the roof grooves***
***Lime tree in Hohenschwangau Courtyard***
***Lion Fountain***
***German Inscription***
(Note: They would let us take photos in the castle but I managed to sneak this one)
***View from a room in the Queen's quarters***
The next castle was the more impressive and more famous Neuschwanstein Castle. Neuschwanstein (English translation -- "New Swan Stone") looks like a building from a fairytale. Actually, it is said that Neuschwanstein Castle was the inspiration for Walt Disney in the development for Sleeping Beauty's and Disneyland/world castles all over the world. Again, they wouldn't let us take pictures inside the castle but all the views were very impressive.
***Ticket***
***Neuschwanstein Castle***
***Neuschwanstein Castle (2)***
***Marrien Bridge***
This is the bridge I took the photos of the castle from far away. It was about a ten minute hike up through the steep woods. It was all worth it and there were lots of people teeming (like me) just to snap photographs of this magnificant building.
***Neuschwanstein Entrance***
***Neuschwanstein Inside***
***Dad***
After the tours we had time to unwind and look at souvenir shops. I bought a wooden sword and waited outside the Olde German Christmas shoppe while Dustin, Gretchen, and Mom shopped. Dad and I were tired and losing our minds.
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