krakow, berlin, amsterdam, london (our last leg in europe)

sometimes i really hate blogging. especially when i don't do it for a while and i have so much to say, but can't figure out how to say it all...also i uploaded a whole bunch of pictures a few days ago (which usually takes forever) and for some reason they didn't save, so now i have to do that work all over again...arrgh!! so this blog will be an abridged version of my last couple of weeks in europe.

after prague, ventured to krakow
via train
was quite a sad experience because
we shared a car with a very
drunk man, who kept falling off the
seat while sleeping

freezing cold in krakow,
but did a bit of sight seeing
anyway
visited auschwitz-birkenau
witnessed
piles and piles of the
belongings of murdered prisoners
on display:
hair (cut from women after they were gassed and sold to make textiles);
luggage (with the names of the prisoners on them, believing they would get them back);
crutches and leg braces (stolen from prisoners and handed out to german soldiers); clothes of children and babies (stripped off the bodies after death);
pictures of the destruction, inhumanity, and decay...
i cried and even vomited at the end trying to clear my mind of the horrific images, but couldn't
still haven't forgotten it (probably never will)

back on the train to east berlin
stayed with a couchsurfer, named sandro,
he taught me how to cook carrot and orange soup...yum...
saw a lot of street art,
which was incredible...
saw the berlin wall (a mere 13 feet high, but grandiose in what it represented)
loved the edge of east berlin
want to go back and spend some serious time there


sandro, our new couchsurfer friend


this is my favorite stencil that i saw in east berlin

back on the train to amsterdam
beautiful city on the water
loved the canals
and the bicycling culture
rented a tandem bike with annette
(terrified as i rode it through the chaotic streets)
but finally got the hang of it,
only to have the back tire break
so we had to walk it back (dissapointment abounded)
saw our irish friend, amanda for dinner
stayed with a couchsurfer, named marco, who cooked us dinner

the address of the house where anne frank and her family went into hiding

me with marco, our couchsurfing host in amsterdam

then took a night bus from amsterdam to london (miserable)
little sleep and much discomfort
but arrived in one piece
are staying with my friend, ona
saw our friend ed (who we met in jordan)
he took us to see les miserables
good company and good conversation

had a fun night of dancing
met up with the french boys
who we met in prague
and came to meet us for a night of fun in london
(the day after was painful)

the beauty of london at night

hanging out with ona

a night of dancing with annette, ona, and our new french friends

now we will get our things together
reorganize, repack, toss out winter belongings
to prepare for the upcoming warmth of south africa
(i am so happy to go to warmth)

only major disaapointment is the bad dye job on my hair
hair is midnight black
i look like death
and dont know how to fix it