Adding Ireland

I'm thinking about adding Ireland to my next trip. I think I can do Scotland and Ireland in three weeks. Maybe? I wonder if anyone's done it. It seems a little difficult to get to and from Ireland by ferry. I was thinking of flying to Inverness from London. I probably won't though. I hate flying. And I don't mean the actual act of flying. I actually love planes (sans economy class over the Atlantic Ocean). No, I hate the airport. Specifically the part where they treat you like you're a criminal. If you travel by commercial air you know what I'm talking about. I'm seriously considering paying the TSA $85 to get a preCheck number, just as soon as they get an application center near me (it's only the seventh largest city in the country after all). Yeah, the nearest center from me is four hours round trip by car, and get this, it's in a small town. That's government efficiency for you.

I don't know why they can't figure out who is a threat and who isn't. It's all in a computer! Or how's this for a brilliant idea, instead of fondling us or making us expose ourselves to radiation, you profile people based on behavior. It's amazing what a thirty second conversation will do for the right person. You can figure out all kinds of things about people in a few seconds. Like if they're fracking crazy or not. It seems to work for the Israelis. Except, that doesn't give you another alphabet agency that allows you to give appointments to your friends. And if you're a politician, we can't have that, now can we? Efficiency? Saving money? Preserving civil liberties? Something that actually works? Ha!

Tips on Backpacking and Staying in Hostels

If you've never stayed in a hostel before, it can be an intimidating experience. It's really not much different that sharing a dorm room at college with someone, except that sometimes you're sharing a room with many other people. If you want peace and quiet, but can't afford a private room, booking a dorm with fewer beds is a good idea. I tend to try to book four bed dorms. Six at the most. When I was younger, I once stayed in a 22 bed dorm. Talk about an experience! I don't suggest doing something like that, except for maybe a single night.

Make sure you bring all the toiletries you need. Some hostels will have soap dispensers in the bathroom and in the showers, but not all of them. Also, make sure you bring a towel, as they are usually not provided. Some hostels will rent you a towel for the duration of your stay, but not all of them.

Don't bring a sleeping bag. Most hostels don't allow them for health reasons.

In order to keep your pack smelling as good as possible (and let me tell you, it won't smell that great even so), you'll want to wash your underwear and socks every day. Taking time to wash them in the sink is a pain in the ass, so I suggest doing what my sister taught me, and that is washing them while you're in the shower. I bring a little vial (or two) of actual laundry soap to do this. Regular soap or shampoo or body wash, does not work very well. I will put a little drop of laundry soap on my socks and underwear and scrub them while I'm in the shower. You can hang them to dry over night. Most of the time, they will be dry before you have to leave, even if it's the next morning. Most bunks will have bars on them, and this is a great place to hang wet stuff, like your towel.

Beware of damp rooms though. Even the thinnest of wet laundry won't dry in a damp room, even if allowed days to do so. Sometimes you can alleviate the dampness by opening a window if possible. Be sure to close the windows by evening though, to avoid mosquitoes.

Try not to rush to too many places too quickly. After a while, you won't care about another Roman ruin, or another classical painting, no matter how cool it is. Bring moleskin and band-aids. You're going to need them. And aspirin and glass wipes (if you wear glasses). Your feet and legs are going to hurt like a son of a bitch, even if you have been walking a lot at home. You're going to wind up walking more than you have been, no matter how much you were doing before you left. I had worked myself up to walking five miles before most of my trips, and I think on average I walked 12-15 miles per day during these last two trips.

You will want to get a small pad lock, so you can lock up your pack or other valuables if there are lockers. Most hostels do have lockers, some big enough to fit your pack. Others only have small lockers. Don't leave valuables lying around. In hostels without lockers, keep your stuff zipped up and under the bed or something, out of sight. Better yet, don't travel with anything of value. Leave your iPhone and tablet at home. The first time I went backpacking, I didn't even have a cell phone. Nowadays, you can purchase Sim cards that will fit in an old unlocked phone in order to be able to call home. The great thing about buying a European Sim card is that you can accept incoming calls for free. Your family can get a cheap calling card and call you for much less than using your American cell phone there. In '09, I spent $400 on phone calls with AT&T. Don't give the evil empire your money!

Look for hostels that have 24-hour reception. This might not seem like a big deal, but if you ever have a problem in the middle of the night, it's nice to have someone to turn to.

Some hostels have laundry facilities. You can travel with less clothing if you plan when you will be able to do a whole load of laundry. Having to lug a heavy pack of clothing around will put a damper on your day. Don't bring enough clothes for six months, even if you're traveling for that long. Besides what you are wearing, two pairs of pants, two shirts, and five days worth of underwear is plenty. When you change out of clothes, be sure to hang them up in order to air them out, so they will not smell when you wear them again. I usually wear clothes for three days, and I hang them up in between (or throw them over a rail or bed if there isn't a wardrobe with hangers). If you have to change hostels, hang up your clothes as soon as you can after arriving. I usually try to wash right after my initial arrival at the first hostel. I refuse to wear airplane clothes two days in a row, they always smell terrible. When you get ready to do laundry, don't forget to wash your towel and pajamas. It will feel refreshing to have clean stuff.

Wear 8" boots. Yeah, it sucks having to get them off and back on in the security line at the airport, but they can save your ankles (and your trip) if you turn your foot on a cobblestone. My sister brings flip-flops to wear to the shower. I don't. I still have my feet and to my knowledge, haven't caught any diseases.

Despite your attempt at cleanliness, you will smell. You won't notice it however while you're traveling. If you're concerned about smelling like the road and the hostel, bring something to counteract it, like good smelling perfume or febreeze. I had no idea how horrid my pack smelled until I had been home a couple of days. It would knock your nose off. And I'd tried to keep everything clean and washed up.

Take the reviews on Hostelworld with a grain of salt. If you're on a budget, know that you get what you pay for. It ain't going to be the Hilton if it's €15 a night. Most hostels are clean enough for most people. If you're really picky about everything being perfect, maybe backpacking isn't for you. Save your money longer and pay for better accommodation. However, you will never meet anyone in a private room. I've met some really cool people while backpacking. 

While I think it's safe to associate with other backpackers, as a general rule, do not engage random strangers. There are all kinds of scammers and criminal-types attempting to sell you fake goods or pick your pocket. Don't look at them. Don't talk to them. Keep walking. Don't be afraid to offend. For the most part, traveling alone as a woman is safe, but you need to use your head. Don't go out drinking with people you don't know at three o'clock in the morning. Don't meet someone you met online in a secluded location. These are not good ideas. When I travel alone, I am back at the hostel at dark and I get up early because I'm interested in the historical and archaeological stuff. If you're wanting to party and pub-hop, I suggest getting some friends that you trust together to go with you so you can watch out for each other. 

Good luck and have fun backpacking!

Backpacking 2009 Journal Complete

I have finally completely finished posting the entire journal from 2009. I will start on the 2012 one tomorrow (I swear!). I've typed it all up, but would like to put pictures and such with the posts. I realize, looking back on my posts that my food allergies (dairy and soy) were affecting me in a bad way. I wonder if my knees will hurt next time I go backpacking. It will definitely be harder to eat, because they put dairy and soy in almost everything that is processed, which is a huge part of a hostel-backpacking diet. Cheap processed crap.

My food allergies were not only causing me gastrointestinal distress, they were also causing me severe mood swings, and irritability. Ask the hubby about the irritability. And the pain. The joint pain was horrendous. And it's all gone now. I had been hurting for so long, that I didn't even realize how bad I hurt. Until I got all of the dairy and soy completely out of my diet last year, and then it was like night and day.

I wonder if there's anyone else out there with food allergies who has gone backpacking?

Journal Entry: More Train Shenanigans

This was the worst day by far. And it’s raining too, but at least I didn’t get caught in it. I hate Paris. More specifically please send me back to the endless fields of grapes.

The train ride was bad. But let me back up. After I checked out of the hostel, I missed the gas station where I was going to get gas. I pulled into a different one, but the streets are all one way, so I couldn’t go back. I got a bit lost. Then once I found the station parking, I couldn’t find the Avis spots. 

I filled it up!

The paint was almost worn off the pavement, but I finally saw them. Then when I went into the station, I saw on the board that there was an electrical problem between Toulouse and Carcassonne, so the trains were delayed/cancelled. I might be on the six o’clock news here, as there was a guy from France 3 walking around interviewing people.

I stood in line, and found the Avis office is unsigned, and on the front right side of the station. Then the girl told me to go to catch the bus to Narbonne as I had a layover for the train to Paris there. 

I missed the bus. But then I stood in line again and they said the train I was supposed to be on was okay. I waited but they all said they were still delayed so when a train came in and was marked “Narbonne” I went up to Information and asked if I should get on it, and the lady said yes. So I ran, and made it just as it was leaving. 

I caught the train in Narbonne no problem. The train ride from Narbonne to Paris was horrid. No dead body this time, though I could have killed the fat pig of a man sitting next to me. He was probably 350 pounds, and didn’t even try to keep to his seat. [Note that I used to be quite fat, but I tried my best to not invade other people's space.] And he smelled and kept coughing without covering his mouth. And he was ugly. And I don’t mean just physically. His soul was ugly. 

I spent €5 on a yogurt and water, just to sit in the dining car and get away from him.

I got to the hostel okay. The restaurant was really busy. I wanted to eat there, but all the tables were reserved. When I finally got a table, no one waited on me. I was irritable from the train ride so that might have colored my perception of things. 

Normally the bar has a good vibe, but when I arrived it was horribly crowded with large school groups

 I finally went to the store and bought a small bottle of wine from the Pays d’Oc!!!! Yum! It was only €2.75 or so. I also bought a sandwich from the place down the street from the hostel. “Poulet avec fromage.” And they asked me if I wanted it hot. They meant spicy. It wasn’t that spicy. Not like the place in Marseille. 

My writing sucks. I blame the wine and that I want to go to sleep. 

Good night.

Journal Entry: The Worst Train Ride

What a day! Where to begin? At the beginning I suppose. The train ride started off uneventfully enough. I was excited when we were almost to Toulon, because my father said he’d been there when he was in the Marine Corp. He told me a story about an older woman who befriended him while he was there, and how she expressed interest in coming to the US and he wrote her after he got home but never heard from her again. Anyway, they announced that we would be “waiting” at Toulon for a bit. I think this message was in French. I only understood part of what was going on. The lady who was sitting next to me got off in Toulon. A man got on and sat next to me. Finally they make another announcement, and the man makes an exasperated gesture. I take it that we are delayed. 

After a bit the train starts moving. I was going to bitch about the annoying couple across the aisle from me that were having the most obnoxious conversation (they were Americans) but all that pales in comparison to what happened next. 

We stop at a station not on the list. We wait. They make more announcements in French. Finally we move again, and after a bit, we stop again. They announce we are delayed an hour and a half. 

Finally we move again. After a short distance I see a “gendarmerie” car, the police. Also a bunch of “SNCF” (french rail) cars. Two men are standing around, then about thirty to fifty meters [further], there are another group of men, some police. [I snap pictures, not realizing what is going on.] Eight of them [police] maybe and a sheet on the ground. A sneakered foot stuck out from under it! I exclaimed out loud and uncontrollably “Oh my God!” and everyone in the car stood up to see what I saw. [The man next to me, said something in French and motioned for everyone to sit back down.]

Shock doesn’t begin to adequately describe it. Then when we are moving again, we are very close to Marseille, when an alarm starts going off on the train. [As if my nerves aren't on edge enough as it is.] Three [SNCF] personnel come tearing through our car, and open a door at the back and go down the stairs. This was a two level train. The door they went through was “staff only.” I’m not sure what they were saying but it seemed that someone had opened the rear door while the train was in motion? I’m still not sure exactly what was going on. I asked the man next to me at some point if he spoke English, but he said no. I asked the (formerly) obnoxious Americans across the aisle if they knew what was going on, and all they could say was that the door had been opened but they weren’t fluent so they weren’t entirely sure either. 

So then we stop in a tunnel. And maybe I asked all of the aforementioned in the tunnel. I was afraid there was a bomb or something. [Because you know why they stop you in a tunnel?! They suspect a bomb!!!] And we were in the tunnel for a while, I suppose they were checking everything. [Not many things seriously freak me out. That did. And it didn't help that I couldn't understand what anyone was saying.]

Finally we made it to Marseilles, and in one piece, happy and healthy, and a bit hungry too! I was so glad to be off that train.  

 

Marseille

The hostel is nice. I went down to the “Vieux Port” and on the way I saw a McDonalds and stopped there to eat. That’s the first time I’ve eaten there on this trip. 

I took bus #60 up to Notre Dame de la Garde. First time I’ve taken a bus in France. A lot of firsts today! The cathedral was amazing, and the view even more so. They had a statue of St Antonio of Padua. I paid €1 and lit a candle for Zech. And cried too.  

Why do people throw their lives away?.....

 

St. Anthony of Padua

 

Shiny

I got back to the hostel, and the door to the room I was assigned was broken. They couldn’t get the lock open. The girl at reception offered me a drink for my trouble [and offered me a strong drink after she heard my story of the train trip to Marseille]. I just wanted some ice water. It was good and cold. Made me feel better. 

 

Fixing the Lock

They finally fixed the lock. I had a good conversation with one of the girls in the room. Her name was Ann. She was from Virginia I think. I told her all about Italy. I am overly chatty after traveling alone. 

I’m not sure where I’m going tomorrow, maybe Avignon, or Nimes.

Journal Entry: Happy Accidents

The regional trains are striking for two days [coincidentally, they started the evening I was at Antibes so it was a good thing I’d cut the day short by buying a return ticket early]. That is why it was bedlam at the station yesterday, not because of the Grand Prix. The Australian guy in my room told me this morning. I was worried that I would not be able to get to Marseille, but the long distance trains are still running. The train to Marseille’s final destination is Geneva. 

Departing Nice

So I am at the train station, and in good time. Not too early and not running to catch the train. It is very damp here. My laundry (socks and undies that I wash each night) did not dry, even after two days. Hopefully the hostel in Marseille will not be so damp.

The strike is from 23^rd to 25^th at 5p. By the way, the bathrooms at Nice’s main train station are great. They cost €.50 but are very clean. There is an attendant, and they hold your bags for you.

Journal Entry: Chewable Aspirin

I’ve had dinner, I just ate pizza here and had a Hoegaarden beer. Cost me €10. That’s not too bad. 

It’s not even 9 and I’m whooped. All the walking has just about done me in. I had originally planned to take it easy in Nice. Hah! So much for that. 

Oh! A funny story. This morning. I had run out of Aspirin yesterday so I had bought some at the Pharmacy by the train station. I opened them last night and they were very big. I thought they were dissolvable tablets, like the “Goody’s” at home. That you drop them in a glass and then drink it. Well so, this morning I get a glass at breakfast and put them in some water, but they don’t dissolve. So I mixed them up with a knife, but they didn’t really dissolve. I thought wth? Am I supposed to swallow these things as big as they are? Well I licked the knife, and it was sweet. They were chewable tablets. LOL!

Anyway, I am going to read some Rick Steves. I hope Andy is feeling better. He was having a rough time of it with me being away.