Dresden Surprise

By Megan
The train ride from Berlin to Dresden was a snap; we arrived at the station and followed our hand drawn map to a hostel that we thought would have plenty of space.  I remember that it was early evening (the train was a tad late) and we walked down a street that ran parallel to the tracks and gave both of us the creeps.  Needless to say, we high tailed it, pretending to understand the German street signs.
Just our luck, the hostel was packed.  A large group had descended upon the building, and my travel bud and I started to formulate another plan.  Suddenly, as if out of some weird dream (or a horror movie) the hostel owner offered us a room in a recently renovated two-bedroom apartment down the street.  THE CATCH: We would have to share a bed as, the other room was occupied by two very quiet chaps from down under.  It was cheap enough, and since it was late, we took his offer.  He handed me the key and gave us directions.
We came upon the building, and alarm one went off; the front door was propped up against the wall and a cat came flying through the hall as if escaping from some hidden evil.  Alarm two might have been the general abandoned nature of the complex, but I shrugged it off, ignored the cobwebs and hit the stairs.  We came to the door and tried the key.  The door opened up an IKEA wonderland of brand new everything sat directly before our eyes.  It was such a stark contrast to the building that the Kiwi and Aussie might have actually said something (but I don't think they actually did).
We put our bags down and headed out for a good meal paired with a Riesling.  The next day was filled with sight seeing; all we really knew about Dresden was that it had been destroyed by the Allies in WWII (I knew more about Dresden, Ohio, "Basket Village USA") .  Everything that we were about to see had been reconstructed.  We paid to take the stairs to the top of the Lutheran Dresdner Frauenkirche, the Church of Our Lady, which had only  been rebuilt, in the past ten years or so, as an exact replica of the structure that was destroyed during WWII.

The view was gorgeous.  The church was impressive, and yet odd to sit inside of a structure that was a replica of something lost.  In fact, most of Dresden seemed haunted by the past.
A visit to the Grünes Gewölbe (the Green Vault) was sparkly and enchanting- it is a museum of with the largest collection of gold, silver, jeweled and other ridiculously expensive looking treasures in Europe.
(For a good article with pictures and an overview of the sparkly treasures, head here --> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/25312/). Who knew that such intricacy and detail was possible?  I've never been so scared of breaking anything so sparkly in my entire life.
On our final day, we visited the VW plant and enjoyed soggy weather before catching a train into Prague.  Dresden was a city filled with surprises- the hostel, the view from the church, and the Green Vault.  I may never be back for a second visit, but I surely enjoyed my time there more than I ever expected.  More stories on Prague coming next year!  Don't worry- 2010 is almost here.  You won't have to wait that long.

"I'm a Jelly Donut" and Other Berlin Adventures

By Megan

Berlin was so good to me- from the funky hostel (see my previous hosteling post) to the bicycle tour, hippos at the zoo, and of course the Tiergarten.  My faithful travel bud and I organized a jaunt north starting in Berlin; the plan was to start in the famous capital, then work our way down to Vienna.

Germany was an entirely new concept to both of us.  All we could say was Gesundheit, küsse, and 'I speak English', even worse than our Italian, but we had few communication difficulties.

I was excited as a five-year-old as we headed toward the zoo, and furthermore, I was equipped with a camera and the know-how to use it.  The hippos were comical, the rhino quite serious, the giraffes awkward, and Knut the famous polar bear was in isolation (it seems that the more famous you are, the less likely you are to play well with others... just saying).  I actually didn't expect to enjoy/exhaust myself as much as I did running around the zoo.  In any case, a triumphant evening at a bier garden was in store.  They didn't have any vegetarian brats, but the baked potato was delicious and the Berliner Weisse (beer with raspberry syrup added) would have won over even the most serious of beer aficionados.

The infamous wall

With a desire for speed, we decided to take a bike tour of the city and got to the Fat Tire tour station early.  There was a Spanish tour available, but we decided to wait and see how full the English tour was- 70 or so other riders later, we went with the more intimate tour in Spanish, which included just me, my bud and our Valenciana tour guide.  She showed us all of the city's most famous sites, and via bike was a lovely way to see so much history in such a short amount of time.
Something from the tour that struck me much so was Bebelplatz; it's a memorial to a Nazi book burning that took place.  A piece of glass allows visitors to look down on empty shelves, representing the loss of understanding and knowledge.  "He who burns a book is capable of killing another."  It's a strong statement, but the idea is that by burning a book, you lose the knowledge of the book, effectively killing the right of someone who wants to learn.

Bier Garten? Yes, bitte.

After a long day of bike riding, we decided to relax in the MASSIVE Tiergarten and we weren't alone.  Our wonderful guide told us that public nudity was allowed in some parts of the gigantic park, but who would have thought that the two of us would end up smack-dab in naked central.  At least two gentleman visited the park seeking to catch some rays sunny side up.

It was time for us to move on to Dresden, but one more note- Ich bin ein Berliner- the famous quote, did not make JFK  a supporter of Berlin, but rather, a jelly-donut... and people still chuckle at the grammar mistake 40+ years later.

DRAMA at the Hostel

By Lillie
Catch more of her adventures at http://lmarshallworld.blogspot.com

The woman's unconscious body dangled between the tiny Thai receptionists' arms as they dragged her into the hostel lobby. What had happened??? We all rushed from the couches towards her sprawled form. Her dyed blond hair and white dress fluttered around the table where she lay. "Go back inside," said the hostel receptionist with a polite but firm wave. Outside we could hear another rumble brewing.
An hour earlier, the receptionist had grabbed a green-shirted hostel guest as he staggered downstairs into the main lobby. "You bring a prostitute in here tonight," she growled. "Against rules of the hostel. You both need to leave, NOW."

Within ten minutes, a woman in a white flowered dress was hurtling down the stairs, screaming at the man in green: "You give me my cell phone charger before I leave! Upstairs! You get it for me!" Scuffles, shouts, a retrieved charger, and green and white flowers both lurched out the door, trying to keep their heads as high as possible in front of the thirty stares from the lobby restaurant. The man walked into the glass door so hard the "CONK" was heard across the street. He shook himself and kept walking out.

Some guests were giggling; some had their hands over their mouths in shock. Granted, this lovely hostel is only four blocks from Patpong Road, home of the infamous girlie bars and "ping pong" shows ("*pop *pop *pop" smack the hawkers' lips to entice potential customers), but across every wall of the hostel, signs read: Paying Guests ONLY in Upstairs Rooms!

But now the woman was lying unconscious on the lobby table. We realized that, after leaving our lobby, she had been punched senseless by the man in green.
Suddenly, her eyes fluttered and she sprung to her feet. With purposeful strides she grabbed her purse, marched to the door and screamed toward the green shape by the curb: "Five hundred!" She raised her purse to hit him and suddenly he was hurling forward into the lobby, fists smashing forward towards the beautiful woman. "NO!" yelled the Thai staff running into the explosion.
My friend Adie and four other guests sprinted towards the lobby. "Adie!" I yelled, "You have two broken ribs already! Watch yourself!" A four foot tall Thai receptionist blocked the way. "Go to sleep. We call the police. We handle it."

Sure enough, by then sirens were blaring.
Now, this morning, the hostel is clean, calm, and lovely as ever. The Superman staff are at their posts as if nothing occurred, and all around the glistening lobby lounge, the guests play board games and plan day trips around Bangkok. Drama will always happen (as we Boston Public teachers know so well), but poise and heart in the face of a storm is forever impressive. I've extended my stay four more nights. :)
(Note: All photos are detail from the Grand Palace, Bangkok. Larger photos from this AMAZING complex are in the next post.)

The Go Girl's Guide to Hosteling Europe

By Megan

Who to Expect:
When hosteling (the act of choosing to stay in hostels) in Europe, one might expect to meet a selection of the following characters:

• The guy that's been solo packbacking for 5 months
• The chick in work boots ready to pierce your ear and kickass
• A father with his kids on holiday
• A Cali-girl ready romance novels on her bunk

Many have been traveling for months, or are just on a weekend vacation.  All of them have a story to tell and a secret of the city that you might miss without their help.  Because of tips (good and umm, interesting) from new friends in hostels, I have experienced cities in totally interesting ways.

You shouldn't expect to find many hosteling hippos...

How to find the style of hostel that suits you:
There are several types of hostel ready to serve each traveler and her every whim:

• The Party Hostel- bar in the basement, beer chugging contests abound; not the best place to stay if you want to sleep, but fun for some
• Granola Hostel- sometimes difficult to find, they make their own granola ie. best breakfast ever, might have a composting potty, and are generally green folk friendly
• Multi-generational hostel- you might hear a baby crying in the room over, or meet a grandmother on holiday with her daughters; these hostels are often older establishments with little frills, but they sure do the job
• Really cheap and super basic- don't expect a towel, breakfast or a locker; but they might offer 24-hour check in or a great location in the center of the city

You might even meet this kid (In the Ossuary of Kutná Hora)

Things one needs to know:

1. How to get there?
2. How accessible is local the transportation?
3. Do they supply sheets for the bunk (also, expect a bunk bed unless you specify otherwise and there are other accommodations available)
4. Is there a curfew?  Most hostels do not have a curfew, but it is important to check the rules so you don't get locked out on your way from the airport/club/or getting lost.
5. Is breakfast included?
6. Are there lockers with lock supplied?

Bring with you:

• Soap and a towel
• Snacks in case the breakfast is not so yummy
• Padlock/other security for your belongings
• Journal to write about the interesting roomies
• Ipod or ear plugs- there is always, 100% of the time a snorer, night terror sufferer, or the general squeaky bunk to keep you from your much deserved rest
• Eye mask if you are light sensitive
• Sense of humor- essential to maintaining patience
• Sense of awareness- it may be easy to feel comfortable, but one should always be on her guard to protect herself and her belongings

Our hostel in Vienna... okay, maybe not.

My top three favorites:

• Berlin- Jetpak Eco Lodge- So it might be a bit out of the way, but the scenic walk through the Grunewald Forest, relaxed eco-friendly environment, and big (clean) dorm rooms were such a welcome surprise.  A flashlight might be helpful on the walk through the forest if you get there in the dark.
• Prague- Sir Toby's- I don't know if it was the delicious breakfast, wonderfully interesting fellow travelers, or availability of spaces ready to fit everyone's needs (ie. a bar, kitchen, game room, computers, bbq space, etc.), but it was surely one of the most fun spaces I stayed in.  Definitely for the hostel-er who is looking for that 'true', student experience
• NYC- ZIP112- Female only, wonderfully accommodating host, back to the basics hostel.  It was simple, super clean, quiet, safe, and tiny- only ten beds.  Located in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood and ready for female travelers just looking for the basics.