6/30/10, Wednesday - Canary Islands

I met some nice people in my Brussels hostel. Two sisters from Taiwan were there, travelling for 80 days! I thought 32 days was a long time! The guy at my hostel called a cab for the morning. After 2 hours of non-sleep, I was ready to go at 4:45am for my 7am flight. A taxi drove by a little early and turned around and asked if I needed a taxi. I asked if the hostel called him and he said yes, but I wasn't sure I believed him. I had misunderstood the guy at the hostel and thought the taxi driver was trying to take me to the wrong place so I fought with him and made him show me on a map. He said 'Rue de France' which I remembered the hostel guy mentioning and of course, i got to the right place.... sort of. I am never satisfied. - comfortable is boring but exciting is uncomfortable...

6/29/10, Thursday - Canary Islands

Now I am in the Canary Islands. I am staying in a little village called Pozo Isquierdo. It's the windsurfing capital of the world... I am quite literally staying at the windiest corner of the world. The windsurfing world cup is being held at my hostel in like 5 days. I sat next to this really nice guy, Sebastian, on the plane. He is from Mexico, but is studying here. He and his friend Pedro helped me find the right bus. At one point, Pedro walked away and I got to use a sentence right out of my 8th grade Spanish book. Donde esta Pedro? ha! I loved it! Sebastian's decision to study in the Canary Islands makes me wonder why I chose to study in Denmark. I mean really, would you choose Hawaii or Iowa?

So, back to my village: I have to take a bus up to the shopping center (Viscendario) near here. I walking around my cute, but boring, village (Pozo) yesterday and went to the shopping center, El Atlantico, where I bought a new bag, as mine broke yesterday. I then watched Spain beat Portugal with 4 Irish guys in my hostel. They were great, but their accents made them a bit hard to understand. In fact, a Swedish girl even asked them if they speak English! ha!

I ended up being the only one in my room. 18 Euros for a single, what a deal. It's so cheap, however because it is so far out of the way. I didn't know it, but it's mainly meant for windsurfers. Today I am taking a bus to Maspalomas, apparently there is a lot going on there and it's where most people stay... oops...

6/29/10, Tuesday - Fuenteventura, Spain

The first things I am going to do when I get to the Canary Islands are go to an atm (I am down to 7 euros) and charge my phone. I am actually on a different island right now, Fuenteventura, as our plane was diverted here to refuel and get clearance to land on Gran Canaria. For a little while, I thought they were going to make me figure out how to get to Gran Canary on my own and felt panicky!

6/29/10, Tuesday - Brussels

Now I am on a shuttle bus from Brussels to Charleroi to catch my flight to the Canary Islands. Last night I arrived in Brussels very late, even later than I planned and had very good timing. The guys that worked there were about to leave. It was really good that they hadn't left yet, as the directions I had on how to get to the airport were wrong. It was only because of the extremely helpful front desk that I am at the airport waiting for my plane. I had read maybe on the ryan air website that you need to take a train from midi to charleroi. I went to Midi when I got in late last night to look up the train schedules. Then when I got back to Noord where the hostel is the desk guy explained that to get to Charleroi I really needed to take a shuttle, as the train would bring me to the city of Charleroi, not the airport. When I got to the train station a very nice old man that only spoke French saw I was confused about how to get to the hostel. He asked me in broken english 'what do you find'. I don't know I told him. I tried to show him the name of the street I needed, but it's typed so small he couldn't see. So in the worst French I said 'Jacques Emilie something' Luckily, he knew what I meant. I am glad he knew so I could get the heck out of there! The train station was so freakin sketchy! I was very glad when I found out that I didn't have to go back there at 5am. The hostel guy said it wasn't safe. His exact words were there are some friendly fellows there. I am sure they'd be happy to take care of your bags. Walking from the train station down this empty street I felt less safe and less comfortable than I ever had before and really made me wonder if I want to go to Morocco. I will ask at the airport where I can go from Gran Canaria and see if it makes more sense to go somewhere else instead.

6/28/10, Tuesday - Fuenteventura, Spain

The first things I am going to do when I get to the Canary Islands are go to an atm (I am down to 7 euros) and charge my phone. I am actually on a different island right now, Fuenteventura, as our plane was diverted here to refuel and get clearance to land on Gran Canaria. For a little while, I thought they were going to make me figure out how to get to Gran Canary on my own and felt panicky!

6/28/10, Monday - Amsterdam

Once again, I am handwriting, not typing this first. I guess I am just old fashioned..... So Mr. Jones by Counting Crows just came on. It starts 'I was down at the new Amsterdam'. I am in the original Amsterdam... Very Meaningful.... I met a cool girl named Karen from Canada. She is a nurse and we get along super well. We went on a canal cruise today. I had tried to go last night but the boat place was closed. So I went today instead. It was really awesome. I liked the many different types of the building tops. I can't remember what they call them. Maybe gamlets... Today Holland has a soccer game at 4 and then I am off to Belgium and then the Canary Islands. I wonder if I should have stayed in Western Europe longer. I just love Holland so much!

6/28/10, Tuesday - Brussels

Now I am on a shuttle bus from Brussels to Charleroi to catch my flight to the Canary Islands. Last night I arrived in Brussels very late, even later than I planned and had very good timing. The guys that worked there were about to leave. It was really good that they hadn't left yet, as the directions I had on how to get to the airport were wrong. It was only because of the extremely helpful front desk that I am at the airport waiting for my plane. I had read maybe on the ryan air website that you need to take a train from midi to charleroi. I went to Midi when I got in late last night to look up the train schedules. Then when I got back to Noord where the hostel is the desk guy explained that to get to Charleroi I really needed to take a shuttle, as the train would bring me to the city of Charleroi, not the airport. When I got to the train station a very nice old man that only spoke French saw I was confused about how to get to the hostel. He asked me in broken english 'what do you find'. I don't know I told him. I tried to show him the name of the street I needed, but it's typed so small he couldn't see. So in the worst French I said 'Jacques Emilie something' Luckily, he knew what I meant. I am glad he knew so I could get the heck out of there! The train station was so freakin sketchy! I was very glad when I found out that I didn't have to go back there at 5am. The hostel guy said it wasn't safe. His exact words were there are some friendly fellows there. I am sure they'd be happy to take care of your bags. Walking from the train station down this empty street I felt less safe and less comfortable than I ever had before and really made me wonder if I want to go to Morocco. I will ask at the airport where I can go from Gran Canaria and see if it makes more sense to go somewhere else instead.

6/27/10, Sunday - Amsterdam

Well, I have to give it to Aimee's kid, I am not so good about keeping up with this blog, but I've been taking notes along the way.                        

                                                                              

The annoying buzz from South Africa has infiltrated the streets of Amsterdam. World Cup fever has definitely taken over! Everything is orange!

I love this city. The way you can walk around and discover it like you can New York and everyone is so friendly!

6/27/10, Sunday - Amsterdam

I tried to rent a bike. It was unsuccessful because although a bike is good for transportation and to get you from point a to point b, right now I am more interested in everything in between. I stop in lots of little shops where everything is blue and white. I think our family was dutch in a previous life!

6/26/10, Saturday - Amsterdam

okay, maybe aimee's kids are right, i can't figure out how to log in as me and the words are all in dutch so once again technology is not my friend... i will tell you who is my friend, amsterdam. i love it here! people are so friendly! i am moving here!
i also have a new number (001 31) 0634881094. just wanted everyone to know i am here safe and already having the best time ever. hope to figure this blog thing out when i have some more time, but right now i am off to hit other places... ;-) with love corie

6/26/10, Saturday - Amsterdam

Today was the first day of my big trip! I love Amsterdam! There is no doubt I am going to move here!! The people are so friendly and I really feel at home! I did a lot of walking today. Some of it on purpose. I get lost here because everything looks the same. Guess I will learn it better when I live here....
I went to this place Begijnhof where single women who did good deeds, but were not nuns lived. I asked if that's still the case - the guard said mostly single women still live there, but now riff raff live there, too.
My hostel is very nice by Amsterdam standards. There is a great bar downstairs where I watched America lose (in the World Cup) and looked up stuff in my travel books. I also went to this really original craft fair. The guy running it gave me a poster for free. I think I'll get it framed when I get back home.

69 hours till lift off....

So this is my first blog, ever. Pretty impressive if you ask me, since being told by one of Aimee's kids "you know how you old people are with technology."



I figured I might as well step boldly into the 21st century already... I am not egotistical enough to think people care what I am doing, but just in case, here's a way to keep up with me...