Better Late than Never...

Okay. Now I'm not sure many people care about this thing anymore because I know a month and a half break shows a lack of interest on my part. I could explain why it wasn't a lack of interest or care but that just I didn't get around to it. But all of that is rhimsical, not living in the now, twig terd bullocks. (Haven't heard that one in a while, huh?) So let me began where I left off. Seeing that I'm on a community computer in a stylin Lisbonion hostel this may take a couple posts, I like to share.
Left off meeing Co Mike Elwell in Paris. Or better me meeting him. In Paris, I emailed Louis, a buddy I had met a few months back on the Laotian and Chinese border waiting for a promised, but uncertain, bus. He hooked me up in Paris at a friends house and I was able to really enjoy Paris. IE: talking politics while chewing on a flakey croissant, and adjusting my beret in the mirror.
After Paris I went up to Amsterdam. I stayed with Jess and his girlfriend Jenneka and once again had a blast. I went to the Van G(hrrr)ogh museum and the Rhikts museum. Both really interesting. Van Geezes and Rembrantdizzles.
From Hammsterdam on an over night train to Prague(Praha). Supposed to be a sketchy train but it was cool. I shared my compartment with two German citizens of Russian origin were going to visit a friend for his 30th birthday. Had a brew hit the sack.
Prague:
Arrrived to Prague central station at 8ish. Get my berings, take a bus(don't pay, play ignorance) find my hostel. Hostel Elf. Really nice play, patio, nice lounge, cheap original Czech Budweisers. Not consistent hot water, but yoiu gotta know the right times to take a shower.
Mitchel B showed up a day after I got there. He was geeking out on the drive from the airport. We caught up a bit and then took a walk around the city. Czecked out Charles Bridge, an Ice Hockey game and our fair share of bars, clubs and restaurants. After a few days in the Czech capital we went down south to Czesky Krumlov. A small medievel city, with a large ominous castle and a horseshoe shaped bend that nearly encircles the old town when viewed from a bird's eye.
Budapest, Hungary was the next to be red X'd. Budapest was great. We walked around the city a bit met up with some folks we had met in Praha, climbed a fantastic hill, Citadella I think was the name, and rewarded ourselves a g'old Hungarian bath. Huge pools of hot spring water undera doom contructed of tinted glass. Mosiacs on the walls. The sauna was killer though. The heat stung the flesh of your lungs.
Following Hungary we took numerous trains up to Krakow, Poland. Another beautiful place. A red castle sits on a large hill along the river. From the castle's vantage the old town, with it's huge square, and the Jewish quarter are easily spotted.
We went out to Auzwitz and Birkenau. Heavy, heavy stuff. Stuff I can't understand. How can humans treat other humans so bad? That's been my question everytime I think of the Nazis. Actually, frankly, its all wars. Yeah I know some are worth fighting for. I dare anyone, including the US army to come into my home, my city, my state and enadnger those I love. But before this happens every last means necessary must be taken to avoid the armed conflict. This US Admistration, and I mean admisitration because it was me and it probably wasn't you either, who concocted every thing. WMD, greeted with flowers, other governments will follow, link to Al Qaeda. That's not me and that's not you. I don't understand how these people get away with that. Are we letting them? Do we not care enough about others? I guess this is old news. Kinda though. 21,500 more troops. Ouch. I'm not home, I don't know how everyone is reacting and truthfully I feel a bit odd questioning fellow Americans when I'm not even home. But 21,500 more. On top of 120,000. On top of 3,000 troops, sons and daughters, dead for lies. How many wounded? 10, 20 thousand? 30? This is not right. I gotta do something.
Back to the Past. From Poland Mitch took an overnighter to Praha where he was flying out a day after the morning his train arrived. At the last mintute I decided to stay in Krakow. I was enjoying the city and I thought I was gonna head over to Romania. Transylvania, wildlike, castles, Dracula, all intrigued me. I stopped off in Eger, Hungary on the way. Really cool place. A road lined with door that lead to wine caves, cellers and barrels. Some great, young, still fermenting wine. I met some Russians studying in Budapest. We hit it off clanking glasses full of the local red, "bull's blood."