Still in Beograd

Current mood: Grade A prime cut meated

Well, I haven't been able to leave.
I had wanted to spend 2 or 3 days in Vienna, that ain't gonna happen. I know people here and it is more interesting than another museum or gothic church. I assume they have them in Austria. In Belgrade they are Eastern Orthodox and the churches have a different style. they aren't as nice but stilll good in a different way.
I have been all over Central Belgrade this week. the city park is an old castle called Kalamegdon. There are vendors during the day and people relaxing. It is a bit of history and open space. You could have a picnic, walk your dog, or kiss your sweetie. there are also the old structures and some old tanks and cannons from 20th century wars.
One important thing to remember is that this city was bombed by NATO 11 years ago. There are still holes in many buildings right around my hotel. These are all guarded by Serbia military, no matter how cold. I have not gotten in too much trouble for being American for that. These people have more ire for Clinton than Bush, as opposed to the rest of Europe.
I haven't had too many political discussions on my trip. I did have one with a woman named Melitzza. She has a Masters in Sociology and she is Montenegran. Guess if we had different opinions.
She is also having a rough time because Montenegro split from Serbia and she has been living here for 15 years and wants to live here but still keep her original citizenship. On top of that, 11 professors here were arrested for selling diplomas which is putting her credentials under scrutiny. Does anyone else think America is over regulated?
We got along, mainly because I kept my mouth shut and listened. She was also hot and also had a boyfriend. A great guy, he played drums in the Black Sabbath cover band.
Mike and I have been walking the town, seeing some of his friends, and sampling the local food and brew. Both are very good. Let me make this clear, you cannot walk 5 minutes in this city without seeing a totally smoking hot sexy fine young woman.
I wish they all could be Califonia Girls.

This may be may last post for a bit as travel and time may prevent more blogging. I have seen all the babes in this cafe already!

Currently listening :
Crucified
By Army of Lovers
Release date: By 09 April, 1992

Belgrade Blowout

Current mood: Tired and Red

Thursday we stayed out until 4 am. we to a few clubs with these guys Doca and Dan. they are locals and seem to enjoy the drinks we buy quite a lot. but they are a lot of fun and we picked up another friend whose name escapes me at the time. we knew Doca (pronounced Dote za who we now call Doatzer) was seeing how close he could walk next to speeding cars as we crossed busy streets. we went to a student center and saw a really good Black Sabbath tribute band. Me and Mike beat those guys at Foosball. and we hate soccer. The clubs here are cool cause they are probably in an old basement.
Friday we stayed out until noon. We went to Academia again. Dan is a Bartender there. When get to the bar, he pours us two beers, two shots, and lights up a joint. That has not happened to me anywhere before. Anyone else think America is over regulated?
Mike and I met these girls at the student center earlier that day. They said they were going to the KZT, another student center. I am pretty sure they couldn't drink in bars in the US. Anyone else think America is over regulated? And she said I was old enough to be her dad. She didn't get the 'whose your daddy?' aspect, but her English is good as she teaches it. They were Jelena and Anastasia. Anastasia is Greek as well as Serbian. And they have great tits. In case anyone is curious. I haven't seen them out of a sweater, but .....
We had fun at that club. The DJ played Sepultura's Rhattamahatta so we went and danced. Something I hadn't done before either. I went to a dance club and heard no Rap music. something I blah blah
Jelena introduced us to this guy named Ivan, born in Serbia, grew up in Canada Toronto area, and is back here. A real happy fellow, especially happy to meet someone he has some things in common. He says he is treated a bit like an outsider since he grew up outside Serbia.
People here seem to have a camaraderie I don't see back in the states.
That place closed at 4am I think. we walked around in the cold looking for places to go and picking up new folks along the way.
There was another Mike or Majk. He threw Molotov cocktails at the US Embassy.
Some long haired guy who was with Mike McArdles friend Juliana.
Some chick named Dragona who never showed me her tits, although I did get to kiss her.
Some girl with a pierced tongue, nose, and lip who doesn't think she has a soul.
this guy with a yellow bike named Nened. He saw our crew going into this bar at 7am and decided to come in as opposed to going to work. Not a lot of people have bikes here.
We wandered, bought beer, drank in the street, and went to this bar where there were 50 year old Serbs drinking at the same time. I am sure they just woke up though.
By 11 am it was just me, Nened, Dragona, and the pierced chick. I bought breakfast and Nened was a gentleman and walked me home. I knew the way. I think he was being polite cause I bought beer and cigarettes.
I slept till 8pm. There was NHL on the TV, unlike in the states.
At 10 pm on Saturday, Juliana and Mike came by the Hotel to get me and we went to the Student center again to see the Serbian hardcore band Atheist Rap. I will let you guess how good Serbian hardcore is. The crowd loved it. they knew all the words.
We left there at 2:30am and got some pizza. this place is always open and busy. And surrounded by hot women. I will go there again. They also put ketchup on pizza. Gross. But the women are hot.
And that is it so far. I know I have forgotten parts.

.

Currently listening :
Ratamahatta
By Sepultura
Release date: By 21 November, 1996

Miles and miles

Current mood: Belgraded!

So today I am in belgrade serbia.
I wandered for blocks until I picked a hotel.
It is just what you would expect, nothing special.
I am here checking my email and thank god Mike McArdle got online. he is an old friend and the only reason I came to this place.

Travelling alone has been rough. i never knew how much I wanted or needed companionship.
It is a great test andI think I am passing, except when I get to a new city, don't speak the language, and feel all alone in the world.
I am not looking for sympathy, I just think that is the way it goes when you do something like this.
As you may know, I am not the most outgoing person from the start.
I am learning about how I feel about people.
They are generally a friendly bunch. That is usually because I am buying something from them. Here's to the free market!
Like all places, you only make friends with people you have a need for or there's a common link. That doesn't happen in a day.

To all of you, I am glad I needed you or we share something in common.

Italy has the best looking women so far. Florence and Venice and Pisa are just as beautiful as I had heard. Trieste is not as great, but has a super view of the Adriatic Sea.
I need to call my friend, I need the company.

Currently listening :
All by Myself
By Eric Carmen
Release date: By 15 December, 1999

Rome...undecided

Current mood: feet hurted

Rome is beautiful and they never stop making you pay for it.

I am not all together sure it was worth it.

I say that everywhere I go and afterwards, I think back and say, I liked it there.

I am not sure what every one thinks they are supposed to do when they travel. Go and see shit and take a picture. It is hard to fill a day that way when your feet hurt. But I look back and It was all a pretty good time.

I went to Pisa. That tower is leaning. There are 2 other buildings next to it and I don't think anyone has ever mentioned them. Have you?

Florence is cool. I hope I get into the Uffuzi museum, if that is the name. Guess the got some good art in there.

One thing they have here, green marble. I think they bought all of it actually because I have never seen it anywhere else. They did this because the Roman bought all the red marble. That's why the Vatican is worth so much. And all that gold on the ceiling.

Buongiorno Sicilia

Category: Dreams and the Supernatural


There's a feeling I get when I look to the West and my spirit is crying for leaving. That feeling said to go to Sicily. So I did.

As far as I can tell, my great great grandfather left this island in 1883. he never returned. I don't know who in my family has. I may be the first in the line to come back here.

Sometimes I see why he left. The city crowds the hill it is on. Aprtments are jammed next to each other like angry co-workers at a telemarketing call center. It is easy to tell whose baby is crying.

The ancient beauty is unmistakable. The city owns that distinct mediterranean feel. Termini Immerse is its name. The country side has volcanic hills covered with greenery. This is one of the most exceptional place I have ever seen.

I think he didn't return because he wouldn't want to leave again. I know I don't.

So I went from Zurich to rome to Palermo. It took a whole day. good thing I could make a hotel reservation at the train station for Palermo in Rome. Theses rooms haven't been cheap. For the asthetics you pay.

I am feeling better than I ever have. Maybe it's the weather or the coming home feeling, or that oath I swore on that canoli. Probably all three.

Palermo was great. I had a wonderful meal. 3 courses and marsala digestif. It only took an hour to pay. who says they aren't go getters on the islands.

Everywhere you look there are the names of your friends from America. Longo, Corso, Rugerio, Sansone, Lo Duca, Battaglia, Ventura, and so on.

People look familiar as well. It is nothing like I have experienced anywhere else in Europe so far.

I will leave tomorrow. Off to Rome.

I need to get a bed. Bye.

Buongiorno Sicilia

Category: Dreams and the Supernatural


There's a feeling I get when I look to the West and my spirit is crying for leaving. That feeling said to go to Sicily. So I did.

As far as I can tell, my great great grandfather left this island in 1883. he never returned. I don't know who in my family has. I may be the first in the line to come back here.

Sometimes I see why he left. The city crowds the hill it is on. Aprtments are jammed next to each other like angry co-workers at a telemarketing call center. It is easy to tell whose baby is crying.

The ancient beauty is unmistakable. The city owns that distinct mediterranean feel. Termini Immerse is its name. The country side has volcanic hills covered with greenery. This is one of the most exceptional place I have ever seen.

I think he didn't return because he wouldn't want to leave again. I know I don't.

So I went from Zurich to rome to Palermo. It took a whole day. good thing I could make a hotel reservation at the train station for Palermo in Rome. Theses rooms haven't been cheap. For the asthetics you pay.

I am feeling better than I ever have. Maybe it's the weather or the coming home feeling, or that oath I swore on that canoli. Probably all three.

Palermo was great. I had a wonderful meal. 3 courses and marsala digestif. It only took an hour to pay. who says they aren't go getters on the islands.

Everywhere you look there are the names of your friends from America. Longo, Corso, Rugerio, Sansone, Lo Duca, Battaglia, Ventura, and so on.

People look familiar as well. It is nothing like I have experienced anywhere else in Europe so far.

I will leave tomorrow. Off to Rome.

I need to get a bed. Bye.

Sunny Day in Zurich

Friday, February 09, 2007


Current mood: very metal


So here I am back in Zurich.

I was hoping to see Nina. It never hurts to see a friendly face. Well, she is sick. I was more than disappointed. Which made me realize that I am not over her yet. It was easy to think so when I was out of town.I want to be her friend, but if I don't get over it I may just push her away, that I couldn't take. Besides, I wasn't without options anyway.

The night

I was in Zurich I went to this biker-american bar. The bartender took a liking to me and gave me her phone number.

I wrote her a text and asked if she was working. I didn't hear back and decided to go there anyway. Sometimes, your only option is your best.

She was pleased to see me and said hello. I got a beer an sat and watch the Metal videos on the TV. There was UFO, Magnum, Saxon, Deep Purple, and others that even I am unfamiliar. After that, there was a string of Whitesnake and Winger videos. These videos are so cheesey. For me the video takes away from the music.

The bartender, Fiorentina, a Romanian girl living here, loves David Coverdale from Whitesnake.

We also played this game for drinks where you hammer two nails next to each other into a big tree stump that is about belly high. The trick is, each turn you get one shot, thump thump, without resetting your aim. Then itis the others turn. Also you use the v-shaped side of the hammer, not the flat end.

She won. I didn't let her. drinks are expensive here.

She asked me out for tonight, if her roommate, a blonde stewardess, isn't free. She only gets to see her friend so often I guess.

So either I stay tonight or I go to Rome on the night train.




Currently listening :
Whitesnake's Greatest Hits
By Whitesnake
Release date: By 19 July, 1994

Train rides are long

Thursday, February 08, 2007


Category: Travel and Places



Well, you can't get there from here.


Train rides in Czech Republic are slow. Let's get that capital flowing. they still have some catching up to do but are still on their merry smoking an ddrinking little way. The foreigners come there at first to party, but soon they are back to work trying to make a buck like in their home country, except they've got a real young hot girlfriend. Money isn't everything.

I miss my news and political arguments. But I should be finding out what else makes me, me.

It is easy to do alot of the same things I did back home. Also easy to see new things. That makes up the bulk of new experiences.

I loaned smokes to a Czech guy named Evo on the train to Regensburg Germany. Nice fellow, but he smelled like beer and smokes and only spoke Czech and German. That is what he needs.

He was thrilled to meet someone from California. So I kept giving him smokes to make a generous impression. He knew about the governator and I didn't mind, even though that is all anybody knows. I don't feel like naming off national parks to change their minds.

I switched trains in Munich, this train was more crowded and it was rough tryin g to get a little rest. Then the train stopped on the tracks for like an hour and a half. I though I would miss my connection to Zurich, but guess what? The conncection was waiting at the next station. We got into Zurich an hour late. fine with me, I had no where to go that early anyway.

I dropped my gear off at the hostel, recharged my cell phone credit, and caught the next train to Davos via Landquart.

A beautiful ride down the zurichsee-lake. Still not much snow in Switzerland. What a pity, but I don't mind the warmer weather.

I watched some people ski and snowboard a half pipe. they sold corona, so I had 1. This guy was working the crowd and singing traditional songs, quite amusing. And then I walked the town and trained it back to Zurich. And here I am.

Going and going and going

No melancholy tones for me today.
No stories of crazy parties.
Just a few observations.
Europe is over doing it with the celebration of Jewish history. I know why they do it, but it does seem a bit much. What else can one do besides over react to Hitler? There are no Jews to fill up these synagogues they have so remarkably preserved. There will be a lot of dusting to do before they are.
That murderous psycho Che Guevara is everywhere . T-shirts and stickers. Some guy even tried to sell me a magazine with a photo of bin Laden as Che on the cover.
It's absurd. Trying to make A buck off two terrorists who want to destroy capitalism. One needs to take the long view in that case.
Also, Che consorted with the oppressors of East Germany and Czech Republic. Why would anyone, especially here want to celebrate that guy.
Let's have a party about when out lives sucked. In the states we through 70's or 80's parties to remind us of how silly we could be.
I haven't seen any Iron Curtain parties advertised anywhere. Why is that?
Getting a fast train from Czech republic is not possible. I should have known.
I am going back to Zurich, then off to Italy. Down one side and up the other. Probably. I would like to make it to Sicily but have been hearing only how far it is. Now I have to go. The challenge has been made.
Miss you all. Thanks for reading.
Jefe

Prague continued
Current mood: recovered
Category: recovered Parties and Nightlife

I forgot where I left off. So after we went to a bunch off half full clubs, we found a place where Ed saw another American. Tom, I think and he makes commercials or something. he was with a group of people who were seeing a friend off back to SF. They were partying. If you know what I mean. Ed and I weren't but we went along for the ride.
Tom got a Limo to take us to Mecca, cause the bus they had wasn't running. It was 100czk a piece, 1100 total. The limo was for some titty bar called dancers, but no one was getting in to go there, so the driver took us to the club.
This club was great, I still was trying to make myself dance.Not enough other dancers to get lost in though. I walked around, said hello to others in the group. but hung loose, I was a little uncomfortable. I had only been in town 28 or so.Yeah, I can be shy.
Also, in Prague, get used to seeing young women with older guys, it just happens. A lot. when in Rome.....
I didn't try though. Want to hear some excuses?
After being there a while, we took a couple of cabs to Laclan, another all morning club. this place starts at 4am. Still drinking I ambled around looking for a good place to crash.
I must have been out for an hour. here you can sleep in a bar. So i got up rejoined the group and found my second wind. I had my humor and social skills back. I was really enjoying myself, not that the rest was bad, but I didn't feel like a stranger anymore.
At about 10am, we left. Charity, a Canadian woman in our group about 32 and blond, said we could come to her place for drinks. Ed, Zoran, Charity and I went there straight away. She lived around the corner and had whiskey and wine.
She said this was the first time in 2 years she had been out. She has lived here for 5. I didn't believe her until she called her Jameson's scotch.
We listened to music and drank for hours, until 4pm, in her 6th floor apartment. the shades were drawn, sunlight was not our friend.
Zoran, the Serbian sensation, left before Ed and I.
Instead of going home, ed and I went around from place to place, eating, having a coffee, or another beer for the next 7 hours. Ed drank more than I did as beer tasted like puddle water to me at this point, but it kept him going. I also played the game on my cell phone to kill time.
So at midnight me go to Jaromir Jagr's sportsbar and watch the game. 2 more beers, chicken wings and some beef off the bone with a veggie skewer and we were done. Didn't see the end.
We really tried. 48 hours in Prague on 8 hours sleep. I still got it.

Praha

Spent the last weekend in Prague.

Found a room. Cleaned up and almost slept through the night. Glad I didin't. Got on the Metro and got off at Flora, hoping to find the club Ed Wade said he was going to be. Found it. It is called Infinity. The place was covered in beautiful women. What a first night!

Stayed the a while an drank many beers. Andrew is this American guy who works in mdeia in Prague. He loves it here, claimes the quality of life is better. Less work, less hassle. Compared to his job in the States, a similiar one that is.

Rob, this English guy, met Ed at the hostel they shared for a time. Rob works here as well. He ain't to smooth with the ladies. He was pawing this girl as I was talking with her. It was very bizarre. I didn't know if I should say anything and she said nothing about it.

Rob also told me there is a bar where you paz 500 crowns to get in, 200 for beers, and the women are free. You can do whatever you want with them, but the catch is that it will be sent over the internet. That's a big catch. What's the difference between freedom and moral rot? You decide.

Writing this blog for me keeps my sprits and curiousity going about htis trip. Thanks for reading.

I was out at that club and realized that it was after 4 am. I got a cab and went to my hostel.

I had to be out of there by 10 or lose 200 crowns. Not a good deal. I made it thanks to my 1st cell phone complete with alarm.

Ed said I could crash at his apartment. So I called him about noon. He had company the night before so was very tired.

I am still getting used to the phone and didn't want to use all of the credit on long distance cell phone calls.The pay phones in Europe are overpriced and worthless, especially if you plan to use change to pay. A phone card might work better.

I took a cab and called when I arrived. this included walking to 3 payphones which never worked, texting which didn't send and finally calling him which cost me like 3 chf, I think, my phone balance comes to me in German.

So i got there, he was still tired as was I. So we just sat around a while until we went to meet Silva at a club after our dinner.

She was cool, not much to say but I asked what my Czech name is and she said Sbynek, based on a guy at work with that name is called Jeff.

Then after more beer we to the tram to old town and hopped around the Ed's favorite places. Most weren't too busy because it was Saturday. People go all out on friday, so it is less busy at most places on Saturday.

I will finish this story later. IT doesn't end until the Super Bowl. Who won?