Adventure ons Blog on RealTravel

Australia journal: 2 weeks in Melbourne

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 18:27:54 GMT

Well...now all of my tours have ended and I really didn't have any plans for the remainder of the summer. I'll just play it by ear and see what transpires. Here it was...July 14..and I had almost a month to do something.

I ended up staying in Melbourne for 2 weeks..actually 15 days. It just kinda of happened. It wasn't my favorite place (you know Tasmania was) but the place grows on you. Melbourne is the 2nd largest city and it has so much to see, do and explore. It's very cultural as welll. and lots of parks to just chill.

St. Kilda, a beach resort, is just 20 minutes from the ...

Australia journal: Great Ocean Road and the Grampians

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 18:01:55 GMT

So...time to start my last tour (at least for now) as we did a 3 day tour from Adelaide to Melbourne.

Up again at 6;00 a.m. (ugh..these early mornings are killing me). 24 people on this tour..so the bus was packed. First toped in bordertown, yeah the dividing town between South Australia and Victoria. Grabbed a quick pastry in a bakery..yummy and used the toilet which used to be part of their jail. I can at least say I've been in jail this summer...if only for a short visit. Hee.Stopped to see some white kangaroos. They are breeding these animals...lots of controversy over this. ...

Kangaroo Island journal: Kangaroos, Koalas and Penguins..oh my

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 17:40:22 GMT

Once again..up early..this time at 6;20 a.m. so we could get to the bus stop to meet our tour. About 22 or 23 folks on this tour. Bus took us to the ferry terminal. Enroute, the scenery was awesome...very simliar to what I saw when I did the Barossa Valley tour yesterday...lots of rolling hills, wineries and olive tree plantations. 45 minute ferry ride and then we gathered our luggage and got on a smaller bus once we arrived in Kangaroo Island.

Our guide was Dave and most of the tourists were from Korea or Japan. There was one American, Jayme, and ironically, she was from Bolivia, North ...

Australia journal: Adelaide...capital of South Australia

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 17:20:18 GMT

After my tour ended, I had a few days in Adelaide to unwind and relax before I began my next tour.

I stayed at Backpacker Oz..while most others from my tour stayed at the YHA across town. I'm sharing a room with 5 other women..very nice. Met our tour group at the Marble Bar for a group farewell dinner. I had a yummy schnitzel...even though my order got lost and it took forever to arrive. Our group had a good time..and when Bryan (our guide) bid us farewell..I was none too sorry. Nice guy...just too strict in how he ran his tours. I kept thinking..I hope I'm not like this when I lead CAB ...

Adelaide River journal: Climbing Uluru, Hiking Kings Canyon, Sleeping Undergound, Visiting Opal Mine

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 19:14:19 GMT

10 years ago when I came to Australia, I wanted to do 2 things that I didn't get to do...see Uluru (Ayers Rock) and visit Coober Pedy...so this tour was the one that I was most looking forward to...as it involved both.

5:00 a.m. departure....glad to leave the hellhole and to see my traveling buds again. Sat next to Anna (Germany) and Adrian (UK) and they became two of my traveling buds.First stop was Kings Canyon. what an incredible hike...the scenery was awesome. The gorges, deep valleys, huge boulders, river, etc..oh..it was awesome...even though Bryan kept us all but running along the ...

Alice Springs journal: Road Kill-kangaroo, buffalo, crocodile, camel

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 18:05:00 GMT

so...we had to get up at 4:45 a.m. I didn't even know that hour of the day existed. Ugh...especially after the wild night we had last night.

We all slept on the bus for the first few hours until we stopped for breakfast at a roadside pub. I just had some hot tea to wake up. Saw charlie the buffalo..he was used in the Crocodile dundee movies....I must rewatch as I don't recall charlie.

Our first stop was Katherine. Small village town...and lots and lots of aborgines. They remind me of our hispanic population...how they have a bad repuation. The aborginies, like the native americans ...

Australia journal: 3 day tour from Darwin to Alice Springs

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 17:21:12 GMT

Ok...so...now I will continue with my next tour. We had 23 people on this tour...the 11 from the 1st tour and some new folks. We were packed into the bus like sardines...so one had no choice but to get to know the others.

Our guide, Dee, was the absolute best. In fact, she was the best one this summer. If I ever become a tour leader/guide, I will have learned a lot over the past few summers of traveing of what kind of leader to be. Karen...Dee would make a great Student Development staff member...she would fit in perfect with our crowd.

so...read ahead for my next adventures

Darwin journal: Beautiful scenery...somewhat warm weather

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 05:06:48 GMT

so..I flew to Darwin from Launceston, Tasmania. I arrived late at night and I was wiped out. Unfortunately, I booked myself at the party hostel. Very nice...but big and full of party animals...espeically my roommates.

I had 2 days on my own in Darwin to explore before I began my tour. Darwin is a quite small town...but lots of souvenir shops and of course, tons and tons of bars and nightclubs...thus all of the young folks.

I spent my first day exploring the city...saw the following (1) WW II oil storage tanks (2) toured the Parliament House--fyi, parlliament bldg was only built in ...

Australia journal: Darwin & Kakadu National Park-Northern Territory

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 05:06:48 GMT

ok....I finally have some time to catch you up on my travels during the past month. I have been on tour for the entire time...so now...I have 3 weeks to do whatever I want...and my first priority is to bring you up to speed on my adventures.

i am in Melbourne, 2nd largest city in Oz, for a week. I am sicker than a dog...i really think I have strep throat. I have fought a cold for over 2 weeks...and the couch and sore throat have only gotten worse. My throat is so sore today....I must see if I can get to a doctor and get some antibodictics.

so...read on for my adventures in Darwin ...

Australia journal: julie has been busy

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 01:50:34 GMT

not sure why my last travel blog didn't show up..but just wanted to let you konw that i'm fine. been on tours for the past 2.5 weeks..so no time to update my travel blog.

when i arrive in melbourne in a week...i will bring you up t0o speed on all of my travels.

hope everyone had a great july 4th. i spent my indenpendence day sleeping in a swag under the stars.

adventure on,

julie

Australia journal: Tours from Darwin to Adelaide

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 01:44:54 GMT

Ok...I know you all think that I have been eaten by a dingo, attacked by a crocodile, kidnapped by a a kangaroo and stepped on by a camel...but truth be known...i have been so busy lately that i haven't had time to update m travel blog.

so...when i get to melbourne in a week...i will update my travel blog. i just haven't had time lately...when we are on tour...we don't always get access to a computer and if we do,,,,it's very limited time.

so...i will update you on my 3 day Kakadu tour, my 2 days in Darwin on my own, my 3 day Darwin to Alice Springs tour, my 2 days in Alice ...

Australia journal: Taz Devil-Part II (Snow and Sleet)

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 23:03:59 GMT

So I should tell you that it's very chilly..and it was even colder on the West Coast. Definitely had to bundle up. Hard to believe when you guys are sweating to death...and I'm chilly willy. But..always easier to put on my clothes than to be butt naked and still hot. Hee.

Taz was founded by Abel Tasman (who also founded NZ). It has 2 homebrewed beers (Cascase from Hobart and James Boag from Laucneston) so big discussion of who has teh best beer. OUr crowd agrees that both are good.

Yon and I met our next tour group at 6;20 a.m. Just Yon (Japan), Yorham (Israel) and myself and our ...

Australia journal: Tasmanian Devil-Part I

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 22:26:13 GMT

Oh my gosh...I have found another niche for me...Tasmania. Taz is awesome!

I took a 7:oo a.m. shuttle from my hostel in Sydney to the airport. It was mass chaos at the Virgin Blue shuttle...you have never seen such a mess. The security line was so long..they really overlooked some of the standards and just let people all but walk through to the planes as all of the planes would have been seriously delayed.

short 1.5 hour flight to Launceston, Taz. There are 2 airprots in Tax-Launceston and Hobart (capital). The place to claim baggage was hilaoius. They load luggae onto wagon, hook ...

Sydney journal: 431 feet above the Sydney Harbour

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 02:53:08 GMT

The other thing I really wanted to do while in Sydney was the Bridge Climb. yes...climb the Syndey Harbour bridge. When I came here in 1997, they don't offer this expereince. They started it in 1998. What I didnt' know is that it took 10 years for a company to meet all of the safety standards before they were allowed to offer this activity.

so...this morning, I headed down to Paddy's market to do some shopping. I didn't buy much..but already, not sure where I'm goign to carry this stuff or how. I have Anna's sleeping bag in my pack which takes up room....so that will at least allow me ...

Australia journal: The Climb of My Life

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 02:30:29 GMT

Oh my gosh..I just had a V.C. (for those of you who don't know my term..it stand for Virgin Conversion...when someone does something for the first time ever).

Sydney journal: Green Olympics

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 02:26:43 GMT

One of the things that I wanted to do in Sydney was visit the Sydney Olympic Park (SOP). when I came to Sydney in 1997, they had just finsihed building the aquatic center and they were just starting to build the stadium.

Well...here it is 7years after the olympics and what an amazing place. i like it when cities use the olympic faclities. unlike in greece last year when the place seemed to be sitting empty, sop is used daily by the professional sathletic teams, for concerts, rodeos, etc. there have added a skateboard park that seemed to be used a lot too.

took the train to sop. ...

Australia journal: the host of the 2000 summer olympics will be...sydney

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 02:10:12 GMT

Sydney Olympic Park (SOP)...what a great place

Sydney journal: It rained for 40 days and 40 nights (or so it seemed)

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 02:08:01 GMT

On Friday, June 9, it rained and raiined and rained and the wind blew. The newspapers say it was the worst storm in 33 years. Great..just what I wanted to experience. The wind blew so hard that I saw one little fellow holding onto a tree when he walked down the street..and it nearly blew him away. the only way i cna describe it is that it was like a ahurricane. oh my gosh..the wind was unbelieverable.

On friday, i planned to head to the olympic park but that didn't pan out. had to head back to the hostel. everyone was hanging out in the hostel reading, sleepign, watching tv, etc. ...

Sydney journal: Priscilla, queen of the desert

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 18:27:17 GMT

I've have had a fantastic day in Sydney.

Up at 7:30 a.m. to get a shower. Ate some museli (for you hillbillies, that's what most foreignors eat for breakfast...it's a kind of cereal) and some toast and had some hot tea.

It was abosolutely chucking it down. Put on several layers of coats and my rain coat and off I headed out the door. It's about a 20 minute walk from the hostel to the nearby attractions. It was pouring...big time. The first place I came to was St. Mary's Cathedral. Wow...what an impressive and beautiful place. I sat in a pew...said a few prayers..and then explored. ...

Brisbane journal: Adventure...here I come

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 17:41:22 GMT

Chris (Anna's dad) didn't work today due to the pouring rain (he's a brick layer) and Danute (Anna's mom) is still out on medical leave after having some surgery, so they were both home. Spent most of the day chatting with them, watching tv, sleeping and reading. It was a pure bum day for sure. I really had planned to walk down to the local mall and just beebop around...but that was out of the question. In fact, Danute worried about me all day as I just didn't feel like doing anything. Finally at 5:00 p.m., I ate some dinner (for you hillbillies...that's the evening meal). I hadn't realized ...

Australia journal: Goodbye Brisbane...hello adventure

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 17:25:18 GMT

Well...I spent my last day in Brisbane. I really didn't sleep well the night before...not sure if it was the continual rain all night or the chillier than normal weather or what...but anyways...tossed and turned all night. It was probably the anticipation of the adventures that await me during the next 9 weeks.

Brisbane journal: 1.2 million population in Brisbane...yet seems small

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 18:19:03 GMT

Yesterday, June 5, I took the local bus to the mall and then switched buses to go to downtown Brisbane. It was pretty easy to figure out..especially with Anna's insight about how it works. Bus ride cost $4.40 one way. Remember...it's 84 cents on every dollar...so the US price is a bit cheaper, but In general, things cost more here than in USA.

Once I arrived, I followed the walking trail that was highlighted in my travel book. For a big city, it's really not all that big. It was very easy to navigate around the city. The main street is called Queen Street (but used to be called King ...

Australia journal: Julie's first week and future travel plans w/in Australia

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 17:55:40 GMT

This past week, I have been hanging at Anna's house. Reading, watching tv, watching movies, taking walks around the neighborhood and occasional trips with a member of her family to the store or somewhere nearby. I've spent more time with Anna's mother, father and brother since Anna is always at work. But...when she gets home at night, we have time to catch up and chat.

Last weekend, I took a walk around the neigborhood. Danute was worried when I didn't come back after 2.5 hours. I found a community center where they were performing dance rountines and watched that, then found a park and ...

Brisbane journal: 1st day of Winter in Australia

Thu, 31 May 2007 21:23:47 GMT

Here it is June 1st and the first day of winter. That's right...the first day of winter in Australia. Fall ended on the day I arrived.

So...I arrived in Sydney and I was wiped out. Bill and I both had to transfer to the domestic terminal..so we hung out together. By the way, Bill is a water specialist and Queenlsand, one of the 7 states in Australia, is having a major water shortage..so Bill is here to meet with the big wigs to guide them in conserving water. Bill is married...so just in case you guys are getting any ideas. He's real sweet and invited me to come meet him in Melbourne and ...

Australia journal: Australia...watch out, Beck is in the house

Thu, 31 May 2007 20:43:04 GMT

Here I am...back in Australia after 10 years.

Los Angeles journal: Hollywood Babe

Thu, 31 May 2007 20:40:45 GMT

So...I had some bad luck in getting to the airport. First, Patti O was going to take me...but then Greg had to schedule unexpected heart surgery (I hope all went well with this). So..Laura Strickland (student)was going to take me....but she got sick that day...so thankfully, April Stevens was available on that very day to take me to RDU. Thanks, April.

I cashed in my frequent flier miles on Delta to fly to LA. Well..I had no way of knowing that I was placed in Business Class. Oh yeah. So..that was cool. This in only the 2nd time in my travel that I've had the luxury (once before to ...

United States journal: Los Angeles...is that in the USA?

Thu, 31 May 2007 19:06:06 GMT

Oh my gosh...are you who I think you are? Yes...you are....ok...so Julie's luck is kicking in already.

Brisbane journal: Kangaroos, Wallabees, Crocodiles and Cattle Stations are to be visited...hopefully

Wed, 23 May 2007 21:35:41 GMT

Cool beans...on Monday, May 28th, I will head out for another adventure. Imagine that...Julie leaving the USA for a summer full of escapades and adventures. I will fly to Los Angeles and spend a day/night. Lately, I have missed 3 filghts because the flight out of Raleigh was late...which caused me to miss connecting flights. I'm so not missing my flight to Australia. So...I allotted myself 1 extra day coming and going. I will stay at a youth hostel in LA...and tool around. Haven't been to LA in years.

I really struggled where to travel this summer...basically because MOC wanted me to ...

Australia journal: Julie's headed to the land Down Under

Wed, 23 May 2007 21:11:30 GMT

It has been 10 years since I last visited Australia. I really wanted to go back...there's so much to see and do in this huge continent/country...so I'm glad that I have the opportunity to return.

Besides...my current passport has stamps from 6/7 continents...so I'm excited to think that this passport will now have stamps from all 7 continents. That's pretty cool to think that in 8 years ( I got this passport in 1999), I did the 7 continents

San Jose journal: Ola amigos

Mon, 25 Dec 2006 20:33:10 GMT

Hello! Get ready for a wild adventure in Honors 300 as I faciliate my first course at Mount Olive College. I have some wonderful things planned for you, my students, and I am most excited about showing you Costa Rica in March.

My goal is to share with you my travel knowledge...around the world and in particular, in Costa Rica. By the end of the semester, you will learn about travel blogs, planning and budgeting for trips, what and how to pack your suitcase (backpack), how to make the most of your travels and how to stay safe on your journeys around the world. You will learn traveling ...

Costa Rica journal: Welcome to Honors 300-spring 2007

Mon, 25 Dec 2006 20:26:49 GMT

Greetings to my Honors 300 students. This semester, we will learn about travel and tourism and specifically, in Costa Rica. From March 2-9, 2007, we will journey to Costa Rica and explore the culture.

Romania journal: Sickness...but not from Dracula

Thu, 03 Aug 2006 02:17:09 GMT

Well...I just arrived back in Budapest after a 1o hour train ride through the night. The train left at 11:1o pm. It was either that or take the 9 pm train and arrive at 5 am or something crayz like that.

hard to believe iám back in budapest where this travelmania began ove 9 weeks ago. iáve put lots of miles on mz bodz as i traversed to 12 countries and had lots of adventures. fortunatelzm most of them have been great and i have seen some wonderful places, had some adventures and met some great people.

so...let me update zou since i was in sinia.....daz 2

Sinaia, Romania

Romania journal: Translyvania Country

Mon, 31 Jul 2006 02:22:07 GMT

Congrats to Sonya McCoy (MOC)who got married on July 29

Congrats to Jessica Rose Bell who had a baby boy in July

Sympathy to Don Scott's (MOC) family.

Well....i have arrived in my final country, Romania. This makes my 13th country for the summer and my 72nd overall. Just 28 to go till I reach that magic 100. Think I can do it before I reach 50? Hmm...sounds like a good goal to me.

Took an overnight train from Sofia to Bucharest. I took m y chance again and bought a first class ticket with a sleeper. Well...Julie Beck luck again as I had my own couchette. I'm finally ...

Bulgaria journal: Can anyone read Cyrllic language?

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 12:44:20 GMT

well...here ia min bulgaria. bulgaria is my 11th country this summr and my 70th overall. my goal of visitng 100 counties is getting closer thanks to my trip this summer. by the time i get home, i will be at 72.

the last day in istanbul was interesting. we had all planned to meet for breakfast and bid farwell to each otehr as well as give a thank you tip to alex, our guide. unfortunately, rosanna (brazil) went out early that morning to run some errands. not really sure what happned but she went to an atm machine and was ripped off. i think someone placed a fake cover on it and when she ...

Turkey journal: Ephesus, Troy & Galliopi Information

Sun, 23 Jul 2006 09:35:59 GMT

Here's your history lesson for the day:

Ephesus

Was constructed 2000 BC by the Amazons

the temple of artemis, part of ephesus, was already built in town and ephesus was built around it

the temple of artis is one of the original seven wonders of the ancient world. today, you can only see one column standing

only 15% of epehsus has been exvacated....85% still unearthed and probably will be for sometime as turkey doesn't ahve the money to unearth it

today, visitors visit the part of epehsus taht was built in 3 BC between two mountains

epehsus was given to the roman ...

Istanbul journal: The Turks are Frıendly Folks

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 01:49:47 GMT

Okçççı wıll brıng you up to speed about my vısıt to turkeyç ı have been unable to access my travel blog for a few days whıch ıs why ı am behınd on ıtç

let me gıve you some background on turkey fırst and then ıill tell you what ıive been doıng anad where we have been explorıngç

sultan ahmet I and attaturkö the fırst presıdent of turkeyö are the two most popular peole ın turkeyç especıally attaturk as he has everythıng named aftetr hımççççbuıldıngsö streetsö townsö aıportsç ı guess you could see heis our mlk jr or jfk

sultan ahmet was teh 14th sulan of the ottoman empıreç he assumed ...

Turkey journal: My fırst week ın Turkey

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 00:50:38 GMT

Wowçççwhat a dıfferent place Turkey ısç

Istanbul journal: Carpets, coffee or me?

Sun, 02 Jul 2006 08:38:17 GMT

Well...here i am in turkey. what an adventure is has been already.

$1.0=1.61 new turkish lira (a couple of years ago, they had the old turkish lira which had many zeros after it...so they changed it to ytl)

On my last day in Viena, i checked out of the hostel, took the airport shuttle which costs 6 euro from the westbahnhog, the traijn station just near my hostel. once i arrived at the airport, i checked into turkish airlines.

the flight over was nice, not sure about turkish airlines but a great plane, flight and even good food. freindly staff. it was only a 2.5 hour ...

Turkey journal: Julie has arrived in Istanbul

Sun, 02 Jul 2006 08:01:59 GMT

i am really here.... a place that i've thought about visiting for some time now.

Bled journal: My dream destination

Wed, 28 Jun 2006 02:50:50 GMT

$1.00=198 slovenia tolars

Ok....i will admit that i have fallen in love....with someone named Bled. Ok...so Bled is the name of the town in Solvenia. If this tells zou anzthing, Bled is mz REd >Lodge like Slovenia is mz Montana. >Zes...Slovenia is mz Montana and zou know i

We were picked up bz a minibus in Rovinj and taken to Motovun, on the border of Croatia (but still in Croatia) and Slovenia. Motovun is a small village located on top of a hill. Zes...more uphill climbing. Cute little place. Apparentlz, its quite touristz but it wasnät todaz thank goodness. Spent ...

Slovenia journal: julie in love

Wed, 28 Jun 2006 01:54:11 GMT

i have fallen in love.....

Dubrovnik journal: Dubrovnik, Split, Salona, Trogir and Rovinj

Wed, 28 Jun 2006 01:52:15 GMT

iäm back...after a week plus of bebopping around croatia and slovenia.

first and foremost, go hurricanes. i heard that the canes won the stanlez cup. thatäs awesome. been watching some of the world cup...not that i care about soccer...but canät help but get caught up in it in europe. i think usa is out of it bz now.

so..hereäs an update on mz time in croatia. spent 6 dazs exploring the dalmatian coast and what an amaying place it is.

$1.00 =3 croatia kunas

From sarajevo, we took a bus ride to dubrovnik. we arrived in teh late afternoon and walked to our homestaz. we ...

Croatia journal: a Week on the Dalmatian Coast

Wed, 28 Jun 2006 01:21:48 GMT

What an amaying place the Dalmatian Coast is.

Sarajevo journal: Devastation in Sarajevo

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 08:49:36 GMT

i forgot to mention in my visit to krakow, we visited oscar schlinder's factory. according to his movie, he was a good guy saving hundereds of jews lives. in real ife, he was a real womanizer and partier and enjoyed the fine things in life. he often hired jews to work in his factory becau\se he could pay them less. however, we did go out of his way to save the lives...even giong to auschwitz to retrieve a group of his women workers who were sent there. he was successful in bringing them back to krakow. so...you decide, was oscar schlinder a good guy or a bad guy?

In my last day in ...

Bosnia and Herzegovina journal: The war in Sarajevo

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 08:14:58 GMT

the war of 1992-1995 really devasted bosnia and in particular, sarajevo

Budapest journal: another biczcle tour, learning about communism

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 14:30:17 GMT

we took a train from bratislava to budapest.

bz te waz, 1.üü equals 214 hungarian forints.

we arrived in budapest earlz morning and checked into our hotel this is the nicest hotel weáve stazed in zet. itás located in a cenral spot in pest.

bz the waz, buda and pest were two different cities. the tow cities were divied bzt eh danube river and thez united zears ago. in pest, zou will find the majoritz of the financial district, shops, sightseeing, restaurants, etc. in pest, itás mainlz the castle district.

like prague, i visited budapest 16 zears ago when communism just ...

Hungary journal: house of terror

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 13:53:37 GMT

shameful and tragic periods in hungarz 2öth centurz historz

Bratislava journal: Sleeping on a ferrz on the Danube river

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 13:51:30 GMT

We took a long train, 5 hours, from the tatra mountains...we all hated to leave this quaint place, to bratislava, slovakia.

slovakia used to be part of cyechslovakia but when communism ended, cyech republic and slovakia decided to become 2 separae countries. bratislava is the capital of slovakia. from what i can tell, brat has all of the potential to be a reallz neat citz. itás on the cusp...just not there.

once we arrived, we took a tram from the train station to the citz of town. then we walked the last bit to our housing...the botel garcia. zes, we stazed on a ferrz on the ...

Slovakia journal: Visiting a friend from őhio in slovakia

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 13:36:15 GMT

ron surbez....i havneát seen zou in 2ö zears or more.

Smokovec journal: Snow...in june

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 13:34:26 GMT

1.üü equals 3 slovakia krowns

We took a bus from krakow to story smokevec...in the northwest of slovakia. the bus ride was ok...beautiful scenerz as we left poland. we finallz arrived in a small town and had to change buses. unfortunatelz, our bus was late so we had to hire minibus since we would miss our connecting bus. took some time to find someone who would take us over the polish border and onto storz smokev. it was absolutlez pouring down rain.l..so there we stood iwth our big backpacks trzging to get a ride.

one taxi driver called his friend who agreed to take us. we thik ...

Slovakia journal: hiking in the tatra mountains

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 13:19:22 GMT

where did this huge mountains come from....thez are in the middle of the plains

Krakow journal: biking in krakow continued

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 13:17:26 GMT

ok...iám back to catch zou up on krakow. pardon mz tzping but the letters on this keboard are different than ours.

so...we arrived in krakow and had 2 dazs to explore. the first night, we went to a great restaurant. it was a veggie restaruant but it had stuff that i dontá eat like hummus, cous cous, etc. so..i took mz chance bz ordering meat off of the menu. well..it was one of mz top 3 meals on this trip. the pork was so tender and the veggies were fantastic. that night,we wandered the streets to get a bit orietned to the town.

the next daz, i got up eaerlz and walked up to the ...

Auschwitz journal: so manz lives impacted due to nazism

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 09:43:25 GMT

WARNING this is a bit graphic.

We visited auschwity íí8pardon the tzping...but the letters on this kezboard are in different places and i canát be bothered to find the right letteríö.

1923 1st concentration camp in dachau, germanz í9 have visited this place 2x

1942 killing in auschwiyt began

januarz, 27, 1945 liberation of all concentration camps bz soviet troops

there was a szstematic deportation of jews. thez packed them into railroad cars that were meant for cattle, gave them no food, water or air for 7ü1ö dazs and let them use the toilet in there as ...

Poland journal: auschwitch concentration camp...very moving

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 09:09:56 GMT

Wow...how does one react and feel after visiting the largest concentration camp

Krakow journal: oscar schlinder's factory

Fri, 09 Jun 2006 10:52:00 GMT

TO BE CONTINUED...my time ran out so you're only getting a bit of a story

here i am in krakow, poland.

we arrived via a van from czech republic. the scenery enroute was beautiful. lots of rolling hills and agricutlure.

i will write about auschwitz concentration camp later since my travel page just came up and it will take a while to write about that one.

spent the day exploring krakow, a city with 800,000 people but it seems so much smaller than that. first, i walked up to the wrackel castle, this sits high on a hill overlooking the city. the king of poland and now the ...

Poland journal: biking through the streets of krakow, poland

Fri, 09 Jun 2006 10:46:12 GMT

seeing a city by bicycle is the way to go.

Teplice journal: An amazing hike through rocks and forests

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 14:09:25 GMT

We had to leave Prague early...meeting at the train station at 6:10 a.m. ugh! needless to say, no bath for me this morning. meet everyone at the metro station and took it to the train station. took an early train to teplic, located in northern bohemia (czech republic). the train ride lasted 2 hours, then we had to switch trains and ride for another hour. we arrived in teplice, just south of the germany border (near Dresden) and then took a 3rd and finaly train for 6 minutes (that's right...6 minutes) to teplice a skally. we walked about 15 minutes to a pension. what a quaint place. i'm really ...

Czech Republic journal: This rock is in the shape of a what?

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 13:53:55 GMT

At what angle do I need to stand to visualize this image on this rock?

Prague journal: How will I ever decide what to do...too many options

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 13:52:01 GMT

We arrived in Prague in the early afternoon. We dropped off our backpacks at our apts. We had 2 hours to kill before we had to meet George, our tour guide. I just took off wandering around...trying to get a feel for the place. Prague is a big place. Lots of winding streets and alleyways to meander. One has to be carefeul as since communism had ended, Prague has become a place for pickpocketers. Even the subway system has signs warning about the pickpocketers. I kept my money seucre. if someone was going to take my money, then they have to take my pants as well. I always tie my money wallet to ...

Czech Republic journal: concerts and castles and in prague

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 13:24:40 GMT

Prague..so much to do and so little time

Prague journal: Communism.....what a tough life it was in Prague

Tue, 06 Jun 2006 12:10:53 GMT

I arrived in Prague on Sunday, June 4th. We arrived by train and t hen took the metro across town. We walked the last 10 minutes to our housing. We are staying in some nice apts just a short distance from Charles Bridge and the view from my window is the Prague Castle. It's literally out my back window. Not a bad view to wake up to each day.

I last visited Prague in June or July, 1990. Except for the bridge and the castle, nothing else looks familiar. Man gosh, how 16 years of growth, without communism, has changed this place. Prague is like London, Paris, Sydney, New York, etc...it's a ...

Czech Republic journal: Prague: Post Communism

Tue, 06 Jun 2006 11:38:00 GMT

I hardly recognize Prague. I last visited here 16 years ago...about 6 months after Communism ended.

Cesky Krumlov journal: Where are the brakes on the bicycle\?

Tue, 06 Jun 2006 06:53:33 GMT

$1.oo=22 czech krown

We had breakfast at 5\;45 a.lm. in vienna and left at 6\;24 a.m for cesky krumlov. cesky means czech and krumlov means along a mendering stream. in this case, it's the vlvaty river that goes through the town

took a 3 hour train ride...beautiful scenery enroute. arrived and had about a 20 minute walk with our backpacks to our pension. the pension is fantastic. justt a bit off ot the beaten tracka nd oh so clean.

the train ended in cesky budolivice, the origianl home of budweiser. of course, i had to try a budvar. the budvar is much better than th budweise.

Czech Republic journal: climbing up to cesky krumlov castle

Tue, 06 Jun 2006 06:33:39 GMT

\how many steps till we reach the castle\

Vienna journal: The Hapsburg Dynasty

Sat, 03 Jun 2006 08:04:40 GMT

austria uses teh euro currency.

$100=.77 euro

things are very expensive in austrian and any coutnry that uses the eur0

when I woke up, i packed my bags and took the u-bahn across town to friedenbrucke stop. from there, it was a 5 mintue walk to the hotel. i found out m y roommate had already checked in so i could leave my luggage in the room. i went to schonnburg palace. this was the summer home of the hapsburg dynasty, mainly Emperor Franz Joseph and his lovely wife, sissi.

what an amazing place. i loved how the roms were decorated. so ornate. the tour was very ...

Austria journal: parliament, pork, and sissi

Sat, 03 Jun 2006 07:38:49 GMT

sissi: the wife of Emperor Franz Joseph: The fore runner to Princess Diana

London journal: what is scott's grotto?

Sat, 03 Jun 2006 07:34:58 GMT

My last day in London with my friend Vidal, her hubby Andy and the two young\ins, Archie and Greg was spent visiting Scott's grotto.

If you are like me, what and where is Scott's grotto? Well, it' somewhere outside of London...in a small village where a college is located. Vidal had never been there and it's only 30 minutes from her house, so off we went. Just before we went into the grotto, we all received gum. Now..vidal didn't tell me that Archie had never chewed gum before. HE's 8. I grabbed a piece and gave it to Archie and he popped it into his mouth. Oh....Heifer (Juile) is in ...

United Kingdom journal: scotts groto in london, england

Sat, 03 Jun 2006 07:20:42 GMT

what is scott's grotto?

Czech Republic journal: mountain biking

Fri, 02 Jun 2006 08:53:13 GMT

just arrived in czech republic today. had to catch a train at 6:24 a.m. ugh. we are currently in czech krumboly, the town is unesco world heritage site and it's so beautiful.

it's about time for teh itnernet cafe to close..so i will sign off for now. i promise to come back tomorrow and bring you up to speed what i did since i left london.

adventure on,

julie

Europe journal: Julie has arrived in London

Mon, 29 May 2006 02:39:49 GMT

Kim (Bowers) took me to the airport. As soon as I arrived, I found out that my flight was delayed 1.5 hours. Oh well....the first of many times that I wll be sitting around and waiting for life to happen this summer.

My flight finally left at 8:00 p.m.. I was asked to switch seats with someone...due to some family issue...I did. As it was, Julie's luck as I had a much better seat. No first or business class...but a much better seat. Watched "last Holiday" with Queen Latifah on the plane. It was hilarious. I didn't sleep much on the plane.

Arrived at London Gatwick airport at 8:00 ...

Europe journal: Trying out my new travel blog

Mon, 15 May 2006 15:12:16 GMT

Hello...I'm just trying to figure out this new travel blog. My old travel journal, Airtreks, was bought out by Real Travel.

I'm glad you were able to get into my new travel blog.

Adventure on, friends,

Julie

Turkey journal: My first visit to the Middle East----coming soon in July, 2006

Wed, 03 May 2006 07:46:38 GMT

I will write about Turkey once I arrive there in late June.

Swaziland journal: water....i need water now

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:25:47 GMT

we left sa and headed across the border for swaizland. i just smiled big so i didn't have to pay a visa and the little man didn't question me. good deal. swaizland...my 8th country on this journey.

swaizland is absolutely beautiful. lots of mountains and pine trees...my knid of place.

swaizland is one of 3 remaining african monarchys.

42% of pregant women in swaizland are hiv positive. in fact, at most of the border crossigns, there are large boxes of free condoms. as we all know, aids is a huge problem in africa. at every checkout counter in grocery stores, hardware stores, ...

Sehlabathebe National Park journal: visitung a school...donating school supplies

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:25:45 GMT

we left sa once again and headed to lesotho (pronounced lay sue two). like swaizland, it was beautiful with mountains and trees. we were staying at malealea national park.

lesotho has a population of 2 million. it is an extremely poor country. over 80% of it's residnets are unemployed and they have the highest percentage of people in africa who are hiv positive and have aids.

thre are 47 tribes in lesothos

most live in grass huts and don't have running water or electricity in their homes. i was shocked at the poorness of the country. it was obvuious as soon as we crosse dthe ...

Riobamba journal: update on my foot

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:25:42 GMT

hey, i just realized after my long journal entry yesterday that i failed to mention how my foot was doing.

actually, i{ve come a long way in the past 3.5 weeks. last week, i walked on it for the frist time without limping. it still hurts, especially when i{m not on flat surfaces, but it{s coming along. i{m pretty confident that i{ll be able to do the inca trail hike, that is if i can manage the altitude.

i took a bus to riobambi today. tomorrow at 6;30 am, i take a train to siobambi. we ride on top of the train as we go through switchbacks and ascend steep cliffs. it{s supposed to ...

India journal: Squat toilets, Daily Chores and Life onthe road

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:25:40 GMT

I'm not sure many (if any) of you would like this tyype of traveling. It's definitely roughing it, day after day.

Each morning, we have to meet for breakfast sometime between 6-7:30 a.m. This is way too early for my weary bones. Before breakfast, you have to take down your tent, roll up and put away your sleeping bag and sleeping pad and do your usual routine to get ready (wash face, put in contacts, get dressed, etc). If you are on breakfast duty, you have to help prepare bkst as well. I'm on chair duty so I have to put out all 17 camp stools so we have somewhere to sit for bkst.

Okavango Delta journal: paddle, paddle your mokore gently down the delta

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:25:38 GMT

we took a 3 day trip to the okvango delta. you get there via mokoro, that's a dug out canoe. when we arrived at the delta, we saw the small canoes and wondered how in the world we would get all of our gear and ourselves and stay afloat in the mokoros. we had to take everything---tents, pots, dishes, food, sleeping bags, camp stools, etc.

the local tribesmen know how to do it though. we did get all of our gear and all of us in about 10 mokoros.

by the way, teh delta is 11,500 sq km or 110 miles wide and 110 miles long. the water starts in teh zambezi river (where i went rafting) and ...

Santiago journal: Nobel Peace ¨Prize recipient home, student demostration

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:25:36 GMT

Yesterday, I failed to mention that I visited Pablo Neurrda{s home in Valpraiso. He was the 2nd Chilean to receive the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize in Literature. His 4 story home was on the hill. The only word one can use to describe his house is ECCENTRIC! What a strange little bird. He did have unique items from around the world though in his house.

Today, I met my two new roommates, Michela and Cedie from Brazil. They are mother and daughter. Very nice. I{m finding out that if you speak Spanish, you get cheaper prices for things like taxis, etc.

Took the metro downtown to the ...

Kalahari Desert journal: national geographic experience with the bushmen

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:25:34 GMT

botswana is about the size of texas or france with a population of only 1.7 million

$1.00=5.2 pula

agriculture and tourism are the big economies

ok...so i'll update you on my next adventure...a triop to the kalahri desert and a visit with the gweequay bushman.

the bushmen tradition is dying with each generation...the younger crowd wants to go more traditional and live like a westerner. i can understand. i thought i was walking into a national geographic experience. when we arrived, teh bushmen were waiting for us...in their loincloths and all.

yes, the men wore ...

Coca journal: Monkeys, Tarantulas, Snakes, Parrots, and Tarzan Swings Oh My

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:25:32 GMT

Well, I have just had an incredible time in the Amazon. It was amazing. First, let me back up and tell you about my travel partners for the next 5 weeks.

There are 12 of us *just like the Amazing Race* Sisters Neve and Ashling from Ireland Married couple Tracy and Sean from Austrailia Barbara from Germany Kyokee from Japan Allison from Wales Ben from Arizona 2 girls from Switzerland and 1 guy from Australia (haven't met them yet so don't know their names( And moi.

We all met the first night and went to a Mongolian BBQ restaurant. I know these restaurants are becoming quite ...

Puerto Morelos journal: Elephant in camp, run for your life!!!!

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:25:30 GMT

I'm a bit behind with my trip journals so i will write 3 separate accounts of what's been going on in my life the past week or so. We have been on the road and busy with activities...thus no journal entries...but believe me, I have lots to share with you. So, be sure to check all 3 entries.

We had no problem leaving Malawi. We went through the border with little hold up. Getting into Zambia was another story. First, another group arrived and their tour guide was not the happiest of campers or the most organized. obviously, he didn't get his masters degree in tourism management. hee. ...

Stellenbosch journal: caves and lighthouses at southermost point in africa

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:25:28 GMT

well...i'm almost up to date on my trip journal. i am now in stellenbosch, south africa. we only have 6 days left of the tour and i'm sad. how can 2.5 months come and go already? it's been an incredible journey, no doubt.

the other day, we stopped at cango caves in oudtshoorn, south africa. this is a national monument. the caves were discovered in 1879 by some little man named van zyl.

since then, they ahve unearthed 3 sections of the cave. we explored the first cave. the cave is huge...it reminded me of my family trip to mammoth caves in kentucky years ago. in fact, mammoth caves ...

South America journal: Broken foot and lots of adventures ahead in South America

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:25:26 GMT

Well, this is definitely going to be an adventure. 4 days ago, I broke a bone in my right foot. I get a cast put on tomorrow. Not sure who this trip will pan out with a cast on it, but I'm going for it. Only my death would stop me from traveling. I'm always up for a good challenge and this will certainly be one.

Not sure if I will have a walking cast or what. Not sure how to say, 'Take this cast off' in Spanish. Not sure if I'll be able to do my Amazon trip and/or my 4 day hike on the Inca Trail. Only time will tell.

Pending something else happens, I'm out of Mount Olive on ...

Mzuzu journal: bilharzia warning

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:25:24 GMT

well, we have had two LONG days of traveling by overland truck. good golly miss molly, i have read 2 books...it's a good thing the truck has a a little library on it where we can borrow books.

we left tanzania. it was an interesting crossing at the border...fortunatley, didn't have to buy a visa to go to malawi. most countries are exempt from visas. the bathroom at the border left a lot to be desired. when i walked out...my pants were undone...my crowd said, julie what are you doing? man, it reeks in them...you'll will have to look at my drawers cause i couldn't stay in there another ...

Chobe National Park journal: Elephants, Crocodiles and Hippos oh my

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:25:22 GMT

hey....i haven't had access to a computer for almost 3 weeks..which is why I haven't updated my trip journal. there is only 1 computer in this internet cafe so i will only be able to write for a short while...so that others can use it. the other day, i paid a man $3.00 in a hardware store so that i could use his computer to send karen bass (moc) a short email to let her know that i was alive and kicking.

3 weeks ago, i went to chobe nat'l park. it has 11,700 sk. km and 65, 000 elephants. in order to get to chobe, we had to put our truck on a ferry and go across the chobe river. the river ...

Trujillo journal: border crossing from ecuador into peru

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:25:20 GMT

greetings. hope your july 4th was nice. i spent mine in mancora, peru at the beach.

let me back up and tell you what i{ve been doing since banos, ecuador. we took a bus to cuenca, ecuador. what a wonderful city. the archeticture was fabulous. the center plaza had a gorgeous cathedral and the surrounding buildings and gardens were beautiful. 5 of us spent the day wandering around the city. first, we ate a $2 breakfast and then we went to a archelogie museum. it was all in spanish but very interesting. there was a whole seciton on the various ethnic groups of ecuador and it had awesome ...

Chiang Mai journal: Trekking, Bamboo Rafting, Elephant Riding, Hilltribes, etc.

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:25:17 GMT

Hello! สสน (that's hello in thai print)

I left Bangkok on Sunday, June 29. Took a flight to Chiang Main in northern Thailand. When I arrivd at the airport, I met Linda, an American from Boston. We dediced to go to the same guesthouse. I'm staying at Gap's House. Cost: 400 baht ($10.00) for a room with air con (that's Thai for air conditioning), hot showers, flush toilets with a roll of toilet paper each day and clean towels everyday. Good deal. The guesthouse is wonderful. Lots of backpackers from all around the world. Each person stays in a little bungalow that is surrounded by ...

Chiang Mai journal: Chat with a Monk update

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:25:15 GMT

Ok, so I lied. I didn't want to wait until I got to Phuket to write the next trip journal for fear I would forget all of the details of my chat with the monk.

First things first, I had a chance to read your e-mails.

Patti O, glad you weren't hurt in the wreck. Also, glad Brenda Edwards is ok. You two are in my thoughts and prayers.

Ernie bud, I'm sorry you and Jennifer broke up. I'm here for ya, bud. You are the best male friend that I've ever had. Let's get together and chat when I get back (no, it won't be monk chat).

Dave, thanks for the update on the office.

T ...

Valparaiso journal: Thousands of houses (shacks) on the hills of Valprasio, Chile

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:25:13 GMT

Greetings from Chile.

I arrived on Tuesday morning. First shock...a $100 on site visa that I had to pay at the airport. Yikes. This is retailation for USA requiring Chileans to have a visa to come to the USA. I took a taxi to a youth hostel and prayed that they would have room in the inn for me. Of course, who could turn away my beautiful smile and wonderful personality self? I booked myself for two days so I could begin to make some plans for my 2 weeks in Chile. Comf9ortable bed, hot showers, free e-mail....life is good.

I went into a travel agency that is located at the hostel. ...

Puno journal: The Inca Trail or was it the Inca Trial

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:25:11 GMT

Well, here it is...the journal entry about my hike on the Inca Trail.

On Friday, July 18, we headed to Pisac to view some Inca ruins. Beautiful ruins high on a mountain. We had to climb a steep path to the top. I was huffing and puffing due to the altitude and steepness. I keep thinking...If i can't do this any better, how in the world will i be able to do the trail. Beautiful view of the Sacred Valley below with terraces of agriculture. When we came back down the mountain, some little man was selling fresh squeezed OJ for 1 sole ...about 25 cents. It surely hit the spot. From there, we ...

Puno journal: Cusco Museums, Shopping, Staying with a family on a island

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:25:09 GMT

Once we arrived back in Cusco from our inca trail, we were all so exhausted. 4 of us went out to dinner and then back to the hotel to crash. By this time, i was really sick. Some mix up on th hotel rooms so I ended up with a room to myself. Good thing as I was greased up Vicks and Ben Gay to ease my sickness and aching muscles.

On Wednesday, July 23, we had a free day. Skipped breakfast as i didn't feel well. Alison and I decided to visit the various historical and tourist sights in Cusco. The cathederal is one of the neatest I have ever seen. Lots of religious art. Its funny but most of ...

Cusco journal: Colca Caynon, Andean Condors, Thermal Baths, Horseback Riding, Inca Ruins, Whitewtaer Rafting, etc.

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:25:06 GMT

Hola Amigos.

I have been out of place for over a week now so I{m going to try and bring you up to date on my adventures. First, I{ll tell you about my time in Colca Canyon and Cusco and then I{ll make a separate trip journal entry per the Inca Trail so be sure to read both of them.

We went to Colca Canyon about 3 hours from Arequipa, Peru. Enroute, our bus broke down. We had to get out and sit in the hot desert while the driver tried to fix it. We got back in, drove a bit farther and it broke down again. This time, the radiator almost exploded and sent hot water spewing into the ...

Mount Olive journal: Ready for my next Adventure

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:25:04 GMT

Well...I'll soon be off to a new adventure (as if I haven't already had plenty).

I'm leaving June 1 for a 10 week trip to Africa and won't return until August 9th. I'll be traveling with 11 other adventuresome folks ( I don't know any of them yet) for a journey from Cape Town to Kenya through 8 countries. We'll do lots of safaris, boat rides, go to the Victoria Waterfall, Hike around the base of Mt. Kilimajaro, visit the spice islands in Zansibar, visit tribes, go to the desert, etc. It's going to be an AWESOME trip.

As far as I'm concerned, when I return from this trip, I will ...

Mount Olive journal: Planning for my next trip abroad

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:25:02 GMT

Greetings. I am in the thick of planning my next trip. I will visit Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. Part of the trip, I will be on a tour with GAP Adventures and part of the trip will be my own exploration.

Also, I am currently paying for a trip to Antarctica. Yes, I will visit Antarctica for 12 days in March, 2004. I'm so excited. This will also be with GAP Adventures.

For years, my dream has been to explore and visit all 7 continents. After my South America trip and my Antacrtica trip, I will only have Africa yet to visit. Needless to say, I'm excited. I never thought I'd be ...

Mount Olive journal: Getting ready for my new summer adventure

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:25:00 GMT

Greetings! I will depart inb 3 weeks for my adventure to South America. I'm using GAP Adventures, a tour company that I used to go to Costa Rica a few years ago and the same one I will use to go to Antaractica in March, 2004. That's right---I'm doing a 2 week visit to Antarctica next year. Can't wait.

Anyways, my tour is from June 23-July 29 through Ecuador, Peru and Boliva. First, I will go to Chile and explore and possibly Argentina. I had planned to go to Brazil but the visas are $200.00 plus and you need a plane ticket to get a visa and a visa to get a planet ticket. Too much for my ...

Mount Olive journal: back to reality and work

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:24:58 GMT

Hello! I arrived back in North Carolina on Sunday, August 4. PAtti guessed that I would fall fast asleep in her car on the way home. WRONG! I talked her ear off.

Busy getting ready for the new freshmen to arrive at Mount Olive College. Had my NCCPA Exeuctive Board training this week (I'm the president) and my Vacation Bible School (I'm the Director )tomorrow. So, not a day's rest to get reoriented to USA.

Check out the Sunday edition of the Goldsboro NEws Argus-feature article on me about my journal. Also, Mt. Olive Tribune will do a feature on me next week. Plus, I'm giving a 30 ...