Thriller (April 23rd)

It was once again time for Jordan and I to say goodbye to a European City. This time Munich was the victim of this unstoppable reality. Lucky for us though, we were to stay in the country where the beer flows like the "salmon of Capistrano" and the sausage is cased like any good court room...Germany here we stay!

The train ride this time was more of a time machine than ever, as we stepped foot into Europe's best preserved Middle Ages town and the only completely walled town left: Rothenburg ob der Tauber

If you are nerd or a Middle Ages history fan, you will love Rothenburg. It is really as close to a genuine time warp as I can imagine. The houses look like Middle Ages houses, the roads look like Middle Age roads, and the Wall is still there. It is great and the best part of it is is that besides the parts of the town they had to rebuilt due to Allied Bombings in WWII, it is the structures that have stood the test of that time.

First on the agenda was to find a hostel. There is only one and we didn't fail.

We kind of wish we did though as the doors of the hostel were locked from the inside! And once the Old Mustache Man unlocked the door to let us in, we discovered there was a Decrepit Old Woman sitting at a table about 15 feet away, just staring at us as if she was bearing into our souls!

We handed over our money and Old Mustache Man handed over the skeleton key to our room. We quickly scampered up four creaking flights of stairs to our room where we found a perfectly laid out double bed...it was so creepy.

The whole place was just weird!

On with the adventure...Jordan and I, being nerds, walked the entire 1.5 mile wall, pretending at nearly every look out hole to be shooting our imaginary cross bow at the invading enemy to protect our beloved Duke of Rothenburg. We also found a nice stage area and performed a few posses for the camera.

As the day rolled on, Jordan and I walked in to Annaliese's Freise Shop. We came to know this place through the third traveler on Jordan and I's journey: Rick Steves. If you don't know him, he is the author of many travel guides and particularly mine.

Good ole Rick, as Jordan and I refer to him as, told us to go visit his friend Annaliese. And one of the first questions Annaliese asked us when we walked in was if we heard about her in Rick's books. When we said, "We sure did," she launched into a 10 minute description of how, when, and why she came to know Rick, all the time showing us letters, pictures, and autographing a map that she drew by hand over a three year period.

She was a very happy elderly lady and with her German accent, you couldn't help but smile.

With supper time approaching, Jordan and I decided that we should do something European...so we watch the entire soccer match between Manchester United and Barcelona...

...Now these next couple of sentences may offend you soccer fans out there so don't read...

I have now given soccer its fair chance and can say with confidence that I really can't stand to watch it! To quote my good friend Jordan Whalen: "Soccer is a game of 11 Punters playing 11 Punters." They do hardly anything but fake fall or fake injury or just kick it to the middle and hope that their guy kicks it in the goal and then grimp and complain as if they graduated from the Rasheed Wallace School of Bellyaching. And what is it with that damn clock that runs up and then gets an arbitrary amount of time added to it...AHHHH!!!!!! Frustration and boredom consume my feelings when I watched that Zero to Zero TIE!!!!!!

I have to stop writing about this, but AHHHHH!!!!

After the waste of 2 hours, Jordan and I headed back to the hostel, threw a few things in the room and then head to do a night version of what we did in the day time: Wall Patrol.

But as we were leaving, we met the Decrepit Old Woman at the bottom of the stairs. There was this awkward spooky silence that was broken only by here raspy angry German words that sounded like a warning of impending doom...

We just tried to smile, nod, and get the hell out of there...but Jordan struggled to get the door unlocked (from the inside remember) as the Decrepit Old Woman stared deeper into our souls...AHHHH!!

Finally, Jordan got the door open and pulled me from my daze to the curb because I was entrapped by the woman's stare...(okay this last part with the entrapment stare is not true but the rest is!!!!)

Maybe it was the hostel and the Decrepit Old Woman that got our creeped-out-o-meter reading high levels, but the our wall patrol was a ton creepier in the stone and wood confines of the wall at night. The shadows cast eerie shapes and your nerdy imagination runs wild with images of the ghosts of guards patrolling from the past.

To protect us, Jordan kept his Swiss Army knife drawn.

With our senses heighten, we felt alert enough to make the long dangerous journey back to the hostel and the even longer, more dangerous journey up the creaking four flights of hostel stairs.

But we made it to the room and to our relief through the night.

Through Vincent Price narrated our dreams.

Get out of my head!!! (April 22nd)

Today was a big day for us. We were heading to the Dachau memorial, where the very first concentration camp was located.

Getting ready to go, we both had no idea how to act. This was such a huge part of history and some of the most dispicable acts ever commited by one human being on another. Plus, we were in Germany and we both didn´t really know how to talk about the subject because it felt almost taboo to talk about.

Luckily, we had a very good tour guide by the name of Matt who told us to ask any and all questions that we had...especially the ones you feel that you maybe shouldn´t ask. His whole concept was that people needed to ask these questions so that it can never happen again.

I brought my camera there and although other people were taking pictures, scott and I agreed that it just didn´t seem right to do it. Not cause we didn´t want to remember....because we will remember this FOREVER.

Walking through Dachau was very disturbing. Pictures and movies can pretty accurately depict what went on there, but until you see it with your own eyes it doesn´t quite sink in just how terrible things were.

Now I didn´t know this before, but Dachau was a work camp, not a death camp. People were brought here to work and near the end a lot of people were being murdered here, but it primarily a work camp. And it was also the only concentration camp that was open all 12 years of the 3rd Reich. It opened up 48 hours after Hitler seized power and closed 24 hours after he was dead.

I won´t tell any stories here of some of the horrible things that went on, but if you ever get a chance to go you really should do. Very much worth it.

Once we were done at Dachau we headed back to Munich. It´s hard delicately segue from such a depressing and serious topic to another one, so I´m not even going to try.

We went out and found a beer hall where we each had another huge mug of beer and shared a sampler platter of fine German foods. Germany has DEFINTELY been my favorite place for food. Scott prefers Italian, but still really enjoys the food here.

Meat + Potatos + Beer = AWESOME

I recently noticed a trend that has developed over the last 5 days or so: Scott and I have eaten the exact same food for every meal. It started with dinner at our hostel in Florence. Ever since then, I think we´ve ordered the exact same thing for every meal.

It´s funny how in sync you get with someone after you spend so much time together. And add to that how Scott and I already act around each other and you can imagine how it is. On numerous occasions I will be getting ready to say something and Scott will beat me to the punch. It´s actually starting to freak me out that it happens so much...get out of my head, Siepker!!!

However, it does makes communication a lot easier.

After our meal that night, we pulled up a chair around the TV and joined the
masses and watched a soccor, eh football, game. Scott loves soccor and can´t wait to tell you about it in tomorrow´s blog.

We actually ran into our tour guide, Matt, who had taken us to Dachau earlier today. Matt really knew his stuff about Dachau and we both enjoyed hs tour. He was kinda strange though, which has prompted constant impersonations of him over the last few days.

Despite the days tough topic, we both learned a lot about the injustice and ugliness of the time. Very ugly.

(PS - the plastic bag on scott's head was his "umbrella'' for the night. despite it's comical appearance, it actually seemed to get the job done pretty well. can't have scott's hair messed up, no sir.)

The German Ways (April 21)

With our first full day in Munich, we decided to start it off with a tour of the city with our favorite company: Sandburg's New Europe. This is our favorite company because not only is it informative but it is also free! Of course, you have the option at the end to tip your guide, which even cheap asses like Jordan and I do, but it still comes out much cheaper than your average tour.

It is difficult to sum this tour up. It was like other tours, but the difference is the chilling recent past that some of these great locations have. For example, there is this very famous beer hall in Munich called The Hofbräuhaus. It serves delicous beer in a high energy enivorment. It is a popular spot for any tourist.

But then there is the eerie past. In the upstairs, in 1921 the Nazi party was formed right there. And it was one of the most popular pulpits for Hitler to speak in those early years to gain supports.

And there are many examples of this though out Munich, and so it leaves a different feeling than other tours we have been on.

All that said with 80% of Munich being destoried by Allied bombers during WWII, it is quite amazing to see how quickly Munich rebuilt after the end of the war.

Once our tour was over it was time to catch up on blogs with it being a cold and overcast day.

At the internet cafe, a yellow wallet was just staring Jordan in the face, that who ever had been at his computer before had left it there. Jordan peaked inside to see if he could find some ID, as he did his eyes came across €150! But due to Jordan and I being raised by great parents ;) we turned the wallet and all €150 in to the owner of the shop. I just hope his parents were as good as ours!

With supper time now upon us, Jordan and I met up with our Candian friend Alex to go eat some good German food and drink some good German beer!

And we did.

We ended up inside this very large, blue and white tent, with a stage on the far end and food and beer on our right side. We quickly ordered a liter of Augustina and a platter of all your best German cusine.

The platter consisted of pork, more pork, chicken, dumplings, cucumber & potato salad, gravy, and of course sour crout.

And we finished it all!

To make sure we finished it, we got a giant prezel and soaked and wiped our plates clean as if the prezel was an edible wash cloth.

Yum!

Of course desert was one more liter of Augustina.

Just a note: Jordan claimed that that was the most full he has ever felt. So he stuggled a bit to make it back to the hostel for our Monopoly Rematch. But like the Jordan we all know, he relieved his fullness by berping and farting full feeling away so as not to miss this highly atticapated rematch.

With fresh beer and a reset game board in front of us, Alex, Jordan, and I prepared for the battle and test of manhood that is Monopoly.

And since I felt bad for winning so comandingly last night, I decided to be the first one to run out of money ;) So it came down to Alex versus Jordan...and though Jordan put up a noble effort, Alex was the first to build hotels and that advantage proved to be too much.

But fun was had by all...except for probably Jordan who went winless in Monopoly two nights in a row.

There was a bit of talk between us three to find another place to enjoy the Munich nightlife, but after a short walk in the rain we decided to turn around and return to our hostel, where quickly it was realized that it was once again bed time.

And so we put an end to a very German day.

Prost Deutschland!! (April 20th)

With the early morning depature of Katy, it was once again a two man show, one could agrue Two and a Half Men, because I am so strong and funny...and I raise my child while living with my party animal brother in his beach house. But I digress...

With Swiss pastries in our belly, Jordan and I once again got on the train to head to another country...this time Germany! And as excited as we were to get to Germany, it still didn't make the fact that it was absolutely perfect outside and we were sitting in a train any better.

Noticing our anxiousness a nice Swiss girl (who now goes to school in Munich) asked us if we want to go get a beer in the bar section of the train. Yes! So for the last leg of our 6 hours trip, we spent it with our new Swiss friend (who we forgot her name) and our new Greek friend, Aris.

Beer makes trains go faster I think.

Soon the doors opened and there Jordan and I were, for the first time in our lives setting foot in Germany...on Hitler's birthday...I think I can speak for all of us when I say...I hate Hitler...but I love Germany!

Once checked into the Hostel, we quickly asked (being it was the perfect day outside) Where is your closest Beer Garden!? The abliged us by pointing us in the direction of the Aügustiner (notice the two dots above the 'u' I am not sure it goes there, but it a button on this German keyboard! ÜÖÄ!).

We got ourselves true German food, pork, potatoes...and a liter of beer straight from the barrell...PROST! (That is cheers for all you non-German speakers out there or is it PRÖST? I love the dot opition.)

We then headed back to our hostel for Happy Hour, that is right our hostel has a bar! Having a confused look on my face will watching soccer must have given my Americanness away as Alex, a Vancover guy, introduced himself. Jordan quickly returned from the bathroom (he spends alot of time there) and soon we spotted Monopoly in the game closet!!

No sooner was more beer rolling in as were the dice on our United Kingdom Edition board...I will spare you the details but lets just say I quickly Monopolized the proptery and the money...Victory for ole Scotty boy!!!

It was either the Victory (the loss in Jordan's case) or the beer drinking that caused a sudden hit of sleepness...whatever it was we were in no condition to agrue, so the pillow but another end to a day...

But this day was ended in Germany.

Another boring day...(April 19th)

What did we do today?

Hmmmm.......

Let me think....

Nothing much, really?

Got up, got some groceries, went on a hike....

Gosh, was that IT?

Oh yeah....WE WENT HANGLIDING IN INTERLAKEN!!!!!!

Still can´t believe that we actually did it, but we DID!!!!

For the low low price of a kidney, 3 fingers, and a 1998 Buick LeSabre, we were picked up from our hostel and driven to the "landing site" where we watched paragliders and hangliders landing effortlessly in a grass field.

For those of you who don´t know, hangliding is basically strapping a kite to your back and jumping off a cliff and hoping that you don´t die.

Or at least that´s what we thought it was when we were foolishly signing up to do it.

Actually, hangliding is much safer then it appears. You are driven up the mountain with your pilot, the guy who will be controlling the hanglider while you are strapped in next to him enjoying the ride, where you prepare for takeoff.

During this time of year, the company only has two pilots so we couldn´t all go at the same time. I was chosen to go first ahead of Scott and Katy most likely because I was the one standing closest to the guy who was randomly choosing who would go first. Scott really wanted to go first because he wanted to "get it over with", so I kinda felt bad about going before him, even though I was eager to get up there. KINDA bad, but not really.

We had 2 really cool pilots, Bernie and Ed. They both fit the part of I would think hanglider instuctors would...really laid back almost surfer like guys. I think we all kinda of envied them because they were just living their life the way that they wanted to live it. They made jokes (Like when I asked how long Ed had been doing this whole hangliding thing, he casually replied, "Third day") and seemed genuinely commited to giving us the best time possible.

When you get to the take off point, you help the pilot set up the hanglider and he puts you in a harness that will eventually be attached to the glider itself. After the glider is all set up, the pilot will strap himself and you onto the glider. Once that is done, he caries the hanglider to the launch pad, with you walking right next to him underneath it. He asks you, "Are you ready?" You supposedly acquiece and then you run down a steep hill until the air catches the glider and you sail off away from the mountain where it´s just you, the pilot, the glider and a whole lot of air.

I can´t (and won´t) speak for Scott, but I honestly wasn´t nervous at all the entire time. Even when we were about to run down the hill during take off, no nervousness...just excitement!

It´s hard to describe how it feels being up there. You´re flying, but you don´t really know how...it all seems just so effortless. You are required to hold onto the pilot the entire time so you don´t swing in your harness. He cracks jokes and lets go of the steering controls, which doesn´t really seem to effect anything. The only way i can really describe it is that it feels a lot like being on a ski lift.

In order to stay up in the air as long as possible, you just sort of fly around in circles with the air streams coming up the mountain. The glider only loses about a meter of altitude every couple of seconds, so the ride was about 20 minutes long.

The last little portion of the flight is spent being dipped and dived by the pilot. I rather enjoyed the feeling of coming to an almost dead stop followed by diving into a free fall through the sky. Scott, nor his pants, enjoyed it as much as I did though.

Really nothing else compares to that feeling and I highly suggest trying hangliding if you ever get the chance.

What an amazing day!!!

Yodeleyhehoo!!! (April 18th)

Though we just got into Florence yesterday, we had to hop on a new train headed for Venice today...or at least that was the plan. But apparently our Eurail pass failed us again and we would´ve had to pay 15 euros just to go there for the day. So us, being the tightwads that we are, abandoned those plans and decided to head for Interlaken, Switzerland.

We bought our ticket and were heading out of the station when who of all people did we run into? Katy Bird and her two roommates. We gave her a good 5 minutes of crap about not contacting us. It turns out that she"tried" but she couldn´t find an internet connection and she was busy getting ready for her fashion show and yadda yadda yadda. She had plans to go to the south of France after that, but she actually decided to change that and join us in Interlaken for a few days.

After making plans to meet up with her ten minutes before our train left so we could all find seats together, Scott and I sought out our last pizza lunch of the trip. With pizza in hand, we started walking back to the train station.

Now if you´ve been keeping track, you´ll notice that Scott still had the gelato lead on me by one scoop and he was waiting for his victorious moment when we crossed into Switzerland to bring this up to me.

Tsk tsk tsk.

We went by the the last gelatteria we would see and Scott gave it just a little too long of a look, which reminded me that this would indeed have to be my last stand. With both of us strategizing, Scott approached the window first. I reminded him that there was no WAY he was going to out gelato me and he might as well order 2 scoops so I could order 3 and tie it up, which was all I cared to do.

Scott looked at me and raised a quizzical eyebrow.

He placed his order. "2 scoops, please."

Scott got his cone and stepped aside. I approached the counter. Would I keep up my end of the bargain?

"3 scoops, please."

And there the Great Gelato Competition would end...In a tie.

On with our day!

We met up with Katy and got on the first of our many trains of the day. The train rides were all pretty boring. Katy showed us how we could recline our seat and the one across from it to make a "bed" of sorts, so we all got some nice relaxation time.

Finally, we rolled into Interlaken around 8 at night. With the last glimpses of daylight left us, we still had time to view some of the most beautiful scenery any of us have ever seen. Yes, i realize this is starting to sound like a broken record, but every place we go it seems is even more beautiful then the next.

Interlaken is this tiny little town tucked away in the Swiss Alps. Mountains surround it on every side with the exception of a crystal clear lake to the north. Just absolutely breathtaking scenery.

We stayed at the Happy Inn Hostel, as recommended by Jessie Kinyon, which sounded like it was pretty cheap. My Let´s Go book told me that the US dollar was actually trading HIGHER than the Swiss Franc...around CHF 1.21 for $1.

The hostel had a restaurant on the bottom floor where we ordered a few beers and ate some good ole Iowa food: Chicken wings, spare ribs, french fries, and corn on the cob.

Ummmm....the fries were good.

Actually, the ribs and the wings weren´t too bad, but the corn on the cob was atrocious! You just can´t duplicate food from back home, so we´re gonna stop ordering it.

The bill came and the total was a little steep, but hey, the dollar is doing pretty good here so we could afford it, right?

WRONG!!!!!

The waitress rings it all up gives us the receipt and we see that the US dollar was trading LOWER than the Swiss Franc!!! We got about CHF .99 for each $1. Apparently my little book, despite being printed only about 6 months ago, was already outdated.

Lousy US Dollar!!!!

With this horrible feeling in our stomach, we were off to sleep, each of us masking tears of sadness.

Gelato count:

Jordan - 3
Scott - 2