"Look Up!" - Riga's Art Nouveau Architecture

The agape mouth, the arms held high up to her head, seemingly about to pull at her hair, the horror on her face - all these invite questions - what had she just seen? Her husband in bed with another woman? Or perhaps the pile of unwashed laundry? 

Such were my musings during an afternoon spent walking around the Quiet Center in Riga. Although just a ten minute walk from the Old Town, it felt like a world away. Gone were the groups of boisterous lads, non-existent were the shot bars and strip clubs that catered to the hordes flown in by Ryanair. Here in the Quiet Center, it was, well, quiet. 

Not for nothing is Riga the Art Nouveau capital of Europe, with roughly forty percent of the city's buildings created in that style. I'm not an architecture expert by any means, so a formal definition of the phrase "art nouveau" escapes me, but I'd like to think the term describes a building that's fun and interesting not only in design but to look at, and my adventure in the Quiet Center which brought me face-to-face with colorful buildings with decorative, intricately-carved facades lined with intriguing grotesques, fearsome gargoyles, muscular atlases and curvy caryatids, plus that screaming woman, left no doubt about that. 

Concentrated along Elizabetes and Alberta Iela, some of the architecture is simply unreal. One of my favorites is this building on Elizabetes 10b, the top of its facade composed of blue ceramic tiles, flanked by white giant pensive sculpted heads, and a demonic looking figure on top. Never seen anything quite like this, have you?

On Alberta street, apartment buildings stand side by side offering the Art Nouveau enthusiast his fill of glorious architecture, plus a searing pain in the neck from the semi-permanent upward tilt of the head.

This outstanding example of Art Nouveau at No. 13 is a riot of sculptural reliefs of masks, dragons, female figures, etc. Sometimes It felt like too much to take it all at once. But when in doubt, look at the bare-breasted women, that's what I say.

To view more of these, Riga's Art Nouveau Center has come up with a nifty interactive guide to the Quiet Center's numerous treasures, which is here. Other districts of Riga are covered as well, including the Old Town where several examples of the style are present.  

To the Cat Cave in Siauliai

If you're still not convinced of Siauliai's awesomeness after a trip to the Hill of Crosses (see previous post), then why not take a peek inside one of the other off-beat attractions around town, such as the Bicycle Museum, the Radio and Television Museum, and most interestingly, the Museum of Cats. 

Not being a cat owner nor fond of felines, excluding Catwoman in her shiny skin-tight suit (meow!),  I wasn't particularly interested in the Museum of Cats but it seemed too good to pass up, even just for bragging rights. (How many of your friends have set foot inside a cat museum?). 

Once again, the tourist office staff in Siauliai proved invaluable in giving directions, though they were a bit vague ("somewhere around here") when circling the area on the map to indicate the museum's location. No wonder, since it was outside Siauliai's city center and thus just off the edge of the map. 

Not to be deterred, I walked in the general direction of the museum, and came across a lake. Lo and behold, a large scale figure (about 4 stories high) of a cat stood guard over the lake, just enticing passers-by to snap a photo. I wondered what sort of affection Lithuanians had with
felines and why, and continued on my way. 

Eventually landed in a residential section of town and having neglected to bring the museum's address, I walked around aimlessly and was on the verge of giving up, when I spotted this sign."Psst...that way", it indicated to this tired and hapless traveler almost undone by his curiosity.

Re-energized, I retraced my steps, and found what might look like a museum (or a schoolhouse), and entered the gate. Eureka, I'd found it! The museum's well-hidden sign (top photo) was a dead giveaway, though the place looked deserted. I climbed up a flight of stairs, opened a door and stepped into a hallway where I could hear children's voices. Those turned out to be the museum's only other guests aside from myself - a gaggle of fifteen to twenty kids on a field trip. 

After paying the 5 litas admission fee, I stepped Inside the first of the museum's three separate rooms to find memorabilia of every kind related to cats. Tons and tons of porcelain stuff, framed photographs and paintings hugging the walls, poems and letters from all over the world, etc. Several photos of whom I assume to be the museum's founder and her beloved pets were also present. 

After spending roughly half an hour looking around and taking photos, I got tired of it. (Again, not much of a cat lover). The museum's only live cat followed me around (the group of school kids had somehow vanished), casting a baleful gaze as she did, so I took that as my cue to make an exit.

O Ye Lithuanians of Strong Faith

Siauliai doesn't ring a bell for most travelers, but I was determined to stop for one night there to see the Hill of Crosses. The what? The Hill of Crosses, situated about 10km north of the city, which as its name implies, is a staggering collection of crosses of all shapes and sizes planted on a hill (more like a mound). 

Estimates put the number of crosses at hundreds of thousands, but new ones keep getting added all the time by pilgrims, relatives of deceased loved ones, and even newlyweds. I saw a few that were planted just weeks before my visit. 

I wasn't quite sure why I wanted to visit the Hill of Crosses in the first place, probably curiosity at what it looks like. At first I was afraid that it was a tacky stop on the well-worn tourist circuit, but mentioning Siauliai or the Hill to fellow visitors in Vilnius drew mostly blank stares. Second, I thought it might be a bit eerie or scary to be amidst all those crosses, but i reminded myself this wasn't a cemetery but rather a religious site. Besides, there was only one way to find out. 

The helpful staff at the tourist office in Siauliai arranged a cab to take me back and forth to the Hill of Crosses, including an hour's stop, for 70 litas ($25). Being late afternoon, there weren't many other visitors around, but at least I felt less afraid. Small or large, wooden or metallic, plain or ornamental - crosses were everywhere.

Hundreds of small crosses dangled from the feet of a statue, or framed an angel's face. Walking paths take you around and behind each cluster to better appreciate them. Overall, it was a solemn place and an astounding sight, perhaps even inspiring to people more inclined to religion. 

Inscribed on a plaque are these words from Pope John Paul the Second: "Thank you Lithuanians, for this Hill of Crosses which testifies to the nations of Europe and to the whole world the faith of the people of this land". Amen to that. 

PRACTICAL INFO

If you do visit Siauliai, here is a helpful link on how to get to the Hill of Crosses by public transportation, as well as the bus timetable for moving on to Riga. 

Cheap beds are available at the city's sole youth hostel, located on the ground floor of a university building. Kitchen and bathroom facilities are well-maintained, though it is somewhat quiet. 

 

Snapshots: Trakai's Island Castle, Lithuania

Lovely isn't it? A lovelier castle than the restored red-brick Gothic Island Castle in Trakai is hard to find. Built on an island on Late Galve, it's connected by a foot bridge to the shore, and contains costumes, weapons and other relics from the 1400s. But not to hurry - take a few moments to let the amazing views of the castle sink in, and snap away on your camera.

Trakai is easily reachable from Vilnius, and thus an ideal day trip after a couple of days in the capital. Buses run frequently (trains less so) and cost 6 litas each way. Once you reach Trakai island, from the bus station it's roughly a twenty minute stroll on the main road to reach the castle. About midway is the helpful Trakai tourism office where you can get a map and get your questions answered. 

After exploring the insides of the castle, you can also take a hour-long boat ride that goes around the lake. There is commentary in both Lithuanian and English, although it is somewhat intermittent. The boat ride itself felt a bit slow and I didn't see anything particularly exciting in the other surrounding islands. Regardless, an excursion to Trakai remains on the must-do list for every visitor to Lithuania.

Cheapskate Chronicles Redux: Free Walking Tours in the Baltic States

Literatu G. (Vilnius, Lithuania)

After a hiatus, I was eager to embark on my next travel adventure, and decided to map out a trip to the Baltic States. Nowadays people like to refer to these countries individually, instead of the collective Soviet-era umbrella nickname, so just to be clear I'm talking about Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.Why? No reason in particular, but probably a curiosity to learn about some lesser-visited countries (by Americans, anyway) was a factor. 

As usual,  I set about planning my two week holiday by Googling "free walking tours" and then adding Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn, only half-expecting to actually find any. However, a pleasant surprise was in store as results came up for student-run  Yellow Free tours, which as luck would have it, operated free walking tours in all three cities I plugged in (and then some). So, I am happy to report that I took all three free walking tours (please do tip the guides), and below is a recap.

Constitution Wall, Uzupis republic (Vilnius, Lithuania)

Vilnius, Lithuania. A turnout of about forty people were on hand in front of Vilnius' Town Hall for the Vilnius free tour. The guide (Martina) showed up holding a battered bright yellow briefcase (thus the "Yellow" in Yellow Free tours), the sight of which brightened up everyone's moods on this cold, cloudy day. True to its motto of guiding tourists to leave the beaten track, our walking tour bypassed popular sights such as the Cathedral and Gediminas Tower inside the old town, but rather crossed the bridge over to the mock independent republic of Uzupis, an artists' colony and bohemian district. 

After looking at some off-beat public art pieces along the river, and examining their hysterical Constitution Wall (translated into ten languages!), we circled back through the hills for a nice view of the Vilnius skyline and landed on Literatu St., where small artworks are mounted on a wall as a tribute to famous literary figures in Lithuanian literature. Not something I would have particularly noticed if not for the tour as the Lonely Planet guidebook didn't play it up.  I found Martina and the tour to be quite entertaining, and whetted my appetite for a longer stroll in Uzupis on a later date.

Riga, Latvia. Even the most uninformed traveler has heard of Riga's reputation as the party capital of the Baltic States, with heaps of young Brits flying in for stag dos and hen parties (thanks Ryanair!). My agenda focused more on the milder, historical side of Latvia's capital. 

Stalin's birthday cake (Riga, Latvia)

The free walking tour in Riga went all over the place, literally. After meeting our guide (again with the battered yellow briefcase - where do they get those things?!), we started off with a quick peek and briefing inside Riga's Central Market, notable not only for the produce and seafood available within, but also for the reused German zeppelin hangars. Then, we went to the other side of the train station away from the Old Town and into the lesser-explored "Moscow Suburb" area of Riga. 

In this area, we passed by Spikeri, where warehouses are becoming gentrified and turning into cafes and art galleries. This district still has a lot of the traditional old wooden houses, some of them converted into the unlikeliest of businesses. Other notable sights include the Academy of Science, unofficially known as "Stalin's birthday cake" and which by some stretch of imagination resembles the Empire State building, and the Holocaust Memorial which pays tribute to brave Latvians who hid Jews during the war.

Eventually, we retraced our steps back to the train station, and came out to the other side into Central Riga, the new part of town where business hotels proliferate. A stroll on Elizabetes Iela brought us to the Radisson Blu hotel, whose tourist hangout Skybar offers excellent views of the Old Town from its 26th floor perch. They've started charging a 2 lats (approx. $3.80) admission fee from Thursday to Sunday, alas.  The 2 1/2 hour walking tour ended in the small park across from the hotel, and it's a short walk back to the familiar confines of the Old Town. 

Tallinn, Estonia. The Old Town, with its wonderfully preserved medieval walls and numerous pointy church spires, attracts up to six daily cruise ships at the height of summer. While most of the passengers take ultra-expensive tours flogged by their cruise line, the savvy ones make a beeline for the daily Tallinn free walking tour at noon. Given that the Old Town is quite small, easily navigable by foot, and the port is only a 10 to 15 minute walk away, it's the best way to learn some history on the cheap. 

Tallinn, as seen from viewing platform

The tour meets outside the Tourism office just off the main square, and makes its way through Toompea hill just outside the city walls. There you'll find out why one of the towers is called "Kiek in the Kok" (it's a long story), peek inside St. Alexander's Orthodox Cathedral, and come face-to-face with Tallinn's pink-hued City Hall (forgot to ask the guide about the interesting choice of colors). 

Of course, holidays wouldn't be complete without having your photo taken, so an obligatory stop is made at a viewing platform in Toompea where your shots of the Tallinn skyline are sure to delight Facebook friends back home. 

Among three walking tours I took, this one had the least among of walking and clocked in at just slightly below two hours, but was no less interesting and delightful as the ones in Riga and Vilnius. In every instance, the guides made the tours fun, spoke very good English, and were helpful in answering whatever smoldering questions visitors had. The Baltic States are a relatively inexpensive destination, with these tours as one (or three) of the capital cities'  screaming bargains.

 For an rundown of other free walking tours I've taken in Europe, check out this link. 

Snapshots: Villa Escudero, Quezon Province, Philippines

Memories of a childhood visit to Villa Escudero are a blur, but one thing I did remember taking a ride inside the grounds on a carabao-driven carriage. On this subsequent visit over twenty years later, I was glad to see that I wasn't hallucinating and the carabaos were still around.
 

"Maganda" ("Beautiful")

These beasts of burden lead carriages used to transport guests from the entrance of this sprawling estate to the waterfalls, at the foot of which is laid out a splendid Filipino buffet lunch. Nothing is quite as refreshing after the two hour drive from Manila as the cool running water gently massaging your feet while you dine.

Working off that heavy lunch isn't a problem. Piloting these bamboo rafts on peaceful Lake Labasin is a must, or jump into one of the swimming pools. Alas, I forgot to bring swimwear. Perhaps on my next visit to Villa Escudero. Hopefully much sooner than in another twenty years.

Taroko Gorge - We Came. We Saw. We Took Photos

Eternal Springs shrine

Though not averse to guided bus tours, the 6am scheduled pickup at our hotel seemed daunting, as well as the whole day itinerary that would see us arriving back in Taipei around dinner time. 

However,  we were pressed for time, and thus decided to join Edison Tours' "Taroko Gorge 1 Day Tour" in an attempt to see Taiwan's most popular tourist attraction and at the same time inject a dash of nature into our trip, which up to this point involved copious amounts of eating and shopping in Taipei.

The above-mentioned airport pick-up and a forty-five minute flight later, our group of thirty nine people piled into a waiting bus at Hualien airport, led by our talkative female guide who provided maps and talked incessantly about Taroko National Park.

Our early start meant that we got there before 9am, so I figured we'd have full day of sightseeing around the various sights on the Gorge, and maybe even do some hiking to further appreciate the scenery.  Little did I know this was not to be the case. 

The first few stops at various attractions (i.e. the bridge to the right, the spring) were nice enough, and we were allotted fifteen minutes or so for photo taking. 

However, they also pretty much laid out the pattern for our visit to Taroko - the bus makes a stop, thirty nine people get off to take photos, the tour guide hectors us to  get back on the bus - repeat until lunch time.

The nearest we got to actually doing something was when we had to don helmets for a short walk on the road (not even off-road) to appreciate the marvelous marble and limestone rock formations. Although not in the least bit strenuous, this was followed by a quick coffee break, and off we were to zigzag through the Tunnel of Nine Turns.

Lunch time was fast approaching, yet inexplicably it was time for another food break. While we sipped our coffees and endured the unseasonably low temperatures, the guide took delight in pointing out rock formations that looked like an American Indian chief, an alligator, a bear - in her rather vivid imagination, at least. 

"Do you see that?!", she'd exclaim, while pointing. "Looks like an alligator, doesn't it? Use your imagination!" 

She had been this all morning, much to my amusement, and pointing out such phenomena in English, Mandarin, Taiwanese, and even Nihongo to accommodate every passenger. A hard working woman indeed, who rarely took holidays (she confided in us).

Cimu Bridge

Finally, lunch was served at noon. This one turned out to be a pleasant surprise in the form of a non-rushed multi-course banquet inside a fancy hotel (yes, it was included in the tour price). Food was quite decent in quality too. Unfortunately, the rest of the afternoon went in one direction - downhill. 


We still had over three hours to kill before taking the 440pm train back to Taipei, and instead of exploring more of the national park, the bus took us to visit a jade factory and its showroom, a food store selling local delicacies handing out free tastes (admittedly not such a bad stop), and even to a local beach for some relaxation. 


Really wished we could have done more at Taroko Gorge instead of all that unproductive time. Perhaps even a short hike on one of the numerous trails. But rather, we just did about eight or nine stops for photo ops, that's about all we got out of our all-day trip. Makes me wonder why we had to rush out there so early in the first place.

Cheapskate Chronicles: Free Walking Tours in Europe

Imagine arriving at the latest European city on your itinerary, checking into your hotel or hostel, and feeling somewhat disoriented by your new surroundings. How then to regain your bearings? Speaking from my personal experience traveling for 5 1/2 months all over the Continent, here's a simple recommendation: Join a walking tour. 

I've found that joining a walking tour gives me the confidence in navigating my new city (or at least lets me know which way is north or south), provides an overview of the city's attractions, and is a fun way to meet other travelers. All this in the couple of hours it normally takes.


For those carefully counting their pennies, you'll be glad to know that a revolution has swept all over Europe that has proved to be a boon to budget travelers - the concept of the FREE walking tour. Yes, that is correct, sir - young, motivated entrepreneurs in a vast number of European cities have decided to show you the highlights of their home town for the grand sum of zero. I took 15 such free walking tours in 11 different cities (spread over 7 countries) and can attest to the knowledge of the tour guides, and they make it FUN instead of simply overloading your brain with historical facts. 

I know you're thinking - "What's the catch? They can't give free tours for nothing?!". That is true, to a certain extent. The guides tell you upfront that they are working for tips (which makes them pull out all the stops), thus if you enjoyed yourself a gratuity at the end is much appreciated. 


Some tour companies (especially in Spain and Germany) also offer more specialized walking tours for which they charge money. Thus, by getting you to join their free offering, they hope that you will become aware of their company and be enticed to sample their other tours. For example, in Berlin Sandemans offers a bewildering array of tours: Third Reich Berlin, Sachsenhausen Memorial, Red Berlin, and even a day trip to Potsdam. 

Without further ado, below are the 15 such free walking tours in 11 different cities that I went on, and my general opinion. I'm sure there are even more free walking tours in other European cities that were not part of my itinerary (Paris, Amsterdam, London, Prague come to mind), so feel free to mention them in the comments section.

Spain

Madrid - I wrote a blog post about Sandeman's free walking tour which leaves from Plaza Mayor every day, and is offered in English and Spanish. (I took the Spanish tour). The Tapas Experience is also worthwhile for sampling Spain's culinary delicacies at four different places. 

Seville - Pancho Tours offers two free walking tours that cover different parts of this magnificent Andalusian city. Most of the guides are young Europeans from other countries who have lived here for years. Bring lots of water - it can get really, really hot in Seville

Barcelona -  Ah, everyone's favorite city in Spain, so it seems. Competition is intense in the free walking tour business here, but I was pleased with Runner Bean's Gaudi tour (which every fan of the famous architect should go on).

The Old City walk covers a lot of ground, including the Gothic Quarter. My tour took almost 3 whole hours since the guide just loved to share information about the sights. 

Lisbon, Portugal


In Lisbon, Uwe (a transplant from Austria) gives an offbeat, entertaining, and sometimes sarcastic view into Portugal's sprawling capital city on his dramatically named "See Lisbon Or Die" project. The tour takes you through the Chiado, Baixa and Alfama neighborhoods, and he will even ride with you on the famous No. 28 tram and advise you how to avoid getting pickpocketed. 

Budapest, Hungary


Confusingly, there are two competitors with similar names in Budapest - Free Budapest Tours and Free Budapest Walking Tours, in the mornings and afternoons with meeting points near each other in central Budapest. The guides speak excellent English, and will recommend restaurants serving authentic Hungarian goulash and fashionable nightspots.


In addition to the standard city overview walk, they also offer specialty-themed tours (also for free) like the Communist Walk. Led by locals who suffered under the oppressive Soviet regime, this tour was quite informative and would interest anyone who wanted to learn more about this part of Hungary's history.

Belgrade, Serbia


In my book, Belgrade doesn't offer much in terms of sightseeing, but that's no excuse to miss out on the 2-hour free walking tour offered five days a week, meeting at Republic Square (by the statue in front of the perennially closed National Museum). 


My tour was led by a lovely female student who spoke great English, and included a walk up to the old fortress. But what made the tour memorable was the huge downpour that made us all scramble for shelter underneath a pavilion inside the park, trying to huddle together while shivering from the cold rain. The thunderstorm passed and we went on with the tour without skipping a beat. 

 Berlin, Germany

If you needed solid evidence that Berlin has become Europe's third-most visited city, then witness the crowds that show up for Sandeman's free Berlin walking tour at 11am.  In all the other cities that I've joined a free tour, the participants numbered anywhere between ten and forty people, but when I strolled towards the Starbucks near the Branderburg Gate and saw the hordes of humanity, it was quite astounding. Over a hundred people were there, and were subsequently divided into three smaller manageable groups led by a different guide. The 3 1/2 hour tour covers Berlin's highlights, including the Jewish War Memorial (pictured above), Hitler's bunker, and of course, the Wall. 


For a peek inside the funky Berlin underground scene, Alternative Berlin offers their free tour twice a day, at 11am and 1pm. Be prepared to experience a lot of graffiti on this walk which does involve quite a bit of walking. Tour ends at a nice beach bar near the East Side Gallery where cheap drinks are available. To get my nightlife fix, I also took Alternative Berlin's "Anti-Pub Crawl" which went to a few "interesting" local hangouts which make Berlin the cool spot that it is.


Romania

Brasov - One of the nicest cities in Transylvania (in fact, the city's slogan is "Probably the best city in the world") can easily be covered in a day, although you'd probably want to linger for at least a couple of days. The guided tour goes outside the medieval city walls for a climb up the Black Tower (which isn't black) to get an amazing bird's eye view of the city. Another worthwhile activity is to hike up to the Hollywood-style "Brasov" sign on top of the hill. 

Bucharest - It's one big concrete jungle, teaming with stray dogs to boot, but maybe the free Bucharest tour will make you appreciate this rather charmless city. Unfortunately, our local guide was lacking in charm as well, and merely recited facts about Bucharest in a straightforward manner. Yawn.

Rome, Italy

Ah, the Eternal City. Either you love it or you hate it. Crowds, noise, pollution - they're all present. You can spend days walking on your own, seeing the sights, but why do so when there are two companies offering a free walk. 

Rome Free Tour offers three different walks - Vatican, Colosseum and City Center.  I took the Vatican Walk which met at the Spanish Steps and crossed the Tiber to the Vatican City. The guide (a man) was somewhat dull, and we lost a few people along the way. 

In contrast, New Rome Free Tour offers only one free walking tour which concentrates on ancient Rome. I loved this tour, especially since we visited a few lesser-known churches (S. Andrea delle Fratte, anyone?) and the guide pointed out their unique features (e.g. painted-on ceiling). Not only that, after a look inside the Pantheon, he organized a coffee break at La Casa del Caffe, one of Rome's highly-rated cafes, and treated all tour participants to either an espresso or cappuccino. How I wish all free walking tours worked like this!

On the Seventh Day, there was Karaoke

The guy pictured on the right lacked the vocal range and any ability to sing on-key, but the Sunday afternoon crowd at Bearpit Karaoke in Berlin's Mauerpark vociferously cheered him nonetheless, if only for his bravado. 

Our hapless entertainer performed Elton John's "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" from the movie "The Lion King", outfitted in a garish full-body length lion costume (held in his right hand) no less. He stripped that off to reveal leopard print underwear, then removed that well. The tactic was effective in distracting the audience from his unfamiliarity with the song's lyrics, to say the least. 

Started in 2009 by an Irish fellow named Joe Hatchiban, the Bearpit Karaoke now attracts over a thousand people every Sunday afternoon. They crowd around a small amphitheater to egg on brave souls who sing, dance, and otherwise let loose - in the hopes of becoming famous, perhaps?

I heard about this only-in-Berlin karaoke event the Boat Party, an expat gathering every Wednesday night at the coolest venue possible - a boat moored on the river. A Russian woman mentioned it to me in a conspiratorial tone as an "insider tip". Little did she know that the LP gives full details of not only the Bearpit Karaoke, but also the Boat Party.  


Regardless, after six days of visiting fascinating historical sights and taking various walking tours, free or otherwise (quick kudos to Alternative Berlin and Berlin Walks), karaoke sounded like fun and a chance to rest my tired legs.


Although it's safe to say that you won't be hearing about most of the performers anytime soon, a few of them were actually decent and deserved a hearty round of applause. Quite a few are tourists or expats, thus most of the songs are in English. Some regulars, like Detlef (2nd photo), are quasi-celebrities, and his rendition of "My Way" (in German, of course) is nothing but inspiring. 

Easily the day's best entertainment though, was an Aussie guy who brought the house down with his version of "Physical", Olivia Newton John's hit from thirty (!) years ago. Performing with much gusto, he even rolled on the stage to live up to the song's title. Perhaps he also heard somewhere that ONJ wasn't quite referring to a gym workout as she croons "Let's Get Physical", so he stripped down to his underwear later in the song. Alas, the short video I shot does not include this part, but check out the talent at Mauerpark below. 

(Viewers of this post on the Lonely Planet website have to click here since the embedded video won't show up).

Vodka on the Balkan Express

If your experience with European rail travel is confined to the superb grand vitesse trains in Germany, Switzerland, or France, then trying to do the same in Eastern Europe will come as a rude shock. In these parts, minimal investment has been made in the rail infrastructure by cash-strapped governments, thus being whisked to your destination in a flash is but a dream.

I first learned this the hard way on the train route from Budapest to Belgrade. The journey took seemingly forever (in reality, eight hours), with the train stopping at each tiny town on the countryside, and sometimes just mysteriously stopping, period. The lights and AC (which didn't work properly anyway) would suddenly go off, and everyone would patiently wait while fanning themselves with crumpled newspapers.  Then the train would roar to life just as suddenly, and we'd be on our way - until the next time this happens. 

However, the train fares were quite cheap, so despite the stuffy compartments, mysterious stoppages, and generally decrepit facilities I still wound up taking them. Not all of my memories are negative though; the trip between Belgrade (Serbia) and Timisoara (Romania) was particularly exciting in an unusual way.

I was joined in the compartment by three Aussies - Glenn, Matt, and Adrian, and a Russian woman traveling on her own, Elena. The three guys started on the bottles of vodka and Coke as soon as the train pulled out of Belgrade, while Elena and I abstained. 

They were cool dudes though, and pretty soon we were swapping travel stories and laughing loudly in our cramped quarters. They told me that they were going all the way to Bucharest, a grueling 15 hour ride, scheduled to arrive at Romania's capital at 6am. Loco, I said to myself.

Our festivities were marred somewhat by the foul odors emanating from the toilet around the corner, especially when passengers who use it neglect to close the door firmly behind them. The putrid smells would waft over to our seats, thus after a while we resorted to yelling at the startled offending parties to go back and shut the damned door!

An hour before we were scheduled to stop at the Romanian border for immigration checks, the train came to a halt. Dozens of Serbian police came onto the train, and started prying open ceiling panels, flashing their torches into it, definitely looking for something. We had no idea what was happening, and were frustrated by the delay, especially the guys who had exhausted their vodka supply three hours into the journey. 

Some of the officers walked off the train carrying armloads of cigarette boxes, no doubt smuggled by some of the locals. Come to think of it, two shady looking characters, one with a big belly and the other wearing an unfashionable tracksuit, had been scurrying back and forth along the corridor all night, holding small duffel bags which seemed full going that way and then empty the other way. 

After over an hour's delay, the train was back on track. Night was falling, air was getting chilly, the guys were getting antsy and were wondering how in the world they could make it to Bucharest without their Stoli. In the meantime, the two suspected smugglers still kept going back and forth even in the darkness. 

The Romanian border was soon crossed, our passports checked, and the train sat stationary for half an hour. More smuggled smokes were discovered, this time by the Romanian police, making me wonder why the Serbian officers didn't find them. Ah, perhaps Mr. Big Belly and Mr. Track Suit were one step ahead of the authorities. 

Finally, Timisoara station was reached, and I said my goodbyes to my wonderful companions. It was now nearly 11pm, a good two hours later than the scheduled arrival. And I had no idea how to get to my hostel. Adrian had other ideas though. He pulled me aside, handed me a twenty euro note, and asked if I could find a liquor store at the station that was still open and buy them some vodka and Coke. He was placing my trust in me, a virtual stranger, with no guarantee that I wouldn't walk off with his money. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

Tired, hungry, and unfamiliar with my surroundings, I agreed anyway and fortunately found one nearby. After some difficulty converting prices from Romanian lei to euros, the twenty was enough to buy a few bottles. I carried the stash, luggage and all, up the stairs to the platform where the train sat waiting. As I hurried up the final few steps, I could see Matt, Adrian, Glenn and other foreign passengers (no doubt eager to partake in the booze) hanging out of their compartments' windows, peering in the darkness and looking for any shadowy figure that resembled myself. 

Cheers erupted when I became visible, and handshake and grateful hugs were exchanged as I handed over the liquid gold. The clapping and hooting was still in full force as I slowly retreated to make my way back to the station, still unsure how to find my hostel. 

HARD bargaining at Istanbul's Grand Bazaar

A notorious non-shopper on holidays, Istanbul's Grand Bazaar held no attraction for myself. I took a quick stroll inside yesterday, entering at Gate 1 (pictured), walked long the main passageway for ten minutes or so, reached Gate 7 at the other end and then exited into bright sunlight. Smiling smugly, I mentally ticked off one of Istanbul's major tourist attractions from the must-see list. Been there, done that.

However, this afternoon's clouds that darkened the sky and threatened rain at any moment forced me to duck inside the world's oldest and largest covered bazaar for a second time. 

The stats are certainly impressive - built in the fifteen century, the Grand Bazaar has 21 gates, 66 streets, nearly 4,000 shops and almost 30,000 employees inside - and hosts millions of tourists looking for bargains on silver jewelry, fake Abercrombie and Polo apparel, and all other sorts of merchandise I had no interest in buying.

Strolling around the bazaar, I eventually grew weary of seeing the same goods displayed at multiple stalls, but did a double take upon seeing several figurines (look right) nestled on top of "Turkish Viagra" bottles, which left no doubt as to the potency of the product.  

Curious, I asked the young lad manning the stall what Turkish Viagra was made of. He vaguely replied, "A combination of herbs and spices", then proceeded to offer me a small bottle for 15 lira ($8.50). I declined, thinking to myself, "Sounds like snail oil", yet  amused by the verbiage on the bottle's label claiming that "you will be able to make love five times in one night".

"Well, how do you know that it really works?", I inquired. Even the lad, who couldn't be more than fifteen years old, chuckled at that one and shrugged his shoulders. 

"I don't want to buy it. I just want a photo", I explained, obviously not the first person to do so.

"Sorry, mister, no photos", he replied, pointing to the sign above the smiling figures lined up side by side, as if waiting to launch their missiles.

Spotting assorted bars of olive oil soap stacked among his merchandise, with a sign indicating "4 bars - 10 lira" ($5.60), I tried a different bargaining tack.

"Well, if I buy four bars of soap, will you let me take a photo?". Surely he would be eager to make a sale and grant a small favor to this polite tourist.

He pondered the offer, and countered, "Okay. Three bars and a photo for ten lira". 

It was my turn to consider. "Nah, this is stupid", I said to myself, "I'm not into strongly scented hand made soap anyway", and started to move away after waving him goodbye.

"Wait, wait", he called out, after I had taken a grand total of two steps. "Okay, four bars of soap and a photo for ten lira. Only for you, my friend". I smiled widely in response. I repeated his phrase in agreement, handed over the correct note, picked four colorful bars at random, and carefully sized up various angles before taking a lone photo.

Both sides had emerged victorious in the bargaining process. He had his money, while I had my photo, a memorable anecdote, and would surely be the freshest smelling tourist in Turkey (and Europe) for the next month. Shopping while on holiday wasn't quite so bad after all.