This trip has taught me a lot about myself, both in positive and negative lights. On the positive side, this trip has proved to myself that I can drop myself into random countries which I know nothing about, adapt, and make my way around without relying on anyone else. For my age, it’s astounding that I have opportunities such as this, and I’m glad that I’ve finally had the time to un-latch from the day to day and actually get out there and try to experience new things. It’s been eye-opening and humbling at the same time.
On the negative side, it’s showcased some unfortunate sides to my personality. When you’re sitting down at Michelin-starred restaurants at a table for one, there’s a problem. My inability to adapt in relationships and subsequently going at things independently has left a pretty big hole in my personal life. I’m a bit more of a loner compared to most, but I think this trip has showed me that there are better routes I can take when dealing with people, and if I don’t start adapting soon, I’ll be eating at tables for one for a long time.
For most people, the thought of eating alone at a fancy restaurant is absolutely terrifying – for me, it’s not so bad. I can thoroughly enjoy a meal or a concert alone - and travelling by one’s self is certainly much less stressful in certain regards than travelling with others. Taking such a journey by one’s self certainly forces to you to take stock in your life and focus on what’s important, as there are no other voices to distract you. Sure, there are new places and concerns to drag your mind away from your day to day problems, but when you’re in some mode of transportation for nearly 20,000 miles, you have time to think. Lots of time to think.
Emotional ramblings aside, there was much which was learned about the world in this trip. I learned that you can buy beer from vending machines in the street in Tokyo, and that ketchup in Germany tastes sweet. I’ve learned that Paris is more or less a ghost town before 8 AM, which makes for some pretty surreal views, such as being the absolute ONLY person in the massive Louvre courtyard, feeling somewhat like a scene from “I Am Legend” (one of several films viewed over the long Tokyo to London flight). I’ve learned that British Airways international flights are amazingly good, whereas United pretty much sucks ass, and that Andrew Bird is a much better artist than I originally gave him credit for. Also, I now possess the calf muscles of a Greek god, thanks to all the walking done over the past two weeks.
Alright. On to stuff.
Tokyo
+ Shibuya and Harajuku - Amazing places unlike anything in the U.S.
+ Toilets from the future - I must have one.
+ Efficient and inexpensive subway systems - Most rides are about $1-2.
- Subway complexity - Bizarre system can be overwhelming to new users (me).
- Yen have too many zeroes - Accidently pulling out 300,00 Yen ($300) instead of 30,000 Yen ($30).
+ Love love love the Vending machines everywhere - Including beer vending machines (!)
+ Shibuya crossing - I do believe I actually smiled while crossing this, amazing.
+ Kaoru - Meeting up with my sole Japanese friend after five years! We got Katsu in Harajuku.
+ Akihabara - Finally seeing this mecca of nerd-dom.
+ Asusaka - Beatiful ancient buildings which I never would have found on my own.
- Members only - Having to borrow a jacket to eat at a fancy restaraunt, which made me look 12 years old.
Paris
+ Photo friendly - Paris is always beatiful, and I was able to re-create one of my favorite photos on the Arc de Triomphe.
+ La Defense - An amazing building and complex, much, much larger than originally expected.
+ Yom - During the France/Italy soccer match, the good Italian restaraunts in Paris were deserted, allowing me to snag some great local pizza.
+ Ghost town - A completely (and I mean /completely/) deserted Louvre. Surreal.
- Lost - Unfounately positioned hotel meant I got lost about a half-dozen times trying to find it, even with maps.
- Loud Loud Loud - Parisians! Quit honking your damn car horns all the time, it's so un-refined.
- I'm old - Even at this point, my feet were killing me and I had to frequently stop and rest.
- Le sighs - Spilling a glass of beer over myself at the train station. Not a good day.
- Headache ahoy - A terrible headache made my last day in Paris miserable, esp. waiting in a busy trainstation for my overnight train to...
Berlin
+ Swisshotel Berlin - Top notch quality, including a full-fledged espresso bar in each room.
+ Restaraunt 44 - Well deserved of its Michelin star, great high-end German cuisine with excellent personal attention.
+ The waitress who said (You enjoy, yah?) after bringing and explaining every dish. Hee.
- Currywurst - Kind of tasty, but mostly pretty gross. Something which had to be tried locally.
- Hamburgers - I honestly thought Germany could do the humble hamburger better, but unfortunately nay.
+ Street Boozing - You can buy beers from street vendors and drink them on the street. I took advantage.
- Do You Speak English? - Street beggars who prey on tourists got irritating to deal with.
+ Sony Center - Amazing architecture and a great modern European vibe.
+ Berlin Zoo - Going on a weekday morning allowed for closeup views of pandas and polar bears with almost no crowds.
+ Football - Feeling the city literally move due to cheers during penalty kicks in a Euro 2008 match.
- Football - Idiots with Turkish flags who just drive around all day honking their horns. You have no lives and are useless.
Zurich
+ The Alps - Getting to ride in gondolas to the Swiss Alps and play in the snow, amazing fun.
+ Lucerne - Like going back in time. Oldest apothecary in Europe is here.
- Rough prices. Burger and a beer? 30 francs, which equals out to about 26-27 USD. Everything is expensive.
- The heat. Surprisingly hot for Switzerland (high 85-90F), even for summertime.
+ The heat. Made going into the mountains downright perfect, temperature wise.
+ Swiss precision - Everything is on time, nothing is half-assed.
- Meh meals - For a country known to have solid cuisine (chocolate and cheese, mostly), nothing here really amazed me.
- A/C - Most buildings don't have A/C, and refridgerators here only bring temps down to (very) slightly under room temp. Weak.
+ Applewine - I could drink this stuff all day. Not overly sweet, just a hint of booze.
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