back home again

Hey all! Finally made it back home yesterday, in one piece, and am both happy and sad. Happy to be able to really rest and recoop, but sad that the journey is now over. I had a lot of fun, and learned so much from the trip. Unfortunately for everyone who keeps up with the blog, this is probably my last post, as the blog really no longer has a purpose. So thank you all for tagging along as we traveled and if you would like to see some pictures, they will be posted on my facebook account very soon.

Take care everyone!

Traveling Solo

Hey,

It has been three weeks after my last post. Three weeks is a long time and too many things happened that I cannot possibly put into words. I will tell you that we left Amsterdam and traveled to Bruges. Bruges is a medieval city and is home to wonderful belgium beer, and if your dan, wonderful belgium ladies. It is arguably the best tasting beer in the world. As of now, I am under that impression. Try it and maybe you will agree with me and others. From there we stayed a night in Lille, France. We got stuck there on our way to Bordeaux. Lille is a place I would never travel to if I had a choice. To put it into perspective, it's a dump and it is full of gypsies that want to take your money. Everyone I talk to since, has a similar impression of the place. I had a first-hand experience with these gypsy people and they do not waste any time going into your pocket. Fortunately for me, they went for the wrong side (they went for the right pocket, my wallet was in the left) and I escaped unharmed. I found that running is helpful in this situation;) On the other hand, Bordeaux is a beautiful city. It is famous for wine and has a lot of medieval architecture. There is a lot to do there and if you get sick of the city it is only 1 hour away from a beach! If you get the chance, go there! You will not be disappointed.

I am not going to talk about the separation because I do not want to get into it. What is done is done. Dan and I are still friends. I will tell you though it was me that separated from the traveling duo (Dan). It just wasn't working out for me, so I left. Pretty much that is it.

I am great and doing well. I had a great time in Paris for three days, and am now in the great land of the Swiss. They do some things around here that the U.S. should look into. For instance, if your on welfare in Switzerland, you cannot just get the money. You have to work for it. What I mean is you have to clean telephone booths, pick up trash around the park, or other public services. I think its a lot better than just having people just sitting on there butts, doing nothing and getting pay checks. Anyways, that's just one example of the many great policies I have found here that I agree with.

This will be my last post. I have made a lot of plans for the next coming days, so I will not be around any internet. So no blog. Besides, it really is no longer josh and dan traveling europe;) The rest of my stories you just have to wait for. I promise you I won't forget the important parts. Cya soon, everyone. May God bless everyone! Enjoy your summer!

Dan : Hey everyone again!  Very, very sorry to keep you all hanging for a little while, but there has been quite the change with our trip and we have been reorganizing since.  To put it to you straight, Josh and I have decided that due to some differences in interests that we'd be better off traveling separately for the remainder of the trip.  We're both still having a great time, and have met up with different people and friends who are great company as well.  We've both made our way to different parts of Switzerland, and have seen lots of sights and cities during our adventures.  So all is well and you'll be sure to hear from us soon!

Josh:  Hey.  We are in Amsterdam today.  We got in this morning off a ferry and then took a train to Amsterdam.  A very friendly dutchman, by the name of Harry, told us all about Holland on the train.  It was cool.  For example, the country of Holland (the Netherlands) is all below sea level.  And the fact that Amsterdam is the capitol, however all of its government officials are in another city called Dan Haag.  If anyone wants to travel to Amsterdam, here is one thing you should know:  The Red Light district is very close to the train station.  You will definitely come across it, or be like us and stumble into it.  Danny and I found ourselves in the center of the Red Light District before we actually realized where we were.   We are checked in at the Anna Marie and they provide a free breakfast and free wifi.  I already love this place.  We are secure and fine for the most part.  I will say dutch is an interesting language and I have no way of figuring out what anyone is saying.  Fortunately in this hostel, its all in english.  We're staying in Amsterdam for three days and we'll probably rent some bikes tomorrow.  I give everyone my best.  Cheers!

Dan :  Finally made it over!  As Josh said, everything is all and well and we are now unpacked in our hostel in Amsterdam.  And about the Red light district (RLD) Josh was commenting on: we actually walked through it during the day, when most of the shops are closed and there aren't too many people walking through, so we actually had a chance to see what else it has to offer - 14th century architecture and restaurants offering many different types of food.  During the day, unless you were actively looking for it, it's not absurd to think you could walk right through without noticing it at all, because all of the glitz and glam has been closed up and something other than just the RDL can show through.  But aside from that there are some other interesting aspects like the theatre we are rooming behind and other museums we are sure to check out.  And there are many, many, bicyclists here.  Often, we're dodging two-wheeled bullets more than cars.  But it's a great city and we're sure to have plenty to share when you hear from us next.  (picture is of the train station in Amsterdam)

Last day in the UK

Hello all again! Sadly, today is the last day we'll be in the amazing UK. Sorry to have kept you hanging for a few days, but we've been travelling so much and been going from place to place so much that it's been hard to stick around long enough to get a post in. But we have had quite the time! The last place we put a post was in Bath, and since then we've bussed from there to Oxford, where we stayed for two nights and then to Cambridge, where we have also stayed for two nights. Oxford was quite the town, and I must comment on the museum of natural history, which had amazing exhibits from ancient tools humans used to use to statues and totem poles to complete dinosaur skeletons. (we'll get those pictures posted as soon as we load them onto the computer). The universities were also very nice, from the outside, because the exams had just begun that week and we really weren't allowed into most campuses. And about Cambridge, it was also a very nice university town, and there were again many students attending the school who were our age, although we didn't have much chance to interact. We stayed at another campground just southeast of the city center and either walked or bussed into town during the day. The highlight of the stay here was having the opportunity to go "Punting", or as I like to put it, becoming a gondolier for an hour. For about 12 pounds we could pilot our own vessel up and down the river whilst trying not to fall off. That was very fun and I would do it again in a heartbeat. So now we're off to Harwich to catch a ferry to the hook of Holland and we hope to get in touch again soon!

Hey everybody. Danny and I are doing good. We've been traveling in England for two weeks and tonight we leave the UK for continental Europe! Cambridge University is very beautiful. 
I like how it is set-up. The people are more friendly than in Oxford. For two nights we stayed at the Cherry Hinton, which is a clean campground that is due East of the city center. I loved the place. It actually was the best campground I've ever been in. The only bad thing i can think of is the fact that there is rabbit poo in the tenting area. On the positive side, there are many rabbits you can look at. The grounds of the RVs and caravans were kept much nicer. The best thing we did in Cambridge was punting along the Granata River. Now when I say punting, I do not mean kicking a football on a field. Instead, picture yourself on a long-boat like the ones in Italy (gondolier). Now, instead of sitting and being a passenger of the boat, you are the dude standing with a very long pole, driving the vessel. That is what the English call punting, and that is what Danny and I did for an hour. He manned for half the time and I did the latter half. In fact, we filmed the whole thing. It does have some intense moments. Maybe later on we'll show you a clip of it. Tonight, we will be going to Harwich and then to Amsterdam. We'll be taking a ferry over to Holland and that is where we start the Continental stretch of our european journey. Cheers! 

Post Jam

Josh:  I am at a Pret a Manger.  It is a cafe.  Picture it this way, if Starbucks and Panera Bread got put in a blender on high, and the liquify setting was pushed, out would pour Pret a Manger.  Danny and I are now in Oxford.  Yes, it is the Oxford where the college is at.  Its a cool place with a river walk, a castle, old buildings, and of course a university.  There are many people our age, which I am all for.  We stayed at a campground last night.  We slept next to a bunch of RVs and Caravans.  Apparently, Caravans over here have pop up roofs.  The pop-up part they use to sleep in.  Very cool indeed.  It also carries a sink, stove, and maybe a television (in mine it would).  I must say Caravans in the U.S. are behind the curve.  I think we need to jump aboard on this cool phenomena of pop-up roof caravans.  Before Oxford, we stopped in a city called Bristol.  This place was amazing.  Not the city, but the hostel.  We jammed out with a bunch of Europeans: Simone, Richard, and two guys I don't know.  I played percussion on a guitar (we weren't properly equipped with a drum set).  It was an amazing time.  Songs we played were: 'the basket song', and of course 'Ode to Bristol'.  During this time, we managed to get our laundry done by a laundry machine.  So, for at least a few days you don't have to worry about our appearance (I just need to shave).  The weather has been sunny and hot every day we've been here (Except for Stonehenge:).  Britains are starting believe we may have control over the weather or something.  Hey what they don't know won't hurt 'em.  Good times here.  Cambridge is the next stop!  Cheers mates!!!!!!!! (pics are from our visit to Stonehenge)

DAN:  What a good time we've had in the great places of Bristol and Oxford thus far!  I suppose I shall speak for a short bit of Bristol as well, because it really was quite the neat hostel location as Josh put it.  I would like to comment 

on one trend we've seen since we've been here that we hadn't known before, and that is that good, social hostels seem to turn into long-term living accommodations for residents.  The chaps we had the good fortune to jam with were actually there for a reunion of members who had all stayed there for a two-month period and who had become great friends.  Not sure if we'll do the same on our journey, but we certainly had a

good time getting to know them too.  Oxford has been quite the interesting place as well, and today we had the first official dessert of the entire trip at a chinese buffet because we didn't have breakfast and ate quite late, so we went all out and had a good meal.  The campground, I must agree with my buddy booner, was very nice as well, but wasn't like camping in Maine.  It felt more like camping in the backyard than in the woods.  No campfire, no smores, no guitar, no genuine camping.  They actually stuck us in the RV section opposite all the other tents.  Rather humorous, actually.  So Cambridge ought to be fun as well, and then off to Harwich to take a ferry to Amsterdam!  (a couple of pics from Bristol and Oxford to right)

Having a blast in Bath

Hello again! Here we are in the lovely area of Bath in England, staying at the St. Christopher's inn hostel.  When we first arrived, the weather was nice, the people were fun, and the food was good!  I would highly recommend anyone traveling through the UK to give bath a try, because there are many local sights to see and the town is beautiful.  The second day here we actually managed to make it out to Stonehenge, and although to some it's just a pile of rocks, there is so much history with it that one would be proper crazy not to check it out.  It was, however, a bit chillier out there on the hill and wet, so a rain jacket would be a good idea.  An umbrella might work, but if you encounter the sort of wind that we did, it probably won't make it to the end of the tour.  As we left the trashcan was full of broken umbrellas.  To get to stonehenge is about an hour's bus ride from here, but the hostel offered a great deal of two night's stay and a tour for about 26 pound, which was quite worth it.  There's also a huge abby that is the focal point of town and worth a look, and the roman baths are just plain cool in their own right.  The only down part of the city would be that, according to folks we've spoken with, the third most expensive city in the UK.  So I would a recommend a short stay and then hopping on North to somewhere like Edinburgh or East like us.  Until next time, have jolly day!  Cheers!

Hey, Josh is here.  I'm typing in a booth at St. Christopher's inn, which happens to be in Bath, England.  If you like old-school where old buildings are preserved from the 17th and 18th centuries, you'll like it here.

  Also, if you like places that do not change, 

the city's building restrictions make it almost impossible for new buildings to be built. The the Roman baths are here from the ancient time the Romans occupied the UK.  Like Dan said, it is an expensive city to live in.  However, if your a tourist looking around, living at hostels, you can find some inexpensive food and activities.  Stonehenge was great and surreal.  An interesting fact is: there were two other stonehenges' built before the Stonehenge that stands today!  So you can get an idea of how long these native people lived on the land.  We've been chilling with Australians, New Zealanders, and South Africans.  Pretty much all of the old English colonies are getting back together and having a reunion in their 'mother' country.  While hanging out with these chaps, we are starting to change our accents.  Because of this, we couldn't recognize one of our own Americans.  Last night we watched football (soccer) on the tele at the inn.  It was intense.  The underdog Barcelona crushed Manchester United, 2-0.  Such an amazing game.  Surprisingly, most of the people in the bar wanted Barcelona to win.  They didn't root for the English team.  I thought that was rather interesting.  The music right now is jammin.  I love it.  It's all American music, so sometimes I feel like I'm in the U.S.  Then I wake up from my daze and realize, no, I'm in the UK!  The inn is great.  However, there not the most organized.  They first put us in a room where there 14 people and only 12 beds.  Since there were mostly girls my age, I was willing to share. Danny concurs with my notion.  Fate, however, wasn't on our side as they moved us to a room full of old blokes.  Anyways good times are here and more to come.  Cheers.  Cherio.  Have a good morning, America, I'm now going to some Roman baths!