Today I had the privilege to go out with Ramona, one of our nurses on two home visits. The first patient, Laura, was a 42 year old woman with ovarian cancer. She is pretty, fine boned young woman, very vibrant, positive and colourful (literally with different coloured nails on each hand and feet). She was diagnosed three years ago and was operated on seven times within a short - six month time frame. Her story terrified me as she is so similar in age, she has twin girls aged 14 and is divorced. She worries about her children's futures should anything happen to her and this plays on her mind given that she is permanently bed ridden as the multiple surgeries have left her with two open wounds which now will not heal. She does not trust any doctors other than the ones through the Hospice as when she was in hospital being operated on and in recovery the doctors would come to her saying that they were there to simply give her an injection, then would sedate and operate on her without consent. Truly frightening. She now does not know the status of her disease, the progression or whether she is in remission. She refuses the aid of hospitals, ambulances or any other health care professional but our own.
It is strange how empathy truly makes a situation hit home. I have been in a state of shock, my heart aching for her and her family. I met her daughters, Anke and Anika, they were so happy and positive, showing me their art work, and talking with me in fluent English as their whole family does. Laura had a successful teaching career prior to cancer. She now spends much of her time investing in artistic expression and with this she is extremely talented. I did suggest that she thinks about selling her artwork as this would be a source of income that the family needs to support both her and her children's needs. If you have any other ideas, please let me know. I will take my camera next time to show you photos of their work, I believe that you will be as impressed as I was.
The next trip was to visit Marius, he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis twenty years ago. He is now today incapacitated with no movement from the neck down. He can feel his arms, his legs, his torso but his body is now physically wasted from lack of muscle use. He speaks very fluent English, like Laura and has a quick and active mind. He was very chatty and quite happy to share the experience of his disease and how it has affected him and his family since the initial diagnosis. The degeneration of his body started at age31 when he lost the use of his legs. This terrified his wife who divorced him soon after and took their two sons. He lost his home, and was living in a car, so embarrassed by his situation and his dissolution of his marriage that he was unable to tell his family, his friends. He now lives with his sisters who take care of him on a daily basis, the best way they can. They are not wealthy though so he lives in a tiny apartment with very little room for Ramona to navigate around in order to clean and help him. She visits him once a week to thoroughly bathe and look after him. His sisters, while knowing their familial obligation is to help him, are somewhat resentful by the situation of reverting to full time carers. It is up to Ramona to clean up after days of no attention apart from feeding, this means dirty diapers, full external catheter bags etc. He is lonely given that the Hospice are the only ones who provide him with proper carer assist and also volunteers to talk with him. His sons do not visit, sadden by his situation, and like his mother afraid for what their future might hold.
Ramona is amazing in terms of her ability, the visit with Marius took literally hours as she cleaned, shaved, washed, clipped his hair, finger and toe nails. I helped as much as I could but she does this solo every single week. I was stunned by her kindness and commitment, unfortunately this nursing gene completely surpassed me so watching her, and while I was speaking with Marius, I was in awe.
I am drained, emotionally, from such visits. Laura is a palliative care patient, Marius is with the Hospice as no one else can look, or will look after him. Both situations are heartbreaking. I wish I had my children, my parents right now. I wish I could hold them and tell them just how much I love and miss them. I am grateful to live in a country with a strong robust health care system that looks after everyone that requires it.
Can I also add a comment about the HUGE amount of pride I have for the company I work for. I met with Marius and Angela (past PULSE volunteer) from GSK Brasov yesterday, both who have offered their expertise and assistance to support the creation and implementation of the Hospice Intranet and dedicated employees to a volunteer day activity. I have also had similar conversations with GSK Bucharest, UK, USA (with Courtney - another PULSE volunteer) and Australia who have offered different but essential support to the charity. Thank you so very much. I am, and I know the Hospice definitely is so appreciative.
Marius (our patient) gave me one piece of advice as I left today. Take nothing for granted, live your life like you have one day remaining. I intend to keep to this as should anyone who reads this blog.
Love to you all.
Dani xxx
Friday 31 August 2012
Thursday 30 August 2012
Dani's Guide for Traveling (Light and Solo!)
I thought I would briefly share some of my travel tips since I am doing things considerably cheaply, comfortably and learning A LOT along the way.
- Get yourself a decent backpack, make sure it is sturdy but light. Some European budget airlines will not let you take on more than 7 kg in your hand luggage (and this is how I am travelling - hand luggage only). Some countries are quite flexible and lenient with this rule, however others are the complete opposite and are extremely strict (UK and Romania being apart of the stricter rules). Hand luggage is ONE bag, including your handbag which restricts things a little more. My backpack was gratefully nabbed from my parents place before I left. It was originally a laptop bag but it is so strong, the integrity of the bag and the size makes it perfect. It has heaps of secure pockets for passport etc.
- Book at least your flights and accommodation in advance, this is just my preference. I don't mind planning my trip - tours, museums, walks etc, when I land, but it is comforting to know I have somewhere safe to go home to in the evening. I use Kayak.com for cheap flights and Wotif.com for last minute cheap deals. I usually double check on TripAdvisor to see what others have said about the hotels. This is not a preference for everyone, but safety is still a huge priority for me while travelling solo.
- Do get to know the local public transport system. I have gone from "the Forrest Gump of Public Transport" as dubbed by my team in Australia, to be quite able to travel from A to B or even A to M and return. Public transport is cheaper than tours, most guide books tell you exactly what lines to rely on to get to where you want to go, and strangers can be quite helpful if you do get lost.
- Do decide on your must do activities and plan accordingly. I tend to do those activities first and then I do my getting lost activities in the afternoon. I don't think I have missed anything that I was really keen on seeing - yet! Orientate yourself with a map. I am not a great map-reader but am getting used to it! I actually helped a fellow ex-pat find his way to a rather obscurely hidden museum while in Vienna and pointed the way to the main attractions to an Austrian that didn't speak English but told me in one word where they wanted to go. If you do happen to get lost, cafes and restaurants are a great place to stop, have a drink, re-orientate yourself, ask questions, and head on.
- Book your tickets in advance for those popular must see attractions. Places like the coliseum have HUGE line-ups, you could wait literally hours. If you book on line or at the local tourism office you can save money on your tickets and jump the queue.
- Do be confident while travelling. Don't be a target for muggers or pick pockets. I don't know any great tips for avoiding this happening except for watching your things, Taking long purposeful strides when going places. Trying not to be the tourist with map and camera pointing at attractions (although this is me some of the time). Stand with your back to the wall in train carriages, Use both straps on your backpack or hold the one strap that is over your shoulder.
- It can be disconcerting not to know the local language. Either make the effort to know a few brief phrases or be clear and concise with what you need. I am terrible, absolutely awful linguistically but am becoming brilliant at charades.
- Want to learn a few things for free? A guide gave me this tip - you can tag along on the end of tour groups, hear some facts about the attraction, city you are visiting without being a part of the official group. You can see these tour groups everywhere. Usually groups of 20 or so, with rods with handkerchiefs tied to the end. I must say, I haven't done this yet, but may in the future.
- Get lost!! My favourite way of exploring. The places I have found just by chucking in the iPod and walking! The people and the places, incredible. You need to be, again, quite confident in order to do this. It can be stressful if you like to always know where you are.
- Get to know your fellow travelers. It has been amazing meeting so many weird and wonderful people. You may only get to know them on the trip, but knowing them briefly is better than not at all.
- I stay a minimum of two days in any one place but bring one change of clothes. A great tip I was given on a train (when still lugging around a suitcase) was to do this, then wash the first change of clothes in soap or shampoo, rinse well, wring out as much water as you can, pull out the creases and hang dry. Works fantastically as every hotel has a towel rail and usually a hairdryer if you want to fasten the process.
- Limit your purchases. Get small, easy to carry, non-fragile gifts (learnt this the hard way - a piece of Italian Murano glass smashed and now sitting in a bin somewhere)
- Drink water - and lots of it. I take at least a one litre bottle with me, and aim for 2 ltr per day, especially when flying, you have to hydrate yourself.
- Get over that fear of public toilets, wrap the seat in toilet paper if you have to, but get used to the fact that they are not like home.
Things I cannot travel without:
Dani xxx
- Get yourself a decent backpack, make sure it is sturdy but light. Some European budget airlines will not let you take on more than 7 kg in your hand luggage (and this is how I am travelling - hand luggage only). Some countries are quite flexible and lenient with this rule, however others are the complete opposite and are extremely strict (UK and Romania being apart of the stricter rules). Hand luggage is ONE bag, including your handbag which restricts things a little more. My backpack was gratefully nabbed from my parents place before I left. It was originally a laptop bag but it is so strong, the integrity of the bag and the size makes it perfect. It has heaps of secure pockets for passport etc.
- Do get to know the local public transport system. I have gone from "the Forrest Gump of Public Transport" as dubbed by my team in Australia, to be quite able to travel from A to B or even A to M and return. Public transport is cheaper than tours, most guide books tell you exactly what lines to rely on to get to where you want to go, and strangers can be quite helpful if you do get lost.
- Do decide on your must do activities and plan accordingly. I tend to do those activities first and then I do my getting lost activities in the afternoon. I don't think I have missed anything that I was really keen on seeing - yet! Orientate yourself with a map. I am not a great map-reader but am getting used to it! I actually helped a fellow ex-pat find his way to a rather obscurely hidden museum while in Vienna and pointed the way to the main attractions to an Austrian that didn't speak English but told me in one word where they wanted to go. If you do happen to get lost, cafes and restaurants are a great place to stop, have a drink, re-orientate yourself, ask questions, and head on.
- Book your tickets in advance for those popular must see attractions. Places like the coliseum have HUGE line-ups, you could wait literally hours. If you book on line or at the local tourism office you can save money on your tickets and jump the queue.
- Do be confident while travelling. Don't be a target for muggers or pick pockets. I don't know any great tips for avoiding this happening except for watching your things, Taking long purposeful strides when going places. Trying not to be the tourist with map and camera pointing at attractions (although this is me some of the time). Stand with your back to the wall in train carriages, Use both straps on your backpack or hold the one strap that is over your shoulder.
- It can be disconcerting not to know the local language. Either make the effort to know a few brief phrases or be clear and concise with what you need. I am terrible, absolutely awful linguistically but am becoming brilliant at charades.
- Want to learn a few things for free? A guide gave me this tip - you can tag along on the end of tour groups, hear some facts about the attraction, city you are visiting without being a part of the official group. You can see these tour groups everywhere. Usually groups of 20 or so, with rods with handkerchiefs tied to the end. I must say, I haven't done this yet, but may in the future.
- Get lost!! My favourite way of exploring. The places I have found just by chucking in the iPod and walking! The people and the places, incredible. You need to be, again, quite confident in order to do this. It can be stressful if you like to always know where you are.
- Get to know your fellow travelers. It has been amazing meeting so many weird and wonderful people. You may only get to know them on the trip, but knowing them briefly is better than not at all.
- I stay a minimum of two days in any one place but bring one change of clothes. A great tip I was given on a train (when still lugging around a suitcase) was to do this, then wash the first change of clothes in soap or shampoo, rinse well, wring out as much water as you can, pull out the creases and hang dry. Works fantastically as every hotel has a towel rail and usually a hairdryer if you want to fasten the process.
- Limit your purchases. Get small, easy to carry, non-fragile gifts (learnt this the hard way - a piece of Italian Murano glass smashed and now sitting in a bin somewhere)
- Drink water - and lots of it. I take at least a one litre bottle with me, and aim for 2 ltr per day, especially when flying, you have to hydrate yourself.
- Get over that fear of public toilets, wrap the seat in toilet paper if you have to, but get used to the fact that they are not like home.
Things I cannot travel without:
- Wet-ones (antibacterial) for after toilet stops (see above note) and to freshen up)
- Stick deodorant - you can't take sprays on board flights
- iPhone - Internet wi-fi can be found almost everywhere. You can update facebook, email and use as a backup camera - which I have had to do several times
- Camera and back up battery - I think you all know how much I love my pics now.
- Sturdy, comfortable footwear - don't kill your feet before the adventure starts
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Plastic bag for the washing you want to take home
- small first aid kit - pain killers, anti-diarrhoea tablets (just in case)
Dani xxx
Wednesday 29 August 2012
Setting the record straight..
Up till now, most of my blog has been based on the positives of overseas volunteering, as the majority of my experience has been. I do think it is important though for people to see the other side though before making the decision to do the same.
The Financial Implications - Your expenses at home do not cease when you travel, so instead of paying for expenses in one country, it is split between two. I am grateful that my parents have assisted with the nightmare of contacting different service providers while I am over here to discuss bill disputes etc as I am physically unable. To call home for example, costs around one Euro per minute. I also support the financial needs of my children, to make sure they have what they need while I am away. I am sometimes judged, by locals, for the blessing that I have to be born in a country of wealth, without the realisation that with good wages, comes higher expense. Everything is comparative, when I am home, there is no savings, no extra income. I do not own my own home and will realistically not be able to afford to due to the high price of living in my home country. I have travelled to three different countries in three months while being here. The tickets purchased being extremely cheap and having to do a lot of at home web surfing to ensure that I procure reasonable flights and accommodation. I also tend to have one major meal now, and forgo the evening dinner, preferring to use the additional money for travelling. I don't get my nails done which I have noted is quite popular here, and have not had a hair cut since leaving home, for the same reasons. We all have differing priorities in terms of what we want to do. For me - travel is my passion.
Family and Friends - Coming to a new country can be quite lonely. If, for example, you have children as I do, your heart physically aches from the absence of having them away from you. A phone call is adequate but not enough to fill that hole. Being in a country where there is significant language barriers can be a hardship too. Not everyone wants to converse with you in English if your local dialect is poor. I have been grateful that I have made many wonderful friends whilst being here, but there is also moments where you do miss home. (My heart soars when I hear a fellow Australian's voice when travelling).
Exhaustion - Being a volunteer means that people assume that you have super human abilities, being able to stay awake till all hours, and still conduct yourself in a reasonable manner the following day. I have attended events an evening before having to be up at 3am for yet another event and then finishing at 2am the following day. I thoroughly enjoy the events but even now, tiredness overwhelms me and yes, some of this is my fault for the aforementioned travel, but still, sleep is a luxury that I can't afford.
Support - Trying to get projects started and completed can be problematic. Priorities differ and sometimes assistance for your needs are put far behind everyone else's. Delays are inevitable which can prove to be frustrating.
Food - Oh the food. If you have ever watched the movie - Along Came Polly, there is a part where Ben Stiller talks about how sick he has been since meeting Jennifer Aniston. He talks about throwing up and losing considerable weight due to the food eaten. This is me. Since landing here, I have been sick so many times, I have lost count. I have stopped eating local cuisine, even a salad made me seriously sick yesterday as it had not been stored correctly and was slimy in consistency but not wanting to offend the host, I ate regardless and yes I paid for this dearly. I now eat small meals, starting the day with toast and Vegemite donated by kind UK and Aussie friends. I then eat muesli bars and food from the local supermarket and only very occasionally have a meal in the evenings. The food here is delicious, but very rich, fatty in terms of meat and cheeses, and I just cannot stomach it. This is an obvious issue with me and what my body is used to, but it can make some days very uncomfortable all the same. I miss fish and chips, pies, pasties, and traditional "Aussie" food.
Finding what you need, when you need it - Back to your body. Trying to find feminine items in the evening when everything closes at 9pm is disastrous. Not poor planning, just body readjusting to time zones, changes in environment etc. I haven't been grocery shopping for around a month. It is not only difficult to find what you need, trying to interpret what you are purchasing can prove to be a headache.
All in all, my experience has been such a wonderful one, but I want there to be an understanding that with great experiences comes the flip side. You need to take the good with the bad and ensure that you focus on the better parts which I hope I have achieved to date and communicated well through my blog.
Live every moment.
Dani xxx
The Financial Implications - Your expenses at home do not cease when you travel, so instead of paying for expenses in one country, it is split between two. I am grateful that my parents have assisted with the nightmare of contacting different service providers while I am over here to discuss bill disputes etc as I am physically unable. To call home for example, costs around one Euro per minute. I also support the financial needs of my children, to make sure they have what they need while I am away. I am sometimes judged, by locals, for the blessing that I have to be born in a country of wealth, without the realisation that with good wages, comes higher expense. Everything is comparative, when I am home, there is no savings, no extra income. I do not own my own home and will realistically not be able to afford to due to the high price of living in my home country. I have travelled to three different countries in three months while being here. The tickets purchased being extremely cheap and having to do a lot of at home web surfing to ensure that I procure reasonable flights and accommodation. I also tend to have one major meal now, and forgo the evening dinner, preferring to use the additional money for travelling. I don't get my nails done which I have noted is quite popular here, and have not had a hair cut since leaving home, for the same reasons. We all have differing priorities in terms of what we want to do. For me - travel is my passion.
Family and Friends - Coming to a new country can be quite lonely. If, for example, you have children as I do, your heart physically aches from the absence of having them away from you. A phone call is adequate but not enough to fill that hole. Being in a country where there is significant language barriers can be a hardship too. Not everyone wants to converse with you in English if your local dialect is poor. I have been grateful that I have made many wonderful friends whilst being here, but there is also moments where you do miss home. (My heart soars when I hear a fellow Australian's voice when travelling).
Exhaustion - Being a volunteer means that people assume that you have super human abilities, being able to stay awake till all hours, and still conduct yourself in a reasonable manner the following day. I have attended events an evening before having to be up at 3am for yet another event and then finishing at 2am the following day. I thoroughly enjoy the events but even now, tiredness overwhelms me and yes, some of this is my fault for the aforementioned travel, but still, sleep is a luxury that I can't afford.
Support - Trying to get projects started and completed can be problematic. Priorities differ and sometimes assistance for your needs are put far behind everyone else's. Delays are inevitable which can prove to be frustrating.
Food - Oh the food. If you have ever watched the movie - Along Came Polly, there is a part where Ben Stiller talks about how sick he has been since meeting Jennifer Aniston. He talks about throwing up and losing considerable weight due to the food eaten. This is me. Since landing here, I have been sick so many times, I have lost count. I have stopped eating local cuisine, even a salad made me seriously sick yesterday as it had not been stored correctly and was slimy in consistency but not wanting to offend the host, I ate regardless and yes I paid for this dearly. I now eat small meals, starting the day with toast and Vegemite donated by kind UK and Aussie friends. I then eat muesli bars and food from the local supermarket and only very occasionally have a meal in the evenings. The food here is delicious, but very rich, fatty in terms of meat and cheeses, and I just cannot stomach it. This is an obvious issue with me and what my body is used to, but it can make some days very uncomfortable all the same. I miss fish and chips, pies, pasties, and traditional "Aussie" food.
Finding what you need, when you need it - Back to your body. Trying to find feminine items in the evening when everything closes at 9pm is disastrous. Not poor planning, just body readjusting to time zones, changes in environment etc. I haven't been grocery shopping for around a month. It is not only difficult to find what you need, trying to interpret what you are purchasing can prove to be a headache.
All in all, my experience has been such a wonderful one, but I want there to be an understanding that with great experiences comes the flip side. You need to take the good with the bad and ensure that you focus on the better parts which I hope I have achieved to date and communicated well through my blog.
Live every moment.
Dani xxx
Oh Vienna, my heart belongs to you.
My Vienna trip started right from the get-go. Good timing for the flights (no red-eye flights, thank goodness!) and Austrian Air are divine to travel with - you walk on board and classical music is piping through the speakers. A French-accented pilot welcomes you on board and have a pleasant flight (my heart melts at the sheer sound) and you are fed without having to paying a million Euros for the privilege! No applause needed on landing as there was no expectation of an unscheduled crash landing. Brilliant.
Flying over Austria is a great introduction to the country. The country-side looks like one of the many fashion designers that line the streets of Vienna has come and taken hand dyed and painted silks and created a patchwork of colour. Deep sea green, emerald, chartreuse, beige, creams, tans and rich earthy browns dotted with wind farms and broken up by lakes and rivers of azure. Beautiful.
Now the weather wasn't fantastic this weekend. The heat wave broke and we had clouds and rain. Sometimes this puts a dampener on experience, but Vienna - I could imagine you could love it in any weather.
I took the double decker train from the airport to the city central - 18 mins, non stop. Quick and quiet, dropping straight to the centre of the city. I wanted to get to know the surroundings of my hotel so took two further trains to Praterstern, home of an old carnival complete with artwork (and freaky clown images. Ugh!). I took a trip on the giant ferris wheel to get a better look at my surroundings.
Next trip was to find my hotel and then head back into the city. I managed to find my way OK but when I returned to the station one of the major lines was down and a lot of us were wandering aimlessly and scratching our heads. The only communication was in German which was disastrous for me as I know exactly zero . As luck would have it some Swiss firey's came to my rescue, they recognised me from the same hotel they are staying at and helped me into the city. Happy days. :)
Oh my word - getting out of the station and seeing Stephansplatz for the first time. Those who have been there will know exactly what I am talking about. Wow. What a city. The churches, the architecture, the shopping. Sigh. Love love love this place!
I won't bore you with all 320 photos on this one day, you can check out my album on facebook if you want to go through them all. I went to the Imperial Burial Vault, damn do they know how to bury their dead. Such intricate work on their caskets! It was as if the artists had bronzed skeletons and the mourners in these mountainous constructions. Amazing.
I hadn't made any further plans at this point so I continued to stroll through Stephansplatz, looking at the bright windows filled with such opulence and riches - Jewellery, clothing, handbags, shoes. Sigh, I could go back with an endless credit card, no problem.
Anyway, back to museums and culture - momentarily distracted there (even just by the pictures and memories. haha!!)
So continuing my walking, I went past grandiose fountains and buildings and found the museum district. I went to the Papyrus Museum which may sound dull but imagine, this is how written communication started! The pieces reserved in the museum were contractual, political, medical, religious and magical. It was incredible to see the hand writing of someone long dead, to know that to them, at the stage of writing, the parchment was their focus, the most important thing to them at that moment.
Next stop - the Ephesos, Collection of Arms and Armoury and Collection of Ancient Musical Instruments. (My camera died at this point which was horrific for me, meaning I had to rely on iPhone photos for the remainder of the trip. This has been rectified with the purchase of a new battery to come with me on my next journey). This museum was incredible. It had pieces of excavated artifacts from Turkey, cross bows, swords, pianos, violins from Vienna, all in the one building. Sounds bizarre but each exhibition complemented the next very well.
The next day was spent traipsing to the Danube Tower, which is nice, but really doesn't have a patch on the Melbourne Eureka Tower. It is in the United Nations area of Vienna which is quite sedate in comparison to the remainder of this beautiful city. The views were good, but I wouldn't say spectacular.
View from the elevator shaft - going up!!
Headed to the torture museum, which was a little tacky but went through the techniques used through inquisitions and questioning of suspected criminals. I have to say that the idea of torture makes my stomach churn, but I am still interested in learning more. The museum housed the traditional methods, the rack, iron lady, thumb screws, water torture, and more.
As I strolled through Vienna on my return, I found the Cafe Museum, so much sugar, so many cakes. I had a sugar headache after visiting!
Next stop - the zoo to see the pandas for my little sister who has a marvellous affinity with these cuddly-looking bears. I have to say, I did adore them, seeing them for the first time up close and personal. How cute are they! And clumsy! Falling over each other. Very very cute.
It was so wet on the second day so it ended early (around 4pm). I have to admit to napping that afternoon, recovery from the day before I think.
Day three was devoted to the Jewish quarters - The Jewish Museum and the Judenplatz Museum, learning about the holocaust and the history around it. In 1421, 200 Jews were taken to a pyre and burned alive. Prior to this many more were tortured and their children left to starve. I have to say that although not a practising Jew, this filled me with anxiety and anger in many respects. I fail to understand how we can be so cruel to fellow human beings regardless of the religious preferences. I also found time to visit the Sigmund Freud museum - his original medical practice until he fled Vienna due to religious persecution to the United Kingdom where he stayed until he died.
My last and final stop before the airport was to visit the great church in Stephansplatz. Very rich, illustrous and gothic.
I truly loved every moment in Vienna. It is the most beautiful city, and while I have heard extreme views on the city, you either truly love or hate it, I have to say that I am firmly in the team of the former. I hope I some day get the opportunity to come back.
Dani...
Flying over Austria is a great introduction to the country. The country-side looks like one of the many fashion designers that line the streets of Vienna has come and taken hand dyed and painted silks and created a patchwork of colour. Deep sea green, emerald, chartreuse, beige, creams, tans and rich earthy browns dotted with wind farms and broken up by lakes and rivers of azure. Beautiful.
Now the weather wasn't fantastic this weekend. The heat wave broke and we had clouds and rain. Sometimes this puts a dampener on experience, but Vienna - I could imagine you could love it in any weather.
I took the double decker train from the airport to the city central - 18 mins, non stop. Quick and quiet, dropping straight to the centre of the city. I wanted to get to know the surroundings of my hotel so took two further trains to Praterstern, home of an old carnival complete with artwork (and freaky clown images. Ugh!). I took a trip on the giant ferris wheel to get a better look at my surroundings.
the stuff of my nightmares, think IT by Stephen King
OK, so next stop was something tacky - I went to Madame Tussaud's, and I am sorry but I loved it! How clever are the wax artists (or whatever they like to be called) to create the images they do!
Next trip was to find my hotel and then head back into the city. I managed to find my way OK but when I returned to the station one of the major lines was down and a lot of us were wandering aimlessly and scratching our heads. The only communication was in German which was disastrous for me as I know exactly zero . As luck would have it some Swiss firey's came to my rescue, they recognised me from the same hotel they are staying at and helped me into the city. Happy days. :)
Oh my word - getting out of the station and seeing Stephansplatz for the first time. Those who have been there will know exactly what I am talking about. Wow. What a city. The churches, the architecture, the shopping. Sigh. Love love love this place!
I hadn't made any further plans at this point so I continued to stroll through Stephansplatz, looking at the bright windows filled with such opulence and riches - Jewellery, clothing, handbags, shoes. Sigh, I could go back with an endless credit card, no problem.
Anyway, back to museums and culture - momentarily distracted there (even just by the pictures and memories. haha!!)
So continuing my walking, I went past grandiose fountains and buildings and found the museum district. I went to the Papyrus Museum which may sound dull but imagine, this is how written communication started! The pieces reserved in the museum were contractual, political, medical, religious and magical. It was incredible to see the hand writing of someone long dead, to know that to them, at the stage of writing, the parchment was their focus, the most important thing to them at that moment.
Next stop - the Ephesos, Collection of Arms and Armoury and Collection of Ancient Musical Instruments. (My camera died at this point which was horrific for me, meaning I had to rely on iPhone photos for the remainder of the trip. This has been rectified with the purchase of a new battery to come with me on my next journey). This museum was incredible. It had pieces of excavated artifacts from Turkey, cross bows, swords, pianos, violins from Vienna, all in the one building. Sounds bizarre but each exhibition complemented the next very well.
The next day was spent traipsing to the Danube Tower, which is nice, but really doesn't have a patch on the Melbourne Eureka Tower. It is in the United Nations area of Vienna which is quite sedate in comparison to the remainder of this beautiful city. The views were good, but I wouldn't say spectacular.
View from the elevator shaft - going up!!
Headed to the torture museum, which was a little tacky but went through the techniques used through inquisitions and questioning of suspected criminals. I have to say that the idea of torture makes my stomach churn, but I am still interested in learning more. The museum housed the traditional methods, the rack, iron lady, thumb screws, water torture, and more.
As I strolled through Vienna on my return, I found the Cafe Museum, so much sugar, so many cakes. I had a sugar headache after visiting!
Next stop - the zoo to see the pandas for my little sister who has a marvellous affinity with these cuddly-looking bears. I have to say, I did adore them, seeing them for the first time up close and personal. How cute are they! And clumsy! Falling over each other. Very very cute.
It was so wet on the second day so it ended early (around 4pm). I have to admit to napping that afternoon, recovery from the day before I think.
Day three was devoted to the Jewish quarters - The Jewish Museum and the Judenplatz Museum, learning about the holocaust and the history around it. In 1421, 200 Jews were taken to a pyre and burned alive. Prior to this many more were tortured and their children left to starve. I have to say that although not a practising Jew, this filled me with anxiety and anger in many respects. I fail to understand how we can be so cruel to fellow human beings regardless of the religious preferences. I also found time to visit the Sigmund Freud museum - his original medical practice until he fled Vienna due to religious persecution to the United Kingdom where he stayed until he died.
My last and final stop before the airport was to visit the great church in Stephansplatz. Very rich, illustrous and gothic.
I truly loved every moment in Vienna. It is the most beautiful city, and while I have heard extreme views on the city, you either truly love or hate it, I have to say that I am firmly in the team of the former. I hope I some day get the opportunity to come back.
Dani...
Monday 20 August 2012
When in ROME....
I never ever EVER thought I would be able to say that, literally. That is a huge thing for my bucket list, and one I am still wondering whether I was dreaming to have had the fortune to be there.
So as with everything, I am trying to do everything as cheaply as I can - so this is cheap flights, accommodation and I have been giving backpacking a go - living out of one small backpack when I travel with tips I picked up from a Brit I met on a train trip through Brasov.
The adventure starts: I arrived at the airport with so many Romanians also looking forward to a weekend getaway. I flew BlueAir, a low cost European airline, first time for everything and till now I had flown with their direct competitor WizzAir but had been warned that Blue were far worse in terms of strict luggage allowance, cleanliness on the flight, food etc, so this was going to be interesting! I am sorry to say that I got much amusement from the passengers having to disassemble and smash their suitcases to get them to fit into the unrealistic luggage frame they had stationed at the boarding gate. There was many a heated argument and security was called. (first time on the trip that I was thankful for my backpack). If you have ever watched "Come Fly with Me" by the clever duo from Little Britain it was EXACTLY the same as when Melody made a traveller empty her suitcase completely before letting her check her luggage. Well maybe they were allowed one or two items in this instance.
The flight was pretty uneventful apart from everyone in serious prayer before we took off, I figured I was in a Venn diagram at this point and so much prayer in my direct vicinity should cover me to a degree. Applause on landing still amuses me, although I am grateful when I arrive safely.
Took heaps of pictures during the bus transfer from the airport to Rome - typical tourist, mouth open, gobsmacked at the sights around me. I mean wow.
Dumped unceremoniously at the train station, I would be lying if I said I didn't have my heart in my mouth briefly as I tried to work out what to do and where to go next. I have to say the Termini is the best I have been to anywhere - two levels of shopping and so much food. I think if I was lost there for a couple of days I wouldn't have been so worried. My hotel room ended up being two blocks from the station (sweet!) and it was fantastic. It was cheap for the location (the cheapest price I could find on Wotif.com), wi-fi, restaurant and lovely helpful staff - if you ever want somewhere to stay in Rome, I would definitely recommend Hotel Europa.
So I started by jumping on my pre-paid open bus tour and headed straight to the Vatican. I had three days, I was making the most of my time. I went straight to the Sistine Chapel and oh my god, what a place, the art, the history, wow, wow, wow!!!
I then headed back to the hotel to have a dinner of traditional spaghetti bolognaise. Yum!! It was soooo good!
Day Two: I was really keen to go to Il Convento dei Cappuccini but no one I asked knew exactly where it was, my hotel concierge circled the general location on a map and I was off for my walking adventure. I managed to find the street but had to back track several times before realising it was down a street that was a continuation of the one I had been following, (it wasn't that clear in my defence). I learnt about the Capuchin Monks (interesting history) and viewed the crypt made up of over 4000 bodies! No photos allowed - but you can check this wiki link if you want to learn more.
A quick tip - in case, like me, you didn't know that you can't expose knees and shoulders in religious places in Rome, bring a scarf, or you can purchase relatively cheaply (around 2 Euro) in the city.
Following a second breakfast (I couldn't help myself, OK?) I found my way back to the Termini and back on board my bus for The Colosseum and Palatine Hill. The Colosseum was good, the ancient ruins of Palatine Hill, better, in my opinion. The place is HUGE, and there is very little that a visitor is not allowed to see. A pleasant change from being closed out of so much in other places.
Sore, sore feet after so much walking. Pack of band-aids later and I am ready for more, so I hit the shops for a few small gifts to fit in my backpack of course. ;)
Day Three: I can't believe I am leaving today, I so want to stay. The people are beautiful, the food is delicious, real cappuccinos, the city, sigh, I love it here. So a few brief stops before I head to the airport. Pantheon, Castel Sant'Angelo and a few small churches. Bought a beautiful hand painted frieze from a street painter. This place is awesome. My camera ran out of battery - NoooooooooOOOOooo. Anyone following me on Facebook is probably eternally grateful. hehe.
And so ended my journey. Farewell to the glorious food, the magnificent coffees and just the overall delight of Rome.
And I have to finish by saying that BlueAir was worse on the way home, broken seating, even grottier (I didn't believe possible) but if you liken it to a bus, not too bad overall.
Taxi drivers still hassled me at the airport when I got home, I must have a big "Tourist - take advantage" sign above my head - but I ignored them, took the late bus and was home just after midnight, now back to work and back to reality.
Dani xxx
So as with everything, I am trying to do everything as cheaply as I can - so this is cheap flights, accommodation and I have been giving backpacking a go - living out of one small backpack when I travel with tips I picked up from a Brit I met on a train trip through Brasov.
The adventure starts: I arrived at the airport with so many Romanians also looking forward to a weekend getaway. I flew BlueAir, a low cost European airline, first time for everything and till now I had flown with their direct competitor WizzAir but had been warned that Blue were far worse in terms of strict luggage allowance, cleanliness on the flight, food etc, so this was going to be interesting! I am sorry to say that I got much amusement from the passengers having to disassemble and smash their suitcases to get them to fit into the unrealistic luggage frame they had stationed at the boarding gate. There was many a heated argument and security was called. (first time on the trip that I was thankful for my backpack). If you have ever watched "Come Fly with Me" by the clever duo from Little Britain it was EXACTLY the same as when Melody made a traveller empty her suitcase completely before letting her check her luggage. Well maybe they were allowed one or two items in this instance.
The flight was pretty uneventful apart from everyone in serious prayer before we took off, I figured I was in a Venn diagram at this point and so much prayer in my direct vicinity should cover me to a degree. Applause on landing still amuses me, although I am grateful when I arrive safely.
Took heaps of pictures during the bus transfer from the airport to Rome - typical tourist, mouth open, gobsmacked at the sights around me. I mean wow.
Dumped unceremoniously at the train station, I would be lying if I said I didn't have my heart in my mouth briefly as I tried to work out what to do and where to go next. I have to say the Termini is the best I have been to anywhere - two levels of shopping and so much food. I think if I was lost there for a couple of days I wouldn't have been so worried. My hotel room ended up being two blocks from the station (sweet!) and it was fantastic. It was cheap for the location (the cheapest price I could find on Wotif.com), wi-fi, restaurant and lovely helpful staff - if you ever want somewhere to stay in Rome, I would definitely recommend Hotel Europa.
So I started by jumping on my pre-paid open bus tour and headed straight to the Vatican. I had three days, I was making the most of my time. I went straight to the Sistine Chapel and oh my god, what a place, the art, the history, wow, wow, wow!!!
Day Two: I was really keen to go to Il Convento dei Cappuccini but no one I asked knew exactly where it was, my hotel concierge circled the general location on a map and I was off for my walking adventure. I managed to find the street but had to back track several times before realising it was down a street that was a continuation of the one I had been following, (it wasn't that clear in my defence). I learnt about the Capuchin Monks (interesting history) and viewed the crypt made up of over 4000 bodies! No photos allowed - but you can check this wiki link if you want to learn more.
A quick tip - in case, like me, you didn't know that you can't expose knees and shoulders in religious places in Rome, bring a scarf, or you can purchase relatively cheaply (around 2 Euro) in the city.
Following a second breakfast (I couldn't help myself, OK?) I found my way back to the Termini and back on board my bus for The Colosseum and Palatine Hill. The Colosseum was good, the ancient ruins of Palatine Hill, better, in my opinion. The place is HUGE, and there is very little that a visitor is not allowed to see. A pleasant change from being closed out of so much in other places.
Sore, sore feet after so much walking. Pack of band-aids later and I am ready for more, so I hit the shops for a few small gifts to fit in my backpack of course. ;)
Day Three: I can't believe I am leaving today, I so want to stay. The people are beautiful, the food is delicious, real cappuccinos, the city, sigh, I love it here. So a few brief stops before I head to the airport. Pantheon, Castel Sant'Angelo and a few small churches. Bought a beautiful hand painted frieze from a street painter. This place is awesome. My camera ran out of battery - NoooooooooOOOOooo. Anyone following me on Facebook is probably eternally grateful. hehe.
And so ended my journey. Farewell to the glorious food, the magnificent coffees and just the overall delight of Rome.
And I have to finish by saying that BlueAir was worse on the way home, broken seating, even grottier (I didn't believe possible) but if you liken it to a bus, not too bad overall.
Taxi drivers still hassled me at the airport when I got home, I must have a big "Tourist - take advantage" sign above my head - but I ignored them, took the late bus and was home just after midnight, now back to work and back to reality.
Dani xxx
Friday 17 August 2012
Show me the money!!
Phew! Not the weekend yet and I am already tired! Two events consecutively run this week - on Wednesday, Mojo hosted the monthly Quiz Night, which is always awesome. It would probably make my friends laugh at home to know that I help with the questions and answer checking prior to the event - something that is NOT my forte as I have a horrendous memory for trivia and know nothing about current events (should I admit to that? haha!). If you are in Romania and haven't had a chance to stop by - please do! Be prepared for lots of laughs and an opportunity to win some great prizes. I was interviewed by a local TV station about the upcoming Lady Gaga concert and ended up talking about Hospice and the fantastic work they do.
Thursday Night, after a relatively late one on Wednesday was a 2am wake up for a 3am start - awful, what can I say? My body is not set to EVER get up that early and we were off to Mamia to set up for the evenings Hospice Summer Fashion Show. I was able to nap in the car but I did feel for our designated drivers Fundraising Director, Cristiana & PR manager, Daniel who had to drive three hours at this ungodly time of the morning. We arrived to a cool, brisk morning by the seaside had a breakfast of cheese pies (like a potato cake or potato scallop for NSW-ites but filled with a Brie cheese). We then set out for the hotel for a brief staff meeting on expectations for the day.
We started by putting together all the goodie bags and sorting the clothing for the evening, then it was time to hit the streets with Izabela to put posters around the hotel and seaside. I was pleasantly surprised by the support of not only the Iaki Hotel, Mamia but also the neighbouring hotels and restaurants who allowed us to use their shop front windows to promote this fabulous event. The pathways and roadsides was a sea of green by the time we had finished.
We took a brief break for lunch and meet with the models before putting up the spider banner for the event - if you have never had the misfortune of trying to tackle on of these promotional boards, they are a four screen poster board, they use magnets and A LOT of sticky tape to keep them up - especially in the wind. Daniel, fortunately had the team under control in terms of instruction and it was completed in no time.
After having a small rest (curling up into a ball at 3pm from tiredness), Alice and I carted merchandise and equipment down the four flights of stairs, using the stairs as an opportunity to train for the upcoming Bucharest Marathon - I literally walked the stairs more than 20 times, I should have used my pedometer! (Watch this space for sponsorship opportunities.)
Then it all started...
I thought a pictorial time line would be better than me writing about it, and so ended a really enjoyable evening at the Hospice Summer Fashion Show.
We ended up by packing up and heading back to our respective accommodation which started a whole new adventure for Alice and I - we went to our apartment, lost our way, found our way, found our room (after ringing the doorbell of someone on the ground floor at 1.30am - I really am very sorry, I truly thought it was a light switch!!) and after fumbling with the lock (opening the bottom lock but finding that we were missing the key for the deadlock) we woke a very surprised Romanian lady living there! So it was a shock for her and us, we apologised profusely and I think she was amused by the situation from the fact that she didn't slam her door in our faces. I really expected to be arrested by the police when we returned downstairs and out on the street. We managed to wake a kind receptionist at a nearby hotel and were relieved to finally be able to rest for the evening.
Woke up at 6am and we decided to do a short explore before we headed back - went to Casino, had breakfast (sharing the ham from my omelet with a local cat) and took many pictures on the way of local architecture.
Any way, must dash and pack for ITALY in the morning (just a little excited), will blog again soon.
Dani
Thursday Night, after a relatively late one on Wednesday was a 2am wake up for a 3am start - awful, what can I say? My body is not set to EVER get up that early and we were off to Mamia to set up for the evenings Hospice Summer Fashion Show. I was able to nap in the car but I did feel for our designated drivers Fundraising Director, Cristiana & PR manager, Daniel who had to drive three hours at this ungodly time of the morning. We arrived to a cool, brisk morning by the seaside had a breakfast of cheese pies (like a potato cake or potato scallop for NSW-ites but filled with a Brie cheese). We then set out for the hotel for a brief staff meeting on expectations for the day.
We started by putting together all the goodie bags and sorting the clothing for the evening, then it was time to hit the streets with Izabela to put posters around the hotel and seaside. I was pleasantly surprised by the support of not only the Iaki Hotel, Mamia but also the neighbouring hotels and restaurants who allowed us to use their shop front windows to promote this fabulous event. The pathways and roadsides was a sea of green by the time we had finished.
We took a brief break for lunch and meet with the models before putting up the spider banner for the event - if you have never had the misfortune of trying to tackle on of these promotional boards, they are a four screen poster board, they use magnets and A LOT of sticky tape to keep them up - especially in the wind. Daniel, fortunately had the team under control in terms of instruction and it was completed in no time.
After having a small rest (curling up into a ball at 3pm from tiredness), Alice and I carted merchandise and equipment down the four flights of stairs, using the stairs as an opportunity to train for the upcoming Bucharest Marathon - I literally walked the stairs more than 20 times, I should have used my pedometer! (Watch this space for sponsorship opportunities.)
Then it all started...
I thought a pictorial time line would be better than me writing about it, and so ended a really enjoyable evening at the Hospice Summer Fashion Show.
We ended up by packing up and heading back to our respective accommodation which started a whole new adventure for Alice and I - we went to our apartment, lost our way, found our way, found our room (after ringing the doorbell of someone on the ground floor at 1.30am - I really am very sorry, I truly thought it was a light switch!!) and after fumbling with the lock (opening the bottom lock but finding that we were missing the key for the deadlock) we woke a very surprised Romanian lady living there! So it was a shock for her and us, we apologised profusely and I think she was amused by the situation from the fact that she didn't slam her door in our faces. I really expected to be arrested by the police when we returned downstairs and out on the street. We managed to wake a kind receptionist at a nearby hotel and were relieved to finally be able to rest for the evening.
Woke up at 6am and we decided to do a short explore before we headed back - went to Casino, had breakfast (sharing the ham from my omelet with a local cat) and took many pictures on the way of local architecture.
Any way, must dash and pack for ITALY in the morning (just a little excited), will blog again soon.
Dani
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