yeah well whatever

Ok, let's start with Jerusalem. This is one of the craziest cities I have been ever into (and it is really hard to not get lost). Soooo many people, to many people. The "Old City" is even worse.
People are trying to sell you just everything. The thing is this "Old City" is divided into quarters, there is the Christian quarter, the Muslim quarter, the Jewish quarter and the Armenian quarter. Every quarter has it's own feeling, that's because these quarters don't mix. It's really weird to walk around there, every quarter feels like a different country. In Jerusalem you have lots of mosques, standing right next to lots of churches, standing right next to lots of synagogues. It's crazy, and actually it does not work...at all. Anyways.. I've been to the place where Jesus has been crucified, where the Western Wall is located, and where the "awesome" mosque is located. So next time you see me, I hope you'll see a shining halo around my head, otherwise I'm pissed.
I have also been to Bethlehem, and all these holy places.
You have to know Bethlehem is in the Westbank.. so it's behind "the wall"

So when you enter the Westbank it says on big signs "No Israelis allowed". Getting in is the easy part, when you want to get out you need to get through a checkpoint, this is quite easy for tourists, but for Palestinians it's very difficult (for example, if you are a man, you need to be over 30, and married, get through 3 security checks,..)
Back in Jerusalem, I went to the holocaust museum, which wasn't too amusing, as you can imagine...
Well, I'm back now in Tel Aviv and flying out on the day after tomorrow.
Have a good one, cheers.
I met a guy who just found out he is Jewish, The David

Kingdom of heaven and a hell lot of cars

Yeah, I'm in Jerusalem... and it is raining. As if god is sad (pissed off) that I am right next the holiest place on earth.
Tonight's game time, tomorrow Jesus time.
Do not miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity, David

Waking up today at 9:00 AM, getting dressed (oh look, no reasion to do that, I am already dressed), washing (nah, no I don't need that), brushing my teeth (definetly need that),.. wandering around the city (from A to B, from C to D and back), eating great breakfast (at a cafe where everybody is about 75.. eh, no more 85), buying awesome shoes, dodging the big crowds at Ha.. com.. mara (ah, I can't remember) street, trying to get into some museuems (all closed.. fuck), getting home, falling asleep, getting up, go out.
My new roommate is from Mexico, David
P.S.: The U.S. embassy is right next to my hostel, so if helicopters fly in to get the U.S. ambassodor out of this country, I'm right behind

Stuck at the airport

Yeah well, I have safely arrived in Tel Aviv. (YEAH!) After an "OK" ride with the train, starting at 2 AM, from Linz to Munich, and actually a pretty nice 4 hours flight with LTUr (watched 500 Days of Summer, kind of depressing though), I am finally at my Destination.
I am staying at the "Sky hostel" in the middle of Tel Aviv, right next to the beach. My commentary to the hostel.. the rooms have beds.
Funny thing, I do not know why, but I must have one of those faces. Even BEFORE I entered this country, I got asked 3 times, from different security on the airport "What are you doing here?" I am on vacation "Which places are you going to visit?" Tel Aviv, Jerusalem "Do you know anybody here in Israel?" No "Are you traveling alone?" Yes "Really?" Yeah "Really, really?" Well... yeah! "How are you going to get to Tel Aviv" I will take the train "No you will not!!" No I won't? "No" No... Why not? "Shabbat" Shit..
My roommate is from France, I don't know if I like that, David

Shalom מדינת ישראל

Hmmm, I guess I've just booked a flight to Israel...
From the 21st of November to the 28th you're going to find me in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and maybe the Gaza Strip (well, I'll think about that)



I'm not a shmock, David

Calle luna, calle sol

Tja, jetzt isses so so weit. Letzte Nacht in Caracas... morgen gehts wieder Richtung good old Austria.
3 Wochen... hmmm... schon irgendwie zu kurz, aber naja. Ich hoff ihr habts durch meine.. doch zahlreichen, Blogeintraege ein Bild von Venezuela machen koennen. Ihr koennt euch gern spaeter bei mir bedanken.
Fania All Star, David

In Merida

Hey guys! We are right now in Merida... after a 13 hours bus ride in a fucking freezer.
What the fuck is wrong with roomtemperature, I mean, it is nice, it is warm, it is cozy, everybody likes roomtemperature, but noooo, not the fucking busdriver. You know, I am from fucking Austria and still felt more like a frozen penguin then human... fuck!
Me llamo David

"They call it the chicken intense" said Hitler to Chavez

Ok.. I am exhausted. So this was our route to finally arrive at the couchsurfers place Fr.: Linz -> Vienna - Sa.: Vienna -> Madrid - So.: Madrid -> Caracas - Mo: Caracas -> Marakay
The last days were awesome, with little sleep but lot of fun... Starting in Vienna, spreading the "chicken intense" all over Vienna, like a prostitute in her 20s. At that point I would like to tell you, that drunkendavid and the subway of Vienna will never be really good friends. It took me felt like 18 hours to find my way back to Joes, including several "ah-shit-I-fell-asleep-and-missed-my-station"-moments.
So after a very long night in Vienna and a not so long sleep, Bernadette and me (still drunkedavid) were on way to Maracay... Maracay?! Well not excatly, more like Madrid. In Madrid we had to wait almost 14 hours for our connection flight.. so we decided to get into the city and check out the nightlife. Somehow it felt like Vienna, because in every pub/bar we went, we ended up getting kicked out because they were closing. At 1 pm, at 2 pm, 4 pm and finally at 6 pm. At the point of getting to know a guy, who knows a guy who knew Hitler, we decided it's finally time go back to the airport.

("Hey, this guy, knows a guy, that knows a guy, who knew Hitler")

Oh and at that point I would like to tell you, that drunkebernadette drunkendavid will never be really good friends with the subway of Madrid.
Anyway, finally back at the airport, nearly oversleeping our flight (though lying on a icecold stone floor, with hundreds of people around you, you cannot really call "sleeping") we are on our way to Venezuela.
Flight was boring as usual, with little eruptions of pure rage against humanity(because X-Men Origins: Wolverine) and moments of real fear of death (because the hair of Bernadette tried to choke me several times when I fell asleep)
So after "Chicken Intense", "guy, who know a guy who knew Hitler", "killer dreads", oh and yes.. no sleep, our journey was finally about to begin.
Bernadette and me arriving at Venezuela.. first thing to do, get through the border (I do not wanna talk about it, just two words, stu and pid), then change money at the black market.. well, that was the easiest thing I probably did in my whole live. Just as you cross the "border", there is this dude coming up to, showing you the way where you can change illegaly money, directly on the airport. (Why change illegaly.. rate at the bank 1 euro -> 2,6 bolivar; black market 1 euro - 6 bolivar)
You know what, I am fucking tired.. I stop here, not reread this whole thing and just post it. I just can tell you, until now, I have only met the sweetest persons here in Venezuela and never felt any discomfort.

Minimal wage here is 170 euros, David

kalokagathie

Hey there!
The trip to Venezuela is getting closer and closer... (or as Axel would say it, it's becoming nearer and nearer)
With me, getting more anxious everyday and Bernadette.. well being Bernadette, I've decided to find out more about the country, I'm going to get know a lot better in exactly 12 days...
So I've asked Jakob (http://jakobs-reise.blogspot.com/), how's he doing on his trip through South America, and if he has any tips for me (especially for Caracas)... well, let me tell you that.. I should not have asked.

Quotes from his Mail:
"Geld ist verdammt beschissen, nimm Euros mit, vielleicht auch ein paar Dollars, und stecke nie Kredit oder Bankomatkarte in den ATM.
Die Sache ist folgende: offiziell kriegst fuer 1€ ungefaehr 2.8 bis 3 Bolivares, fuer 1US$ ungefaehr 2 Bolivares.
Am Flughafen wirst innerhalb von 1Sekunde hunderte Leute treffen die dir fuer 1$ 4Bol. geben, ist aber schlecht, normalerweise kriegst 6 dafuer. Beim € genau das selbe, nur dass hier der vernuenftige Kurs bei 1=8 liegt. In vielen Backpacker Posadas kannst ueber Banktransfer wechseln, haben meist auch europaeische Konten.

Pass am FLughafen auf, dass dich niemand wirklich niemand irgendwo hinbringt und beim Geldwechseln pass auf Polizei auf, ist glaub ich mit 2 Jahren Haft oder so.
Polizei immer aus den Weg gehen, sind korrupt wie Sau und wenn du in Caracas bleiben willst, such dir gleich alles ganz genau heraus, Adress, wie du hinkommst, einfach alles. Caracas ist glaub ich eine der gefaehrlichsten Staedte der Welt.



Pass bei den Taxis am FLughafen auf, gibt viele wilde Geschichten...

In der Nacht wuerde ich in den wenigsten Staedten nachts rausgehen, kommt jetzt drauf an wo du hinwillst, also in Merida gings schon, aber sonst eher nicht."

Weeeeell, that's about it. I especially love the part with the corrupt cops.

Take her not me, David

Venezu fucking ela

Hey there! here's the deal.. Agnes might be on the other side of the world, but thanks to the internet, it is still possible for us to have the same travel blog.
So don't be too confused when on one day you read something about "Iggy Pop meets Agnes" and the next about "mosquitoes tried to eat David".
This is year it's time for South America, I'm going to... V E N E Z U E L A ! ! !

Getting there:

Vienna (Vienna International VIE) - Madrid (Madrid Barajas MAD)
(08-Aug-2009 19:20H - 08-Aug-2009 22:15H)

Madrid (Madrid Barajas MAD) - Caracas (Caracas Simon Bolivar CCS)
(09-Aug-2009 12:15H - 09-Aug-2009 14:45H)

Getting back:

Caracas (Caracas Simon Bolivar CCS) - Madrid (Madrid Barajas MAD)
(29-Aug-2009 16:25H - 29-Aug-2009 07:25H)

Madrid (Madrid Barajas MAD) - Vienna (Vienna International VIE)
(30-Aug-2009 08:50H - 30-Aug-2009 - 11:40H)



So see you there...
Ich hab zwanzig Kinder, meine Frau ist schön, David

beaches.

wednesday: long beach.

ich wollte zu diesem riessigen gebraucht-buecher geschaeft, aber die haben vor ein paar monaten zugesperrt. sehr sehr schade darum. die hatten wirklich alles! dafuer hab ich mir einen wunderschoenen magischen ring gekauft. er ist handarbeit und uhralt. UND, UND, ich hab jetzt ein fahrrad!!!!



thirsday: santa monica - venice beach.

ryan, grant und ich sind eigentlich den ganzen tag lang am strand entlang geschlaendert, bis hinunter nach venice, haben dort gegessen, und sind wieder zurueck. hoert sich langweilig an, ist es aber ganz und gar nicht. man sollte blos beachten dass die sonna auch durchbrennt wenns bewoelkt ist...




naja und heute:

hab ich mein neues wunderrad eingeweiht und bin ein wenig in der gegend herumgefahrn...ich vermisse die sonne, die sich seit tagen schon nicht sehn gelassen hat.



-agnes.

haaaaaaaaaaaaaar.

heute.

heute ist ein feiertag. bin auf der suche nach einem billigen fahrrad, damit ich auch ein wenig mobil bin. aber da die salvation army heute geschlossen hat muss ich morgen extra frue aufstehn und bevor wir nach LA fahren noch schnell das rad kaufen. hoffe ich finde einen zentralen abstellplatz der nix kostet.

ansonsten tut sich hier nicht viel. hab heute mit grant seiner mom ueber jimi hendrix geplaudert, und was der immer so getrieben hat.

ich lese noch immer den ganzen tag lang und am abend werden meisstens ein oder zwei filme geschaut.

neben mir auf meinem nachttisch liegen drei spielzeug pistolen, mit denen ich und grant die ganze zeit spielen. amerikanische suessigkeiten und eis schmecken wie der letzte dreck, und die polizei ist furchteinfloesend:

zwei kleine jungs haben in LA auf ihren fahrraedern raeuber und gendarm gespielt (mit spritzpistolen !), als ein nachbar die polizei gerufen hat, und die dann einfach einen der beiden jungs erschossen haben...furchtbar oder?

-agnes.

kicking bugs.

me and grant went for a long walk on the beach, yesterday night. there were those huge flea-like looking bugs jumping around on the sand. so when you walked you had to kick the out of the way.

now i'm gonna take a walk over to an argentian store, that should be not too far away from the house.

third fucking eyeball.

orange county is the drag. i'm really looking forward to seeing LA again. i miss the city. first thing i'm gonna buy when i'm there is a bike.

we had an earthquake yesterday, while i was sitting on the toilet (closed), getting my hair bleached.

i have golden hair now. how cool is that, huh?

weeeeeeeeeeell, i think this is all i got for today.

hug. agnes.

For A Minty Fresh Soul!

oh and pop!

i totally forgot about pop!

last friday we went up to LA, in order so be part of the musicares anthony kiedis honoring.



it was supposed to be Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bob Forrest and Elijah Forrest, Josh Klinghoffer, the Mars Volta, Ivan Neville, and Iggy Pop playing there. only that John Frusciante and The Mars Volta just didn't show up.

so i saw three of my early adolescence heroes. bob, josh AND fucking iggy pop!!!!

love ya, -agnes.

Being An American.

hi there everyone.
lets get this thing started, again.

for all of you wondering: I'M FINE!!! calm down everyone.

oh and you can become a fan of the swine flu and AIDS on facebook.

i just came back from yoga class, which start by 6.30am. i try my best to fit in, or at least try to get a better understanding of american culture i guess, hahaha. it's run by this at least over 60-year-old asian lady. i'm all sore and didn't have breakfast yet, so don't mess with TheEgg!

i didn't do much last week. just reading 'breaking open the head' by daniel pinchbeck (which i can highly recommend !!!) and checking my emails over and over again on my new compaq laptop.

i had problems to acclimate the first couple of days. i felt tiny and not worth anything at all. it was a nice mix of culture shock and jetlag :). but now i'm all adventurous again.

my current hombase is located in laguna hills, about two hours away from LA. where i'm living with my friend grant.

i'm sweating like hooker in church.

-ag