I woke up at 3:45 AM to make my 7 AM flight from Budapest to Copenhagen. I hated to spend the money on the flight, but I had no other choice. I flew the Hungarian Airlines in the One World Alliance. I believe it was called Malav or something. Of course, unlike airlines in the US they served a meal and gave out about 3 drinks a person on a 2 hour flight.
I flew into an overcast and cold Copenhagen. I don't think I will wear shorts or short sleeves for the rest of the trip. Highs over here are around 50-55 with lows going just under 40 degrees. My body keeps thinking it is Christmas time.
I checked dropped my luggage off at the hostel (can't check in until after 2 pm) and walked 2 kilometers to Tivoli Gardens. I attended a Childrens International Summer Villages camp in Denmark when I was 11 years old. I fell in love with Copenhagen. It is interesting how some memories from childhood are brighter than others. The day I was at Tivoli Gardens at 11 is one of my most vivid. I was one of the first in the park at 11:30 AM. I've been going non-stop for a number of days so I decided not to allow myself to see any tourist sight for the entire day and just enjoy Tivoli and relax. Due to how cold it gets in the winter, I was there for the last day of the season. All of the rides had zero line when I got there so I took full advantage. Yes, I know I am probably too old for this sort of thing, but they had some great rides and it was a walk down memory lane. It was good to see they opened some new rides since I was 11. There is an airplane ride that looks like a kids ride, but goes so fast you experience 5.2 G's. I think I rode the ride about 10 times that day. I was told by Danish in line 5 times that I wouldn't be able to handle the ride and would throw up. When they realized I was on a first name basis with the ride operator I was considered a "cool guy." During the ride you feel your face start to peel backwards as all of the liquid in your eyes escape out the side of your face. Awesome stuff:
I think I skipped ahead and should go back a bit to tell you about Tivoli Gardens. Tivoli Gardens is basically the original Disney World. I mean Disney based a lot of his theme park on Tivoli. It was found in the mid 1800's. The park is located in the middle of Copenhagen. The park is fairly small due to restrictions on space, but the landscaping and lighting is better than any amusement park I've ever been to. You get the feeling you are taken back to a different time and place. Tivoli has effectively maintained the charm of the original park while incorporating modern technology to appeal to everyone. They have everything from fancy restaurants to cheap snack bars.
Twice a day the Boys Tivoli marching band parades around the grounds. About 50 boys younger than 12 are dressed in English victorian soldier uniforms. In the middle of the procession is a small stagecoach guided by 2 miniature ponies. A boy and girl of around 8 wave to unlookers from inside. They are dressed like a prince and princess. It is very old school, but everyone in the park goes crazy whenever they go by.
By 9 PM I was completely exhausted and headed back to the hostel to get some rest. I stayed in an 8 bed mixed dorm room and when I got in another person was already asleep. As soon as my head hit the pillow I was out. I was rudely awoken an hour later by two dumb girls. They turned on the lights and talked for two hours without the slightest care for the two people sleeping in the room. I'm having a great time, but I really need a solid nights sleep. It has been a long, long time. The next day I got up and reserved a ticket to Stockholm before taking a canal tour of Copenhagen. The tour was great. One of the highlights was seeing the guy credited with founding Microsoft Excel's yacht in a prime location on the canal. The yacht looked like a navy vessel.
The famous little mermaid statue is currently on loan to China for the Expo so I didn't get to see her. The artist made another Little Mermaid Statue and Tivoli had it on loan on the pond.
We did get to see Hans Christian Anderson's House on the tour:
(The one with the balcony)
After the tour I walked around the shopping district and took in the sights.
The next day I took a train to Stockholm. I must say Swedish trains win the award for being the nicest with the most amenities. They have coffee, tea, and water available for free anytime during the journey, fruits and muffins, and free internet. If only every train was like that!
I got to Stockholm in the afternoon and walked around a bit to get my bearing. I met one of my dormmates by accidentally walking into the womens shower...always an adventure. I was without a doubt more scared than her. I hurried back to the room and hoped I'd never see the girl again, but of course as fate would have it she was one of my roommates. She walked in and was like, oh there is the pervert who walked in on my changing. I apologized profusely and she laughed it off. It all worked out because the next day I was changing in the room (Very exciting to see how fast you can change in a mixed dorm room) and she walked in and saw the fall boxer brief line of Brent's wardrobe.
The next morning I got up and had breakfast at the cafe connected to the hostel before booking a ticket to Gothenburg and going on a hop on hop off tour bus. The tour was great. I went to the Vassar museum. The Vassar is a huge ship commissioned by the King of Sweden hundreds of years ago. It only sailed 150 meters before sinking in the harbor. It would be the equivalent of the worlds largest cruise ship leaving the dock on its first voyage and immediately going down. Around 50 people died when it sank and I can only imagine how many others were put to death for their mistakes.
The ship was somehow brought to the surfect about 50 years ago and now resides in the museum. It is incredible how put together it is after sitting on the ocean floor for so long. Check it out:
(What it looked like when it set sail)
Here is the Governator. For some reason the curator who put together an amazing museum couldn't help him or herself and had to relate a brilliant wooden statue from the ship of Hercules to Arnold's less memorable role. Well, I mean the one where he is in New York City as Hercules is a cinematic masterpiece.
(Also, why is the Governator picture at that level)
After the Vassar Museum I went to one of the largest open air museums in the world. The place was basically like an Amish amusement park. Each building had a different profession from a town showing how things were done 150 years ago. I saw glass blowing, animals, beautiful gardens, and a great view of the city.Check out this kid. Poor kid was just trying to walk like an Egyptian while this bird got all up in his business:
After the outdoor museum I finished out the tour before grabbing some dinner. Sweden has a lot of Mexican food restaurants and I've been craving spicy food, especially Tex Mex for 2 months now. The place was okay, much better than any other tex-mex/mexican food place I've tried in Europe. They also had Dos XX. I ordered one and the lady was amazed. She asked if I ever had it before. I told her it is one of my favorites. Evidently, they are the only restaurant to carry it. I won't say how much one bottle of Dos XX cost, but it was nice to have Texas type food for a change.
After dinner I met up with a group from the hostel going to Karaoke. We thought it would be like American karaoke, mostly for laughs with a few exceptional singers along the way. We were wrong. Swedes are professional karaoke singers. Here is a short video I was able to take. They were incredible. People from our group got up to sing and made fools of ourselves, but the Swedish were polite about us ruining their ears for years to come. The group tried to get me to sing, but as many of you know, singing is not one of my gifts. It is without a doubt a curse. I spared the country of Sweden. After the karaoke place we went to a club one of the guys knew about. It was called "Soap." At this point I was pretty good friends with a group of guys from Georgia. I went to the restroom and had my backside squeezed by 3 different guys on the way. This struck me as odd. I didn't say anything to the other guys because, well it was awkward. Another one of the guys came back to the group and in a Chris Farley-esque rant yelled about all the hands that were squeezing his backside on the way to the bathroom. Between the two of us we pinpointed what we called "The Bermuda Butt Grabbing Triangle" of three very drunk guys. Another of the Georgia guys was like I want to test this out. He walked through and there was no grabbage. He was really dissapointed and hurt. Needless to say when we walked out I was accosted by the Bermuda Triangle again. Another story from the place: A tall girl was dancing behind us and then all of a sudden takes the girl next to her and dips her and they proceed to play intense tonsil hockey. Nothing wrong with this, I've been to sorority parties and thought nothing of it (well okay, I thought a little bit of it). Then when the tall girl released the other girl we saw a massive adams apple and figured out the tall girl was a guy. We learned so much.
Outside the club, one of the Georgia guys asked the bouncer if "Soap" is a gay club. He smirked and said no. When asked what percentage of the clientel is gay he said around 75%. The Georgia guy then explained to the bouncer and unfair it was because there were a lot of hot girls, but they were best friends with the gay guys and there is no way he could dance near as well as the gay guys and therefore he was at a severe disadvantage. He was saying it mostly in a joking tone, it was really funny. The bouncer told him to work on his dancing. Nothing at all wrong with gay clubs. It was just funny that it took us 4 hours to figure out what was happening. Beware of Bermuda Triangles.
After the club we walked back to the hostel, but one of the guys was hungry so we begrudgingly went into Mcdonalds. We were amazed at how a regular cheeseburger cost around $3 US dollars. A Swedish guy at the table next to us got mad at us about this. He almost got in a fight with one of the Georgia guys, but I talked him down. I told him how furious I am about Ikea prices being lower in Sweden. We had a good world politics and economics conversation and by the end we were good friends and he apologized for being so agitated. I've found in many places the stereotype of Americans are arrogant jerks. Some Europeans automatically judge me based on this. It's sad that is the case. That and the George W. Bush talk are basically daily conversations for me. I hope there are better conversations in the future.
The next morning I got up and took the train to Gothenburg. Gothenburg is I believe the second biggest city in Sweden. I got into the hostel and pretty much chilled for the rest of the evening. I met guys from Switzerland and Britain. Had an interesting conversation with the Swiss guy about war. He was very proud his country had been at peace for hundreds of years. He is right to be proud, but at the same time, when is it right to stand up for injustice?
I got up early the next morning and toured all over Gothenburg. I've driven a Volvo since I was 18 so I hit up the Volvo Museum. Gothenburg is the birthplace of Volvo. It was really dorky, but enjoyable. Here is a desk the Presidents sat across from eachother at from the beginning of the company. I don't believe you hear about that happening anymore.
After the Volvo Museum I went on a ferris wheel where I got a birds-eye view of the city.
I walked around the shopping district without buying a thing. Then I went to the Universeum. It was a natural history/science museum. Very cool place.
There was a rainforest and incredible aquarium.
There was a terrible display where you stood in a small capsule and they showed you what it feels like on the north pole by blowing freezing air at you.
Here is the most poisonous frog in the world.
I miss Shark Week.
After the Universeum, I met up with the Swiss guy and two British guys and we went out to get drinks. We met some very nice people and verified that Swedish women are very, very attractive.
The next day I went to Liseberg Amusement Park. It is the number one amusement park in Scandinavia. The place was awesome. They have the best wooden rollercoaster in the world(It really was incredible).
When it is 40-45 degrees the scariest rides are the water rides which were still open?! I took this as a challenge and took on the Roaring Rapids and Log Flume. I was drenched. The weather didn't slow the Swedes down at all. They loved the water rides. Out of control.
Whew! I'm finally caught up. I slept in a bit this morning went to the train station. I'm on the train to Oslo, Norway. I am pretty exhausted, but I'm not very good at just chilling out and relaxing. I need to work on that before reality hits in 12 days. Hope everyone is well at home!
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