Well, folks, I’ve made it to Iceland in one piece, and am still intact for the most part. Took a nice, epic fall at the bonfire the last night in Germany, and somehow only managed to bruise my left ring finger. Don’t ask how; probably my natural grace that comes and goes Anyhow, I’m here in Iceland, and very sad there are only two days left! However, I am getting to the point where I’m ready to be home, but don’t tell anyone that though!
All right where to start, where to start? So much has been packed into these short past few days!
My first thought upon landing in Iceland and then driving to the hostel was that I’ve landed on the moon! No joke! This is the ultimate cliché but very true. The southeastern portion of Iceland sits on the Mid-Atlantic ridges for you budding geologists, and as such this area is very tectonically active, with the North American and Eurasian plates slowly breaking apart over the last 40,000 years! Okay, so that was a lot geek speak. Basically it means lots of earthquakes, and of course, volcanoes! So, the lunar landscape look to this area of Iceland comes from the many volcanic eruptions over the years. It’s very neat looking, desert like, nothing really growing, but still cool. We drove out to a spot where the splitting of the two plates was very visible. For a few minutes I got to stand both in Eurasia and North America at the same time!
The second day in Iceland we were up early to catch a ferry to the Vestmannaeyjar (Westman) Islands. We had calm seas heading to the Islands, but it’s definitely a bit more than taking the ferry on Lake Superior, even in calm weather. Fortunately there was no seasickness here! The Westmans are a cluster of 18 Islands, the largest which has a community of about 4500 people. The Westmans also are home to millions of seabirds, MILLIONS!!! Puffins are the poster child of Iceland (and the national bird). If I remember correctly Iceland is home to 1/3 of the world’s population of puffins!
Once we made it to the island, the bad weather began to settle in. Rain, rain, wind, and a bit more rain. Our plans to take a boat tour around the islands were put on the back burner for a while and in the mean time, what did we do? Climbed a volcano! Yes, we really did, in the rain and the wind, all up around, and in the crater in the fog, hardly able to see where we were, much less where we were headed. At the time, I hated it and wanted nothing but to be in my bed, but at the end, I was glad we did it. Turns out the volcano we climbed (now dormant) pulled a Mt. St. Helens even before Mt. St. Helens decided to erupt. This volcano, having been dormant for over 4,000 years, erupted without warning in 1973 and went on for six months. There were over 400 homes that were buried in the lava and ash. Amazingly no one died in the whole event! After our volcano hike, we walked though a project area where homes that were buried are now being excavated. They are calling the project “Pompeii of the North.” It was actually very neat. In one of the homes, you could see pipes and remnants of kitchen wear and furniture.
After the volcano hike, the weather decided to tone it down a bit and we were able to do our boat tour, which was awesome!!! We went all around the Islands, into caves, saw tons of seabirds and a jellyfish or two. In the last cave we went into, our captain pulled out a saxophone and gave us a little recital. The acoustics in this cave were almost better than sitting in a cathedral!
The next day, as it turned out, was just as rainy and windy as the day before. We took a bus tour of the island, up to the third windiest point in the world to see puffin burrows. We were supposed to help with puffin surveying, but with all the rain, it wasn’t possible, much to everyone’s dismay. I was really looking forward to this part of the trip. Instead, we had a few lectures by the “Puffin Daddy” as Einar (Ay-nar) our—awesome—guide referred to the gentleman who conducts the research. Mainly his work consists of population surveying and the possible links to the decline in many of the species of seabirds around Iceland. One of the big causes, as with a lot of species now, is climate change.
Today, we are back on the mainland! We spent most of the day sightseeing around more of southern Iceland—waterfalls, black sand beaches, volcanoes (Katla/Eyjafjallajökull), oh yeah, and glaciers! We got to do a glacier walk today with crampons and a pick axe! The glacier hike was awesome!!! The glacier—Solheimajokull—is part of the region where the Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted this spring. We were warned that the glacier would be covered with black ash, but surprisingly it wasn’t at least not completely. We were also warned that we might not have been able to do it because of potential flash flooding in the area from all the rain the past few days. I am most definitely glad we were able to do the hike. There was a lot ash though, jet black, and very fine to the touch. If I’d had a baggie with me, it would have been full!
We ended our day with a visit to a horse farm and tomato greenhouse, all wrapped into one. Icelandic horses are one of the world’s most purebred horses, mostly because of its isolation and it is the only horse breed in Iceland. What’s also interesting is that the Icelandic horse masters five gates, while most horses master three. The man who owned the horse farm also runs a tomato greenhouse (his real job). The green house was neat. I’ve never seen a tomato plant ten feet tall before or drank Black Death out of a tomato shot glass. Black Death is an Icelandic schnapps. To me, it tasted like cucumbers, but had a really bad after taste! Don’t think I’ll be drinking that again too.
Tomorrow will be filled with lots of hiking and possibly a trip to a hot spring!!
12 August 2010
Wrapping it up auf Deutsch!
It’s hard to believe I was just in Ireland a mere three days ago. It already feels as though it’s been a lifetime! Crazy! Now we are on the last day in Germany, the test has been taken, not sure how well I’m going to do on it. There were lots of days where it was impossible to take notes with all the rain, but we will see… Many of the field trip/lectures we received were kind of repetitive, so all the material is in my head, it’s matter of whether I was able to sort through it efficiently enough on the test. Oh well, I don’t want speculate more than I already am—it usually doesn’t bode well.
On the bright side, we had a massive farewell feast with our German hosts: red deer venison, real potato salad, wurstsalat, mixed veggies, and BREAD!!! Heaven, I tell you. I am now a content butterball :)
Our last two days of lecture and field trips were actually very interesting. We visited a waste management plant, a biogas plants and observed some large timber cutting. While I may not have comprehended everything as well I wished I could, I still enjoyed it all the same.
The Böblingen Biomass Thermal Power Station was very unique. A little background on German waste/recycling management: they are eons ahead of us!! They sort everything. I mean everything! In our room, we have three baskets depending on what kind of waste it is and when all is collected, it’s further sorted! Anyhow, this plant basically incinerates everything that cannot be recycled and has a special system to clean and filter out any of the emissions that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. Heat and electricity are produced in the processes and then are stored and used to heat and provide electricity for about 40,000 people in the area of the plant!! This is the gist of it. The Biogas plant also works in a similar fashion. The intricate details of the processes are lost on me since I am hopeless when it comes to physics and chemistry! That and a lot is lost in translation (no pun intended, but true!)
Yesterday was yet another day spent wandering through the Black Forest, surveying for red and roe deer browsing damage as well as seeing a few large trees be felled. There is a significant problem with deer browsing, especially since the deer browse on the species the Germans are trying most to have regenerated. The white/silver fir is preferred by the deer since they have larger, softer, and tastier buds essentially. There is also the problem of trying to manage for populations. The deer mostly browse fir, but occasionally spruce buds will browsed as well. When this happens, it’s strong evidence that the populations are growing rapidly, since the deer tend to stay one area rather than travel through the forest.
The tree felling was awesome! Germans do not clear cut their forests as we sometimes do in the US. They selectively cut trees every 10 years in a certain area. Their ultimately goals for their forests are to be uneven-aged and mixed deciduous-coniferous stands of beech, spruce and fir. So, by selectively cutting larger trees every ten years, it allows the smaller ones to grow. I should say that they prefer the fir, since it grows rapidly in the first few years, as do the spruce, but fir are still preferred since they are more valuable from an economical and profitable standpoint. Kind of an interesting take on the issue of forest management…
Ok, back to tree felling! We got to see two large, 80-100 year old silver firs fall. The whole process of felling one tree took about 15 minutes! They have worked out a system by doing a series of cuts that allows them to control where a tree will fall. It’s crazy! It has to do with where the first cut is made, at what angle cuts are made, how much pressure is on the cable holding the tree. Tree felling is a science in and of itself, I would wager. It’s crazy to think that the amount of pressure on the cable will make or break which direction a tree will fall! I suppose it’s not rocket science that you would want to control when and where a tree will fall, especially for safety reasons, but then what do I know about forestry, except for the last few weeks? I concern myself with trees when they impede or are lacking within a certain animal habitat…
Well, I think I’d better get at that packing, make sure I’m not going to over the weight limit with all that schnapps, wine, and Jameson….not really, but there may end up being a stowaway in my bag on the way back. Not really all that bad when you think about it :)
Now onto Iceland!!
On the bright side, we had a massive farewell feast with our German hosts: red deer venison, real potato salad, wurstsalat, mixed veggies, and BREAD!!! Heaven, I tell you. I am now a content butterball :)
Our last two days of lecture and field trips were actually very interesting. We visited a waste management plant, a biogas plants and observed some large timber cutting. While I may not have comprehended everything as well I wished I could, I still enjoyed it all the same.
The Böblingen Biomass Thermal Power Station was very unique. A little background on German waste/recycling management: they are eons ahead of us!! They sort everything. I mean everything! In our room, we have three baskets depending on what kind of waste it is and when all is collected, it’s further sorted! Anyhow, this plant basically incinerates everything that cannot be recycled and has a special system to clean and filter out any of the emissions that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. Heat and electricity are produced in the processes and then are stored and used to heat and provide electricity for about 40,000 people in the area of the plant!! This is the gist of it. The Biogas plant also works in a similar fashion. The intricate details of the processes are lost on me since I am hopeless when it comes to physics and chemistry! That and a lot is lost in translation (no pun intended, but true!)
Yesterday was yet another day spent wandering through the Black Forest, surveying for red and roe deer browsing damage as well as seeing a few large trees be felled. There is a significant problem with deer browsing, especially since the deer browse on the species the Germans are trying most to have regenerated. The white/silver fir is preferred by the deer since they have larger, softer, and tastier buds essentially. There is also the problem of trying to manage for populations. The deer mostly browse fir, but occasionally spruce buds will browsed as well. When this happens, it’s strong evidence that the populations are growing rapidly, since the deer tend to stay one area rather than travel through the forest.
The tree felling was awesome! Germans do not clear cut their forests as we sometimes do in the US. They selectively cut trees every 10 years in a certain area. Their ultimately goals for their forests are to be uneven-aged and mixed deciduous-coniferous stands of beech, spruce and fir. So, by selectively cutting larger trees every ten years, it allows the smaller ones to grow. I should say that they prefer the fir, since it grows rapidly in the first few years, as do the spruce, but fir are still preferred since they are more valuable from an economical and profitable standpoint. Kind of an interesting take on the issue of forest management…
Ok, back to tree felling! We got to see two large, 80-100 year old silver firs fall. The whole process of felling one tree took about 15 minutes! They have worked out a system by doing a series of cuts that allows them to control where a tree will fall. It’s crazy! It has to do with where the first cut is made, at what angle cuts are made, how much pressure is on the cable holding the tree. Tree felling is a science in and of itself, I would wager. It’s crazy to think that the amount of pressure on the cable will make or break which direction a tree will fall! I suppose it’s not rocket science that you would want to control when and where a tree will fall, especially for safety reasons, but then what do I know about forestry, except for the last few weeks? I concern myself with trees when they impede or are lacking within a certain animal habitat…
Well, I think I’d better get at that packing, make sure I’m not going to over the weight limit with all that schnapps, wine, and Jameson….not really, but there may end up being a stowaway in my bag on the way back. Not really all that bad when you think about it :)
Now onto Iceland!!
09 August 2010
Toppa the afternoon to yeh, ladies an' gents!
Hello friends!
Well, I made it back to the castle in one piece, more or less, after an entire day spent en route. The weekend in Ireland was awesome! We were pleasantly surprised by such nice weather after looking at a forecast of rain for most of the weekend. It misted here and there, but was sunny quite a bit of the time. The travel time to Ireland was just as intense as getting back, but all the time spent in between went by like a blur. One day in Cork and then two spent in Killarney. Killarney is probably my new favorite city! (More on this later!)
We wasted no time from the minute we landed in Cork! We went straight to the hostel... well almost...we missed a turn somewhere along the way, but were guided back to the right back by a helpful woman. Most people we encountered were very genuine and so friendly, willing to help at the drop of a hat. Quite a bit different from home and here in Germany. Our hostel was nice for the cheap price we paid, co-ed dorms (surprise there! No one snored so all was well and good), weird, but neat maze-like hallways to navigate, friendly and knowledgeable desk workers, etc.
From the hostel, we went onto Midleton, home of the original Jameson Irish Whiskey Factory. Again, there is probably no surprise here considering we were four college students :) Anyhow, we went on a tour of the factory and were shown all the ins and outs of it, how whiskey is made, right from the grain down to the distillery process. After, we were given complimentary glasses of whiskey. There was a tasting of three different whiskeys: Jameson, Jack Daniels and Scotch (can't remember which though). All that's really important here is that we are now certified whiskey taste testers and that Jameson truly is the smoothest :)
We took a detour after the Jameson factory to Cobh (pronounced like Cove) which is situated right in the harbor out to the ocean. It was interesting to find out that Cobh was the last place the Titanic docked before heading out the open sea. One of the original dock landings is still in the water! We had a supper of fish and chips on the water along with mashed peas. Mashed peas don't sound all that great, but surprising they were pretty tasty, as was the fish :)
After Cork, we went onto Killarney, which is further west than Cork. As I said before, Killarney is probably my favorite new place. Killarney Town as it's called is a really neat place, all the shops, pubs, restaurants, monuments. It's a fun place to walk the streets after dark and just listen to all the music coming out of every open door. Of course you can guess we went to a pub or two every night, because it wouldn't be a trip to Ireland, without experiencing a night or two out at a pub with a pint :) It was funny that music sessions always began around 9.30 pm and then went to pub close at 11.30 pm. It was a little different. Everything literally shut down after midnight at the latest! The music was great to listen to: lots of traditional music, sad and happy alike. I loved it!!
I should insert here that I'm not a huge fan of those big bus tours that lots of people take. Actually I really dislike them, and guess what I did? I added myself to list that set out from our hostel bright and early yesterday morning! And I had an awesome time! It was what I imagine to go on an older person's tour to say, Branson, MO The Dingle Peninsula was really scenic and beautiful. Funny name to it, but it was an awesome tour. So green, and the ocean was so blue! I couldn't believe how blue it was!! Our guide had quite a bit of humorous side to him as well, which makes a tour like that more fun. It helped too that we were a smaller group.
All in all, it was a great trip! I only wish there was more time to explore it. Guess I'll to come back here too. Sorry for the short-ish update. Other internet people are breathing down my neck for the cable! Three more days and we're off to Iceland!!
Well, I made it back to the castle in one piece, more or less, after an entire day spent en route. The weekend in Ireland was awesome! We were pleasantly surprised by such nice weather after looking at a forecast of rain for most of the weekend. It misted here and there, but was sunny quite a bit of the time. The travel time to Ireland was just as intense as getting back, but all the time spent in between went by like a blur. One day in Cork and then two spent in Killarney. Killarney is probably my new favorite city! (More on this later!)
We wasted no time from the minute we landed in Cork! We went straight to the hostel... well almost...we missed a turn somewhere along the way, but were guided back to the right back by a helpful woman. Most people we encountered were very genuine and so friendly, willing to help at the drop of a hat. Quite a bit different from home and here in Germany. Our hostel was nice for the cheap price we paid, co-ed dorms (surprise there! No one snored so all was well and good), weird, but neat maze-like hallways to navigate, friendly and knowledgeable desk workers, etc.
From the hostel, we went onto Midleton, home of the original Jameson Irish Whiskey Factory. Again, there is probably no surprise here considering we were four college students :) Anyhow, we went on a tour of the factory and were shown all the ins and outs of it, how whiskey is made, right from the grain down to the distillery process. After, we were given complimentary glasses of whiskey. There was a tasting of three different whiskeys: Jameson, Jack Daniels and Scotch (can't remember which though). All that's really important here is that we are now certified whiskey taste testers and that Jameson truly is the smoothest :)
We took a detour after the Jameson factory to Cobh (pronounced like Cove) which is situated right in the harbor out to the ocean. It was interesting to find out that Cobh was the last place the Titanic docked before heading out the open sea. One of the original dock landings is still in the water! We had a supper of fish and chips on the water along with mashed peas. Mashed peas don't sound all that great, but surprising they were pretty tasty, as was the fish :)
After Cork, we went onto Killarney, which is further west than Cork. As I said before, Killarney is probably my favorite new place. Killarney Town as it's called is a really neat place, all the shops, pubs, restaurants, monuments. It's a fun place to walk the streets after dark and just listen to all the music coming out of every open door. Of course you can guess we went to a pub or two every night, because it wouldn't be a trip to Ireland, without experiencing a night or two out at a pub with a pint :) It was funny that music sessions always began around 9.30 pm and then went to pub close at 11.30 pm. It was a little different. Everything literally shut down after midnight at the latest! The music was great to listen to: lots of traditional music, sad and happy alike. I loved it!!
I should insert here that I'm not a huge fan of those big bus tours that lots of people take. Actually I really dislike them, and guess what I did? I added myself to list that set out from our hostel bright and early yesterday morning! And I had an awesome time! It was what I imagine to go on an older person's tour to say, Branson, MO The Dingle Peninsula was really scenic and beautiful. Funny name to it, but it was an awesome tour. So green, and the ocean was so blue! I couldn't believe how blue it was!! Our guide had quite a bit of humorous side to him as well, which makes a tour like that more fun. It helped too that we were a smaller group.
All in all, it was a great trip! I only wish there was more time to explore it. Guess I'll to come back here too. Sorry for the short-ish update. Other internet people are breathing down my neck for the cable! Three more days and we're off to Iceland!!
04 August 2010
Now we will visit the place of my juvenile and spawning habitat!
Freiburg—04.08.2010
So there is a story that goes along with that heading....be patient!
We’ve made it to Freiburg and already our last day is tomorrow! I should say that we only had one full day here (today), but yesterday worked our way from Altensteig to Freiburg on a tour of sorts.
Yesterday, we visited various hydro-electric plants along the River Rhine as well as a salmon hatchery that is maintained completely on a volunteer basis. Salmon was the magic word of the day yesterday! The main concern with the electric plants along the Rhine is creating fish ladders at the plants/dams for the salmon to migrate back to their spawning grounds. Our guide, Fabian, (no not Fabio!) has played a crucial part in trying to reintroduce Atlantic salmon into the Rhine system and to create a new Rhine River salmon since that sub-species of salmon became extinct in the 1950s.
In addition to losing the last of this species, the Rhine has also been a fairly polluted river and became more so in about 1990 when many chemicals were accidentally released into the river, virtually making it an aquatic desert. Literally, it was not able to support any life forms. Since then the Germans have been working with France, the Netherlands, and other with ties to the River Rhine in order to clean up the river.
Now, however, the river is clean and fish are abundant. Salmon are of particular interest as they require a specialized habitat, much like Pacific salmon, so they are working toward making it easier for the salmon to migrate through river systems. The first hydro-plant we visited had a very intricate fish ladder system and large electrical output-as any as 185,000 homes received electricity from this one plant! The subsequent fish ladders we visited were not quite as large or industrial looking, but much more "natural" with stones to facilitate the ladders.
The salmon hatchery we visited in between the hydro-plants was probably THE highlight of the day. I didn't realize before we got there that the entire hatchery is maintained on a volunteer basis and Fabian has had a large part in this also. Basically they are working to create a new Rhine River salmon using the genetic strains from a France and the Atlantic salmon. There are a few salmon used purely for breeding purposes while others go through their entire life cycles from the streams they hatch, to the time they spend in the ocean and then back to the streams. There was a holding pond of about 10,000 five month old fry that we were able to see, which was neat. Think of a small minnow you fish with and that's how big they were.
Now onto today, we had Fabian as our guide again to show us around his "juvenile" habitat where he grew up and the spawning ground where he and his family live. It was one of those you-had-to-be-there moments, but it was really funny at 7.30 in the morning either way. We went on a good hike today along the Kaiserstuhl, a ridge of sorts in between the hills of the Black Forest and the Rhine Valley. In this area, there are a lot of vineyards, so naturally we spent half the day hiking and wine tasting! :)
In the vineyards we visited, they use a hybrid grape that has American roots and a European trunk and shoots. The American roots are grafted on to the European trunk because they are more well adapted to a lice in the soil that feeds on the roots of the grapes. It was interesting, especially since I know next to nothing about wine in general. All the wine we tasted was amazing. I even got a little light-headed after six different wines and then a special wild cherry liqueur after the picnic we had.
There will be more photos to come and more updates of course! I leave for Ireland tomorrow and can't wait!
So there is a story that goes along with that heading....be patient!
We’ve made it to Freiburg and already our last day is tomorrow! I should say that we only had one full day here (today), but yesterday worked our way from Altensteig to Freiburg on a tour of sorts.
Yesterday, we visited various hydro-electric plants along the River Rhine as well as a salmon hatchery that is maintained completely on a volunteer basis. Salmon was the magic word of the day yesterday! The main concern with the electric plants along the Rhine is creating fish ladders at the plants/dams for the salmon to migrate back to their spawning grounds. Our guide, Fabian, (no not Fabio!) has played a crucial part in trying to reintroduce Atlantic salmon into the Rhine system and to create a new Rhine River salmon since that sub-species of salmon became extinct in the 1950s.
In addition to losing the last of this species, the Rhine has also been a fairly polluted river and became more so in about 1990 when many chemicals were accidentally released into the river, virtually making it an aquatic desert. Literally, it was not able to support any life forms. Since then the Germans have been working with France, the Netherlands, and other with ties to the River Rhine in order to clean up the river.
Now, however, the river is clean and fish are abundant. Salmon are of particular interest as they require a specialized habitat, much like Pacific salmon, so they are working toward making it easier for the salmon to migrate through river systems. The first hydro-plant we visited had a very intricate fish ladder system and large electrical output-as any as 185,000 homes received electricity from this one plant! The subsequent fish ladders we visited were not quite as large or industrial looking, but much more "natural" with stones to facilitate the ladders.
The salmon hatchery we visited in between the hydro-plants was probably THE highlight of the day. I didn't realize before we got there that the entire hatchery is maintained on a volunteer basis and Fabian has had a large part in this also. Basically they are working to create a new Rhine River salmon using the genetic strains from a France and the Atlantic salmon. There are a few salmon used purely for breeding purposes while others go through their entire life cycles from the streams they hatch, to the time they spend in the ocean and then back to the streams. There was a holding pond of about 10,000 five month old fry that we were able to see, which was neat. Think of a small minnow you fish with and that's how big they were.
Now onto today, we had Fabian as our guide again to show us around his "juvenile" habitat where he grew up and the spawning ground where he and his family live. It was one of those you-had-to-be-there moments, but it was really funny at 7.30 in the morning either way. We went on a good hike today along the Kaiserstuhl, a ridge of sorts in between the hills of the Black Forest and the Rhine Valley. In this area, there are a lot of vineyards, so naturally we spent half the day hiking and wine tasting! :)
In the vineyards we visited, they use a hybrid grape that has American roots and a European trunk and shoots. The American roots are grafted on to the European trunk because they are more well adapted to a lice in the soil that feeds on the roots of the grapes. It was interesting, especially since I know next to nothing about wine in general. All the wine we tasted was amazing. I even got a little light-headed after six different wines and then a special wild cherry liqueur after the picnic we had.
There will be more photos to come and more updates of course! I leave for Ireland tomorrow and can't wait!
02 August 2010
What shall we do with a drunken sailor...early in the morning?
02.08.2010
And no, this isn’t a huge reference, more like trying to find something we all knew the words to so we could sing with the piano! :)
The last few days have been very laid back, much of which was spent playing ping pong, cards, and hiking or reading. I only brought two books with me and I’ve been good insofar. I’ve only just finished the first and have barely just started the second so I think I’m okay for at least a little while.
We made the hour and half trek down into Altensteig early on in order to get supplies for the weekend (aka mostly food items since the wonderful Ingeborg, who cooks for us, was off for the weekend). Any trip down into the valley is a day trip considering the severe changes in elevation and when you get there, you have to treat yourself to a little something (ice cream or a kebab!) before you head back up with all the extra weight on your back. Anyhow, our supplies included stuff to grill out with, which was an awesome time! We sat at the fire for at least a few hours in one sitting before we’d make it back to the Wonder Bar for other “treats” :)
Other than the hike down to Altensteig, a couple of us walked to Hornberg, another small village nearby. It's a rural little village surrounded by wheat and corn fields. There are also three sequoia trees about 250 years old in Hornberg. The story goes that the king at the time (a little fuzzy on which one) envied the large trees on America's west coast. Thinking that large trees were produced from large seeds, he ordered ten pounds of sequoia seeds to be brought from America, wanting to plant them all over his palace. Turns out, he greatly overestimated (sequoia seeds are very small) and then proclaimed that the seeds be spread all over....hence three of them now in Hornberg. Pretty neat!
Today was an awesome, even though it was spent hiking in the rain for the most part. We were given some hands-on experience today with habitat surveying and conducting browsing damage assessments. The habitat surveys were done for capercaillies, an extremely endangered ground dwelling bird. It's roughly the size of a turkey, but all black for the most part. The damage assessments were done to see how much roe deer were affecting the regeneration of silver fir, spruce, and jack pine. Silver fir are hit the hardest since the roe deer find them to be the tastiest.
This is a quick update, but there will be more. We are on our way to Freiburg tomorrow morning at 7am to visit a salmon hatchery and renweable energy plant. I still need to figure out packing...
Our next free weekend begins on Thursday and so begins the final countdown to Ireland in THREE DAYS!!!!
And no, this isn’t a huge reference, more like trying to find something we all knew the words to so we could sing with the piano! :)
The last few days have been very laid back, much of which was spent playing ping pong, cards, and hiking or reading. I only brought two books with me and I’ve been good insofar. I’ve only just finished the first and have barely just started the second so I think I’m okay for at least a little while.
We made the hour and half trek down into Altensteig early on in order to get supplies for the weekend (aka mostly food items since the wonderful Ingeborg, who cooks for us, was off for the weekend). Any trip down into the valley is a day trip considering the severe changes in elevation and when you get there, you have to treat yourself to a little something (ice cream or a kebab!) before you head back up with all the extra weight on your back. Anyhow, our supplies included stuff to grill out with, which was an awesome time! We sat at the fire for at least a few hours in one sitting before we’d make it back to the Wonder Bar for other “treats” :)
Other than the hike down to Altensteig, a couple of us walked to Hornberg, another small village nearby. It's a rural little village surrounded by wheat and corn fields. There are also three sequoia trees about 250 years old in Hornberg. The story goes that the king at the time (a little fuzzy on which one) envied the large trees on America's west coast. Thinking that large trees were produced from large seeds, he ordered ten pounds of sequoia seeds to be brought from America, wanting to plant them all over his palace. Turns out, he greatly overestimated (sequoia seeds are very small) and then proclaimed that the seeds be spread all over....hence three of them now in Hornberg. Pretty neat!
Today was an awesome, even though it was spent hiking in the rain for the most part. We were given some hands-on experience today with habitat surveying and conducting browsing damage assessments. The habitat surveys were done for capercaillies, an extremely endangered ground dwelling bird. It's roughly the size of a turkey, but all black for the most part. The damage assessments were done to see how much roe deer were affecting the regeneration of silver fir, spruce, and jack pine. Silver fir are hit the hardest since the roe deer find them to be the tastiest.
This is a quick update, but there will be more. We are on our way to Freiburg tomorrow morning at 7am to visit a salmon hatchery and renweable energy plant. I still need to figure out packing...
Our next free weekend begins on Thursday and so begins the final countdown to Ireland in THREE DAYS!!!!
29 July 2010
Five inch slugs make GREAT fishing bait!! FYI...
29.07.2010
Soooo, we are now in present Germany time and into our first free weekend!! The last little bit in Poland was spent walking around the city visiting various churches that were erected between the 11th and 13th centuries. Each of the three churches we walked to were very quaint and nestled in between houses or businesses on the streets. Gothic style architecture was very prominent during this time and so these churches were constructed in this style. It’s hard to even describe how neat they were! The ornate frescos in each of them were just amazing and the stained glass! It’s amazing to think that these structures were made nearly a thousand years ago!
In the afternoon we were free to roam around the city. Most of us ended up back in the old city to buy last minute souvenirs, dinner, ice cream! Oh, and high on the list was breakfast for the next morning since we had to be up and on the bus by 3:30 am for our flight. That was not fun to get up that early, although I should be used to it by now…
The flights to Germany were probably the worst I’ve had, not in terms of landing but the pressure changes didn’t sit well this time for some reason. Maybe because the flights were too short to really adjust to the change, but either way my ear drums and my head definitely felt like they would surely explode! Even after we landed and were on the road to Altensteig, the pressure in my ears remained. Now, after a few days in the Black Forest, my ears are back to normal.
The Black Forest is just as amazing as I remember!! Much more hilly we where are than when I was in Deiβlingen, but absolutely wonderful. The first few days we were here, we got to lay low for a while, which was heavenly after being on the go for 10-12 hours in Poland. Sleep was a definite part of the routine those few days! The staff at Burg Hornberg gave us a very warm welcome and a short history of this area. They have been feeding us really well also! I almost forgot how wonderful the food is here too!
Our first real day here we received a lecture about the history of management in the Black Forest and Baden-Wuerttemburg’s practices in general. Common knowledge goes that Germany tends to be very utilitarian in many of their practices and kind of machine-like in terms of turning out. Forestry is definitely no exception. Management is practiced with utmost care to the outcome of good profits. In the states, we have this side of forestry as well, but most people tend to associate forests with preservation, especially when thinking of the west. It’s interesting how different our view can be. The trees here are HUGE!!! Some more than 200-300 years old! Natural regeneration of seedlings is also preferred over planting, very different from Poland, and even in the US.
After our lectures we walked down to the nearest village, about five miles away on foot. And when I say down, I mean up and down and in between a few narrow valleys before finally descending into Altensteig. Altensteig is a very quaint little village, actually fairly good sized, not too small or big. All the villages we’ve driven through are sort of isolated, but not at the same time, since roads are connecting them, but each of them are distinct in their own way. It’s neat.
The last few days were spent traipsing through and around the Black Forest at various locations, mostly nature centers and today at the Max Planck Institute of Ornithology along Lake Constance. It was awesome being back to Lake Constance! I only wish the weather was a little nicer. We have been either been drizzled or rained out the last few days. We woke up to raging thunderstorm this morning! I saw the lightning flash behind my eyelids and thought in my dream induced state that someone was taking a picture (not all that uncommon of late) :) The weather managed clear up just in time as we left though!
This is a random thought that I have to get out of my head: SLUGS!! I just have to say a word on slugs because I’ve never been faced with them as often as I have in the last week and a half. You may have seen the blue slug picture? Well, other than the blue slug, there have been 3-5 inch black, brown and orange slugs in between. Maybe I just don’t look hard enough when I’m home, but here I have to dodge them like earthworms on the road!
Well, now that it’s the first of the free weekends we have. I’m taking it easy hanging back at the castle. Oh yes, did I mention we are boarding in a castle? Well, it’s not really a castle. There is the tower that’s left, and then the main building, not quite as old, but still neat! The tower dates back to the 13th century. It has a neat view from the top, once you get there! Anyhow, yes, I’m staying at the castle this weekend to explore around the area and to save a little moola. For or next, longer weekend, a few gals and I are flying to Ireland!! I am super stoked for it and can’t wait! We are going to have an awesome time!
Looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow! Woot! Good night friends!
Soooo, we are now in present Germany time and into our first free weekend!! The last little bit in Poland was spent walking around the city visiting various churches that were erected between the 11th and 13th centuries. Each of the three churches we walked to were very quaint and nestled in between houses or businesses on the streets. Gothic style architecture was very prominent during this time and so these churches were constructed in this style. It’s hard to even describe how neat they were! The ornate frescos in each of them were just amazing and the stained glass! It’s amazing to think that these structures were made nearly a thousand years ago!
In the afternoon we were free to roam around the city. Most of us ended up back in the old city to buy last minute souvenirs, dinner, ice cream! Oh, and high on the list was breakfast for the next morning since we had to be up and on the bus by 3:30 am for our flight. That was not fun to get up that early, although I should be used to it by now…
The flights to Germany were probably the worst I’ve had, not in terms of landing but the pressure changes didn’t sit well this time for some reason. Maybe because the flights were too short to really adjust to the change, but either way my ear drums and my head definitely felt like they would surely explode! Even after we landed and were on the road to Altensteig, the pressure in my ears remained. Now, after a few days in the Black Forest, my ears are back to normal.
The Black Forest is just as amazing as I remember!! Much more hilly we where are than when I was in Deiβlingen, but absolutely wonderful. The first few days we were here, we got to lay low for a while, which was heavenly after being on the go for 10-12 hours in Poland. Sleep was a definite part of the routine those few days! The staff at Burg Hornberg gave us a very warm welcome and a short history of this area. They have been feeding us really well also! I almost forgot how wonderful the food is here too!
Our first real day here we received a lecture about the history of management in the Black Forest and Baden-Wuerttemburg’s practices in general. Common knowledge goes that Germany tends to be very utilitarian in many of their practices and kind of machine-like in terms of turning out. Forestry is definitely no exception. Management is practiced with utmost care to the outcome of good profits. In the states, we have this side of forestry as well, but most people tend to associate forests with preservation, especially when thinking of the west. It’s interesting how different our view can be. The trees here are HUGE!!! Some more than 200-300 years old! Natural regeneration of seedlings is also preferred over planting, very different from Poland, and even in the US.
After our lectures we walked down to the nearest village, about five miles away on foot. And when I say down, I mean up and down and in between a few narrow valleys before finally descending into Altensteig. Altensteig is a very quaint little village, actually fairly good sized, not too small or big. All the villages we’ve driven through are sort of isolated, but not at the same time, since roads are connecting them, but each of them are distinct in their own way. It’s neat.
The last few days were spent traipsing through and around the Black Forest at various locations, mostly nature centers and today at the Max Planck Institute of Ornithology along Lake Constance. It was awesome being back to Lake Constance! I only wish the weather was a little nicer. We have been either been drizzled or rained out the last few days. We woke up to raging thunderstorm this morning! I saw the lightning flash behind my eyelids and thought in my dream induced state that someone was taking a picture (not all that uncommon of late) :) The weather managed clear up just in time as we left though!
This is a random thought that I have to get out of my head: SLUGS!! I just have to say a word on slugs because I’ve never been faced with them as often as I have in the last week and a half. You may have seen the blue slug picture? Well, other than the blue slug, there have been 3-5 inch black, brown and orange slugs in between. Maybe I just don’t look hard enough when I’m home, but here I have to dodge them like earthworms on the road!
Well, now that it’s the first of the free weekends we have. I’m taking it easy hanging back at the castle. Oh yes, did I mention we are boarding in a castle? Well, it’s not really a castle. There is the tower that’s left, and then the main building, not quite as old, but still neat! The tower dates back to the 13th century. It has a neat view from the top, once you get there! Anyhow, yes, I’m staying at the castle this weekend to explore around the area and to save a little moola. For or next, longer weekend, a few gals and I are flying to Ireland!! I am super stoked for it and can’t wait! We are going to have an awesome time!
Looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow! Woot! Good night friends!
27 July 2010
Someone,get me off this bus!!
23.7.2010
Ok, pretend we are still in Poland, since this is written as though I am. I’ll make sure to let you know when we’ve switched over to Germany. This day began like any other day: 6:30 wake up, 7 am breakfast, 7:45 get on the bus and drive to our destinations of the day.
The first was to the Olkusz Forest outside of Krakow, where we were given lectures on the history of the area, the significance of it, and what they are doing to preserve and to afforest the landscape. This particular area near Krakow, and all of southern Poland in general, was greatly affected by rapid industrialization and pollution as I mentioned earlier. This was very problematic for the forests, especially because of acid rain, which has all but decimated the landscape in the last few decades.
Regeneration and afforestation is one of the main environmental concerns in forests and trying to rebuild what was lost. I found all of this to be very interesting. It’s one thing to read about the decimation, but it’s completely another to actually see it and walk through it. The soils are mostly sandy, very acidic and contain large amounts of heavy metals that have virtually transformed large areas of the forests into deserts. It was neat to see how impacted the forest really was in weird sort of way. It put reading and listening about this catastrophe into perspective I guess you could say.
It was amazing to see how much their efforts have impacted the forest growth. We also visited a “state” nursery of sorts where Norway spruce, European beech and Scots pine are regenerated from seeds before they are planted on the landscape. Scots pine is the dominant species all over Poland and especially in this forest because it is fast growing and can withstand harsher conditions. There was also an experiment with Austrian spruce since that species can also withstand harsh soil conditions, but it proved to be unsuccessful.
Before this next part, I should mention that today was beastly hot and humid! And being on a bus with 43 other hot bodies is no picnic! We kept getting on and off the bus with little stops we made to the nursery and in the forest, so there was no time for the air conditioning to circulate through the bus. Every time we got off the bus it was literally like a breath of fresh air!! There was at least a 20 degree difference between the inside of the bus and being outside. The time spent on the bus in between little stops (only about 15-20 minutes mind you) was enough to have sweat beading and dripping on every exposed surface of our arms, legs, face, neck, back…it was torture or close to it.
The intensity of the heat inside the bus was so much that we couldn’t make it to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp today, much to my great dismay. As morbid as it sound I was really looking forward to going to it. Most of you probably know that I’ve had a very weird obsession with the Holocaust and WWII in general for the longest time. Auschwitz has been the one concentration camp I’ve been looking forward to for the longest time, so I’m a bit bummed that we couldn’t make it. But it was either elevate the risk of heat stroke/exhaustion along the way or go back to Krakow.
Long story short (sort of), we ended up going back to Krakow in a new bus entirely. Our former bus driver dropped us off at a McDonalds (I know) and a Wal-Mart type store in the closest village, where we waited for the next bus to come pick us up. The bus, when it came, was like a knight in shining armor! It was such a relief and almost too cool. I actually got cold on the way back, but that was probably because of the drying sweat!
So, by far, this was not the best day of the journey, but it definitely could have been worse. Tomorrow is the last day in Krakow, which is very saddening because I have felt at home in Poland so far! Mom, I’m seriously putting off graduation in order to do another study abroad!
Ok, pretend we are still in Poland, since this is written as though I am. I’ll make sure to let you know when we’ve switched over to Germany. This day began like any other day: 6:30 wake up, 7 am breakfast, 7:45 get on the bus and drive to our destinations of the day.
The first was to the Olkusz Forest outside of Krakow, where we were given lectures on the history of the area, the significance of it, and what they are doing to preserve and to afforest the landscape. This particular area near Krakow, and all of southern Poland in general, was greatly affected by rapid industrialization and pollution as I mentioned earlier. This was very problematic for the forests, especially because of acid rain, which has all but decimated the landscape in the last few decades.
Regeneration and afforestation is one of the main environmental concerns in forests and trying to rebuild what was lost. I found all of this to be very interesting. It’s one thing to read about the decimation, but it’s completely another to actually see it and walk through it. The soils are mostly sandy, very acidic and contain large amounts of heavy metals that have virtually transformed large areas of the forests into deserts. It was neat to see how impacted the forest really was in weird sort of way. It put reading and listening about this catastrophe into perspective I guess you could say.
It was amazing to see how much their efforts have impacted the forest growth. We also visited a “state” nursery of sorts where Norway spruce, European beech and Scots pine are regenerated from seeds before they are planted on the landscape. Scots pine is the dominant species all over Poland and especially in this forest because it is fast growing and can withstand harsher conditions. There was also an experiment with Austrian spruce since that species can also withstand harsh soil conditions, but it proved to be unsuccessful.
Before this next part, I should mention that today was beastly hot and humid! And being on a bus with 43 other hot bodies is no picnic! We kept getting on and off the bus with little stops we made to the nursery and in the forest, so there was no time for the air conditioning to circulate through the bus. Every time we got off the bus it was literally like a breath of fresh air!! There was at least a 20 degree difference between the inside of the bus and being outside. The time spent on the bus in between little stops (only about 15-20 minutes mind you) was enough to have sweat beading and dripping on every exposed surface of our arms, legs, face, neck, back…it was torture or close to it.
The intensity of the heat inside the bus was so much that we couldn’t make it to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp today, much to my great dismay. As morbid as it sound I was really looking forward to going to it. Most of you probably know that I’ve had a very weird obsession with the Holocaust and WWII in general for the longest time. Auschwitz has been the one concentration camp I’ve been looking forward to for the longest time, so I’m a bit bummed that we couldn’t make it. But it was either elevate the risk of heat stroke/exhaustion along the way or go back to Krakow.
Long story short (sort of), we ended up going back to Krakow in a new bus entirely. Our former bus driver dropped us off at a McDonalds (I know) and a Wal-Mart type store in the closest village, where we waited for the next bus to come pick us up. The bus, when it came, was like a knight in shining armor! It was such a relief and almost too cool. I actually got cold on the way back, but that was probably because of the drying sweat!
So, by far, this was not the best day of the journey, but it definitely could have been worse. Tomorrow is the last day in Krakow, which is very saddening because I have felt at home in Poland so far! Mom, I’m seriously putting off graduation in order to do another study abroad!
26 July 2010
I'm thinking I'm gonna need to buy water soon
22.July.2010
So here is another update! Woot! Now we are in Krakow (this was a few days ago, but pretend it wasn’t!) We are staying in a hostel that caters to international students at Jagiellonian University called the Piast. It has a typical dorm feel to it, the small boxed sized rooms, narrow beds, desks, etc. We had a balcony as well. Great to stand out on for a breeze though. We had to sleep with the windows open the whole time, being on the seventh floor. It also happened to be three of the hottest days of the trip so far. We survived though!
On the first day we visited Jagiellonian University and sat for two lectures given by our same host professors who were with us in Czorsztyn. Katarzyna’s lecture about the environmental situation was very interesting. She talked about the rapid industrialization of Poland after WWII and the Black Triangle in Germany, Poland, and Slovakia in terms of the amount of pollution received by and created by Poland. Her main area of study concerns human health problems associated with the environmental pollution created during that time after the war: air pollution, groundwater and river contamination. Drinking water from a faucet is still unsafe, so bottled water is the only way to go.
Despite there being pollution still present, Poland has already done a lot in terms of cleaning up after the fall of communism. It’s amazing really, how much they have done and the plans they have. Since Poland has been a member country of the EU, there are environmental standards that need to be met by every country in the EU. The only hindrance at present is funding. They are still rebuilding their economy, which definitely takes time!
The afternoon after our lectures, we went to the Wieliczka Salt Mine. I have never been in any kind of mine or underground cave of any sort and I definitely found this to be one of the highlights of my trip thus far! I can’t really even begin to describe how cool it was! Just getting down to the first level of the mine was really neat! About 38 staircases traversed going down a very narrow wooden staircase!
The salt mine itself was just plain awesome, walking through all the shafts, seeing excavation sites, still life representations, all the chapels, restaurants. Yes, chapels and restaurants! It was literally an underground city. Of course, it’s been modernized, but many parts of the mine are still in-tact and have been rebuilt over the centuries it’s been utilized. If I remember correctly, the mine itself has been operating since about the 13th century and was instituted by Kasimir the Great. (He also founded the Jagiellonian University—fun fact!) The mine also has the largest underground cathedral—every sculpture carved from salt. Actually almost everything in the mine was made from salt, sculpture-wise, with the exception of the still-lifes.
The coolest part of the mine..? It was interactive!! We were given the opportunity to put ourselves in the miners (and horses’ shoes) and do what they used to do as they mined and transported the salt from one level of the mine to the next. There are also places where you could lick the walls as part of the tour. Kind of gross, considering everyone who’s licked it before you, but well, it’s all a part of the experience!
We ended the day with a little sightseeing in Krakow, walking down into the Main Square, which served as the main market square in the medieval times. The square is still covered with various vendors, as well as restaurants and lots of outdoor seating. Carriage rides around the square were also a big touristy thing to do. Regretfully, we did not take part in it :(
I forgot to mention up to now that we also have the nicest and down to earth guide with us: Kasia!!(pronounced like Kasha) She was the guide for the Europe group last year as well. She is one awesome gal and just plain fun to be around and do stuff with. Very knowledgeable about everything: history, cafes, the layout of the whole city, good and bad places to go, finding the best deals for anything really.
OK, on that side note, the square is very popular with students, especially with all the clubs, discos, and of course pubs! It’s also a big shopping district, so naturally, it’s always swarming with people. Speaking of clubs, I decided to go for the experience, which was not bad. A lot of fun with good music, people, and well, other good stuff! Before all of us decided which club to go to, we walked around the square surveying where all the best bargains were. All throughout the afternoon and early evening, there are people always handing out promotions for certain specials they have. In any case, we found a good deal and had a great time! A lot different than clubbing in Denver, that’s for sure!
More to come soon! Hopefully in the few days!!
So here is another update! Woot! Now we are in Krakow (this was a few days ago, but pretend it wasn’t!) We are staying in a hostel that caters to international students at Jagiellonian University called the Piast. It has a typical dorm feel to it, the small boxed sized rooms, narrow beds, desks, etc. We had a balcony as well. Great to stand out on for a breeze though. We had to sleep with the windows open the whole time, being on the seventh floor. It also happened to be three of the hottest days of the trip so far. We survived though!
On the first day we visited Jagiellonian University and sat for two lectures given by our same host professors who were with us in Czorsztyn. Katarzyna’s lecture about the environmental situation was very interesting. She talked about the rapid industrialization of Poland after WWII and the Black Triangle in Germany, Poland, and Slovakia in terms of the amount of pollution received by and created by Poland. Her main area of study concerns human health problems associated with the environmental pollution created during that time after the war: air pollution, groundwater and river contamination. Drinking water from a faucet is still unsafe, so bottled water is the only way to go.
Despite there being pollution still present, Poland has already done a lot in terms of cleaning up after the fall of communism. It’s amazing really, how much they have done and the plans they have. Since Poland has been a member country of the EU, there are environmental standards that need to be met by every country in the EU. The only hindrance at present is funding. They are still rebuilding their economy, which definitely takes time!
The afternoon after our lectures, we went to the Wieliczka Salt Mine. I have never been in any kind of mine or underground cave of any sort and I definitely found this to be one of the highlights of my trip thus far! I can’t really even begin to describe how cool it was! Just getting down to the first level of the mine was really neat! About 38 staircases traversed going down a very narrow wooden staircase!
The salt mine itself was just plain awesome, walking through all the shafts, seeing excavation sites, still life representations, all the chapels, restaurants. Yes, chapels and restaurants! It was literally an underground city. Of course, it’s been modernized, but many parts of the mine are still in-tact and have been rebuilt over the centuries it’s been utilized. If I remember correctly, the mine itself has been operating since about the 13th century and was instituted by Kasimir the Great. (He also founded the Jagiellonian University—fun fact!) The mine also has the largest underground cathedral—every sculpture carved from salt. Actually almost everything in the mine was made from salt, sculpture-wise, with the exception of the still-lifes.
The coolest part of the mine..? It was interactive!! We were given the opportunity to put ourselves in the miners (and horses’ shoes) and do what they used to do as they mined and transported the salt from one level of the mine to the next. There are also places where you could lick the walls as part of the tour. Kind of gross, considering everyone who’s licked it before you, but well, it’s all a part of the experience!
We ended the day with a little sightseeing in Krakow, walking down into the Main Square, which served as the main market square in the medieval times. The square is still covered with various vendors, as well as restaurants and lots of outdoor seating. Carriage rides around the square were also a big touristy thing to do. Regretfully, we did not take part in it :(
I forgot to mention up to now that we also have the nicest and down to earth guide with us: Kasia!!(pronounced like Kasha) She was the guide for the Europe group last year as well. She is one awesome gal and just plain fun to be around and do stuff with. Very knowledgeable about everything: history, cafes, the layout of the whole city, good and bad places to go, finding the best deals for anything really.
OK, on that side note, the square is very popular with students, especially with all the clubs, discos, and of course pubs! It’s also a big shopping district, so naturally, it’s always swarming with people. Speaking of clubs, I decided to go for the experience, which was not bad. A lot of fun with good music, people, and well, other good stuff! Before all of us decided which club to go to, we walked around the square surveying where all the best bargains were. All throughout the afternoon and early evening, there are people always handing out promotions for certain specials they have. In any case, we found a good deal and had a great time! A lot different than clubbing in Denver, that’s for sure!
More to come soon! Hopefully in the few days!!
There ain't no mountain high enough
Goodbye Poland, hello Germany! We made it safely and arrived at Burg Hornberg about one yesterday afternoon.
Where to begin? Where to begin? So much in just the last few days! First things, first: Major, major apologizes once again for the delay! In our hostel, internet connection is almost non-existent! We had one Ethernet cable to share and now only one to use this time in Germany!
Ok, now onto the goods…
Our last day in Czorsztyn, we made the trek to Tatra National Park. The park was absolutely awesome! It was brimming with both wildlife and mosaics of wildflowers, and of course, mountains! It made me miss Montana that much more! The Tatras are the highest peaks within the whole Carpathian Mountain range. You could equate the height of the Carpathians to that of the Appalachians along the east coast in that they are not the tallest in the world, yet still breathtaking. Along with us on our hike was, Tomasz (Toe-mak), who was probably the most interesting, exciting, and entertaining guide we could have asked for. Tomasz is one of the rangers in the park and so, was very enthusiastic about everything, not to mention, fit to leave us all in the dust on the way up the mountain!
Polish national parks, or at least this one, are somewhat different from U.S. parks in that everywhere you looked, turned, or walked there were always about 5-10 people headed in your direction. According to Tomasz, Tatra is one of the most visited parks in Poland, mostly because that is the only place where the good skiing in the winter is! On top of that it IS a very beautiful park. The trails were also very unique and different that what we’re used to as we hike, which is basically a gravelly path. In Tatra and other parks, the trails are made entirely of stones fitted together. The purpose of this was to help prevent erosion since the slope is very steep as you climb. Every trail in the park was this way and crossed over wide streams and rivers, so you are playing hopscotch and trying not to slip on the wet stones!
The overall hiking in the park was great! The change in elevation was fairly gradual until we reached a small alpine lake about half way up. After that it went up! Straight, straight up!! Literally. The trail was made up of stepping stones almost the entire way, save for a few spots of actual climbing! I had to catch my breath quite a few times along the way up to the top, which made me question what I was doing, but there was never a doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t go in the first place. I’m very glad I did it, even when I had minor heart palpitations at brief moments of slippage.
Ironically getting up was the easy part of the journey. Going up you can see exactly where to place your feet, which was crucial at some points when there were loose stones. Coming down was almost a nightmare. It was much more difficult seeing where to place your feet, and it began to rain just as we starting climbing down. The pressure on the knees also killed, but despite all the obstacles we all (the 28 of us who climbed to the top) made it back down safely.
From Tatra, we went to Krakow and spent a few days exploring the city there! More to come on that!
Again, sincere apologies. There will be a string of updates soon hopefully! We have learned we will be getting very limited time to use the internet! Trouble when people are trying to plan weekend trips... Are there pictures flashing across the top?
Where to begin? Where to begin? So much in just the last few days! First things, first: Major, major apologizes once again for the delay! In our hostel, internet connection is almost non-existent! We had one Ethernet cable to share and now only one to use this time in Germany!
Ok, now onto the goods…
Our last day in Czorsztyn, we made the trek to Tatra National Park. The park was absolutely awesome! It was brimming with both wildlife and mosaics of wildflowers, and of course, mountains! It made me miss Montana that much more! The Tatras are the highest peaks within the whole Carpathian Mountain range. You could equate the height of the Carpathians to that of the Appalachians along the east coast in that they are not the tallest in the world, yet still breathtaking. Along with us on our hike was, Tomasz (Toe-mak), who was probably the most interesting, exciting, and entertaining guide we could have asked for. Tomasz is one of the rangers in the park and so, was very enthusiastic about everything, not to mention, fit to leave us all in the dust on the way up the mountain!
Polish national parks, or at least this one, are somewhat different from U.S. parks in that everywhere you looked, turned, or walked there were always about 5-10 people headed in your direction. According to Tomasz, Tatra is one of the most visited parks in Poland, mostly because that is the only place where the good skiing in the winter is! On top of that it IS a very beautiful park. The trails were also very unique and different that what we’re used to as we hike, which is basically a gravelly path. In Tatra and other parks, the trails are made entirely of stones fitted together. The purpose of this was to help prevent erosion since the slope is very steep as you climb. Every trail in the park was this way and crossed over wide streams and rivers, so you are playing hopscotch and trying not to slip on the wet stones!
The overall hiking in the park was great! The change in elevation was fairly gradual until we reached a small alpine lake about half way up. After that it went up! Straight, straight up!! Literally. The trail was made up of stepping stones almost the entire way, save for a few spots of actual climbing! I had to catch my breath quite a few times along the way up to the top, which made me question what I was doing, but there was never a doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t go in the first place. I’m very glad I did it, even when I had minor heart palpitations at brief moments of slippage.
Ironically getting up was the easy part of the journey. Going up you can see exactly where to place your feet, which was crucial at some points when there were loose stones. Coming down was almost a nightmare. It was much more difficult seeing where to place your feet, and it began to rain just as we starting climbing down. The pressure on the knees also killed, but despite all the obstacles we all (the 28 of us who climbed to the top) made it back down safely.
From Tatra, we went to Krakow and spent a few days exploring the city there! More to come on that!
Again, sincere apologies. There will be a string of updates soon hopefully! We have learned we will be getting very limited time to use the internet! Trouble when people are trying to plan weekend trips... Are there pictures flashing across the top?
20 July 2010
Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore...
Good news friends! After a grand total of about 21 hours spent en route for the much anticipated trip we've landed in Krakow and made it safely to Czorsztyn (pronounced CHORE-stin)! The only things aching are my neck and droopy eyelids. This is going to contain bits from our day of arrival and the second day. Time was taken out to get back on a normal sleep schedule. :)
We landed at about 10 am Sunday morning after an uneventful flight. I was seated next to a tiny elderly Polish woman on her way home from visiting family I imagine considering it was a nonstop flight from Chicago to Krakow. We didn't speak much, neither of us knowing much of each other's native tongue, but we smiled amiably. Hand gestures do wonders also!
Upon reaching Krakow, we met up with two of our host professors from Jagiellonian University who are guiding our stay in Poland. They accompanied us on the two hour bus ride south to the hostel we are claiming as home for a few days. We had our first lecture on the bus ride consisting of some of the geography and history of the particular area of the Carpathian mountains we are in. I had a particularly difficult time paying close attention to the professor, mostly due to looking out the window, but also from the jet lag.
Poland is beautiful!! At least the part we are experiencing! Working our way into the mountains and watching all the villages as we passed through them reminded me a lot the Black Forest when I went abroad to Germany in high school. The houses are almost exactly the same also, with the exception of sod roofs (have yet to see any of those yet)! They are situated very close together, most looking the same as the next one. Yards are also very similar, consisting of large vegetable gardens and containing many chickens, ducks, goats, sheep, or a few cows.
So far, we’ve been booked solid with lectures and field trips—four alone on the same afternoon after we made it to Czorsztyn! I feel horrible to say that I barely managed to stay focused for those lectures, since they were interesting! It’s very obvious the points where I began to nod off, since my writing became much sloppier and slanted. There were also random words inserted at various places. Today’s lectures went much better after a good night’s rest and filling breakfast. We went on a nice hike into the Gora National Park in the mountains for field exercises, surveying vegetation and invertebrate species. Tomorrow we are going to ID all of the bugs we caught!
Food is another topic altogether!! In addition to all the awesome experiences I was looking forward to when I came here, food was most definitely at the top of the list! I love food, love to eat, love all the smells associated with the whole dining experience! And so far, I have yet to be disappointed, and doubt I will be. Tonight we had a cook out behind our villa and huge bonfire afterward. There is nothing like supper cooked over the fire! And the bread! I could an entire loaf in one sitting. I should stop here, because I could go on and on forever about food! :D
Today we visited the Czorsztyn Castle and dam, both of which were awesome. We also has sun for the first time today! The castle was built in the 14th century by Kasimir the Great and on the other side of the reservoir it looks over is the Niedzica castle. When they were first built, the reservoir was the border between the old boundaries of Hungary and Poland so they served as a customs station of sorts. The Czorsztyn Dam is also a spectacular sight. It’s an earthen dam so one side of it is completely covered in trees and wildflowers.
Well, there will be more to come. Apologies for the late update. Internet at our villa is somewhat limited! Pictures to come soon!
Do widzenia!
We landed at about 10 am Sunday morning after an uneventful flight. I was seated next to a tiny elderly Polish woman on her way home from visiting family I imagine considering it was a nonstop flight from Chicago to Krakow. We didn't speak much, neither of us knowing much of each other's native tongue, but we smiled amiably. Hand gestures do wonders also!
Upon reaching Krakow, we met up with two of our host professors from Jagiellonian University who are guiding our stay in Poland. They accompanied us on the two hour bus ride south to the hostel we are claiming as home for a few days. We had our first lecture on the bus ride consisting of some of the geography and history of the particular area of the Carpathian mountains we are in. I had a particularly difficult time paying close attention to the professor, mostly due to looking out the window, but also from the jet lag.
Poland is beautiful!! At least the part we are experiencing! Working our way into the mountains and watching all the villages as we passed through them reminded me a lot the Black Forest when I went abroad to Germany in high school. The houses are almost exactly the same also, with the exception of sod roofs (have yet to see any of those yet)! They are situated very close together, most looking the same as the next one. Yards are also very similar, consisting of large vegetable gardens and containing many chickens, ducks, goats, sheep, or a few cows.
So far, we’ve been booked solid with lectures and field trips—four alone on the same afternoon after we made it to Czorsztyn! I feel horrible to say that I barely managed to stay focused for those lectures, since they were interesting! It’s very obvious the points where I began to nod off, since my writing became much sloppier and slanted. There were also random words inserted at various places. Today’s lectures went much better after a good night’s rest and filling breakfast. We went on a nice hike into the Gora National Park in the mountains for field exercises, surveying vegetation and invertebrate species. Tomorrow we are going to ID all of the bugs we caught!
Food is another topic altogether!! In addition to all the awesome experiences I was looking forward to when I came here, food was most definitely at the top of the list! I love food, love to eat, love all the smells associated with the whole dining experience! And so far, I have yet to be disappointed, and doubt I will be. Tonight we had a cook out behind our villa and huge bonfire afterward. There is nothing like supper cooked over the fire! And the bread! I could an entire loaf in one sitting. I should stop here, because I could go on and on forever about food! :D
Today we visited the Czorsztyn Castle and dam, both of which were awesome. We also has sun for the first time today! The castle was built in the 14th century by Kasimir the Great and on the other side of the reservoir it looks over is the Niedzica castle. When they were first built, the reservoir was the border between the old boundaries of Hungary and Poland so they served as a customs station of sorts. The Czorsztyn Dam is also a spectacular sight. It’s an earthen dam so one side of it is completely covered in trees and wildflowers.
Well, there will be more to come. Apologies for the late update. Internet at our villa is somewhat limited! Pictures to come soon!
Do widzenia!
15 July 2010
Getting Closer....
We leave tomorrow! Or at least the tentative plan is for Mo mere and I to leave for Chicago on the flip side, early afternoonish. That way there will be a little down time before flight take-off. Possibly explore more of the little known gems in the city. Mom is always talking about all sorts of random places she recalls from previous excursions... Either way it will be an adventure and one to remember!
My mind is still traveling wildly in all directions. I've been a busy bee today making lots of phone calls, visits, last-minute trips to various places for forgotten items. Tomorrow, there may be another mad dash! Scratch may! There will be, knowing me!
I say that there will be another (or several) trips to where ever it is I might need to go, but surprisingly I have made progress in acquiring and finding most of what I need...at least I think I have...Inevitably there will be some things left and more unfortunately, things forgotten. Alas, that is how it goes, no? That and trying to decide what's essential and what's not. That is the hardest part and packing things just so. The trick will be leaving extra space for stowaways in between countries and come the end of the trip :)
On a similar note, packing is such a bore!!!! It's one of those things you're excited for, but when you get down to it, it feels like a chore, so you skirt around doing it for as long as possible. I'm still not entirely done.
No surprise there...I've found lots of other little things with which to occupy my time: recharging and updating the iPod, taking ridiculous pictures of the mess that has become my room, rereading favorite parts in old books, email, googling random places and things.You know, doing all the things that have nothing to do with packing, but yet are seemingly much more important. :) I know! It's doesn't make sense, but it gives a little insight to how easily I can be distracted....or amused.
There will be more to come for sure!!
My mind is still traveling wildly in all directions. I've been a busy bee today making lots of phone calls, visits, last-minute trips to various places for forgotten items. Tomorrow, there may be another mad dash! Scratch may! There will be, knowing me!
I say that there will be another (or several) trips to where ever it is I might need to go, but surprisingly I have made progress in acquiring and finding most of what I need...at least I think I have...Inevitably there will be some things left and more unfortunately, things forgotten. Alas, that is how it goes, no? That and trying to decide what's essential and what's not. That is the hardest part and packing things just so. The trick will be leaving extra space for stowaways in between countries and come the end of the trip :)
On a similar note, packing is such a bore!!!! It's one of those things you're excited for, but when you get down to it, it feels like a chore, so you skirt around doing it for as long as possible. I'm still not entirely done.
No surprise there...I've found lots of other little things with which to occupy my time: recharging and updating the iPod, taking ridiculous pictures of the mess that has become my room, rereading favorite parts in old books, email, googling random places and things.You know, doing all the things that have nothing to do with packing, but yet are seemingly much more important. :) I know! It's doesn't make sense, but it gives a little insight to how easily I can be distracted....or amused.
There will be more to come for sure!!
11 July 2010
Pre-Trip Jitters....or Welcome to this humble slice of the web!
So, here it is: the beginning of the musings....still on the state side of the pond, that is. This a test for myself to attempt to keep everyone abreast of all the action happening while I am away. I will most likely be without the phone for the most part, which I am okay with. This is the alternative. Hopefully all will bode well!
Currently we are t-minus six days until take off and my mind is running in a thousand different directions It feels the way a Jackson Pollock painting looks at first glance....I look at the state of my room and shake my head. The tornado in Wadena surely made its way into my room!
It is an utter mess, laundry hanging from every possible surface to dry, books strewn everywhere in piles along the perimeter of the room, bed all in a disarray, various odds and ends poking out of little niches. The poor little fans are working their hardest in the sauna I call my room. I'm thinking I may camp in the kitchen tonight! That or something cold to consume is becoming a fast necessity! From any angle one looks at it, there is still much to be done, and very little time in which to get it all done. Wish me luck!
If for any reason I begin to lag in updates, tell me! It's bound to happen, being the scatterbrain I am :) Now, time to tackle the room...well, maybe just a corner of it! Or maybe ice cream is in order!
Bis dann!
Currently we are t-minus six days until take off and my mind is running in a thousand different directions It feels the way a Jackson Pollock painting looks at first glance....I look at the state of my room and shake my head. The tornado in Wadena surely made its way into my room!
It is an utter mess, laundry hanging from every possible surface to dry, books strewn everywhere in piles along the perimeter of the room, bed all in a disarray, various odds and ends poking out of little niches. The poor little fans are working their hardest in the sauna I call my room. I'm thinking I may camp in the kitchen tonight! That or something cold to consume is becoming a fast necessity! From any angle one looks at it, there is still much to be done, and very little time in which to get it all done. Wish me luck!
If for any reason I begin to lag in updates, tell me! It's bound to happen, being the scatterbrain I am :) Now, time to tackle the room...well, maybe just a corner of it! Or maybe ice cream is in order!
Bis dann!
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