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Rocks that are more than rocks: Must see destinations

by Jamie Rhein on Dec 9, 2007

When I was in 8th grade, my school bus went past a house with an enormous multicolored map of the United States painted on an even more enormous flat rock in the front yard. Each state was a different color than the ones surrounding it. My bus driver thought it was the coolest artwork ever. She pointed it out each time we passed. My dad has two huge rocks in his front yard. One is as tall as the house. He lives in a region of New York where glaciers left huge boulders and crevices in their wake.

Those rocks have nothing on this collection of mega boulders posted on deputydog. From Japan to Peru, and even Kansas, the boulders have become destinations that tourists go to see. Some are left alone in their natural state. Others have been altered to direct people’s interactions.

The Kaiktiyo Pagoda in Myanmar has certainly one-upped the people who turned their front yard boulder into a map of the the U.S. A pagoda was built on top of it, and both bolder and pagoda were then gilded in gold leaf. To me, the result looks like it’s related to the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz–except it’s gold. Can’t you just imagine someone putting a face on it? I do think it’s wonderful, even though as a female, according to the description, I’m not supposed to touch it. It just reminds me of the Tin Man. I can’t help it.

Along with the spectacular photos deputydog includes a description about the significance of each spot. Quite an interesting read and wonderful idea for a collection. This could be a coffee table book in the making.

One of my favorite boulders, not in this collection, is the one in Copenhagan, Denmark where the statue of the Little Mermaid sits in Hans Christian Anderson Harbor. It’s not that the boulder is all that special, but without it, the mermaid would sink. Do you have any favorite boulders in your life? [This shot of the the pagoda was taken by Yetun and posted on Flickr. Yetun has several kudos on the photo. Great job!]

Travel experiences via medical care

by Jamie Rhein on Nov 25, 2007

I’ve had a filling replaced in The Gambia, a root canal and a crown put on in Taiwan, a root canal in New Delhi, and stitches taken out in Great Britain. When I was living in Denmark with a family as a college student, I hurt my little toe at a swimming pool and went to the emergency room just to see what a Danish emergency room would be like. It’s not like I was, or I am falling apart–or that I’m one of those people always on the prowl for medical care thrills. But, if you travel and live overseas long enough, going to the doctor is probably a given–even for the healthiest of people. Or, if you don’t go to a doctor, you’ll be hunting down medication for some ailment.

Ask Justin. He found this one out when he trolled the streets on his trip to Poland looking for drugs for his girlfriend. She had a wicked cold and his aim was to help her ease the symptoms. (see his post)

In his column that he writes for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Thomas Swick describes his traveling in another country medical experiences. He points out how such traveling interludes offers insight into a country one might not get otherwise.

For the most part, I’ve found medical care good to excellent–and easily accessible wherever I’ve traveled, providing I wasn’t in the middle of nowhere. Perhaps, a doctor’s office has not looked quite as swank as what I have been mostly used to in the United States, but whatever help I’ve needed, it’s been there. Even when I was on a Rotary Club exchange program to Nigeria, when the leader of our group cut his hand, he was given stitches in a very simple clinic. The doctor was a whiz and the resulting scar was minuscule.

Of course, there was that time in Vietnam when my husband had a terrible itchy rash. A pharmacist gave him a collection of pills. One kept making my husband so sleepy he couldn’t stay awake. Since he wasn’t sure which one was the sleeping pill, he quit taking them all. Eventually, the rash went away.

Danish holiday tradition: A walk through the woods and a drink of gløgg

by Jamie Rhein on Nov 24, 2007

Tonight we’re going to a watch a Christmas parade in Gahanna, a town close to Columbus, with friends. My son has already hauled a fake tree out of the basement, the one I had planned to take to Florida last year until we flew instead of drove. I kept telling him, “No, it’s too early to set it up,” but then thought, he’s only five once. The tree, decorated by him, all ornaments (less than a dozen) dangling from branches on one side of the tree only, is in his room.

This has me thinking about Christmas a little early. It’s not the shopping that gets me feeling warm. It’s the traditions that bring communities together. One of the best community Christmas events I ever participated in was in Denmark. When I was a student through DIS (The Danish International Student organization through Copenhagan University) I lived with a family in Allerod, Denmark, a large town about a 30-minute train ride from Copenhagan.

Allerod started it’s Christmas season off with a communal walk through the woods followed by caroling and a town square tree lighting. I had just turned 20, my brain an instant catalog for filing experiences into how this is like the U.S. and how this is not like the U.S. This experience was filed in the “not like” and a “little like” categories–the closest thing to it is perhaps a small town parade.

What struck me was how many people were involved with walking through the woods. Men, women, children of all ages–everyone was out following the path that led to a huge black kettle (there may have been two) filled with gløgg (glug) the traditional Scandinavian hot beverage made with red wine, brandy and spices. It’s yummy and warm, particularly on a wintry night. The other kettle had the non-alcoholic version. (I may have made up this second kettle. The years that have passed since then has placed this kettle in my memory.) The walk ended up back in town where people proceeded to a nursing home to carol and then on to the town square for more caroling and the tree light up.

This particular evening left me feeling cozy, warm and safe–like these winter holidays are supposed to make people feel. It was such a simple, event. Not splashy or commercial–just townspeople getting together to enjoy each others company. And, they were very welcoming and wonderful to the young American woman in their midst.

What about you? Any holiday traditions you’ve enjoyed while traveling?

Brewery Tours and Wine Tasting: Free, or at least Cheap

by Jamie Rhein on Oct 5, 2007

Martha’s post on boozing for cheap reminded me of brewery tours. When I was a student at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark through the Danish International Student program (DIS), I was mostly broke and determined to have enough money for a month long trip through Europe before I headed back to the U.S. Most people in my program were in the same life of getting by on little cash. For fun and frolic, there was nothing like a Carlsburg or Tuborg Brewery tour in Copenhagen on a Friday.

I went to each brewery at least four times over the course of three months. There were so many people from my program that headed to Tuborg on a regular basis that the brewery gave us a huge party at the end of the semester. The catch was, we had to take the tour before the party. Some in my group were able to recite, word for word, the beer-making process and knew all the guides by name. For current review of Carlsburg, click here. The Tuborg Brewery bottling hall building I went to has been changed to the Experimentarium science museum.

Although there’s an Anheuser-Busch brewery in Columbus, this one doesn’t give tours. No free beer for me on a Friday. Of the 12 breweries in the U.S., you can see how Budweiser and other Anheuser-Busch products are made on a FREE tour at five on them: Fairfield, California; St. Louis, Missouri; Ft. Collins, Colorado; Merrimack, New Hampshire; and Jacksonville, Florida. At each you can drink FREE beer. At all but the Fairfield brewery, you can also see the horse stables of the Clydesdales, the brewery’s trademark.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin is a beer drinkers hot spot. There are three breweries that give tours. The Miller Brewing Company tour is FREE. I went on this slick tour the summer after I got out of the Peace Corps during my across the United States by bus sweep. I still remember the great time I had hanging out in the beer garden listening to music and visiting with my friends. Of, course, the beer garden isn’t open in the winter, but the Miller Inn is. At Lakefront Brewery the tour will cost you $5, unless you go on Friday. In that case, it’s $10. A fish fry is included in the price, so when you think of that, what a deal. You also get to keep the glass. This brewery is considered the most environmentally friendly in Wisconsin. The Sprecher Brewing Company tour is a chance to brush up on some beer brewing history at the Rathskeller museum before taking in the tour and the tasting. The tours cost $3 for adults and $2 for seniors. The $1 charge for the under 21 crowd is donated to charities. You get to take the souvenir glass home.

I haven’t been to Sarnac Brewery, but after discovering its Web site, I thought, this is appealing. The brewery has been making the good stuff since 1888. Personally, I love the labels and we do buy the beer, even in Ohio. Spending time in Utica, NY in the Adirondacks wouldn’t be a bad way to spend some time, either. Look at all there is to do in the city itself. I assume the tours are free since the Web site doesn’t say otherwise. You need to call for reservations, so ask.

I’ve also been on the Guinness brewery Storehouse tour in Dublin, Ireland. Even though I’m not too fond of heavy beer, the tour was great and I was more than happy to down the complimentary pint at the end of it.

Where ever your traveling, check out the brewery options. Maybe, you’ll find a local brewing company that offers tours and tastes. People who brew beer are passionate about it and it’s catching. Also, if you’re not a beer drinker and you have children along, these are kid-friendly places with soda options.

P.S. I noticed that I included wine-tasting in the title of this post, but didn’t included that. Stay-tuned.

Across Northern Europe: Couch Surfing Europe

by Brook Silva-Braga on Aug 25, 2007

Europe is the world’s great couch surfing destination since so many travelers everywhere call the continent home. On my around-the-world trip I theorized you could spend 80% of your European nights crashing with friends you’d met elsewhere. On this trip, which ends today, I’ve spent just over half my nights sleeping gratis. But the last night riding the wave of others’ kindness had to be the most interesting.

I met Lonnie and Tania on the bus from the airport in Rio de Janiero. They thought I was French and a bit forward but they didn’t know where they were going so they got off the bus with me at Calle Nove and we spent a week at the Wave Hostel playing cards and drinking acai together. A couple months later they had an apartment in Buenos Aires with a spare couch. It was a small couch to be sure, so I found a folding chair to position at the end of the couch and rested my legs on it when necessary.

But Lonnie and Tania left South America and came home to Copenhagen where I found them here this month using just half their beds.

Speaking of Copenhagen friends, I met Emily on a ferry to Santorini, Greece where her family has a house which I haven’t had the pleasure of. But she came back to Denmark too and I met her for drinks last night. Lonnie and Tania were resting up for a night out and I was going to call them from Emily’s phone a bit later.

Emily and I sat down for a drink near Norreport and when I asked to use her phone it was gone.

“I’ve never lost a phone, how strange,” Emily said, taking it amazingly well.

This development meant Lonnie and Tania couldn’t call me and they weren’t answering my payphone calls either (turns out they were set to silent, sadly). The thing about relying on the kindness of strangers is it doesn’t leave you a lot of options at 2am when you can’t reach them.

Maybe it’s worth mentioning that Emily and I had hardly traded an e-mail in the last two years. But since I was in Copenhagen I figured I’d say hello and she had a little free time so we decided to meet up. But now she was without phone and I was without couch. So she hailed a cab and took me to her guest room and in the morning Lonnie answered her buzzer and made me some toast.

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Previously on Across Northern Europe:

Brook Silva-Braga is traveling northern Europe for the month of August and reuniting with some of the people he met on the yearlong trip which was the basis of his travel documentary, A Map for Saturday. You can follow his adventure in the series, Across Northern Europe.