TheAnalogKid2112

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content Count

    243

  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by TheAnalogKid2112

  4. Posted · Report reply

    My friends and I are on an epic road trip up the PCH 1 to get to SF for Primus New Years and stopped in Santa Cruz for the evening.

    Went to Betty's Eat In and got the greatest burger fucking ever. Onion rings, bacon, pepperoni, red peppers, lettuce, tomato, sautéed mushrooms, carmelized onion, cheddar cheese and fuck knows what else. Cheap beer, too. I'm stoked on life.

    • Like 3

  5. Posted · Report reply

    Tonight I had tilapia pan-seared, baked and stuffed with shrimp, scallops, crab meat and lemon caper butter with a side of ginger-honey spaghetti squash, pumpkin ravioli and spicy shrimp. I cried a little.

    i would of probably forgotten half of those items... what happened to just getting a burger or a steak? :lol:...

    I copied it off the online menu of the restaurant I ate at :clap: I was just blown away by how good it was xD

    • Like 1

  9. Posted · Report reply

    Finished Slaughterhouse Five a couple days ago. Fantastic fucking novel!!!

    You should check it out, Brian. The book is almost like a cloaked autobiography. While there's plenty of satire and science fiction aspects to the book, the story itself is for the most part a memoir of an American POW captured by the Germans in WWII. He ends up one of the only survivors of the Dresden bombings. This is all what the author also went through in the war.

    It's very different from most war stories because it doesn't glorify the army or war at all. It's a very sad, bleak narrative that is undeniably anti-war. However, there's plenty of humor and irony scattered throughout.

    Did I mention the main character also travels through time involuntarily and gets abducted by aliens called Tralfamadorians who keep him as a zoo display? Should definitely mention that. The book is a total mindfuck and I feel compelled to read it again.

    I've my own interpretation of the overall story because it's very complex and leaves one to ask a lot of questions. I won't post my thoughts in case someone here wants to read it.

    Check it out, Brian. You won't be disappointed. Plus, it was only around 300 pages if I recall.

    • Like 3

  11. Posted · Report reply

    He said he was a history buff, and people actually have other hobbies and like to collect stuff, ffs Cuda.

    It's your first time in Europe, you don't want to fucking spend your time in some German woods with a metal detector. It literally sounds like something an insane person would do.

    Hahahahaha. For real.

    If the suggestion was sincere, I thank you. I was interested at first, before I dug up some logic. I just thought that was a funny thought that popped in my head.

    Yep, massacre, that's the only German phrase I have learned so far. Gotta find out where the Jew fat candles/soap are stashed.

  13. Posted · Report reply

    I'd also get yourself a metal detector or something, and go out into the woods in various countries, you can find small treasures from Roman Times to WWII and anywhere in between.

    I just pictured myself digging up a landmine and dying in the woods of Germany. Hahahahaha. Glad I thought that one through. Nice try.

  16. Posted · Report reply

    Well Analog, the type of job/work you want to pursue upon your return may offer some interesting options for moving - if you can move anywhere, you can go wherever there are the most open doors to choose from.

    Yep, that's what's most exciting for me. I really want to check out Colorado and Oregon, two states I've never visited but look amazing. I'm primarily interested in animal-related work so they seem like good options.

    We'll see about the northern lights. I'm still doing time/finance calculations for my north to south trip. If it's only three to four solid days worth of travel, I should have plenty of time with a three month rail pass to get back up north for November if I decide to arrive closer to September.

    Anyone who's been: is octoberfest worth the stop or would I be better off hitting Munich on my way down to Italy and just getting shitfaced with the locals?

  17. Posted · Report reply

    I never said this trip is going to be 8-9 months. As much as I'd love to, that's impossible. I can only afford a 3 month rail pass. It's fucking almost $1500 not including the fact that many trains require a reservation fee! Maybe by the time I leave in mid-late August it will be a different story, but I'm probably only going to be there 3 months, sadly.

    I may just take you up on that offer, gtagrl. I've always wanted to visit Canada and am trying to turn this trip into a US adventure once I return to the states. I am really trying not to live in Nevada by 2015.

  18. Posted · Report reply

    Tromsø, Norway, Abisko, Sweden

    I have no idea how I'd get that far north lol. The Eurail map doesn't show tracks going anywhere near those locations. Oh well, I'll figure it out because I really want to make it happen. Even if I can't make it exactly to those locations, I still really want to see these countries further north. Bergen, Oslo, and Stockholm seem great but based on the photos I've seen aren't the breathtaking mountain views I desire.

    Also, food.

    Fuckin' hummus!!!

    You're doing it at the right time for the right reasons. You'll never regret going, only not going. If Athens is on your wish list you should absolutely go for a few days, your mind will implode. And oh, the food...

    Oh, yes.. I am a sucker for Greek food. And provided the hostel I find is reasonable, I don't plan on staying in the big cities (Athens, Rome, Florence, Paris, Munich) any less than 5 days to a week each. It all depends on the accommodation... I really hope I can find some reliable couchsurfing connections.. the site couchsurfing.com seems pretty sketchy.

    Can I come, OP?

    Only if you pay for my Eurail pass.

    EDIT:..With the current plan, I've done the math and it adds up to 80 hours spent on trains from the start until I hit Brindisi. Doesn't include the 9 hour ferry to Greece or any of the travel once I'm there. If I do go full circle back up to Norway, that will fucking double my travel time. I'm probably just going to extend my time spent in Northern Europe when I first arrive so I don't have to come all the way back up. It seems unrealistic. That would mean I'd miss the Northern Lights and Oktoberfest.. I didn't want to go through the frustration of completely reversing my route, but it may be worth my while starting from Greece and working my way up North...

    • Like 1

  19. Posted · Report reply

    Honestly, for the trek you're planning, Eurail offers the most convenience and options, if you were doing a smaller trip or sticking to one or two places then other options might make more sense. It also sounds like you're trekking for the experience and not to hit the beach, so there's nothing wrong with enjoying Northern Greece this trip and saving the islands, Athens and Crete for another visit sometime in the spring (don't ever go in summer, you'll cook to death in the sun).

    Your trip sounds like so much fun...

    Thanks. I'm really fucking excited. It may seem irresponsible to others quitting my job and spending all my savings on this.. But it's about the experience and living my life to the fullest while I'm young. I can't see it any other way. I have my whole life to save money. I only have so many years with no family and hardly a thing keeping me locked in to this city. I'm so tired of Vegas and this is a perfect opportunity to explore other options.

    I'm trying to make a couple days in Athens happen. It's one of my most desired cities.

    I have no interest in Turkey. I'm sure it's great, but this trip isn't so much about city experiences so it's pretty unappealing. I want to see mountains, forests, lakes, etc.

    • Like 1

  20. Posted · Report reply

    I originally came to this thread to ask if you were going to Turkey. It seems to be a very interesting place so if you do decide to go there please take pics and give an overall impression on what you think about the culture, people, food, women, etc. Do that for every country you visit actually if you can.

    I'm absolutely keeping a detailed journal with all of my travel experiences for each place I visit. I'm not going to Turkey, though.

    I know you said you're going in the Summer, but I'd like to make a suggestion, I would start low in the Southern part of Europe, hell start in Turkey, and make your way North as it gets into the winter months. I had mentioned the Northern lights and you said you'd love to see them, but the only way of doing so would be in the winter North of the arctic circle. Some cities I'd suggest for you would be Tromsø, Norway, Abisko, Sweden, or somewhere in the Finish Lapland.

    Edit: Also, as it gets colder you will probably find less tourists as you move up into Europe, since most people will be at work or school. Holiday celebrations become a huge thing as winter nears, and there's a lot to do that only the winter months offer

    Shit. That's an amazing suggestion. However, due to the amount of places I plan on visiting and my budget, I've decided to start in Bergen and hit Olso on the way down. But... After reading your post and gtagrl's suggestion of Thessaloniki (a city I wasn't planning on visiting until she sold it) I have this crazy idea to head back north after my stay in Greece. Reason being it will probably be late October by then so I can enjoy Oktoberfest and after that head north to view the northern lights! It's a stretch, especially financially, but considering I'll probably have a 3 month continuous pass with Eurail it's all too tempting! Thanks for the suggestion.

    Iceland sounds amazing, but that's just not in the cards this time.

    Getting a Eurail pass is the smart choice, you won't regret it.

    From what I remember, rail within Greece is sad compared to the rest of the EU, that's where you can see how badly organized the Greeks can be (everyone's in charge but no one gets anything done :P )...however the bus system is widespread, reliable, affordable and pretty frequent. You should be able to take a bus from Igoumenista over to Thessaloniki in a half-day at the most. It's worth a day in Thessaloniki, check out the Archeological Museum to see the golden Macedonian treasures from King Philip II's tomb, a breathtaking must-see. There are a few other historical sites you might enjoy as well, and it's a pretty town to stroll through, much less frantic than Athens.

    From Thessaloniki, you're gold to take another bus or train connection down south to Athens. See the Parthenon, visit the market, catch a show at the Odeon if something is playing...there's lots to see in Athens but I find it overwhelming there after a couple of days. From Athens you can get down to Crete, give yourself time there, sometimes getting around on the island is tricky. From Crete you can catch a ferry to Turkey.

    Awesome ideas. I hadn't considered Thessaloniki but you sold me on it. Great to hear you vouch for the Eurail service. Figuring out transportation has been a bitch and it seems to be the easiest way, with occasional buses scattered about for visits to local goodies outside of town.

    I'm not visiting Turkey this time. Sounds like the kind of country I oughta visit with a friend. See my reply to Brian for my idea following Thessaloniki.

  21. Posted · Report reply

    So I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy a Eurail 2-3 month continuous pass for this whole trip. While a little pricier, it simplifies most of my travel options and goes everywhere I need to go. So far this is my list, in order, of places I'd like to visit.

    Las Vegas to Bergen, Norway

    Bergen to Oslo, Norway

    Oslo to Stockholm, Sweden

    Stockholm to Copenhagen, Denmark

    Copenhagen to Hamburg, Germany

    Hamburg to Berlin

    Berlin to Munich

    Munich to Freiburg (Black Forest)

    Freiburg to Reims, France

    Reims to Paris

    Paris to Versailles

    Versailles to Chartres

    Chartres to Chamonix Mont-Blanc

    Mont-Blanc to Milan, Italy

    Milan to Verona

    Verona to Padua

    Padua to Venice

    Venice to Florence

    Florence to Pisa

    Pisa to Livorno

    Livorno to Perugia

    Perugia to Rome

    Rome to Naples

    Naples to Lecce

    Lecce to Brindisi

    Brindisi to Igoumenista, Greece

    ...But then I hit a road block. There's no railways anywhere near Igoumenista and (as far as I was able to tell) no flights from Brindisi airport to anywhere in Greece. Massacre, gtagrl, any suggestions on what to do? I'm very unfamiliar with Greece and am at the end of 8+ hours of research for today so I'm not looking it up tonight. Are there any reliable bus services that will allow me to get to the good parts of Greece?

    Here is the map I'm referencing that shows all the Eurail tracks/stops. http://www.eurail.co...ailmap-2013.pdf

    I've been confused and frustrated about exactly where Eurail goes, because there have been issues with me only seeing (for example) a train from Stockholm to Oslo, when my plan is to go from Oslo to Stockholm. Am I just misinterpreting the "Stockholm-Oslo" description as a one-way train, or will there be a train to and from each city?

    If I'm understanding it correctly, I'll be able to train on each line on the map. Hopefully, anyway.

    Edit: holy shit, I just noticed that epic story you wrote, Massacre. Or should I say, epic prophecy. Change that setting to Russia since the women are so much hotter (and my actual people, contrary to your belief that I'm a Jew) and you're not too far off.

    • Like 1