The Magichour Blog

What a ride

The folks with the D.A.V. Did a great job. Flying in this plane gives you a new appriciation of what it was like. Without the safety and comfort of quiet commercial airlines there is a sense of age. We took of and flew above the coast of San Diego. I was able to crawl up the narrow tunnel under the cockpit to the front gunner dome. What an amazing feeling. To lean into the glass and have a 180 degree veiw as you scream through the air. I crawled back and then over the bomb bay doors to the rear of the plane. I made it half way when the pilot announced we were landing.

A great treat and learning experience for sure.

Hierarchy

There’s definetly a little anymosity being brewed amongst the soon to be flyers. The check-in table has a brightly colored sheet describing the different aircraft for today’s event. And next to each picture are the names of the people designated to ride in said aircraft. Listed from the most intense to the more Disneyland tea-cup level the list displays the hierarchy of sponsorship. While the major news network stars and heavy spenders are riding in the Patriots jet or Red Bull Helicoptor. I will be flying in a 60 year-old flying museum.

The B-25

Waiting with other media members waiting for the safety brief.

Because my company sponsors the air show at Miramar every year, the MCCS group offered a ride in a Vintage B-25 bomber. Memphis Belle style!

One more day in Florida

I like to consider myself a pretty seasoned and experienced traveler. and with that experience, comes a skill set that I am proud of. But there are mistakes to be made. This day being one. I set my calendar to show me returning today but when I went to print my the boarding pass, I was informed that my return flight is tomorrow. Oh well…

Thursday was a long day of traveling. Leaving San Diego and connecting through Atlanta, it was a lot of time to think about our Family’s incredible loss.

So far there has been a lot of visiting and beverage intake. I spent some time wondering Downtown Tampa. The city doesn’t lend to many images but I did OK. I also visited the Photography museum..

PalmBuilding

Small snack in Ybor City Tampa Bay Fl.

Sitting at a beautiful copper bar. Having a hand crafted beer and maybe a pizza.

Last transmission from Budapest -over-

As I wrote in the last post. If Budapest were my first city I probably would’ve stayed the whole trip. The city holds the perfect mix of style, modernism, history and culture. It usually takes me a couple of days to hit my stride in a new city but it happened within hours of arriving in Budapest. This morning the skies were heavy, gray and dusted the city with wetness periodically. I decided it was a good day to recharge the body. The 34 year-old German frame has taken a beating in the last week or so. Many miles of concrete and cobblestones… plains and trains, and a minimal amount of sleep. The chest cold that wont go away has taken it’s toll so I booked a Budapest massage. I researched the traditional Roman style hot baths and was set on experiencing this culture. In order for this to take place, though, I would have had to run all over town looking to purchase a bathing suite and towel. Then the text, “men only days attract the gay population” caught my attention. As tired as I am, it didn’t take much for me to change my plans. A popular modern spa instead would do the trick. Hmm, didn’t know the foot massage would involve a sharpened wooden stick. Maybe some of you women out there can enplane that one. None-the-less I was limbered up and quite slippery after the 90 minute treatment.

The Elizabeth Bridge at night

I grabbed a falaffal and water and headed out for a couple more images. I visited the tube (underground subway) museum. Budapest built the first underground train system on the continent. The trains are extremely clean, very very fast and impeccably on time. The Metro here makes the NYC subway look like “subway 101 for beginners”. Don’t get me wrong, it’s super easy to use but the cars move fast and stop even faster. If you don’t commit to getting on, just smile and wave bye-bye. They leave with no warning and wait for no one. I’m still completely enamored by the architecture and metropolitan greenery of Budapest. Most structures are centuries old but stand tall and true. And the interiors are renovated or modernized to the smallest detail. The people are kind. The drivers are courteous. And I have yet to have a bad meal.

Random Statue

If you’re feeling adventurous and want a change from the Cabo trips. This city is one to experience for sure and can be done with ease.

I can’t say EuroTrek 2008 didn’t go as planned because… well, I didn’t plan anything. Nikola Tesla is probably chuckling at me from his electrified cloud and Greek food will probably never be eaten in Athens but I don’t regret anything. Other than 1000 images and a stupid cold, what will I bring back from this trip?… a renewed sense of the human spirit. And a better understanding of global/American relationships. It’s clear the people stole the spotlight this time. The trek was challenging and exciting. The sights were memorable. But the people I’ve met will not soon be forgotten.

I’ve got a lot of traveling to do tomorrow. Budapest – Frankfurt – San Francisco – San Diego in about a day. To all my friends and family THANK YOU for listening to my dialog. Once again I invite you to join next time. I’ve been told by a few that I need to take a relaxing vacation next time, and they might be right, but if you’re looking for someone to go on a “trek” with…

MW

Hello from Budapest

So I now own a fifth pair of thermal underwear.  I had checked the forecast many times before I left on my trip and felt packing a pair wouldn’t be needed.  But Al Roeker doesn’t need to worry about his job because it’s freakin’ cold here.

Before I write about Budapest I need to acknowledge the people of Belgrade.  I had a difficult time getting around the city and was disappointed at the Tesla Museum but this only overshadowed the incredibly kind and thoughtful Serbian people.  It’s odd that out of all destinations on this trip I was most concerned with visiting Belgrade.  For the most part I kept to myself and didn’t mingle with many people.  But when the front desk staff at the hotel heard about my trip and the Tesla museum, the manager called her friend.  Being a Tesla buff he understood my sorrow and grabbed a Tesla t-shirt off the shelf.  The bell-boy then took the bus cross town to pick it up and presented it to me in the lobby while I waited for my taxi.  They all gathered and told stories and offered more help to my next destination.  Then Sasha (taxi driver) showed up knowing that I would need a ride to the train station.  He not only took me to the station, he escorted me to the train, walked me to the cabin and then introduced me to the conductor.  I paid him twice the amount of the fair (about 10 bucks).  He left only to return with a Coke and cookies from the shop for my 7 hour ride.  I do my best not to use extreme words in these messages, like “best”, “craziest”, or “dirtiest” but these are the kindest people I’ve ever encountered.

OK, so I set in for the night in my little sleeper cabin on the train.  The ride was a bit bumpy and loud so I didn’t get much sleep.  It wouldn’t have mattered anyway because we reached the Hungary/Serbia Border at 1:30 and stopped to let the Serbian officers aboard to inspect passports.  It’s an interesting experience being in a dark train cabin hearing an officer bang on your door saying, “documents!” in a couple languages.  I was, once again, very nervous and once again nervous for no reason.  The Serbian officer and then the Hungarian officer looked the passport over and stamped it.

The train rolled into the Budapest station before sunrise.  I went to the ATM and pulled out 10,000 Forints (about 40 bucks), grabbed a taxi and crossed my fingers they would have my room available for early check in.  I was in luck.  I showered, grabbed the free breakfast and headed out.

Statue in front of Parliment

I admit, my ass was dragging.  The trip is starting the ware on me for sure.  I hoped on a sightseeing tour buss away I went.  If Budapest was my first destination on this trek, I probably wouldn’t have even seen Athens or Belgrade.  This place is amazing.  Beautiful, clean, rich in history, and easy.  Even though the language is still unreadable I can get around with east thanks to great signs and good maps.  The tour bus took me to the Citadel across the river Danube for an amazing panorama.

The Danube River

As the bus cruised through the city I realized that I wont have enough time to shoot it all.  Especially with the rain coming in tomorrow.

Parliment on the River

Then I wondered into the large square and watched the Hungarian Army place a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier.  Doesn’t hold a candle to our military ceremonies.  Not when one soldier is on a cell phone and the senior officer shows at the last minute being dropped off in a Nissan Pathfinder.

Can you hear me now?

There is still plenty to see, eat and drink.  If the rain holds off I’ll rent a bike and cover as much as I can.  If it gets wet I’ll try to get into traditinal Budapest natural hot spring bath for a massage.

Only one more full day tomorrow then it’s San Diego BOUND!

Ups and Downs

Today was a total mix of emotions.  Huge ups and an even bigger down.  This morning I met a Serbian taxi driver named Sasha.  He spoke broken English but enough for us to connect.  We started with small talk which then led to discussing the relations between the U.S. and Serbia.  Sasha was very friendly as all Serbs have been so far.  But I can’t help but think that there is some tension or anger toward Americans.   After all NATO forces launched multiple tomahawk missiles into the city destroying large buildings in 1999.  So I asked him point blank, “do you hate Americans”?  He looked surprised and a little confused.  I asked, “are you mad at me as an American”?  He said, ” no no no”.  He explained that he was mad at the American administration and Clinton.  He explained that he knew the Americans had no idea what was going on and didn’t choose to do this.  This was great to hear.

I had Sasha take me to the train station so I could reserve a cabin on the overnight train to Budapest tonight.  Then he drove me to the hotel Balkin to catch a small bus tour around the city.  The tour guide was very impressed with my knowledge of Tesla and suprised that I traveled such distance to go to his museum.    The tour was great and very educational.  The Serbs like to think of themselves as the New york of The Balkins.  The tour driver was friendly enough to drop me off at the Tesla Museum.  So here it was.  The moment I’ve been waiting and planninf for.  I entered the gate in front, climbed the stairs and opened the door.  The young man told me it was 200 Dinar to enter.  I would have paid $200 dollars.  He then exlained that the museum was under renovations and 90% of the exhibits are in the archives.  I was crushed.  I walked the exhibits and sat in the room that held his ashes for an hour.

Ashes

Truly one of the most disappointing days of my life.

There really isn’t much more to write about.  I’ll be traveling through the night and will check in when I get settled in Budapest.

Belgrade

I’ve never been so thrilled… OK nervous to enter a country before. There was something about the officers behind the glass checking the passports or the people I was in line with. Everyone looked suspect. They’re just average citizens but no one looked like me. There’s also a pit that forms in your stomach when you contemplate the fact that you are no longer in the US. And that’s amplified when you leave from one foreign country only to enter another. You lose that warm comfortable feeling of the Bill of Rights or knowing your cell phone isn’t in your pocket. After clearing passport control and getting that cool stamp to show your friends I exchanged my left over Euros for Serbian Dinars. I gave her 70 Euros and she proceeded to count out notes of 500. She gave me 5000 Dinars! I don’t care if it’s Monopoly money, it’s hard not to feel rich when carrying 5000 of any currency.

Wonder on the tracks

Street art

Belgrade Serbia is, at first glance, similar to all other large metropolitan European countries I’ve visited. Fairly modern, fairly clean with a lots of trains and tracks and a ton of Graffiti. And of course there are the scars of US Tomahawk missile attacks.

1999 attack

I checked in to the hotel on the outskirts of town. Threw my stuff down and searched out lunch and beverage of choice. I asked for a traditional meal and a local beer. The waiter was proud to bring me a Jelen Pivo (beer) and a dish that I can’t even begin to type let alone pronounce. It’s ground veal, pork and cheese. The patty is flattened and then fried like a burger and served with fries. I was gonna go my whole life without eating veal but I guess I should have asked before I shoveled it into my mouth. It was good and if pressed to describe it, like a bland bacon cheeseburger without a bun.

I don’t plan on staying here in Belgrade more than a day. My only goal is to visit the Tesla Museum. This is currently number one on the list of things to do before I die. I wont bore anyone with the details of his life but needless to say our daily lives are still impacted by this man who died decades ago. Let me just list a couple of his contributions… A/C circuitry, the radio, the florescent light bulb, and many others that you use today and don’t know it. The museum holds many of his publications and documents along with devices he built with his hands and his ashes in a large spherical urn (yes I have chills).

The city is just as busy and difficult to navigate as Athens. The characters in the language are just incomprehnsable. And now that the compass in my new watch is no longer working, I am pretty hamstrung. I’ll be taking my first overnight train tonight North to Budapest.

Maps

I now have 5 maps of Athens.  And none of them make sense or match.  They might have invented the Marathon but they suck at making maps.  The Athens annual Marathon was held today.  It ended at the Olympic stadium.