Prague, Czech Republic
Just arrived in this city and I dig it. I left the UK this morning and it was just too damn cold there. I don't know, I guess in my old age I can't take cold windy weather like I used to.
While in Scotland I made it to Fasland Peace camp for a day. The camp was a DIY community of caravans and huts. A sweet guy named Jamie made me a cup of tea from the wood stove and then promptly went outside to chop more wood. Lego, a wild punk scotsman sweetly showed me all the solar powered lights and gadgets they'd hooked up. Part punk rock part physicist, Lego gleefully showed me the generator that would someday create electricity from the creek next to the camp. The camp was also equiped with a series of complex tunnels underneath to fend off authorities coming in for eviction. Faslane is still a hot bed of nuclear munitions off the coast of Scotland and these activists continue to bear witness to the nuclear subs that sit in its harbor. The camp seemed small, only a handful of activists remain, but they are dedicated and keep the community alive. I sat up in the tree sit platform that overlooked the camp and it was a magical thing.
I didn't make it to Findhorn as the UK is just too darn expensive. I really needed to get out and travelling north would have been at least another week's budget consumed. Two dollars to one pound made it an unaffordable luxury. Hence, I have headed east. I'll write about Prague in the coming days as things unfold, but the sense I get is it reminds me of a city in transition, not quite comfortable with capitalism and steeped in a long arduous history of culture and conflict. Folks are incredibly friendly even though there is a big language barrier. I enjoy looking at people's faces here, there are so many stories.
I got a chance to see the "Motorcycle Diaries" in Edinburgh at my favorite cinema "the Filmhouse". It's the story of Che Guevara's motorcycle ride around South America and his ultimate political awakening. The movie got me thinking a lot about travel, how it shifts consciousness, and when things go wrong, you learn the most. Right now, I've been feeling a bit lost, not knowing how to structure my day and thinking about going back to college. But fear has a funny way of creaping in and reprogramming your thoughts for the future. It's easy to make decisions based on fear. Travel is the present devouring the future. It's like being in love for a day and I'm trying to sit with that fear and see what kind of magic ensues.
I don't know if anyone is reading this, but if you are, post a comment (under the post) or email me. I'd love to hear from folks.
While in Scotland I made it to Fasland Peace camp for a day. The camp was a DIY community of caravans and huts. A sweet guy named Jamie made me a cup of tea from the wood stove and then promptly went outside to chop more wood. Lego, a wild punk scotsman sweetly showed me all the solar powered lights and gadgets they'd hooked up. Part punk rock part physicist, Lego gleefully showed me the generator that would someday create electricity from the creek next to the camp. The camp was also equiped with a series of complex tunnels underneath to fend off authorities coming in for eviction. Faslane is still a hot bed of nuclear munitions off the coast of Scotland and these activists continue to bear witness to the nuclear subs that sit in its harbor. The camp seemed small, only a handful of activists remain, but they are dedicated and keep the community alive. I sat up in the tree sit platform that overlooked the camp and it was a magical thing.
I didn't make it to Findhorn as the UK is just too darn expensive. I really needed to get out and travelling north would have been at least another week's budget consumed. Two dollars to one pound made it an unaffordable luxury. Hence, I have headed east. I'll write about Prague in the coming days as things unfold, but the sense I get is it reminds me of a city in transition, not quite comfortable with capitalism and steeped in a long arduous history of culture and conflict. Folks are incredibly friendly even though there is a big language barrier. I enjoy looking at people's faces here, there are so many stories.
I got a chance to see the "Motorcycle Diaries" in Edinburgh at my favorite cinema "the Filmhouse". It's the story of Che Guevara's motorcycle ride around South America and his ultimate political awakening. The movie got me thinking a lot about travel, how it shifts consciousness, and when things go wrong, you learn the most. Right now, I've been feeling a bit lost, not knowing how to structure my day and thinking about going back to college. But fear has a funny way of creaping in and reprogramming your thoughts for the future. It's easy to make decisions based on fear. Travel is the present devouring the future. It's like being in love for a day and I'm trying to sit with that fear and see what kind of magic ensues.
I don't know if anyone is reading this, but if you are, post a comment (under the post) or email me. I'd love to hear from folks.
posted by Mr. Sophie at 9:22 AM
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