New Blog

Ryan is Blogging Again!!
I'm not traveling, but there is still lots to blog about.
Fort St. John Huskies Blog
Moose FM Afternoons Blog\
ch-ch-check me out.

London... Ontario

Yeah, damn.
London, ON... not London, England.
Not that London, ON is bad ('cause I'm chillin' with my sister, having a great time), it just signifies the end of my exploring and wandering, as opposed London,UK, which would mean more nomadic behavior of which I am so fond.
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First step on Canadian soil (or tile i suppose) was in Montreal's Trudeau International Airport (did you know Montreal-Trudeau is one of the only airports in North America that is prepared to handle the Airbus A380, which is expected to begin service in 2006?). Being off the continent for almost 3 months, I had a few goods/services I was eager to exchange for Canadian montary units. 1) The Hockey News - aside from Latvia, where I travelled people would ask if it was field hockey or ice hockey that I was talking about. 2) A National Newspaper - Globe, Post... I don't care. 3) Check my email.
Luckily for me all these goods and services can be readily found in Montreal Trudeau... usually. No Hockey News, Sold out of National Papers and Bell's Internet service kept crashing on me, whilst convieniently swallowing my loonies and two-nies.
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Stopped by the HHOF in Toronto a few days ago. I figured Lord Stanley's Mug would put a smile on my mug. It did (it certainly wasn't the TampaBay Lightning Championship Photo).

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It is tough to reflect on such an uncomparable experience that travelling is. It is the life for those seeking adventure. Now I have two months to get some money in my pocket, and dream about my future travels.
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I hope that you have enjoyed the blog. It was a new experience for me and I found it fairly easy and fun. Hope you didn't find it too self indulgant or egotistical of me! In fact I think I am thinking about starting a new Blog. Not on travel of course, as my travels have halted for the moment, but perhaps on sports. Those who know me well know that I not often short on sports opinions. Who knows!
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That's all for now.

Budapest... the end is near.

Sad, but true.
Monday AM, I'm sooooo out of here and back to the Great White North. Back in Cow-Vegas a week later.
All this means I am soaking it all in here in my final few days. Budapest is spectacular, I was here earlier and made sure to save lots of time at the backend of my trip to do it right.
Hatsburg and Turkish Baths, Caving under Buda, The Terror Museum (tough to imagine this city still was under Russian/Soviet influence just 15 or so years ago), an "all you can eat & drink" restaurant, Skating outside of one of what seems to be an endless supply of Castles/Churhes/Palaces that are scattered across the skyline in both Buda (west of the river) and Pest (east of the river). I've been busy!
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Just said goodbye to Richard MacLean and Max Dodd after a week or so of hitching up with them in Poland and here in Hungary. So random, and so against any odds that we met so out of the blue... it was really great to catch up with them after years of only occasional sightings and conversations.
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The weekend nears... hope all is well whatever city/country the computer moniter in front of you is in.
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as Linda Richmond from Coffee Talk (Cawfee Tawlk) on SNL said:
"I'm getting verclemped... discuss amoungst yourselves...
Buda Palace









The Parliament - Yeah, The Parliament!

Puking in Poland

I've decided to publish this posting in this peticular colour for obvious reasons! I'm in Krakow now and I'm not getting more than 50ft away from a washroom at anytime.
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I bumped into Richard MacLean and Max Dodd in a hostel last night. Small world... I hadn't seen these fellow hellraising junior high school amigos for at least a year each. We went out for dinner and were planning on having a few beers, until my stomach started doing its best rollercoaster impression! No doubt I have a virus/flu/fever at the moment. So my next move to Budapest is on hiatus until I can stomach something for more than 20 minutes. Goddam! I turn into such a baby when I'm sick (allthough I don't think anybody likes 3AM sprints to the washroom).
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Crazy first few days here though:
a) Auschwitz was incredibly terrifying, I couldn't believe the lengths that the Nazis went in attempting to exterminate all the Jews in Europe. A serious hate on.
b) Krakow is sooo beautiful, the main square is stunning, I heard many complimentary things about the City, but not until I got here did I truely understand.
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Oh, gotta run... ahhhh!

Hello Lithuania!

Well, much like saying good-byes to friends as you travel only to find new ones around the next corner, leaving Latvia was sad, but I've been welcomed with open arms by Lithuania! I'm in Vilnius (the capital) today, I was in Kaunas (2nd biggest city) yesterday.
The baltic peeps can party! In Kaunas I stayed with locals my age. Night one we hit up a cool club playing sweet Drum and Bass music. Night two we went to the Kaunas Jazz festival to watch a Jazz group from the UK (Maceo Parker was the headliner... I saw him in CowVegas a few years ago).
Today I'll be wandering around Vilnius Old Town. 14 full days left for me... nuts.
The end is in sight!
Sad!

Jewish monument in Kaunas

Goodbye Latvia

Well after sleeping outdoors and coughing up ca$h galore to get here, Latvia was without question worth the effort. 6 nights in Riga and 3 nights in Liepaja (old Soviet port city) made a lasting impression on me. While I expected a strong russian/soviet influence on the area, I was amazed how much the country felt Scandanavian.
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The pic to the Left is the 2nd largest Russian Orthodox Church in Liepaja, which was a stones throw from the coolest hostel I've stayed in through all my travels: "Karosta" or"Ķ@2". Karosta is a Art Gallery/Residence, Hostel, Cultural Centre, and meeting place of great artistic minds! (www.karosta.lv)
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Highlights of the last week or so include, stoping in a hockey arena to watch young Latvians play hockey, meeting a boatload of the coolest local folk in Riga (funner and cheaper than a tour guide, renting a tandem bicycle with Dan in Liepaja while everybody in the city snicked at us, and checking out the rubble left behind by the soviets on the coast as they withdrew their military presence in the early ninties. (see pic below).
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Now I'm off to Lithuania, where I'll be visiting Kaunas, the second largest city in the country and home to one of the best european basketball teams in Europe (what else would you expect from the birth place of Arvydus Sabonis and Zdrunus Illgalskus).

Riga, Latvia

Known to most Canadians for its export of a few fine hockey players (Arturs Irbe, Karlis Skrastins, the late Sergei Zholtok, and Sandish Ozolinsh to name a few), Latvia is a baltic country of about 2 Million people with about 750,000 living in Riga, The capital city.
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Riga Rocks! The Latvian economy is one of the fastest growing in Europe, but things tend to be very inexpensive here. Ah, but rather than spend less here in Latvia, I have chosen to live like royalty instead, treating myself to fine meals and beverages under the same budget as the rest of my travels!
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Dan and I are staying with some friends of friends in an appartment here, after two days at a hostel. The past few days were spent dancing, singing and not sleeping with a grooup of 15 Norweigiens who were being taught about the Soviet Occupation by one of Dan traveling friends!
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As you can see I have photos now. YAY! Im going to go back through all my posts and add photos to spice up the Blog! Technology, eh!
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As for the coming days, Dan and I would like to head to the coast and check out a coastal town that used to be a huge naval facility for the Russian/Soviet Military that nearly turned into a ghost town when Latvia gained independance (for the 2nd time) and now is turning into a cultural and educational destination in Latvia. Apparently there is a Prison where they re-enact the Soviet rule and you are in the cells. For two hours they interrogate you (''I swear I'm not a greedy capitalist officer!''), make you do push-ups and play mind games with you! I'm so down!!
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hope all is well at home (wherever that is), the leaves have turned and are falling here, which means my scheduled time for adventure is shrinking quickly. WAHHH, I don't want to go!