Berlin! The Holocaust memorial, in memory of the Jews murdered during the Holocaust, is a really schemer and interesting place. The site is covered with thousands huge blocks which vary in height but perfectly aligned, forming a lot of corridors, the whole on an undulating ground. Walking surrounded by all these blocks was just impressive.
The second picture is taken from the park and we can see the rear of the Brandenburg Gate.
A Little street of Bern in Switzerland, where we can do the statue. Here, a typical statue of Bern. It's one of Anne Bichsel's children, who had shown us the city and who had also accomoted us.
Bern, Switzerland. Just next to the station, the start of the guided tour.
Wroclaw, Poland. Big collage on an older building in the middle of a small island in the city. Seated on a banc we're counting the ducks, to let our legs recover from the visit of the town center (especially the Lego store and the museum of animation and optical illusions that made Pierre crazy).
Berlin and its giant graffiti walls.
Stuttgart, Germany. Again one of our good encounters, while we were trying to find our way to quit the city by hitch-hiking, we met this woman native to Texas (Shirley). She was with her Chinese lady friend, all of both living in Germany. She has invited us to have a drink before indicate us the right way.
As you can see, she works the wood, this picture is taken in her studio on the back of her house. She makes pieces of timber for planes (here for the wings), and not for the remote-controlled planes, no, for real planes with a pilot inside, and that totally rocks. A chance to have met them, not only for giving us a lot of information about their native country, but also after their indications we have waited only 5 minutes until someone takes us by hitch-hiking.
Wroclaw, Poland. The main square of the city, where the reckless scalpers try to sale their perfume to all the women who pass. We are stayed sitting down here to look at them, choosing their prey and changing their speech just for fun, no one speaks french here. Too bad for the black and white of the picture because this man wore a nice red shirt which stood out very well. Good luck guys!
Not far from Rzeszow, Poland. We were walking in this little town in search of our couchsurfing contact; over there we have met very welcoming people and two other travelers. The exchange was very interesting, we were and we are still novices. These guys had a lot of things to learn us, notably that with cheek and muck about failures we can offer to any shop, to work for them in exchange for food. And it's true.
Wroclaw, Poland. (Once again!) One of our last day over there. Our host, Jacek, had supplied us bikes for the day and we rode pretty much somewhere in the city. The last point of the day was to visit a japanese garden, but it was paying. So, we have looked throughout the wire fence and a bit further there was a big foutain. We recognize the place because last evening we were coming here, with Jacek and his two daughters, to watch a son et lumiere show.
The day, it's not as mad as it was the night, and it's transformed in a kind of Wroclaw Beach. You can't recognize me very well but it's me, sunbathing, rereading my note-book and complaining of my bad french.
Cottbus, Germany. Student flatsharing. That were the holidays, they were only 2 of 4 and they let us occupy the vacant beds. That was one of our first nights in seperate rooms and it was restful despite the alcohol and the trampoline. They had a great balcony overhanging the street. One of the best place for a coffe and a cigarette.
Berlin. The famous artists' squat, called "Kunsthaus". Maybe we have too much expected of it, it's more a tourist attraction than a real studio. A lot of trinkets to sell and a closed circle. It doesn't mean that it isn't interesting, if you pass around here, it's worth seeing.
So, we're in South Korea. We arrived early in the morning the 15th at Donghae Port. Kocoba isn't so excited to come back to his country, he hasn't said anything for a while. We're gone directly to Samcheok (where i'm writing now) to spend few nights.
South Korea is really awesome, particularly their writing. It seems to be very difficult but in fact it's very well thought out. You can learn how to read Korean in one day, and it's very cool to read shop signs walking in the street, even if the meaning remains incomprehensible.
In Japan, we were close to the prostitution. Indeed, we accepted an invitation to dinner from an old Japanese man, who didn't offer this without ulterior motives.
The begining of the evening was cool but this man was very ... friendly! After some caresses on thighs and the view of naked man posters on the wall, we began to slip away quietly... especially Pierre who had taken his fancy!
Free meal in exchange for company, we were like escort boys!
But this introduction to homosexuality was not the only one since today we were at Haesindang Park. It's a pious place of cult; dedicated to keep the abundance of fish given by the sea. Indeed, a long time ago, a young virgin freshly married, saw her husband go to sea, whithout having carnal union after their marriage. She waited for his return desperately on the coast, in a fever of impatience. But, her mind was miles away, and she didn't saw the huge wave who took her in the depths of the East Sea.
Since this day, the sea dried up and the fish, it seemed, had all disappeared. One day, a man who contemplated the sea, had a natural desire, excited by the power of nature he began to masturbate (with no hidden motive). When his sperm hit the water, a myriad of fish gushed out from the sea!
At least, the woman was satisfied! And to continue, they erected about one hundred giant wooden penises on the seaside, forming a park called Haesindang Park. I let you to find pictures by yourself.
Anyway, it became hot between Pierre and me with all these stories, I mean that was hard!... In brief that was bizarre ! So we decided that we needed distance between us, just to cool our ardour... Pierre is going to the south towards Busan! and me to the north towards Sokcho!
With a common destination; Seoul October, 23rd!
26/07/11 I'm not sure where to start, we're in a comfy living room. Pierre is reading a book and a 6kg cat is staring at my pen. Going from Lyon to Annemasse almost made me realize that we were gone. Hitching rides, waiting, wondering where you're gonna sleep. Then you meet nice people, you force the dialogue, you are offered drinks. It makes things easier, especially when you're welcome by your uncle and then your cousin. Tonight we're sleeping, bellyful on a mattress.
One Pierre’s road journal and one of Clement… a lot of information about the travelers currently in Japan, some notes of their travel’s beginning… coming soon.
Clément says he's only realizing now that we're gone, but taking the train or something like that will help. I'm writing a bit more, drawing a bit less, probably means I'm realizing..something new is about to start...
Today, I mean tonight we are in Basel (Switzerland) and we decided to go to St Louis on the French side to activate my card, so it's done. Problem is St Louis stinks... It's only public housing and we're only having crappy offers for tonight. So we decided to say "Fuck OFF"* and cross the Rhine (swimming!) to walk on the German side until 10-10.30pm when we decided to find a spot for our tent... *in English in the text
Finally, when we were asking if we could spend the night in a square, we've been told in a faltering English: "You can sleep here if you want". It seems easy to spend a night in a warm place in a real bed after a good shower but you have to think about all the saliva swallowed to escape the doubts and not wonder "where are we gonna spend the night ? and what are we gonna eat ?" (and most of all "are we gonna eat ?")
Plain rice is no good, we're monday the 1st of August, day of the chassé-croisé and national holiday for Switzerland. But we're not in Switzerland anymore we're in Germany in a green van on the road to Stuttgart. Today is a critical day, we have to make our laundry. It's vital. It's been a week since we left.
« We are currently in Tokyo, it’s cool. Tonight we're sleeping warm, tomorrow we don’t know. But no worries, Japan is really safe; we can sleep easily everywhere if we don’t fear mosquitoes. We make our visas, we try to find a job to earn money, and within fifteen days, we'll set off towards Sakaeminato to take the ferry to Dongae (South Korea). "
But in August they were there (extract from the road journal of Pierre):
In Prague, training for the american team of freestyle frisbee, we're chatting with them, about that and our trip. They're telling us that if they had one of their training frisbee with them they would have given it to us for the trip. But they're in a hotel and the only have a "ring" and they're really attached to it...
7th of August 2011 in Prague/Praha, after an evening in Plzen with jorg ? (...we call him Mario) and his nice friends... This week has been rich once again. But time flies...We're not taking time anymore we're just partying night after night. I feel like we're more and more lucky.
