Day 171 - Petrin Tower

We headed up the hills of Prague to reach it's version of the Eiffel Tower. On the way, we took a funicular to the top of the hill, where there was so much green and park space. You could actually see autumn here, unlike southern California, where the leaves from the sparse trees don't really turn from green to red and yellow and then fall off. The weather added to the effect of an authentic autumn, where people bundled up from the fog and slight windchill.

The Petrin tower itself was not very impressive, and really was just a mini replica of the real thing in Paris. What was impressive though was that it was at the top of a hill, so you had a wonderful panoramic of the entire city, although the weather made the city look sleepy, bright colors subdued and filtered through the fog. You could see everything from the top since it was pretty much the highest point in the city, nothing being hidden by mountains, trees, or tall structures.

We walked around the grounds surrounding the tower, continuing to admire the beauty of Prague's parks and greenspace where everything is clean and well-maintained. We stopped by the Mirror Maze, which is, as the name of the place suggests, a labyrinth of mirrors to walk through. Parts of the Maze were being renovated, so we were only able to get a small dose of what is usually offered. There was only one path from start to finish in the maze, and at the end of it, was a hall full of those distorted long mirrors that you usually find at carnivals or circuses. No need for a Mac or Photobook here!

For dinner, we ended up at another traditional Czech restaurant near our hotel, where I ordered a Pork Tenderloin grilled in garlic with greenbeans, english bacon, and sour cream, accompanied by a Kozel beer. Delish!

Day 136 - Garden of Dreams in Kathmandu

The next couple of days would be lazy days, as most of the city would remain relatively quiet due to the Dashain festival. I headed to the Garden of Dreams, which was the number 1 recommended activity in Kathmandu based on Tripadvisor.com reviews.

Just outside of Thamel, the Garden of Dreams is a renovated garden area where people come to just relax, sit around the gardens, nap, have a bite to eat, and just enjoy the surroundings, a stark contrast to the noise and grime right outside. It reminded me very much of my visit to the Peace and Wellness Labyrinth Gardens in Los Angeles that I wrote about prior to my trip. Both were quiet and beautiful places to relax and reflect, right in the middle of an urban jungle. They had a photo exhibit that displayed before and after renovation pictures. Much of the garden could have been lost, had the government not done something to prevent it. The architecture of the area was beautiful with elements of symmetry throughout.

Afterwards, I headed around the commercial shopping area of Thamel, since it was the last day many of the shops would be open before a 3-4 holiday break. There were a lot of bootleg shoes, and it was hard to tell the difference between a genuine Nike vs a fake one. Even fake shoes were sold in some pretty legitimate clothing stores, but I guess you could tell by the outrageously cheap prices that they were fake. I ended up purchasing some Puma sneakers from the official Puma store. It's nice because unlike many of the other countries I'd visited, the prices here were cheaper or similar to what I'd find in the U.S.

I headed back to the hostel, but not before finding a book to read, since my Kindle decided to break down...good thing it is still under warranty, although I'd like to get my hands on one of the newer ones that were recently released. I purchased The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I heard many good things about it from friends, and it is a popular book to read while traveling.

On the way back, I saw what appeared to be the beginnings of a goat sacrifice. A group of people, including many children, were gathered around a goat that was tied to a string. They were all loud and excited, anxiously petting the goat on the head. One of the older men dragged the goat towards their village, and everyone followed, helping to push the helpless goat forward. I didn't stay to see if it was sacrificed, but I assume it was.

Late at night, a group of us at the hostel decided to head to Durbar Square to see if we could find some more slaughterings. Everyone kept telling us different times and dates to go see it, so we decided to go tonight. Of course, when we got there, the square was quiet. There was barely any activity, although we did come across a small area that appear to be where a couple goats were sacrificed, with blood spilled over the pavement.  

Garden of Dreams

Animal Sacrifices in Durbar Square

picture perfect 3

There is less than one more week before I leave! While I didn't get a chance to do everything on my Los Angeles bucket list, it was worth while getting to see as much of what the city had to offer.

It's definitely a strange feeling revisiting West Hollywood, not as a resident, but as a guest. Going to the local grocery store or bar or even the neighborhood has a different vibe and it's a little unsettling, but I should get over this perception, as I'll be a guest everywhere I go. Rather than think about how I'm an outsider, I should just enjoy being there.

A new friend of mine told me he thought of me as the type of person who is always thinking ahead, planning the next few steps in life, not really enjoying the moment of being with good company. I agree with this assessment, but I do hope to just take a deep breath every now and then and just smile and be satisfied, taking a pause in life to just exist. Not everything needs to have a specific purpose that we have to understand.

While I have this urge to meticulously plan every day of my trip, I hope I'll just let go and enjoy and appreciate the chaos and spontaneity of it all.

The Museum of Contemporary Art - The Geffen Contemporary (Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, CA) - There is a new exhibit called ART IN THE STREETS that will continue to be shown until August 8, 2011. This is the first major U.S. museum exhibition of street art and graffiti, which traces the roots of the movement in the 70s to the present day. I'm not too familiar with most of the famous street artists, but there was quite an extensive collection for you to acclimate yourself with. They had many works by Banksy (two of which are shown above), Keith Haring, Spike Jonze, Terry Richardson, and there was also a special focus on local movements like the "cholo graffiti" and "low rider" movement in Los Angeles, as well as the Dogtown skateboard culture. Even if you aren't a street art fan, I think anyone can appreciate the visual overload of colors when they visit. Admission is $10 general, $5 with student ID, or free every Thursday from 5p-8p.

The Getty Villa (Pacific Palisades, CA) - I've always gone to the other Getty museum near the 405 freeway but never took the time to check this one out until now. This museum was originally built by John Paul Getty to house his permanent collection of ancient Greek, Roman, and Etruscan art. The museum was built as a replica of the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum (located somewhere in southern Italy). Sadly, Getty never was able to see the final product before his death in 1976. The museum is free with advanced reservation, although parking costs $15. It's worth it just to walk around the premises just to sit and relax and appreciate the architecture of the building itself.

Langer's Delicatessen (Westlake, CA) - I tried my first pastrami sandwich at a Jewish deli about three years ago and have been curious to find out where I could find the best pastrami sandwich. Would it be in New York? Los Angeles? I came across this deli on the eaterLA website and there were over 1,000 reviews with a 4.5 star rating! I expected big things with this deli, but for some reason, I was underwhelmed by it all. The sandwich looked small (see first picture) compared to something I got at the 2nd Avenue Deli in New York City (see second picture)... I can't really compare the two, since the sandwich I got in NY was half corned beef and half pastrami, but look how ginormous it is compared to Langer's! It was just so much more fatty and juicy compared to Langer's...

Peace Awareness Labyrinth Gardens (Los Angeles, CA) - Situated in the middle of the busy streets of Los Angeles is this place to retreat, relax, and meditate. Located in the back of a renovated mansion, guests are free to roam around, walk the labyrinth, or sit in the gardens in the back. The property is owned by the MSIA (Movement of Spirtual Inner Awarness) group, although they don't try hard to push their beliefs onto you.

The labyrinth was designed after the labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral in France. It is about a third of a mile in length to walk to the center and back out. People use the labyrinth for different reasons. Some people use it as a kind of walking meditation, seeking to empty their mind of whatever problems they are facings. Some people use it to determine where they are in life, what questions and concerns they have, or what goals they have at that moment. Some people use the labyrinth as a metaphor for how they live their lives. They use it as a self-reflective tool.