Random odds and ends...

I didn't get to bed until after 11 the night before we left to Stolkholm. I was up at 430 am to walk to the bus stop and we were off at 545am. We didn't get in until 3pm and it was another crappy bus ride full of frequent stops and a bus bathroom that was locked because the bus driver is too lazy to empty the septic. Deanna almost peed her pants. That would have showed him!!!

The other thing was that we didn't stop at a decent place to eat. Our ferry crossing was only 20 min so I had just enough time to grab a croissant and coffee.

By the way, coffee has become one of the few pleasures on this trip. We have found that a 7-11 cappucino is the best way to go. The place we are staying at here has a mall nearby and that coffee shop has a pretty good moccacino and the New Zealand girl there is very nice.

So what have I been up to. When we got on we hopped on the metro and walked in the wrong directions with our packs for a few blocks and had to back track a bit which sucks when it is hot and you've spent 10 hours on a bus.

But what is ironic is that we are sleeping in a school. Just can't get away. We are in a classroom with 10 other people and there are portables brought in to shower. The breakfast is good but we went to do our laundry today and discovered the pit-fall of this hostel -- 1 washer and 1 dryer for hundreds of people! Not only that but you can only plug in one appliance at a time!! So today we tried to dry our stuff together Deanna and I cause we only had 3 hours in the laundry room (we had to book) and ya it didn't work. Our stuff is all laid out to dry now.

The good thing is that our room has awesome black-out curtains so we got to sleep in. Up here the sun is up at 3am and doesn't go down until midnight. The night before I showered by myself.... which is a luxury I cherish.... last hostel had see-thru showers and I got the full European experience. Other than that we just played cards.

For supper we discovered the mall and its enormous grocery store and we make frequent pilgrimmages to it.

Mostly read a book I bought today and did laundry then at 4 we went to old town and had an hour walking tour. We then ate in a cellar dating back to the 1200's. Nothing spectacular but cheap. Then Deanna and I got ice cream and walked up a billion stairs to get a pic of the Stockholm skyline.

We have to go on the internet here at 7-11 because at the hostel it is 1 kr per minute!!!!

Tomorrow we are going to the beach. We are really happy the sun has come out. Had to buy a towel today. Also got 2 cd's burnt of all my pictures so far. Wish I was on a computer where I could add photos. This totally sucks!

The waiter at the restaurant tonight told us about this cruise line to Finland and back (12 or 24 hr). It is basically a party boat where you go out to tax free and duty free water and party and then go to sleep and wake up and get off. If I ever come back here or if anyone comes here you should book it. I wish we had the time! It isn't that expensive..... 300 kr max.

We are really feeling the need to get out and meet people, aka boys but I dunno it just isn't happening.... we are too exhausted most of the time.

Oh it is gay pride week here in Stockholm too. All the buses are flying rainbow flags and we had an interesting gay man from L.A. on our tour. In Bakken there was a Santa Claus convention. We are really running into the wierdest things over here.

Speaking of which.... highlight of the afternoon was a guy from our hostel, wearing a pink touque among other wierd items and playing Eminem songs and singing on an accordion. Then we saw him like 3 times in old town and in the subway the police were shutting him down. He's actually very good but man was it funny to hear 'Dear Stan' on the accordion.