Mountains vs Sea

I haven't been writing so often (it's been more than year now; though I tend to attribute it to being busy at work, I am convinced that it is not the right reasoning to make; I have to make and get time if I need some, as simple as that

4 months ago, during Easter, I drove to Slovenia to just get away on the long weekend and I had an unbelievable experience. In fact, I blogged sipping local Lasko (pronounced as Lashkow) in a ultra local pub and guess it should have been beer (or rather just me) who forgot to save it before all of it was gone:(
I am in Denmark this time to attend the wedding my Mayt and I drove to Odense, to get away from emails, emails, and emails. After having done the city tour by foot spanning over 10 kms, I am in the best rated local hangout in Odense, and I have to say, I am not disappointed at all

Though I did not manage to rewrite the blog I was almost done with in Slovenia, I thought to merge it with the one I wanted to pen about Denmark

While I was super excited about Slovenia, I was indifferent towards Denmark on day 1, but then I have to say, both of them have a class of their own. Denmark is twice as large and populated as Slovenia but with an opposite geography. The former being on sea level and the latter full of mountains.
What I really appreciate about Denmark is that the cities are so meticulously planned for cyclists, that I have to say that biking is not a supplementary mode of transport at all; it is on par with cars instead. All the roads I have been so far had a separate lane for cyclists, each of the intersections with blue signboards on possible directions and distance. Renting bikes is simple and easy; one needs to get into one of the bike kiosks and all what is needed is a (smart) mobile phone! Register online as a guest, send an SMS with the details of the bike and boom! You got a bike for 10 Kroners an hour. Return the bike in any other kiosk near to your destination. Running less in tyre pressure? Stop at one of the air fuelling stations, free of cost! Simple and beautiful. The people themselves, most of them speak German and English, so not a problem for any tourist who knows the Queen's tongue. The Danish are not utterly friendly to Tourists but not unfriendly at all! One pays at the cashier which means tipping is completely on satisfaction levels. Most of the businesses close at around 8 and there isn't a spectacular night life. Denmark is also expensive as oher Scandinavian countries, a big pizza slice costs about 30 Kroners and a Beer, 60 (this is 8 eur for .5l)


The city itself has a polished look, with everything very neat and tidy. The main stret is well cobbled with even the manhole covers carrying some kind of artwork! The museums and exhibitions are superbly put up, they carry a flair of itself. Modern and Contemporary art is quite every where. All comes with a free wifi if you are the city center or in any of the government / public office vicinity like libraries. 
What they also say about Denmark is that one is never more than 30-40 kms from the sea! That's all the distance you need to make if you are a beach beast. Cannot comment much as I am not one...

Slovenia on the other side is "easy and approachable", yes that's the phrase for I ought to give! It's a tiny little paradise that is by far unexplored. Its a heaven for hikers, mountaineers, archeologists (it has a lot of natural caves running into kms long), and of course, lovely people. I had driven alone to Slovenia (Bled) and never felt being alone. I was with locals, so damn friendly, who invited me to join them, I got phone calls upon reaching DE, addresses to stay at their homes the next time I visit Slovenia, tips to fit my taste, and a free night stay in the hostel where I was :) "Easy and Approachable"
The mountains are superbly paved for all hikers from amateurs to experts. I tried a few of them and they are no less than a heaven. Hike up the mountain Stol or Comna, 2500 mts high and you have a breath taking experience of the views. Huts up these mountains serve food and beverages and even accommodation for 50+ people! What a perfect vacation would that be to hike up 2500 mts, crash there and continue conquering the adjacent ones the next day! Cost wise, it is a paradise too; good food for about 5 eur, a beer for 2 and accommodation starting as low as 20 eur

I have to say though, both are not the best of the places for Food (or Beer), Germany still tops the list of mine which already has quite a few countries across Continents

While the interesting part of exploring cultures continues, so does the beer in Carlsens Kvarter; Cheers

Checkpoint Charlie

I've been experiencing quite a few events over the last months which have been very moving. I was in India for three weeks and it all started there. Some of my very own bloodlines never seemed so unambigious. I saw them in a completely different way to what I had always. They were like an open book to me which had everything written in a horribly simple verbiage. Rather, I must have seen them in a way I wanted to see them - all the time.

The next spike came only a week back when I was in Berlin. For more than two years, it was my wish to visit Berlin - at leisure. Reason: to see and live moments in retrospect - of the fall of Berlin wall. I am happy and feel blessed for the time to have come at last.

After having done a super satisfactory guided walk tour in Munich, it was clear that I will do a similar tour in Berlin as well. Only that it was better this time - I did a Bicycle tour. Our guide was an American dame, quite enthusiastic in her part time job. After a quick briefing of the tour, we were on our way through the city, religiously following our guide and stoping at all so called points of interest. It was just another trip until we stopped at the "Checkpoint Charlie". The Guide meticulously draw a small map on the pavement and started to take us back in history - to the fall of Berlin wall.

Checkpoint Charlie - one of the crossing points along the Berlin wall, the Soviet Union had installed to control movement of people from both the sides (The checkpoint divided Berlin into East and West - ruled by Soviet union and the rest of the Allied forces, respectively). While there's no checkpoint anymore, the streets at the juncture have been serried with placards of text/and very German high definition pictures of the historic times - the times that might have been at a bare minimum - brutal, barbaric, vicious and inhuman. The checkpoint was a heavily guarded gate, people from either of the sides were required to pass through - to even just walk to the other part of their own town. The pictures themselves are very disturbing. It goes on listing the chronology of events for the fall of wall, names of the people who were killed for their attempts to illegally cross these checkpoints, the hurdles the people had if they were to visit their loved ones who lived on the other corner, the vast difference between the currencies and the impact it had on their lives, their agony which sunk them deeper and deeper into no man's land. To be honest, I was in tears to have read only a few of the placards. I am sure, checkpoint charlie is one of the innumerable checkpoints one can learn from history - from every corner of the world. Be it from South Africa, America, India, Germany, Israel, Tibet or Timbukto.

While I stood bewildered, I went on questioning myself as to who the hell is anybody to question anyone's freedom? How on Earth can anyone take it for granted the right of dictating terms without any rationale? These souls are at best a pest to Humanity - who should be castrated, beaten to death and burried deep under. Why does one bear with this torture until it turns into a volcanic outburst? Shouldn't it be nipped in the bud? I had no answers. I went on digging deep. Aren't pests inherent to any society? YES. So, who then is the bigger problem? The people who are exploited themselves? May be. Isn't it in fact the right and duty of every human soul to fight against atrocity? Shouldn't we as intelligent animals of this era fight and uphold and respect our very own freedom? A resounding Yes thundered from within. As minutes passed, the variables in the equation dwindled - the only ones remaining turning into constants - Myself. I vowed to live for righteousness and not to let my integrity succumb.
Still sunk, croseed the street to see that all the other folks back to their bikes and waiting for just two of us (myself and my friend). Running, I hopped on to my Bike, introspecting myself for the rest of the tour.

Anyways, the stop for lunch was at a beer garden and glugging a mug of Beer did put me back on track for the rest of the tour.

Hail freedom.