First stop: Munich!

When my friend Judith asked me in October whether I would like to join her, her boyfriend, and her family in Budapest for Christmas, I was jumping up and down screaming of course I would love to!! So 2 months later I was frantic in my room packing my bags for an awesome winter break vacation.

Everything sort of happen on its own. While looking for transportation to Budapest I realized that I couldn't afford a direct train ticket to Budapest since they were running at at least 130 euros one way. I searched around and found an awesome bus company, FlixBus, which was only 25 euros from Göttingen to Munich from where I could then catch a train to Budapest for only 39 euros. A much more affordable option, and so happy I did it this way! Instead of just travelling to Budapest over Christmas break, I got to visit Munich, Budapest, and Prague!! Turns out that from Budapest to Prague there are regular tickets that go for only 19 euros!! Since Prague is on the way to Göttingen, I decided to spend a couple of days in Prague on my way back home. An incredible Christmas gift to myself!

The bus ride to Munich went faster than expected. It was an 8 1/2 hour trip that felt more like 4. At the bus station I met a righteous girl named Sarah with whom I chat along for hours on the bus. Because at one point we had to change buses at Nürnberger, Sarah and I decided to venture to the famous Christkindlesmarkt in Nürnberger. This Christmas market is known to be one of the most beautiful and traditional market in Bavaria, and a famous travel destination for tourist. There we spent a good hour sipping on some very hot glühwein, wondering through food and souvenir stands, and watching the crowds get larger.

I spent the night at a hostel called Jaeger´s Hostel, which was less than ok, but for 11 euros I couldn't expect more. The rooms were very clean but the people were very loud. Probably was woken up about 5 times throughout the night... big bummer. Nevertheless, there I met a really cool guy from Brazil, Patrick. This awesome fellow had more stories than my grandmother. A business analyst who was aiming to become an opera singer!! He was one of the sweetest person I've met in a very long time, always smiling, always something positive to say about life. Loved it! In February he debuts in Les Misérables in Brazil. Break a leg Patrick!!

Munich is a wonderful city, so much to do, so much to see. Because I was there for a short period of time I didn't visit all the places I would have liked to, but from what I saw, I know I would like to come back... probably during Oktoberfest. I went straight from my hostel to Marienplatz, a beautiful square in the city center of Munich. There you can catch a view of the enormous and ornate Neues Rathaus. It will leave you staring for hours.

 
From this platz you can also see the famous Glockenspiel in the tower. Every day at 11 am it chimes and re-enacts two stories from the 16th century. The show lasts about 15 minutes depending on the tune... sliiiightly overrate! After managing to escape the crowd of tourists that inundate this platz, I wondered the city for hours. Managed to visit a few markets, the Medieval Christmas market being my favorite. Walked through small allies that lead to beautiful sites. Sipped coffee at the park and saw more and more impressive buildings. All in all an amazing start to an epic winter break vacation.  Details on Budapest and Prague coming soon!

       
         xoxo,
         Gabby

   
   
 

Frohe Weihnachten!

Hello everyone,

Merry Christmas!! I hope these holidays are full of love, happiness, and health for you all!! Christmas is one of my favorite holidays, and even though I know Santa Claus is total baloney, I can't help but love the spirit of this holiday. Maybe because the whole city is light up with colorful lights, or maybe it is the ever-present smell of pine tree everywhere you go, or maybe the fact that people seem more happy in general, regardless of the reason, I am a total sucker for Christmas. This year, I got to experience a bit of what Christmas is like in Germany, and let me tell you, Germans really know how to celebrate this holiday. Like many other countries they have a lot of special traditions. The one I loved most however is their amazing Weihnachten Markts. These lovely Christmas markets are a gem in Deutschland. They start sometime in early December and go until a few days past Christmas eve. Here, you will find everything from Glühwein, sausages, sauerkraut, warm sweet roasted almonds, chocolates, ferry rides, and all sorts of other fun stuff. You'll find everyone from kids, parents, grandparents, teenagers, and young adults. The market is for everyone! I probably visited the one at Göttingen about two times a week because I loved it so much! Definitely a tradition I would love to bring back with me to the states. 

Here I share with you the recipe for some delicious Glühwein. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 

Much love to all of you special folks and hope you are having a wonderful time with your love ones!

Glühwein:

• 750 ml red wine 
• 1/2 cup of organic lemon
• 80 g sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 10 cloves
• juice from 2 oranges (or orange juice)
• 125 ml orange liqueur (such as Cointreau)

Step 1 

Put all the ingredients except for the orange liqueur in a saucepan and mix well. Cover and leave on low heat until it slowly gets hot (until the wine is lightly foam on the surface). Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Step 2 

Pour the orange liqueur and stir. Turn off the heat, cover the saucepan, and let it sit for 3-5 minutes. Then pour into large heat-resistant glasses and drink the mulled wine very hot! Enjoy!

Die Nikoparty!

My dearest,

Tanja, me, Marina at Die Nikoparty

Now that I am finally done with lectures (at least for the next 2 weeks), I can fill you in with some details of the last month. Well, it is Christmas, and like in many other countries, Germany has special traditions of its own. Around mid December there is the big party in Göttingen called Die Nikoparty. In celebration of St. Nicholas day the university is transformed into one of the largest college parties in all of Germany. Being that this is exclusive to Göttingen, Göttingers are very proud of this event and for a very good reason. It is a HUGE party, and it brings thousands of people to campus. It starts early in the evening. Everyone is gathered into different rooms to watch the famous German movie Die Feuerzangenbowle. The movie is from the 1940's and frankly, I really really liked it. It's tradition that while watching it, at selected scenes, you either whistle, drink, light up sparklers, or cheer along with the crowd. Soon after the movie is over, you head straight to the center of the party to be welcomed by the Göttinger Symphonie. It's really amazing to see an orchestra on campus!! Glühwein along with beer is sold in stalls, and rock n roll. techno, and sometimes really cheesy songs are played all night. The party goes on until close to 4am. Here's a video of the symphony before the real party started:

Wo bist du, Gabby?

I started this blog at the beginning of my summer semester, and between having too much fun and travelling, I realized, I've said very little about what my life is like here in Germany.

First, a few words about the program. It's a 2-year masters in Development Economics with a focus in Agricultural studies. It combines two of my biggest passions: poverty alleviation and natural resource conservation. For this reason I was stoked upon acceptance. Most masters in development economics tend to be very heavy in economics and give little focus to other fields. This program however, integrates the importance of agricultural knowledge, which pans out to be pretty ideal for my scope of interest. It is a research base program, which pretty much means that it covers theoretical as well as empirical issues in all related topics to development. Since it is an English taught program it attracts a pretty sizable international community, most of which come from Africa, Latin America, and South East Asia. The faculty is darn solid with incredibly interesting research work, and I am happy to report that I am not the only Berkeley alumna in my class!

As for the rest of my experience here in Göttingen: I live in a quasi-student home. It's a seven story building that goes by the name of Mahatma Ghandi House. Located at the north part of the city (where most students live) close to pretty much everything. Not the nicest part of town but it has its charm.

My home Theodor-Heuss-Straße 11 Göttingen, Germany 37075!

My room which I absolutely adore! With enough room for stretching and yoga. Note that Dumbo and Traposin made it safely with me to Germany!

The amazing view from my bedroom window, from where I get to watch beautiful sunsets almost every single day :)

Part of campus

The lecture rooms

My route to class every morning

Downtown Göttingen

The Altes Rathaus

Not to forget the lovely Gänseliesel

And the occasional work days (this was at the International Conference on Resource Efficiency in Inter-organizational Networks 2013 at the Paulinerkirche)

Viel Liebe!
Gabs

Tibet—One Happy Ending!

It’s been about two months since I left the Himalayas and between one thing and the other I never found the time to sum up my travels through the beautiful land of Tibet, so here it goes:

After 9 days in Kyrgyzstan, Wilson and I embarked on our dream adventure of travelling through Tibet all the way from Lhasa to Kathmandu, Nepal. Arriving to Lhasa definitely surfaced all of those childhood dreams of one day walking among monks in the fabled holy city of Lhasa. A faraway Himalayan land mystical and mysterious with tales that date back to the 7th century. Chanting monks and smoky billows of incense filling its air. The nostalgic views of wide blue skies and high snowy mountains framing the walls of this beautiful plateau—it was a dream come true to say the least. 

The city of Lhasa

Lhasa HAD that feel, as if time stood still and old traditions never left the mind of its people. Its streets, still bared the resemblance of hundreds of years ago. It was particularly breathtaking when entering the city and noticing from the distance the massive presence of the Potala Palace—the home of the Dalai Lama and the epicenter of sanctity for Buddhism. I was really thankful when our Tibetan guide (mandatory for all foreigners) dropped us off at one of the very few hostels you can find in the old village. In essence, after the Chinese occupation, Lhasa was divided into two cities—the old and the new one. The old, where all Tibetans still reside to this day, was kept untouched, while the remainder of Lhasa was transformed into an emerging Chinese city.

Potala Palace

I debated for a while after leaving Lhasa, what my true feelings were surrounding my experience in Tibet. Given the current political climate, Tibet was sort of a bittersweet experience for me. On the one hand, the Tibetan people, their traditions, and religious devotion make you feel as if you are immersed in a world of pure spirituality and peace. On the other hand, you are a silent observer of persecution and oppression, of a culture once so free and beautiful; it makes you wonder, what happened to justice, to faith, to honoring the good and condemning the bad. I tried shaking off all negative thoughts, but it was particularly hard when constantly noticing that permit checkpoints and metal detectors were present everywhere in the streets. That Tibetans, as well as monks, rarely exchange a word or two with foreigners, for police patrols closely control what they say and do. That the air, as well as the walls, are always filled with political propaganda.  A real nuisance to say the least.

Along the Friendship Hwy

Tibetan prayer flags

Prostrations at the Jokhang Temple

Nonetheless, I left Tibet in harmony carrying within me a sense of beauty and serenity I've never felt before. Something that will never be forgotten. 

Mt. Everest base camp

After crossing the border to Nepal, Wilson and I embarked to the last leg of our trip. The change in energy was so dramatic, I remember not being able to sit still. Nepal is chaotic, colorful, vibrant, and extremely friendly. Simplicity is the way of living, and common knowledge is that every second lost is a Rupee you’ll never get back. For that reason alone, being in the back of a taxi feels like a roller coaster ride. And don’t expect to not be pushed around in the bakery line! We first stayed in the city center of Kathmandu, but after being wisely advised by our Dutch friend Lisa, we packed our bags and headed to the hills to the wonderful  and glorious Kopan Monastery. Frankly, this was probably my favorite part of the trip. It was perfection at its mostest. There, we met a group of travelers from all over the world, and after our meditation classes, we sat together and talked and laughed for hours over milk tea and veggie yum yums. Monks were kind and allowed us to experience as much of their lives as we could. As an outsider, I contemplated the stillness and enlightenment that comes from Buddhist philosophy, and on my own, happily dwelled on its teachings. These were days of pure bliss.

P.S: My nickname in Tibet given to me by the Tibetan calendar is: Fire Tiger! Shocker?

Prayer wheels

Nepal's crowded streets

The amazing travelers at Kopan

Nepalese Stupa

Inside the Kopan Monastery

Кыргызстан (Kyrgyzstan)

I’ve never been so unprepared when travelling to a country as I am upon arriving to Kyrgyzstan. I don’t know what language they speak. I don’t know the time. I have no idea what our plan is, or how we plan to get around this country. I don’t even know what currency they use for that matter. I just hopped in the plane and hoped that upon arriving to Kyrgyzstan something wonderful would unfold, and indeed, it did. After waiting for my friend Wilson for about 2 hours at 3am in the morning in the small crowded airport of Bishkek, we headed out to meet Wilson’s friend Manu—a French guy who has been living in Bishkek for about 6 months aiming to learn some Russian. On our way to his place, I learned that Kyrgyzstan (spelled Кыргызстан in Kyrgyz and Киргизия in Russian) was part of the Soviet Union until 1991, it is located in Central Asia, everyone can speak apart from Kyrgyz fluent Russian, traffic rules are completely obsolete, and that no matter whether you fixed a price with your taxi driver on your way out of the airport, they will change their price about 5 times before you reach your destination. For this reason, нет meaning “no”, is a word you learn very quickly. 

Kyrgyzstan was definitely a cultural shock. Although I have been to many developing countries in South America, I’ve never been to one where 1) I didn’t speak the language, and 2) was so drastically different from what I am used to. Soviet influence is everywhere, from old Soviet buildings, some of which look as if they are about to crumble, to massive statues—that of Lenin being the biggest.

Traffic is insane and crossing the street took some time to get used to. They have many plazas where you can find outdoor karaoke machines, as well as Russian and Kyrgyz music playing from large speakers. In short Bishkek is like all big cities loud, busy, and entertaining. At night the city is the place to be. People party and oh boy can Kyrgyz people party. One our first night we headed out with Manu and some of his friends to a club near the mountains. Never did I expect to see so many extroverted people dancing, drinking, and having the time of their lives. I guess I forgot to mention Kyrgyzstan is partly a Muslim country, but as it became increasingly obvious to me, not a conservative Muslim country. For one thing they drink, and they drink like champs! I never had such a hard time playing catch up while drinking vodka with people. These were one after the other shots of vodka, of REALLY good vodka. I loved it! Thankfully, being that vodka is superb in Kyrgyzstan, you never have to worry about nursing a colossal hangover the next day. It was without doubt an unforgettable experience.

The people in Kyrgyzstan are wonderful. They are kind and genuine in ways I’ve never seen before. To them showing you their country is a pleasure, and they do an excellent job at making you feel at home. If there is something that definitely left an impression on me was the sweetness of Kyrgyz people.

Of course I spent a great deal of time in the mountains. After all, the entire mountainous region covers about 80% of Kyrgyzstan. We spent some time in the Issyk-Kul Lake in the north-eastern part of the Tian Shan range. This is the second largest mountain lake in the world after Titicaca, and also incredibly popular among Kyrgyz and Russian people. It’s sort of a vacation spot for many people in Central Asia with resorts and nice restaurants—think Lake Tahoe. Although Issyk-Kul Lake was indeed pretty, by far my favorite place in all of our travels through Kyrgyzstan was Song Köl Lake in the northern Naryn Province. Apart from the fact that the landscape is outstandingly beautiful, here you really get to experience the nomadic life of Kyrgyz people. This place is magical. Only nomads live here and you can only find them during the summer. They come for 3 to 4 months and settle near the lake with their cattle. These farmers live at yurts at the jailoo, and I was one lucky gal to spend an entire 2 days with one of the families. 

They were so accommodating and wonderful. Normally there are some yurts tourist can stay at, but who the heck wants that when you can stay with a family instead. We got to hang out with their kids, cows, sheep, and horses. Did some horseback riding near the lake. Ate delicious mutton and drank horse milk aka. Kumis—it’s gross. All in all a wonderful experience. I’ll let my pictures tell the rest of the story.

https://www.facebook.com/gabrielita.trotamundos

X’s and O’s

Gabsters

One fourth of the way

Well apparently blogging is harder than I expected, especially when you are a full-time student writing academic papers on a regular basis. So what am I at now? One fourth of the way from finishing my masters and currently sitting in the living room of my friend Manu in Kyrgyzstan. Yes, Kyrgyzstan!! Although, I would love to fill you in with all the juicy details of my fantabulous summer vacation, I will leave that for another post, and for now, I can only say that this globetrotter is spending 21 days travelling through Kyrgyzstan, Tibet, and Nepal. Woot!! As for the past few months… study, study, study. Well really a balanced mixture between school work and social life. I’m still amazed by how different the German schooling system is to that of America… specifically to that of Berkeley. As a Cal alumna, I am used to endless hours at the library solving problem sets, not to mention the gnarly mid-terms and finals that would leave you zombified. Here in Germany problem sets are non-existent and so are mid-terms. You only have one final and some academic writing. They believe that that is sufficient, and So. Do. I! Mind you, that does not mean it is easier, for having to demonstrate understanding of a subject in one evaluation proves to be difficult, but rather, it means you have more time to understand the material, question it, and go in depth if desired. I find this a lot more useful than information overload.

As for summer in Germany, it is the bomb! Goettingen just lights up. Music festivals, friend gatherings, and of course, lots of beer drinking at the platz. Not to forget the awesomeness of riding your bike at night, through the old streets of Götti, while drinking some wicked German beer. Aaahhh, it’s always the little things with this gal! :) That said, although I didn't get to spend summer in Germany/Europe, I am more than excited for the summer ahead. For now, I’ll leave you guys with one of my new favorite songs by the French singer Barbara about the one and only Göttingen.

Deutschland, Deutschland, Deutschland!!

Long overdue but here it is my first blog! I have now been living in Göttingen, Germany for exactly 7 weeks, 2 days, and counting, and there is so much I want to share with you all!

Getting to Germany was an emotional roller coaster to say the least. Leaving behind people I truly love, friends and family, wasn't the easiest task—especially when you know you’re bound to be gone for an entire 2 years! But I did it. And I couldn't be happier with my decision. I remember out rightly how it felt when I first lay foot on German soil. I arrived to Berlin’s airport totally jet lagged after a 24-hour layover in London’s airport that left me haggard. Thankfully, I was welcomed by an awesome Spaniard (Javier) that I met through Couchsurfing, who picked me up at the airport and offered me a place to stay for the night before catching my train to Göttingen the next day. Although sleep deprived, we walked through the streets of Berlin for hours and oh my gawd was that city amazing! There was something about the air in Berlin that made me fall head over heels in love with Germany in no time. The art in the walls, the beautiful architecture, all of the eccentric individuals that roam its streets… simply fantastic.

Next day after a good night’s rest I headed out to my lovely new home—Göttingen. Many people, gringo friends and Germans alike, often ask me why Göttingen?  Well simply put: there was no particular reason. Like most things in my life, it kinda happened by accident. 1) I wanted a Masters in Development Economics. 2) I wanted to get out of the states for a while. 3) I didn't have much money to spend and so—voilà! I find myself here. And what can I say, I really lucked out by landing Göttingen as my new home. Let’s just start by saying Göttingen IS the place to be if you are a student. This town is a university with a city, because really, Göttingen's university is what it’s all about. In fact, the reputation and love for this city’s university is such that it saved the town from being bombarded by Allied troops during WWII. As you can imagine history is everywhere. Buildings that date back to the 16^th century, documents and paintings of its founding kings and rulers in the Great Aula, and the statues and memorial plaques commemorating the geniuses that once walked its campus.  All of the great perks that come with living in an old university town. But that’s not all that makes this place so special. The people, I’d say, are truly its biggest asset.

***** I feel like a little side note dedicated to my German friends is needed here *****

I can’t express how thankful I am for my German friends. From day one they have been extremely supportive and helpful. They are truly a blessing straight from heaven for any foreigners that find their way into this little German town without any knowledge of German or clue as to what to do with themselves miles and miles away from home. Annika, Tanja, Marina, Christoph, Jean, Felix, and Andrea. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Before coming to Germany, I heard from so many people that Germans were very proper, and so I toned down my Puerto Rican crazy-self to not send them running for the hills. But even when my true nature manifests itself in its Puerto Rican ways the sweetness of my German friends prevail, while they watch me with endearment as I accidentally press all the buttons in the coffee machine and end up cussing the machine in Spanish because it served me hot chocolate instead of coffee (it happens more than I’d like to admit). For your friendship, dankeschön. May it be an everlasting one.

One last thing, beer, yes, beer is great in Germany no doubt, but Oh-My-Freaking-Goodness CHOCOLATE!! Chocolate is the shiznet in Germany! I’ve been eating so much chocolate that for the first time in my life I am very thankful for my abnormally fast metabolism. I swear, I've been chowing down more than 200 grams per day and that’s on a normal day, no joke. That said, if you happen to cross paths with me again soon and you notice your Gabbers is sporting a cute lil’ muffin top, well yea… you’ll know it had nothing to do with German beer.

Thank you to all my lovelies for following me through this journey. Excited to share all the memories and experiences with you!

Xoxo,

Gabby

P.S. Lost in translation? Just a tad! Couple of official language barriers:

1. Number six, written in German as sechs and pronounced as “zeks”, comes out of my mouth as something more like sex, every single time. It has gotten me more than a few excited looks from the gents around this area.
2. Reading my mail is quite the task. It seriously takes me about 3 hours to go through it and that’s with the help of Google Translate. So I currently have a pile high of letters I haven’t gotten to. Hoping none of them are time sensitive. Yicks!

Here are some pictures of my lovely new home:

Great Aula view from Wilhelmsplatz

One of the many cathedrals

Downtown Göttingen

Göttingen at night is really beautiful... this picture doesn't do justice.

Göttingen's forest

First day of Spring!