Reading (For Dummies)

More in the former communist bloc

Another interesting day, wandering around with my brother and my dad. Still no internet access, though I got my dorm room. Trouble is, it is not wired. The building itself is, but it is up to the tenant to drill holes in the floor and run the cat5 out under the floor to a switch on the floor. How unamerican!

Not having a laptop means that I had to hack the computer downstairs in the hostel. I found a bug with it that allows a javascript popup window to stay open and stop the counter from going after you deposit coins. So 1,00 euros buy you unlimited access! Vedy goot.

Unfortunately, I still can't hook up my digital camera, nor can I really surf..surfing feels weird in this place, the machine is in a huge open area and people look at me funny, typing in English.

My father, brother, and myself went to sort of acquaintences in Dresden for dinner. My dad met this couple on the 'net (of all places). They made us a good vegetarian meal, and told stories of living in Munich and what life was like in East Germany around the time of the collapse of communism there. My how things have changed! They have two children with Harry Potter posters in their bedrooms. It's pretty bizarre.

Tomorrow perhaps, rock climbing? We might head to the Saxony Alps and try some climbs. No guidebooks, we'll just wing it. My dad and brother have a new philosophy on rock climbing...no guidebooks at all. They're coming of the opinion that planned routes are lame, it's like going to an amusement park and saying you rode space mountain. So have a lot of other people. Maybe that's why there is a climb in the Gunks is called Disneyland? Climbing up some random cliff face that maybe nobody has done before might be more fun. Even if you can't tell people it was CCK. What we wonder about is the rather strict Saxony climbing regulations on their limestone. Supposedly no metal gear is allowed, and the Saxons have mastered the art of jamming knotted rope into cracks for protection. I guess my dad has some idea how this works, but I'm rather clueless still.

I'll write again if we live.