For those of you who don't know, I've declared 2008 as "the year that Oren Margolis traverses the world."
In January I went with my scholars group from NYU to Cusco,
Peru - the so-called "navel of the World," to volunteer in rural, Andean communities. We provided health care to hundreds of native Peruvians, most of which were direct descendants of the Incan people. Of course, we were also able to take in the Peruvian culture, its breathtaking landscape, and its vibrant history. Our trip culminated in a climb up the mountain of
Pisac (above), where we were able to see its famous ruins as we approached them, and then again from WAY above as we climbed to the top.
Of course, no visit to Peru would ever be complete without a trip to Machu Picchu at the end. One can truly understand why Machu Picchu has been designated one of the "New 7 Wonders of the World" the second they step foot on the premises. It was a trip that I will never forget for the rest of my life. I know the picture looks like a postcard, but I assure you that I took it myself!
From mid-May until mid-June, I was in Florence, Italy on the Florence Voice Seminar, a voice program run through Westminster Choir College. There, I was studying Italian opera and song with the best backdrop for the occasion! In Florence, I made so many great friends, ate amazing food (and plenty of it), and learned more than I ever could have imagined!
Peru and Florence whet my appetite for even more travel! The grand finale, of sorts, is my trip to Prague for the fall semester. I leave in - gasp! - three days and will spend sixteen weeks - that's 4 months - in the Czech Republic. I'll be studying, exploring, getting a feel for the unique Eastern European culture, as well as traveling around many other parts of Europe. On the short list for travel: Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Berlin, Munich, Copenhagen, Oslo, Dublin, London, Barcelona, Madrid, Dubrovnik, Amsterdam, Brussels, and Luxembourg. Let me know if you have any suggestions, as obviously I'll only be able to get to a few of them.
As you might be able to tell, I've decorated my brand new blog with the colors of my brand new country. I hope you'll stay tuned to my blog and photo gallery (link is on the right... check out the albums from my Peru and Florence trips, too!). I hope to update these semi-regularly with tales of travel, interesting events, introspection, and - who knows - maybe even a few laughs! (It's bound to happen when my Czech is limited to "hello," "goodbye," and "I don't speak Czech." But I'm working meticulously on counting to ten!!) Until then, goodbye, adios, ciao, and na shledanou! I'm off to pack!
Next destination: Prague.
This will be a short post, but to those of you chomping at the bit..... I am finally - after a looooong day of travel - here in Prague! By my count, I've been awake for approximately 31 hours (I don't sleep on planes). Over those 31 hours, I have been to Newark, Amsterdam (where our plane was delayed), and finally to Prague. So far, I haven't seen a whole lot, although I did get one beautiful view of the famous Prague skyline with its thatched roofs and castles peaking into the sky. I can tell that it's going to be a fantastic trip, although it has been just as overwhelming trying to unpack as it has been to get all my things together in the first place.... after all, this is no vacation. I'm here for the long haul! To the right is a picture of the current state of my room on Machova 12 (my street). Clearly, it's a work in progress!
