Spreading Knowledge of EB in Vienna Austria

Vienna Austria

I was able to email my good friends the Czernys and they invited Brad and me to stay at their home though they were on their vacation in Slovania. We were able to meet their cool neighbors Marcelline and Bettina with whom we had great discussions about everything imaginable as well as EB. Marcelline and Bettina have immaculate English and are either working on or have finished their Phds.

This stay has been especially relaxing because of the amenities of a shower and washing machine. I don't need to disclose how direly we needed these bonuses of society. One other adventure included the escaping of one of the Czerny's cats which led to an hour search of a building in the middle of renovation. Brad found the cat under the second floor in a random hole. And we are off to Hungary.

EB Trek with Matthew in Slovakia

Matthew picked us up on the border of Poland and the Czech Republic where we were waiting after dark for anything to get us on our way. Matt was a godsend in that he not only got us away from the rains of Poland but also was the only ride that we needed for our 3 day stay in Slovakia. He invited us to come to his girlfriends home that night and we were able to get the real experience of how a 600 inhabitant town parties into the night for their Catholic holiday that spans three days. We were immediatly the center of attention seeing as we were the first Americans to stay in their town. Matthew was great to us because of his hospitality and Russian language skill

His hospitality included:

1. Providing us with beds to sleep in for two nights

2. Having us over for an authentic Slovakian dinner

3. Driving us through Bratislava out of his way to the border of Austria

4. Insisting that we couldn't pay him for his gas expenses ( we tried pretty hard to get him to take some money)

Spreading EB Awareness

We gave Matt a card with the websites he can find to learn about EB. He speaks a tad English and will hopefully be able to both practice that while also becoming more informed about the fight against Epidermolysis Bullosa by using the website.

Poland

Mirek Mazurek is possibly the most average Polish man that exists. If so, then all polish people treat hitchhikers like lifelong friends.

1. He treated us to an authentic sit down Polish meal
2. He took us 30 km out of his way to a hostile in Krakow after driving for the last 8 hrs
a. this included an extra toll he otherwise didn't have to pay
3. He insisted on giving us his mobile number in case we needed his help


Mirek's Polish Lesson (phonetic of course)
Hello = Chessch
Goodbye = Bob(dr)a
We want totravel to Hungary = Mech Tsemmel yehatch do phowngrey
Where is the _________ = Guh jay yest
Youth Hostile = Youth Hostile
Internet Cafe = Internet Cafe

The sport of Towel Swatting

You wake up after a night in a park in which ants invaded your tent and unfunny things become funny. This video is a little taste of how two 23 and 25 year olds can still find joy in alienating themselves from those around them by acting half their age. Connie I thought that you had changed him....really

How are we always in the back being ignored. We try really hard.

This is our Hello to Heidelberg the beautiful home of Lauren Allred and her hospitable family.

The first Post. What what?

Let me paint you a demoralizing picture.

1. 2 dudes, one wearing flip flops (his only foot protection for the trip) get off in Paris understanding the only the word Bonjur (Beauty and the Beast) between them.

2. 1,048€ divided by 50 days in Europe equals 21€ a day (for the both of us) to eat, sleep, and, travel on. This means about 6€ to eat with apiece per day if we want to budget in a single night at a youth hostile per week and buses and trains are out of our price range altogether

First day adventures include:

1.running through a 100 yd tunnel on a freeway because it was the only exit from the airport

2.buying a 19€ pizza (= about 30$) which was also our first and last experiences with anchovies. I almost swore at that moment that I would never buy food in France again without being fluent. We also thought we might be fasting every other day at those prices.

3. Sleeping in an open field next to the highway 30 km north of Paris. Brad slept about 2 hrs because he was fending off large imaginary pathogin carrying insects with his clenched fists. Finally, at about three in the morning, after waking every so often to his soft whimpering, I comforted him by talking with him the unlikelihood of him contracting limes disease from local ticks.The whimpering subsided until he finally fell asleep.

Day Two:

1. Wake with the sun and catch an outbound ride with a fire chief in direction Belgium. The highlight of the ride was when he calmly turned towards us and said, "Give me your monies". I laughed, Brad stared quietly forward and he repeated himself, "Give me your monies". Ends up that he was simply going to the bank and ment, "I'm getting out money". Whew

2. Trucker from Hungary who by the way was only wearing his boxers the entire time we rode with him, gave us a ride to the boarder of Belgium. He talked the entire time in I believe three intermixed languages none of which he spoke fluently in or we understood.

3. Stood for seven hours at a truck stop soliciting rides from head shaking Germans, Frenchies, Czechs, Slavs, Belgies, and other Balts. We finally caught a break with Yogi the German hating Germanic man. He was quite nice once we filtered out his constant negativity and choice english explitives. He even offered to give us a rided back from Germany to England on our return trip which we will most definatly take him up on.

4. Slept in the back of Yogi's 18 wheeler truck on the empty bed. He then also gave us a ride all the way to Köln. Germany at last!

Three:

1. Parted ways with Yogi in the pouring rain. By the way neither of us has a tent and again I am wearing flip flops. At least my shoes won't be getting wet when we are sleeping in the rain.

2. Two minutes after leaving Yogi, Brian asked if we needed a ride. And now we are in Dresden.