Hallstatt

Well, all the guides I read told me not to arrive in Hallstatt after 5:30...Well, I had no choice since I was coming from Prague. The only way to get to Hallstatt from the train station is to take the ferry over, and it stops running at 6:00. As I flew by the station at about ten o'clock, I wondered just how I would get into Hallstatt - a small lakeside town where I had no reservations whatsoever.

I got off at the next station and asked the station manager how to get to Hallstatt. He said the only way was a taxi. So he called up a taxi (that cost me ten euros) and I arrived in Hallstatt - the smallest city I have been to in Europe. I hadn't eaten all day except for a piece of bread, and I was starving. I went out looking for food, and the only thing that was open was a really expensive cafe. I walked back and forth all over town for an hour looking for a restaurant or a cafe, and nothing was open. I decided that I wasn't going to go to bed without food or checking the internet, because I had to satisfy one of those needs before I could sleep. The internet cafe was a euro ($1.60) for SIX MINUTES. He told me I could do a half an hour for five euros, and I still fail to see how that's a deal...

Unfortunately, I went to bed without checking the internet or eating...It was a very bad night indeed.

The next morning I went out to the grocery mart and bought some fresh cheese and rolls and filled my empty stomach. I also found an outdoor bar which had internet for a euro a half an hour...My necessities were met...I could now appreciate the town for all its beauty.

Hallstatt really rivals Interlaken for its beauty. The town's history goes back to 5,000 BC. Ever since then it has been a major salt producer. There's even a period of European history called the "Hallstatt Period". A big waterfall runs right through the city, and the houses are stacked right on top of each other, because its built right up on a cliff. It's probably the most beautiful place I have ever been. Every day gives you a different perspective on the city.

After getting something to eat, I walked up a trail that led to a gazeebo that looked over the entire town. I brought my guitar and just chilled up there for a few hours. I walked over to the waterfall for a while and checked that out as well. When I came back to the hostel I met a guy named Dallas from Australia and a guy named Matt from the States. We talked about traveling until pretty late in the night, and I was glad to interact with some people. The first morning in Hallstatt was really lonely. Not even the owner was around. They were supposed to offer breakfast, but I couldnt find it, let alone ONE PERSON in the hostel.

The next day, Matt and I decided to hike up to the top of the mountain where the salt mines are located. You can go into the mines, but it was really expensive. So instead we just hiked the other side of the trail down. Unlike last trip I have no money at all. Basically everything is being charged. Not a good strategy, but I figure that I'll never regret what I'm doing right now, so I don't mind paying a few hundred extra in interest charges...

We got to the top and coincidentally found Dallas up there as well. The overlooking bridge offered a great view of the entire lake.

After hiking back down, I took a huge nap and afterwards Matt offered to take me out to dinner. He graduated from college a year ago, and has been working as a waiter for a year to pay for the trip. He felt bad because I had no money, and took me out to dinner. It was really, really nice of him, and I hope someday to so the same for a poor traveler like myself. After that we met up with Dallas at the waterfront, and relaxed and talked for the rest of the night.

Earlier that day we had heard a siren and saw a helicopter flying above the lake, and we had wondered what the commotion was all about. While talking with Dallas, he told us that the helicopter had landed on the grassy inlet where tourists went swimming, and had unloaded a dead body from the mountain top in front of everybody. Apparently he had been climbing/skiing and had fallen to his death. A nice compliment to my visit, no?

The next morning I said my goodbyes to Matt and Dallas, and took the ferry over to the train station. The ride over had some really great views of Hallstatt.

I met a couple from San Fransisco on the way over, and they had actually lived in the Silver Spring/Rockville area thirty years ago. We talked a lot about travelling and life, and they volunteered their home to me anytime I was in San Fransisco or Bulgaria (since they have a house there - that's where the wife was from). We took the train together all the way to Salzburg together, and then parted ways.

I spent the day exploring Salzburg, and to be honest, it's not the greatest. The mountains and the fortress are nice, but after Hallstatt, it's just not as great. I will probably spend the day up at Hitler's Eagles Nest tomorrow. It's a lot of money, but I hope it will be worth it.

Tonight a guy from Wales let me use his laptop for a while, so I got free internet. I was listening to music on YouTube until a roomate came in, so now I'm in the laundry room listening to Lil Wayne and writing this. Good times.

I guess this means I am all caught up. I'm going to bed soon - I have one more night and then I'm off to Bled, Slovenia. It may sound sketchy, but wait till you see pictures...It'll blow your mind.

Until then...