day 60: update from Thailand

THE GIANTS WON THE WORLD SERIES!
that's pretty much the most important thing we could share with you. we (and by we I mean Jared, except for the last inning, which really was we) watched the final game from a hotel in Vienna. we cheered excitedly and quietly, as it was 4 am. this was one time we really wish we could have been back home to celebrate. fingers crossed it will happen again some day?

anyway...we're out of Europe and into a totally different world. leaving Europe by going East, and then showing up in a hot humid Asian city really made this feel like an around the world trip.

we spent the last week in Europe going through Vienna and Hallstatt in Austria, followed by a few days in Prague. here's a tiny recap:
Vienna surprised us in the best of ways. we walked up from the metro expecting a quiet street and found ourselves in what felt like New York City. the city was full of life and culture. we dove into some history by visiting palaces and museums of the Hapsburgs. who knew Austria had so much power? Who knew Austrian royalty had so much china and silverware? we sipped hot chocolate in cafes and wandered the streets. for a night adventure we went to the opera! neither of us are opera people exactly, but this was the best place to see it. the performers and musicians were clearly incredibly talented, even when we couldn't follow what was happening.
Hallstatt is a tiny town on a lake. google it...it is beautiful. Jared had been here 7 years ago, and was determined to return. it was definitely worth a return trip, and I think we'd both return again if given the chance. pretty much the entire town was shut down for winter, so we ate at one of the two open restaurants. the next morning we hiked to a waterfall, ate some amazing pastries, and jumped on the train to Prague.
Prague...our travel there consisted of 7 tranfers, including a boat and a bus amid the trains. we stayed with a great newly married couple we met through CouchSurfing. they hosted us in their new apartment and helped us navigate the city. Prague was fantastic, the weather was terrible. it started raining during our walking tour and didn't stop for the rest of the day. nonetheless, we loved it. most cities have an "old town" part full of old architecture and cobbled streets, while the rest of the city feels totally standard. but in Prague the entire place felt like an old town. we visited the palace, walked the Charles Bridge, and ate multiple times in the market in the Old Town Square. the chicken shish kebab was one of the best things we've eaten on this trip, which is a big compliment considering we eat more than anything other activity.

unfortunately, on our way out of Europe a visa issue prevented us from going to India. our "no fixed plans" quote really came into being, as we couldn't arrive where we intended. we spent a lot of time trying to fix and rearrange things, and now we here are in Thailand. we really hope we get the opportunity to go to India. for now, we're excited to be here, as everyone has responded so positively when we say we're going to Thailand. we're off to Chiang Mai in the northern part, before (hopefully, based on how the floods clear up!) heading south.

thanks to all of you who are following our adventures. it's so fun to hear from some of you that you're enjoying our blog. we truly are having an amazing time.

with love and pad thai,
sophie & jared