Dancing Anyone?

While in Munich, we had the opportunity to learn some traditional Bavarian dances. After dinner one evening, the group went to a little house off the beaten path and we learned the steps to three different dances. Our instructors were four members of a Bavarian dance club who do these dances in competition, similar to the tango, the cha cha, quick step, or the jitterbug, here in American ballrooms. They were the masters of their craft even down to their outfits. They wore the traditional costumes of native dancers which they also wear when they compete. The above picture is of two of our teachers.

History, Culture, and Ideas

One of my favorite spots that we were able to visit while over there was the Neuschwanstein Castle. It was built for King Ludwig II, one of the most lavish men history has ever seen. The castle was such an undertaking that when he died it was only one-third finished and remains that way to this day. The completed sections of the castle include his throne room and several bedrooms, which we were allowed to visit on the tour. The throne room was a special place in and of itself. The entire floor was a mosaic made of swans and nature scene. The time it must have taken to create the floor couldn't have been much short of numerous months. Each individual stone had its place, and everything fit together perfectly. The outer facade of the building is awe inspiring. The walk up the mountain to the castle gave us the perfect opportunity to take in the beauty as did the hike to the bridge opposite the castle that was an amazing spot for taking pictures such as the one above. I learned so much about the lifestyle of the rich and famous from the 1800s.

Munich: Let's Party =]

The entire extent of our two day stay in Munich was absolutely amazing. Granted everything I did while I was over there was fantastic, but Munich was especially great. The sights and sounds were those of a metropolitan city with a twist. Yea we have big cities here in America like New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles, but something about it was different. Maybe it was the people or the fact that I was in a foreign country, but all I know was it was different than those cities back home. Part of the energy came from the amazing architecture of the city. Compared to American cities, every city in Germany is old and decrepit. Some of the buildings were built before the United States even existed. There is just something so surreal about seeing things that were built during the 1700s.

On the Road to Munich

After we left Rothenburg, we made our way, on our super awesome bus, to the next destination. We were off to Munich. Since we hadn't had much sleep, the bus became our favorite place to catch a few Zzz. On our way to Munich, we had one very important stop to make. We took a trip to Dachau Concentration Camp. This was one of the most humbling experiences I have ever witnessed. The evil and wrong doing that went on in this place were bone chilling. I have never felt to helpless and angry at the same time. The torture experienced by hundreds of innocent people made my blood boil with anger. The things I saw in the barracks and the crematorium, have been etched into my mind, and will remain there for an eternity. The above picture is one of the gate that guards the entrance to Dachau. The literal translation from German to English is "Work makes free" which in reality was nothing but a lie. Those people who worked harder just worked themselves to death quicker. Most of the people who entered Dachau didn't end up leaving alive unless it was through the American liberation of the camp at the wars end.

The Journey Begins

We left Thursday afternoon, and had a seven hour flight over the Atlantic Ocean. When we finally arrived at the Frankfort airport, the entire group was glad to be back on land. The flight was full of excitement and numerous movies, but we were itching to see new things and experience new cultures. The language barrier was only a small problem considering how we had all taken at least two years of German in high school. When we arrived at our first hotel in Rotenburg, everything seemed surreal. I was really in another country with a different language and a different currency. We didn't have any down time after we got there because we were instantly off to see one of the oldest cities in Germany. Rotenburg was built in mid-evil times, and to get into the mood, we created guilds and took up jobs as mid-evil workers.