Postcards from Auschwitz

They sell postcards at Aucshwitz. They're probably mostly for people who want good pictures of the place to make sure they never forget, but who don't want to (or have the ability to) take the pictures themselves. Still, the idea gave me a macabre laugh. There is no one I can imagine sending such a thing to. Wish you were here! Indeed.

an update

Fox has been more intent on pursuing net access than I, in large part so he can post his awesome digital photos of our trip. I have equally awesome photos, but they are film, and thus you will not see them for a while. As expected, I've shot on average one roll of film per day. I have four cameras with me. It's good.

The Berlin speech went really well, apart from a couple technical difficulties. Mad thanks to everyone who helped me with it, particularly telarus and t3dy. The recording is up online now (link in comments to my last post), and we should have the slides up to accompany it soon. A reminder: If you want to see a somewhat extended version of the speech live, I'll be giving it at PantheaCon in the bay area in February.

In Berlin, I: rode the s-bahn a lot, made new friends that I get to keep at home!, spoke about Discordianism and culture jamming to an audience of at least 500 people, gave a Pope card to Lawrence Lessig! and Annalee Newitz!, photographed street art, ate mostly currywurst and donerkebab, drank lots of tea, saw tons of fireworks, ran through the memorial to the murdered jews of europe laughing on NYE only to have the energy of the place hit much later, got a chance to see snow if only for a few hours, bought used army boots to replace mine that had irreperably broken on my second day there, bought tons of postcards, rode the night train to Krakow.

In Krakow, I: visited a bizarre salt mine with life sized sculptures carved out of salt, bought a bag of memorial salt, befriended a lonely American who studies in Ukraine, took a fuckton of pictures, went to Auschwitz and Birkenau (for the second time), was deeply grateful to get the fuck out of Birkenau as it was getting dark (you so do not want to be there when it's dark, particularly not near the scary pond of dead people ashes that really wants company), ate pierogi, wandered the streets, drank cocktails in a surfer/tiki bar, stayed a day longer than planned because Krakow rocks, rode the night train to Budapest.

In Budapest, I: just got here yesterday, had problems navigating ATMs and change to make phone calls, found a great place to stay that is totally not where I'd planned to stay, drank lots of tea, finally spent significant time online, slept late.

So that's where I'm at now. Budapest for another couple days, then visiting ioerror in Vienna.

I realized that part of the travel experience for me is relative isolation from the net. That's why I've been quiet for a few, thinking and analyzing fresh new self. It's good. For more regular updates - with pictures', you should check metaphorge's journal.