Vilnius; Klaipeda

an update:
We arrived in Vilnius on the 25th; that same day we toured the city before returning to the hostel we were staying at. It was beautiful! That night some of us went out to a cafe and got drinks before going to bed. The next day we were back on the streets exploring the city. We went into some catacombs underneath the national cathedral which were an archaeological dream and if I can say so, I think I've finally figured out for certain that I want to pursue that endeavor because of such a small but explorative experience in Vilnius. We also went to a museum in a former KGB building/prison where many people were tortured and killed. Though I have never been to the holocaust museum in D.C., I can only imagine it was a similar gut-wrenching feeling, though the holocaust didn't happen in D.C. and we were standing in the rooms where people were tortured, shot, butchered, and the like, until the fall of the Soviet Union. it was definitely an interesting day.

Today we woke up and left the hostel to travel to the castle Trakei, which had been destroyed during wars which have been fought in the region over the past centuries. It was rebuilt in the 1950's, however, so a reconstructed edition of the castle was accessible. It's cool since it's surrounded by water by three lakes. We also went out on a boat for about an hour, before taking a three-hour or so drive from the castle to Klaipeda (on the baltic).

When we arrived in Klaipeda, we were divided into our two dorm groups: karklu and Neumann. Becca is staying in Karklu, which is located about a half-hour walking distance and is in the center of the city and I am in Neumann which is located on campus. Tonight, the study-abroad students in Neumann went to a cafe' for supper and then to Iki (pronounced: eeK-ee), one of the three grocery chains in the country. We just got back, and here I am - finally settled into the spacious dormatory room/suite i'll call home for the next four months.

Pictures are posted below, and I'll be checkin' back soon.

Inside of the cathedral; beneath this building were the catacombs which many royals were buried













St. Anne's church, a gothic church which was bombed heavily; Napoleon visited it













The water-torture cell at the KGB museum. Prisoners stood in icy water for hours until they collapsed into the water; then into very hot; then icy; and so on until they gave up information and their families and loved ones were also arrested or they were driven insane.










one of the chambers of the catacombs beneath the cathedral