Whiskey and Nuggets make Great Friends!

I have decided that I could move to Austria and live a very happy life here. My day in Innsbruck was really fun, although I never did get hiking. I slept in, knowing that my body is not happy with me at the moment because it won't seem to kick this cold! After having a lie-in I walked over to the Tourist Info building and found out the dirt on the trip out to the Swarovski Crystal Worlds. Contrary to what I had thought, it was not in fact the mines, but rather an exhibition that they have created using crystals. The unfortunate thing was that instead of the 8€ I thought it was going to be, it turned out to be 16€ because it costs 8€ to catch the shuttle. I even asked about taking a regular bus and it cost the same amount, only took longer. So I walked over to the train station (where I had heard there was cheaper internet) and mulled over my decision. Did I really want to spend 16€ to go out to look at some modern art and shiny crystals? By the time I reached the train station I knew that I did. It was the only thing that I had highlighted to do in Innsbruck and I knew that if I didn't go I would regret it. So at 1pm I boarded the bus for the trip. The ride was about 30 minutes and when I arrived I was so glad I had gone. The Swarovski company has invested a bunch of money (which they have more than a bunch of) and have created this whole park area. It was beautiful in the middle of a valley between the mountains. The Crystal Worlds consist of 13 exhibits all relating to Crystals. When you enter there is the worlds largest cut crystal (bigger than the biggest head I have ever seen!) and then a room that shows what it would be like to be inside a crystal (very cool...there were 100s of mes!!), crystals used in art, a meditation room based on light reflections of crystals, the worlds largest Kalaidascope, crystal theatre where all the pupets are covered in crystals....it just goes on and on! At the end, you enter the Swarovski store and this was just as exciting as the exhibits, if not more! It is just amazing to see all the things that they have created out of crystals, and crazy to think that people actually buy them! I picked up a few pieces for myself (a necklace with a small pendant of pink crystals going from light to dark, and a ring with 10 white crystals across the top) neither more than 25€ (I am super shopper!) and a few gifts for some people. All in all, a VERY worthwhile trip.
Yesterday I caught another train for a 5 hour trip to Vienna. The ride was pretty uneventful, although I ended up sitting with a woman from Australia that I had met the previous day on the shuttle back to Innsbruck. Really weird coincidence. My hostel is SUPER close to the train station, which made me really happy because I didn't have to walk very far, and my room in on the first floor, which made me even happier...NO STAIRS!! I called my friend Mandy last night, and she said that she was just going to chill out for the night so I decided to take myself to a movie. On my way there I realized that I had forgotten my mitts and my hands were cold, so I stoped at a little store that I saw was selling mitts. Inside was a group of men from Kenya, chatting and drinking Whisky and eating chicken nuggets. I started to talk with them, and the next thing I knew I was sharring a drink with them, and they were offering me nuggets!! So random, but I got a great deal on the mitts, thank goodness too because I lost one of them at the movies! One man gave me his card and told me I should email him and he will let me come stay with him in Kenya if I want...I'll have to think about that one...but probably not. Anyway, I bid them adieu and went to catch my movie, 'Flight Plan'. I really liked it, Jodie Foster as the strong woman who nobody believes and yet she comes out on top in the end...no, that doesn't ruin it! All the way back to my hostel was walking with a strut because I am a strong woman just like Jodie. Unfortunately my high kept me up late into the night, and today my body is tired. But I am going to meet with Mandy in a few minutes and we are going to hang out for the afternoon. I'm pretty excited! Tomorrow I am off to London for a few days and am planning on just being a bum on Justine's couch...hope that's ok with her! See all you BusAbout people soon!