OH an afternoon of fun!

Ha! Well---life is interesting that's for sure. I've spent a greater part of my day trying to get the internet, finally connecting, and getting nowhere fast. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel because I'm meeting some very lovely people who are extremely helpful. This morning I was lost only to discover Innsbruck's 'energy rock' and I'm thinking that's pretty cool in itself. Then when I finally found the info center, I remembered a hostel that I had looked up with Aviva ions ago before we even left. I had sent an email and never received a reply. After that I didn't look much further and decided to check things out in person. Well, I found my hostel and the reason she never replied back is because the sister running the email account had a baby. In the end, I have my bed in a four-bed room and I'm looking forward to meeting my roommates tonight. Almut, the woman running this inn is part of a 6th generation of owners---the coffee house is 200 years old (It's called Mundig Cafe)---now how many cups of coffee have been drunk here eh? And besides, they have quite the collections of temptations behind the counter (desserts to die for!).
Now in my short time of being here, I've also managed to meet a travel agent and spent quite a bit of time with her and out of it I managed to acquire the last ticket on sale to Munich for Sept 4th so that I can be on time to meet up with Claudious.
As well during my chat with Almut she made me aware of a plethora of activities that are available to me---and I'm just beside myself with the idea of actually going on a hike in the alps! Ofcoarse I don't have boots but they lend them to you if the hike is requiring it so I'm very, very happy!
Everybody around here looks like they belong in the mountains! Many people are very geared up and to see someone walking down the street with a back pack and poles sticking out of their bag is very common. There are some serious mountain bikers around here too. The only good thing about my monstrous backpack is that I give off the illusion that I too am up to something good so I fit in despite my status of being a non-hiker (YET). My lucks about to change though---I'll be hiking in no time you just watch---these boots were made for wallllllking---(maybe those are different boots---ha ha ha).
Oh this is great---you should see where I'm at right now---I've somehow lucked out with the BEST internet access yet! I've got some very cool lounge music pumpimg behind me, big glass doors leading to a fresh green grassy area bathed in the afternoons hot sun, and there are complementary seats outside (the kind you'd see in some magazine---you know with big white cushions) but my little computer needs to be plugged in so I'm sitting next to the bar with my little cord trailing over the counter onto 'their' side of business. I don't mind sitting indoors when it means I can unwind and do what I please without disconnecting of fading out!

What else---this afternoon after my chat with my agent and after booking that train ticket I made my way to the 'Rathous'... yeah---sounds like rat house (which happens to be a huge mall in the heart of downtown) and this thing has an elevator to the 7th floor AND on the 7th floor there's a bar---and the bar is circular with a circular deck. No wonder the joint is called 360 Degrees. At first I couldn't even think of what I wanted from them because the view was too intense and magnificent. My senses came back in the end and I ordered a beer and it wsa a million dollar beer (taste that is) for the weather is hot and I was tired from all of my newness to the city...it was an 'oh my---this is life!' moment.

And then I came here to type a quick word to Claude and 60/20 is open now---earlier I sat outside and accessed their free-internet---so I thought---a quick word and off you go---but then I plugged in and got carried away.

Well I do have some pictures to post---so I'll end here---finally----Dd