Travel Mysteries: Solved Edition

On our first night walking around Telč I noticed some chalk markings on a door in our neighborhood. "Stupid kids," I grumbled. "Always marking things up with graffiti."

The next day, I noticed the same graffiti above another doorway. And then another. "Wow, those kids really got around this place," I said to Tom. He wasn't particularly upset about it.

We headed to Slavonice a few days later... and the graffiti followed us. "What the heck is going on?? Did these kids really go to the next town over to graffiti everything?"

Later, when we got to Prague, I noticed the markings again. That was when I thought that maybe this wasn't your average graffiti.

So, I turned to the inter-webs and learned that these markings aren't graffiti at all. Actually, K, M, and B refer to the names of the Three Wise Men (Kaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar). On the Epiphany, (popularly known as the 12th day of Christmas), it's common for Catholic families to bless their homes by writing "K + M + B" and the year above their doorway. I've never noticed this in the United States, but based on our quick travels through the area, it seems to be a popular blessing with families in the Czech Republic and in Poland.

So there you have it: travel mystery solved. I'll return the trench coat and giant magnifying glass when I'm back on American soil. You never know what other travel mysteries are out there!

-R

For more information:
1) http://www.inyourpocket.com/poland/poznan/basics/National-holidays/Three-Kings_103193v
2) http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=49http://ausis.gf.vu.lt/eka/customs/epiphany.html

Travel Mysteries: Skeleton Keys

We've been traveling in Argentina for more than a month and a half, and though the landscape has changed, one thing has remained constant. Every single hostel we've stayed in has given us a skeleton key. Yes, one of those weird looking keys that are usually only found in fairy tales or in old trunks in the attic. Finding one typically leads to a crazy adventure or hidden treasure.

At first, we found the keys to be charming. How quaint! They're so beautiful and unique! They're bigger and so much harder to lose! [Note: This last observation turned out to be very very false.]

They're also extremely finicky. Even after six weeks of using these keys, we still fumble with them, trying to figure out how to jiggle the key correctly so the lock turns properly. And usually, the lock requires you to use the key to get in or out of a room. We're constantly wondering, "Hmm, what if there were a fire or something and we had to do this quickly?"

But even more often, we wonder: "Why?"

Why skeleton keys? Why not a regular ol' key?

We haven't been able to get a good answer to this question. It's one of those things that just is... like why power outlets in one country are different from another, or why peanut butter really isn't a thing anywhere outside the United States.

So we ask you. Does anyone know why there are so many skeleton keys in Argentina?

-R

Travel Mysteries: The Case of the Missing Olive Oil

One of the joys of traveling long-term is the packing and unpacking cycle. Every few days, we're in and out of a new hostel, hotel, or campsite. And when we leave, we often leave something behind.

No, not a piece of our soul or anything so dramatic; we leave behind a piece of our luggage. So far, the damage hasn't been huge, but for two light packers it is noticeable. A sock or two, a water bottle, a few pens, a half-full bottle of cheap wine... and three bottles of olive oil.

That's not a typo. Within the past five weeks, Tom and I have misplaced three bottles of olive oil.

We suspect one was lifted from a hostel kitchen, another forgotten at a campground. And the third? The third has disappeared into some black hole in our packs.

The trail is cold--there are no leads, no suspects... so now, we just wonder. And buy a fourth bottle of olive oil.

-R