It was an easy flight from Bangkok to Phnom Penh. Just over an hour and I was met at the airport by a smiling tuk-tuk driver with my name on a piece of paper. La-di-da. That's what stepping up to the $10/night guesthouse will get you. That and a hot shower AND A/C... life is good. I got settled in and decided to check out the movie showing in the lobbby/restaurant downstairs. They alternate between various Cambodian films (or rather films about Cambodia). Last night's was "S-21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine", about the high school turned prison (and now museum) at Tuol Sleng here in PP, where political prisoners were held before being taken (almost without exception) to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. It's very well done, if you're interested in checking it out. The film doesn't offer much background into the Khmer Rouge regime, but is a glimpse into the experience the prisoners and guards who spent time at Tuol Sleng, with narratives and interviews from two surviving prisoners and several guards, along with some powerful interactions between the guards and one prisoner in particular, an artist, whose paintings are now featured at Tuol Sleng.
Today I spent half the day visiting Cheong Ek and then Tuol Sleng. Such a powerful, albeit utterly depressing experience. Cheong Ek is a peaceful place at first glance... grassy fields, butterflies flitting about, but there are also many terrible reminders of the horrors that took place there. I was sickened by the pits in the ground where mass graves have been uncovered and by the small piles of bones and teeth that littered the grounds. I heard a tour guide explain to a small group of tourists, that these awful artifacts "just keep coming up". The centerpiece of Cheong Ek is a stupa filled with human skulls; a memorial to those who died here and a reminder to those who live. There is a sign in front of this tower asking you to pause and respect the dead. As I placed a lit stick of incense in front of the memorial and offered up a prayer for peace, I started to think about why it is that we visit these kinds of sites; places so painful and awful and ugly.
At Tuol Sleng there is room after room filled with 8x10 mug shots of the prisoners detained. Of the 20,000 some prisoners held here, only 7 survived. I walked through row after row of photographs and started to cry. When I turned a corner and saw pictures of young children I had to just leave the room. How is it possible for people to become so indoctrinated, so desensitized, so heartless that they can treat each other with such brutality? The pictures are just haunting. So many faces... some young, some old, some beautiful, some grotesque, some bearing evidence of the interrogations they had just been through. And the eyes... some resolute, some furious, some frightened, some ashamed. I came to a picture of a young boy, probably about 14. There was a brightness in his eyes I hadn't seen in anyone elses; almost a sparkle. It made me so sad. How quickly was that light snuffed out? How long did it take to kill his spirit so evident in this photograph?
And again I wonder about why we come to these places of horror. Do we wish to remind ourselves of what we as humans are capable of? Or maybe we come to honor the dead? Or maybe it's a type of penance; a small plea for forgiveness for the actions (or inaction) of our governments that may have in some way contributed to the atrocities commited? I don't have a good answer. I don't know why I wanted to see what I saw today, but I do know that it's not something I'll soon forget.
The rest of the day I kept thinking about what the Khmer people must think about all of us foreigners come to gawk at this ugly chapter in their nation's history. Does it make them angry? Or do they feel comforted by the rest of the world getting a chance to glimpse what life was like here in Cambodia just thirty years ago? For some, I'm sure it comes down to the tourist dollars that come along with our curiosity. I hope I'll get a chance to talk to somebody about this while I'm here.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Sunday, December 23, 2007
If you wanna know if he loves you so...
Sa wa dee ka! Yep, that's hello in Thai. Josie talk Thai. Josie talk Thai very well... (Who remembers Meet the Parents?)
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but I find I have neither words nor the picture that can adequately describe the incredible day I had today. After a sudden bump in my bank account balance (thanks, mom!) I decided that I could allow myself to splash out and headed for the Elephant Nature Park. Seeing elephants was definitely high on my list of priorities while here in Thailand, but after reading so much about how they are often badly mistreated, I was feeling uncomfortable about signing up for the elephant treks or excursions offered at any one of the hundreds of tourist agencies sprinkled throughout the city. After asking around, and doing a little internet research, I found the ENP. The park is a sanctuary for elephants that have been orphaned or rescued from abusive situations. There are over 30 elephants currently living there. You don't get to ride them, and they don't do tricks (like painting or playing basketball... although those are just a few of the things elephants here in Thailand are often trained to do), but during a day at the park you're able to feed them, walk with them, and best of all get in the river to bathe them.
I don't remember the last time I had so much fun, and I really did feel like I was contributing to a worthy cause. Carpenters may have built America (as read an old belt buckle of my dad's) but elephants built a great deal of Thailand. There were, until not all that long ago, thousands of elephants working in the logging industry hauling wood that was used for all manner of construction. When logging was outlawed here, there was nowhere for these so-called "domesticated" animals to go. Many were turned into performers and sent off to trekking camps for tourists to ride. Many can be found wandering the streets with their owners begging for money. I won't bore you by getting all preachy about the plight of the elephants in Thailand (and I haven't even touched on the wild ones), but please check out the website for the park.
I am thinking of all of you as Christmas quickly approaches. Nearly half my group today was from Washington State (it truly is a small world, and it seems us Washingtonians are well-represented in the Chiang Mai area!). This made me feel a little homesick, but at the same time made home seem not quite so far away. I've decided to stay in Chiang Mai until the day after Christmas, then take the overnight train to Bangkok, and head to Phnom Penh, Cambodia on the 27th. From there I'll visit Siem Reap and see the temple ruins and then it's on to Vietnam. More soon.
Merry Christmas.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but I find I have neither words nor the picture that can adequately describe the incredible day I had today. After a sudden bump in my bank account balance (thanks, mom!) I decided that I could allow myself to splash out and headed for the Elephant Nature Park. Seeing elephants was definitely high on my list of priorities while here in Thailand, but after reading so much about how they are often badly mistreated, I was feeling uncomfortable about signing up for the elephant treks or excursions offered at any one of the hundreds of tourist agencies sprinkled throughout the city. After asking around, and doing a little internet research, I found the ENP. The park is a sanctuary for elephants that have been orphaned or rescued from abusive situations. There are over 30 elephants currently living there. You don't get to ride them, and they don't do tricks (like painting or playing basketball... although those are just a few of the things elephants here in Thailand are often trained to do), but during a day at the park you're able to feed them, walk with them, and best of all get in the river to bathe them.
I don't remember the last time I had so much fun, and I really did feel like I was contributing to a worthy cause. Carpenters may have built America (as read an old belt buckle of my dad's) but elephants built a great deal of Thailand. There were, until not all that long ago, thousands of elephants working in the logging industry hauling wood that was used for all manner of construction. When logging was outlawed here, there was nowhere for these so-called "domesticated" animals to go. Many were turned into performers and sent off to trekking camps for tourists to ride. Many can be found wandering the streets with their owners begging for money. I won't bore you by getting all preachy about the plight of the elephants in Thailand (and I haven't even touched on the wild ones), but please check out the website for the park.
I am thinking of all of you as Christmas quickly approaches. Nearly half my group today was from Washington State (it truly is a small world, and it seems us Washingtonians are well-represented in the Chiang Mai area!). This made me feel a little homesick, but at the same time made home seem not quite so far away. I've decided to stay in Chiang Mai until the day after Christmas, then take the overnight train to Bangkok, and head to Phnom Penh, Cambodia on the 27th. From there I'll visit Siem Reap and see the temple ruins and then it's on to Vietnam. More soon.
Merry Christmas.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
All is calm, all is bright...
Hello from Kiew Sua. Of course there's high-speed internet. Why wouldn't there be? It amazes me that you can connect to the internet from a tiny village where no one even has a phone.
I arrived here early yesterday morning after a very long, very bumpy ride up the mountain. It was a red-letter day yesterday, with a parade organized to encourage people to vote and Christmas caroling in the evening. I spent quite a bit of time talking with Stacia, the woman who has been living and teaching here since July. She's from Woodinville, WA (small world!), and is an incredible person with some really big plans. I will write more about her (and her big plans) later.
We were each (Stacia, Rebecca, and I) touched by how welcomed we were as a part of all of the festivities yesterday, and by the generosity of all of these people with so little to give. We followed the children (and their other teachers) along the road to stop off at houses and sing carols. Kiew Sua is a largely Catholic community, something that is actually surprisingly common among the hill tribes, and due to their exposure over the years to missionary groups. At each house we were invited in to sing, say a prayer, and be stuffed with treats. The kids all had sacks to carry their loot in ala Halloween. Having no sack, I was a big hit with the kids as I kept passing off my share of the goodies. Stacia, Rebecca and I were asked to sing at several houses, so we did our best renditions of Jingle Bells, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and Silent Night. It was a beautiful night, with millions of stars out... between the carols and the wild poinsettias growing on the side of the road, it was the first time so far I've really felt like Christmas was around the corner.
I arrived here early yesterday morning after a very long, very bumpy ride up the mountain. It was a red-letter day yesterday, with a parade organized to encourage people to vote and Christmas caroling in the evening. I spent quite a bit of time talking with Stacia, the woman who has been living and teaching here since July. She's from Woodinville, WA (small world!), and is an incredible person with some really big plans. I will write more about her (and her big plans) later.
We were each (Stacia, Rebecca, and I) touched by how welcomed we were as a part of all of the festivities yesterday, and by the generosity of all of these people with so little to give. We followed the children (and their other teachers) along the road to stop off at houses and sing carols. Kiew Sua is a largely Catholic community, something that is actually surprisingly common among the hill tribes, and due to their exposure over the years to missionary groups. At each house we were invited in to sing, say a prayer, and be stuffed with treats. The kids all had sacks to carry their loot in ala Halloween. Having no sack, I was a big hit with the kids as I kept passing off my share of the goodies. Stacia, Rebecca and I were asked to sing at several houses, so we did our best renditions of Jingle Bells, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and Silent Night. It was a beautiful night, with millions of stars out... between the carols and the wild poinsettias growing on the side of the road, it was the first time so far I've really felt like Christmas was around the corner.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Come on and join your fellow man...
Just a quick update from me... I arrived in Chiang Mai Saturday morning. It's great here, much more my speed than Bangkok. I found a cheap guest house (less than $5/night!) and spent yesterday and the day before visiting temples and wandering around the city; there is a moat around the entire old part of the city so you can walk around in a loop. Last night I checked out the night bazaar, and the Sunday walking street, where they close down one of the main roads and set up booths with food and souveniers and such. Lots of pretty things, but as usual no room in my backpack! :)
I met with Mandy's dad, Dan, on Saturday to talk about volunteer opportunities at the school he and Rebecca are teaching at. I am going to go up with Rebecca on Tuesday morning to spend 3 days at the school (about 65 miles from here, in the mountains) and decide if I'd like to do some more extensive volunteering there. It takes about 3 hours to get to the school due to it's remote location and the road conditions. Dan & Rebecca normally take their motorcycle up there but this week Dan has some consultation work to do here in Chiang Mai, so Rebecca & I will take a sawngthaew (a pickup-truck with benches in the back) up early tomorrow morning and come back Thursday afternoon. This is the normal schedule that Dan & Rebecca keep up there. This will give me 3 days to check out the school and decide if I'd like to go up and stay for a couple of weeks. I was able to see some pictures of the school and things definitely look pretty rustic... my accomodations will be a thatched roof hut. The village is called Baan Kiew Sua (but don't look for it on a map... you won't find it), and it is the home of Karen (pronounced Ga-rian) hill-tribe people. You can read a little more about the Karen people here if you're interested.
I'll tell you all about it when I get back to Chiang Mai, for now I have to run... gotta go track down a mosquito net so I don't get eaten alive up there.
I met with Mandy's dad, Dan, on Saturday to talk about volunteer opportunities at the school he and Rebecca are teaching at. I am going to go up with Rebecca on Tuesday morning to spend 3 days at the school (about 65 miles from here, in the mountains) and decide if I'd like to do some more extensive volunteering there. It takes about 3 hours to get to the school due to it's remote location and the road conditions. Dan & Rebecca normally take their motorcycle up there but this week Dan has some consultation work to do here in Chiang Mai, so Rebecca & I will take a sawngthaew (a pickup-truck with benches in the back) up early tomorrow morning and come back Thursday afternoon. This is the normal schedule that Dan & Rebecca keep up there. This will give me 3 days to check out the school and decide if I'd like to go up and stay for a couple of weeks. I was able to see some pictures of the school and things definitely look pretty rustic... my accomodations will be a thatched roof hut. The village is called Baan Kiew Sua (but don't look for it on a map... you won't find it), and it is the home of Karen (pronounced Ga-rian) hill-tribe people. You can read a little more about the Karen people here if you're interested.
I'll tell you all about it when I get back to Chiang Mai, for now I have to run... gotta go track down a mosquito net so I don't get eaten alive up there.
Friday, December 14, 2007
What you don't have, you don't need it now...
As I looked out the window of the train yesterday evening, I could see green hills in the distance with lush palm trees sprinkled amongst rice paddies. There were flocks of beautiful black birds with white patches on their wings swooping and playing, and graceful white cranes standing in the water near the railroad tracks. Clouds hovered near the peaks of the far off mountains, and I made out the outline of a gilded Buddha statue peeking out behind the palms as the train passed a temple. As I turned to take in the view from the other side of the train, the sun was beginning to set, painting the sky red. The windows were wide open and the smell of smoke from the crop fires burning in the nearby fields wafted in. I smiled to myself as tears welled up in my eyes, and thought yet again how lucky I am to be right here, right now.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
It's those changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes...
Hello from Bangkok. Quite a change from the island of Cebu. I've spent the past few days wandering around, taking it all in, eating my fill of (cheap!) Phad Thai, visiting beautiful temples, and figuring out where to go next. I saw the world's largest reclining Buddha statue at Wat Pho... pretty impressive; anyone out there happen to know where the world's largest standing Buddha statue is? I will try to post more photos soon. My camera is being a bit temperamental which I'm guessing (hoping?) has to do with the increased heat and humidity. At any rate, I've been having trouble getting it to focus properly (arghhhh... not sure I realized just how many pictures I'd been taking until my ability to do so was compromised).
Bangkok is busy and loud and I'd have to say that it's not one of my favorite places so far. My friend Dave described it like this: "It assails all of the senses more or less simultaneously and usually grinds even the hardiest of folk down after a few days." I'd like to think I'm one of the hardier folk, and after 3 days I'm ready to bail. Lucky for me, I have an escape plan! I'm headed to Chiang Mai tomorrow afternoon. I'll plan to stay in Chiang Mai city for the weekend where I'll meet up with my friend Mandy's dad. He & his girlfriend are teaching at a school in Kiew Sua, which is about 60 miles outside Chiang Mai. They are looking for more help there and I think I will have the opportunity to stay for a few weeks and volunteer before moving on to my next destination (wherever that may be... it seems that proposed map I set up is getting less and less accurate!).
Can't wait to see what's next...
Bangkok is busy and loud and I'd have to say that it's not one of my favorite places so far. My friend Dave described it like this: "It assails all of the senses more or less simultaneously and usually grinds even the hardiest of folk down after a few days." I'd like to think I'm one of the hardier folk, and after 3 days I'm ready to bail. Lucky for me, I have an escape plan! I'm headed to Chiang Mai tomorrow afternoon. I'll plan to stay in Chiang Mai city for the weekend where I'll meet up with my friend Mandy's dad. He & his girlfriend are teaching at a school in Kiew Sua, which is about 60 miles outside Chiang Mai. They are looking for more help there and I think I will have the opportunity to stay for a few weeks and volunteer before moving on to my next destination (wherever that may be... it seems that proposed map I set up is getting less and less accurate!).
Can't wait to see what's next...
Monday, December 10, 2007
Show them all your good parts; leave town when the bad ones start to show...
The two weeks I spent at the house near Sampaguita on Tongo Point just flew by. I was trying to decide today, as I made my way to Bangkok, what my favorite part of my stay in the Philippines was. It's impossible to say, I think. As usual, I have too many favorites. I met some absolutely wonderful people on the island of Cebu, and it's yet another place I could see myself returning to at some point. I have to mention the Insik family, who could not possibly have made me feel more welcome. As a friend of Mark & Judy's (Seth's parents) I was instantly treated as a member of their extended family. Reney, the family patriarch, took a particular liking to me (not sure why, but he seemed somehow amused by me)... he was particularly charmed by my clumsy efforts with Cebuano and I was equally charmed by his warm greetings, songs, and his walking up the beach this morning to bid me farewell. Reney, his wife Zosama, and their daughters Elvie, Hermine and Fermine along with their husbands and children were all so much fun to be around. I almost sneaked little Jonreil, who by the end of the trip was referring to me as "Auntie Josie", into my backpack to take home with me. :)
You can all look forward to many many stories about all of these people when I return... Shannon and I are hatching plans to return soon, and there will be lots of projects in the works I think. That was another piece of this chunk of the trip that was so amazing... it was such a treat to be around people I know and love. I wondered if it might make me feel homesick to be around familiar faces, but it didn't; I just thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved: the gorgeous 5:30 sunsets, the abundance of beautiful fruit (best mangoes ever!), the snorkeling, the adventures by tricycle, the calderita (goat stew) that Elvie made, the "mother of fried chicken" that Brother Fili made, listening to Makaia sing and Sierra play guitar, Tanduay rum for 75 cents a pint, falling asleep in the hammock whilst watching fireflies and listening to the waves, swimming in caves and under waterfalls, the daily smoothies, breaking into song with Shannon and/or Seth several times a day, long talks on the deck about "luxury problems", and traveling with people who have the foresight to pack fresh coffee, manchego and cheddar cheeses, and Trader Joe's truffles and peanut butter. :) I did not love: the cockfights (much like the bullfights in Spain, I'd say these were a once in a lifetime experience for me), waiting for water to arrive (yes, there is running water, but it comes from a 250 gallon tank outside the house that needs to be refilled; this might qualify as a luxury problem), or the mosquitos (although they certainly loved me!).
I know I will not forget my time on the island of Cebu. From the 3am arrival and crazy cab ride there, to rattling down the road to town in the back of a lumber truck this morning to catch the bus back to the airport, the past two weeks have been the perfect mix of adventure, relaxation and fun. I arrived in Bangkok in the wee small hours of the morning after 2+ hour delays for both of my flights. I'm looking forward to a little sleep and to seeing what Thailand has to offer.
You can all look forward to many many stories about all of these people when I return... Shannon and I are hatching plans to return soon, and there will be lots of projects in the works I think. That was another piece of this chunk of the trip that was so amazing... it was such a treat to be around people I know and love. I wondered if it might make me feel homesick to be around familiar faces, but it didn't; I just thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved: the gorgeous 5:30 sunsets, the abundance of beautiful fruit (best mangoes ever!), the snorkeling, the adventures by tricycle, the calderita (goat stew) that Elvie made, the "mother of fried chicken" that Brother Fili made, listening to Makaia sing and Sierra play guitar, Tanduay rum for 75 cents a pint, falling asleep in the hammock whilst watching fireflies and listening to the waves, swimming in caves and under waterfalls, the daily smoothies, breaking into song with Shannon and/or Seth several times a day, long talks on the deck about "luxury problems", and traveling with people who have the foresight to pack fresh coffee, manchego and cheddar cheeses, and Trader Joe's truffles and peanut butter. :) I did not love: the cockfights (much like the bullfights in Spain, I'd say these were a once in a lifetime experience for me), waiting for water to arrive (yes, there is running water, but it comes from a 250 gallon tank outside the house that needs to be refilled; this might qualify as a luxury problem), or the mosquitos (although they certainly loved me!).
I know I will not forget my time on the island of Cebu. From the 3am arrival and crazy cab ride there, to rattling down the road to town in the back of a lumber truck this morning to catch the bus back to the airport, the past two weeks have been the perfect mix of adventure, relaxation and fun. I arrived in Bangkok in the wee small hours of the morning after 2+ hour delays for both of my flights. I'm looking forward to a little sleep and to seeing what Thailand has to offer.
Friday, December 7, 2007
When you see the Southern Cross for the first time, you understand now why you came this way...
I am still in the Philippines. It's a place I know that will be difficult to leave. It feels like providence that everything fell into place so easily and that I have been able to enjoy this amazing time with Shannon and her family. There are many, many stories to tell, and I will try to get to them soon. For now, please enjoy the new pictures and videos that I've posted. More soon!
Monday, November 26, 2007
I got no time that I got to get to where I don't need to be...
Just a quick one... made it to the Philippines. It's pretty amazing here, and I will have good stories and pictures to share soon. The weather is very warm with some occasional wind and rain, but no typhoon action here. Spent the day yesterday napping and swimming and today on a "tricycle" (motorcycle with side car) exploring the area. So fun to see some familiar faces here, and I think I could definitely get used to the tropical temperatures.
More soon!!
More soon!!
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Going where the weather suits my clothes...
In less than 12 hours I should be in the Philippines ("Lord willing and the creek don't rise"... I was going to say as my dad always says, but I think that expression is more accurately attributed to my great-grandpa?). Looking forward to getting out of this busy city. I'm really glad I came to Hong Kong, it's definitely something to see, but ready for something moving at a slower pace, I think. Also looking forward to warmer weather. Hong Kong has been lovely in the low 70's and I think it might be safe to say that I won't see temperatures much below that for the rest of my trip. Mark the time... I'm sure it's only a matter of weeks before I'm complaining that I'm too hot! :)
I'm not sure what my access to email or the blog will be while I'm the Philippines. I would imagine it will be infrequent. As of now, I have an onward ticket booked to Bangkok, Thailand for 10 December, so I could be out of the loop for awhile. I will keep you all posted as I can. I've updated the flickr site with pictures from Hong Kong, and I'm not sure how many of you even pay attention to this, but I also changed all the music on this site. I added some of the stuff I've been listening to lately. The Sara Bareilles song is my new favorite, and if you're not listening to Brett Dennen or the Weepies yet, I wish you would start. :)
I realize I haven't told you much about Hong Kong. Hmmm... it's fairly expensive here (as far as accommodation goes anyway), and there are more opportunities for shopping than anyplace I've been so far. There is the full gamut of shopping experience available here, from top-end designers to back-alley markets full of throwaway clothing. I have resisted all of that as I'm trying not to add anything to my already too heavy backpack. This is also quite the international city; such a difference from being in China where you really only see Chinese people, and perhaps the odd Western tourist. Hong Kong is full of people of all nationalities, you hear many different languages being spoken, although it does seem that absolutely everyone speaks English. You can find any kind of food here too... I had Mexican for lunch yesterday, and it was actually pretty good. I've been staying in a room that's probably 12x12 and has 3 sets of bunk beds in it. There's one tiny window, and one of those tiny bathrooms where the shower head just comes out of the wall opposite the toilet, no shower curtain, and everything in the bathroom just gets soaked every time someone takes a shower. My roommates for the past 3 days were a doctor from the Philippines who was here completing a training course in cosmetic surgery, a South African couple stopping over on their way to Australia, and a girl from Colombia who is completing a master's degree in logistics and working at a kindergarten. She's been living in the dorm room for the last 3 months because she can't find anyplace to rent; definitely made 3 days seem more than manageable. I still haven't told you much about the city, I suppose, but check out the pictures. Hope this finds you all doing well. Thanks so much for all the Happy Thanksgiving emails, and as always, for your very sweet comments.
More soon...
I'm not sure what my access to email or the blog will be while I'm the Philippines. I would imagine it will be infrequent. As of now, I have an onward ticket booked to Bangkok, Thailand for 10 December, so I could be out of the loop for awhile. I will keep you all posted as I can. I've updated the flickr site with pictures from Hong Kong, and I'm not sure how many of you even pay attention to this, but I also changed all the music on this site. I added some of the stuff I've been listening to lately. The Sara Bareilles song is my new favorite, and if you're not listening to Brett Dennen or the Weepies yet, I wish you would start. :)
I realize I haven't told you much about Hong Kong. Hmmm... it's fairly expensive here (as far as accommodation goes anyway), and there are more opportunities for shopping than anyplace I've been so far. There is the full gamut of shopping experience available here, from top-end designers to back-alley markets full of throwaway clothing. I have resisted all of that as I'm trying not to add anything to my already too heavy backpack. This is also quite the international city; such a difference from being in China where you really only see Chinese people, and perhaps the odd Western tourist. Hong Kong is full of people of all nationalities, you hear many different languages being spoken, although it does seem that absolutely everyone speaks English. You can find any kind of food here too... I had Mexican for lunch yesterday, and it was actually pretty good. I've been staying in a room that's probably 12x12 and has 3 sets of bunk beds in it. There's one tiny window, and one of those tiny bathrooms where the shower head just comes out of the wall opposite the toilet, no shower curtain, and everything in the bathroom just gets soaked every time someone takes a shower. My roommates for the past 3 days were a doctor from the Philippines who was here completing a training course in cosmetic surgery, a South African couple stopping over on their way to Australia, and a girl from Colombia who is completing a master's degree in logistics and working at a kindergarten. She's been living in the dorm room for the last 3 months because she can't find anyplace to rent; definitely made 3 days seem more than manageable. I still haven't told you much about the city, I suppose, but check out the pictures. Hope this finds you all doing well. Thanks so much for all the Happy Thanksgiving emails, and as always, for your very sweet comments.
More soon...
Thursday, November 22, 2007
You'll know it's true that you are blessed and lucky...
Made it safely to Hong Kong. This city is going to be beautifully easy to navigate... feels like a bit of a break. I'll be here until Sunday when I plan to leave for the Philippines provided I can finally procure a ticket and there isn't any weather trouble there.
It's Thanksgiving Day today. So much to be thankful for this year, and I'm feeling especially grateful that I've been given this amazing opportunity to go see the world. It's been almost 2 1/2 months since I've left Seattle. Can you believe it? Looking back over the 2 weeks that I just spent in China, I've come up with some memorable moments to share with you... a "Top 10 List" if you will, although I'm presenting these in no particular order... please to enjoy:
- Standing at the "top" of the Great Wall of China after climbing 1,364 very tall steps to get there.
- Eating noodle soup for 65 cents a bowl at a card table in the street after just having watched the noodles be made fresh by hand.
- Sipping mandarin vodka & tonics in the Cloud 9 lounge on the 87th floor of the Jin Mao tower that each cost just more than I was paying for a night's accomodation while scoping out the spectacular Shanghai skyline (ooh... alliteration).
- Being well and truly ripped off at a hot-pot restaurant in Xi'an (for more than 3 times what the table next to us paid)and starting to be angry about it until realizing the entire bill still came to just around $20.
- Stepping off the Beijing Metro into Tian'anmen Square.
- Walking around the West Lake in Hangzhou and seeing the most beautiful and picturesque scenes that felt like they were straight out of a movie.
- The "soundtrack of China": brakes squealing, horns honking, people spitting (seriously!), and the ever-present "watch, bag, lady, you want watch? bag? cheaper, cheaper for you!"
- Giving into that constant call and haggling for some very cheap merchandise. I couldn't shop like that all the time, but I did score some good deals in Beijing and Shanghai.
-Oh, the signs, everywhere the signs. Some of my favorites "Look out the glasses" printed on the shower door at our hotel in Beijing, a sign directing you to buy tickets for "Pagoda Mounting", and the sign on the toilets in the trains "Unable to use at stabilization".
-Meeting people, particularly on the trains and in train stations. The 3 ladies on the train from Beijing to Xi'an that just pointed and giggled and reminded me equally of my aunts and that episode of Seinfield where Elaine takes Mr. Costanza to the nail salon with her so she can figure out what everyone is saying about her. The young guy from Hangzhou on his way to a Linkin Park concert in Shanghai. The sisters who shared their candy with me on the train from Xi'an to Hangzhou. The little old lady who yelled at the carriage attendant when she locked the bathrooms before a stop and convinced her to reopen them so we could sneak in. The Deaf man who shared my compartment from Shanghai to Hong Kong; he was in awe that I had lifted my backpack up above the beds to the storage shelf. Probably 3 or 4 times during our journey he reached out and tapped my shoulder, before grabbing my bicep, then making the "muscles" gesture and giving me a big grin and thumbs up. He was also very approving of the jasmine tea I had with me, correctly guessed that I was from the U.S. and explained where he lived, that one of his kids was in school in HK and that he works as a driver. I'm sure we were a sight with our wild gesturing. :)
It's Thanksgiving Day today. So much to be thankful for this year, and I'm feeling especially grateful that I've been given this amazing opportunity to go see the world. It's been almost 2 1/2 months since I've left Seattle. Can you believe it? Looking back over the 2 weeks that I just spent in China, I've come up with some memorable moments to share with you... a "Top 10 List" if you will, although I'm presenting these in no particular order... please to enjoy:
- Standing at the "top" of the Great Wall of China after climbing 1,364 very tall steps to get there.
- Eating noodle soup for 65 cents a bowl at a card table in the street after just having watched the noodles be made fresh by hand.
- Sipping mandarin vodka & tonics in the Cloud 9 lounge on the 87th floor of the Jin Mao tower that each cost just more than I was paying for a night's accomodation while scoping out the spectacular Shanghai skyline (ooh... alliteration).
- Being well and truly ripped off at a hot-pot restaurant in Xi'an (for more than 3 times what the table next to us paid)and starting to be angry about it until realizing the entire bill still came to just around $20.
- Stepping off the Beijing Metro into Tian'anmen Square.
- Walking around the West Lake in Hangzhou and seeing the most beautiful and picturesque scenes that felt like they were straight out of a movie.
- The "soundtrack of China": brakes squealing, horns honking, people spitting (seriously!), and the ever-present "watch, bag, lady, you want watch? bag? cheaper, cheaper for you!"
- Giving into that constant call and haggling for some very cheap merchandise. I couldn't shop like that all the time, but I did score some good deals in Beijing and Shanghai.
-Oh, the signs, everywhere the signs. Some of my favorites "Look out the glasses" printed on the shower door at our hotel in Beijing, a sign directing you to buy tickets for "Pagoda Mounting", and the sign on the toilets in the trains "Unable to use at stabilization".
-Meeting people, particularly on the trains and in train stations. The 3 ladies on the train from Beijing to Xi'an that just pointed and giggled and reminded me equally of my aunts and that episode of Seinfield where Elaine takes Mr. Costanza to the nail salon with her so she can figure out what everyone is saying about her. The young guy from Hangzhou on his way to a Linkin Park concert in Shanghai. The sisters who shared their candy with me on the train from Xi'an to Hangzhou. The little old lady who yelled at the carriage attendant when she locked the bathrooms before a stop and convinced her to reopen them so we could sneak in. The Deaf man who shared my compartment from Shanghai to Hong Kong; he was in awe that I had lifted my backpack up above the beds to the storage shelf. Probably 3 or 4 times during our journey he reached out and tapped my shoulder, before grabbing my bicep, then making the "muscles" gesture and giving me a big grin and thumbs up. He was also very approving of the jasmine tea I had with me, correctly guessed that I was from the U.S. and explained where he lived, that one of his kids was in school in HK and that he works as a driver. I'm sure we were a sight with our wild gesturing. :)
Saturday, November 17, 2007
You can check out anytime you want, but you can never leave...
Be careful what you wish for... I said I wanted to see what it would be like to be in a place where no one really spoke English, and guess what? It's pretty hard. I'm in Hangzhou, China, which is really only a bit off "the beaten path" but much more difficult to navigate than Xi'an. I spent nearly the whole day trying to book onward tickets from here. My plan as of this minute is to take the train to Shanghai tomorrow and then hopefully get a train to Hong Kong on Monday. Hong Kong wasn't a scheduled stop on this journey, but I decided to add it in as well as a side trip to Cebu, Philippines. I've found so far that some of the places that I hadn't planned on visiting have been some of my favorites, and I hope this trend continues.
I am not able to log onto the blog itself from China (not sure why that is?) but I think the last post I put up has disappeared. The gist of it was that I was leaving Xi'an and still traveling with Dave, one of the British guys from the train trip. We will go our separate ways from Shanghai, but it has definitely been nice to have someone to help gesture and point these past few days. :) I have also put a sampling of photos up on flickr from Mongolia and China. There are lots more that I'll put up later and the quality of the ones I uploaded isn't great, but should give you some idea of what I'm seeing and doing.
I am having a great time and so looking forward to what's next. More soon...
I am not able to log onto the blog itself from China (not sure why that is?) but I think the last post I put up has disappeared. The gist of it was that I was leaving Xi'an and still traveling with Dave, one of the British guys from the train trip. We will go our separate ways from Shanghai, but it has definitely been nice to have someone to help gesture and point these past few days. :) I have also put a sampling of photos up on flickr from Mongolia and China. There are lots more that I'll put up later and the quality of the ones I uploaded isn't great, but should give you some idea of what I'm seeing and doing.
I am having a great time and so looking forward to what's next. More soon...
Sunday, November 11, 2007
To keep out the foreigners they made it strong...
Busy ticking things off my "I never, never list"... as of today, I have to cross off "I never, never made a phone call while standing atop the Great Wall of China". Dad, it was great to talk to you, however briefly. :)
I also visited the Ming Tombs today and spent yesterday at the Temple of Heaven, Tian'anmen Square, and exploring the Forbidden City. I sampled a little Peking (Beijing) Duck and visited the night market where I watched people braver than I am eat things we don't generally consider food. I took a rickshaw tour through the Hutong, but passed on seeing Mao's masoleum... I'm working on the "seen one dead communist leader, seen 'em all" principle here.
Beijing is huge. There is so much to see, and I know I've only scratched the surface, so I suppose I'll have to come back. This was the last stop on the tour, so the gang of 12 is slowly disbanding. I have been pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this experience (meaning the group tour), although I'd have to say I prefer the less organized/structured travel experience.
I'm off to Xi'an on an overnight train tomorrow, and then, who knows?? Probably a couple more stops in China before Vietnam.
I also visited the Ming Tombs today and spent yesterday at the Temple of Heaven, Tian'anmen Square, and exploring the Forbidden City. I sampled a little Peking (Beijing) Duck and visited the night market where I watched people braver than I am eat things we don't generally consider food. I took a rickshaw tour through the Hutong, but passed on seeing Mao's masoleum... I'm working on the "seen one dead communist leader, seen 'em all" principle here.
Beijing is huge. There is so much to see, and I know I've only scratched the surface, so I suppose I'll have to come back. This was the last stop on the tour, so the gang of 12 is slowly disbanding. I have been pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this experience (meaning the group tour), although I'd have to say I prefer the less organized/structured travel experience.
I'm off to Xi'an on an overnight train tomorrow, and then, who knows?? Probably a couple more stops in China before Vietnam.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Baby, it's cold outside...
It looks like a double post today. I somehow couldn't put all the fun tourist stuff in with the previous. I do find I'm having a bit of trouble with this blog format. I keep a journal for myself, but I don't often want to post all of that... and trust me, you don't want to read it either, it's not that interesting. :) But I do feel like there's a lot more I could be telling you; I just don't ever feel like I have the time to sit and write it all out properly. I suppose I need to just stop worrying about making it perfect and just jot down notes as I can.
My Lonely Planet guidebook refers to Ulaanbaatar as "an ugly scar on an otherwise beautiful country"... having just returned this morning from the national park, I'd have to agree. This city is crowded and polluted, but the countryside is just beautiful. We spent the day yesterday visiting a traditional ger camp, riding horses in the freezing cold, and exploring some of the landscape. There was a moment yesterday, leading my horse through the woods, that I thought to myself, "I am riding a horse, in the snow, in Mongolia." It was a bit surreal. I got to fill up on traditional Mongolian food (lots 'o meat and fried dough) and slept in a ger tent (this is just a big round structure made of felt... pictures to come). We had all been so afraid that we would be too cold, but as it turns out these gers are amazingly well-insulated, and we were not aware that there would be someone coming in during the night to rebuild the fire in the wood stove. One of my favorite memories of Mongolia will have to be sitting up last night at 2am giggling with Tracey, Sara, and Amy because the temperature in the ger was at near sauna level. We had all gone to sleep around 11:30 or so, and were up a few hours later finding it impossible to sleep because it was so hot. We had the door to the tent wide open (in the -20 C weather), but were all sweating. It was a beautiful, clear night last night, and I don't remember the last time I saw so many stars; they made the middle of the night trek to the scary outhouse almost bearable. :)
It's my last full day in Mongolia today, so here are some facts about the country for you (count this as your "you learn something new every day" moment for today). It's one of the least densly populated countries in the world with only 2.8 million people spread out over 1.56 million square miles, and over 1 million of those people living in Ulaanbaatar (contrast this with China, where there are 1.3 billion people in an area of 9.3 million square miles). Other than UB there are only 2 other "major" cities, I think. I was surprised to learn that there are nearly 1 million Mongolians that still lead a nomadic lifestyle, moving, with their livestock, from season to season, and living in traditional ger (yurt) camps. Only about 1/2 of Mongolians have access to clean drinking water and about 1/3 of them live below the poverty line. But... they have a suprisingly high literacy rate (over 95%).
So, it's off to Beijing tomorrow. I'm not quite sure what to expect from China. I can't say I'm really looking forward to the 30 hour train journey to get there, but I have to believe it will go by in a flash compared to the last. I have really enjoyed the group of people I'm traveling with. They seem to be tolerating me, and I have grown accustomed to all the teasing (one of them just refers to me as "America" and I continue to have my "accent" made fun of, although Tracey assures me I speak good English, for an American).
Having trouble uploading pictures here, but will get to all of those in China. More soon!
My Lonely Planet guidebook refers to Ulaanbaatar as "an ugly scar on an otherwise beautiful country"... having just returned this morning from the national park, I'd have to agree. This city is crowded and polluted, but the countryside is just beautiful. We spent the day yesterday visiting a traditional ger camp, riding horses in the freezing cold, and exploring some of the landscape. There was a moment yesterday, leading my horse through the woods, that I thought to myself, "I am riding a horse, in the snow, in Mongolia." It was a bit surreal. I got to fill up on traditional Mongolian food (lots 'o meat and fried dough) and slept in a ger tent (this is just a big round structure made of felt... pictures to come). We had all been so afraid that we would be too cold, but as it turns out these gers are amazingly well-insulated, and we were not aware that there would be someone coming in during the night to rebuild the fire in the wood stove. One of my favorite memories of Mongolia will have to be sitting up last night at 2am giggling with Tracey, Sara, and Amy because the temperature in the ger was at near sauna level. We had all gone to sleep around 11:30 or so, and were up a few hours later finding it impossible to sleep because it was so hot. We had the door to the tent wide open (in the -20 C weather), but were all sweating. It was a beautiful, clear night last night, and I don't remember the last time I saw so many stars; they made the middle of the night trek to the scary outhouse almost bearable. :)
It's my last full day in Mongolia today, so here are some facts about the country for you (count this as your "you learn something new every day" moment for today). It's one of the least densly populated countries in the world with only 2.8 million people spread out over 1.56 million square miles, and over 1 million of those people living in Ulaanbaatar (contrast this with China, where there are 1.3 billion people in an area of 9.3 million square miles). Other than UB there are only 2 other "major" cities, I think. I was surprised to learn that there are nearly 1 million Mongolians that still lead a nomadic lifestyle, moving, with their livestock, from season to season, and living in traditional ger (yurt) camps. Only about 1/2 of Mongolians have access to clean drinking water and about 1/3 of them live below the poverty line. But... they have a suprisingly high literacy rate (over 95%).
So, it's off to Beijing tomorrow. I'm not quite sure what to expect from China. I can't say I'm really looking forward to the 30 hour train journey to get there, but I have to believe it will go by in a flash compared to the last. I have really enjoyed the group of people I'm traveling with. They seem to be tolerating me, and I have grown accustomed to all the teasing (one of them just refers to me as "America" and I continue to have my "accent" made fun of, although Tracey assures me I speak good English, for an American).
Having trouble uploading pictures here, but will get to all of those in China. More soon!
Oh for the price of a coke or a smoke, keep alive those hungry eyes...
Walking through Ulaanbaatar on Monday, the temperature was around -10 degrees celcius. I'm still a bit shaky on the conversion, but I think that's around 11 degrees farenheight. As I walked up the "Avenue of Peace", the main drag here in UB, I passed a little boy sitting on the ground, sort of leaning against a fence across the street from the main square. He looked to be about 10 years old and he was holding a younger child in his lap; I assume it was his brother. He was singing loud and clear and rocking back and forth while his brother sat silently, staring blankly. An upturned hat sat in front of the two, holding a few small bills. I stared, I know I stared, as much as I just wanted to look away, as I passed these two small children, looking at their wind-chapped faces, not wanting to think about how long they'd been sitting in this place or where they would go at the end of the day. I've had a hard time shaking this image. I just can't stop thinking about how bitterly cold it is here, and every time I see another child with their hand out, or singing, or trying to stuff a packet of birdseed in my pocket at the monastery so that I'll hand over a few Mongolian togrogs, I feel a bit sick. I know there is no perfect choice for me here. Giving the money won't really change anything, but not giving the money feels heartless. I feel like this is some kind of traveler's cliche... I know this is something I will continue to face to some degree or another for the rest of this trip... and who doesn't have a reaction to this kind of thing? But it just makes me so sad. I think about the rest of the children all over the world who are sitting on the street, who either don't have a home to return to or have been sent out to beg by parents facing a desperation I surely can't imagine. So what do we do? How can we fix it? I know there are organizations out there that are doing the kind of work that accomplishes things, that solves problems that my handing over a dollar in change never could. Maybe they'll find this boy and his brother and wash them and warm them and give them another choice. But all I can think about as I lie on top of my warm, clean bed in my tourist hotel (however modest) is how unfair life is, and how I wish I could have taken those boys by their hands and led them to somewhere better.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Going off the rails...
Hello from Ulaanbaatar. Don't have much time to post, but thought I'd just give you a brief overview of some fun facts about the trans-Siberian journey.
Hours spent on the train from Moscow to UB: 101
Number of people in my cabin: 4
Days without a shower: 5
Packets of instant noodles consumed: 6
Number of baboushkas selling hot meals on the train platforms: 0 (this was definitely misrepresented in the literature we all received about the train!)
Bottles of vodka drunk (drank?): 2 (ok, not on my own)
Price of a 5 liter (that's right) bottle of beer at a kiosk along the way: 140 RR (<$6)
Number of Americans on the train: 1 (yep... just me)
Hours spent at the border between Russia and Mongolia (with the bathrooms locked): 6.5
"Choco-cakes" consumed by the four passengers in my compartment: More than 20
Number of fellow travelers that were assaulted on the train platform during a middle of the night stop: 1 (young Australian, punched in the face by a very drunk Mongolian fellow who was later apprehended on the train by the police and forced to pay his victim 1000 roubles or about $40 for those of you who, like me, are having difficulty with the exchange rate).
Hands of gin rummy played: ???
Books read: 2.5 (Finally finished Midnight's Children and read Stephen King's On Writing, which I highly recommend.)
Glad to be back on solid ground, if only for a couple of days. We were all ready to get off the train this morning, but everyone was in surprisingly good spirits given the very close quarters, long hours, and lack of access to showers. :) The computer here in Ulaanbaatar won't recognize my camera, so I can't post pictures now, but hope to do so soon. Thank you all for the comments and emails...
Much love.
Hours spent on the train from Moscow to UB: 101
Number of people in my cabin: 4
Days without a shower: 5
Packets of instant noodles consumed: 6
Number of baboushkas selling hot meals on the train platforms: 0 (this was definitely misrepresented in the literature we all received about the train!)
Bottles of vodka drunk (drank?): 2 (ok, not on my own)
Price of a 5 liter (that's right) bottle of beer at a kiosk along the way: 140 RR (<$6)
Number of Americans on the train: 1 (yep... just me)
Hours spent at the border between Russia and Mongolia (with the bathrooms locked): 6.5
"Choco-cakes" consumed by the four passengers in my compartment: More than 20
Number of fellow travelers that were assaulted on the train platform during a middle of the night stop: 1 (young Australian, punched in the face by a very drunk Mongolian fellow who was later apprehended on the train by the police and forced to pay his victim 1000 roubles or about $40 for those of you who, like me, are having difficulty with the exchange rate).
Hands of gin rummy played: ???
Books read: 2.5 (Finally finished Midnight's Children and read Stephen King's On Writing, which I highly recommend.)
Glad to be back on solid ground, if only for a couple of days. We were all ready to get off the train this morning, but everyone was in surprisingly good spirits given the very close quarters, long hours, and lack of access to showers. :) The computer here in Ulaanbaatar won't recognize my camera, so I can't post pictures now, but hope to do so soon. Thank you all for the comments and emails...
Much love.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
You don't know how lucky you are...
Hello from Russia. In just a few hours, I'll be hopping on a train bound for China, but I've spent the last couple days exploring Moscow. I told some of you already that walking into Red Square and seeing St. Basil's on Monday morning has been one of the highlights of my trip. I felt like a little kid at Disneyland, and honestly had the feeling that if I had to turn around and leave Russia right that minute, it would be ok with me, I'd seen what I really came to see.
It was a bit of an adventure getting here. I had a hard time leaving Istanbul, as the ticket agent at the counter was not happy that I had no return ticket, and didn't understand how I was planning to get from Moscow to Bangkok (where my next ticket is booked from). I spent a long time trying to explain and finally after talking to a few people, they apparently decided I was harmless and let me pass. I was starting to get a bit nervous as my flight was already boarding and I still had to clear passport control. When I got to the passport desk, the agent there was very disturbed to see that my entrance visa to Turkey was stamped as November 13, 2007. He kept showing it to and asking, "What does this say?? Eleven. Eleven. This is not right!" I was at a loss for how to get out of that one. He called his supervisor who said it would be okay for me to pass, but if you look at my passport, I officially left Turkey before I ever got there. Arriving in Moscow was a little tough, not helped by being exhausted after an overnight flight and no sleep, but I made it safely to my hostel, with only a little argument with the cabdriver over how much I'd have to pay him.
I'm feeling a little apprehensive about this long train trip, but I'm hoping it's going to be a lot of fun. The people that will be joining me on the train are all very nice. I am the lone American in a crowd of Brits and Irish who have booked the same package that I have. There are a few of us that have sort of been doing our own thing rather than following the pack, and that's worked out nicely so far.
I don't have much time to write and I'm trying to decide what important things I should tell you about Moscow.... Hmmm... I saw Lenin yesterday; that was a surreal and rather odd experience. There are Russian police (army?) guards all over here, and they are maybe the scariest guards I have ever seen. They certainly take their jobs seriously and their #1 job seems to be to make sure that you don't sneak your camera into any building. It's nearly impossible to take photos here. Also, Moscow is VERY expensive; I've spent more money here than anywhere else, and my accomodation was already taken care of. It's cold here too! 1 degree celcius yesterday, which is just about freezing. It's supposed to be -10 to -20 C in Mongolia, and I don't even want to think about that.
Despite all of the warnings regarding crime here and everything else, I have felt very safe. Our tour "guide" and I use that term very loosely did give us a few warnings about pickpockets on the train, etc., but I think my favorite piece of advice from her was, "Be afraid of gypsy mobs." Ummmm.... OK, I'll be on the lookout.
Hope you are all doing well.
Dosvidenya! (Oh, and Happy Halloween!!)
It was a bit of an adventure getting here. I had a hard time leaving Istanbul, as the ticket agent at the counter was not happy that I had no return ticket, and didn't understand how I was planning to get from Moscow to Bangkok (where my next ticket is booked from). I spent a long time trying to explain and finally after talking to a few people, they apparently decided I was harmless and let me pass. I was starting to get a bit nervous as my flight was already boarding and I still had to clear passport control. When I got to the passport desk, the agent there was very disturbed to see that my entrance visa to Turkey was stamped as November 13, 2007. He kept showing it to and asking, "What does this say?? Eleven. Eleven. This is not right!" I was at a loss for how to get out of that one. He called his supervisor who said it would be okay for me to pass, but if you look at my passport, I officially left Turkey before I ever got there. Arriving in Moscow was a little tough, not helped by being exhausted after an overnight flight and no sleep, but I made it safely to my hostel, with only a little argument with the cabdriver over how much I'd have to pay him.
I'm feeling a little apprehensive about this long train trip, but I'm hoping it's going to be a lot of fun. The people that will be joining me on the train are all very nice. I am the lone American in a crowd of Brits and Irish who have booked the same package that I have. There are a few of us that have sort of been doing our own thing rather than following the pack, and that's worked out nicely so far.
I don't have much time to write and I'm trying to decide what important things I should tell you about Moscow.... Hmmm... I saw Lenin yesterday; that was a surreal and rather odd experience. There are Russian police (army?) guards all over here, and they are maybe the scariest guards I have ever seen. They certainly take their jobs seriously and their #1 job seems to be to make sure that you don't sneak your camera into any building. It's nearly impossible to take photos here. Also, Moscow is VERY expensive; I've spent more money here than anywhere else, and my accomodation was already taken care of. It's cold here too! 1 degree celcius yesterday, which is just about freezing. It's supposed to be -10 to -20 C in Mongolia, and I don't even want to think about that.
Despite all of the warnings regarding crime here and everything else, I have felt very safe. Our tour "guide" and I use that term very loosely did give us a few warnings about pickpockets on the train, etc., but I think my favorite piece of advice from her was, "Be afraid of gypsy mobs." Ummmm.... OK, I'll be on the lookout.
Hope you are all doing well.
Dosvidenya! (Oh, and Happy Halloween!!)
Sunday, October 28, 2007
There'll be new dreams, maybe better dreams, and plenty...
First.... ahem... hello? Is there anybody out there? I know some of you must be reading these rambling missives, but c'mon, leave me a comment, send me an email, something. :)
I have just a few more hours in Turkey and since I'm not sure what internet access will be like over the next week or so, I thought it made sense to write a little and post the latest pictures. Well, that is to say I'm not sure what internet access will be like in Moscow; I'm certain there's no internet on that long train through Siberia.
I was sad to leave Selçuk yesterday... so many great people there and so many good memories. I know I get to take those with me, but I did leave wishing I could stay longer. I had a bit of an adventure getting back into Istanbul, and have decided that as beautiful as this city is, I can't say it's my favorite part of Turkey. I think I'll have to come back some day and see some more of this amazing country and perhaps visit some friends.
As I'm getting ready to leave, the whole country is preparing for a huge national holiday. Tomorrow is Republic Day, which marks the anniversary of Turkey as a Republic (makes sense, right?). It's laughable really that I'm leaving tonight and missing out on this. (Just a note... one thing I would do differently if I were planning this trip from the beginning all over again, is not buy any of my airline tickets in advance.) Anyhow, Republic Day is probably most comparable to our Independence Day, but I'd have to say when it comes to patriotism, the Turkish are probably one up on us. The city is all lit up and seemingly every building and nearly every terrace has a Turkish flag or picture of Ataturk (or both) draped from it. Tomorrow everything shuts down for a big celebration. Leaving tonight is akin to flying to the U.S. and staying in Manhattan only to leave late night on July 3rd. I think I'd have the same reaction to that tourist, "Didn't you want to see the fireworks???" One of the guys in Selçuk asked me the other night, "Did you know anything about Turkey before you came here?!" If I'm honest, not really.
I feel as if I've learned a little while I've been here, but I have certainly been struck with how ignorant I am about this country. As some of you know, my great aunt was killed in Turkey years before I was born. Prior to coming here, that was probably one of the very few associations I had with this country. She was also on a trip around the world when she was struck by an automobile. I have never been too clear on the details; I'm not even sure exactly how old she was or when exactly she died. Probably younger than me, and I think it was the late 50's? I have to imagine it was such a different time for a woman abroad on her own. I wonder if I caught a bit of her spirit? I spent nearly five years of my life in her parent's house. I slept in the shadow of a beautiful cabinet built by her father, my great-grandfather, to house the dolls she sent back from the many faraway places she visited. I remember looking at those dolls as a little girl and wondering about her, this mysterious woman who traveled far and died too young. I wish I knew more about her. I think about her now and wish I knew what she saw here. What did she feel? How are we alike, I wonder now... Does she see me now? Or is she with me? A part of me? Maybe a part of why I was chosen for this incredible adventure or perphaps a part of why I chose it. Was it her voice along with mine that whispered, "Go... see...."?
I have just a few more hours in Turkey and since I'm not sure what internet access will be like over the next week or so, I thought it made sense to write a little and post the latest pictures. Well, that is to say I'm not sure what internet access will be like in Moscow; I'm certain there's no internet on that long train through Siberia.
I was sad to leave Selçuk yesterday... so many great people there and so many good memories. I know I get to take those with me, but I did leave wishing I could stay longer. I had a bit of an adventure getting back into Istanbul, and have decided that as beautiful as this city is, I can't say it's my favorite part of Turkey. I think I'll have to come back some day and see some more of this amazing country and perhaps visit some friends.
As I'm getting ready to leave, the whole country is preparing for a huge national holiday. Tomorrow is Republic Day, which marks the anniversary of Turkey as a Republic (makes sense, right?). It's laughable really that I'm leaving tonight and missing out on this. (Just a note... one thing I would do differently if I were planning this trip from the beginning all over again, is not buy any of my airline tickets in advance.) Anyhow, Republic Day is probably most comparable to our Independence Day, but I'd have to say when it comes to patriotism, the Turkish are probably one up on us. The city is all lit up and seemingly every building and nearly every terrace has a Turkish flag or picture of Ataturk (or both) draped from it. Tomorrow everything shuts down for a big celebration. Leaving tonight is akin to flying to the U.S. and staying in Manhattan only to leave late night on July 3rd. I think I'd have the same reaction to that tourist, "Didn't you want to see the fireworks???" One of the guys in Selçuk asked me the other night, "Did you know anything about Turkey before you came here?!" If I'm honest, not really.
I feel as if I've learned a little while I've been here, but I have certainly been struck with how ignorant I am about this country. As some of you know, my great aunt was killed in Turkey years before I was born. Prior to coming here, that was probably one of the very few associations I had with this country. She was also on a trip around the world when she was struck by an automobile. I have never been too clear on the details; I'm not even sure exactly how old she was or when exactly she died. Probably younger than me, and I think it was the late 50's? I have to imagine it was such a different time for a woman abroad on her own. I wonder if I caught a bit of her spirit? I spent nearly five years of my life in her parent's house. I slept in the shadow of a beautiful cabinet built by her father, my great-grandfather, to house the dolls she sent back from the many faraway places she visited. I remember looking at those dolls as a little girl and wondering about her, this mysterious woman who traveled far and died too young. I wish I knew more about her. I think about her now and wish I knew what she saw here. What did she feel? How are we alike, I wonder now... Does she see me now? Or is she with me? A part of me? Maybe a part of why I was chosen for this incredible adventure or perphaps a part of why I chose it. Was it her voice along with mine that whispered, "Go... see...."?
Thursday, October 25, 2007
She's a good girl, loves her mama, loves Jesus, and America too...
Bu siteye erişim mahkeme kararıyla engellenmiştir.
Access to this site has been suspended with decision of Court.
This is the message that greets me when I try to access an article regarding details of Condoleeza Rice's visit to Turkey from CNN's homepage. I received the same message the night before trying to access an article from BBC's website, my preferred source for news over here. Junet, Jimy's brother tells me things are "very hot" between the US and Turkey right now. The general opinion here seems to be that the Bush administration is hardly in the position to tell Turkey that they have no business going into Iraq. It will be interesting to see what happens here in the days and weeks to come. As usual, I hope for peace, but that seems unlikely, in the near future anyway.
The night before last I was grilled by one of Jimy's friends about my thoughts on the United States' involvement in Iraq. These conversations are always difficult. It's hard to know what's best to say, how much to say, how honest to be about my opinions. Here in Turkey, more than anywhere else, I have encountered people with very strong opinions about my country, my president, and by extension, me. I was having dinner with an Australian friend the other night at a restaurant mostly frequented by locals. At the end of our meal, we're approached by the owner who's come to greet us. First he asks Chris where she's from. When she answers Australia, he smiles and nods, shakes her hand, and says "G'day mate!" (Incidentally, this kind of thing has happens everywhere and it's pretty amusing to hear that Australian greeting filtered through so many thick accents. The preferred go-to American greeting seems to be "Take it easy", which always makes me laugh because I don't know the last time I heard anyone say "take it easy" at home. But I digress....) He asks her how she's enjoying her trip, laments the bad weather Selcuk has been having, and tells her he's sorry it's been so cold. Turning to me, the owner says, "And you?" I cringe inwardly knowing he won't be pleased with my response. I reply, "The United States," and he stares at me silently for a moment before turning on his heel and walking away from our table. Chris stares after him and looks across the table at me, eyebrows raised. I shrug.
I certainly don't want to imply that this has been everyone's reaction though. I have been warmly greeted by many people in this small town, who ask, "Why don't you move to Turkey? It is wonderful here, yes?!" The other night a man offered to find me a husband. Only half joking, I think, as he introduced me to his nephew, "I think he is about your age. Turkish delight. Well, Kurdish delight, actually. Your family have camel? We talk."
I spent all day today at a nearby beach. After a few days of near constant rain, the weather has turned, and it was so nice to be in the sun and finally get to swim in the sea. As I was riding back into town in a dolmus (cross between a bus and a taxi, and the preferred form of local transport here), the sun was setting behind me and the nearly full moon was rising ahead of me. I could see the ruins of Ephesus along the hillside to my right and once again wished I could just wrap up this scene and send it home to all of you. This is a beautiful place.
I booked a ticket back to Istanbul for Saturday afternoon. I'll spend the day tomorrow at the hamam (Turkish bath) and then the plan is to have a party on the rooftop terrace here to celebrate the full moon and my last night here in Selcuk.
More soon.
Access to this site has been suspended with decision of Court.
This is the message that greets me when I try to access an article regarding details of Condoleeza Rice's visit to Turkey from CNN's homepage. I received the same message the night before trying to access an article from BBC's website, my preferred source for news over here. Junet, Jimy's brother tells me things are "very hot" between the US and Turkey right now. The general opinion here seems to be that the Bush administration is hardly in the position to tell Turkey that they have no business going into Iraq. It will be interesting to see what happens here in the days and weeks to come. As usual, I hope for peace, but that seems unlikely, in the near future anyway.
The night before last I was grilled by one of Jimy's friends about my thoughts on the United States' involvement in Iraq. These conversations are always difficult. It's hard to know what's best to say, how much to say, how honest to be about my opinions. Here in Turkey, more than anywhere else, I have encountered people with very strong opinions about my country, my president, and by extension, me. I was having dinner with an Australian friend the other night at a restaurant mostly frequented by locals. At the end of our meal, we're approached by the owner who's come to greet us. First he asks Chris where she's from. When she answers Australia, he smiles and nods, shakes her hand, and says "G'day mate!" (Incidentally, this kind of thing has happens everywhere and it's pretty amusing to hear that Australian greeting filtered through so many thick accents. The preferred go-to American greeting seems to be "Take it easy", which always makes me laugh because I don't know the last time I heard anyone say "take it easy" at home. But I digress....) He asks her how she's enjoying her trip, laments the bad weather Selcuk has been having, and tells her he's sorry it's been so cold. Turning to me, the owner says, "And you?" I cringe inwardly knowing he won't be pleased with my response. I reply, "The United States," and he stares at me silently for a moment before turning on his heel and walking away from our table. Chris stares after him and looks across the table at me, eyebrows raised. I shrug.
I certainly don't want to imply that this has been everyone's reaction though. I have been warmly greeted by many people in this small town, who ask, "Why don't you move to Turkey? It is wonderful here, yes?!" The other night a man offered to find me a husband. Only half joking, I think, as he introduced me to his nephew, "I think he is about your age. Turkish delight. Well, Kurdish delight, actually. Your family have camel? We talk."
I spent all day today at a nearby beach. After a few days of near constant rain, the weather has turned, and it was so nice to be in the sun and finally get to swim in the sea. As I was riding back into town in a dolmus (cross between a bus and a taxi, and the preferred form of local transport here), the sun was setting behind me and the nearly full moon was rising ahead of me. I could see the ruins of Ephesus along the hillside to my right and once again wished I could just wrap up this scene and send it home to all of you. This is a beautiful place.
I booked a ticket back to Istanbul for Saturday afternoon. I'll spend the day tomorrow at the hamam (Turkish bath) and then the plan is to have a party on the rooftop terrace here to celebrate the full moon and my last night here in Selcuk.
More soon.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Sounds of laughter, shades of earth are ringing through my open mind...
Still in Selcuk. I can't seem to bring myself to leave this little town. I'm really enjoying my time here and have met some great people; both locals and fellow travelers. I have certainly found the more time I spend in Turkey, the more I feel I need to learn. I will admit it's a place I knew nearly nothing about before coming here. This is a place with a fascinating history. It's also a place different from any other I've been.
The weather here has been less than ideal, which has made for some quiet days. I spent half the day yesterday sipping tea with various shop-owners throughout the town, learning about their lives, and listening to their opinions about everything from tourism in Turkey, to the state of the carpet trade, to American foreign policy, American pop music, and Oprah Winfrey. Given recent events here, some topics are of course more delicate than others.
There is so much more to say about this place and the people who live here; I'll write more soon.
The weather here has been less than ideal, which has made for some quiet days. I spent half the day yesterday sipping tea with various shop-owners throughout the town, learning about their lives, and listening to their opinions about everything from tourism in Turkey, to the state of the carpet trade, to American foreign policy, American pop music, and Oprah Winfrey. Given recent events here, some topics are of course more delicate than others.
There is so much more to say about this place and the people who live here; I'll write more soon.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Carry on, never mind feeling sorry for yourself...
Merhaba! (That's hello in Turkish.)
Well, after a couple of kind of rough days, I am feeling much better and really starting to enjoy my time in Turkey. It's funny how much not feeling well contributes to my overall outlook. I'm staying in a nice place in Selcuk. The man who runs this place, Jimy, is great. So friendly and kind, and his primary goal at this point seems to be that we all have the biggest breakfast possible. I was telling Cory that at one of the places I stayed the "free breakfast" was a loaf of bread set out on the table next to a toaster and jar of jam. Here, you are brought your choice of hot tea or coffee before your "traditional" Turkish breakfast of sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, and a filled pastry. Then comes the bread and butter and omelet, after which a huge plate of fruit is brought out. The ever-attentive Jimy is there to make sure your mug is never empty and that you have everything you might need. He also set me up with a map and an illustrated guide to Ephesus and I set out today to explore the ruins. There are LOTS of new pictures posted. If I were a better "tour guide" I would probably have appropriately labeled the buildings and all that, but I found that knowing a particular set of columns once belonged to the "bathhouse" vs. some gate didn't necessarily add to the interest level (for me anyhow). What I really wished for was to be able to see what this all looked like way back when. Where is that time machine when I need it??
Güle güle! (Yep, that's goodbye.)
Well, after a couple of kind of rough days, I am feeling much better and really starting to enjoy my time in Turkey. It's funny how much not feeling well contributes to my overall outlook. I'm staying in a nice place in Selcuk. The man who runs this place, Jimy, is great. So friendly and kind, and his primary goal at this point seems to be that we all have the biggest breakfast possible. I was telling Cory that at one of the places I stayed the "free breakfast" was a loaf of bread set out on the table next to a toaster and jar of jam. Here, you are brought your choice of hot tea or coffee before your "traditional" Turkish breakfast of sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, and a filled pastry. Then comes the bread and butter and omelet, after which a huge plate of fruit is brought out. The ever-attentive Jimy is there to make sure your mug is never empty and that you have everything you might need. He also set me up with a map and an illustrated guide to Ephesus and I set out today to explore the ruins. There are LOTS of new pictures posted. If I were a better "tour guide" I would probably have appropriately labeled the buildings and all that, but I found that knowing a particular set of columns once belonged to the "bathhouse" vs. some gate didn't necessarily add to the interest level (for me anyhow). What I really wished for was to be able to see what this all looked like way back when. Where is that time machine when I need it??
Güle güle! (Yep, that's goodbye.)
Friday, October 19, 2007
Smiled with the rising sun...
After the not so happy post from yesterday, I thought I'd try to add something a little cheerier today. I am still feeling pretty sick, but the medication is helping and I think I'm getting better. I keep making notes to myself about all of these funny stories or anecdotes I want to tell all of you. Some of them will have to wait, I know, but I thought I'd at least jot down a couple, or at least enough to remind me to tell you the story later.
First, just some interesting things I've discovered while on this trip. One, I've noticed that my threshold or standard for cleanliness has certainly started to slip. I'm the girl that can barely stand to use a public restroom at home, and let me tell you, there have been some challenging situations here. I've gotten to the point that as long as there's an actual toilet, I'm so happy I can barely be bothered to worry about anything else. Those of you who haven't traveled overseas might not be aware that most places charge you to use a public restroom. Now this is something I'd be perfectly happy to do if the facilities were clean, but it's another thing entirely to hand over over money to tiptoe into filth. I discovered while in Serbia that the price of a trip to the WC was the same as buying an ice-cream cone on the street. I'm sure you can guess which was the more enjoyable experience. :) It's probably best for me not to think too much about what awaits me in the bathrooms I've yet to discover...
Another discovery is that the Canadians and Australians seem to enjoy making fun of our American accents. Think you don't have an accent? Well, we all have accents, but I don't think I'd ever heard a "standard" American English accent mocked until this trip. These impressions will probably have to wait 'til I'm home but as mentioned, there was Jed, the Australian, giving me his best "young American guy" and an Australian girl, whose name escapes me now, who told me there is a subset of American tourists from their 40's-60's, who are easily identified when the wife turns to the husband and says, "Bob, Bob, come here, come look at this, it's amazing!" It would seem the word "amazing" is more frequently used by the Americans, whereas the Brits and the Aussies tend toward "brilliant" or "gorgeous".
Some things I've learned from my fellow travelers: While traveling with two Canadian Mikes (Alberta Mike and B.C. Mike) through Romania... B.C. Mike advised us all that, "No matter where you are in the world, if you're in trouble, just yell 'Mike'; guaranteed to be more effective than 'help'." He did add that it might make sense to learn the local "Mike" equivalent (e.g. Miguel, etc.). From JT, an Australian, if you happen to be traveling through Venice and you are offered a laptop for 100 euros, you might want to think twice, because that laptop box just might end up being full of bar soap. From Matt from Philidelphia, putting your feet up on a train seat on a Hungarian train might cost you 20 euros, and that's only if you're able to negotiate.
Other than picking up little tips and tidbits from my fellow travelers, I've also been completely impressed and/or inspired by some of them. Here are a few that stick out, when I'm looking back... David, a 76-year-old British man, retired professor, who spends at least 2 months a year traveling on his own; he told me that he'd still like to see more of China and the Amazon. Bill, a 51-year-old man from Hong Kong, who retired early 3 years ago and other than the odd trip home has traveled ever since; he had the most amazing pictures and incredible stories. Stephanie, a 28-year-old American off on a trip on her own to visit her 26th, 27th and 28th countries the year she turned 28. (I think I'm at something like 15 so far!) Brett, a 20-something Canadian who sustained a compound fracture of his shoulder in a motorbike accident in Laos, flew to Thailand for surgery, and after a quick trip home to check in with his regular doctor, just kept on traveling... at the point I met him, he'd been on the road for 22 months. It has been so interesting to meet all of these different people and hear their stories, and these are just a few!
Some funnies from the road: The translation at the Olympic stadium in Sarajevo (subtitles on a video) that closed with "Hey man, welcome to Sarajevo!" That totally cracked me up... I just can't believe it's what they were really going for? The tour guide at the castle in Sinaia, Romania, who had obviously memorized her pitch word for word, and upon showing us the dining room (amazing) and outlining its many features, turned to us and said with almost no inflection whatsoever... "but don't tell me you are hungry, because kitchen is closed since 50 years ago, when castle is turned into museum". I know this is another one that begs for being told in person, but please believe me when I tell you it was hilarious. I continued to get mileage out of this one, all through Istanbul by turning to Blair and deadpanning, "But don't tell me you want to pray, because church has been museum for many years now."
OK, I think this is enough for now. At some point later on, I will write the story of the crazy train ride from Budapest to Brasov, and about the Bosnian pub owner (and former UN aid worker) I met in Sarajevo who was "misquoted" by the Washington Post.
Allright, off to Selcuk by way of Izmir to see the ruins at Ephesus. More soon!
First, just some interesting things I've discovered while on this trip. One, I've noticed that my threshold or standard for cleanliness has certainly started to slip. I'm the girl that can barely stand to use a public restroom at home, and let me tell you, there have been some challenging situations here. I've gotten to the point that as long as there's an actual toilet, I'm so happy I can barely be bothered to worry about anything else. Those of you who haven't traveled overseas might not be aware that most places charge you to use a public restroom. Now this is something I'd be perfectly happy to do if the facilities were clean, but it's another thing entirely to hand over over money to tiptoe into filth. I discovered while in Serbia that the price of a trip to the WC was the same as buying an ice-cream cone on the street. I'm sure you can guess which was the more enjoyable experience. :) It's probably best for me not to think too much about what awaits me in the bathrooms I've yet to discover...
Another discovery is that the Canadians and Australians seem to enjoy making fun of our American accents. Think you don't have an accent? Well, we all have accents, but I don't think I'd ever heard a "standard" American English accent mocked until this trip. These impressions will probably have to wait 'til I'm home but as mentioned, there was Jed, the Australian, giving me his best "young American guy" and an Australian girl, whose name escapes me now, who told me there is a subset of American tourists from their 40's-60's, who are easily identified when the wife turns to the husband and says, "Bob, Bob, come here, come look at this, it's amazing!" It would seem the word "amazing" is more frequently used by the Americans, whereas the Brits and the Aussies tend toward "brilliant" or "gorgeous".
Some things I've learned from my fellow travelers: While traveling with two Canadian Mikes (Alberta Mike and B.C. Mike) through Romania... B.C. Mike advised us all that, "No matter where you are in the world, if you're in trouble, just yell 'Mike'; guaranteed to be more effective than 'help'." He did add that it might make sense to learn the local "Mike" equivalent (e.g. Miguel, etc.). From JT, an Australian, if you happen to be traveling through Venice and you are offered a laptop for 100 euros, you might want to think twice, because that laptop box just might end up being full of bar soap. From Matt from Philidelphia, putting your feet up on a train seat on a Hungarian train might cost you 20 euros, and that's only if you're able to negotiate.
Other than picking up little tips and tidbits from my fellow travelers, I've also been completely impressed and/or inspired by some of them. Here are a few that stick out, when I'm looking back... David, a 76-year-old British man, retired professor, who spends at least 2 months a year traveling on his own; he told me that he'd still like to see more of China and the Amazon. Bill, a 51-year-old man from Hong Kong, who retired early 3 years ago and other than the odd trip home has traveled ever since; he had the most amazing pictures and incredible stories. Stephanie, a 28-year-old American off on a trip on her own to visit her 26th, 27th and 28th countries the year she turned 28. (I think I'm at something like 15 so far!) Brett, a 20-something Canadian who sustained a compound fracture of his shoulder in a motorbike accident in Laos, flew to Thailand for surgery, and after a quick trip home to check in with his regular doctor, just kept on traveling... at the point I met him, he'd been on the road for 22 months. It has been so interesting to meet all of these different people and hear their stories, and these are just a few!
Some funnies from the road: The translation at the Olympic stadium in Sarajevo (subtitles on a video) that closed with "Hey man, welcome to Sarajevo!" That totally cracked me up... I just can't believe it's what they were really going for? The tour guide at the castle in Sinaia, Romania, who had obviously memorized her pitch word for word, and upon showing us the dining room (amazing) and outlining its many features, turned to us and said with almost no inflection whatsoever... "but don't tell me you are hungry, because kitchen is closed since 50 years ago, when castle is turned into museum". I know this is another one that begs for being told in person, but please believe me when I tell you it was hilarious. I continued to get mileage out of this one, all through Istanbul by turning to Blair and deadpanning, "But don't tell me you want to pray, because church has been museum for many years now."
OK, I think this is enough for now. At some point later on, I will write the story of the crazy train ride from Budapest to Brasov, and about the Bosnian pub owner (and former UN aid worker) I met in Sarajevo who was "misquoted" by the Washington Post.
Allright, off to Selcuk by way of Izmir to see the ruins at Ephesus. More soon!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
It's a street in a strange world...
I'm writing this from a cafe in Göreme, which is in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. It is truly like another world here, with strange formations created by thousands of years of wind and water shaping the soft volcanic rock.
I find I'm having a bit of a hard time adjusting to travel in Turkey. I am definitely feeling like I have to keep my guard up in a different way here than I have had to so far on this trip. It seems that just about everyone has something to sell, and people aren't always as "helpful" as they might seem to be at first glance. I traveled to Göreme from Istanbul with a friend I met in Romania. We took an overnight bus from Istanbul, which was an experience I probably won't soon forget.... very loud, very smoky, and very little sleep. We arrived in Nevşehir around 7 am... I had finally fallen asleep shortly after sunrise and was completely disorientated when I woke up at the bus stop where we were supposed to transfer to the "minibus" that would take us to Göreme, about 15 minutes away. As we're stepping off the bus, there is a man saying "Göreme, yes please, this way." Blair starts to follow him and I say wait, let's ask the busdriver if this is right. Blair turns back to ask the busdriver who just waves in the direction the man is heading. I was so not surprised, but more than a little irritated, when we ended up in this guy's office in the bus station where he conveniently books tours around the region. He starts pulling out all these brochures, and I ask where the transfer bus is. "My friend is checking," he replies. Mmmhmm. Meanwhile there is a big pitch for his all day tour for 60 YTL. "I don't want a tour. I just want to catch the bus," I say to the guy. I am crabby and I know it, tired, and sick with a chest cold I picked up on my way to Turkey. Blair and the other American guy in the office, whom I gather after a few minutes conversation, was similarly plucked from a bus coming from Pamukkale, just stare at me, I get the feeling that they think I'm being mean to this guy. Meanwhile, the tour operator has taken back his brochures, scowled at me, and turns to Blair, "Where are you staying in Göreme?" Blair starts to hem and haw about not being sure. I interject again... "Where is the bus that we were supposed to catch?" The other American guy, from Virginia, who has of course already agreed to a tour, says, "I think he just wants to figure out where to drop you off." I just look at him, eyebrow raised, and start picking up my bags. I'm going to find the bus. Blair follows me out and so does the tour operator. I tell him I want to get on the bus that we already paid for. He points to the bus next to him and says this one will take us. At this point, I'm just ready to go so we toss our bags under the bus and hop on. It becomes immediately apparent once we turn over our tickets (this always happens after the bus is underway by the by) that we aren't on the correct bus, but luckily the driver agrees to drop us off in Göreme.
All's well that ends well, I know, but I could deal with things going just a bit more smoothly. Blair just caught a bus to the coast and I am staying here in Göreme for a day or two to try to kick this cold. I feel pretty miserable, but did pick up some cough medicine from the pharmacy so hopefully that will help. I so appreciate all the good travel vibes I know you're sending me... I think I could use them! And I know this post sounds really negative... all of my time here in Turkey hasn't been this way, but this is just one story of several I could tell... I hope you'll forgive me a little crabbiness.
I find I'm having a bit of a hard time adjusting to travel in Turkey. I am definitely feeling like I have to keep my guard up in a different way here than I have had to so far on this trip. It seems that just about everyone has something to sell, and people aren't always as "helpful" as they might seem to be at first glance. I traveled to Göreme from Istanbul with a friend I met in Romania. We took an overnight bus from Istanbul, which was an experience I probably won't soon forget.... very loud, very smoky, and very little sleep. We arrived in Nevşehir around 7 am... I had finally fallen asleep shortly after sunrise and was completely disorientated when I woke up at the bus stop where we were supposed to transfer to the "minibus" that would take us to Göreme, about 15 minutes away. As we're stepping off the bus, there is a man saying "Göreme, yes please, this way." Blair starts to follow him and I say wait, let's ask the busdriver if this is right. Blair turns back to ask the busdriver who just waves in the direction the man is heading. I was so not surprised, but more than a little irritated, when we ended up in this guy's office in the bus station where he conveniently books tours around the region. He starts pulling out all these brochures, and I ask where the transfer bus is. "My friend is checking," he replies. Mmmhmm. Meanwhile there is a big pitch for his all day tour for 60 YTL. "I don't want a tour. I just want to catch the bus," I say to the guy. I am crabby and I know it, tired, and sick with a chest cold I picked up on my way to Turkey. Blair and the other American guy in the office, whom I gather after a few minutes conversation, was similarly plucked from a bus coming from Pamukkale, just stare at me, I get the feeling that they think I'm being mean to this guy. Meanwhile, the tour operator has taken back his brochures, scowled at me, and turns to Blair, "Where are you staying in Göreme?" Blair starts to hem and haw about not being sure. I interject again... "Where is the bus that we were supposed to catch?" The other American guy, from Virginia, who has of course already agreed to a tour, says, "I think he just wants to figure out where to drop you off." I just look at him, eyebrow raised, and start picking up my bags. I'm going to find the bus. Blair follows me out and so does the tour operator. I tell him I want to get on the bus that we already paid for. He points to the bus next to him and says this one will take us. At this point, I'm just ready to go so we toss our bags under the bus and hop on. It becomes immediately apparent once we turn over our tickets (this always happens after the bus is underway by the by) that we aren't on the correct bus, but luckily the driver agrees to drop us off in Göreme.
All's well that ends well, I know, but I could deal with things going just a bit more smoothly. Blair just caught a bus to the coast and I am staying here in Göreme for a day or two to try to kick this cold. I feel pretty miserable, but did pick up some cough medicine from the pharmacy so hopefully that will help. I so appreciate all the good travel vibes I know you're sending me... I think I could use them! And I know this post sounds really negative... all of my time here in Turkey hasn't been this way, but this is just one story of several I could tell... I hope you'll forgive me a little crabbiness.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
I've got the music in me...
Still in Turkey... enjoying Istanbul, although struggling with a bit of a cold. Later this evening, I'm on my way to Goreme, which is a cave town in the Cappadocia region, southeast of here. If you've been keeping up with the news, you probably know that there are some hard feelings toward the US in Turkey right now... and it appears that things are escalating with the Kurds at the Iraqi border, but so far none of that seems to have impacted my experience as a tourist here. I've posted a bunch of pictures, so check those out. As usual, I'm finding that it's so hard to truly capture what I'm seeing here, but I hope the pictures give some idea of the amazing things I'm seeing.
Thought I'd take a few minutes to write a little about the music on this trip. Just a few favorite "musical moments"-
- The Croatian man singing a heavily accented version of Cat Steven's "Wild World" outside my window the first night I was in Split. "Oooh, baby, baby it's a wild world... it's hard to get by just upon a smile."
- A male-female duo performing Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?", as the rain poured down outside in a cafe in Korcula.
- Listening to the guy behind the counter at the internet cafe on Hvar Island singing along to Tracy Chapman, "And you can say baby, baby can I hold you tonight?"
- Hearing Beyonce's "Irreplaceable" and Rihanna's "Umbrella-ella-ella" EVERYWHERE (this is not so much a "favorite" as just part of the soundtrack of this trip, and the umbrella song is all I could think of my first full day in Istanbul as I was walking around in the rain and being offered an umbrella by seemingly every man I passed "Lady, umbrella, lady, umbrella. Good price. Umbrella, lady?").
-John Lennon's "Imagine" and Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" playing as I sat in the internet cafe in Dubrovnik and wrote about my experience at the War Photo exhibit.
-Sitting around the table at the hostel in Sarajevo drinking big beers before dinner, Bob Dylan playing in the background, and suddenly four of us breaking into song at the same time "How does it feel? To be on your own, no direction known, like a rolling stone".
-Drinking in a pub in Sarajevo while the Bosnian owner plays his guitar and commands us to sing along. He starts to play "The Boxer" but no one can get the words right (except of course for the lie-la-lie).
Allrighty, more later. Love to all of you.
Thought I'd take a few minutes to write a little about the music on this trip. Just a few favorite "musical moments"-
- The Croatian man singing a heavily accented version of Cat Steven's "Wild World" outside my window the first night I was in Split. "Oooh, baby, baby it's a wild world... it's hard to get by just upon a smile."
- A male-female duo performing Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?", as the rain poured down outside in a cafe in Korcula.
- Listening to the guy behind the counter at the internet cafe on Hvar Island singing along to Tracy Chapman, "And you can say baby, baby can I hold you tonight?"
- Hearing Beyonce's "Irreplaceable" and Rihanna's "Umbrella-ella-ella" EVERYWHERE (this is not so much a "favorite" as just part of the soundtrack of this trip, and the umbrella song is all I could think of my first full day in Istanbul as I was walking around in the rain and being offered an umbrella by seemingly every man I passed "Lady, umbrella, lady, umbrella. Good price. Umbrella, lady?").
-John Lennon's "Imagine" and Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" playing as I sat in the internet cafe in Dubrovnik and wrote about my experience at the War Photo exhibit.
-Sitting around the table at the hostel in Sarajevo drinking big beers before dinner, Bob Dylan playing in the background, and suddenly four of us breaking into song at the same time "How does it feel? To be on your own, no direction known, like a rolling stone".
-Drinking in a pub in Sarajevo while the Bosnian owner plays his guitar and commands us to sing along. He starts to play "The Boxer" but no one can get the words right (except of course for the lie-la-lie).
Allrighty, more later. Love to all of you.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Istanbul (not Constantinople)
I have just arrived in Turkey. A bit of a whirlwind trip down here, and not exactly how I had planned it, but I am here nonetheless. :) I left Brasov yesterday afternoon on an afternoon train to Bucharest and spent a few hours there before hopping onto an overnight train to Sofia, Bulgaria and then catching a 10 hour bus to Istanbul at 9am this morning. I have about two weeks until I'm scheduled to fly to Moscow so I'm hoping to get to do a fair amount of exploring here. I will write more soon and update pictures!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
I'd rather feel the earth beneath my feet...
One of these days I'm going to have to sit down and write a long post about all of the music I've been hearing on this trip. I know I've written to some of you individually about some of this, but there are definite times that I feel like there's almost a soundtrack playing along as I travel around... it's been kind of fun. The song for today was El Condor Pasa, hence the title of the post. I was standing in the gardens of this beautiful, fairytale-esque castle in Transylvania, and I could hear these stringed instruments playing a little tune. The music sounded very traditional Romanian, and I'll admit it took me second to pick it out, but I reckon I could name any Paul Simon tune in about 5 notes. :)
So, yes, I'm in Romania. Brasov to be precise. I spent the day on a tour of local castles including Bran castle which is the supposed home of Dracula, and is by the way, disappointingly, decidedly less creepy and spooky than I had imagined. I was more creeped out by all the tacky souveniers for sale around the castle grounds, oh, and by the guy on our tour who decided it would be hilarious to jump out from behind a door and scare the bejeezus out of me.
I'm off to Bulgaria tomorrow evening. Hope you are all well. I've just passed the one-month mark! (And I miss you!)
So, yes, I'm in Romania. Brasov to be precise. I spent the day on a tour of local castles including Bran castle which is the supposed home of Dracula, and is by the way, disappointingly, decidedly less creepy and spooky than I had imagined. I was more creeped out by all the tacky souveniers for sale around the castle grounds, oh, and by the guy on our tour who decided it would be hilarious to jump out from behind a door and scare the bejeezus out of me.
I'm off to Bulgaria tomorrow evening. Hope you are all well. I've just passed the one-month mark! (And I miss you!)
Monday, October 8, 2007
It's a hard knock life...
Oh, wait, it's the exact opposite of a hard knock life. :) I'm in Budapest now. There are new pictures up on Flickr from here and from Serbia. I'm really enjoying my time in this city. I spent the day today at the thermal baths, which was just perfect, totally relaxing and felt completely indulgent (all for less than $14!).
My stay here is stretching out a little longer than I had intended due to a little misunderstanding on my part about the visa it turns out I don't need for Mongolia. Turns out sending an email to the Mongolian embassy in NY was a better route than visiting the embassy here in Budapest, where the woman told me that if I came back tomorrow I could have the visa in 1 day for $200, or in a week for $100. As it turns out, if you have a US passport, you don't need a visa for visits less than 90 days. So that's that. My plan is to leave Budapest tomorrow late night or early Wednesday morning. Probably headed to Romania from here.
Oh, and I've achieved one of my trip milestones. When I entered Hungary, it was the 6th country I've visited since I've been gone (not counting Canada). So now it's just one more major region of the world and about 7 more months, and I'll have fulfilled the stipulations of my award. :)
More soon!
My stay here is stretching out a little longer than I had intended due to a little misunderstanding on my part about the visa it turns out I don't need for Mongolia. Turns out sending an email to the Mongolian embassy in NY was a better route than visiting the embassy here in Budapest, where the woman told me that if I came back tomorrow I could have the visa in 1 day for $200, or in a week for $100. As it turns out, if you have a US passport, you don't need a visa for visits less than 90 days. So that's that. My plan is to leave Budapest tomorrow late night or early Wednesday morning. Probably headed to Romania from here.
Oh, and I've achieved one of my trip milestones. When I entered Hungary, it was the 6th country I've visited since I've been gone (not counting Canada). So now it's just one more major region of the world and about 7 more months, and I'll have fulfilled the stipulations of my award. :)
More soon!
Friday, October 5, 2007
I said be careful his bowtie is really a camera...
After a loooong bus ride, I made it safely to Belgrade. Not before I missed my scheduled bus though, and narrowly avoided being left behind at a rest stop. (Note to self... there is not always an ATM handy at the bus station.) I am definitely starting to get the feeling that I'm getting more off the beaten path as far as the 'tourist trail' goes, and I realize how spoiled I've been by the fact that nearly everyone I've come into contact with up to this point has spoken English. Here in Serbia, there is the added complication (for me!) that they use the cryllic alphabet, which makes reading a map particularly difficult, and let's face it, I've already shown my weakness in that department. This is also the first place I've been where you're required to carry documentation around with you that you have been "checked in" and registered with the police. I so far haven't been asked to provide mine, but a couple of English guys that are staying in my hostel were stopped and questioned for awhile. My biggest issue so far has been that my passport wasn't stamped in Bosnia when I crossed the border from Croatia. When it came time for me to cross from Bosnia to Serbia, the border guard kept saying, "You need the stamp. Where is the stamp?? Where did you come from??" I explained that they hadn't stamped it when I took the bus from Dubrovnik to Mostar. "But you need the stamp!" Finally, he just shrugged and tossed my passport back to me. So I guess for all official purposes, I was never in Bosnia.
Belgrade gets a bad rap for being an "ugly" city. It has been destroyed and rebuilt some 40 times in its history so there is a somewhat eclectic mix of architectural styles, and it's certainly not as clean and pristine as some of the other places I've visited, but I'm glad I came. I'm planning a day trip up to Novi Sad, and then staying one more night in Belgrade before heading to Budapest tomorrow. A little change in the itinerary, but it's only a six hour train ride from here, so it'd be crazy not to go, right?
Belgrade gets a bad rap for being an "ugly" city. It has been destroyed and rebuilt some 40 times in its history so there is a somewhat eclectic mix of architectural styles, and it's certainly not as clean and pristine as some of the other places I've visited, but I'm glad I came. I'm planning a day trip up to Novi Sad, and then staying one more night in Belgrade before heading to Budapest tomorrow. A little change in the itinerary, but it's only a six hour train ride from here, so it'd be crazy not to go, right?
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Your time has come to shine...
This bridge might just be one of my favorite things about this trip so far. It spans the Neretva River in Mostar and is called Stari Most which means, simply, Old Bridge. In fact, the bridge in this photo is only about three years old. It was completed in 2004, but it is an exact replica of it's predecessor which stood in the same place from 1566 until it was destroyed by Croat soldiers in November 1993. The stone for this bridge was gathered from the same quarry as the original. All of the old 16th-century methods were used to rebuild the bridge so that it would in essence be the same "old" bridge. It is a beautiful site...
I have struggled with what else to write about Bosnia. I wish I could somehow package up everything I've seen and heard and experienced here, wrap it up, seal it, and send it home to all of you, so you could feel it too. This is an amazing place. When I spoke with the couple that I met on the train to Split, they told me, "When you go to Bosnia you will see, this is something different. Sarajevo, Mostar, this place is something special." How very true. These two cities have so far been the highlight of my trip.
In both places I have been able to stay in the homes of people who lived through the conflicts during the 90's and are willing to share their stories with the strangers that come drifting through every few days. Majda and Bata, the brother and sister duo that run the hostel in Mostar, were forced to leave their home for several years and move to other, safer, parts of Europe. They have returned to that home and opened their doors to travelers from all over the world. Haris saw his home destroyed during the seige of Sarajevo. Only 7 years old when it all began in 1992, he is 22 now, and for the last 4 years has taken on the responsibility of running a hostel out of his family home which has since been repaired. Both Haris and Bata organize tours of the areas surrounding their homes, taking time to teach, to answer questions, and to offer their visitors a chance to see something real.
I am amazed by the spirit of the people I have met in these two places. Where I might have expected anger, I have mostly found peace. I have also been impressed by the overall feeling of these cities. Instead of sadness, there is just such a sense of how alive these places are. And in both places there has been a great mix of people with interesting stories to tell. There have been so many good conversations and experiences, I am a bit sad to be leaving. Perhaps that's why I'm having so much trouble deciding where to go next. I *think* I'm going to Belgrade tomorrow.
Lots of new pictures to check out on flickr. More soon.
I have struggled with what else to write about Bosnia. I wish I could somehow package up everything I've seen and heard and experienced here, wrap it up, seal it, and send it home to all of you, so you could feel it too. This is an amazing place. When I spoke with the couple that I met on the train to Split, they told me, "When you go to Bosnia you will see, this is something different. Sarajevo, Mostar, this place is something special." How very true. These two cities have so far been the highlight of my trip.
In both places I have been able to stay in the homes of people who lived through the conflicts during the 90's and are willing to share their stories with the strangers that come drifting through every few days. Majda and Bata, the brother and sister duo that run the hostel in Mostar, were forced to leave their home for several years and move to other, safer, parts of Europe. They have returned to that home and opened their doors to travelers from all over the world. Haris saw his home destroyed during the seige of Sarajevo. Only 7 years old when it all began in 1992, he is 22 now, and for the last 4 years has taken on the responsibility of running a hostel out of his family home which has since been repaired. Both Haris and Bata organize tours of the areas surrounding their homes, taking time to teach, to answer questions, and to offer their visitors a chance to see something real.
I am amazed by the spirit of the people I have met in these two places. Where I might have expected anger, I have mostly found peace. I have also been impressed by the overall feeling of these cities. Instead of sadness, there is just such a sense of how alive these places are. And in both places there has been a great mix of people with interesting stories to tell. There have been so many good conversations and experiences, I am a bit sad to be leaving. Perhaps that's why I'm having so much trouble deciding where to go next. I *think* I'm going to Belgrade tomorrow.
Lots of new pictures to check out on flickr. More soon.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Memories are made of this...
Arriving in Mostar, Bosnia-Hercegovena was unlike anything I have ever before experienced. I thought I was prepared for what I would see. I wasn't. I have never seen a place so recently touched by war, and was honestly surprised to see how much of the front line here has yet to be rebuilt. There are crumbling buildings, and those riddled with pock marks from shellings. But this is a beautiful city too... full of life and wonderful people.
I have lots of stories to tell... stories about a bridge, stories about the people I have met here. When Bata, the brother of the woman who runs the absolutely fabulous hostel that I'm staying in, picked me up from the bus station, he looked at me and laughed, "Welcome to Bosnia", as we narrowly missed being hit by a speeding car trying to cross the street. "This is your first time in Bosnia?" When I replied yes, he answered, "Oh, this is pressuring... we have to make this a memory!"
Mission accomplished.
More stories (and pictures) to come. Off to Sarajevo tomorrow morning. Love. Love. Love.
I have lots of stories to tell... stories about a bridge, stories about the people I have met here. When Bata, the brother of the woman who runs the absolutely fabulous hostel that I'm staying in, picked me up from the bus station, he looked at me and laughed, "Welcome to Bosnia", as we narrowly missed being hit by a speeding car trying to cross the street. "This is your first time in Bosnia?" When I replied yes, he answered, "Oh, this is pressuring... we have to make this a memory!"
Mission accomplished.
More stories (and pictures) to come. Off to Sarajevo tomorrow morning. Love. Love. Love.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
You know we've got to find a way...
I'm finding myself facing one of those moments, and I know there will be many, when I wish I had someone here with me, if for no other reason than to talk about the things I've seen. I'm in Dubrovnik which is a beautiful little town (lots of pictures, go check them out), and in the midst of checking out cathedrals and museums and city walls, I decided to visit an exhibit in town called War Photo Limited. It's a photo gallery managed by Wade Goddard who is a former photojournalist and displays the work of other photojournalists to illustrate the impact of war. The current exhibit focuses on the conflict between Lebanon & Israel during the summer of 2006. There is one floor devoted to pictures taken in Lebanon and one floor of pictures taken in Israel. There is also a side gallery that showcases the work of several photographers that have submitted selections to other collections focused on (among other things) The Balkan Wars, The War in Iraq, The Women of Afghanistan and the Israel/Palestine conflict.
I'm not even sure what to say about this exhibit except that it totally moved me. I'd encourage you to check out the website. An excerpt from their mission statement:
This exhibit was unlike anything I think I've seen before. The stories presented through the photos and the captions that went along with them were at turns heartbreaking, moving, and disturbing without feeling exploitative and with remarkably little carnage given the subject matter. There was no sense of "pointing fingers". Just... this is war, and this is terrible for all involved. I was brought to tears more times than I can count.
Peace and love. More soon....
I'm not even sure what to say about this exhibit except that it totally moved me. I'd encourage you to check out the website. An excerpt from their mission statement:
It is the intent of War Photo Limited to present to the public the reality of war, to expose the myth of war by focusing on how war inflicts injustices on innocents and combatants alike. We will work to make the disease of war understandable to the young, especially the intolerance, violence, and nationalistic idealisms that lead to conflict.
This exhibit was unlike anything I think I've seen before. The stories presented through the photos and the captions that went along with them were at turns heartbreaking, moving, and disturbing without feeling exploitative and with remarkably little carnage given the subject matter. There was no sense of "pointing fingers". Just... this is war, and this is terrible for all involved. I was brought to tears more times than I can count.
Peace and love. More soon....
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Looking for something, what can it be...
Just before I left Seattle, my good friend Megan gave me a book edited by Phil Cousineau and entitled, Pilgrimage- Adventures of the Spirit. I read it during the first few days of my trip, and I've been meaning to write a little about it, but haven't known quite what to say.
It made me think quite a bit about why it is that I'm on this journey. The fact is that there is no easy answer to this question. Unlike some of the pilgrims in the aforementioned book, I don't have a particular destination in mind, or a good handle on what it is I might be hoping to find. I overheard some women on the ferry last night discussing their trip to Međugorje, and I thought again about the purpose of this trip, and wondered about which places, at the end of it all, will stand out as having touched me or changed me. Or will it just be the whole trip that has done that?
I'm going to post an excerpt from the forward of Cousineau's book that I particularly liked; I keep finding my thoughts wandering back to it...
I know intellectually that it's OK to "not know", but I also find that I struggle a little with this. Maybe it's that I'd like to believe there is a particular reason I am on the journey... that it's not just a happy accident that I was chosen to receive this amazing gift. Maybe there is a story I am supposed to share? Or something I am supposed to experience? I guess that remains to be seen...
It made me think quite a bit about why it is that I'm on this journey. The fact is that there is no easy answer to this question. Unlike some of the pilgrims in the aforementioned book, I don't have a particular destination in mind, or a good handle on what it is I might be hoping to find. I overheard some women on the ferry last night discussing their trip to Međugorje, and I thought again about the purpose of this trip, and wondered about which places, at the end of it all, will stand out as having touched me or changed me. Or will it just be the whole trip that has done that?
I'm going to post an excerpt from the forward of Cousineau's book that I particularly liked; I keep finding my thoughts wandering back to it...
These spell binding stories also remind me of the wisdom of Chaucer's invocation in the Canterbury Tales. The innkeeper at the Tabard Inn asks the departing pilgrims to tell two tales to strangers on the way to Canterbury, and two tales on the way home. Chaucer knew that the community at home needs stories as much as it needs food and water. We need tales of the stranger, to help us appreciate our common humanity. But we need news of other worlds and customs, much as William Carlos Williams described our need for poetry, because "the world dies every day for the lack of it." News that people are crossing borders not just on the map, but in the heart and soul. Strangely, I'm also inspired by the tales in this collection to recall that we may also need to be occasionally reminded about why we travel. An old Zen story captures the spirit.
The wandering monk Fa-yen was asked by Ti-ts'ang,
"Where are you going?"
"Around on pilgrimage," said Fa-yen.
Ti-ts'ang asked, "What is the purpose of pilgrimage?"
"I don't know," replied Fa-yen.
Ti-ts'ang nodded and said, "Not knowing is nearest."
I know intellectually that it's OK to "not know", but I also find that I struggle a little with this. Maybe it's that I'd like to believe there is a particular reason I am on the journey... that it's not just a happy accident that I was chosen to receive this amazing gift. Maybe there is a story I am supposed to share? Or something I am supposed to experience? I guess that remains to be seen...
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
I can gather all the news I need from the weather report...
Guess what they have a lot of in Croatia? Apparently mosquitos. Yikes. I've been bitten like crazy. I went to the pharmacy in town this morning and the woman there gave me some kind of treatment gel that is working... I just have no idea what it's made of. No matter, but I suppose I'll have to drag out the DEET... I wasn't thinking I'd need that on this leg of the trip.
The weather continues to be great... I'm in Hvar town on Hvar Island and it's lovely here despite previous reports that today was supposed to be very rainy. I'm headed to Korcula (another of the islands) this evening. I'll get in around 8pm and I'm crossing my fingers that I'll be able to find some place affordable to stay. Two nights there, I think, before moving on to Dubrovnik. I attended a concert last night at the Franciscan Monastery here that was amazing. There are pictures posted, and a couple of videos on youtube.
More later...
The weather continues to be great... I'm in Hvar town on Hvar Island and it's lovely here despite previous reports that today was supposed to be very rainy. I'm headed to Korcula (another of the islands) this evening. I'll get in around 8pm and I'm crossing my fingers that I'll be able to find some place affordable to stay. Two nights there, I think, before moving on to Dubrovnik. I attended a concert last night at the Franciscan Monastery here that was amazing. There are pictures posted, and a couple of videos on youtube.
More later...
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Blue sky smiling on me...
The weather here in Split continues to be amazing. I've added some more pictures. You know you can see the pictures if you click on the "my pictures" link on the right, right? I've also just uploaded a couple of videos on youtube that I linked on the right as well. I'm not sure if it will work, but thought it might be a fun way for you to get to see some of what I'm seeing. I'm off to Hvar island tomorrow. It's supposed to be amazing... then onto one of the other islands Tuesday or Wednesday before making my way to Dubrovnik for a few days and then moving on to Bosnia & Hercogovenia.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
I've been happy lately, thinking about the good things to come...
In Croatia now... After a very quick self-guided walking tour of Zagreb, I caught an overnight train to Split, which is on the Dalmatian coast. There are a few new pictures up on Flickr... it is just gorgeous here... more to come.
The overnight train was quite an experience. The last time I took one of these, it had actual sleeping berths, but this was just a car with 6 seats (2 rows of three facing each other) that just slightly reclined. It was a full house, and I didn't get too much sleep. I did meet a really great couple from Zagreb. They were probably about my age, the woman is an accountant and I'm not sure what her boyfriend does for a living, but I do know that he tours with a dancing troupe that performs traditional Croatian dances. He didn't speak any English, but hers was fairly proficient; enough so that she could act as translator for the car. It was really quite interesting to talk with this couple about their experiences growing up in Zagreb, and watching things change as Yugoslavia disbanded. The boyfriend had *a lot* of strong opinions about the United States and Americans in general; it was a little funny to watch her pause before translating some of his comments. She kept looking slightly embarassed, and I'm sure she was censoring some of it for my benefit. I hope I was at least able to disabuse him of the notion that we are all stupid... I think I will write more about all of this later, but I can tell you it is really an interesting experience to be travelling as an American right now. One morning at breakfast in Ljubljana, a British man asked me, "Where's your accent from then?". When I answered "the States", he replied with a very curt, "Ah, that's what I thought," and then just turned to talk to someone else. Yikes. The couple on the train were surprised to know that an American would even want to come to Croatia; the boyfriend (ummmm... I wish I would have asked for their names) explained that when he was in New York City last year, no one had any idea where Croatia was. This surprises me, but then so does this. Let's just say our reputation seems to be pretty poor overseas right now. I know there are myriad reasons for this, but it does make for some interesting conversations.
OK, I'm off to see more sites, soak up the sun, change some opinions one at a time. ;)
Dovidenja! (See you later!)
The overnight train was quite an experience. The last time I took one of these, it had actual sleeping berths, but this was just a car with 6 seats (2 rows of three facing each other) that just slightly reclined. It was a full house, and I didn't get too much sleep. I did meet a really great couple from Zagreb. They were probably about my age, the woman is an accountant and I'm not sure what her boyfriend does for a living, but I do know that he tours with a dancing troupe that performs traditional Croatian dances. He didn't speak any English, but hers was fairly proficient; enough so that she could act as translator for the car. It was really quite interesting to talk with this couple about their experiences growing up in Zagreb, and watching things change as Yugoslavia disbanded. The boyfriend had *a lot* of strong opinions about the United States and Americans in general; it was a little funny to watch her pause before translating some of his comments. She kept looking slightly embarassed, and I'm sure she was censoring some of it for my benefit. I hope I was at least able to disabuse him of the notion that we are all stupid... I think I will write more about all of this later, but I can tell you it is really an interesting experience to be travelling as an American right now. One morning at breakfast in Ljubljana, a British man asked me, "Where's your accent from then?". When I answered "the States", he replied with a very curt, "Ah, that's what I thought," and then just turned to talk to someone else. Yikes. The couple on the train were surprised to know that an American would even want to come to Croatia; the boyfriend (ummmm... I wish I would have asked for their names) explained that when he was in New York City last year, no one had any idea where Croatia was. This surprises me, but then so does this. Let's just say our reputation seems to be pretty poor overseas right now. I know there are myriad reasons for this, but it does make for some interesting conversations.
OK, I'm off to see more sites, soak up the sun, change some opinions one at a time. ;)
Dovidenja! (See you later!)
Friday, September 21, 2007
She's a lady...
So the other night at the hostel in Ljubljana, I'm sitting in the kitchen with three Australian girls, maybe in their early 20's, but I think they may have actually been just out of high school. Anyhow, we're all putting together our meals, when one of the girls starts telling a story about a recent wild night out. One of the other girls starts sort of shrieking in excitement talking about one of the boys they met, and I'm just listening, amused, when the third girl looks at her and says, "Janna, stop it, you're scaring the lady!". I literally turned to look over my shoulder before I realized she was talking about me. Yep... it's me, I'm the "lady". How did that happen? I forget sometimes that I'm not still in my early 20's and although I'm glad I'm not, I guess I wish sometimes it didn't show. :) It's as bad as being called "ma'am" at the grocery store.
Speaking of.... I just spoke to a man in the ticket information office, who used "lady" as you might use "miss" or "ma'am"... When I asked about the best way to get to Split, he said, "Well, lady, you could either take a train at 14:00 or 17:45 to Zagreb." At the end of our conversation, when I thanked him for his help, he replied, "It is no problem, lady."
So, this lady is off to Zagreb at 14:07, and booking an overnight train to Split from there.
Speaking of.... I just spoke to a man in the ticket information office, who used "lady" as you might use "miss" or "ma'am"... When I asked about the best way to get to Split, he said, "Well, lady, you could either take a train at 14:00 or 17:45 to Zagreb." At the end of our conversation, when I thanked him for his help, he replied, "It is no problem, lady."
So, this lady is off to Zagreb at 14:07, and booking an overnight train to Split from there.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Think I'll go for a walk outside now...
The weather did take a turn for the better. I made it Bled, Slovenia. I've posted some pictures that I don't think quite do it justice. This is perhaps one of the most picturesque places I have ever been. It's sunny and warm, and I'm staying in a great place. There is some good company here, including some very sweet Australian girls and a part charming/part pain-in-the-"you know what" young Brit who was kind enough to take me to dinner last night and accompany me to the lovely castle today. But not to worry... I will be heading to Croatia on my own tomorrow.
Back to Ljubljana in the morning, and then catching a train to Split I believe.
Dober dan! (Good afternoon!)
Back to Ljubljana in the morning, and then catching a train to Split I believe.
Dober dan! (Good afternoon!)
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
I'm the king of the castle, you're the dirty rascal...
One of the Brazilian guys staying in my room at the hostel said to me yesterday, "I thought it was very impressive, Prague, beautiful bridge, beautiful castle... up on the hill above the river. But then I realize this is sort of Eastern European thing... the pretty bridge, the castle on the hill near the river. Prague has this, Budapest has this, Krakow has this also, and now Ljubljana. They all have the same basic design."
I suppose it's ˝seen one, seen 'em all˝ when it comes to Eastern European cities, but I've posted a few new pictures of Ljubljana. There's a couple from Vienna too, but very few. I'm hiding out in an internet cafe for a few minutes because it's *pouring* down rain... again. Thunder & lightning again too... hoping it will be nice for the trip up to the lake tomorrow. Fingers crossed please!
Ciao!
I suppose it's ˝seen one, seen 'em all˝ when it comes to Eastern European cities, but I've posted a few new pictures of Ljubljana. There's a couple from Vienna too, but very few. I'm hiding out in an internet cafe for a few minutes because it's *pouring* down rain... again. Thunder & lightning again too... hoping it will be nice for the trip up to the lake tomorrow. Fingers crossed please!
Ciao!
Monday, September 17, 2007
Whatever you do, don't put the blame on you...
I have arrived in Slovenia. I had quite the adventure getting here... I'm sure just the first of many ˝scenic routes˝ I'll encounter.
The day got off to a great start... I woke up before my alarm (I'm sure owing to the fact that I was scared of sleeping through it), crept out of my room without waking up any of the boozing boys, and made it to the train station across town nearly an hour before my train was supposed to depart. I even managed to use passable German to order myself a cappucinno & a pastry.
I find that I'm feeling really nervous on this trip. Afraid to make a mistake. Which is silly, because of course I will, and I find that it's tripping me up a little. I stood outside the train today looking at the closed door. I knew I was at the correct car, the number matched the one on my ticket, but the door was closed. There were two buttons one red (marked Zu) and one green (marked Auf). I don't think you have to be a rocket scientist to figure out which one opens the door, even if you don't know (as I do) that those are the German words for close & open, but I just stood there frozen, scared to press the button. I'm not sure what I thought would happen, but I think I was picturing some heretofore unseen train conductor popping out to shout at me ˝Nein! Ist verbotten!˝ It wasn't until I overheard a maintenence worker the next car down tell a little old Austrian woman ˝drücken˝ (push), that I reached out and hit the green button. And what do you know, no alarms sounded, nobody shouted, the doors swooped open, the step flopped down and I climbed aboard. It's a silly thing really, but a good example of the kind of trepidation I've been feeling so far. I know I just need to get better about trusting myself and what I know.
Anyhow, easy peasy getting on the train. What wasn't easy was heaving my huge backpack overhead to the luggage rack. I can't for the life of me figure out what is so darn heavy in that pack, but sheesh... I think I'm going to develop some serious muscles on this trip. :)
I settled in for the six hour ride to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. What a beautiful train ride. I had forgotten how much I love traveling by train. Traveling through Southern Austria and Northern Slovenia was gorgeous. Rolling green hills, pastures, cows, sheep, mountains (which I have to assume were the Alps?), pretty little houses, and quaint train stations. All I kept hearing was Fraulein Maria singing ˝The hills are alive...˝ :)
It was sunny and pretty the whole way to Ljubljana (prounounced Loob-li-yana, by the way), but wouldn't you know that as soon as I started to walk toward the hostel I'll be staying in for the next couple of days, it started to rain like nobody's business. I don't know the last time I saw rain like this. I ducked out of the major downpour and hid out under an awning for awhile. It looked like it was letting up, so I started off confident that I knew the way after a quick perusal of my map. Ha. Not so. At one point I remember thinking to myself, that's odd, I would have thought the directions would have mentioned crossing the river. Hmmmm... you think?? At this point it was pouring down rain again, and I was completely turned around, but rather than stop and ask for directions I decided to push on through. Then the thunder and lightning started and I kind of nervously giggled to myself thinking how unfortunate it would be to be struck by lightning during the first week of the trip...
I finally stopped, sat down, took a hard look at the map, and realized where I had gone wrong... and I made it to the hostel after turning what should have been a 15 minute walk into an over an hour tour of the city. One more example of my nervousness getting in the way for me... this is definitely something I'm going to have to work on.
At this point, I am finally feeling warm and dry, and as I peek out the window, I see the sun is shining and the skies are blue again, so I think I'll head out to do a little more exploring and maybe even (gasp!) ask someone for help if I need it. The author of my guidebook describes Slovene as ˝Russian soaked in wine & honey˝... sounds good to me. :)
Wow... that turned into quite a ramble. Sorry about that, and thanks to those of you who stuck around to the end. Oh, by the way, this hostel has a much more homey/B&B feel to it... I think a little more my speed.
I guess that's all for now. Oh... here's a little info about Slovenia if anyone's interested. I'll be here in Ljubljana for a couple of days and then up to Lake Bled for a day or two and then off to Croatia.
Adijo!
The day got off to a great start... I woke up before my alarm (I'm sure owing to the fact that I was scared of sleeping through it), crept out of my room without waking up any of the boozing boys, and made it to the train station across town nearly an hour before my train was supposed to depart. I even managed to use passable German to order myself a cappucinno & a pastry.
I find that I'm feeling really nervous on this trip. Afraid to make a mistake. Which is silly, because of course I will, and I find that it's tripping me up a little. I stood outside the train today looking at the closed door. I knew I was at the correct car, the number matched the one on my ticket, but the door was closed. There were two buttons one red (marked Zu) and one green (marked Auf). I don't think you have to be a rocket scientist to figure out which one opens the door, even if you don't know (as I do) that those are the German words for close & open, but I just stood there frozen, scared to press the button. I'm not sure what I thought would happen, but I think I was picturing some heretofore unseen train conductor popping out to shout at me ˝Nein! Ist verbotten!˝ It wasn't until I overheard a maintenence worker the next car down tell a little old Austrian woman ˝drücken˝ (push), that I reached out and hit the green button. And what do you know, no alarms sounded, nobody shouted, the doors swooped open, the step flopped down and I climbed aboard. It's a silly thing really, but a good example of the kind of trepidation I've been feeling so far. I know I just need to get better about trusting myself and what I know.
Anyhow, easy peasy getting on the train. What wasn't easy was heaving my huge backpack overhead to the luggage rack. I can't for the life of me figure out what is so darn heavy in that pack, but sheesh... I think I'm going to develop some serious muscles on this trip. :)
I settled in for the six hour ride to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. What a beautiful train ride. I had forgotten how much I love traveling by train. Traveling through Southern Austria and Northern Slovenia was gorgeous. Rolling green hills, pastures, cows, sheep, mountains (which I have to assume were the Alps?), pretty little houses, and quaint train stations. All I kept hearing was Fraulein Maria singing ˝The hills are alive...˝ :)
It was sunny and pretty the whole way to Ljubljana (prounounced Loob-li-yana, by the way), but wouldn't you know that as soon as I started to walk toward the hostel I'll be staying in for the next couple of days, it started to rain like nobody's business. I don't know the last time I saw rain like this. I ducked out of the major downpour and hid out under an awning for awhile. It looked like it was letting up, so I started off confident that I knew the way after a quick perusal of my map. Ha. Not so. At one point I remember thinking to myself, that's odd, I would have thought the directions would have mentioned crossing the river. Hmmmm... you think?? At this point it was pouring down rain again, and I was completely turned around, but rather than stop and ask for directions I decided to push on through. Then the thunder and lightning started and I kind of nervously giggled to myself thinking how unfortunate it would be to be struck by lightning during the first week of the trip...
I finally stopped, sat down, took a hard look at the map, and realized where I had gone wrong... and I made it to the hostel after turning what should have been a 15 minute walk into an over an hour tour of the city. One more example of my nervousness getting in the way for me... this is definitely something I'm going to have to work on.
At this point, I am finally feeling warm and dry, and as I peek out the window, I see the sun is shining and the skies are blue again, so I think I'll head out to do a little more exploring and maybe even (gasp!) ask someone for help if I need it. The author of my guidebook describes Slovene as ˝Russian soaked in wine & honey˝... sounds good to me. :)
Wow... that turned into quite a ramble. Sorry about that, and thanks to those of you who stuck around to the end. Oh, by the way, this hostel has a much more homey/B&B feel to it... I think a little more my speed.
I guess that's all for now. Oh... here's a little info about Slovenia if anyone's interested. I'll be here in Ljubljana for a couple of days and then up to Lake Bled for a day or two and then off to Croatia.
Adijo!
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Danke schön
So Vienna is just as beautiful (and expensive) as I remember it. I spent the day wandering around looking at all of the pretty sites, and of course had the requisite Wiener Schniztel. When in Wien....
I do feel badly that I didn't brush up a little more on my German before coming here, I have the feeling this is one of very few places on my itenerary that I have much chance of being mistaken for a local. I wish I had a picture of the incredulous looks I get when I say that I don't speak German. Apparently I look as if I should. :)
I have an early morning train booked for Ljubljana, Slovenia, so I'm going to try to head to bed soon. Fingers crossed for a quiet night, and slightly more sedate accomodations down the road. I'll try to post more pictures soon as well!
Tchuss!!
I do feel badly that I didn't brush up a little more on my German before coming here, I have the feeling this is one of very few places on my itenerary that I have much chance of being mistaken for a local. I wish I had a picture of the incredulous looks I get when I say that I don't speak German. Apparently I look as if I should. :)
I have an early morning train booked for Ljubljana, Slovenia, so I'm going to try to head to bed soon. Fingers crossed for a quiet night, and slightly more sedate accomodations down the road. I'll try to post more pictures soon as well!
Tchuss!!
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right...
I`ve arrived in Vienna. I´m staying at a hostel on the west side of town. I´m trying to remember the last time I did this... let´s say it`s been a long time, and I think it´s going to take a little getting used to... and I´m probably going to need to use those earplugs (thank you, Miranda).
I am the lone "lady" in a room for four... I have not officially met my bunkmates yet, as I was asleep when they each stumbled in in various stages of drunkeness in the wee hours of the morning, and when I got up this morning they were all still sound asleep. :)
I´m off to see the sites and I think buy a ticket for Ljubljana for tomorrow. I`ve got a little bit of a cold that I´m trying to shake, and hoping to get a better night´s sleep tonight! More to come....
I am the lone "lady" in a room for four... I have not officially met my bunkmates yet, as I was asleep when they each stumbled in in various stages of drunkeness in the wee hours of the morning, and when I got up this morning they were all still sound asleep. :)
I´m off to see the sites and I think buy a ticket for Ljubljana for tomorrow. I`ve got a little bit of a cold that I´m trying to shake, and hoping to get a better night´s sleep tonight! More to come....
Friday, September 14, 2007
Do you know where you're going to?
Almost time to leave Toronto... these few days have flown by too quickly. It's been so great to catch up with my sister & Aaron, and Toronto really is a lovely city. I've added a few more pictures to the flickr site, so check those out.
In about 45 minutes, Cory will take me to the airport to catch my flight to Vienna. One more goodbye that I'm not looking forward too, and this whole trip is starting to feel a lot more real.
I'd be lying to say I wasn't nervous about arriving in the first of many cities where there will be no familiar faces waiting for me, but I think I'm ready. Wish me luck! More from Vienna...
P.S. Thanks so much to all of you for the sweet emails, last minute phone calls, and good wishes. And a special thanks to those of you who have left comments for me here on the blog; it's nice to know you're out there reading.
In about 45 minutes, Cory will take me to the airport to catch my flight to Vienna. One more goodbye that I'm not looking forward too, and this whole trip is starting to feel a lot more real.
I'd be lying to say I wasn't nervous about arriving in the first of many cities where there will be no familiar faces waiting for me, but I think I'm ready. Wish me luck! More from Vienna...
P.S. Thanks so much to all of you for the sweet emails, last minute phone calls, and good wishes. And a special thanks to those of you who have left comments for me here on the blog; it's nice to know you're out there reading.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
She's good at everything and doesn't even try...
I made it safely to Toronto. I'm enjoying some quality sister time, and definitely glad I decided to stop off here on my way out. Cory & Aaron have a beautiful place, and they are taking good care of me.
The flight out of Seattle was great. I am normally not much of an airplane talker (I suppose this might come as a surprise to some of you...), but I sat with two very nice people, including a very charming British boy who had lots of good stories, and we spent most of the flight talking about upcoming travel plans. The girl sitting on the other side of him was headed out on her first ever trip to Europe. I thought it was a fitting beginning to this adventure, and I'm looking forward to many more such chance encounters...
I'm in Toronto 'til Friday. I spent a very mellow day today wandering around, figuring out the subway system (very easy!), and procuring a Chinese visa (I'll pick in up on Friday morning). I'm hoping to spend the next few days taking in a little more of the city. The film festival is going on here too, so might check that out as well.
There are a few new pictures up on the flickr site... more to come...
Cheers.
The flight out of Seattle was great. I am normally not much of an airplane talker (I suppose this might come as a surprise to some of you...), but I sat with two very nice people, including a very charming British boy who had lots of good stories, and we spent most of the flight talking about upcoming travel plans. The girl sitting on the other side of him was headed out on her first ever trip to Europe. I thought it was a fitting beginning to this adventure, and I'm looking forward to many more such chance encounters...
I'm in Toronto 'til Friday. I spent a very mellow day today wandering around, figuring out the subway system (very easy!), and procuring a Chinese visa (I'll pick in up on Friday morning). I'm hoping to spend the next few days taking in a little more of the city. The film festival is going on here too, so might check that out as well.
There are a few new pictures up on the flickr site... more to come...
Cheers.
Monday, September 10, 2007
And the dreams that you dare to dream...
About 5 months have passed since I found out I'd be setting out on this once in a lifetime adventure. In less than 8 hours, I'll catch my first plane and it will have all begun.
I'm a little taken aback by how hard some of the goodbyes have been, but I'm so excited to get started.
Here I go....
I'm a little taken aback by how hard some of the goodbyes have been, but I'm so excited to get started.
Here I go....
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Got My Paper and I Was Free...
From an email from student services at the University of Washington:
Ok, so I guess now it's *officially* official. :) And apparently a diploma will show up in about 4 months, so I'll have that to look forward to on my return.
A little note about the title of this post... I know it's familiar to at least a few of you. It's from the Indigo Girls song, Closer to Fine. I was in the 9th grade the first time I heard it, and it became an instant favorite. I ordered the cassette tape as a free choice in one of those "selection of the month" music clubs along with Sinead O'Connor's "I Do Not Want What I Have Not Got", Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians "Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars", and U2's "The Joshua Tree". I'm sure there were others, but they escape me now (although I'd put good money on Wilson Phillips' debut album being among them). I do remember that I wore out each and every one of those cassettes, and when I think back, it is the songs from these albums that provide the background to most of my early teenage angst. :)
I've been thinking a lot about music lately, and the associations I have with particular songs or artists and times in my life. I wonder why certain songs kind of "stick"? The Indigo Girls and U2 seem as relevant to me now as a "grown-up" as they did when I was 14 years old, while Sinead's Nothing Compares 2 U and Wilson Phillips' Hold On just seem maudlin & cheesy, though still enjoyable in a guilty pleasure kind of way. I suppose the easy assumption there is that some music is just better than others...
I also wonder, do all these songs all take me back to high school simply by virtue of my having listened to them so often, or is it something more than that? And so, which songs will I associate with *this* time in my life? With this trip? And now I'm curious... when you think back to the "soundtrack" of your life, what sticks out? Come on, play along. Entertain me. Your choice can be from anytime in your life; you don't have to pick the teenage angsty stuff. Leave a comment or send me an email.
Oh, and if you're not familiar with this little Indigo Girls song, track it down and check it out, and as my sister Cory would say, "listen to the words". :)
Congratulations Josie D. Randles, your request to graduate with a Master of Science (Speech & Hearing Sciences) has been reviewed by the Graduate School and is approved.
Ok, so I guess now it's *officially* official. :) And apparently a diploma will show up in about 4 months, so I'll have that to look forward to on my return.
A little note about the title of this post... I know it's familiar to at least a few of you. It's from the Indigo Girls song, Closer to Fine. I was in the 9th grade the first time I heard it, and it became an instant favorite. I ordered the cassette tape as a free choice in one of those "selection of the month" music clubs along with Sinead O'Connor's "I Do Not Want What I Have Not Got", Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians "Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars", and U2's "The Joshua Tree". I'm sure there were others, but they escape me now (although I'd put good money on Wilson Phillips' debut album being among them). I do remember that I wore out each and every one of those cassettes, and when I think back, it is the songs from these albums that provide the background to most of my early teenage angst. :)
I've been thinking a lot about music lately, and the associations I have with particular songs or artists and times in my life. I wonder why certain songs kind of "stick"? The Indigo Girls and U2 seem as relevant to me now as a "grown-up" as they did when I was 14 years old, while Sinead's Nothing Compares 2 U and Wilson Phillips' Hold On just seem maudlin & cheesy, though still enjoyable in a guilty pleasure kind of way. I suppose the easy assumption there is that some music is just better than others...
I also wonder, do all these songs all take me back to high school simply by virtue of my having listened to them so often, or is it something more than that? And so, which songs will I associate with *this* time in my life? With this trip? And now I'm curious... when you think back to the "soundtrack" of your life, what sticks out? Come on, play along. Entertain me. Your choice can be from anytime in your life; you don't have to pick the teenage angsty stuff. Leave a comment or send me an email.
Oh, and if you're not familiar with this little Indigo Girls song, track it down and check it out, and as my sister Cory would say, "listen to the words". :)
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Goin' places that I've never been...
Caryn had the brilliant idea of putting out a map during my going away party so that everyone could sign it with their well-wishes.
It's a curious mix of melancholy and anticipation I'm feeling these days. I know this trip is going to be amazing, but my oh my, am I going to miss you guys...
Here's a very silly poem Tobias wrote and performed in my honor:
As Josie now begins her trip
We say "goodbye"... with trembling lip.
She'll board a plane.
She'll board a bus.
She'll board a boat.
She'll think of us.
She'll see the world.
Wonders abound.
She'll fly the sky.
She'll trudge the ground.
She'll cross the ocean!
She'll storm the sea!
She'll find a rest-stop
(where she'll stop to pee).
She'll brave the mountains.
She'll cross the gorge.
She'll meet many people.
Dear friendships she'll forge.
She'll learn their words.
She'll eat their bread.
She'll visit their houses.
She'll learn what's said
in houses & bars & temples & churches
in cafes & bus stops & dives & lurches
Of Americans
both false & true.
What a wonderful gift they're giving to you.
To see through their eyes of the world we live.
There can really be no better gift to give.
So Josie for safety
as you travel far lands
with American passport held in your hand...
I ask you to practice these few lines with me
With your hand on your heart...
...on the count of three:
"Oh Canada, my home & native land...."
Thank you, Tobias. :) And thank you to the rest of you for joining me. Especially those of you who traveled from far away places of your own!
It's a curious mix of melancholy and anticipation I'm feeling these days. I know this trip is going to be amazing, but my oh my, am I going to miss you guys...
Here's a very silly poem Tobias wrote and performed in my honor:
As Josie now begins her trip
We say "goodbye"... with trembling lip.
She'll board a plane.
She'll board a bus.
She'll board a boat.
She'll think of us.
She'll see the world.
Wonders abound.
She'll fly the sky.
She'll trudge the ground.
She'll cross the ocean!
She'll storm the sea!
She'll find a rest-stop
(where she'll stop to pee).
She'll brave the mountains.
She'll cross the gorge.
She'll meet many people.
Dear friendships she'll forge.
She'll learn their words.
She'll eat their bread.
She'll visit their houses.
She'll learn what's said
in houses & bars & temples & churches
in cafes & bus stops & dives & lurches
Of Americans
both false & true.
What a wonderful gift they're giving to you.
To see through their eyes of the world we live.
There can really be no better gift to give.
So Josie for safety
as you travel far lands
with American passport held in your hand...
I ask you to practice these few lines with me
With your hand on your heart...
...on the count of three:
"Oh Canada, my home & native land...."
Thank you, Tobias. :) And thank you to the rest of you for joining me. Especially those of you who traveled from far away places of your own!
Friday, August 17, 2007
From Russia, with love...
I picked up my passport from the Russian consulate today. I'm all set to enter Russia in late October. The picture in this post is of St. Basil's Cathedral which is in Red Square in Moscow. It looks like this picture was uploaded last October, and it looks like I'm going to be in for some chilly weather. I suppose I'll have the vodka to keep me warm.
Funny story from the Russian consulate.... when I dropped off my passport last week, I was greeted by some seemingly unfriendly Russian faces. (We Americans are I know spoiled by the cheerful, albeit insincere, greetings that are thrown about by customer service representatives around the country...). After being shouted at by the man behind the counter "You vill gif me everysing!", I was feeling something less than comfortable about leaving my passport behind with no receipt or anything.
The man begins rifling through my paperwork (passport, photo, visa application, letter of support from a Russian travel agency) and then suddenly looks up to ask, "Ver else you say dis 'dup' for double-u?". I was momentarily taken back, having no idea what he might be talking about. I paused and stared blankly back at him, looking I'm sure every bit an idiot. Then suddenly it occurs to me he must be referring to the "dub" in University of Washington or "U-Dub" as we Seattlites refer to it. UW being listed on my visa application in several places. So I ask him if that's what he's referring to. "Yes, yes", he replies, "in vat ozer states you say dis?" I'm still a little confused. "Are you asking me if they say 'dub' in say Wisconsin?" I ask. "Yes, yes!" he more enthusiastically responds. "Hmm... I'm not really sure..." I start, "I don't know if that's something everyone in the US says or if that's just part of the Seattle vernacular." (Vernacular of course being a word that every person who speaks English as a second language is I'm sure familiar with.... ). He looks at me and shrugs, and then says, "You also say dis... 'v-dup' for folksvagen". I smile at this. "You're right... we do say that." This apparently strikes him as quite funny, despite having been totally unamused by me up to this point, and he laughs loud and heartily. "Ok, you come back next Friday. Same time."
I did go back, same time, same place. He wasn't there, so I didn't get to tell him that a little research has revealed that it seems "U-Dub" is used in Washington & Wyoming, but it doesn't seem to be the norm in Wisconsin. Hmmm... curious.
Funny story from the Russian consulate.... when I dropped off my passport last week, I was greeted by some seemingly unfriendly Russian faces. (We Americans are I know spoiled by the cheerful, albeit insincere, greetings that are thrown about by customer service representatives around the country...). After being shouted at by the man behind the counter "You vill gif me everysing!", I was feeling something less than comfortable about leaving my passport behind with no receipt or anything.
The man begins rifling through my paperwork (passport, photo, visa application, letter of support from a Russian travel agency) and then suddenly looks up to ask, "Ver else you say dis 'dup' for double-u?". I was momentarily taken back, having no idea what he might be talking about. I paused and stared blankly back at him, looking I'm sure every bit an idiot. Then suddenly it occurs to me he must be referring to the "dub" in University of Washington or "U-Dub" as we Seattlites refer to it. UW being listed on my visa application in several places. So I ask him if that's what he's referring to. "Yes, yes", he replies, "in vat ozer states you say dis?" I'm still a little confused. "Are you asking me if they say 'dub' in say Wisconsin?" I ask. "Yes, yes!" he more enthusiastically responds. "Hmm... I'm not really sure..." I start, "I don't know if that's something everyone in the US says or if that's just part of the Seattle vernacular." (Vernacular of course being a word that every person who speaks English as a second language is I'm sure familiar with.... ). He looks at me and shrugs, and then says, "You also say dis... 'v-dup' for folksvagen". I smile at this. "You're right... we do say that." This apparently strikes him as quite funny, despite having been totally unamused by me up to this point, and he laughs loud and heartily. "Ok, you come back next Friday. Same time."
I did go back, same time, same place. He wasn't there, so I didn't get to tell him that a little research has revealed that it seems "U-Dub" is used in Washington & Wyoming, but it doesn't seem to be the norm in Wisconsin. Hmmm... curious.
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