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!!)
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
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.
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