In a Far Away Land

Trip Summary

2009-11-11T07:25:00.000-08:00

Well, I've made it. I'm home. I woke up at 3:00 am yesterday morning in Athens, caught the bus to the airport and began a 25 hour day of multiple flights to get home.
I can't believe it's actually over. As I sit here and download all my pictures, it's almost surreal to think that I was actually in all these places. And so I thought we'd do a little trip summary to review it all and answer some of those questions I know you're dying to ask:

Time traveling: 9 weeks

Countries visited: 10

Continents visited: 3

Currencies used: 9

Languages spoken (or at least attempted): 7

Pictures taken: 3000+

Methods of transport used: planes, trains, automobiles, buses, minibuses, ferries, camels, donkeys (short of dog sledding, I think I just about covered it)

Hostels, hotels, pensions, overnight ferries/trains, dessert camps, beach huts stayed in: 34 - and I didn't forget anything at a single one!

Number of times backpack was unloaded and repacked: I don't want to think about it

Worst bathroom: night train from Luxor to Cairo, Egypt

Weirdest food: cow tongue stuffed with cashews (though there were several interesting dishes I have no idea what they were)

Best food: Too many to choose from

Most beautiful coastline: Croatia, Kotor Bay of Montenegro, or Crete

Dirtiest country: Egypt, with Albania coming in at a very close second and getting the award for most unorganized

Markets, souks, bazaars visited: oh, I don't even know how many, but the craziest was in Damascus, Syria. It was during Eid (the festival at the end of Ramadan) so it was a national holiday like Christmas and New Years in one. Utter chaos.

Favorite part: Not a fair question. You can ask me a thousand times and I will probably give you a thousand different answers. But a few things that come to mind right now:
~feeling like Indiana Jones in Petra
~coming into Istanbul on the ferry early in the morning
~the night sky full of stars in the Wadi Rum desert
~snorkeling in the Red Sea (surprising, I know)
~the outdoor fruit/veggie market in Zagreb
~walking the city wall around Dubrovnik, Croatia
~feeling weightless floating in the Dead Sea
~fall leaves and turquoise blue waters in Plitvice National Park
~laying in the sun on the beach
~the pyramids on camel back (minus the camel)
~walking through the olive groves on Corfu
~seeing my family's faces waiting for me in the DFW airport

Things I will miss:
~new cities to explore
~meeting wonderful people every day along the way
~the adventure of ordering new foods every night and never knowing exactly what it'll be
~seeing how different people's lives and cultures are from mine

Things I will not miss:
~showers that are hand-held and lukewarm - 97% of the showers I used were those hand-held hose things with nowhere to hook it on the wall
~having 4 bags constantly strapped to me
~consulting a map every 10 minutes
~asking "Do you speak English? EN-GLISH?" 1000 times a day
~doing my passport/wallet check every time I leave a restaurant, hotel, or any form of transportation
~hand washing
~beds that may as well have been made of concrete

What did I learn?
~I learned that there is SOOOO much I don't know about in the world.
~I learned that people are more important than things - it is the people who make a country what it is, not the sights you see or the government you have heard about. Also it is the people you meet along the way, travel with or come home to who make a trip what it is, not just the places you stop at along the way. Thank you for sharing this trip with me.
~I learned that the Lord is faithful every step of the way. In small details and major issues, He will never leave or forsake you and He is big enough to handle it.
~I learned that coffee and beer are the most international drinks. I unfortunately cannot stand either. I have tried them everywhere I've been because when you are with locals, you drink what they drink. While I can now finish either one without making a face, I still do not and never will enjoy them. And I'm ok with that.
~I learned that you can always do more than you think you can. Whether it is navigating through a foreign country, striking out on your own, or climbing a mountain, it's often only our own inhibitions that hold us back. Also the things you are most nervous about frequently turn out to be the most amazing experiences like.
~There is so much more I learned but I guess that will do for now.

Where will I go next? I think at the top of the list will be Nepal, South America, or Kilimanjaro -- but for now it's time for a good dose of home.

Any other questions?

Once again, thanks for joining with me on this adventure and reading my ramblings. Not exactly sure what the blog will become from here (if you have any ideas please let me know) but hopefully we'll chat soon.

Off Season

2009-11-09T00:18:00.000-08:00

So I went to Crete the past few days. It was beautiful - some of the best coastline I've seen this trip. The beaches were coves in the otherwise rocky shoreline where waves crashed and splashed one on top of another as though they couldn't wait there turn.
Funny thing was there was no one there! By that I mean that I got off the bus in this quaint little beach town on the southern coast, looked around, and noticed everything seemed closed and I was the only person in sight. "Well this should be interesting" was all that went through my mind.
On my 4th try I found a lady who would actually let me stay in one of her "rooms to rent." She did not seem very pleased to have to make up one of the beds, but I helped and she was able to get back to her nap soon enough.
Evidently it is now "off season" in the Greek islands. Normally this would mean there are less tourists than usual. However here it is apparently when the locals say they have had enough of tourists for the year, shut everything down, and take a break. There are upsides to this "off season" - it's easy to find the local restraints because everything else is closed. Another nice thing is that you have the beach to yourself AND I even found the beach chairs that haven't been taken in for the winter so I got to use them for free. Thankfully it was the end of my trip so nice quiet, unwind, process time was good.
But I must say the attitude of the locals spread to me. Their attitude that it's time for tourists to go home makes me feel like it's time for me to go home as well.

Time to Move

2009-11-04T09:12:00.000-08:00

While I was out and about in Athens yesterday, it started raining on me . . . AGAIN. That made the decision for me -- time to move. I stopped by the ferry office on my way home and got a ticket for that night to Crete, changed my bookings at the hostel, and headed out. A 9 hour ferry ride sleeping on a couch in the lounge and here I am, now in Crete.
This place is amazing. I layed on the beach in the sun today with mountains high enough to have snow on them behind me. It's definitely one of the places I'll have to come back to, especially since my explorations have slacked off as the beach is calling my name. A little time to unwind and relax at the end of the trip before heading home. Sounds good to me.

Decisions Decisions

2009-11-03T01:44:00.000-08:00

We are now in the last week of my travels - can you believe it?! And I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. The original plan was to go out to Santorini (that's the island you have seen in pictures with white buildings and blue roofs on cliffsides) and Mykonos. Then I found out there's not a ferry connecting the two this time of year and the forecast for Santorini is clouds, wind and rain all this week. Having had enough of overcast skies and rain at this point in the trip, I began to feel indifferent about going. I want to see the island but being stuck in rain, unable to go to the beach sort of defeats the point.
Last night as I worried over plans, I had a revelation - I don't have to go to Santorini. That is the beauty of traveling with a backpack and no reservations - you can adjust plans as you go. Santorini is surely one of Greece's most beautiful islands but I'll get there one day. In the mean time there are plenty of fabulous places to explore. With thoughts of warmth and sun, I thought of Crete - Greece's furthest south island. It's big with lots of things to explore, including Europe's longest gorge. Hmmm . . . new plan?
But then this morning while I was on a run through Athens, a fellow runner struck up a conversation with me and asked if I was running the marathon next weekend. I laughed and told him it was a long story. He asked if I was ready to run a marathon, and I answered that two months ago I was on track to . . . but then I went to themisdle east. Turns out he is from Columbia and came with a group on 26 people to run it. It's not too late to sign up and I'm welcome to run with the women in their group. He said he thought I should run it "as long as I'm here." I told him that had been my thinking at the start of the trip and maybe I would see him next weekend.
So now the question is before me - to I go out to beautiful Santorini and hope for good weather, head down to Crete and explore its beaches and gorge, or stay on the mainland and run the marathon next weekend. So many possibilities!
At this point in the trip I am rather worn out of planning and making a thousand decisions a day - from where to go, stay, and eat, who is safe to ask for directions, which road to take, how much can I spend. If anyone has any wisdom or thoughts to share, I welcome it as I have to decide today. Thanks friends! See you in a week!

Left Behind

2009-11-02T11:51:00.000-08:00

I'm in Athens now with the hustle and bustle of a big city. I got in at night after a long ferry-bus-bus-metro travel day. It was actually one of my smoothest travel days other than when police stopped our bus on the highway and took some guys off in handcuffs - not sure what that was about.
When I finally got off the metro, it was a little past midnight. I walked straight out of the station, to the hostel and to bed - no sightseeing with all my bags strapped on. The next morning was quite a surprise. I left the hostel and went just around the block and there's the Acropolis! Wow! It's just sitting up there on the top of the hill in all its glory. Crazy! I was struck again that these places like Cairo, Istanbul, Damascus and now Athens -- they have so much history wrapped up in them, but life just bustles on around it. Can you imagine living in the shadow of the pyramids, the Acropolis, Hayia Sophia without hardly noticing that it's there?!
There is not much time to revel in the glory of history though, because if you do, you'll get left behind. There is the metro that waits for no man. Whether you are getting on or off, you better have your elbows out and be ready to move.
Today I went to the Temple of Poseidon out on a cliff by the coast. To get there you have to take an express bus out of town. Another girl from the hostel and I found the bus stop and waited and waited and waited some more. Greeks kind of do things on their own time so that the posted bus times are more suggested guidelines than an actual schedule. The bus finally did arrive and pulled halfway into the bus lane with its blinker on. There was another bus in the way though so our bus seemed to be waiting for the other to move. I made a motion to the bus driver and looked for eye contact - I am still sure that he saw me wave!
But when the other bus left, ours did to. He just drove right past us! For a split second I thought about chasing him down (I'm pretty sure I could have caught him because of all the traffic) but the shock of him driving off without me caused me to miss my chance. Apparently you need to throw yourself in front of the bus to make sure they see you and stop.
You better believe when the next bus finally came (1 1/2) hours later, I was ready. People must have thought I was crazy - stepping out halfway in the street with arms waving - but I don't care. I'm not getting left behind again.

It's all Greek to Me

2009-11-01T07:25:00.000-08:00

Sorry the posts are rather infrequent. And in case you're worried that I got lost in the drunken abyss that I was staying at, don't worry - I made it out unscathed. I now only have my I-touch and typing out blogs on this thing is kind of painful. But for you I'm doing my best - so here is a little about Corfu.
I never thought that in coming to Greece, my Greek training (and by that I mean sorority life) would come in handy, but it has now on 2 occasions. First there was the toga party incident - though I don't think anything could fully prepare me for that chaos. I will spare you the details, but apparently I left just in time before they started doing body shots and breaking plates on people's heads. Too bad I missed out . . .
After I realized that my hostel was not going to help me get that "local" feel I've been trying for most of my trip, I went out to explore the rest of the island on my own. Somehow, the Greeks on the island manage to keep the tourism in contained parts of the island. Outside of those, they carry on their lives as normal; it's really kind of impressive. I enjoyed walking through olive orchards where thin black nets were being placed under the trees in preparation for harvest - you would have no idea that just over the hill was a large tourist community.
It was really cool except that another part of this "containing the tourism" means that most of the road signs were not in English. I left from the village on foot, thinking I would find a bus to the beach along the way. Silly me.
After walking about an hour I began to wonder if I had taken a wrong turn somewhere. I decided I would figure out where I was at the next road sign. Then I came to it and . . . well, it was all in Greek. Ummmm . . . now what?
As I stared at it, that feeling of alarm began to grow until I realized something amazing -- I know the Greek alphabet!! Praise the Lord for sorority pledge training. (Never though I would say that.) That silly song started running through my head: alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, zeta, eta, theta, iota, kappa, lambda, mu, nu . . . If you are, or have ever been in a sorority, you know the one I'm talking about. Though it took me a while, I was able to sound out all the citites on the sign AND head in the right direction.
I ended up walking all the way to the beach I had set out for (about 8 miles) because the buses are worthless during off-season. But ya' know what, I found my way there without a wrong turn . . . by reading Greek signs!! I win! Laying on a beach never felt so good or deserved.
Then I hitch-hiked back (did you expect me to walk another 8 miles home?), but that's another story for another day. :o)

GREECE

2009-10-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

I have made it to Greece!! I can't tell you how happy that makes me. On the ferry ride from Albania I left cloudy skies with the promise of beautiful beaches, clear water, and sun ahead. Greece is somewhere I have wanted to go for a while and it's exciting to actually be here.
Not only is there the excitement of being in Greece, but also there's a sense of completion. It's like I'm finishing the race, making it to my final destination. Greece definately has unknowns of its own, but after so many "unstable" countries to which people respond "you went there!?" I am relieved to be in a traditional tourist destination.
Speaking of tourists, I have to share a little misunderstanding that has made the island of Corfu where I'm at an adventure of its own. I booked a hostel for my stay here - I actually was proud of myself for this because many places I have just figured it out when I got there. I booked on-line where it was advertised as a bed and breakfast as well as a hostel - on the beach, breakfast AND dinner included, free Internet, AND free yoga every day. Sign me up.
On the ferry I pulled out my Greece guide book that has been safely tucked in the bottom of my pack until now to start reading up on Corfu and its beaches. Well low and behold my hostel is in there, only the description was not quite the same. It was described as party central with nights of drunken debauchery that would "make Dionysus proud" and are "not for the faint of liver." Ummm . . . Is this the same place?With slight confusion and trepidation I caught the bus to the other side of the island.
Well I was not disappointed. As I gathered my luggage off the curb where the bus dropped us, I heard yelling coming from in the lobby. For a minute I thought I had walked into an episode of MTV spring break. There were bikini clad college kids running around everywhere. At check in they offered me a complimentary welcome shot of ouzo and informed me of the toga party tonight - are you kidding? The whole time the question flashing through my mind was "what is this place and how did I end up here?" A whole new kind of out of place. But I have to say I rocked that pink toga for dinner.

Football (and by football I mean soccer)

2009-10-25T10:26:00.000-07:00

Local sporting events are a great way to get a feel for a community. While in Albania I had the opportunity to go to a local football (soccer) match with a guy from the hostel I stayed at in Saranda. We caught the minibus and headed to the neighboring town.
The pitch was not the best I've seen (a mess of dirt with patches of grass) and quite frankly neither was the match. But then it's small town Albania - what do you expect?
We arrived as the spectators began to gather. That's when I noticed it . . . I was the only woman there. Even though I've been abroad now for almost 2 months, I still sometimes thinking like an American. It had not even occurred to me that there wouldn't be any other women, but there definitely were not. Once again I was ever so slightly out of place. I have developed quite a nack for it.
It was great though because there was that familiarity you always have with soccer games. Whether you're in the rural areas of Equador or Thailand, the major fields of Italy or Brazil, or the club fields out at Benbrook, TX you'll be able to find people playing soccer. The pitch may be made of grass, dirt, turf, clay, or concrete. The goal may be real or just marked by trees, hats or shoes. But there is that continuity about it that makes it one of the greatest sports, if for no other reason than its universality.
Spectators cheer, chant, and cuss with passion whether it's a game of 10 year olds or the World Cup. The match between teams of neighboring cities or towns will always be a grudge match. No matter what country you're in, soccer is one of those international languages that crosses bounds.

I Hate Snakes

2009-10-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

Travel days never cease to be dramatic, and yesterday was no different. After I made the 7 am bus, I was on my way to Ulcinj to catch a bus crossing the border into Albania. Research in different books and websites had told me to "cross the border in the morning" because "public transport within Albania thins out as the afternoon goes on." When I got near the border, I found out that wasn't exactly accurate information.
In reality there is 1 bus across the border. That's it - 1. And it leaves at 6 am. Seriously? 6 am? At least give me a chance to catch it.
I ended up negotiating a ride with this guy driving across the border. He, his wife, and daughter were going shopping for a new dress for the daughter, and things are cheaper in Albania. So off the four of us went for an exciting ride of singing along to some awesome Montenegro pop hits.
Crossing the border went smoothly, and they dropped me in Shkodra where I hopped on a minibus headed to Tirana (the capital and my goal for the day). Apparently 90% of Albania's roads are under construction so it was quite a jaw-rattling ride. I even got air several times as we plowed through pot holes.
When we finally made it unscathed to Tirana, the driver dropped me off and pointed me toward the city center as he drove off. Loaded up with all my bags I set off across town just as the rain started. (It was kind of ironic after my morning experience. The Lord and I had a good laugh at His sense of humor.)
30 minutes later and soaking wet, I arrived at the hostel to find that it was actually closed. No, I'm not kidding.
Luckily I had a second hostel looked up so I gave myself a little pep talk (I think I mentioned before that one of the downfalls of traveling alone is that there's no one to take over if you have a breakdown so you don't get that luxury) and set off across town in the other direction.
Another twenty minutes put me and all my now wet (despite all my best efforts) bags at the other hostel. The reception guy laughed when he saw my drowned rat appearance but welcomed me in.
I dropped my bags and went to make a cup of hot chocolate and email parents of my safe arrival before I hit the shower and got changed. While on the computer I decided to see if anyone had a fun facebook post because I needed a pick-me-up. I found this: (sorry, I cannot get it to link so you'll have to copy/paste)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqg3Pg2M9WU

Yeah. If you know me, you know I jumped. Big. And the hot chocolate that I was sipping on went all down my shirt and in my lap. I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. So now soaking wet AND covered in hot chocolate I went upstairs to take a shower deciding that I had had enough of that day. I hate snakes, and I hate that I jump and scary things.

Our God who holds back the Rain

2009-10-23T08:18:00.000-07:00

The first thing I notice when I woke up this morning was that it was not raining. That is very good news when a long day of travel starting with a 20 minute walk to the bus station awaits you. Clock check: 0510. My internal clocknow knows when it's a travel day and tends to wake me up early. Since I didn't need to be up till 0600, I decided to snooze in bed.
While I was laying in bed, I heard it - the pitter patter of rain drops on the tile roof.
Clock check: 0558. Times flies when you're snoozing. I decided I may as well get up and get ready, hoping the rain would let up. It didn't. Inf
fact it kept on steadily until it began to get heavier. I packed and brushed my teeth. Then there was thunder. Oh joy.
Clock check: 0625. Well hmmm . . . Maybe wait and take a later bus, see if it'll stop? Just as I was thinking this, I thought of the God that I serve. He is bigger than any storm and has faithfully been with me through this whole trip. I began to pray that He would stop the rain as I finished getting ready and packing up.
Window check: definately an all out downpour. Clock check: 0647. Not giving up yet, I continued to pray while I bagged everything up: camera in it's case in a grocery bag, bag over the backpack, bag over the front pack, purse over the shoulder and tied up in a bag. You get the idea. I looked like the homeless bag lady.
It was still raining as I got ready to head out. I looked longingly at the umbrella by the door but decided that stealing was not the answer. If I'm going to step out in faith, I actually have to take the step.
And so I did, right out into the rainy courtyard. But as I passed out into the street, the rain stopped. I kid you not. There was a spattering of rain every now and then and a wind that tried to blow me away. For the most part though, my bags and I arrived dry and intact. Bought my ticket and stood under the terminal covering to wait for the bus as the deluge started up again. I thought to myself, how great is our God to can call forth the rain and hold it back.

Death by Billy Goat Headbutt

2009-10-21T12:55:00.000-07:00

Doug and I parted ways this morning as I headed down south into Montenegro. I am in Kotor Bay where the water cuts inland quite a bit. When I arrived, it was actually sunny (thank you for prayers) so I dropped my bags and headed out to explore.
I hiked up to the fortress above the old city and to the ridge line behind it. Everything was lush and green from the rain, with a lovely old stone and grass path most of the way like what I imagine in Ireland.
The trip up was serene as I ascended out of the city, away from the noise. I even saw some mountain goats up on a hillside. I thought it was so quaint . . . at the time.
From the top I could see across the bay (which is more like a fjord cut back into the mountains) over the mountains on the other side and out to the sea. Stunning!
I had a wonderful quiet time and watched the sun sink into the horizon before it was time to head down. That was when the excitement started.
As I switch backed my way down, one bend in the path put me almost face to face with the mountain goats, no longer way off on the hillside. And now there were like 30 of them spread along the trail, above and below. We eyed each other for a while and then the ones near me began to stand up. At this point my brain was filing through all the animal responses I know -- look big, look small, fight back, back away, kick them in the nose, use a stern voice -- and finally registered that I do not know the appropriate response to goats.
Unsure as to whether or not they were tame (no bells or markings), I decided to try to slowly make my way around them. Only problem with that is it meant getting off the trail, and well . . . I'm not a mountain goat so that posed it's own problem.
Then I noticed the female and small goats gathering behind the billy goats, with their rather large horns. I thought to myself, "Of all the things I've done in my life, this is not how I would plan to go out." I could just picture the headlines "Death by Billy Goat Head Butt." Fabulous.
I decided to try to make shepherd noises, whatever those are. Definately did not work. I later realized it was probably because I was making the "tut tut" noise. I have obviously been around too many camels on this trip.
So as I normally do when all else fails, I started to sing -- if not for them, then at least to calm my . . . well, I wouldn't say fear. Maybe just slight trepidation. And anyway, music calms the savage beast, right? As these were OBVIOUSLY savage goats.
I'm not sure if they were soothed or just trying to get away because it sounded that bad, but eventually they started to move and the stand-off was over. No head butts today.
The next few days will be travel down through Montenegro and Albania as I head to Greece. This is a less touristy part of the world and English is not as common. Pray that border crossings will go smoothly, buses will be on time and that I will be able to communicate with drivers as I'm not sure the exact route. Should be an adventure.

A War Torn Land

2009-10-19T12:04:00.001-07:00

The past few days Doug and I have taken a slight detour up to Bosnia/Herzegovina (BH). I did not mention this before we went (sorry Mom) because I didn't want to cause any undue worry.
That said, it was a sobering experience. It sets quite the tone for your stay when the FAQs on the door at your hostel include information about landmines. Apparently they think approximately 4% of BH still has landmines. Most of these areas have been found and clearly marked somehow, but they advise you not to go off trails or roads. Don't go exploring. Got it.
We stayed in a little town named Mostar. It was hit very hard during the war -- first attacked by Serbian forces who pulled out after intervention by the international community. The city was then left under defense of the allied Bosnian and Croatian armies. Unfortunately fighting soon broke out between these formerly allied troops and even more blood was shed.
Unlike other areas that were also affected by the war (such as Dubrovnik), in Mostar they have not rebuilt due to continuing hostility and lack of funds. This makes for a very interesting landscape. Several of the buildings are falling down and have bullet holes all over.

We visited this bank that was bombed during the war so badly that it was abandoned. Once abandoned, it became a sniper nest because it was one of the tallest buildings in the area.

You go in, and the building is just totally destroyed.

The ground is covered in rubble, mostly glass and bullet shells.

It was like in a movie where the offices are abandoned with papers strewn all over the ground.

When I try to understand what really happened here and what is still going on, I get lost in the complexities of Bosnians, Serbs, Croats, Muslims, Orthodox, and Catholics. More than anything, I become aware of just how much I don't know about what goes on in the world. And although I may not yet understand the root of this hostility that is centuries old, places that have previously been only headlines to me are now becoming real. That at least is a step in the right direction.

Americans and their Bright T-shirts

2009-10-19T11:46:00.001-07:00

I've read through several books during the trip. One was The Kite Runner, a great book. I cried all the way through. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, except that I read it during a bus trip. On a public bus. Yeah.
It wasn't just a few tears, but the kind of crying where your nose starts running and you need a tissue. I looked pathetic. But that is beside the point.
In the book, the main character mentions that while he was growing up, he could always tell the American tourists because of their bright t-shirts. This struck me as an odd comment so I started to watch. Upon further examination I realized that it's true.
This morning was was a perfect example. As we got dressed at the hostel, every other girl in my room changed into their almost all black outfits while I chose which of my brightly colored t-shirts I would wear today.
It didn't matter too much because it is now freezing (well, not quite but it's cold and raining which feels freezing) so my bright t-shirt was under layers of fleece and rain jacket. But nevertheless all you have to do is go into your local Gap or Old Navy to see that we do like our bright colors and patterns.
I do not yet understand why this is (if you have any ideas please share), but I have excepted it: I am an American. I like brightly colored clothes.
It ranks right up there with: I am an American. I like cold beverages (that means more than a lone piece of ice). But that is another story.
By the way, please pray that the cold and rain will leave me alone for a little while. I need a few more sunny days as I head down to the beautiful beaches in Greece. Just 3 weeks left from tomorrow!

The Chestnut Festival

2009-10-19T01:26:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about exploring new places is experiencing the quirky things that give each place its own distinct personality. Several days ago Doug and I went to the local 35th annual chestnut festival in northern Croatia. You don't get much more quirky than the little local festivals, especially when it is celebrating a nut.
Apparently the area is known for having large chestnuts (no, I'm not kidding), and they celebrate it during harvest time every year. And may I say, it was quite the party.
There were of course roasted chestnuts galore.

I learned that although I appreciate the smell of roasted chestnuts when I'm walking by them on the street, I do not like to eat them. They are difficult and messy to peel and have a very weird texture.

Still, the cute guys with their mannies kept offering them to me, trying to convince me I would like them.

Not only that, but there was a wide variety of desserts all in . . . you guessed it, chestnut flavor. The taste was interesting.

There was local music, which apparently includes some very cool accordion music. Let me tell you, these guys were rocking out.

To complete the festival atmosphere there were even balloon-making clowns. Don't worry, I resisted the urge to get a hat made, but it as tempting.

Happy Chestnut Festival!

Frogger

2009-10-18T14:02:00.001-07:00

For some reason, walking through town and crossing streets this morning made me think of the different traffic conditions I've seen throughout this trip.

Egypt was by far the most insane. No question. They actually don't even paint lanes on the street because it would be that useless. There is no order; they just cut through where ever possible and make a new lane. I don't know how to describe to you the utter chaos except to tell you to picture the worst you have ever seen and double it. You think I'm kidding, but I've been to Bangkok where I had to shut my eyes through taxi rides so I wouldn't panic. Bangkok has nothing on Cairo.

The most terrifying street crossing experience was definitely in Cairo. I had to cross this major street. There are obviously no pedestrian crossing zones, and because it's a turnabout, there are no lights and cars never stop. Unfortunately it was high traffic time, but I had to cross. It was one of the few times during this trip I thought I might actually die. The old game "Frogger" came to mind as I held my breath and literally ran, stop, ran, stop, ran across the street.

But that was at the beginning of the trip. My greatest street crossing achievement was in Syria. My timing skills had improved so much by that point that I actually crossed an 8 lane road hardly having to pause between cars. I was proud of myself, but this was nothing compared to the local who went in front of me and did it without ever looking up from his cell phone.

It's funny because now in Croatia, I actually have to make myself stop and wait for the crossing light to change. If you go when it's not your "turn" everyone looks at you like you're crazy. It's strange feeling when you get so used to chaos that order catches you off guard.

The City within the Walls

2009-10-17T14:25:00.000-07:00

The past few days Doug and I have landed in Dubrovnik, Croatia. This one of the southern most cities in Croatia and a very popular tourist destination on the coast. Even though the weather is not as warm as we would like and we've had a little rain, it has been beautiful.
The great thing though is not only the beautiful beaches with crystal clear waters that we spent an afternoon at, but the city itself. The walls around the city were built back in the 16th century. The fort up on the hill was turned into a disco in the 1970s -- how funny is that?!
But all this changed just a few decades ago. Yugoslavian forces laid siege on Dubrovnik in 1991 after Croatia declared its independence. One more time, all the city walls and the forts that had not served a military purpose in hundreds of years were once again called on to hold firm and protect the city's inhabitants. And they did!
If you have ever visited Europe or any area with an old fort or ancient city walls, imagine them once again being put to use. No longer just a place for pictures and tours, they had to come to life again -- if these walls could talk . . .

Here are some pictures of the city.

Which way do I go?

2009-10-16T11:18:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned previously, Doug and I rented a car, and Doug is doing the driving. This makes me map girl and navigator by default.
I am not completely useless with maps, but I would never go so far as to say that I'm GOOD with them. However I like to think that I make up for the deficiency in my map reading skills with my sign spotting skills. This is often half the battle.
We got our car and drove down to the coast a few days ago. Highway navigation went relatively smoothly, and found a new appreciation for turnabouts. Sometimes it is very nice to be able to just drive in a circle for a few minutes while you decipher signs and figure out which turn off it is that you actually want.
Things became slightly more hairy when we got to town. Roads are notoriously curvy and seem to change names every other block. These names are posted subtly on the sides of buildings. The upside to this is that there's minimal sign congestion on road ways -- lovely. The downside is that I'm constantly asking, "What street IS this?!"
It does not help that we managed to buy the biggest map EVER. Notice in the picture below that it is actually larger than the hood of the car, thus wider than my arm span. Imagine trying to refold that thing in the car without blocking Doug's view while he drives . . . yeah, it doesn't work. A few times, I have ended up with the thing folded up over my head so I can get to where the small city map is on the other side. It's quite a sight.

The roads also have a way of down-sizing quickly from a main road to an alleyway. Doug though is a superb driver (minus one small hillside incident) and manages to scrape by, figuratively speaking of course.

Plitvička jezera

2009-10-14T01:34:00.000-07:00

Croatia, we are finding is a very diverse land with beaches and rocky cliffs as well as rolling mountains with beautifully changing fall leaves. We went to Plitvička jezera National Park where the karst river system that runs through the valley has deposited minerals that formed porous rock barriers (tufas). This eventually became natural dams so the rivers became a terraced series of lakes with waterfalls between each. It was quite impressive to see with awesome fall leaves changing colors around. Here are a few pics:

Long Lost Family

2009-10-14T01:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Doug and I went to Novi Vinodolski, Croatia. This is where our family and weird last name come from.
We got to meet and stay with some distant cousins and hear what life is like for them. It was awesome to see the house that was in our family for some 400 yrs and see the community where our family is from.

Here are just a few pics of Novi and the family:

The old Segulja house

The Manny

2009-10-14T00:53:00.000-07:00

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce a new fashion craze sweeping Europe and soon to head across the Atlantic to America. . . the Manny Pack.
What is this? You may well ask. Let me enlighten you. The manny is what we would know as the good old fanny pack. Only it has returned with style. Men everywhere are wearing sleek, leather, name-brand manny packs. The most popular being the white leather Lacoste version. It can be worn in front, in back, or even on the side for those truly stylish men.
It is worn by men of all ages here. Fathers out with their kids. Young husbands out with wives. Teens. It's everywhere. Now men in Europe have a handy place to keep keys, wallets, phones, etc.
Why? You may ask. There are many theories as to where this trend started. The most probable answer that I can come up with is that the trend started soon after the tight jeans that are so popular here as well. When men wear the tight jeans, there simply isn't room in their pockets for the necessities. It most likely started there and then caught like wildfire.
It is only a matter of time until all the men in Texas are walking around with their cowboy hats, boots, and mannies . . . or maybe not.

Here are just a few Manny sightings:

To the Motherland

2009-10-08T22:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a very long travel day from Selcuk, Turkey to Zagreb, Croatia. It consisted of 2 train rides, 2 plane rides with various shuttles and public transportation in between.
I have decided that what makes travel days so exhausting is the roller coaster of ups and downs. Joy when you complete each leg of the journey and anxiety over making the next. There were delayed planes, changed flights and airports, border officials waking me up on the train to check documents.
The final section of the journey was arriving in Belgrade, Serbia, getting through customs, finding transportation into town and catching the night train to Zagreb, Croatia. I wasn't sure what time the train left. As I sat on the shuttle waiting for it to actually get on it's way, I was sure I'd miss the train. Turns out I made it to the train station 7 minutes before the train left. I changed money, bought my ticket, got on the train and found a seat as the train pulled out. Whew, a little close.
Now I am in the motherland -- Croatia. (my Dad's family is from Croatia -- we have a geneology website and everything) It's awesome! Everyone looks like me! In fact, a few people have come up to me speaking Croatian because they thought I was a local!! Can you believe it!?
My cousin Doug arrived yesterday, and we'll travel together for the next 2 weeks. Not sure exactly what the plans are but we're renting a care tomorrow so it'll be a great adventure. And don't worry, Doug is going to do the driving.

Gotta Love the Locals

2009-10-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

Today I had several minibus rides navigating through the small towns on the western coast of Turkey to get to the beach. I was surprisingly successful but have to share with you this one little experience. During one ride the lady sitting right behind me got into an argument with a guy a few rows ahead. I think it was about politics because as she stood leaning over my shoulder, she was waving a newspaper and pointing at it.
It got pretty heated. A few times I was afraid I might get whacked in the head. Then she got up and started pacing in the aisle. It was quite impressive to see her hands waving and hear her tisking away in disagreement when he tried to disagree.
Eventually she settled a little and went back to her seat. I thought we were finished but then the driver chimed in something and off we went again.
About 15 minutes into this a young lady got on and looked back at me with the woman leaning over my shoulder again. I gave her a helpless look as I tried not to burst out laughing. She sat down with eyebrows raised, shaking her head.
This continued on until we reached the woman's stop. The man raised both hands in a surrender/agree to disagree movement. The woman got off, still muttering under her breath.
Even though I felt a little awkward being stuck in the middle of that while I tried to avoid eye contact with the angry man staring back in my direction, I also kind of enjoyed it. You see for a month I've been in the middle east where women are submissive and seen, not heard. So it was kind of nice to see a stout old Turkish woman not afraid to give a man a piece of her mind. Get 'em lady.

Picture Update

2009-10-05T07:18:00.000-07:00

I found a computer that can actually upload pictures at a rate faster than 1 picture per 10 minutes. YAY! So here's some more pics from the trip so far.

View from Mt. Sinai

The sunset from the top of Mt Sinai.

My friend Anna hiking up the sand dune in Wadi Rum.

Sunset in Wadi Rum

Floating in the Dead Sea. Look! No hands!

Dead Sea Mud

Gowned up to visit the mosques.

The most popular "ice cream" shop in Damascus. I had to elbow my way in. Then I tasted some and realized that it wasn't really ice cream, but white cold stuff. (see post below)

No I didn't get married, but I did see a Syrian wedding. They were surprisingly seranaded by the singing groomsmen and bagpipes (apparently a local instrument)

Me out of the window of my new home if I accept the marriage offer in Krak des Chevaliers.

The evening glow in Palmyra, Syria

Frumpy Backpacker Girl

2009-10-04T09:35:00.001-07:00

My last night in Istanbul I went up to Taksim Square in the modern part of town and walked down the main shopping street there. I should have realized that it was a Saturday night in a major European city, but I was not prepared. I had a little bit of culture shock.
For the past month I have lived out of my backpack. All my clothes are wrinkled and smell . . . well, neutral (handwashing does not leave them with that dryer fresh smell). I perpetually look frumpy -- hair halfway dry, no make-up, bags strapped on everywhere, wrinkled, holding a map. I haven't minded though because I've been traveling in the Middle East where all the women wear burqas and hijabs.
In Taksim square, however, everyone was dressed to the nines. Women with their high heels on, hair and make-up done, wearing the latest styles were walking along the row of designer shops. Suddenly I became frumpy backpacker girl and felt very out of place. I had been sight-seeing all day and still had my big purse/bag filled to capacity with water, camera, map, and other travel essentials. Only the lack of space in my backpack and my tired shoulders kept me from running into the nearest store to purchase a new outfit to put on.
Just when I felt my confidence slipping, I came across the most wonderful discovery. There was a Gelateria!! Yes, for the first time in a month I got to have Italian gelato!
You may think this is a small thing, but those who know me well know that gelato and chocolate are a part of my daily diet. Well, neither of these exist in the Middle East. No chocolate because it melts -- haven't they heard of a refridgerator? They do have "ice cream," but it is more of a sorbet in texture with nothing creamy about it. And the flavors it comes in are white, red and yellow. They call them different names, but really there is no distinctive flavor about it. It's cold and refreshing and tastes like . . . white. Yum.
So now you can imagine my excitement at real, delicious, creamy gelato. All problems and insecurities dissolved.
Someday I will do Istanbul with style and walk this road with my high heels on and head held high. For tonight I will eat my gelato, wander back to my hippie, backpacker side of town and be content. It's all about the little pleasures.

New Day, New City

2009-10-03T13:21:00.000-07:00

At the risk of sounding cheesy or nostalgic, I have to say that there's something exciting and almost magical about arriving in a new city.
Seeing the Eiffel Tower as you fly into Paris. The first view of the pyramids as you come into Cairo. There's this feeling that a city full of possibility awaits you. Before you get lost or have your checklist of sights to see or feel overwhelmed by the chaos on the streets with people trying to sell you things. Before all that, you have this moment to admire and wonder at this beautiful city you get to experience.
Yesterday morning I arrived in Istanbul. It was one of the best city arrivals I have had this trip. I got in around 7:30 am on the overnight train (definitely better than the one in Egypt) and took the ferry across to the European part of the city, to old Istanbul where I'm staying.
I got on the ferry and breathed cool, fresh sea air after being in the stuffy train all night. I looked across the harbor, and there was the city aglow in the pink morning light. Up on the hill, I could see the Blue Mosque, Haya Sofia, and Topkapi Palace all in a line. It was awesome to see - the peacefulness of the morning before the city wakes up and the beauty of these imposing buildings.
I wish you had been there. You know the saying that the world's at your fingertips? It's times like this when I feel like it's true.

Watch that First Step

2009-10-03T04:44:00.000-07:00

This happened a few days ago but I've decided I'm not to proud or embarassed to share with you my little mishap. Let me set things up.

I started out with a backpack and a purse. Now that backpack is stuffed full; the camera no longer fits inside so is strapped around me separately. I have a painting in its own separate little bag, trying desperately to get it home unharmed. And finally there is another medium sized duffel full of stuff I have bought or no longer fits in the pack. Is it possible that the stuff I originally brought with me has multiplied? Regardless, I am now quite the pack mule when I move from city to city with all my belongings strapped on.

Second factor is the streets. They are always uneven, often cobblestone. Also you would think that the people here were giants based on the height of their curbs. They ranged anywhere from 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 ft depending on which country you're in. Stair steppers have nothing on this place.

You can probably already tell where this is going but I'll say it for you - I fell. I was walking along the cobble stone walkway to catch a bus when my Chaco slipped off the cobble stone and my foot slipped off the Chaco. I could possibly have recovered under normal circumstances but with all the bags on, it was hopeless. So down I went. Thankfully the camera and painting were spared by my protective evasive manuevers. The duffel went flying, and the purse was crushed. For a minute I just laid there, still strapped to my pack and feeling like a turtle on its back.

In the end I had to unstrap and disentangle myself from everything to get up before reloading myself with one item at a time. It was not my finest moment, but my only injury is a scraped, sore knee so I'm doing pretty well. But remember even when you have a lot on your mind or are in a new place with lots to look at, watch your step.

Just Across the Border

2009-09-29T09:43:00.000-07:00

I have made it safely to Turkey. There will minimal problems crossing the border. Actually, they loved my passport picture. Not only do I have an extremely cheesy smile on in the photo, but since you're not allowed to smile in passport photos any more, it rather stands out. The Syrian immigration officer even started laughing a little. I like to think that I'm doing my part to improve international relations, one smile at a time.

It is amazing how crossing the border, just by a few hours, can change things so immensely. Suddenly I'm out of the desert and back in westernized civilization. Kids are wearing uniforms to school that show their knees and elbows. Women drive scooters all by themselves. The animals we pass don't look so scrawny. There is vegetation and trees, not just sand and rocks. There was even an automatic paper towel dispenser at the restaurant I ate in last night. I hardly know what to do with myself!

Although it's still very different from home, the culture is at least somewhat familiar. I am very thankful for it.

A Restaurant with a View

2009-09-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

Normally if you ask me, "Liz, what's the best marriage offer you've had recently?" I would not have a very exciting answer to that question.

Oh, there is the occasional crazy or drugged-up guy at the hospital who'll propose. But it's not really that often, and usually it's more repulsive than anything else.

Recently however, I have had several offers so I thought I'd share with you the best ones. Let me first explain that men in the Middle East are different than at home. They are up front. One morning they may decide they feel like being married. The search then begins. If they see you and think you're pretty, talk to you for five minutes and think you're nice, then that may be enough. They'll tell you what they've got to offer and see what you think. And do you mind living in the same house as their other 1, 2, or 3 wives. (4 is the max any good Muslim man would have.)

A racing camel was the offer in one proposal. You may think that is not much, but apparently they are worth around $25,000 plus whatever they win in races.

My favorite offer however came from the owner of a restaurant we ate at a few nights ago in Syria. It was in the town of Crac des Chevaliers - a small little mountain town named after the castle there. The restaurant sits on one edge of the valley and overlooks the castle across on the other side.

So the owner was a nice guys. He's an established business man who speaks 8 languages, which is pretty impressive on it's own. When he found that I wasn't married and didn't "have engagement," he offered me the restaurant as my wedding gift.

I laughingly admitted it was the best offer I'd had - I'm flattered, thank you, but no. When he pursued it, I told him I'd have to wait and ask my dad. The next morning though, I went for a walk, and as I went by the restraunt, the sun was just rising over the castle across the valley. It was one of the most beautiful things I've seen. Maybe I should rethink. I do have his card and number. . .

Standing out in the Crowd

2009-09-20T11:39:00.001-07:00

I have never been a novelty in my life . . . until now. Suddenly, I have become an anomaly on several fronts. I have found that not many Americans come to this part of the world because everyone is very surprised to hear where I am from as opposed to the usual response of "oh, another Texan."
I am now traveling with a group of several Australians. They think my accent and vocabulary are so entertaining. They love to ask me questions about American politics (which I feel highly underqualified to answer), about what we eat and drink, about what we think on different issues. Do I live on a ranch and ride a horse? Is life in America like in the movies?
I have never thought of my life as that interesting - I'm pretty much you're average girl. But not anymore. And really it's quite entertaining because I feel the same way about them - their accent, slang and speech, their lifestyle.
Apart from this, I am also a novelty traveling in this part of the world. In case you didn't know, I have blonde hair. That in itself is enough to draw stares. And because staring is not considered impolite in this part of the world, they do it quite openly. I have tried to blend in - wear a scarf over my hair, learn the language, use appropriate mannerisms. But no matter what I do people stare ALL the time.
Well today I decided to rebel and give them a reason to stare. I went for a run. You would have thought I was running in the nude for all the attention I got (just to clarify, I was wearing culturally appropriate, baggy, covered ankles to elbows clothing). People honked, yelled, whistled. Children ran alongside me. Women smiled. Not in a demeaning or insulting way - I think they just honestly had never seen anyone go for a run before, much less a woman. People even moved out of my way on the sidewalk, probably because they didn't know what else to do.
So I have now done my part for the women's rights movement, at least here in Madaba, Jordan. But I figure if I'm going to stand out in the crowd, may as well do it with style.

Tomorrow I am crossing the border into Syria. Apparently facebook, blogs, you tube and things like that are all blocked throughout the country. I'm not sure how that works, but it should be interesting. Anyway, all that to say, you won't be hearing from me for the next week or so. I'll let you know when I make it to the other side. Until then, happy travels!

The Land of Indiana Jones

2009-09-20T11:22:00.000-07:00

Have you seen Indiana Jones - The Last Crusade? If not, go rent it. That is where I have been the past few days. The end of the movie, they go into this place that's carved into a cliff wall. It's called Petra.
The land has been occupied by many different people groups, including the biblical Edomits. Later, in the 6th century AD, Arabic nomads known as the Nabataeans lived in this land and built this beautiful city and tombs into the cliffs there.
To enter the area, you walk 2 km from the visitor center in through this beautiful gorge. When you get to the end, glimpses of the treasury begin to come into view. At the risk of sounding cheesy, I have to admit that it's sort of magical the way it appears in front of you.

But it's not just that one "structure." They built all through this gorge and the surrounding mountainsides and valleys. The expanse of it is truely amazing. I spent 2 days climbing thousands of stairs to expore different areas and didn't come close to seeing it all.
One of my favorite areas was the monestary, which was way up in a hillside.

From there you could climb up to a lookout point where I saw this sign.

The view from there looked over Israel. I found that somewhat curious.
I am no Idiana Jones. I didn't ride off into the sunset on my horse, but I feel like a Petra explorer all the same.

PS I added some pics to my post about the desert so check them out. Hope you enjoy!

Covered in Mud

2009-09-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

Today I stopped at the Dead Sea. It is the second saltiest body of water in the world. Because of the high concentration of salt, the water seemingly becomes extra viscous, and you become extra bouyant. Once you get about chest deep in the water, you can hardly help but start floating. It was like I was on a raft, floating on my back without any effort at all.
It is good to know though that the extra saltiness of the water also makes it extra painful to get in your eyes or in any wound you didn't realize you had. The other day climbing around at Petra (will write more about that later), I slightly scraped my knee. I didn't realize it had actually cut through the skin until today when it began to burn like crazy as the salt cleaned it out.
The Dead Sea is also apparently very rich in minerals and so for a small price you can slather yourself in the mud mined from deep in the sea. Supposedly it is a rejuvinator and can make you look years younger.
I think they should give me a comission because when I got there, no one on the beach was putting on mud. I decided to go for it and covered myself in this tar-like stuff from head to foot (will try to post pics) and pranced around on the beach waiting for it to dry. By the time I left, there was a line at the mud bins -- I started the trend! :o) So now dirty, but refreshed and looking 10 years younger, I am ready for the next adventure.

Where Land Cruisers come to Die

2009-09-18T08:20:00.000-07:00

I found the place where Land Cruisers come to die -- the Jordinian desert of Wadi Rum.
The other day we drove to the visitor center of Wadi Rum where we were met by the shiek who would be our host for the night at his desert camp. He and two of his tribesman met us with their old-school, very beaten up, but still beautiful, Land Cruisers. We threw our bags in the back, drove through the little village (littered with more old Land Cruisers) to where the road ended and headed off into the desert.
Still barren like the Egyptian desert, but here the sand has a red color with great monolith rock formations rising up out of it. Somehow there is a beauty in the emptiness. A breeze kept the heat from weighing on us as we drove out through the sand. We saw the Seven Pillars of Wisdom (go rent the old film Lawrence of Arabia), climbed a sand dune, and saw ancient inscriptions that served as maps to the caravans passing through. It's amazing how a land that seems to have nothing in it can still have so much history hidden away.
That night we stayed in the sheik's camp and slept under the stars, watching satellites and shooting stars pass us by. When you marvel at the greatness of what God has created, you suddenly feel very small -- I think that is a good thing.
We used heavy goat hair blankets that had a certain stench in the morning when the dew had made them damp. As my new friend from Australia put it, "It smells like 70 bloody camels pissed on me!" Quite a lovely aroma to wake up to.
We watched the sun rise over the horizon and headed back to civilization. What an experience. And I must say, if I were an old Land Cruiser, that's exactly where I'd choose to be.

Driving across the Desert

2009-09-15T22:38:00.000-07:00

So from Cairo, I headed by bus under the Suez Canal and into the Sinai Peninsula. It's amazing that 90% on Egypt's population lives within 10 miles of the Nile. Outside that, there's just desert. Just imagine nothing. Then add some rocks and sand and a lot of heat. That's about it. Sort of makes driving across west Texas look like a rain forest.
Seven hours later we got to Mt Sinai and climbed it that afternoon. Thankfully the shadow of the mtn made the heat bearable. Got to the top just in time for sunset which was pretty awesome to see.
However, at the top were also guys trying to sell you silly souveneirs -- they're everywhere in Egypt. It's kind of ridiculous.
When I looked out at the most barren land I've ever seen and imagined Moses leading some 600,000 people across it, I have to admit I probably would have complained and asked for water as well. Yet there are people who make a life out in the middle of this desert. I'm just thankful I'm not one of them. Can definitely cross that off my list of places to live.

Sea Urchins and Saudi Arabia

2009-09-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

After crossing the desert, we came to the coast of the Red Sea and stayed in a little beach camp. Accommodations were a little bamboo hut on the beach - one room with a mat on the floor and mosquito net over it. Surprisingly it was quite fabulous -- a nice breeze blowing and the sound of the ocean for background music. I even went snorkeling out from the beach. I was slightly terrified at times and the Jaws theme song constantly ran through my mind (thank you Kristen). But besides that, it was great.
I followed beautiful corral out until the ledge dropped off. Then there was nothing but big blue ocean. That's when I panicked a little because big open water is where the big scary sharks are. Thankfully those little minnow fish were swimming all around me. I decided they would swim off if there were any signs of danger just like in Finding Nemo. So as long as they stuck around I was ok.
However when I swam back in to shore, tide had dropped some so that I was much closer to the corral before. This wouldn't really be a problem except that the corral houses all these scary black sea urchin things that can sting you quite painfully. I sucked in my stomach and pictured myself like Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible dangling from a wire as I carefully made my way over them. Thankfully I made it back to shore without a mark -- 2 other girls were not so lucky.
This morning I woke up early and watched the sunrise over Saudi Arabia across the Gulf of Aqaba. I waved good morning. I'm sure they waved back.
Headed to Jordan next, through the desert again and on to Petra.

The Art of Haggling

2009-09-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

Today I went to the bazaar. At the Cairo bazaar all tourists now have to check in and give their nationality upon entering the area. When they heard I was American, I was assigned an escort. It was hilarious - for several hours wandering around I had a man in a suit with a walkie-talkie right behind me. That must be what famous people feel like - I've never felt so important in my life.
I thought I would share a few things I've learned over the years about bazaars, markets, and haggling. Maybe the will keep one of you from wasting money as I have in the past.
If you do not want to be hassled, keep eyes straight ahead, don't smile, don't respond to anyone, and most importantly keep moving. Any of these things are an invitation for people to try to sell you things. You will feel rude but know that you have to behave like this unless you want people to follow you for blocks (literally).
A very useful trick is to use are to wear sunglasses. This is a big one because it allows you to look at merchandise without them seeing, and you look less inviting.
Ok, so at some point you may want to stop -- know that when you do, you will be addressed. And the person whose stall it is, is usually not the one sitting right by it. They are probably across the street or something. This used to surprise me, and they definitely use it to their advantage.
Know that anything you touch, they will try to sell you. If you touch something, pick up something else and then ask them about that thing, somewhere in the conversation they will mention the thing you first touched -- by trying to sell it to you as well, as an alternative cheaper purchase, or possibly as a comparison of value/craftmanship. Be prepared for this because it can throw you off.
In haggling, your first offer should be no more than half their first price. There are exceptions to this if you have been pricing an item or have some knowledge of what the true cost/value is. From there go up slowly. Never, NEVER pay more than 75% of their first price, but usually it should be around 60.
Never find something you MUST have -- they can tell. Always be ready to walk away, and good practice is to start to walk away at least once at the end of the bargaining to assure they won't go any lower. Another good tactic to make them think they're losing and must go lower is to look upset and put the item back in their hands or set it down.
Lastly is the 3 no's rule. This is a new technique I've just started using on this trip but has been reliable so far. I started doing this because it is tiring to have my angry/don't mess with me face on all the time. So here is what I do: if I want to enjoy the market, but not be bothered. I lose the sunglasses and walk slower, though still moving. When I am approached I give only a slight smile, say no thank you, and keep moving. When they continue, lose the smile but keep a neutral voice and just say no, possibly with a hand motion. As always, keep moving. If they continue after that or begin to walk with you, stop, look them in the eye (no fear), and give them a good "No" in your stern/ don't mess with me. When you address them frankly and do not get frazzled it turns the tables and catches them off guard. I even got an apology from one guy yesterday. Impressive, I know.
So that's the basics - whether you're in Egypt, Thailand or Italy, it's pretty much stays the same. I hope this will keep you from feeling overwhelmed or at their mercy, especially from losing all your money to overpay for things. Happy haggling.

As a side note: tomorrow I head to Mt Sinai, the Red Sea, and more primitive areas. You will probably not hear from me in a few days. If there's nothing in the next week, some one call the embassy. :o)

Walk Like an Egyptian

2009-09-12T05:02:00.000-07:00

As you can guess, I stand out a little over here. Maybe it's the bikini I'm walking around in or maybe it's the blonde hair. :) Either way, I have had quite a few stares, whistles, hisses (not exactly sure what that means), and cat calls. The best however was last night while I was walking home. As this man walked by he said, "You walk like an Egyptian." I have no idea how an Egyptian walks, but I took it as a compliment and the song has been running through my head all day.
Anyway, I actually found a computer with a USB port so let's see if we can get some pictures posted. There should be pics from Hatshepsut's temple n(I know that's not spelled right), Luxor temple at night, Karnak temple, the band and dancers we found at the night festival, me on the scary camel, and the spynx.

Navigational Errors and Camel Terrors

2009-09-11T11:35:00.000-07:00

We're not going to say that I got lost today. To be fair, I never really knew where I was to begin with so we'll just say that I didn't find my way as easily as expected. It started with me getting off at the wrong train station -- silly me for getting off at Cairo when that is where I want to go.
Thankfully I met this wonderful woman from Canada who had been through Cairo already. She helped me get onto the metro (apparently the only efficiently running thing in Cairo), and I was on my way again.
However there comes a point when you have to get off the metro. You come above ground, and for a second you panic. At least I do. There's this realization that no one and nothing looks familiar, not even the lettering on signs, and you could get very lost very quickly. But then you take a deep breath, say a prayer, and start to work your way through it.
The annoying thing about nice little hostels is that they're hidden away and very difficult to find. I narrowed it down to the right vacinity but then came the wandering. Took about 40 min and stopping to ask several people.
Just as a side note -- most people tend to be nice to foreigners. They want to help, but this means they will NEVER EVER tell you they don't know where a place is. I even had a guy today pointing left while telling me to go right -- fabulous.
But still, I made it one piece, and I learned that it is a very good incentive to not buy stuff when you realize you have to carry it around on your back for the next 2 months. I was nearly cursing the handmade vase I bought yesterday for adding a single pound to my pack.
Then came the camels. I can now cross riding a camel past the pyramids off my "to do" list and add it to my "don't need to repeat" list. I went to the Giza pyramids and of course camelback is the only way to see the pyramids. :) Don't get me wrong, the pyramids were awesome, though very touristy. But camels are weird and a little scary. I climbed on, and this kid about 7 yrs old grabbed the reigns and told me to hold on here and lean back. It began to stand while I held on for dear life, reminding myself "Lean back! Lean back!"
Probably sensing my fear, his head swung around while making this horrible noise. He had a hungry look in his eyes, and I though for a minute he was going to have a bite of my leg. Thankfully he decided I did not look that tasty and off we went.
So the kid leads me out until he decides it's the perfect picture place. So he drops the reigns, takes my camera and goes to get the perfectly framed shot. As I sit there trying to smile and look calm, I realize that no one is in control of this huge animal, and I have no training in how to respond if he takes off or tries to bite. Do I kick him in the mouth like a shark? Who knows.
All that to say I think we can safely cross camel trainer off as a possible job.

Ramadan

2009-09-10T12:06:00.000-07:00

When I planned this trip, I did not realize I would be traveling during Ramadan. After realizing, I didn't know what, if any, difference that would make.
It really is quite fascinating. For those of you unfamiliar, Ramadan is 1 month out of the year where Muslims fast (no food OR water) all day. It's a time of prayer and my guide told me yesterday, a learning of patience. There is the call to prayer throughout the day, but no prayer mats, here in Egypt at least. Several carry prayer beads to continue praying throughout the day. Most of the population seem to just change their schedule, be up most of the night and sleep most of the day. This makes sense to me, especially because it is so hot here. However some people still function!
Take for instance my guide the other day. He showed me around Valley of the kings and 3 different temples here. We were out in the sun walking around for about 6 hours. 6 hours in the sun with no water! I was kind of getting worried at the end - he was walking slowly and talking very quietly. Also it made me feel so guilty because of course I'm guzzling liters of water right in front of him! What torture! Too bad I didn't bring any IV equipment and bags of NS with me, in case he needed resucitation. Thankfully though, we both made it.
After the last call to prayer at the end of the day, approx 6 pm, they break fast. And then the city comes alive. I hardly see any locals out during the day, only those trying to haggle tourists (more to come on haggling later -- I'm getting very good at saying No!). The sun goes down and it's a party. Literally. The city council people put on this carnival style thing in the town square area -- there's music and dancing (hopefully I'll be able to post pictures soon), there's popcorn and carnival rides -- one of which was a small ferris wheel where the kids stood, unrestrained in the swinging boxes -- definitely would happen in the states. We were definitely the only tourists there. By "we" I mean myself and the 4 guys I met fron England who were all at least 6 feet. I felt perfectly safe despite the multitude of stares. It was fabulous.
I've got to run now and go catch the night train up to Cairo. Hopefully I will get on the right one even though my ticket is definitely written in Arabic and apparently the trains have no signs on them -- should be an adventure. But if I make it to Cairo, pyramids and camel rides tomorrow!

A Very Long Day

2009-09-08T10:44:00.000-07:00

I have now been traveling for about 27 hours. I'm sitting in the Cairo airport (not a good one to be stuck in by the way) because I missed my connection to Luxor by 20 min - thanks to there ridiculously slow and round about shuttle. I am tired and I stink like European airports. I want a shower and a bed. I love traveling.
The upside - I'm here, at least almost. I've had some good practice figuring out new airports so that one day when I'm on amazing race, I'll be ready. Also my bags didn't get lost in Paris where I even got a nice little nap spralled out on the floor. I realize that's disgusting but after maybe two hours of sleep last night, I really don't care.
So only 1 more flight to go and there's someone from the hotel picking me up so I'm done figuring things out for today. Thank goodness!
Oh other randomness - I had lamb meatballs on the plane. Seems dangerous but the other option was fish and neither of those seem like safe plane food so I just went with it. If I start throwing up in the next 24 hours we'll know what it's from. Good night

Leaving on a Jet Plane

2009-09-07T12:27:00.000-07:00

After many hugs and a supportive family watching through the gate, I made it through security and am on my way. My bag weighed in at 35 lbs - not bad. Hopefully it will not get lost in the notorious Paris airport.
I made it through the first leg and am sitting here in the food court of the international terminal in Atlanta. I was pleasantly surprised by the live pianist. Then I almost started laughing when the second song she played was Leaving on a Jet Plane . . . It's almost cliché it's so perfect.
So here I am on my way - or at least I will be in six hours when my plane takes off. Next time I write to you, it'll be from the dessert of Egypt. Until then, be reckless. :)

Packing

2009-09-05T08:18:00.000-07:00

Although I have traveled a good bit in my life, I have yet to master the art of packing. I blame this partially on the fact that I grew up with 3 sisters. When there are 5 women on a trip, some one always has whatever it is that you need so I never really worried if I had everything I would use. Secondly I blame this on the fact that I am not very organized.
The up side is that I've learned to make do without things, and I am very good at finding things that are lost. However 2 months is a long time to go without my chapstick or Q-tips. And there are somethings that you just can't or shouldn't go without.
I've spent weeks thinking through what I needed and buying things (spending way too much money). But now that it's time to actually pack, I'm staring at stacks of stuff all over my room and looking at my little backpack, wondering - How is this going to work? How am I going to live out of a backpack for 2 months? Do I have enough hand sanitizer and deodorant? Though I guess the latter doesn't really matter since I'll be in Europe (ha ha, just kidding). So now I'm sitting here blogging instead of packing because I'm just not quite sure where to start, and I'm a little afraid it's not all going to fit.
And I haven't even figured out the money situation yet -- how much of each currency will I need? How much cash should I carry? And how much in traveler's checks? Do I get a better exchange rate using my credit card? Is my identity going to get stolen? Ugh, starting to think about that makes me want to go back to packing.
Does anyone remember the Nickelodeon show Hey Dude? Yes, I am dating myself, and it is slightly embarrassing to admit that I used to watch it, but oh well. There was one episode where they had a beauty pageant and the brunette haired girl whose name I can't remember packed a suitcase for her talent. At the time I remember thinking how ridiculous that was, but perhaps I should have paid a little more attention.

Preparations

2009-08-24T19:57:00.000-07:00

Two weeks from today I will be on a plane headed to Atlanta, GA to Paris, France to Cairo, Egypt to Luxor, Egypt. From there I'll begin a two month adventure through all sorts of cultures and countries. As I look across my room at a half packed back pack, I wonder just what I'm getting myself into.
Interestingly (though not surprisingly to those who know me), this is a rather familiar thought. It ran through my mind when I was lost in the rice fields of Thailand, when I got hailed on during river guide training, when I nearly flipped in the first rapid of the Grand Canyon, when I took care of my first patient at Parkland.
I have this habit of jumping into things feet first and figuring the rest out as I go. So I cannot help but wonder what is to come in the next few months. Where will the path lead this time? And am I ready?
I guess there's no better way to find out than to jump.