D/Sala 1.12.07 **pictures added**

All I gota say is wow what a change from the shit left behnd in Delhi. Look - air thats semi clean admist a sky with no smog!Getting here to Dharamsala was interesting enough. One of the worst bus rides ever. First I follow some little Indian kid thru back alley ways in Delhi from the Golden Cafe (where I thought the bus would roll up) to the "bus stop". Which is really a street corner where me and a few others waited for about 2 hours. For a bus that never showed up. So the "organizers" (or really the guys handling all the money) just motion us on to a bus headed for Manali. Manali, by the way, is like way out of the way and totally east of where we needed to be. Me and some travellers I met (one from upstate ny, the other from Laos now living in France) sat in this bus that resembled just a giant metal box with windows. But it was interesting, seats below with sleeper bunks above. Which gave those in the seats no headroom. We'd ask "Dharamsala?" and get the respone "yea ok 2 stops". Well 10 stops around Delhi later we got off at a dirty gas station to board the real bus to Dharamsala. Which was the same metal box type contraption.
Only this one was filled with Tibetans so I knew we were good. We didnt sleep much getting here. Constant honking - and the bus had one of those funky musical honks so it got repetitive after a while. And constant bouncing - I think I went airborne in my seat a dozen times. The unpaved dirt roads up north are just crap and filled with holes. Its also good when halfway thru the journey they stop to change the rear tire.

But it is worth the journey to McLeod Ganj - or upper Dharamsala. I feel like Im in Tibet and Ive never been there. Small town among the Himalaya foothills sprawling with Tibetan refugees. And monkeys outside my balcony runnin around everyday. The Dalai Lama lives here too. Mad spiritual opportunities abound. Here's a Buddhist monk teaching the ways in a philosophy class. Each day I spend volunteering my computer expertise or English skills to local Tibetans; next week they get to teach me Tibetan. And its not just me, almost every traveller here is involved heavily with the Tibetan community. And within this community is good food. The local place to be is Carpe Diem...excellent eats and live music, ya cant go wrong. Momos (dumplings) everyday. Thats all I eat. Last night we found a place called Lhamos Croissant which had some Amdo style momos - all you back home know whats thats like if you've ever come to my moms Dumpling Day. They even had a Tibetan singing traditional songs. Interesting stuff. I also caught some Buddhist philosophy teachings from a monk at the local Tibetan library. Mad spiritual up in here. Tonight: the "SMALL mega CONCERT" of live Tibetan and western music benefiting the Tibetan school here. This place has a good vibe. Good enough that Im gonna stay for another week or so.

Delhi 26.11.07 **pictures added**

Or should I say Dirty. 20 minutes before my flight touched down at Indira Ghandi International there was a harmless 4.3 earthquake felt around the city. There were some fabulous signage at the airport advertising the renovation of a newer world class facility. Let me tell ya they got a long ways to go. The parking lot is completely covered in dust. I kind of expected mad dust in Delhi but was surprised the amount of pollution and dirt was greater than that of Cairo. Tons of trash litter the streets, intertwined with monkeys and cows roaming right into traffic. People actually piss along the streets too. I am literally walking in piss and shit. Some alleys really smell like urine. Just amazing the throngs of people walking the market and dodging motorbikes and cars honking. I guess after spending some prior time in Kathmandu one is prepared for the cultural shock of Delhi. Im not too surprised by it all. But I didnt expect this much trash all over the place.
I randomly found the Golden Cafe and its like a one stop shop for everything you need. Cheap food. Tour to Agra. Bus to Dharamsala. Maybe even a room on the way back. I sat there for a while talking to the owner Subhash and got the hookup for pretty much everything. Now we all know ya gota watch out for the scam artists around here but this guy was legit - I had quotes of like 4000 INR from the savvy business guy at my hostel (100USD) for the same Argra tour Subhash was hookin me up with. Other tour guys were offering whack deals at 450INR. So I guess within one day Im all set with whatever Im gonna want to see in India.

Wadi X and the rest of Jordan: 22.11.07 **pictures added**

Our first stop in Jordan was at the free port of Aquaba. Not much there. We headed to Wadi Rum, which is a national park of sorts containing massive rock formations and mountains. Rolled out to explore the deserts there in 4WD jeeps. Bumpy rides but worth it. This is the area where Lawrence of Arabia was based. Well at least thats how Lawrence told his story years ago when he was out here. The film made in 1962 explains it all about his experiences in Wadi Rum with the Bedouins here. But dont be deceived...the film was actually shot in Spain and Morocco not where it is really based. Which is out here in this barren land:Other stuff out here: high rock formations you can climb and fall off to your death:

We camped in the sand with local Bedouins. I passed out under the stars. Cold as hell but I did get to feel like an Eagle Scout again and play with the campfire. An interesting way local Bedouins cook food...fill a vat full of potatoes and chicken, then bury it in the sand. Somehow when you dig it out its heated and ready to eat.

We got to Wadi Musa two days ago. Its the town right outside Petra. And its freakin cold here. I didnt know it even snows out here sometimes. I'll post images as soon as I get to a real Internet connection - the places in Jordan are shit. But they would do more justice than just words. Everything south of Petra is pure desert. But north of that and its an explosion of cities. Jordan almost has a western business-like attitude to it. Maybe the reason why its so stable is because the government is actually super organized and strict in the rules they hand down. They even managed to handle relocating the local Bedouins who used to live in Petra before it was discovered in the 19th century. Because they moved them outside Petra, they guaranteed certain concessions. Like every tour group rolling in on a government itinerary has to use their cabs, their restuaurants, their camels, etc. And everyone usually has to pay the camel or horse guy run by a Bedouin. Even for the 2 minute, 500 meter ride from the entrance to the start of the historical site. And if you dont use it, you still gota pay. So when we roll in on our own, we get the head Bedouin yelling at us why arent we using their services like everyone else?

Anticipation...
As you walk down the Siq towards the Treasury you highly anticipate the scene that is the staple of Petra. The place where Indiana Jones healed his father outside the "temple" where he had to "choose wisely." The Siq is this long narrow rift created by a massive shifting of tectonic plates millions of years ago.

Around 100 BC the Nabateans decided to carve into the sandstone facades of the mountains way inside the rift valley. And today its one of the new ancient wonders of the world. So you can feel the anticipation as you make the 20 minute walking journey (you could take a horse carriage but we chose not to because 1. we're not lazy French people and 2. they whip the horses with frayed electrical wire and thats downright animal cruelty right there) down this rift and finally see the Treasury appear. To add to the drama our guide played the Indiana Jones theme song on his cell phone as we approached the end of the Siq. Petra itself is a massive area and you apparently need a week to see it all. And all that I was able to see was impressive in itself. You just cant imagine how they carved buildings out of pure sandstone, leaving behind spectacular facades of Greek and Roman inspiration and colors so vivid as the rock formations have changed over the years. Im done explaining...see for yourself.
The Petra monastery and crazy view of mountains behind it...

We moved away from Wadi Musa and headed along the Dead Sea...lowest point on this planet did ya know? That makes for a rediculously high concentration of salt in the water. You can see the white stuff here - 32percent salt with a sprinkle of Israel in the distance. So you know I hardly swim but when it comes to the Dead Sea anyone can float in it and read a book. Unfortunately and comically one of our friends tried to turn over while sitting on water and went head first into the salty depths of the sea. All we saw were her legs flapping like a duck, struggling to surface. All we did was laugh, for it was hil-ar-ious. She survived though. Usually if you go face first into salt it kinda burns your eyes away.

Other tidbits I can share...well Amman isnt too exciting so we took a day trip to Jerash - one of the best preserved Roman ruins in the area. Some interesting things: the amphitheater that was buried in sand and today is fully intact, a rarity for Roman ruins. Another rarity...seeing Jordanians playing the bagpipes? Well preserved Roman roads. They pioneered some innovative things...like the sewage system under this road complete with manhole covers, and bricks lined diagonally so horse carriages wouldnt have their wheels worn out. Ingenious.

The sun setting upon the outskirts of Amman. And that was it...3 weeks with cool people and interesting places to eat.

And Happy Thanksgiving to all you back in the States. Tonight I will dine on shitty local pizza and watch Indiana Jones with everyone at our hotel. Joyous. Then its off to Delhi for me.

Jordan 20.11.07 **pictures added**

I'm in what I consider another world in comparison to the rest of the Middle East: Jordan. Getting there made me thank myself for choosing to trek thru the desert with Intrepid and not on my own. No way I would have found the Nuweiba ferry port solo or decipher the Arabic plastered left and right in this part of Egypt. We sat in what I like to refer as "passport limbo". The space where you belong nowhere for a limited amount of time between countries. Got stamped out of Egypt and had to wait for the ancient Greek ferryboat to get its act together. They never leave on time. Today was no exception.

So we waited...in a room that felt like a prisons cafeteria. Decorated with ceiling fans and some of the most uncomfortable wooden benches my ass has ever graced. They skimped on nailing down a third piece of wood, thereby leaving a gaping hole between two intended pieces of lumber and well you get the idea. And to top it off the flies were abundant here. Actually all over Egypt. They actually land on your face, in your food and on your shit. You ever see those info-mercials of giving a penny a day to Ethiopian children who have flies sticking to their faces? Well those are the same flies I've dealt with for a week now! Its not because the children of Ethiopia or I are deliciously dirty...its cause the flies are freakin annoying! Their Darwin Egyptian evolution programmed them to land on humans. I will not miss them one bit.

Its a highly ineffective system they run there. Before reaching the ferry itself we're shoved onto a bus with an Asian tour group (argh I despise them so!). Not any bus, but something from the 50s - painted a dreadful black and most likely should be condemmned. It had the back seats taken out, some raised metallic floor, dim lighting if any at all and metal horizontal bars along the windows. I thought the black drapes were a nice touch. If the thing had been two thirds smaller I would have pretended to be Mr. T driving the A-Team van. The Asians had those rolling suitcases so of course as the bus jolted forward they almost flew out the back emergency (main) door. I think this ride, albeit a mere 50 pointless why didnt we walk meters, made my day.

It was a two hour ride on The Princess down the Red Sea. We begin the journey in Arabic, where the overhead speakers proclaim something to the effect of "hajj rhakjjj shallamm swarzzmm hajjikkl cheeseburger sgjaiikkka jahalla hallimm". Yes we understood that, sir. Another similar message was announced for all the foreigners and locals on board. Ironic and not surprising we nor any other foreign national on board didnt understand that either. Good thing for our tour leader who knew we had to line up for passport procedures. You hand over your identity and they give you a piece of paper written in, yup you guessed it, Arabic. What happens is they give them back to you in Jordan after youve passed their (cough cough) rigorous passport checking standards. What if you lose this piece of paper? Does that you would be in passport now youre really screwed with no identity between two nations limbo? Sure as hell I didnt want to find out and made it to Aquaba port in Jordan a-ok.

The Jordanian dynamic
This country is more western than any other middle eastern nation. Government rules the tourist industy. But I was smart enough to book with Intrepid, who breaks the normal rules and does their own thing. All tourists to Jordan usually are told to fly into Amman, pay silly visa fees, use government guides and go to their choice of hotels and restaruants, etc. And every group coming in has to use the "group visa". So its a cookie cutter type deal where you follow the masses and go where the government says you should. Those are all the asian tour groups. I have a problem with both haha.

The King of Jordan decided that the Aquaba port would be free. Actually, the entire city is duty free to generate more tourism. So we're not breaking the rules; we're just not following the norm the government expects you to. Thats why when we arrived the immigration officals hasseled our tour leader with questions like why didnt you pay the visa fees and why dont these backpackers have a group visa? Well its simple really. You just need to ask your King why did he leave Aquaba a free port? Besides when everyone departs at different times we cant possibly use a group visa. So Im actually proud of the fact my passport was stamped with an individual visa. In Arabic.

As enter the country from the ferry port you're greeted with a sign. Funny.

Jordan has seen a rediculous population explosion in recent years. And you know why? At least 60 percent of the population is either Palestinian or Iraqi (for obvious reasons). But the country is smart in dealing with them. Instead of putting the Palestinians in a cage (like how they do in Lebanon), they allow the refugees to assimilate into Jordanian life. Instead of here's your cage and daily stipend from Hammas, Jordan says here's your house do you need a job? Thats how to quell the refugee population and prevent them from revolting against your popular government. Let them live freely and add to your GDP. But its ironic, in Jordan theres almost a social status quo prevalent throughout the place. Women go to university, but never work. They just go to say theyve had higher education. Jordanians wont clean hotel rooms, and neither will the Palestinian refugees. Why? Because they cant be seen doing such lower end work. Almost like in the states - we cant be bothered working a McJob so we'll let the Mexican refugees do it. And thats why in Jordan the person cleaning my hotel room was...from the Phillipines. They're all from the Phillipines.

I wont be in a hotel tomorrow but literally sleeping in the desert. But all for good cause: we're riding four wheelers thru the sand dunes! Then on to Petra...former home to local Bedouins and used during scenes from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. I heard they're making another Indiana Jones movie? What is up with that bro.

I gota roll...theres mosquitos now eating me for dinner at this Internet cafe.

Egypt...16.11.07 **with pictures yo**

We passed by the Suez Canal. Technically we weren't supposed to...but our driver was like what the hell lets go for it. Straight into a military guy wagging his finger like he was Dikembe Mutombo elated he just blocked Patrick Ewing. Because in Egypt you're not allowed to take photos of any military men, establishment or governmental joint. Which means pictures of the subway, train stations, police, the Suez Canal...are all off limits. So one quick u-turn and a drive by of where 8 percent of all world trade (yea all that stuff that says 'Made in China' - it doesnt go around Africa at all) passes thru and our day was made. We soaked in the mental picture. Of course if we took any pictures they really woulda been pissed. After 50 years of total Egyptian control the Canal became a free waterway again in 2006. But under the empire's reign they had the authority to reject any vessel that wished to pass through. That included US warships during the Persian and modern Iraq wars. But after an undisclosed amount of our tax dollars later "vanished in the desert" the ships were allowed through. And thereby straigning Egypts relationship with its Arab neighbors...cause who wants to allow US warships in the Middle East? What a silly notion.

I was a long day...a 7 hour drive from Cairo to St Catherine. Where we climbed like Sylvester Stallone in Cliffhanger (well thats me exaggerating) atop Mount Sinai. What a spectacular view. Made it 3,750 steps up to the very spot marked by this church where God hooked Moses up with the 10 Commandments. It seriously was a breath of fresh air compared to the dusty polluted mess smothering all of Cairo. And if youre thirsty, theres a Starbucks run by local Bedouins atop the

mountain. At the bottom one can find the Burning Bush at St. Catherine's Monastery...apparently the original bush God spoke to Moses with. Lets remind ourselves what the 11 Commandments are shall we?

I am the Lord thy God

Thou shalt have no other gods before me

Thou shalt not make for thyself an idol

Thou shalt not make wrongful use of the name of thy God

Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy

Honor thy Father and Mother

Thou shalt not murder

Thou shalt not commit adultery

Thou shalt not steal

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife

Thou shalt enjoy Arabic Twinkie when finishing journey to the top
So even while I had the massive shits I was able to strain myself and make it to the top thanks to clean air. The shits yes. Everyone who comes to Egypt is known to get it. At least 9 out of 11 of us enjoyed several days of stomach aches and cramps due to the "high clinical standards" of food processing in this country. Seriously, the FDA doesnt exist out here. So I think I contracted the shits after eating some tasty local food rinsed in the muddy Nile River while sailing north on a local felucca sailboat. Or maybe it was the "rice pudding" I had after eating a rabbit (traditional delicacy that tastes like chicken) in Luxor. Or could it have been the plethora of felafels Ive been consuming so much to the point that the felafel dude knew me. Me: "hey whatup bro" Felafel vendor: "ah yes two felefel for the american!!" Me: "No doubt". And a mere 80 cents later my stomach was happy. Until of course I went to the bathroom.

It kinda cleared up as we made it to Nuweiba. Right on the Red Sea we stayed in these little straw huts at a joint called Sawa Camp. Im not much of a beach, diving or snorkeling person but it wasnt that bad to chill on a hammock, watch crabs scurry around (evoking memories of the crab thing in Spongebob Squarepants) and read this hilarious book I got at Strand in NYC: "Dont Get Too Comfortable" by David Radkoff. Hil-ar-i-ous. I got a Kiwi laughing at it too. I might have been bored because thoughts of walking to Israel (a mere 25km away) raced thru my mind until I slept in the next day. Oh well. But Saudi Arabia was right across the way too! All I had to do was swim (which I dont), land on shore (which is forbidden) and hang out in the coastal town in the distance (that would automatically generate a police report and deportation back to the states). Apparenly some fools on a prior Intrepid trip did this feat and actually fulfilled each step all the way to the deportation. Me: "So..how far is Saudi Arabia?" Tour leader: "TASHI, if I find you missing tomorrow Im not going to want to know where you went" Me: "oh fa reale...battle" Maybe another time...

Convenience

The friendly stare. Everyone here just stares at you, especially if youre from out of town. Its not that we look weird but Egyptians are just curious. When you walk the streets, ride the metro, sit in a Koshary...they all just stare at you. For a prolonged period of time. Almost scary really. But totally harmless. Cultural thing that doesnt even bother me. I've already had little kids come up to me and ask for my picture. Like Im a celebrity haha. I did however, walk thru the market in Luxor without anyone hasseling me. Only because I went in there myself, hadnt shaved in 5 days, and looked like an Egyptian. When I asked someone for a price they were flabbergasted I wasnt Egyptian. Like I was playing a joke or something. It took me five minutes to convince the guy otherwise and then begin the price bargaining. For my name written in a sand jar of course. One of the only souvenirs I got on this trip. About souvenirs too, I decided to limit the intake of such precarious items because one I dont want the extra weight and two if I get one for one person, I have to get a plethora more for everyone else. And then its deciding what to get for who, etc. But you never know I may change my stance on this one day soon.

Like today. I had a whole bunch of little things compiled since my days back in Scotland. Seems like months ago. Wait, that was months ago. Anyhow, the point is...try to find a small box in Cairo. Yes, like a carton so I could even mail stuff back to the states. I always laughed at places with signs back home proclaiming "we sell boxes". Well in Cairo - no one sells boxes. The post office doesnt. And a DHL is way outside the downtown area, too far and too expensive I guess. So I literally spent an hour trying to find a box. I had someone write on a piece of paper in Arabic "I would like a small box". And I took this to every corner market, auto shop and paper store. No one has spare boxes! Not even the trash bins. Yea I glanced in a few haha. I finally tracked down a Xerox outlet and they were nice enough to give one up. In Egypt, if you ask for help people are more than willing. But sometimes when they dont want to help you - they seriously give you the wrong information. Like Ive been pointed in the wrong direction all the time. I mean if you dont know then just say you dont know. For real yo.

So I found a box. The next problem? I needed tape. Same story. No one sells tape. I freakin hate Wal Mart but we have no idea how convenient it is to have places which sell everything you need and you know where to go for what. I eventually tracked down an art supply shop and got a roll of tape. The next problem? Convincing the guys at the post office to mail my package. It seriously looked mad suspect with all the tape and whatnot. In other countries you list the contents to pass thru customs. In Egypt, you just explain to the guy its "a bunch of stuff." $40 later it was off. And I hope it makes it thru US customs.

What a hassle. Speaking of hassles, I got one out of the way and finally received my Indian visa. Eight days ago when we were first in Cairo I left my passport with the Indian consulate. It takes four days for a visa to process. So no, I wasnt too nervous travelling all over southern Egypt without a passport :) But its so much easier getting one in Cairo, as opposed to Istanbul. There they wanted forms from the US Consulate to back me up. I took a half day trek to the consulate in Istinye, got the consulate general to sign an affidavit for $50, and went back. Only to discover they wouldnt accept that affidavit. The crappy lady said I needed a "verbal written letter". What the hell is that? Isnt that a contradiction? And she wouldnt show me an example. Thats when I gave up and hoped Cairo would be easier. And it sure was, just give them money and they process your visa - with no affidavits too.

Aight, time to roll outa the Internet cafe and get ready for another 6am wakeup. For tomorrow we get to bus 7 hours to Sinai and then climb the mountain - or 3000 steps - Moses took however many centuries ago. Just about every day this week we've been rolling out mad early for various things. But cool things...like the pyramids, a hot air balloon ride overlooking the Valley of the Kings before the sunrise and even rolling into Cario mad early today after a 8 hour overnight train from Luxor. Luxor, by the way, looks nothing like the casino in Vegas. I suppose I'll post some pictures in due time. Isnt it odd though, I'm posting content in real time now. Peace.

Egypt **with pictures now**

So I roll in to the airport last Wednesday the 7th looking for the fat man. It was an arranged airport pickup from the hostel which was of course late. I had to figure out how to make a phone call when the phone card and phone itself was in Arabic, and at the same time hoarding off all the locals trying to solicit me for a cab. Im like chill the fat man is picking me up! Fat man was a cabbie named Saiid. Funny guy who decided he could sing, dance and drive with his knees at the same time. Im sitting here in this dinky old 1950s Russian auto that still apparently runs. I quite enjoyed it really. Saiid and everyone else in Cairo decides they can drive like a lunatic. And I thought traffic in Istanbul was bad. Cairo is worse. We literally didnt use lanes, turn signals, seat belts or any sense of traffic laws. Saiid would pass buses from the right lane, almost hitting pedestrians as they jumped back onto the dusty sidewalks. Hands down one of the top 10 cabs rides of all time. I wish I took a video of it.

Cairo is another world. 20 million people all crowded into an area of like 300 square miles or something. If you want to cross the street I can explain it simply: every play Frogger? Well you at least have to had seen the Seinfeld episode where George is trying to carry the Frogger arcade game machine across three lanes of traffic. Well imagine that without the cheesy music. Picture 5 lanes of speeding cabs, buses and donkeys (yea they run pretty freakin fast) and you slowly creeping across...one lane at a time as vehicles fly by randomly. And remember lanes dont exist here. They do - but no one uses them. Traffic lights? They're a joke. For some reason they just flash yellow all the time. So when your cab comes to an intersection a simple flashing of the bright lights and go. Thats it, no stopping. Which is why when you want to turn into traffic, you just go. Its the norm to make a left turn - from the right lane - within a mere 100 meters - across 5 lanes - using a horn and bright lights. Which is why Cairo is a very noisy city. Im not kidding when I say that you hear horns all day and all night. Quite exciting, really.

Cairo during the day and night from our hotel balcony:

And what makes it more interesting is when the power goes out. My second night there we went searching for some eats and the entire city decided to go dark. Apparently its normal. No power for an hour or so. Can you guess the only place that could afford a power generator? Yea it was the McDonalds. And packed. But I got my Big Mac and ran out - into the traffic haha. Cairo when the power goes out:

But that was the only time I had shit food. Man Egyptian food is stupid good, and dirt cheap. Falafel sandwiches for like what amounts to 20 cents. Koshary (a big bowl of carbs) for a dollar. Its relatively a cheap standard of living here. Gas is 80 cents a gallon. Maybe because Egypt produces their own oil and keeps it in the country - no exportation of oil to keep prices at home low.

Life is also very different. Its one of the biggest Islamic nations in the world. Which means 5 times a day you hear the calls to prayer amplified. Im used to it from Turkiye. But its interesting to note that on the Metro only women are allowed in the first two cars. Which leaves what little space remaining to be fought over by the mean. And you really do have to push and shove your way in the crowded cars before the doors slam shut in 10 seconds. I'd show you a picture - but thats not allowed. You cant take pics of any government institution or soldier. Or of the subway or trains. Its just not allowed. I had friends here who got military personnel with guns running after them for taking photos of the metro. Crazy.

You know what else is crazy? Toilet paper cant be flushed here. Same as in Greece. The system just cant take it. So ya stick the shit in the trash can.

Some of the sights include one of the oldest mosques in Egypt - the Al Azar Mosque.

El Fishawn Cafe - the oldest cafe in Cairo situated in the heart of Khan al Khalilli Bazaar.

They have been open for 24hours straight for the past 200 years. Yes, thats right, the place hasnt closed for a second in 200 years. The rest of the bazaar is like any other Ive seen, but the sellers got some good lines to solicit you as you pass by.
Seller: "Hey what you want?"

Us tourists: "Nothing."

Seller: "Hey, I got nothing! How much you want it for?"

There's also lots of shops along the streets, including one using the black Mickey Mouse?
Now, what I'm sure you've all been waiting for...pictures of the pyramids. This isnt it, but its the unmarked hole in the wall where you buy tickets (in case you decide to go alone and cant figure it out). The second Pyramid. You would think its the Great Pyramid but nah its just the one in the middle that looks bigger because its built on higher ground and the original limestone still lives on top.That would be the Great Pyramid. Hot as hell inside (sorry they dont allow cameras in there - but if you see the National Geographic special its the same thing they filmed). The cool people on tour with me for 3 weeks. These local Egyptian kids wanted a photo of me like I was some celebrity. So I got one with them too.More people along the way...we were driving back from Giza and this random van driver was following next to us posing for the "tourists". On the overnight train to Aswan we had this funny character - kinda reminded me of Al Roker.

The city of Aswan and the Nile River; frequented by local felucca sailboats. Tourism took a dive here long ago; remnants of that gray unfinished resort hotel on Elephant Island stand proof. Some sand dune. We rode camels on the west bank of the Nile while in Aswan.The camel liked my foot for some reason. The next day we headed up the Nile on a felucca. They let me drive the thing. It wasnt easy let me tell ya.

A day trip to Abu Simbel - where Ramses II left his mark all over the place. I think this is Luxor...like I said, it doesnt look anything like the Vegas hotel. The Luxor market and a local specialty...stuffed pigeon. As we descended into the Valley of the Kings I realized my donkey didnt like me. It kept running the opposite way and stopping to eat shit off the path. Another highlight: hot air balloon ride at the ass crack of dawn to see the sunrise over the Valley of the Kings.

Greece

So I decided to finally leave Istanbul a week or so ago. Hard to do, but alas the adventure must continue on...

I did not stay in Greece as long as I intended. By now I learned planning things ahead is something I wont do ever again and instead just go with the flow and be spontaneously crazy about my destinations. After meeting some cool friends in Istanbul who were studying abroad in Greece I sponantously accepted an invitation to see their remote island of Kefallonia, in the city of Argostoli. And I went...but the pictures are yet to surface cause Im lazy like that now.

Kefallonia. Off the beaten path. Most likely the only island in Greece without a McDonalds. And if that doesnt say remote I dont know what would. From Athens I had to take a 7 hour bus and ferry journey to get here. But man it was worth it. There was only one tourist on the island - me. We rode mopeds all over it. We found a beach made of red sand. I cant explain more other than yea you just gota go there for yourself.

A few days of remote island fun and I met up with another friend (whom I met in Istanbul) in Athens. You only need one or two days there thats all. I spent one night. Came, saw the Acropolis, and left. After eating the best gyro on Earth of course.

And at the hostel we had this dude who was a true nomad. This older fellow from Namibia had been travelling since 1993. Yes like 14 years. I couldnt believe it. He literally hasnt been home since starting his journey. Just taking odd jobs all over the world and continuing to live out of a backpack. I'm not sure I'll end up like that only because I know you people back home miss me right? haha.

Istanbul - the food

We cant go to Turkiye and not talk about the food. Many a time I would pass by Turkish restaurants in NYC and not stop in. Now the first thing Im going to do when I get back is have some Brothers Pizza and find a Turkish restaurant. A rundown of the good eats:
Tavuk (chicken) shish. For 4 bucks this is all I ate - almost everyday religiously.

Tavuk donor. What we call gyros back home, they call donor. It was a battle here. Two donor joints soliciting every passer by for business. I always hit up the orange guy. Its like Genos or Pats in Philly. Same price, same food, but who is cooler? Donor, and it goes well with the fresh juice cranked out by a local Turk.









This is Lamachun. Turkish pizza for a dollar yo. Throw some spices on top, roll it up and its mad good.

Turkish delight. Funky treats covered in funky stuff. Found the original one since 1849 and yea it was good. I shoulda mailed some home.



In Taksim one can find this place, home of the best Kokoreci. Its a sandwich filled with chopped up intestines of some animal, mixed with peppers and spices. Rediculously good. And I heard if Turkey wants to join the EU one of the prerequisites is to stop eating kokoreci whatever animal intestines because its inhumane or something. I say its freakin good keep eating it, you dont need to increase the value of your lira up to the Euro standard.

They also sold this thing called midye tava. It tasted like calamari. I have no idea what it is but its stupid good.Every street corner you'll find a guy yelling simichi! Which is this pretzel thing but not a pretzel. As dirty as a dirty water dog but who cares when it tastes good?


Ah yes, a Turkish staple. The Turkish coffee. More like a strong sludge of caffeine. When you get to the bottom you cover the cup, turn three times and flip over. Let the sludge slide down and the remaining pattern is your fortune. If you know someone (like I did :) ) who can read the patterns you can have your future told. Some parts did come to fruition yes.

Outside every cafe or restaurant you are bound to run into the guy who hassles you to come in. This guy became our friend, cause we rolled in here daily to get our dose of cheap tavuk shish.

And this thing - shish beyti style.

And this stuff - iskender. Like beef with yogurt and a side of sketchy fries.

The fish up in Andolu. Had to get it since its famous there. And yea this is how it comes, from the sea to your plate not much changes.

Baklava. We all know what it is but its pretty good in Turkiye. The white things are more Turkish delights.






In Ortakoy you can find the best kumpir - or what amounts to a giant stuffed potato Dave Thomas would be jealous of.

You can always find a fruit juice guy. Pomengrante squeezed and whatnot.
Another local specialty - the manti or Turkish ravioli. We alway went to this one place where the guys play traditional Turkish songs and wont leave your table until you drop the dude a 5 YTL bill. But hey did I mention the food was good?

Theres way more local delicacies and not enough time for me to show them all. I had a picture of Turkish meatballs but cant find it oh well. You must try them. But you get my point - Turkish food is stupid good.

Istanbul people

This is how we chill in Istanbul - with cool people. And all from the US surprisingly. I met more east coast travellers here than anywhere else. What is it with Americans and Istanbul? I wasnt complaining though we had a blast for the weeks we were together at the hostel. Some friends from the west coast with a view from Tokapi Palace. I ended up visiting them on their remote Greek island. My Turkish friend Oyku whom I met in Paris and I by the Bosphorus.

All of us chillin in Tophane one night.
Riding the ferry up the Bosphorus.
There are lots of other folks I met but not enough bandwidth here for me to post. So yea just find me on Facebook and you can see :)

more Istanbul

Did I mention the traffic was bad here? I learned real quick that taking a cab was not a good idea any time of the day. Its stop and go all the way. The roads are just not equipped to handle the masses. So the tram or walking it was most of the time for me.

I walked thru Fatih a lot, which is a very religious part of the city. You can stroll through here late at night and not one person would bother you. Guess it helps too to look like a local Turkish guy. You can see the national pride - there were tons of flags displayed during National Day.

Didnt I show this already? Yea I think I did.
One of the busiest places is Taksim, home to all the nightlife in Istanbul and constant activity. The place to chill and find anything you want.

One of the days we decided to take a ferry up the Bosphorus Strait. Not many times you can stroll up a river and have Europe on one side and Asia on the other. We ended up in the small town of Andolu. A fishing town as you can see.

At the top of Andolu is some old Ottoman castle in crappy condition. But with awesome views of the strait down below.

And of the Black Sea. So yea this is it. I crapped my pants though when one of my friends and I tried to do a proper camera handoff when we accidentally got tangled up and my camera took a dive - heading for the edge of this cliff. I was able to catch it just before it went over but not after the lens thingy was damaged. So, no more camera. For the day at least. Being the efficient nomad I am I was able to find a repair shop in Sirkeji. Believe me I was impressed...the guy actually fixed the thing and it works again! Now my camera got some character with some battle damage.

Istanbul sights

You know what this is...just the Blue Mosque during the day. The fountain in Sultanahmet was cool as well. You can sit there and watch massive amounts of Asian tour groups roll thru.

The Grand Bazaar was the place to shop. Not that I did any, but it was an experience to walk through. Literally you get lost in there.

And they got a Spice Bazaar. So its obvious...they sell spices instead of garments and whatnot.

This dark cavern is one of many sisterns in the area. The old underground reservoir system the Ottomans used. Now just a hole in the ground kinda that tourists walk thru. But it is worthwhile to see.










Views from inside Ayasophia, with the Ottoman style decor and old Christian mozaics. Probably my favorite attraction in Istanbul.

More to follow yo.

Istanbul - random stuff

Lots of fishermen by Eminonu. The bridge they fish off of has cafes below where you sit, and yes, drink Turkish tea. Somehow all the fish ends up with the street vendors. Of course I did not have any. If you saw how green the water was you might avoid it too.

Since I stayed at Bahaus for a prolonged period of time, I became their in house artist. Each day I was creating some random signage advertising some event they were planning. Still got it I guess.


The boat to the Asian side of Istanbul. Not much there but I can say I have taken a ferry across two continents. Here is a scene from the tram. You pretty much have to ride the tram and not rely on the cabs, because the traffic is rediculously gridlocked all day long. The city decided to build the tram thru some of the busiest streets so there can be two less lanes for traffic. Even so, you feel like a sardine most of the time on the tram.

What else about Istanbul life and Turkish culture can I explain? Well I hadnt known until I got here that all the mosques amplify their call to prayers five times a day. Its actually quite interesting because back in the states this surely would not be allowed. Yet here its the norm. So every morning I didnt need an alarm clock - I would wake up to Islamic prayers. When one mosque took a pause in their ritual, the one down the street would start up. So you can imagine the constant praying amplified really loud. By the time I left it was part of the normal routine; didnt bother me at all.

What else? Ah yes, the Turkish coffee thing. Well when you get it in the little cup you'd have to drink it until a little bit of the sludge is left at the bottom. Then cover it with the cup holder, swirl around three times, flip upside down and let it drip into your saucer. After a few minutes pickup the cup and it will leave a pattern. Which, if you know someone cool enough, they can predict your fortune or future. I had it done and it was remarkably accurate, unless of course you just imagine what you want in the coffee patterns. You just have to go to Turkiye and see for yourself.

The culture here is remarkable and at times very different from what we're used to back in the states. And they feel a lot of national pride, not only for their futbol teams (like any other european nation) but on holidays as well. I was there during National Day and literally every house or business displayed the red and white flag. I even got one for my room at the bazaar :) Also when I was here I had some stupid loud fighter jets roar over the city kinda low. Something was up, and it was the start of the troop mobilization in the southeastern part of the country. So of course I followed the dealings going on with Turkiye, the PKK and Iraq. Lots of anti PKK protests were about so it was hard not to run into one while here. Believe me it was interesting when Rice and the US delegation decided to roll into Ankara before I left. Some things that make little news back home is a big deal here.

If I think of more stuff I'll add later but for now the sentiment I have for Turkiye is its a cool place to be. Maybe I'll move there one day...

Istanbul - the sights

So this is Istanbul, Turkiye. The people were great. Long story short I came here on October 13th and stayed over three weeks. Let me tell ya why. The sights. Here is the Blue Mosque. Pretty impressive. I walked by here just about every day as my awesome hostel was in the touristy Sultanahmet area.

This is the main street down Sultanahmet. The local transport is thy tram. Which is massively packed with people all day. There's a traffic problem in Istanbul and its because theres not enough roads for all 16 million inhabitants. Hadnt rained here in over a year. What happens when I rolled in? It rained. Wasnt that bad though. Until the power randomly went out in the neighborhood a few times a week. Well I got used to it.

In Turkiye, every business owner solicits your attention real hard. I mean they really push you to come in for tea or buy a carpet or something. But not me. I could walk through the place and have no problem. Why? Cause I apparently look Turkish. So everyone else gets hassled and I walk thru no problem. It was great.

Ayasohpia. Originally a Christian joint, but when the Ottomans rolled in they decided to convert it to a mosque. But today you can go in there and see the old mozaics from the Christian era half uncovered. Its just massively impressive.
Views of the Bosphorus from atop the hostel roof. Many a day I chilled here and soaked in Istanbul. You know I like a good view.

Futher north up the Bosphorus there are other hot spots, like Ortakoy. Right next to the Bosphorus Bridge connecting Europe to Asia, the longest suspension bridge in Europe.

Ortakoy Mosque on the shore at night.

Theres Tophane, a place with mad cafes where you sit and have Turkish tea. And watch Turkiye futbol. Its addictive. Let me tell you Im gonna root for them now that I got a Turkish flag to display a sort of Turkish pride. The locals show a lot of national pride here and their passion definitely shows during futbol matches. Spent most of my time here with my Turkish friend Oyku. Good times.