Istanbul...its cool, it only happened about three months ago

I would be completely remiss if I didn't devote a proper blog to Istanbul. Istanbul was the one big city that actually managed to capture my heart. It captured it in the same way that my college friend turned Istanbul resident, Jenn had several years ago; through copious amounts of anise flavored alcohol.

...well, there was much more to the city than raki, just as Jenn is much more than my favorite sassy lil' sot.

I reached Istanbul via bus from Izmir. Thankfully, there was none of this passport loosing which I am prone to. Izmir was lovely, and I was able to stay with the Durmaz family there, who were so incredibly kind. The mother and father did not speak a word of English, but we figured each other out. It was also just nice to be in a family unit after several months of travel. I owe Nalan (and Eray for introducing us) more than I could ever repay.

Jenn and her Nietzsche-lovin', Anatolian boyfriend, who I absolutely adore in spite of myself, live in Beyoglu So the first day in Istanbul (8/23) was spent ambling down the Istiklal Caddesi. The giant pedestrian mall that continues down towards Galata Tower, eventually branching into a number of alley ways lined with music stores. I was followed home by some fellow that fancied himself a gentleman I believe.

I spent pretty much all of day two wandering the Grand Bazaar, which is an beautiful covered market of more than 330,0000 sq feet. There are several streets clearly for tourists, but as I continued to wander I noticed shops and restaurants with a few locals perusing goods. A man also sang an Usher song to me while trying to convince me not only to buy some fancy Turkish tile, but that fate had brought us together. Lets just say I didn't buy any tile....and I was followed home...again. Different fella' same idea.


The following day was spent at home, cooking with Jenn, chatting like little teze. It was nice to just catch up...chuckle and cook. I will stop now before I start sounding like the salty moose from Eat, Pray, Fuck myself. Since I didn't really leave the house, I was not followed home.

My fourth day I spent walking through the Mosques of Istanbul. I entered the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia. Words can't describe how massive these buildings feel. Nor can they do justice to the amazing artistry inside. History will tell you the Mosques meld a variety of cultural and artistic traditions. All I know, is they were rad.





Since Jenn and Aras were off the next day, we did a tour of the Bosphorus, and dinner/ drinks to follow near a small fish market. In Turkey, they really really know how to do food. Sooo good. This is the view from our plastic lawn chair table, where I had some kind of whole fish served to me on a huge tray. Since we were with Aras, I was not, in fact, followed home that night.


My final day was spent at the Basilica Cistern and Sulthanamet Palace. The Basilica Cistern was my favorite site in Istanbul. The subterranean structure feels very....ethereal. I have no word to use properly here. I am sure there is one, but I don't have it. Think Moria from Lord of the Rings. The place feels massive and hushed, despite having a few hundred tourists in it at any one time.


I left Istanbul that night, but I will be back.

Neglectful

"So, what was it like?"
I get asked that question about travel more than anything else. Tonight Hamad gave me the answer. For everyone that wants to know what it is to hop from culture to culture this is the answer:



Over the past month I have been neglecting my journal. Mostly cause I figured with the fancy traveling around the world being over, I would have little to say. I thought a few follow up entries would suffice and this book would close.

Then I realized I am still traveling. I am, a month after returning to the United States, still a tourist. I am in Denver now, which presents itself with a whole new experience worth exploring for me.

I owe Istanbul about 12 entries...but after that, a peek into learning how to live a completely different life.

Turkey: Worst case scenario.

The travel gods had been nice to me. Too nice...I was within my budget, had accommodation arranged for all but three nights of the trip. Family cooked meals, amazing friends from around the world, great deals on souvenirs, and sick only once.

…I should have known disaster would hit.

Anyone who travels knows that worst case scenario aside from getting kidnapped and sold into the sex trade is the loss of a passport.
…and a wallet
…and your debit card
…on a bus
…that is going god knows where
…and you have no more phone credit
…and you have no idea where you are
…all you know is that you don’t speak more than three words of the language.
AWESOME

What do you do?

My answer was to walk towards the city center, until I found a travel agency (the travel gods do pity us mortals from time to time) A few calls later, Can Akdogan, (great name, huh?) the general manager of Apandana Travel Agency had located my wallet and offered the use of their transport vehicle for a reduced cost to pick it up.

At the bus station, we picked it up….with everything exactly where it was left. Amazing. That means I still have a debt to the travel gods. They will collect, but not today.

No Cairo Blog

...for the past several days I have tried to collect my thoughts on Cairo to form them into some type of prose half worth reading. Unfortunately, my heart was never belonged to the city. I stood in awe of the Pyramids, and was glad to stay on the island in the middle of the Nile (yes there is one)...but it never felt...right.
So I leave you with photos...

Ramadan Kareem

A few days before Ramadan the wind came alive in Egypt. Silvery streamers cris-crossed from building to building and rustled according to the demands of the sea breeze in Alexandria. Much like Christmas in Christian culture, people decorate for Ramadan and Coca-cola makes special packaging for their beverages. My favorite decorations, however, are the the lanterns hung over crowded streets.



Several days after the streamers and lanterns are put up a man appears at 3:30am wandering the streets banging a drum as he yells Allah knows what in Arabic. Anywhere else, most people would be asleep (please note in Egypt, no one sleeps...ever)...and that is exactly why he is out there. Apparently, it is his job to wake everyone up at least an hour before prayers so that Muslims during Ramadan can eat (Sahoor) and pray in the wee hours of the morning. I heard him in Alexandria, then another fellow in Cairo and a scary drummer in Turkey. To me if a person embodies Ramadan, it is him and his drum.

Fasting during this time is supposed to re-direct minds from the superficial activity of daily life to a more...elevated state of self-control, humility, and empathy for others. I see a lot more fights between strangers during this time of year. Almost saw one guy go crazy in the checkout line a Carrefour in the Hong Kong bus killer kinda way. At the same time, it really is beautiful to be in Muslim countries through this month and I am glad I got to celebrate it with the Akl family.

Ramadan is also the time where 20% of all food is consumed in the Middle East. Crazy considering that no one eats or drinks during daylight hours. Night time comes alive and the new tv season starts during this time.

In Turkey, it is quite a bit different, but since life seems to go on as mostly normal, I thought it would be more interesting to relay the culture of Ramadan from an Egyptian perspective. (God forbid the West starts realizing that the Muslim world is not homogeneous).

Regardless, Ramadan Kareem everyone!

Two blocks from the Canal.

The thing about guide books is they never really explain that native Alexandrians probably won’t know where their world cultural heritage sites are located. They also won’t mention that the craziest shit you will see in Egypt appears when your native Alexandrian friends get lost in Carmous, the area around Alexandria’s world cultural heritage sites

…Of course, Simi and Kareem were lost because they relied on my directions…

Regardless, on the trip to Pompey’s pillar I saw Street Chickens....though they weren't nearly as impressive as---
Street Ducks AND Street turkeys


Now, it is “normal” to see people using donkey carts to pull fruit…but I thought this was kinda cool


…..but I would like to also mention (and I am sad I didn’t get a photo of this) that I also saw a guy pulling what was either petrol or possibly kerosene by donkey as well while we roamed around Carmous

Pompey's pillar was pretty rad though as well...Simi tried to convince them I was his cousin so I would get the Egyptian price. It failed miserably...
Anyway, wikipeadia says this about the pillar:

"Pompey's Pillar is a Roman triumphal column in Alexandria, Egypt, and the largest of its type constructed outside of the imperial capitals of Rome and Constantinople.[1] The only known free-standing column in Roman Egypt which was not composed of drums,[1] it is one of the largest ancient monoliths and one of the largest monolithic columns ever erected.

The monolithic column shaft measures 20.46 m in height with a diameter of 2.71 m at its base.[2] The weight of the single piece of red Aswan granite is estimated at 285 t.[2] The column is 26.85 m high including its base and capital.[2] Other authors give slightly deviating dimensions.[A 1]

Erroneously dated to the time of Pompey, the Corinthian column was actually built in 297 AD, commemorating the victory of Roman emperor Diocletian over an Alexandrinian revolt.[2]"

The coolest part of the pillar was that it was built on top of the "temple of the Serapis, once a magnificent structure rivaling the Soma and the Caesareum. Nearby are subterranean galleries where sacred Apis bulls were buried, and three sphinxes. After his defeat by Julius Caesar in the civil war, Pompey fled to Egypt where he was murdered in 48 BC; mediaeval travelers later believed he must be buried here, and that the capital atop the corner served as a container for his head."

Which...was wrong. Anyhow, it was these galleries that were the coolest/creepiest. They were filled with a thick chemical smelling fog. Simi wanted to pass the "keep out" sign, but with no way of see where we would be going, Kareem and I persuaded/dragged him out, cause the rest of the way looked like this:

Can we take photo with you?

They point to you….then to the camera. I think, “sure, I will take a photo for you.” I reach for the camera, but they hand it to someone else. Suddenly, I am in the picture.

Fleur, the Dutch woman I am staying with explains that people in Alexandria always take photos with Western European-Looking people. As I think about it, I haven’t really seen any white people, and as the day progresses at Fort Qaitbey we end up taking photos with at least ten different groups of people. It is not just hormonal teenage boys, in fact it is mostly women and families that want to take photos with us.

…it is so weird. Grinning little girls say, “Hello” and go deer-in-headlight when you respond, “Hi, How are you?” The look on their faces says, “wait…it talked back..”
Kind of adorable for now, though it could get kind of annoying if I lived here…

Aside from taking photos with a million people, Fort Qaitbey was super interesting in its own right. Built around 1500, the Fort was placed on the site of the former Lighthouse of Alexandria (which had been ruined in an earthquake), using some of the same materials.


These are the fishermen that you see around alexandria. I took this from the fort, because it was a great angle to really view it.