Istanbul and Me

I came to Istanbul kind of expecting a lighter version of Cairo but wow was that a ridiculous assumption. Istanbul is a modern, bustling, culture-packed city that, as far as massive primarily-Muslim cities go, very progressive. A city that is split between both Europe and Asia but most commonly associated with the "Middle East", Istanbul has a very noticeable European flare wherever you go. Full of street side cafes, modern and Western clothing stores and a pretty robust mass-transit system and amazing views of glistening bodies of water on multiple sides, you might even think it was a small country nestled in between France and Italy somewhere.

We're only about 28 hours into our Turkish adventure so far, but I have to say that I really, really like this city. It's not surprising since everyone I've ever talked to that has been here has said the same, but people will tell you that about everywhere they go. I've already decided I would like to move here, which is something I've said about every country I've ever been to - except Panama. But I really do like the feel, the vibe of the city and it's people. Without a doubt, the food is easy for me to love. Add to that the fact that they have an enormous amount of street food and open shop vendors lining most busy streets with everything from bread, corn-on-the-cob and roasting chestnuts to perfectly seasoned and grilled lamb just waiting to be carved off for your next kabob, and you get a place that I like. A place that I get hungry just typing about. A place I can't wait to get off the computer at so I can go find another restaurant to try. Turkey is way more delicious than turkey. We should have to change the name of the bird out of respect.

Today I practiced what I've come to know as the only real way to take in a brand new city - walk it. Walk all over the place. Up hills, down hills, around hills. Walk along any body of water. Walk through every possible market and bazaar. And that is exactlty what I did today. Killing two birds with one stone, two of us from the group headed out on a photowalk from Taksim Square, the vivacious shopping area located just a few blocks from our flat, all the way down the shores of the might Bosphorous, past a little fresh fish market located on the Golden Horn, over to the Spice Bazaar, through many local markets that were thankfully tourist-free, and all the way up to Sultan Amhet, where the primary sites for the day sat. A few hundred pictures and very, very sore legs later, we sat down at what we thought was just a random cafe to get tea (spelled cay, pronounced chai). Tea in Turkey is a way of life...something most sit down for 5 or more times a day. As we walked to the back of the very traditionally decored Turkish cafe, we came out onto a deck with a stunning view of the Maramara Sea. After 20 minutes of sitting on cushions in the sunshine, looking out over the glistening water and doing absolutely nothing but sipping a phenomenal little cup of mint tea (nane chai), the fantasticness of the moment - and the trip - hit me head on. This was the life. Give someone else a week of nothing to do on a beach, give me sipping tea while overlooking the sea in Turkey.

I've joked that this trip is really R&D for Pound, but in someways I see every trip moving forward in that light. My experience with food and culture from around the world so far have a lot to do with what we serve at Pound and the experience we hope to deliver. I've taken in a few new cuisines here already, sampled a select collection of amazing little cakes and pastries and tried my hand at the ultra-intense Turkish coffee. So far, I like it all. Look out Pound fans, Turkey may be leaving an impact on the restaurant soon! And that's a good thing.

It's time for me to get back to the bustling streets of Taksim Square and find my way down the hilly, cobblestone-like streets to our flat. I have to get back to watch the sunset over the Bosphorous, with Asia just a few hundred yards away, while sitting on the balcony off of my bedroom for the week. But I need one last thing to make this experience complete...I'll need a beer. Luckily, there's a store for that!

Turkey! Greece!

In exactly one week and one hour, I will board my United flight from Dulles (IAD) to Istanbul, Turkey (IST) via Munich, Germany (MUC). As you can tell by the last blog entry, it's been almost exactly a year since I left the country. Far too long! The catalyst for this next exciting trip is my good friend Rod's birthday. He's turning 30 and wanted to celebrate in a big way!

Along with about 10 other friends, we'll be in Istanbul for 5 days - all staying in a flat we've rented there. Because my life has been beyond crazy the last few months between my day job and all the new work associated with getting my restaurant and coffee shop, Pound, to a good, profitable place...my planning for this trip has been severely lacking. But this I know - I'll be in Turkey from Wednesday to Monday and then flying Monday morning to Athens, Greece. Only about half the group is making the second leg, but even then they're only staying for two days. Since the Greek islands are a-whole-nother world from Athens, I've extended my trip two extra nights aside from what everyone else is doing.

So many things to see, do and, most importantly, EAT! I just watched Bourdain's show on Turkey a few weeks ago and I'm still hungry from it. I am going to eat well on this trip! As if I don't on all of them. Right.

Hopefully I will get another update in before I actually take off, and I haven't decided how I'm going to do updates from the road. But most likely, my writings will be limited to the time I can find to hang out at net cafes around the area. I will definitely be taking tons of pictures and will be packing my new, super special Nikon D-SLR!

Now I just need to find the time to get as excited about this trip as I should be. I've got the Lonely Planet Turkey book, so I'm half-way there. TURKEY HERE I COME!

Vacation Part Due: Welcome to Tuscany

I only have 9 minutes left on my internet card! Time to type quickly while I sit here at the InternetTrain net cafe in Florence. Two days ago we took an Alitalia flight from Cairo to Milano and made our way without too much hassle on either continent. We had time before our flight from Cairo, so we were able to stop and buy some stuff camels as presents. We were honestly relieved to be leaving Egypt, it is an exhausting country when you visit as a tourist. But one you must see to believe and experience - just let me give you a few hundred tips we learned the hard way before you go!

The first night back in Italy we picked up our rental car and headed for the coast. We picked a random hotel right on the sea in Massa, a little Italian village. Our room, while very basic, was in a very hold house and had windows that opened up to a clear view of the Medditereanean, which was only about 100 feet away. Yesterday we jumped in the car and headed for our Villa, just outside of Greve in Chianti. As we entered the region, the natural scenic beauty hits you immediately - it really is just as perfect looking as every movie you have ever seen that takes place here. I am taking tons and tons of pictures, but I fear no amount of photography could do this place justice. Just make sure you add Tuscany to your must visit list as well.

Today we have walked all over Florence and stopped for an hour to sip a glass of wine beside an old palace just over the river. We climbed the bell tower at Il Duomo, which exhausted us and took every ounce of energy we had, but was well worth the amazing views and hopefully incredible pictures that came out of it.

Well I have one minute left and the lights are flashing at me, so I have to go! Will post more soon. Caio! (Enjoy this snap I took while we were enjoying a glass of vino!)

Real Egypt at Last?

I think we may have finally busted free of tourist hell, at least for a little bit. We've tried to stroll around the towns as much as possible to seek out restaurants and shops the toursits don't frequent, but its been very hard. I think we have finally acheived that. I'm sitting in an internet cafe called "Spider Net" just across the street from the koshari joint we just ate at. Koshari is a very common food in Egypt, but I'm pretty sure, like most great food, it is associated most commonly with the lower class or poorer people. I had read about it before coming and wanted to make sure to try it, so I had it the first night we were in Cairo. We happened to be in a relatively fancy restaurant and it was half the price of everything else on the menu at 25 LE. About 5 bucks. You can imagine the huge smile that I was overcome by when I asked the helpful guy who ran the little street side "restaurant" how much it was - he replied "4 LE" or about 80 cents. Success.

In my own uneducated description, koshari is kind of like a mix between chick peas, spaghetti, macaroni with a semi-spicy red sauce on top, and then topped off with all kinds of little crunchy things. In other words, it is awesome.

We both had koshari and drinks and the total was 15LE. About three dollars. Um...heaven, is that you? If you know me, you know I LOVE local food from around the world. And if you know me well, you know I LOVE getting a deal on anything. Food is so much better when it is cheap. (Same definitely goes for beer too, but that is much harder to come by in a Muslim country). Combine cheap and incredibly tasty food with a seat in the open air shop overlooking the street that has spontaneously turned into a street party with strobe lights, a DJ spinning dance music and people jumping around in costumes celebrating god knows what (maybe still May Day?) and you have - well, a happy me. This is culture - not the kind you pay ridiculous hotel restaurant prices for or the kind you get when walking streets lined with overly-aggressive shop hagglers. This is the kind you get when you finally escape to the real Egypt. Me like. Me like much more.

This little experience from the last few hours (it is pushing midnight here) has overshadowed our packed day of tomb and temple seeing on this blog post so far, so let me jump right into that. Today we hired our taxi driver last night to be our driver for the day today and a guide to take us around the West Bank, as well as to see Karnak and a few other local sights. Hiring a car (taxi) and a guide for the day is around $50. Well worth it if you want to cram a lot into one day and you want to actually be able to understand what you are looking at when you get to the places. Nothing is labeled anywhere and nothing has signage as to what you are looking at. Unfortunately all of the temples kind of start to blend together and you get a bit of temple fatigue. The highlights of today included being able to climb into a few pharoh's tombs, including peeking into King Tut's, in the Valley of the King's, as well as walking around the massiveness of Karnak. Lot's of photos to share, as always. Today felt like 10,000 degrees out and the hot, hot, hot Egyptian sun shined as brightly as it possibly could on us all day as we hiked around the ancient ruins. Needless to say, this kind of sightseeing is exhausting. Thank god we happened to have booked an amazing hotel on the banks of the Nile with a very inviting pool. Thanks to Sheraton points (thanks Maria!).

Tomorrow we fly from Luxor back to Cairo for one last night in Egypt. No plans yet, but I'm sure we will find something exciting. Then...off to Milan to rent a car and drive to Tuscany for 4 or 5 days! Egypt has been great and amazing, as well as frustrating and awful, but as is with any country - it is what you make of it. And I definitely know enough now to make of Egypt a very exciting and unforgettable experience.

Oh...and I've picked up some more Arabic. I'm kinda a pro now.

A Long, Hot Day in Southern (Upper) Egypt

I'm currently at an internet cafe that sits merely 75 feet from the mighty Nile. Here in Aswan is where the Nile is at its best. Yesterday we took a 3 hour sailing trip on a felucca, swaying from island to island and stopping off at a few places on the way. It included a stop off at a 3000 year old Nubian village, but my expectations were definitely not met - even though we had a tour of the village with the supposed chief. In reality, it was a 5-10 min walk down a few trash filled dirt roads followed by the "chief" asking for money for the tour. We also made stops at the botanical gardens...which were not execptionally special, but did offer some absolutely amazing views of the Nile with the shining dunes of the Sahara behind it.

It is in the lower 90's here in Aswan, and it is now 9pm. Today, Maria and I were up at 3am to catch a minibus for Abu Simbel. Because of the location and the route, tourists are required to go with a police convoy. This sounds scarier than it is because were actually in a line of about 30-40 buses and vans and rarely even saw the police. But we were in some kind of protective convoy, which is why we had to be on the road by 4am today. Abu Simbel was a 3+ hour journey that definitely had its share of inconveniences, but we arrived around 7:30am to venture over to the amazing temple of Abu Simbel with the towering statues of Ramses II and his wife Nefertari. While we only spent about an hour at the site and the trip was over 7 hours total round trip, I definitely recommend this visit to anyone who is in southern Egypt. Way out of the way, but one of those things you will kick yourself for years if you don't go. Lot's of pictures to show of course!

Unfortunately the heat, continuous interactions with in your face salesmen, fees for absolutely everything (including the bathroom and seeing anything, aywhere) and the inconvenient "tour" operators that make you swap vans and drivers at their whim, has left us exhausted, out of energy and in much lower spirits. By the time we got to the Unfinished Obelisk today, half the group was so done with everything that we did not even get off.

Up rather early again tomorrow to take a 7:30 mini-bus for Luxor. It will include hour long stops at Kom Ombo and the temple at Edfu. Then, we hope to find someone to act as a tour guide for us in Luxor so we can quickly and efficiently see the West Bank one day and the East Bank the next - hoping for minimal hassles. I also secretly still hanging on to the vision of getting to take a hot air balloon ride over the Nile, but we will see if we can fit it in.

Ok - it's still crazy hot, dusty and overall exhausting sitting here in this net cafe. Time to get some actual sleep so I can be awake early again. Hope you are all enjoying the blog posts, I try to get them up when I can!

Just remember - when you get approached every 30 seconds by people hustling everything from boat rides to hotel rooms, just say "La!"....or no in Arabic.

I Ask for Adventure, Cairo Delivers

We have been in Cairo for three days now. I am sitting in an internet cafe called "interland" in Central Cairo, taking care of a few things before we head back to grab our bags and then take a taxi (supposedly our new friend Wagghie is picking us up from the hotel) to the Giza train station. There we will board our 12 or 13 hour overnight sleeper train to Aswan.

The last couple of days are almost indescribable. I am no longer quite as overwhelmed as I have slightly settled into the culture and everyday experiences of wandering the city and the streets - at least a little. The combination of 20 million people in the Cairo area, along with it being one of the most polluted places on earth, as well as taking in an obviously completely different language in Arabic and trying to determine if the continuous stream of people that grab us and try to talk to us are "touts" trying to scam us or get us to give them money, or just overly friendly people who really are saying "Welcome to Egypt" with complete sincerity and no hidden motives. We have encountered many of both. Our first day included a highly stressful experience with getting a taxi at the airport - I suddenly had flashbacks from the Peruvian - Ecuadorian border. After our airport departure "fun", we were immediately scarred and on our highest level of scammer guard.

Since then, many Cairenes (the locals of Cairo) have asked us why we look scared or untrusting when they approach us. I would like to think that most of these people are really good people are actually trying to help us and want to let us know that we are very welcome in their country. Today, I believe many of them are. But the previous two days - not so much. It definitely depends on the area of the city you are in. Some people are so happy to meet an American that they want to give me their info so I can call them whenever I need help in the country or need advice on what to see or do. But of course, having traveled in my share of third-world countries, I am always incredibly careful and still not completely trusting regardless of how nice or sincere they are. The cab driver, that dropped us off in the scary little town in Peru that was no where near where we paid him to take us, looked pretty nice too. Just sayin'.

Yesterday we hired a guide and a little van to take us around to all the major sights in the area, including the famous pyramids at Giza. It was a great idea to do this, and very much worth the minimal cost. But after everything has set it today, we realize how much this recommended guide had really taken us for a ride at all of the "museums" she took us to that were really her friends stores pretty much. I realize I am fortunate enough to be able to pay higher prices than the locals - but don't rip me off and don't take advantage of me. Nothing pisses me off more. Anyway...the pyramids, let's talk about them.

We grow up hearing and seeing so much about the pyramids and the sphinx and all that stuff that, to be honest, walking up the great pyramid was not nearly the awe inspiring moment I had expected. Without a doubt, these are ingeniously designed and constructed buildings that are amazing to see. But the lack of organization and protection of these monuments and structures just sets a negative tone right off the bat for how you perceive them. We decided to pay the extra (relatively expensive) entrance fee to actually go inside of the Great Pyramid. It is only about a 10 min trip up and back for 100 EP per person, but you get to bend over and scurry up through the insides of pretty much the most famous structure on earth. The most exciting part for me was getting to stand up in the Queen's Chamber, where supposedly they pulled the giant blocks up through an internal ramp. I had just seen video of this chamber on a travel channel show before I came, so it was quite interesting. I could type a lot about the pyramids and the desert that surrounded them, but want I really want to talk about are my new favorite friends. Camels.

I love camels. You have no idea how crazy tall they are until you are sitting on the back of one and the owner instructs the camel stand up. Hold on tight! Because they are so big, they have to stand up with their front first, and then their back. It is a big process, and definitely throws you for a big jolt if you don't know what to expect. We went for a 20 minute camel ride through the desert with views of all 9 Giza pyramids - pretty amazing. The best part of the day in fact. I have so many pictures and even little videos of our camel safari to share. Even the unfamiliar gargling sounds that they make is hilarious - camels are so cool. I will try to bring one home if I can.

The thing I hate about my blogging is that I do it when I am in the middle of running between sights or taking a quick break before hitting the traveling trail once again. I wish I could write for hours at a time to really describe all of the amazing, phenomenal, interesting and sometimes downright frightening experiences that come together to compile these great adventures. Unfortunately, I must go yet again. But for good reason - we are off to get on the overnight sleeper train to Aswan where we will explore even more amazing sights. I can't wait for our day trip to Abu Simbel, only 40km from the Sudan border and home to some absolutely incredible statues and...well...stuff. OH crap, I completely left out the fact that we went to the Egyptian Museum today! Wow, so much to tell if I had the time. But let's just say I'm kinda a big deal - I got to stand beside King Tut's own, real chariot today. They didn't let me take it out for a spin though unfortunately.

I asked for adventure, and Cairo delivered.

Chokran for reading.

In Cairo

WOW, this is one crazy experience. Sensory overload and very overwhelmed right now. Going to the Pyramids tomorrow and will have tons to share as soon as I get more time to blog.

I am out here REALLY "getting some culture" right now. I can't even describe the experience that is Cairo...hopefully I get the time to describe it soon.

Karl - hoping to ride a camel tomorrow - Johnson