Dubai, Dubai, Dubai. They say Dubai is a city of contrast and I could not agree more. For my first day here I kept thinking, "It must really suck to have the best thing about your city be the airport." Which, in Dubai's case, does not mean much because Dubai International Airport is really cool. Cooler than many cities, in fact. But, I do not think that is what Dubai is going for; "Come to DBX, Stay in DBX, Leave from DBX" is not exactly "I Love New York." Still, I really hated the city at first.
I really cannot even put all my thoughts together on this city. It is bizzar here. Everything about it contradicts everything else. The city is bankrupt, but the public does not know. It seems like half of the buildings are still under construction and many have stagnant machinary sitting atop it. The city is prime for growth but there is no money. Sidewalks are unfinished. The construction workers appear to NEVER do anything other than sit around. In progress are three enormous projects: One, the Burg Dubai, which is/will be the tallest building in the world. I saw this thing, it is huge. And that is coming from somebody that has seen the Sears Tower all his life. This is easily the most complete of the three. Two, "The Lagoons," which is going to be a private community of the fantastically wealthy on a series of man-made lagoons, creating "an eternally romantic setting." Three, Dubailand. Yes, that atrocious name is going to be twice the size of Disney World in Orlando and be similar in that it will be family-orientated but disimilar in that they do not have Disney characters. Dubailand is in the end of its first stage, 2005-2010, and should be completed by 2015. Yep, you read that right.
Dubai, despite its location, is astoundingly green in color, because the city of 1.2 million consumes more than 250 millions gallons of water a day, or 208 gallons/person/day (Americans "only" consume 159 gallons a day). There are several water parks, countless fountains, and no regulation on water usage.
I have come to think of Dubai as high risk, high reward. The city is still young. In 25 years it will be completely different.
It seems that when people have an idea, they just act on it, and leave out that crucial step of critical thought. For example, there is a store I have passed many times that sells nothing but chair wheels, except most look decades old. How does that store seem like a good idea? "But that is just one store, a small sole proprietorship," you say. Well, the city itself opened a new Metro system on 09/09/09. The Metro is supposed to be a city transportation system, like the CTA in Chicago or the Tube in London, but it is more like the country-to-country trains in Europe. It seems to be great if you take it from one end to the other or your destination happens to be right next to a stop, but otherwise you are screwed because the other forms of transportation are unreliable (bus), expensive (taxi), infeasible (walking, because of the heat).
I am getting kicked out of the Internet cafe. More to come about Dubai (maybe).
28 September 2009
22 September 2009
South Africa
South Africa has replaced Israel as my favorite country I have visited so far. I am really disappointed I only had two weeks here. I wish I had two in Cape Town. And the Garden Route. And the Sunshine Coast. And the Wild Coast. And Kruger. And all the other places I did not have a chance to visit because I only had two weeks.
Even before I leave I know I have to come back here.
The coastline stretching from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, and really even to St. Lucia should be required for everybody in their mid-20s. Wow. I am sitting here and do not know where to begin.
I took the BazBus from Nelspruit to Swaziland, where I stayed for about 12 hours (and neglected to run the mile that I was trying to do in each country I visited), then the BazBus again to Durban. The driver was happy to accept cash, so those rides were heavily discounted, from 940ZAR to 450ZAR. Swazi is cool and I also wish I had more time there. In Durban I met a Belgium guy, Lennart, who was willing to split a rented car with me for a week and drive to Cape Town. Man, am I lucky I found him. At first I was just happy to split the cost, but it turns out I did not remember how to drive a manual car as well as I thought I did. He did 85% of the driving and I had a refresher course during the remaining 15% (I am considerably better now).
Durban is a nice enough place but there is not a ton to do there. I ran on the beach (6 miles instead of 1 to compensate for the mile missed in Swazi and because you do not even remember you are running because of the view), walked around the city (during daylight), and went to a casino (one of the things I am going to try to do on every continent). Unfortunately the casino did not have any real card games. Or craps. So I played roulette. I won on my first play and then lost every time after that, ending down 50ZAR, half of what I bought in for, or about $8. The weird Indian woman standing next to me was flirting with me (I think) as she threw around 25 and 100ZAR chips (I was playing with 5ZAR chips). She was weird. I cashed out my chips and left.
From Durban, Lennart and I got in out white VW Avis car and drove to Coffee Bay. We did not make it all the way there and ended up staying in Port Saint Johns instead. The Jungle Monkey is a cool hostel and the beach is great. From there we drove to Coffee Bay and stayed at the Coffee Shack, where I took surf lessons from a guy you was hired by the owner, a former surfing champion. I am no expert, but I now know how to surf and can even stand up. I still no control over the board, but I still have 12+ months to improve. I also went to see the blow hole and a couple of nice hikes. Gorgeous place.
In Coffee Bay we met two Americans that wanted a ride to our next destination, so the joined us in our adventure to Jeffreys Bay. About 45 minutes into the drive, we got two flat tires, both on the passenger side (left in this country). We spent the next 2-2.5 hours resolving the situation (and playing soccer with local kids that were not in school for no reason with a loaf of bread made into a spherical shape) and then we were on our way again. Jeffreys Bay is one of the best surfing destinations in the world, if not the best. I intended on renting a board for a few hours but once I saw the waves decided against it once I saw the enormity of the waves. They are called "supertubes" by South Africans. Really intimidating to a novice like me. Instead I just used somebody's rented board for a bit just to say I surfed (or tried to) in Jeffreys Bay.
Outside of surfing there is not much to do in Jeffreys Bay, so we just chilled for a couple of days. Cool place, but the main attraction (surfing) is far beyond my skill level. The hostel was awesome and cheap (70ZAR/night) and the people are cool so there was plenty of good times.
From Jeffreys Bay Lennart and I set out to drive all the way to Stollenbosch to stay with a few people I met in Durban and do some wine tasting (Stollenbosch is heart of South Africa's wine country). We took a more scenic route and decided to stop mid-way in Mossel Bay. Here, our hostel was literally a train that sits on the beach. It was a bit cramped, but a cool experience. The beach was beautiful and the water was not too cold (unlike Jeffreys Bay where it was freezing). We did not do too much exploring here and simply woke up early and drove to Stollenbosch where I did some wine tasting (Lennart, per usual, was driving and did not drink). Wine was great, but I would not know decent wine from outstanding wine (bad wine I can identify most of the time). I bought five bottles, four as gifts, and one for myself to drink in Cape Town. Apparently when you buy wine here you get a free bottle of wine, so now I have two bottles to drink in my three nights in Cape Town. I think I am game for the challenge. (Note: one bottle is gone after one night.)
Cape Town. Man, this city is awesome. You can just feel it when you approach. I walked around today and it is just cool. I have two more nights here so I will save my Cape Town for another post.
Oh, I go shark diving tomorrow. And whale watching. All before dinner
Even before I leave I know I have to come back here.
The coastline stretching from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, and really even to St. Lucia should be required for everybody in their mid-20s. Wow. I am sitting here and do not know where to begin.
I took the BazBus from Nelspruit to Swaziland, where I stayed for about 12 hours (and neglected to run the mile that I was trying to do in each country I visited), then the BazBus again to Durban. The driver was happy to accept cash, so those rides were heavily discounted, from 940ZAR to 450ZAR. Swazi is cool and I also wish I had more time there. In Durban I met a Belgium guy, Lennart, who was willing to split a rented car with me for a week and drive to Cape Town. Man, am I lucky I found him. At first I was just happy to split the cost, but it turns out I did not remember how to drive a manual car as well as I thought I did. He did 85% of the driving and I had a refresher course during the remaining 15% (I am considerably better now).
Durban is a nice enough place but there is not a ton to do there. I ran on the beach (6 miles instead of 1 to compensate for the mile missed in Swazi and because you do not even remember you are running because of the view), walked around the city (during daylight), and went to a casino (one of the things I am going to try to do on every continent). Unfortunately the casino did not have any real card games. Or craps. So I played roulette. I won on my first play and then lost every time after that, ending down 50ZAR, half of what I bought in for, or about $8. The weird Indian woman standing next to me was flirting with me (I think) as she threw around 25 and 100ZAR chips (I was playing with 5ZAR chips). She was weird. I cashed out my chips and left.
From Durban, Lennart and I got in out white VW Avis car and drove to Coffee Bay. We did not make it all the way there and ended up staying in Port Saint Johns instead. The Jungle Monkey is a cool hostel and the beach is great. From there we drove to Coffee Bay and stayed at the Coffee Shack, where I took surf lessons from a guy you was hired by the owner, a former surfing champion. I am no expert, but I now know how to surf and can even stand up. I still no control over the board, but I still have 12+ months to improve. I also went to see the blow hole and a couple of nice hikes. Gorgeous place.
In Coffee Bay we met two Americans that wanted a ride to our next destination, so the joined us in our adventure to Jeffreys Bay. About 45 minutes into the drive, we got two flat tires, both on the passenger side (left in this country). We spent the next 2-2.5 hours resolving the situation (and playing soccer with local kids that were not in school for no reason with a loaf of bread made into a spherical shape) and then we were on our way again. Jeffreys Bay is one of the best surfing destinations in the world, if not the best. I intended on renting a board for a few hours but once I saw the waves decided against it once I saw the enormity of the waves. They are called "supertubes" by South Africans. Really intimidating to a novice like me. Instead I just used somebody's rented board for a bit just to say I surfed (or tried to) in Jeffreys Bay.
Outside of surfing there is not much to do in Jeffreys Bay, so we just chilled for a couple of days. Cool place, but the main attraction (surfing) is far beyond my skill level. The hostel was awesome and cheap (70ZAR/night) and the people are cool so there was plenty of good times.
From Jeffreys Bay Lennart and I set out to drive all the way to Stollenbosch to stay with a few people I met in Durban and do some wine tasting (Stollenbosch is heart of South Africa's wine country). We took a more scenic route and decided to stop mid-way in Mossel Bay. Here, our hostel was literally a train that sits on the beach. It was a bit cramped, but a cool experience. The beach was beautiful and the water was not too cold (unlike Jeffreys Bay where it was freezing). We did not do too much exploring here and simply woke up early and drove to Stollenbosch where I did some wine tasting (Lennart, per usual, was driving and did not drink). Wine was great, but I would not know decent wine from outstanding wine (bad wine I can identify most of the time). I bought five bottles, four as gifts, and one for myself to drink in Cape Town. Apparently when you buy wine here you get a free bottle of wine, so now I have two bottles to drink in my three nights in Cape Town. I think I am game for the challenge. (Note: one bottle is gone after one night.)
Cape Town. Man, this city is awesome. You can just feel it when you approach. I walked around today and it is just cool. I have two more nights here so I will save my Cape Town for another post.
Oh, I go shark diving tomorrow. And whale watching. All before dinner
15 September 2009
Athens and Kruger
I have so much to write and not much time to do it in so I am going to break up this post covering the last week in a couple of posts.
Athens was OK. To me, it is a poor man's New York City, but even that is generous. It was a couple of the positive qualities of NYC, but does most poorly. For example, the Athens version of Central Park, called the National Gardens, used to be the play area for royalty. It can be explored in entirety in 30 minutes. The negative qualities of NYC, Athens does not fall short, and often exceeds. It is nearly as busy, far dirtier, and people have a similar disposition.
I had heard that Greeks are very vain people. I did not form this opinion, but I did notice that they like spending money. You know a couple of years ago when Americans spent about 100% of what they earned? I would not be surprised if most Greeks do the same. Except, instead of buying homes they cannot afford, they buy clothes, cell phones, and cars they cannot afford and eat out all the time. Even the tourist restaurants were had locals locals in them.
Leaving Athens, Greece to Johannesburg, South Africa was a trip. I had a stop over in Dubai, UAE, which is like going from Chicago to New York to Houston, expect the distances are longer. Fortunately I was on the airline Emirates, which is easily the best airline I have ever been on and, apparently, is currently rated the best airline. It was awesome. The food was good, service was good, entertainment options were outstanding and flight pleasant despite the string of terrible women I had sitting next to me. Coincidentally, my next destination after South Africa is Dubai, so I will be going back there (but on a different airline). This is OK with me because Dubai's airport is awesome.
I booked my Kruger National Park safari about 1.5 days before it was to begin. Oddly enough, doing so left so little time for me to pay the agent to in turn pay the suppliers, so I paid the suppliers directly, saving me about $150. From the Jo'burg airport I took a connecting domestic flight to Nelspruit then a "transfer" (private car ride) to my lodge in Kruger.
Aside from the family vacation in Mexico, the lodge is easily the nicest place I am going to be staying at during my travels, and might rival the time in Mexico. There was a table cloth! The service was good, food outstanding, and game drives unforgettable. A very expensive few days, but truly awesome. I have a ton of photos and even a few videos of game that I saw but am having trouble once again posting. I really need to get this figured out.
Another post to come soon-ish
Athens was OK. To me, it is a poor man's New York City, but even that is generous. It was a couple of the positive qualities of NYC, but does most poorly. For example, the Athens version of Central Park, called the National Gardens, used to be the play area for royalty. It can be explored in entirety in 30 minutes. The negative qualities of NYC, Athens does not fall short, and often exceeds. It is nearly as busy, far dirtier, and people have a similar disposition.
I had heard that Greeks are very vain people. I did not form this opinion, but I did notice that they like spending money. You know a couple of years ago when Americans spent about 100% of what they earned? I would not be surprised if most Greeks do the same. Except, instead of buying homes they cannot afford, they buy clothes, cell phones, and cars they cannot afford and eat out all the time. Even the tourist restaurants were had locals locals in them.
Leaving Athens, Greece to Johannesburg, South Africa was a trip. I had a stop over in Dubai, UAE, which is like going from Chicago to New York to Houston, expect the distances are longer. Fortunately I was on the airline Emirates, which is easily the best airline I have ever been on and, apparently, is currently rated the best airline. It was awesome. The food was good, service was good, entertainment options were outstanding and flight pleasant despite the string of terrible women I had sitting next to me. Coincidentally, my next destination after South Africa is Dubai, so I will be going back there (but on a different airline). This is OK with me because Dubai's airport is awesome.
I booked my Kruger National Park safari about 1.5 days before it was to begin. Oddly enough, doing so left so little time for me to pay the agent to in turn pay the suppliers, so I paid the suppliers directly, saving me about $150. From the Jo'burg airport I took a connecting domestic flight to Nelspruit then a "transfer" (private car ride) to my lodge in Kruger.
Aside from the family vacation in Mexico, the lodge is easily the nicest place I am going to be staying at during my travels, and might rival the time in Mexico. There was a table cloth! The service was good, food outstanding, and game drives unforgettable. A very expensive few days, but truly awesome. I have a ton of photos and even a few videos of game that I saw but am having trouble once again posting. I really need to get this figured out.
Another post to come soon-ish
06 September 2009
In the Bag(s)
I have two bags. A standard backpack like the one you had in grade school except with some anti-theft features and a 65 liter REI Flash Pack. When I left Chicago this bag checked-in at 29 pounds. The other probably weighed 5. Stuff moves between the two depending my needs. I also bought a small shoulder bag in Israel that is quite useful.
The rule of thumb is you fill the bag you have. I bought the 65 liter bag with that in mind. There are not too many things that I packed that I wish I had not and the couple that I plan on leaving in Chicago I could just as easily keep them with me. At the same time, I find myself not using most of the stuff I have.
I bought just about everything I did not already have from REI or Amazon. I will try to link to stuff when I can later as I did above but I do not want to take the time to do that now. I spent an embarassing amount of money on stuff in preperation. Seriously, I am not telling you. I probably could have done it for half. Also note that several things that many people would have already, like an i-Pod and camera, I did not have.
Clothes:
5 cheap white t-shirts that will be ditched as necessary
1 long-sleeved shirt with a collar
1 long-sleeved nicer (relatively) shirt (will leave in Chicago when I am there)
2 short-sleeved polo-like shirts (standard cotton, non-quick-dry, will leave in Chicago)
3 REI quick-dry short-sleeved t-shirts
1 REI quick-dry long-sleeved t-shirts
1 REI quick-dry polo-like shirt
1 pair REI quick-dry shorts
1 pair REI quick-dry pants
1 pair jeans
6 (about) pair of quick-dry ankle socks
6 (about) pair of boxers (standard cotton, not the quick-dry kind which I considered)
1 pair of hiking shoes from REI
1 pair of crappy flip flops
1 pair of sandles that can go in the water (what I am normally wearing unless proper shoes would be useful)
2 pairs of swimsuits, or whatever you want to call them
Electronics and Tech Stuff:
(This is the section where I am sure I can cut stuff out. Somebody actually commented to me that I have more stuff than clothes, which is not normal for backpackers.)
-16 GB iPod Shuffle (latest generation) and kit with a small wall recharger and headphones
-Sony CyberShot 12.1MP DSC290 (or something similar) camera with 2 4GB memory cards and kit including carrying case, extra battery, USB adapter
-40GB photobank (basically a hard drive that copies the data on a memory card)
-Water purifier and water bottle
-Security mesh thing for locking my bag to something fixed
-Binoculars
-Power adapters to just about everywhere
-Two small combination locks
Toiletries and the Like:
-Small container of shampoo and conditioner
-Small container of laundry deterget (which I lost before I used it a single time)
-Handful of q-tips
-Razor and extra blades and shave cream
-Electric razor and charger
-Small, folding toothbrush
-Small container of toothpaste
-Eye drops (lubricating)
-Anti-itch cream
-Tums and some common over-the-counter drugs
-Deodorant
-Ear plugs
-Small container of hand sanitizer
Other:
-Sleeping bag liner
-Universal sink-stopper
-Roll of toilet paper
-Several books (started with Fight Club (read), A Confederacy of Dunces (read), 1984 (nearly done)). Bought and read Anthem. And yes, that is the most I have read since grade school. Easily
-2 water-proof bags (unless submerged), one 8 liter the other 20 liter
-A Chicago Bulls hat (go Bulls)
-Timex watch
-Small alarm clock
-Swiss Army knife
-Wallet, debit card, credit card, Illinois driver's license, and less and less money
-Passports and slip for passport
-Photocopies of passports and health insurance card (and the card itself)
-Cheap duffle-like bag to put my big bag in when checking it
-Several plastic bags of varying sizes
I am sure I forgetting stuff that is really obvious but that is all I can think of.
The rule of thumb is you fill the bag you have. I bought the 65 liter bag with that in mind. There are not too many things that I packed that I wish I had not and the couple that I plan on leaving in Chicago I could just as easily keep them with me. At the same time, I find myself not using most of the stuff I have.
I bought just about everything I did not already have from REI or Amazon. I will try to link to stuff when I can later as I did above but I do not want to take the time to do that now. I spent an embarassing amount of money on stuff in preperation. Seriously, I am not telling you. I probably could have done it for half. Also note that several things that many people would have already, like an i-Pod and camera, I did not have.
Clothes:
5 cheap white t-shirts that will be ditched as necessary
1 long-sleeved shirt with a collar
1 long-sleeved nicer (relatively) shirt (will leave in Chicago when I am there)
2 short-sleeved polo-like shirts (standard cotton, non-quick-dry, will leave in Chicago)
3 REI quick-dry short-sleeved t-shirts
1 REI quick-dry long-sleeved t-shirts
1 REI quick-dry polo-like shirt
1 pair REI quick-dry shorts
1 pair REI quick-dry pants
1 pair jeans
6 (about) pair of quick-dry ankle socks
6 (about) pair of boxers (standard cotton, not the quick-dry kind which I considered)
1 pair of hiking shoes from REI
1 pair of crappy flip flops
1 pair of sandles that can go in the water (what I am normally wearing unless proper shoes would be useful)
2 pairs of swimsuits, or whatever you want to call them
Electronics and Tech Stuff:
(This is the section where I am sure I can cut stuff out. Somebody actually commented to me that I have more stuff than clothes, which is not normal for backpackers.)
-16 GB iPod Shuffle (latest generation) and kit with a small wall recharger and headphones
-Sony CyberShot 12.1MP DSC290 (or something similar) camera with 2 4GB memory cards and kit including carrying case, extra battery, USB adapter
-40GB photobank (basically a hard drive that copies the data on a memory card)
-Water purifier and water bottle
-Security mesh thing for locking my bag to something fixed
-Binoculars
-Power adapters to just about everywhere
-Two small combination locks
Toiletries and the Like:
-Small container of shampoo and conditioner
-Small container of laundry deterget (which I lost before I used it a single time)
-Handful of q-tips
-Razor and extra blades and shave cream
-Electric razor and charger
-Small, folding toothbrush
-Small container of toothpaste
-Eye drops (lubricating)
-Anti-itch cream
-Tums and some common over-the-counter drugs
-Deodorant
-Ear plugs
-Small container of hand sanitizer
Other:
-Sleeping bag liner
-Universal sink-stopper
-Roll of toilet paper
-Several books (started with Fight Club (read), A Confederacy of Dunces (read), 1984 (nearly done)). Bought and read Anthem. And yes, that is the most I have read since grade school. Easily
-2 water-proof bags (unless submerged), one 8 liter the other 20 liter
-A Chicago Bulls hat (go Bulls)
-Timex watch
-Small alarm clock
-Swiss Army knife
-Wallet, debit card, credit card, Illinois driver's license, and less and less money
-Passports and slip for passport
-Photocopies of passports and health insurance card (and the card itself)
-Cheap duffle-like bag to put my big bag in when checking it
-Several plastic bags of varying sizes
I am sure I forgetting stuff that is really obvious but that is all I can think of.
Unsure What an Good Title Would Be
Turkey was great. I wish I had more time there. I only had the chance to visit a few places and did not even make it to Istanbul.
I did, however, go paragliding near Fethiye. I took video with my camera but am having some trouble uploading it to anything (YouTube and Facebook) and for some reason cannot view it with a computer using Windows Media Player. I know the video took because I can watch it on the camera but I cannot move it somewhere else, which means I cannot delete it and make room for pictures. If any of the three readers of this blog have any ideas, please let me know.
As for my Turkey experience outside of paragliding: I need to go back. Attila's Hostel outside of Ephesus is probably the best hostel I have ever stayed at. Ephesus itself is cool, but does not compare to Petra. The whole country, rather everywhere I went in the country, has a great vibe and feels relaxed and interesting.
I did really hate paying the 10 Euro port tax twice. And, I ordered a chicken sandwich meal from Burger King, regular size, no tomato, no mayo in Turkey just before getting on the ferry. I got two Whoppers meals, king sized, and what I can only assume was extra mayo because there is no way Burger King puts that much mayo on its food normally. Get it you way my ass. On the ferry a group of 5 older Israelis sat with me. They liked that I did Birthright, but seeme to question whether I was actually Jewish. Nice enough people, especially for Israelis, and made for a more interesting ferry ride than would have been otherwise.
So, I decided to spend the night in Samos after arriving from Turkey. I book a 12:30 ferry to Athens for 41 Euro. I have grown friendly with an Australian guy, Anthony, that is working for the place that sells ferry tickets. He is staying in the same hostel as me, though he is not paying for it as it is part of his compensation. We went out last night with some other guy, David, to experience the Greek nightlife. It was fun. Too much fun, in fact. I slept through my alarm and missed my ferry. Now, I have an extra day (really more like two days because the next ferry does not leave until 4PM) in Samos and a day less in Athens. All that is fine with me. The real down side is the wasted 41 Euro. I refuse to pay for another night in a hostel so, kind of as punishment to myself, I am going to leave my bags with Anthony for tonight and sleep on the beach. Yeah, that sounds cool, and it is for the most part, but the beaches in Samos are stone beaches, little sand if any, so my sleeping surface will be less than comfortable.
As a result of this, I will only have about a day and a half in Athens. Which, people tell me, actually is enough time. In my guidebook there is a "Athens in Two Days" textbox which includes several things I am not interested in so I think I will have enough time in Athens.
As indicated by the previous paragraph I have not been to Athens yet, but 6ish weeks into my trip and 5 countries under my belt (Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Greece, and Turkey), Greece is easily my least favorite. It is still nice, but clearly ranked last. It is beutiful ; the entire country is a post card. The people are friendly. At the same time, I cannot identify the source or cause of this opinoin. I think part of it is that all the islands are very similar to me. Also, I know part of it is that I feel like the entire country is full of tourists. I have met so few Greeks it is amazing. If you do not include the Greeks that I have met using services (hostels, buses, etc) the number drops to single digits. Everybody here is visiting or working here for the summer (and working for a tourist service).
I have spent part of my extra time in Samos on the Internet (obviously) at 3 Euro per hour, which is a lot but actually reasonable for the area. I am trying to oranize a guided tour in Kruger National Park in South Africa. I found one that looked great and way cheaper than all the others, around $400 for 2 night/3 days. Then I realized that was the per day cost. Then it became similarly priced to the others. I need to book one soon but I am having some trouble doing so. I emailed the company a bit ago and hope for a quick response.
Unrelated: I keep forgetting to post something I thought was funny. Within a scan of a couple days about 1.5-2 weeks ago, I was told a look considerably older than 25 and pudgy. Never in my life have I been told either of these things. People generally guess I am several years young than I am. And I am not a chubby person at all. Never have I been. When I left the States I weighed about 125 pounds and I have lost a noticable amount weight since then. I have to pull my belt so tight that the waist of my shorts folds onto itself in multiple places.
I did, however, go paragliding near Fethiye. I took video with my camera but am having some trouble uploading it to anything (YouTube and Facebook) and for some reason cannot view it with a computer using Windows Media Player. I know the video took because I can watch it on the camera but I cannot move it somewhere else, which means I cannot delete it and make room for pictures. If any of the three readers of this blog have any ideas, please let me know.
As for my Turkey experience outside of paragliding: I need to go back. Attila's Hostel outside of Ephesus is probably the best hostel I have ever stayed at. Ephesus itself is cool, but does not compare to Petra. The whole country, rather everywhere I went in the country, has a great vibe and feels relaxed and interesting.
I did really hate paying the 10 Euro port tax twice. And, I ordered a chicken sandwich meal from Burger King, regular size, no tomato, no mayo in Turkey just before getting on the ferry. I got two Whoppers meals, king sized, and what I can only assume was extra mayo because there is no way Burger King puts that much mayo on its food normally. Get it you way my ass. On the ferry a group of 5 older Israelis sat with me. They liked that I did Birthright, but seeme to question whether I was actually Jewish. Nice enough people, especially for Israelis, and made for a more interesting ferry ride than would have been otherwise.
So, I decided to spend the night in Samos after arriving from Turkey. I book a 12:30 ferry to Athens for 41 Euro. I have grown friendly with an Australian guy, Anthony, that is working for the place that sells ferry tickets. He is staying in the same hostel as me, though he is not paying for it as it is part of his compensation. We went out last night with some other guy, David, to experience the Greek nightlife. It was fun. Too much fun, in fact. I slept through my alarm and missed my ferry. Now, I have an extra day (really more like two days because the next ferry does not leave until 4PM) in Samos and a day less in Athens. All that is fine with me. The real down side is the wasted 41 Euro. I refuse to pay for another night in a hostel so, kind of as punishment to myself, I am going to leave my bags with Anthony for tonight and sleep on the beach. Yeah, that sounds cool, and it is for the most part, but the beaches in Samos are stone beaches, little sand if any, so my sleeping surface will be less than comfortable.
As a result of this, I will only have about a day and a half in Athens. Which, people tell me, actually is enough time. In my guidebook there is a "Athens in Two Days" textbox which includes several things I am not interested in so I think I will have enough time in Athens.
As indicated by the previous paragraph I have not been to Athens yet, but 6ish weeks into my trip and 5 countries under my belt (Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Greece, and Turkey), Greece is easily my least favorite. It is still nice, but clearly ranked last. It is beutiful ; the entire country is a post card. The people are friendly. At the same time, I cannot identify the source or cause of this opinoin. I think part of it is that all the islands are very similar to me. Also, I know part of it is that I feel like the entire country is full of tourists. I have met so few Greeks it is amazing. If you do not include the Greeks that I have met using services (hostels, buses, etc) the number drops to single digits. Everybody here is visiting or working here for the summer (and working for a tourist service).
I have spent part of my extra time in Samos on the Internet (obviously) at 3 Euro per hour, which is a lot but actually reasonable for the area. I am trying to oranize a guided tour in Kruger National Park in South Africa. I found one that looked great and way cheaper than all the others, around $400 for 2 night/3 days. Then I realized that was the per day cost. Then it became similarly priced to the others. I need to book one soon but I am having some trouble doing so. I emailed the company a bit ago and hope for a quick response.
Unrelated: I keep forgetting to post something I thought was funny. Within a scan of a couple days about 1.5-2 weeks ago, I was told a look considerably older than 25 and pudgy. Never in my life have I been told either of these things. People generally guess I am several years young than I am. And I am not a chubby person at all. Never have I been. When I left the States I weighed about 125 pounds and I have lost a noticable amount weight since then. I have to pull my belt so tight that the waist of my shorts folds onto itself in multiple places.
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