When the Goan gets tough, the tough gets Goan…to the bathroom!

We have spent the past five days here in beautiful Palolem, Goa, India. The crescent beach, surrounded by swaying palm trees, is blessed with unforgettable sunsets and utter relaxation. The beach is gorgeous, yet undeniably purely Indian, as cows saunter along the sand, dogs and children chase each other into the waves, and locals hawk their cheap wares to you (seemingly every two minutes until you learn to either completely ignore them, pretend you’re deeply involved in some marvelous novel, or look at them with such complete and utter contempt and scorn that they are afraid to approach you  once more) after finding their own nice little spot in the sand to go ahead and sneak a quick little urination in before getting back to work harassing you. Ahh India….


rickshaw ride in the rain

After a seemingly endless 24-hour period of transporting ourselves by every means available (like seriously, we took a  rickshaw through the pouring rain to the airport, then an airplane from Udaipur to Mumbai, a rickshaw from the airport, a train to another spot in town, walking for miles, a 16 hour overnight bus ride to Goa, then another two hour bus ride to Palolem), tensions were understandably high. We headed to the beach with all our stuff and found a seemingly nice little place to get some needed food and relax for a minute (and get Kaitlyn a drink…or two). We then found a decent little place to stay for the next four nights, unpacked our stuff, and headed back out to the beach to watch the sunset and enjoy a “sunset drink” as Kaitlyn has dubbed it. Everything was just fine and couldn’t be better! After drinks, we headed out to the “town” (a dirt road with shops and restaurants) to try some of the famous Goan cuisine.
With my taste buds having not matured since the sixth grade (I’ll take some chicken nuggets please), I was proud of myself for deciding that I once had chicken vindaloo while in Tallahassee and I liked it so I was actually looking forward to trying some authentic Indian chicken vindaloo, one of the most authentically Goan meals available. “Good for me,” I thought, “I am growing up!” One of the restaurants we passed along the way just happened to be called “Casa Fiesta,” specializing in Mexican food, which is something that Kaitlyn just loves. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity for some “Mexican food” while in India after eating curry after curry (and noodle after noodle for me!) so we decided to have dinner there. Plus, being the schemer that I am, I figured that Kaitlyn would order something Mexican and that I could dazzle her with my new found courage in trying an Indian dish. I could, for once in the past month, be the one to rub it in HER face that I ate Indian and she, in fact, did not.

The waiter came and we placed our orders. “I’ll have some guacamole and chips and quesadillas,” she said, as I held back my elation at what was about to follow. “I’ll take the chicken vindaloo my good sir,” I proudly declared, “Take that Bagnato!”

Our dishes came and at once, I knew something was awry. Call it buyer’s remorse over not selecting the chicken fajitas or call it a sixth sense about what was going to happen over the next three days, there just wasn’t something right about my chicken vindaloo. I ate it all anyway (mostly because I just couldn’t bear to eat the alternative of crow!). 

I woke up in the middle of the night several times. I will spare you the details of my life over the next few days. Needless to say, it was not pretty and my “vomit streak,” as Jerry Seinfeld would say, came to a very unfortunate demise that evening (and I can’t even blame it on a black and white cookie!).

Kaitlyn was the absolute best nurse I could have ever asked for, which makes me wonder just how amazingly good her sister Brittany must be since she actually is a nurse! Her dad was also a life saver in helping us determine what  prescriptions we needed to help piece me back together again. After two days of taking care of me, unfortunately, Kaitlyn then started feeling ill herself. We spent Sunday cooped up on our bed inside our little beachside shack underneath the fan, too lazy and sick to move, playing games of Phase Ten in between drifting off to sleep.

Now, Monday, we are both feeling great again though my appetite, and the weight I could already barely afford to lose, is far from back. After two trips into town to the pharmacy to get some drugs as prescribed by Dr. Bagnato (I don’t really understand the concept of a pharmacy anymore. It seems that overseas, anyone can just walk in and get whatever medication they want, no questions asked, and for really cheap. Kinda makes you wonder about what sort of pharmaceutical cabal goes on in America), I think we’re back on track to continue our journey into the world, and just in time too as tomorrow morning we are off to Chiang Mai, Thailand!

Jaisalmer

Before we got to Goa, we of course hit up several other Indian cities along the way. We tried to see as much as possible in a short amount of time. Unfortunately, we were both also getting very sick of India and Indians in general so my descriptions and recollections of each place may seem like a blur. Nevertheless, I will try to briefly recount each place for you below:

Jodhpur, “the blue city” – Pretty crappy, overrated, don’t waste your time in ever going, and, to top it all off, not even very blue at all!

Jaisalmer, “the golden city” – Very cool, especially for India. It’s a desert fort with a living city still inside of it. We were less than impressed however after being to the Middle East and inside countless medinas, all older and more enchanting. A very cool place for a change of pace of India though.

Pushkar, a visit to the infamous “Camel Festival” – India in a nutshell. A crazy swath of humanity intermingling with animals, walking around barefoot, pushing and praying to countless gods. For us, it was a bearable eight hours before getting the hell out of there!

Udaipur, “the city of lakes” and dubbed India’s most romantic city – Definitely worth checking out! It was still real India, but at a far more relaxed and manageable pace. It was pretty, definitely, but I’m not so sure about anything in India being “romantic”….other than proposing at the Taj Mahal, of course!

Mumbai – We literally walked through it en route to Goa. It was definitely much more bearable than Delhi and shows promise of a future, i.e. there weren’t many cows wandering around aimlessly.

Joe had been grooming himself as the next winner of the moustache competition at the Pushkar Camel festival, but...

after seeing his competition, he kinda chickened out!

After more than a month of being here in India and finally being able to visit the places I have wanted to the most for all my life, I can honestly say that I’m spent and I’ve had quite enough. I really can’t describe this place whatsoever. It’s chaos incarnate, a flurry of flamboyance, and the safest place in the world to be a cow. You’ve personally kicked my ass India, albeit the chicken vindaloo or of sheer exhaustion. You’re a sweltering place in November and I can’t even imagine what you’re like in the “hot” months. You’ve taken our pictures for God knows what reason, told us “good price” one too many times, spit incessantly, stared at us, touched us, and made us sleep atop what were surely filthy sheets all too often. You’ve bobbled your head in an ambiguous manner for the last time. You’ve made me hate my life at times but then gave me the capacity to understand just how lucky I am to be alive and to be American. You’ve shown me the power of faith in something bigger than myself, something greater than the here and now. You’ve made me appreciate cleanliness, expectations, manners, courtesy, good service, safe food and potent water.

You’ve taught us the same lesson Ralphie's kid brother learns in “A Christmas Story” when he decides to lick the frozen pole outside his school. We were always curious about doing it, were told what to expect, but wanted to try it out anyway, the consequences of which we will still feel for months long after we’re freed from your grip…

You’ve been an incredible experience of which neither of us will ever forget!

Take this upcoming holiday to think about just how much we really do have to be thankful for and how lucky we are to have been born as Americans. We definitely will be! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

 

Head Bobbles and Marriage Proposals

What an incredibly eventful past two weeks we have had here in India. After spending a few days in Rishikesh, the "yoga capital of the world" where Kaitlyn was able to get her stretch on twice a day while I  made friends with the resident monkeys surrounding the ashram we stayed in, we next stopped off in Haridwar, one of the holiest cities for Hindus located on the Ganges River. Aside from the indescribable chaos that is India, we have recently been joined (at last!) by Kaitlyn's parents. Their arrival has come at an opportune time as well since both Kaitlyn and I were nearing our wits end in dealing with the Indians. Our patience (mine especially!) was wearing thin with the endless honking of mopeds and rickshaws and harrassment by storekeepers. In fact, my frustration toppled over one day as I "accidentally" kicked a guy on a moped and Kaitlyn "inadvertantly" pushed a bicycle rickshaw out of her way. This whole country is truly a crazy ass place where nothing makes any sense whatsoever. So needless to say, the arrival of the Bagnatos was impeccable timing. Aside from the incredible hotels they were treating us to and finally being able to sleep in a comfortable bed without having to wonder if the sheets were clean or not (or even present at all), it was definitely refreshing to get a taste of home and family life once again, not to mention being able to share in all the squalor and craziness of India together...and if that meant having to see it from plush hotels and resorts while being served tea, well dammit, it's a sacrifice we were both willing to make!

We spent our first day together touring the sights of New Delhi, all of us still in a slumbered state from our middle of the night awakening upon their arrival. Early that morning Kaitlyn and I headed to the U.S. Embassy where she completed the final steps of paperwork to officially become a lawyer and was sworn in by a notary at the embassy, something I'm sure not too many lawyers can brag about! The next day we boarded a flight to Varanasi, one of the oldest living cities in the world and the holiest place for Hindus. Our guide was fantastic, taking us to Sarnath, a nearby town where the Buddha first began his teachings, and to the Ganges River where we were able to watch a Hindu ceremony taking place along the river's edge.

The next day we were brought back to the river for a boat ride offering amazing views of the bathing Hindus just in time to see the sunrise and see two bodies being burned in the crematory pyres along the banks. It was definitely an unforgettable experience! From there, it was back to Delhi and then onwards to Agra to see the Taj Mahal...Oh, and also to ask Kaitlyn to marry me!
 

The Proposal
Back in Istanbul, I had snuck out of our room one night when Kaitlyn was fast asleep (aka snoring) to Skype with her parents. They just happened to be online and thankfully, both happened to be sitting there together,  naturally expecting Kaitlyn to be on the other end of the call. Instead, they got me...shaking and awkward. I asked for permission, they granted it (thank god!), and then I told them my plan. Kaitlyn's sister, Brittany, had already been in on it and helped me out by being the caretaker of the ring since our departure. I asked if they could bring it with them to India where I planned on popping the question in front of the Taj. I had no idea what to expect once we got to Agra, nor how it would happen or when it would happen. I just knew I wanted it to happen and that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Kaitlyn. I was freaking out for the better part of two days prior to our arrival in Agra, gradually becoming shakier (and gassier!) as we got closer and closer to the evening. We were only in town for one night and one morning so it had to be done sometime in there. I knew that she would kill me if I did it in a public forum so I knew it wasn't a smart move to do it in front of the thousands of people visiting the Taj the next morning. I only had that evening, Friday November 5.

After a visit to the Red Fort and an introduction by our tour guide as to the history of the Taj Mahal and its founder Shah Jahan (as our tour guide repeatedly pointed out), imprisoned by his son in a tower, forced to live out the rest of his days overlooking the memorial he built for his beloved second wife, we headed back to our rooms to shower and get ready for dinner that evening. I took the shakiest shower in my life and put on some of the nice clothes the Bagnatos brought us for all the fancy times we'd need them for, and then headed out to our gorgeous balcony that overlooked the Taj Mahal to wrap my head around the logistics of what was about to happen. Fireworks were going off all around the land below as this was Diwali, the Hindu new year, the festival of lights, and the absoultely unplanned perfect and memorable evening for an engagement. Kaitlyn finally finished getting ready and joined me outside to watch the fireworks and try to capture one going off behind the sillhouette of the Taj. I jokingly handed her a grotesque black leather bracelet, complete with dangling skulls and crossbones and asked her to wear it that evening since it matched her dress. [The bracelet itself was given to me by a woman at a store in Cappadocia, Turkey, who wanted to give me a souvenir after seeing my armful of bracelets from around the world. I, in turn, gave it to Kaitlyn, since it was obviously more her style than mine. She hasn't worn it at all really, because "it's just too special" she says, so it's been an ongoing joke between us since we acquired it.]

She laughed at the notion but indulged me in putting it on since it was black and did, in fact, match her dress. Upon strapping it on, she noticed something peculiar dangling from the silver skulls and brought it closer to her face for inspection. At that moment, I dropped to my knee, with trembles in full force and tears in my eyes, and managed to piece together a few coherent phrases of which I assume added up to be something good enough to have her say yes, but only after I had asked if she had "given any thought to my proposal."

The ring itself has tremendous meaning behind it as well. The setting is from the first ring my dad ever gave to my mom some fifty years ago combined with the diamond from her engagement ring. She told me that he would have loved Kaitlyn and wanted me to have it. I'm sure that he's smiling down from heaven right now, along with us on every step of our travels, happy to welcome such an amazing girl into the Statile family. Now, here we are...engaged!....and with a pretty cool story to remember it all by!

We next headed to the most incredible tent ever on the outskirts of Ranthambore National Park. We went on tiger hunting safaris and on our second morning there were one of the fortunate few jeeps to actually spot a tiger roaming the forest, yet another amazing experience we had and were treated to by the Bagnatos. There is no way to describe just how lucky and grateful we are to them for everything they have done for us and allowed us to share in alongside them over this past week. We got to see the luxurious side of India, something I never in my life thought I would ever have the privilege to see. We are going to miss our fancy dinners and comfortable beds of course, but we will mostly miss just being with them and all the laughs we shared in and chaos we endured together, memories we'll have forever.

After a final stop in Jaipur, the “pink city” at the heart of the Indian state of Rajasthan with all its palaces of maharajas and a visit to the breathtaking hillside Amber Fort aboard an elephant, we said our final good byes and we were once again off on our own to explore the rest of India.

We now have about two more weeks left in India to tour the rest of Rajasthan with stops in Jodhpur (the blue city), Jaisalmer (the golden city), Pushkar (to see the famous Camel Festival!), Udaipur (the city of lakes), Mumbai and Goa before heading to Thailand. Internet here is atrocious so please bear with us and we will try to post whenever we can. It will be a hectic couple of weeks as we try to see everything we can. Plus, we just love overnight bus rides, especially aboard the glorious Indian buses. Thanks for still following along with us....We'll be arriving home on December 18 just in time for Brittany to pick us up from the airport and all head to Albany for Christmas!

Cows, Monkeys, and Feces...Oh My!

India is a tepid cesspool of humanity where absolutely nothing makes any sense whatsoever. There are normal toilets, yet  no toilet paper; cows roaming the streets, eating from dumpsters, yet millions of people go starving; it is not just nine hours ahead of EST back home but an intriguing nine and a half; a place with a fierce hatred for their neighbor Pakistan yet with a fun little choreographed border closing ceremony, complete with handshakes and all. Shit, cow, dog, and/or human, lines the sometimes paved, sometimes pebbled, all the time dirty," sidewalks." In a matter of hours, your nostrils are treated to a cocktail of smog, engine fumes, and curries. Beggars tug at your clothes. Random altars are encountered dedicated to a Ganesha (an elephant-person hybrid), a Hanuman (a monkey-person hybrid) or another of the thousand-plus Hindu gods, with puja (an offering typically of food) set before it. Sadhus (Hindu mystics...aka homeless guys) roam the streets in their brightly orange cloth. Children ask you for money, monkeys jump from electrical poles, and svelte dogs prowl the alleyways, scrounging for whatever scraps they can find, whatever the tens of thousands of homeless people didn't get to. Shopkeepers constantly harass you for their "good price" goods while suspiciously friendly english speaking "students" want to help you along. "Tourist information" kiosks seem to be nothing more than tourist scams, even the most official looking offices. Taxi drivers, auto rickshaws and bicycle rickshaws, the caste system of the transportation world, desperately want to take us somewhere (typically, straight to one of these upstanding "tourist information" offices they happen to know about!). Indians gawk at you as you walk down the road, some sneaking pictures, while the more audacious asking to take a picture with you, then greatly desiring to shake your hand afterwards, leading to the obvious application of yet more hand sanitizer.

Welcome to India, the world's largest democracy, the birthplace of the Buddha, the land of the Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs, the home of the Dalai Lama, and the second most populous country on the planet. In short, it is, for all practical purposes, a cluster f!@#... and we adore it immensely!

After 36 hours of sleeplessness, three plane rides including a layover in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, we finally landed in New Delhi on Wednesday, October 20, at 5:00 a.m. and promptly made our way to the train station, hoping to evade the chaos that is Delhi before sunrise. Unfortunately, we underestimated how truly crazy this place really is! After making our way to the train station, red-eyed and semi-conscious from the overnight flight(s), we amateurly succumbed to the touts outside the train station who were trying to "help" us along, taking us to "official" agencies that were going to book our fare for us northwards to Amritsar.

We were on our own, without a map, without any sleep, and without a clue in the world as to where we were or how to get to where we were going. The sun was now up and soon the streets would be mobbed. We went through the run-around that apparently is the travel system of India and, after three hours of deliberations about our next steps, we finally settled on a flight to Amritsar and train tickets to and from our next two destinations for the next ten days before meeting up with Kaitlyn's parents on November 1st in Delhi. We then walked a few blocks around the area, soon realizing that we were hungry. "Here goes nothing," I thought to myself, bracing for my first Indian meal for the next month. We found a little hole in the wall place with four items on the menu (which in hindsight, probably wasn't the wisest of choices for our first Indian meal!) and buckled down for the adventure ahead. As it turns out, whatever it was, really wasn't that bad and, 24 hours later, really wasn't too bad on our stomachs either!

We headed back to the airport for our 7:00 p.m. flight, exhausted from the unanticipated jaunt into Delhi and subsequent extra hours of forced consciousness.

Amritsar
This is the home of the Sikhs, "those guys with the turbans," and the centerpiece of the Punjab state of India. We decided to start our Indian escapade here, a place where we expected it to be a little more subdued, to ease into our host nation for the next month. What we got was a somewhat mixed bag. The craziness and plight surrounding us, rough to stomach even by our well-traveled standards, was, according to some other travelers we met, actually far more pleasant than other areas of India we will soon be looking forward to visiting! Now, in hindsight, having returned to Delhi, we must agree with that assessment! Amritsar, for whatever reason, seemed to lack a real tourist presence. Despite it being home to one of the most recognizable symbols of India, the Golden Temple, white people were rare to come across.

In between taking part in several photo shoots (though far less than our new paler British friend Laura), and enjoying three meals at what we perceived to be the safest option in town, Kaitlyn and I spent most of our two days in Amritsar inside the beautiful Golden Temple complex, a wondrously peaceful refuge from the world around it.

Built in the center of an artificial lake, the Golden Temple is at the heart of the Sikh faith. Before entering, our shoes and socks had to be removed and we were each given a head covering to wear while inside the complex. Sikh guardsmen, despite their imposing presence with large turbans, swords, and scowls, actually turned out to be some of the friendliest people we have met, eager to help answer any questions we had and proud to welcome us into their beautiful temple. Having been to several religious holy sites on our trip, I must say that the Golden Temple was by far the most welcoming to outsiders and even to locals, a testament to the Sikh faith.

The doors to the complex remain open 24 hours a day, as homeless people lined the far walkways, given a refuge for the evening. Free food and drink are also provided to any and all visitors to the complex as well as community lodging to both tourists and pilgrims alike. The temple itself was amazing, a sight we will always remember and a place I had always wanted to see. But perhaps more than anything, we will take with us just how amazingly welcoming the Sikhs were, how friendly  and calm and genuine their believers were. We will remember an old man, clutching onto a cheaply framed photo of the Golden Temple, admiring it from every angle. This was his new prized possession, a souvenir he will take back with him to whatever village he was from, as a reminder of his visit to Amritsar, the holiest of holies, and quite possibly, the highlight of his simple and yet long life.

Next, we took a crammed and bumpy ride in the back of a jeep 45 minutes to the border with Pakistan to watch the border closing ceremony, what has become a major tourist draw. I remember how Kaitlyn freaked out having gone through the border of Israel before, justifiably of course, since we hear of so many problems and acts of terrorism in that country. Therefore, I decided to stay mum on how this was possibly an even riskier location for us to be, since the hatred between India and Pakistan is perhaps more intense than any two nations on the planet, not to mention the whole nuclear weapons capabilities they both have. Neglecting to mention any of this to Kaitlyn, we geared up for whatever was going to occur. Our car dropped us off one kilometer before the border where we had to walk with hundreds of Indians to the actual border site. We then had to pass through two Indian security checkpoints before we were fully upon the border. Much to our delight, we were told we were VIPs for the event since we were foreign tourists and were given a front row seat, as close to the actual border as possible. The event itself was unlike anything we had ever experienced before. Take a pep rally, complete with loud speakers blaring your school's fight song and a guy on a microphone trying to get everyone revved up, mix it with a closed off street with two iron-wrought gates, and throw in a bunch of guys with guns running around, goose stepping, taking turns yelling into a microphone while thousands of people cheer on in the stands surrounding the action while the same exact thing is taking place a few meters on the other side of one of the gates, only with far less people in the stands and quite a few more men wearing onesies. It was quite the show, a testament to the nationalism of both countries infused with a bizarrely choreographed bravado. If nothing else, it was definitely worth the trip out there to be able to peer into the other side and get a glimpse into Pakistan.  The sad reality is that the show will likely soon be coming to an end as the tensions between the two nations begin to heat up and the ground that we walked upon will once again be surely off limits.

Mcleod Ganj

Next, we headed to the Indian state of Himichal Pradesh, adjacent to the Himalayas, and the home of the exiled Tibetan government and community, including the Dalai Lama. After taking the local Indian bus, complete with break down, flooded roads, and death defying twists and turns up cliffs, we arrived in one piece around midnight, ready to see a completely different side of India, notably and for the first time, the pleasure of clean air! We awoke the next morning and explored the tiny mountain hamlet around us, crossing paths with the countless saffron-clad Buddhist monks milling about. Every time I saw one wearing round glasses, my heart dropped with the anticipation that it might have just been the Dalai Lama himself, though, of course, it never was. It was our first peak at the Himalayas and Kaitlyn's first delve into the Buddhist world, both beautiful things! We trekked up a hill and saw an amazing waterfall, did some shopping, and explored the temple and Tibetan museum, learning about the plight of the people. It was definitely all a relaxing few days, a breath of fresh air, literally, from the fraction of India we had already come across in our brief stint in the country.
We caught an overnight bus back to Delhi, a really horrific overnight bus (we thought overnight buses were bad in Turkey!), and have now arrived in Rishikesh, the yoga capital of the world, for a few days before meeting with Kaitlyn's parents in one week, a reunion we both are extremely excited about! Neither of us have gotten sick (yet) and are in a constant state of sensory overload. New Delhi lacks one redeemable quality and is definitely not for the faint of heart. It will definitely be a treat to explore the rest of India with the Bagnatos...and in hotel rooms complete with toilet paper!

Moonpies and Memories

There is a chemical in Turkey called tryptophan, said to make you tired and relaxed after consuming large amounts of the meat. We've all been there before, after chowing down on our Thanksgiving cornucopia of goodness, wanting nothing more than to unbuckle our belts and lay docile...until dessert. In Turkey, there seems to be something in the air that has this same effect. The Turkish call it keyif, the art of quiet relaxation, and it seems to follow us everywhere we go on our journey through their amazing country.


After prying ourselves away from the utter contentment of Istanbul, five days later than planned, we finally hit the road to see what other gems the country had in store. We boarded an overnight bus to Pammukale, explored the geological marvel that lay before us, crystal clear water flowing downwards over the cliffside, the chemical reaction creating stark white shelves, and all set amidst the backdrop of ancient Roman ruins, what was once an ancient spa resort.

Next, we headed west for the day to explore Ephesus, what many say are the best preserved ruins of a Roman city outside of Rome. Having both been to the heart of the empire, we were somewhat reluctant to go out of our way to see even more ruins. At this point in our trip and being too cheap to ever join a guided tour or even splurge on an audio tour, all the ruins we come across seem to be one in the same: old, disheveled rocks that may or may not have been important to someone at some point (thank you Mr. Johns for making 10th grade world history so titillating!) In all actuality however, both Kaitlyn and I were pleasantly surprised at how well preserved Ephesus really was. After paying the once again exorbitant entry fee, we went inside the very impressive theatre, the largest of its kind in all of Turkey built to hold some 60,000 people inside. Next was the city itself with the amazing library at the forefront of the promenade still in its entirety. After two hours of eavesdropping in on some of the English speaking tour guides and dodging the plethora of Chinese tour groups randomly breaking out in song, we had our fill of various marble slabs and decided to call it a day and hop on a bus to the south, ready to relax once more, only this time with the crashing waves of the Mediterranean in our ears.

Fethiye, described as the most beautiful port side in all of Turkey, definitely stole our hearts. We found an amazing pension (or pansiyon as the Turkish call it, aka an "otel" [sp]) right beside the water, and offered 60 Turkish lira ($20 per night for us both)for two nights stay, including breakfast. After an assortment of wild gestures were exchanged between Kaitlyn and the lady in order to translate our offer, our hosts accepted and we settled in to a wonderful room complete with a balcony overlooking the water. The tourist season is quickly coming to an end along the Turkish Riviera, so haggling has been working quite well in our favor as of late. We were the only ones staying in the place and they were happy to have us (who wouldn't be really, I mean come on!).

We went for an amazing stroll along the water's edge and explored the many shops and restaurants inside the city center. We bought our own fish at the market and brought them to a restaurant where they cooked them and provided bread, sauces, and a salad for just 5 lira (about $3). We sat out on our balcony playing UNO and drinking wine and beer into the wee hours of the night. We befriended a stray dog and named him Doily (because Kaitlyn wiped her hands on his back after we fed him some leftovers). We took an eight hour, 12-island cruise in the waters surrounding Fethiye where opulent yachts with their fancy pants owners dock for days on end enjoying the Turkish keyif. We were given a delicious lunch, a stop at two islands whose only residents were a flock of gigantic rabbits, and an otherwise fantastic day for merely 25 lira (about $16) total. And, we made our share of retired British friends as well, since we were the only ones shy of 60 on the entire vessel! Fethiye was amazing, a truly relaxing and enjoyable (and cheap!) place to spend a few days.

Then, before heading directly to our next destination, Olympos, we decided to make a pit stop along the way at a place called Kas. Smaller and geared towards the higher end, it was nice and quaint but couldn't hold a candle to our beloved Fethiye.

The bus ride along this stretch of the coast has to be one of the most beautiful rides in the world. Last year, Kaitlyn and I drove along the Pacific Coast Highway from LA to San Francisco and were awed by the experience, both the anguish of some of the twists and turns and also the beauty of the coast. However, that drive was nothing compared to the road from Fethiye to Olympos, neither in awe-inspiration or gut-wrenchment from the bus drivers' talking on their cell phones while making nauseating turns along the cliffside. I highly recommend it! In addition, if you pay close enough attention, you may even be able to spot ancient Lycian tombs that are carved directly into the mountain sides, dotting the entire coast.

Finally, we landed in Olympos, a backpacker haven tucked away down side roads, far, far away from the Turkey we had been experiencing. We were driven by dolmus, a big van-type vehicle the thirteen or so kilometers downhill and over dirt roads into the town. Surrounded by pine trees and cliffs on either side, it felt like we were going to go camping in the Smokies rather than to relax along the Mediterranean. Famous for its "treehouses," we once again found us a deal (50 lira for the both of us, including breakfast and dinner!) and soon realized that we were, of course, the only ones staying at this particular place. It was one of the most lush environments we have ever been in, with our room being surrounded by orange, lemon, lime, peach, and pomegranate trees, ducks and chickens milling about, and peppers and squash spewing from the ground. We dropped our bags off, walked around the "town" (one dirt road consisting of numerous other treehouse type dwellings such as our own and two or so tiny convenience stores), quickly realized that it was going to be an interesting couple of days (and thus subsequently purchased some beer and a jug of wine) and headed back to our bungalow to get ready for dinner. At 7:00, we joined our hosts, the father (whose eyes never left the laptop computer sitting before him nor did he ever leave his chair in the four hours since our arrival), the mother (always moving to and fro, cooking the dinner and such), what was likely the son (a teenage boy who helped his mother), and an old man (who looked like the mother and other than one time trying to shake a tree to make a peach fall down stared off into space for most of the time we were there), none of which spoke any English whatsoever. After enjoying our truly home cooked meal in complete silence (other than the various noises emitting from the father's laptop), we were served some tea and one moon pie (yes, that little slice of heaven from our Twinkie days as kids) apiece. "I have a fun idea," I thought to myself as I often have fun ideas, and went to our room to grab our laptop. I then went to Google translate and told the mother how delicious her meal was, showing her the miraculously translated text, much to her utter delight at both the sentiment and technological achievement. I then thought to myself, "Self, you just made her day!" and then her, Kaitlyn and I tried to carry on what may have been the first English to Turkish "convergoogle" ever. It was a hoot, to say the least.

The next day we awoke to embark on an eight kilometer hike through the beach, an adjoining town, and up a mountain to visit Chimera, a bizarre cliffside with various fire spewing holes used by ancient seamen as a navigational aid and worshipped by the Lycian people living in the area. For whatever reason, the cliffside is literally on fire and has been forever. It was definitely pretty cool to see. On our way there, we borrowed (stole) a pomegranate off one of the many trees surrounding the roadside for lunch, yet another fruit to add to the list of lush vegetation in the area (and Kaitlyn's first misdemeanor as an attorney)!

Olympos itself was a very enchanting place. Aside from the omnipresent orchards and chilled out atmosphere, there were also some pretty wild ruins en route from our bungalow to the water's edge. With a river bed running through and into the sea, ancient ruins are both above you and to your side, where you are free to walk in and explore as if it were a ball pit at a Chuckie Cheese. The beach itself was one of the longest and prettiest I have come across on the Mediterranean as well, with cliffs creating a U-shaped beach and an ancient fortress in the hillside. It was really like some mystical land, far off the beaten track, that both time and high-end tourism have, for whatever reason, forgotten.

We were once again served dinner at 7:00 and ate once more in silence before Kaitlyn offered to help wash dishes, then directing me to finish the rinsing portion while she went to cut up a melon we had purchased to share with our new Turkish family for dessert. Both actions drew grand laughter from our hosts, seeing me, the bearded man washing the dishes and taking the orders to do so from the melon carving woman. In some sort of interesting fruit exchange, the mother then offered us two apples as a gesture of gratitude. Upon our departure this morning, she also handed us several un-ripened oranges plucked from the surrounding trees, hugged and kissed Kaitlyn, and made sure we got on the correct dolmus out of town, waving to us as we boarded the minibus. We liked that lady and somehow managed to communicate with one another despite our language and cultural barriers. It was one of those times we'll always remember, eating dinner with that Turkish family and forging a bond with them, that really makes travelling like this such an incredibly special experience.

In Fethiye we were walking around the market and Kaitlyn said to me, "You know, we have to start thinking about what we're going to get from here (meaning Turkey, because we have gotten ourselves a little souvenir from each country as a keepsake)." And I laughed to myself because it's so funny that for the past two and a half months, it's little silly things like that that occupy our thoughts. These are the big decisions we make nowadays along with where to eat and what time we should wake up each morning. The biggest decision I have to make is what bracelet I'm going to get to add to my ever growing collection upon my stinky left arm. We're actually living the dream; we're actually travelling around the world, I actually walked into my office one day and said that I had enough, never to return two weeks later. Oftentimes we'll pause and one of us will say to the other about how incredibly fortunate we are to be able to do this, how lucky we are to be here (wherever "here" is that day) and to be there together. We oftentimes are completely unaware of what day of the week it is nor have any reason to know the time (aside from the timer that goes off on Kaitlyn's watch every day at precisely 2:00 p.m. and of which we don't know how to get to stop). The point is that we are lucky and so fortunate to have this opportunity, have the means to do it, the time to do it in, and the support of family and friends (and loyal blog readers!) along every step of the way. We are learning so much about the world, about people, and most importantly, about one another, that we will take with us for the rest of our lives. We are incredibly grateful for all your support, in awe of the magnificence and amazingness each day we have on this trip brings us, and hope that one day your dreams, whatever they may be, will have the opportunity to be lived just like ours are.

We are currently sitting on another overnight bus from Antalya (the largest Turkish city on the Mediterranean but really nothing special) to Goreme, the central town in the Cappadocia region of Turkey where we will explore the "fairy chimneys" that dot the landscape. We'll head back to Istanbul on another overnight bus most likely on Saturday evening to get our heads on straight before landing in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Turkey has been an incredible place and we highly recommend a visit here. It's safe, fairly cheap (cheaper than Europe) and full of culture, relaxation, and history to explore. Most people don't speak English but hey, that's what makes it so much fun and good practice for Charades or Guesstures! They really like meat here as well, like they seriously love the stuff. And tea, but only in tiny glasses. So, in summation, if you want to look at some ruins while sipping some tea and chewing on some grilled meat, you should come here!

Thanks again for following along on our adventures. We really do love all your feedback so keep it coming! We will seriously miss Turkey but look forward to all the Asian adventures that are soon to come. The keyif we've enjoyed so much must now come to an end as we embark upon Phase Two of our journey around the world. Our Turkey has been eaten...bring on the Indian desserts!

Hoofing It Halfway Awards

To summarize the trip so far (and help pass the time on the bus!), we've compiled a short list of what we think of all the places we've seen/things we've done, for your reading pleasure. So, without further ado... (Kaitlyn is in red, Joe is in black)

Best Food:
I know you don’t really expect me to choose...they are all so different! Morocco had great tagines and couscous. I loved the foul and babaganoush in Egypt! Tel Aviv had variety, which was refreshing! Turkey has great meat and I love the fresh Mediterranean diet!

Indo-Italian Restaurant in Moshi, Tanzania because it was so random and yet so wonderful

Worst Food:
Lamb. Oh and seafood pizza. They don’t mix well.

Tough call for me, for obvious reasons. I guess I would have to say overall, everywhere in Egypt was pretty bad.

Favorite People:
The Moroccan owners at our hotel in Fez. The French girls I met diving in Dahab and later hosted us at their flat in Amman! The lady at our tree house in Olympos. But I must say, the Germans take the cake as far as fellow travelers go!

Shopkeepers who virtually ignore my presence. I like that.

People That Make Us Hate People:
The guy that sat next to me on the plane from Athens, Greece to Istanbul. The Arab shopkeeper who yelled at me in Jerusalem (and I yelled back. And then cried).

Egyptians, all of them - I constantly felt like I was getting screwed / People that sit outside the bathroom and demand that you pay them money to use it / Shopkeepers that call me their friend and try to initiate conversation

Best Bazaar/Market:
Fez, Morocco hands down! But I will say that it probably has something to do with the fact that it was the first truly walled bizarre we saw, but it is huge and incredible...plus it’s legitimate – even locals shop there!

We sure have seen a lot, from the exotic Marrakech to the oldest and largest Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. However, my favorite, by far, has to be Fes, Morocco, where anything can be had, you can lose yourself down the winding alleyways, and it is the most legitimate, whereas the others are quickly becoming solely tourist traps.

Most Touristy:
Jerusalem

Marrakech, Morocco & Jerusalem, Israel.

Dirtiest:
Without a doubt, Cairo. They literally throw their trash on the ground. If you ask a local where a trash can is, they either look at you confused, point to the ground or offer to take your trash and throw it on the ground for you.

Cairo, Egypt. It is a challenge finding a trash can, which is why I guess everyone there says screw it and just throws it on the street.

Cleanest:
Istanbul – very impressive!

Istanbul / Amman, Jordan / Tel Aviv

Most Modern:
In fairness, Tel Aviv is probably the most truly modern, but I think Istanbul is a close second (our shower had walls, not just a drain)! Plus they deserve props for being such a progressive Muslim society. 

Tel Aviv - it was like San Diego, except for all the Jews everywhere

Most Ass-Backwards:
Egypt.

Luxor, Egypt - nothing about this place made any sense whatsoever

Most Surreal Experience:
1) Making it to the top of Kili. 2) Seeing the pyramids in Egypt. 3) Walking the Via Dolorosa (stations of the cross) in Jerusalem.

Riding a camel through the Pyramids

Lowest Point:
Calling my mom in tears from the train station in Marrakech because I had 50,000 bug bites all over me from bed bugs at our hotel.  

Every single day on Mt. Kilimanjaro. Between Kaitlyn getting sick before we even started to climb, to Snyder's altitude sickness, to the sheer magnitude of the task before us and difficulty in the daily hike, each day was even harder than the last.

Highest Point:
Top of Kilimanjaro, literally and figuratively! And finding out I passed the bar on the streets of Amman!

The elation we felt after making it to the top of Kilimanjaro and how proud we were of each other is a moment I will always remember.

Most Fear-For-My-Life Moment:
Almost getting left by the bus while peeing in the woods in the middle of nowhere in Tanzania.

Crossing the street in Cairo / Being outdoors and not in our hotel room in Tanzania

Most Serene Moment:
Zanzibar. The most beautiful beach I have ever seen! Plus we were there at low season so it wasn’t crowded at all!

Staring up at the stars while sitting around a camp fire with Bedouins singing and dancing around me in Wadi Rum, Jordan

In A Word...        
Morocco: genuine, colorful
Egypt: baksheesh, scam
Tanzania: endearing.
Jordan: surprising. I had no clue what to expect, but it is fairly modern (especially Amman) and so diverse! There is everything from canyoning, floating in the Dead Sea (or going to one of the many spas around), to camping in the desert.
Israel: stuck, clashing
Turkey: the forgotten gem of the Mediterranean!

Morocco: Enchanting
Egypt: Chaos
Tanzania: Smiles
Jordan: Expensive
Israel: Conundrum
Turkey: Meat

Home, Sweet Istanbul

We arrived in Istanbul after a night in the Tel Aviv airport followed by an early morning flight. Backpacks on, we left the airport, navigated the tram - Istanbul's great public transportation system - and headed out in search of a place to stay. After walking around for about two hours we stumbled upon Emirhan Inn Apartments. It appeared to be out of our budget, but getting desperate we asked about prices and availability anyhow and low and behold we found a gem! We have since been staying in a one bedroom apartment for 80 liras a night (a little over $50). We have a little kitchen, a clean, private bathroom and a washing machine!!! Needless to say we are living in luxury, and loving it! Plus it came with three adorable little kittens who we've started feeding (probably much to the owners chagrin). Our kittens aren't exactly tame and cuddly, but cute all the same! When they hear us get home, they start meowing at our back door for food. They come in, eat, and when feeling brave explore a little. If we move towards them too quickly or try to pet them they dart off like a bat out of hell.

Our first day we slept in, which became a recurring theme, and then headed out to explore. After sleeping in, making breakfast, heading out the door to explore the city at around 2:00 p.m., and then sheepishly handing our “rent” money over to the proprietor, optimistically hoping the room was still reservation free for the next day, our place really felt like it was our “home.” Despite the fact that the guy running place must have thought we were out partying every night until late, somehow managing to sleep in through all the construction noise going on around us, we loved our home and our new favorite city, Istanbul, and one day led to another until a whole week flew right by.

It wasn’t all just comfy beds, clean laundry, and kittens galore though. We did manage to get out and explore the magnificence of the city around us. We first headed up to the Hippodrome, an open-air area with a few old columns (one was even from ancient Egypt!) to see, but otherwise appeared to be an area for pedestrians to sit and enjoy the free Wi-Fi. Next we took off our shoes, I covered my arms, legs, head, etc. and headed into the Blue Mosque, a beautiful, old mosque in the heart of the city that is still functioning. It gets its name from all the blue tiles decorating the interior. Just opposite the Blue Mosque is the Hagia Sophia, which has served as both a mosque and a church through the years and the change of empires.

The rest of the week is kind of a blur of sleeping in, cooking dinner and walking all over the complete European side of Istanbul. We took a cruise on the Bosphorus which offered a gorgeous view of the city. Istanbul is peppered with mosques and the many minarets give it a unique skyline, beautiful at sunset. We explored the hubbub of the Grand Bazaar with the many booths of vendors selling what they claim is gold, diamonds, and silk pashminas, though I'm still unsure what is real or not!

On Saturday, we had our own personal tour guides: Muharram and Mehmet. Muharram, a Turkish native, went to grad school with Joe at FSU and his brother Mehmet, who doesn't speak a lick of English, is a detective in Istanbul. Muharram lives in Ankara but came up for the weekend and the two of them spent the day showing us around. They met us at our hotel at noon, questioned us about what we'd done so far and quickly made an itinerary of the remaining best of the best things to see and do in Istanbul. They were truly incredible ushering us around, buying our tickets into the Basilica Cistern and Topkapi Palace, and giving us an insider’s perspective on the Turkish culture. And, it was great to try some new foods as well, a fish sandwich (with a side of little fish which you may or may not enjoy eating the entirety of), a baked potato topped with various goodies, and a thorough explanation of the many numerous types of kebabs (Turkish people LOVE meat). We ended the day with a hot tea at the water's edge with a beautiful view of the amazing Istanbul skyline.

We have both really loved Istanbul. The weather has been perfect, a taste of fall with the cool mornings and nights and perfect days! There is a crisp breeze from the water and everyone is walking around in their pashminas and boots (I miss cute clothes!!). It has beautiful architecture and enjoying a tea on the edge of the Bosphorus will certainly make anyone fall in love with the city! After multiple days of saying "we'll leave tomorrow," we finally pried ourselves away...at least temporarily!

We took an overnight bus to Pammulkale, a cute little town famous for its hot springs, bizarre white landscape, and Roman ruins. Tomorrow, we will head to Ephesus and then the Mediterranean coast. But our comfort in leaving Istanbul was that we know we'd have to goback. We fly out of Istanbul on October 19th for India!

What Happened To My Underpants?

We arrived in Israel on Wednesday, September 22, late afternoon. We then departed Israel on Wednesday, September 22, even later in the afternoon. "Where's our camera?" Kaitlyn asked, hoping I was hiding it somewhere, playing the old “let’s hide the camera so our girlfriend will freak out” game. "I don't know...what did you do with it?" I lovingly responded, knowing full well that I hadn't seen the thing since our arrival in Amman, three days before. After being pulled aside for a “random screening” (though I’m sure my cartoonish beard and arm full of various bracelets had nothing to do with it) by the Israeli authorities and subsequent twenty minute interrogation about my background, relationship with Kaitlyn, and reasons for entering Israel, we came to the very unfortunate realization that we had left our camera behind somewhere in Amman. We hopped back on the bus, back towards the Jordanian border, back through the contentious no-man’s-land between the two nations, and back into an expensive taxi for the 45 minute journey to Amman. Fortunately, we were staying with Elodie and Isabelle, two French girls living in Amman and who we met back in Dahab, Egypt, Kaitlyn’s newest friends and dive buddies. The camera, as it turned out, was in the trunk of the car of a friend of theirs, left behind after our first arrival. We both were very relieved of this news, happy our months of memories were still intact.

Aside from being exponentially more expensive than its neighbors, Jordan was one of our favorite places. Much to both of our surprise, Amman is a modern metropolis, with shopping plazas galore, law abiding drivers, and shining rays of progressive ideas abounding. It was here, at the crossroads of Arabia and modernity, that Kaitlyn was to find out the news that would forever change her life (not to mention set the tone for the rest of our trip!). On Monday, September 20, 2010, Kaitlyn Michelle Bagnato became Kaitlyn Michelle Bagnato, Esquire! On a stoop next to a small shop down a side street in Amman, complete with onlookers not sure what to make of the tears and simultaneous cheers and hugs, we found out that Kaitlyn passed the Florida Bar exam. After three years of arduous work and two months of nonstop studying and cramming (and a delight to be around throughout, of course!), her efforts have finally paid off. We bought a few cans of beer, gathered a bottle of wine, and headed back to our amazing flat near the French embassy in Amman to celebrate with our French friends.

After eight action-packed days in Jordan consisting of camping with Bedouins in beautiful Wadi Rum, exploring ancient Petra, canyoning to an amazing waterfall in Wadi Mujib, being driven through the country by our new German friends, floating in the Dead Sea, seeing Jesus’ baptismal site at Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan, enjoying the small town feel of Christian Madaba and the big city feel of Amman, and discovering that a lawyer is now among us, it was time to hit the road again and head across the mighty and imposing Jordan River, the one-foot wide boundary between Jordan and Israel.

We passed through security without a hitch this time around, thankfully, and headed straight for Jerusalem. Having spent the better part of the past two months in or around walled cities, we were not terribly impressed or in awe of the Old City walls surrounding Jerusalem. But then, once inside, we both felt a certain degree of magic in the air. Though neither one of us have ever really been the crazy for religion, WWJD bracelet wearing type, there was still something sublime about being in Jerusalem, being in such a holy and austere place, where so much history and battles over belief have taken place. For me, the religion major and incessant spiritual seeker, Jerusalem has always been the cradle of faith, the eternal alpha and omega of all things God.

The Old City is divided into four quadrants, each with their distinct personality. The Muslim Quarter is awash in small markets like we have been in and out of for the past few months, with men selling various sundries for both locals and tourists. This quarter is distinctly Arab, where good deals can be had if you bargain correctly, and each seller proudly displays something that ties them to their Palestinian roots. Next is the Christian Quarter, with the dividing lines between the two quarters being completely blurred as the only thing that really changes is who the shopkeepers’ target audience becomes and crosses and rosaries begin to replace knockoff designer brand clothes and shawarma (like a gyro) stands. And the sad part is that everything still comes from the same place: China! Having also gone through decades of turmoil between Roman times, the Crusades, Byzantine rule, etc., most of the Old City isn’t as really “old” as many of the faithful would like to believe. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the beautiful edifice built atop the place of Jesus’ crucifixion and full of amazing artwork and antiquities in memoriam, is a very old building that has remained standing through all the surrounding conflict. However, inside the church there remains items that are perhaps more symbolic than actual remnants, such as several devotional pillars rumored to have been at Jesus’ feet during the crucifixion or a small cave area inside the church alleged to have been the first burial spot of Jesus. To the devoted, authenticity, I reckon, is not so much a matter of fact but rather a matter of faith. The Via Dolorosa, or Stations of the Cross, are marked along a pathway leading to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. With the city being virtually discombobulated several times over the past two thousand years, the layout of things has also obviously changed. We walked the Via Dolorosa, following along in the final steps of Jesus’ life, despite the likelihood of its historical inauthenticity, just like the thousands of tour groups and millions of other pilgrims that do each year. It was still a remarkable and surreal experience, being in Jerusalem, the place where it all happened, and walking in the footsteps of Jesus, even if they were just symbolic.


Joe at the Wailing Wall

 With numerous churches ,mosques, and synagogues around every corner, the entire Old City is a holy (and wholly) blur of spirituality. A third quarter, the Armenian Quarter, randomly enough, is quieter and seemingly more residential than the other parts. Why Armenian? Apparently, Armenia was the first to embrace Christianity and so were thusly rewarded with a place in the Holy Land. Despite the nomenclature and few Armenian mosaic shops, the quarter, adjacent to a large Greek contingent, feels less Armenian (whatever that means) and more distinctly Greek.

Dome of the Rock

Finally, the fourth quarter, the Jewish Quarter, has probably undergone the most changes through its history. What stands today is a very new, very clean, and very quaint neighborhood. With children running around in their little yarmulkes, women in their long skirts, and men in their stereotypical yet still cartoonishly long and curly side hair flapping underneath their large sable Russian hat looking things and black outfits, the Jewish Quarter felt surprisingly calm compared to its neighbors. The centerpiece of the Jewish Quarter is the Western Wall (or Wailing Wall) that is all that remains from the Second Temple and the object of much of their devotion. Men and women are divided to different areas of the wall where they can often be seen rocking back and forth in devotion, reading from their scriptures, praying, eating bagels with smears of lox (just kidding! Stereotypes are fun!) or writing notes to be inserted into the wall, messages to be delivered to God.

All in all, I would have to say that I was surprised about just how small it all was. I guess hearing Bible stories as a kid in CCD classes on Sunday mornings (before blurring it all out, of course) made it all seem like such a vast area. In reality, we covered it all with ease, from the place of the Last Supper outside the wall, to the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock, to the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane and Mary’s Tomb, all the way back with time to spare to walk the Via Dolorosa, barely breaking a sweat.

We never felt in danger during our time in Jerusalem, despite the abundance of armed soldiers running to and fro on a seemingly very important mission somewhere. I received an email from my mother one day that read something like this, “OMG Joey! I just saw on the news about the violence in Jerusalem! Please tell me you guys are okay!!!” to which I had to research whatever it was that occurred, since nothing seemed out of the ordinary or peculiar whatsoever. It turns out that an Israeli security guard killed a Palestinian, which led to some riots, and blah blah blah, the usual sort of stuff we hear about on the news all the time. The fact is that oftentimes, as is the case with everything I guess, the actual reality of the situation is far less dramatic or indicative than the media would have us believe. Nevertheless, we opted against venturing into the West Bank towards Bethlehem to see the Palestinian side of the Middle East equation because of all the peace talk negotiating going on at the time. The situation is tense. It has always been tense and it will probably always be tense. The fight is about so much more than land, so much more than politics, and so much more than religion. I’ll spare you a lengthy diatribe on the topic and instead tell you that I bought/made a t-shirt with the city of Jerusalem on the front and on the back, the simple word “coexist” formed with the religious symbols of the three major faiths constructing the c, x and t. Hopefully, one day it will happen...

After Jerusalem, we boarded a bus for the 45 minute ride to Tel Aviv, likely the most modern stop on our entire journey. Besides being ridiculously expensive, we both loved every aspect of the city. From the dog friendliness (they were even allowed in the indoor mall!), to the young professionals, to the walkability of the city, to the beautiful beaches, to the progressive ethos, it personally reminded me of San Diego, which as everyone knows, is the most fantastic city ever. There were no armed guards anywhere, no city walls, and worries whatosever...just the beach, the mall, and the three movies we got to see at the theatre (Go see Eat, Pray, Love!!!), another wonderful and peaceful end to yet another country.

We spent Monday evening at the Tel Aviv airport, waiting for our flight to Athens, Greece, and then onwards to Istanbul, where we currently sit and absolutely love so far. It’s now October, with two months abroad officially behind us. We’ve been in and out of ten countries so far and our passports are getting full. We look forward to a more relaxing October in Turkey before heading off to India and onwards to Southeast Asia! Please keep letting us know that you know we’re still alive (and are glad!) and we’ll be happy to write you back. Sometimes, it does get lonely all the way over here...!

Musings...

Things I have lost thus far along the journey: 10-15 pounds (I know, I know...it’s about time right?!?), several city maps, full water bottles, and sodas, my freaking Iphone, and, believe it or not, somehow I’ve managed to lose three pairs of my own underpants...

I had no idea how many black Jews there are...

Share