Machu Picchu

Yesterday I was able to catch the sunrise over the Andes at Machu Picchu and it actually brought tears to my eyes. ¨Tears of awesomeness¨as Shauna called them. In the last two months, I have proclaimed to see the ¨most amazing thing ever¨ more times than I can count, but I think my experience at Machu Picchu takes first prize. What a beautiful journey the last couple of days have been.

We lefty Cusco early Wednesday morning and took the three hour train ride over to KM 106 to meet our guide. Let me tell you about trains in Peru...it's not Europe. Peru Rail runs a very lucrative business here getting hundreds of tourists daily between Cusco and Aguascalientes to take in the beauty of Machu Picchu. Do they spend it on new tracks or high speed trains? No. As we eased past the farmlands in tiny Peruvian villages and made our way through canyons into the Andes, the train jumped and swayed and at one point got on the wrong track, so we had to back up and try again. I'm not complaining as it was incredibly beautiful; I guess the comparison between Europe and South America should just never be made.

We hopped off the train somewhere along this river with the gorgeous green mountains towering above us and met our guide, Jorge. After being attacked by bugs in the first five minutes (I think I understand how bed bugs must feel...I am covered with bites and they itch!...sexy, I know) Jorge led us across a bridge and onto the Inca trail. He warned us that the hike would be tough before lunch, but a mile of jagged steps straight up was not what we envisioned....however, that's exactly what it was. As Shauna and I struggled up the steps in the jungle heat and humidity, Jorge told us about the Incas and why and how they built their cities. He gave us the low down on the people in the area and what the Inca trail was used for. It was great to have our own private tour guide to ask questions to and to get the inside track on everything that we were seeing.

We stopped for lunch a couple hours later and saw some ruins at the top of that particular mountain. We then hiked the next six kilometers and walked through the Sun Gate to see the gloriousness of Machu Picchu below us. Looking at this from above, you have to wonder how and why 400 people decided to make their home on the top of this mountain. Machu Picchu is just one ruin surrounded by these Andian peaks that soar high into the clouds. Apparently they wanted to be closer to the gods, but at what cost? The hardships of living on cliffs and farming terraces that step all the way down these mountains must have been incredible. The Inca civilization amazes me.

We wandered around and took hundreds of pictures. I truly believe we had one of the most beautiful days ever to walk through the Sun Gate. The sky was blue and the clouds surrounding the mountains almost made it look fake...nothing can be that perfect. To top it all off, just as we were about to head down to catch the bus to town, two rainbows came out on either side of the sky. I couldn't have asked for more.

Our tour company hooked us up with a ritzy hostal (everything in Machu Picchu is a hostal, but this was definitely more of a hotel) and we had an excellent dinner with Jorge in Aguascalientes. The avocados here are amazing!!! Both Shauna and I were so tired after a full day of hiking that we passed out early. Probably best, as we had to get up at 4:15 the next morning to get in line for the buses up to Machu Picchu.

All of the walking and waking up early was so worth it when we got into the ruins yesterday morning. We kind of missed the exact sunrise, but what we saw was good enough. Jorge took us on a tour of the ruins and we had some time to ourselves to explore. There is another mountain, higher than the ruins at Machu Picchu that has the remains of four Inca houses on it that was used for communication between other villages (think Lord of the Rings, fire on the mountain style), Waynapicchu. From what it sounds like, they only give out 400 passes each day to go up this particular trail, and being up so early, I got one and decided to make the trek. The trail is not what could be described as safe as it is an hour straight up a mountain with steep steps and sheer cliffs and no railing to stop your fall, but I did it. I got up to the top and sat on the rocks high above Machu Picchu and took it all in as butterflies buzzed around me. It was an adventure that I'm so glad I took advantage of.

After our wanderings in the ruins were done, Shauna and I made our way back into town, had some lunch and then got on the train to come back to Cusco. It was a long ride, and I felt the exact moment that the elevation was a little too much for me. Going from the lower altitude at Machu Picchu to the high, dry air of Cusco made it hard to sleep last night. That and the malaria medication I'm taking giving me crazy vivid dreams. Shauna ended up getting a place down the street last night and she should now be at the airport heading back to Lima for a couple of days. My ticket has been cancelled at this point. My friend, Kitty, should be getting back this evening and then her and I are heading down to Puno, on Lake Titicaca tomorrow. This will be my first experience with the Peruvian bus system. I've heard the stories from other travelers...this should be interesting.

Happy at 11,000 feet

I have powered through the jet lag, almost rid myself of a terrible head cold and am now sitting at 11,000 feet apparently immune to the dreaded altitude sickness. Life is getting better with each passing moment.

I arrived in Lima late on Saturday night after a short, but much needed visit with my dad in Texas. It seemed that everyone in the hostel was waiting on me as Shauna had a crew ready to take me out on the town. No matter how tired I felt, I just couldn´t let these good people down and went out in the Barranca neighborhood in Lima for the night. I can´t say it was much different than a typical American or European club other than the fact that I paid less than $10 and for all you can drink beers until 2am. Pretty good steal for a Saturday night I would say. I didn´t go too crazy as I was completely exhausted from two days of travel, but all in all, had a pretty fantastic time.

I awoke the next morning to the culture shock of South America. There are constant warnings to watch your bags and be careful where you go...which I wish people would just stop with. I am sure it can be dangerous, but no need to frighten us poor travelers out of our minds. It took me a bit to leave the comforts of the hostel, but as I walked out, I found a parade and families and seemingly happy people everywhere, despite the heavy fog that clouded the city on Sunday. It is definitely different, and there is a need to be cautious, but really, South America is just another place on the map with beautiful people and incredible things to see.

Shauna and I only spent one day in Lima, which I was fine with. I´m sick of cities and the hustle and bustle, I like being out in the villages and seeing the outdoors, the main reasons that I am here right now. We took an ass early flight to Cusco (5:40am!!!) and I had somehow managed to fly us business class without knowing. I think this is the first flight I haven´t wanted to get off. With big comfy seats and free breakfast that coach did not get to enjoy, I could get used to that. Shauna and I were like kids at Christmas, taking pictures and stretching out properly...absolutely the newbies in the cabin. An experience I´d like to have again very soon.

We arrived in Cusco yesterday and passed out in our snug bunks until 1pm...hoping that altitude sickness wouldn´t get to us while we slept. Both of us are apparently immune...just the slow threat of a headache that can be treated easily with my hardcore prescription IBprofun. I just constantly feel like I have a bit of a hangover...nothing I can´t handle.

A devastating event occured yesterday that I didn´t realize until the afternoon. My trusty headlamp is gone. I cannot find it anywhere. It must have fallen out of my purse when getting out of the cab in Lima and I almost cried when I found out. Shauna saw my distress and we immediately set out for an outdoor store where I purchased a cheaper model...not as good, and I miss mine incredibly, but it´ll do for now. It´s something that I have used everyday in my travels and I can´t live without it...a new one for Christmas maybe? :)

After wandering around Cusco, we arrived back at the hostel to find the girl I stayed with in Italy had smartly checked into our room. It is so great to see her again and she has the same plan as me to head down to Lake Titicaca from Cusco, so I´ll have a travel buddy for a couple more days at least. Her, Shauna and I did some grocery shopping last night and cooked an amazing risotto. We enjoyed a beer from Cusco and I think I passed out around eight. Hence, I´m up at 7am posting this blog.

So far, I am loving South America. It seems to be geared for more outdoorsy activities which I´m going to completely take advantage of. We´ve had our debriefing for Machu Picchu and we hit the trail tomorrow at 6:30am. It is just Shauna and I on the tour, and we´ve gotten some great tips from people who have done it. I can´t wait to get out there and see what the top of the world really looks like.

The Next Chapter

The flights back to San Francisco were flawless and I used my newly found patience to navigate through the city to get to my friend's house where I have stayed for the last few days. It has been wonderful seeing everyone and being back in my little SF comfort bubble. Although I've only been here for three days, it feels like ages ago that I was in Europe.

I can't say that I've ever really experienced jet lag before, but that can only be the cause of the strange way I still feel today. Apparently I am not immune to the nine hour time change like I thought I would be. Most people say that they sleep for days after a trek like this, but of course, I was the opposite and have barely slept since I've been home. I've been up before five each morning with the wheels in my head turning with all of the things I needed to do. However, being all the Carey I could be, I powered through and did the dinners and drinks like a good girl should. You can sleep when you're dead. I needed to get my fill of San Fran before I leave it for another couple of months.

One of the things I accomplished was buying the South America Lonely Planet guide...just two days before I get to Peru...good job me! I didn't want to plan ahead and I have definitely been successful on that front. I really don't know what I'm going to do after Machu Picchu next week and I'm so excited for that!!! I'm a little nervous, but I was the same when I went to Turkey. I'm sure it will be fine. My friend is already down there and it sounds like Lima is incredible. Life will be good in another 48 hours or so.

I'm off to the airport in a little bit here. Thank you so much to everyone in San Francisco for showing me a good time and letting my bags explode in every corner or your houses! I had so many laughs and so much fun and can't wait to see all of you again soon. As for everyone else, I'm sorry if I neglected to call or talk to you as much as I should have. Being without at cell phone was officially annoying, but kind of freeing at the same time. I have a ten hour layover in Texas and will try to make contact if I have time and don't fall asleep at my dad's house.

As for now, my backpack is lighter; my travel hammock and mosquito net are secure. I'm ready for the next chapter to begin.

And in the end....

The love you take, is equal to the love you make....

I am absolutely in love with Europe and this trip has been more than I could have ever wanted it to be. I feel as though I've lived 100 lifetimes walking its streets and exploring its landscapes. There was the ease of Western Europe, the incredible culture of Turkey and the new beginnings around ever corner in Eastern Europe. When starting to plan this 'round the world trip, I wasn't all that excited for this continent, but it has surprised me with each new destination I've ventured to.

I spent my last full day in Como on the hike of my dreams. I met a girl from Berkeley in the hostel and her and I set off through the mountains on an amazing four hour tour through the countryside. We had lunch beside the most picturesque river, admired a trout farm and the livestock around it; saw ancient villages packed far into the woods and climbed up yet another mountain. I must have taken more than 50 pictures. It was fantastic to be outside and enjoy the greenery around Lake Como.

After the hike we took the ferry over to Bellagio (I'm pretty sure that's where George lives) and had a dinner of fresh lake fish. We ended up missing the last ferry back to our town and had to take one that dropped us about two miles away. We had to walk the winding road around the lake to get back to our hostel with a million stars over our heads. It was brilliant!

I've made my way back to Florence at this point and I love it even more than the first time I was here. It was odd to come to a place where I knew exactly where I was going, but I like the familiarity of it. Last night I met people in the hostel and consumed some Italian wine for my last real night here. We ended up going out in the freezing cold for a little bit and did the town up right. I took the free walking tour of Florence this morning and saw some things I missed last time. My train ticket just got purchased and I need to make my way back to Rome in the next couple of hours. I think I'll end up taking the late train in and head straight for the airport. At 8am tomorrow, I'll be on my way back to the Bay.

Some things I've learned on this part of the trip:

--Patience...after 11 planes (after tomorrow's trek), 10 trains (not including day trips), 5 buses, 1 boat and 1 car road trip, patience is all you have going for you.

--Never underestimate the power of a positive attitude....you are always going to get there, or somewhere. It will always work out the way it's supposed to.

--When you find yourself in a predicament, don't panic. Just sit down, have a beer, and a solution will present itself.

--Always think at least one step ahead, but never more than two unless absolutely necessary...it just creates confusion.

--Tonight is always gonna be a good night....friggin Black Eyed Peas....

--Flip flops and hiking do not belong in the same sentence.

--"Piano" means "floor" in Italian...that arrow pointing up the stairs will not take you to the very first piano ever made.

--Watch your step, hold hand rails and slow down on treacherous terrain. Knees are important when traveling the world.

--If you have an alarm clock, and you need to be somewhere, set it.

--Doesn't matter where you are, there will always be a McDonald's.

The soundtrack for my trip so far has been Iron and Wine, The Shepherd's Dog. I must have listened to it 100 times. Perfect for any kind of travel: trains, planes, buses and cars...it fits any mood. I'll have to redo the 8G playlist when I get home and find something more suiting for South America.

So I'm off to Rome! Just a couple more flights and I can get back to American convenience...for a few days at least. Then the real adventure will begin.

Close your eyes and point...

While in Berlin, I was trying to decide where to go next once I hit Italy, so I literally just closed my eyes and pointed to the map of northern Italy and my finger landed on Menaggio, on Lake Como...and it is exactly the type of place that I had wanted to be. Funny how things sort themselves out that way.

I did it up right on my one day in Berlin. I got a good night's sleep, and woke up to a couple of guys coming into the room at 10am, just getting home from the night out on the town. Apparently they were out with some of the people that run these free walking tours in different cities around Europe and they were supposed to be great. So as those two went to bed, I got up and packed my bag, yet again. I put on every warm article of clothing I had and braved the weather to take this four hour tour.

It was fantastic! We had this girl from North Carolina that has been living in Berlin for the past four years and is completely in love with the city. Berlin is not like Rome or Prague, where the sites are completely obvious and you can look on a map and figure it out on your own. It is a city where 90% of the buildings were devastated by war and torn down, so it's modern architecture doesn't do much from a touring perspective. And of course, the hostel I was saying in gave me the subway map as my point of reference, so I needed guidance on this one.

The tour showed me everything I needed to see. From the Holocaust memorial to the street corner where Hitler's body was burned. I saw the remaining pieces of the Berlin wall and some wicked graffiti to top it all off. All the while we were on this tour, she taught us the history of what happened there and why it turned out the way that it did. For not being much of a history buff, I really enjoyed it. It made me want to stay in Berlin for another day, but unfortunately with my flight to Italy, I couldn't.

After freezing in the 40 degree weather all day, I made my way back to the hostel and hung out for a bit and then headed to the airport. The Berlin airport wasn't too bad for a night's sleep...I think I actually got about four hours. I saw the Alps for a second time on my flight down and then realized that I was kind of heading there. I guess I didn't look at the map well enough, but Lake Como falls directly underneath them.

I took the train to the bus and ended up on the shores of heaven. No wonder George Clooney has a house here! Just this lake surrounded by gigantic mountains with churches and villas galore. I met some people in the hostel last night and went out to dinner and then saw some live jazz. Today I took a hike to the top of the world with yet another person leaving for southeast Asia. We hiked up stairs for about 45 minutes to reach this old church surrounded by cliffs and overlooking the spot where the two legs of Lake Como meet. Gorgeous!!! Today was a big picture day. After the hike, we indulged in a couple beers and some pizza before he set off on his journey to Bangkok.

So the original plan was to stay here for another night, then two nights in Venice before going back...but I'm sad to say that Venice is out (I think, my mind could still change). Hopefully it won't sink before the next time I come back to Europe, but I just don't have it in me to trek all the way over there and then back down to Rome. It's just too much, and there's a hike I'd like to do here tomorrow. So the plan is to go back to Florence for a night and make my way back that way. It's cheaper and sounds more relaxing, which I'm starting to realize San Francisco is not going to be. I woke up at sunrise this morning thinking of all of the things I need to take care of while I'm in the states next week. But I'm not going to think of all of that anymore. I'm going to enjoy my last couple of days in paradise and deal with everything else later.

The Final Push...

A friend of mine posted in his blog that if Halloween was a town, it would be Prague...and I 100% agree. With its ghoulish statues and tall, black towers, its red-roofed houses and cobblestone streets, one wants to carve some pumpkins and pull out the costumes. It was beautiful and different. The vibe there was amazing with its little cafes and great nightlife, I really enjoyed my time in the city.

I spent my first day in Prague by leaving it. I took a train to Kutna Hora to see the Kostnice Bone Church that Ive heard so much about. During the 13th century, this guy sprinkled some soil from Palestine on the ground around the church, and after that, a ton of people decided that they wanted to be buried there. The legend goes that bodies put into the ground in this area will decompose within three days, leaving only the skeletons behind. Because of this, the number of burials outgrew the space available and they began to exhume remains and store them in the back of the church. In the 1800s, a woodcarver decided to make art out of the bones left in the church and now the building is decorated with chandeliers of skulls and pyramids of bones in every corner. Apparentely it houses the remains of 40,000 people...pretty creepy, but Im glad that I made the trip out there.

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon touring the city. I crossed the bridge packed full of tourists over to Prague Castle and the neighborhood on that side. I wandered through the old town square and climbed the clock tower to see the hour turn at 2pm. It was raining on and off all day, s0 I did as much touring as I could, but I just didnt pack the clothes for this wintery weather. So I found myself popping into pubs and cafes throughout the day to warm up again. It was kind of nice to space out for an hour or so with a glass of wine, just people watching in Prague and thinking of the last five weeks and what theyve taught me.

I got some souvenir shopping done and dropped off my laundry for cleaning...never underestimate the power of a clean towel...so fresh and so clean, I feel like a new person! When I got done last night, there were a few people in the hostel going out and I ended up hitting the town for the evening....Prague nightlife is amazing, even on a Monday. I ended up at this underground (literally) club that was something like a mouse maze with different dj rooms ( I felt like I was in Toronto again!!!) and these winding little hallways connecting it all. I danced the night away until 2am and loved every minute!

And that brings me to Berlin. There was a guy in Prague who was heading to Berlin today as well, so he and I rode over here by train this afternoon. What a gorgeous ride!!! I almost got off the train in the country just across the Czech border. The train was winding along this river and it was just so green! These picturesque little towns with the perfect German houses and the rolling hills surrounding just blew my mind. I wanted to sleep, but couldnt keep my eyes closed with all of the scenery around me.

Ive got a flight from Berlin to Milan early Thursday, so Im spending a night here and then planning to sleep in yet another airport tomorrow night. Im getting good at it...and really, its not all that bad when you have these 6am flights. Im hoping that Italy will be a little bit warmer as Ive been freezing my butt off without the proper attire. Ive booked a hostel on Lake Como for a couple of days and then plan on hitting Venice this weekend before doing the final push back to Rome.

Eastern European Detour

I woke up this morning with every intention of heading to Zagreb, Croatia...but with last night's consumption at the Slovak Pub in Bratislava, I just couldn't be bothered with a 9:50am train. So then I thought I'd take the night train out to Krakow to see what Poland is all about...but the hefty fare they quoted me at the train station just didn't seem to fit. I now am residing in Prague instead...only a 4.5 hour journey from Slovakia and a third of the price Poland would have been. Good deal!

The past week has been a little slower on the travel than previously, which is nice. I've enjoyed the pace of finding somewhere and staying for a couple of days. Slovakia was beautiful and I'm glad that I got to hang out there. My friend and I did end up renting a car from the Bratislava airport to do some countryside touring. Oh and this car was a good one. A VW Polo with a doughnut on the front driver's side (this was not noticed until we got gas 200 kilometers in) and windshield wipers that did anything but wipe the windows (which was awesome when it started pouring on the highway back to the airport). Either way, we made the journey safely (somehow).

After about an hour of driving around the city trying to get out (the signs here mean nothing to me) we made it up this little two lane highway through what could easily be described as Michigan. The countryside was quaint and colorful and a few castles were on our route up. We stopped at the first one we saw which also housed a bird "sanctuary," which was the saddest thing I've ever seen. We paid 4 euro each to see these poor birds perched on these stakes with leather straps tied to their legs to keep them from flying away. After seeing one of the hawks with a helmet shading it's eyes, I'd had enough. But the castle was cool. We saw one other castle, but couldn't go in and we ended up driving up a hiking trail (oops) to get to this cave that wasn't open either. The cave area was pretty beautiful though, with the rolling hills and the fall colors, we hiked up to the top and looked out at all of Slovakia in front of us. It was afternoon and the sun was going down and there was nothing but forest as far as we could see. Spectacular!

We ended up in the sleepy town of Piestany for the night, eating pizza and drinking wine. We got a killer deal on a huge apartment for 20 euros each, which was pretty sweet. I could've lived there, had there been more to do in the town. The next day we headed back to Bratislava only to find out that the dog convention there this weekend had filled up all of the hostels and hotels (there were dogs everywhere!!!). We were able to find a place, but it was the most expensive I've seen so far at 28 euro/night, but we needed beds, so we took them.

Oh and then there was the Slovak pub...yes, that's the name. It was rockin'...viking pictures on the wall, old, uneven wood floors and long tables to mingle with the locals. It was discovered during lunch yesterday and it looked like such a fun place to hang out at night, we decided to do dinner and drinks there too (much to the non-English speaking waiter's dismay). They had the best food...lots of cheese and beans and heavy comfort food (Slovakian food is my favorite so far). Also great beers and decent red wine for just 0.50 euro per glass...so of course I helped myself to a few. It was after meeting some locals who bought us some shots of who knows what that the night needed to end. Luckily the hostel was just a block away...I made it home safely and had a great night's sleep.

Which brings me to Prague. I said yet another sad goodbye to my travel companion today and made my way to the train which brought me here. It's dark, cold and rainy at this point, but I'm hoping to wake up tomorrow and take on this city rain or shine. From here, I have no idea where to go or what I want to do...let's just see what happens.

A Diamond in the Rough

I keep writing saying that I'm heading south to make my way back to Rome, and each time I do this, I somehow manage to get a little more off course....

I have enjoyed Budapest for the last few days...with it's tree-lined streets, good shopping and efficient trolley cars, I've felt comfortable and at home. I've taken in the Hungarian cuisine, listened to gypsie music and taken walks along the Danube during my time in the city. I can't say that I'm incredibly impressed, as I'm just not so sure why tourists flock to Budapest each year. It's beautiful, don't get me wrong, but other than the palace, bridges and a few statues here and there...I don't really get it. Even so, I did have fun.

I wandered everywhere throughout Budapest. I saw said palace and got some great pictures. I did a little souvenir shopping. I found the Hungarian Walgreens which made me incredibly happy. And damn...I ate some good food. Falafel, I missed you. I took a bus to the biggest tourist trap I've seen yet, Momento Park. This park now houses all of the statues and plaques that were once all over Budapest representing the communist regime and revolution that occured back in 1956. After a stomach-turning bus ride, I ended up in the middle of nowhere reading a manual as to what each historical relic means....it was interesting at first, but after about five...my friend and I just started taking random photos of us sitting on, imitating and making fun of the poses each of these monuments hold. It's a good group of photos...can't wait to post them up.

Anyway, as you can see, I'm struggling with what to say about Budapest. It was nice, but a little too familiar to call it extraordinary. So as of yesterday, I was trying to figure out where to head next. Croatia and Slovenia are on my list before I head back to Italy, but I was hoping to squeeze in one more location before I head back down. From the movie Euro Trip, Bratislava was taking over my thoughts, thinking it was the last real Eastern European frontier. I pictured Soviet block housing and sketchy areas full of graffiti...as well as only a 3 hour train ride (after 11 hours just a few days ago, the thought of long distances scares me)...and it excited me. I asked a few people in the hostel last night about it and I had three say it was no good...but I now think they are idiots...this place is a diamond in the rough.

I took the train from Budapest to Bratislava today and walked out in complete awe of my surroundings. This town is quite impressive. I was hoping for a little more Eastern Europe vibe, but what I've gotten makes up for this fault. It's a small town, with a castle up on a hill in the distance. I had dinner in old town, which is a bunch of cobblestone streets with pubs and restaurants galore. The city is lit up and people seem to be lively...and it lacks the constant tourist attention that you get everywhere else. I don't see postcard stands every 50 meters, I don't feel as though everyone I encounter will be speaking English. This place is fantastic...definitely one of my favorites so far on this trip.

I just got back from dinner, and stopped for a beer at a local pub on my way back....beer in Slovakia is good as well. As I didn't get in until late today, I'm looking forward to exploring further in the morning. I'm thinking of renting a car at this point, and heading up into the surrounding mountains for tomorrow night. My fellow traveler from Italy is still with me at this point, so as long as the price is right, I'm thinking that will be the way to go. I hear the hiking around here is amazing and I'd like to check it out if possible. It's fall in Eastern Europe and the colors are starting to change. I've pulled out my long sleeved shirt and tomorrow I will need shoes and socks. I've been missing the seasons for so long...I'm glad to finally see them as I travel through Europe.

Just another traveling fool...

Since the last time I blogged, I have had 2 bus rides, gotten onto and off one plane, crossed three borders and had an incredibly long day on a train. So unfortunately, there is not much new to report. I hopped on the bus from Pamukkale to Istanbul and somehow managed to make it through the ten hour ride. I slept some of the way, but being cramped into the window seat I can't say it was very good sleep. Don't get me wrong, the Turkish buses are quite nice, with their Turkish soap operas and bus attendent service that give you food and drinks along the way, but ten hours is a horribly long time to be on a bus.

I made my way to Istanbul and got on the bus into Sultanahmet, which would take me to the tram which would take me to the subway which would get me to the Airport for my flight five hours later. And of course, I screwed up again and got off at what I thought would be a short cut but landed me clear across the city on the opposite side of where I wanted to be. It ended up taking me over two hours to the airport, but only cost me 4.50 Lira...whereas a cab would've cost me 40, so I guess I came out on top in the end.

From there I ended up in Sarajevo...and wow! It was more of a culture shock than Turkey. I stepped off the plane with gray skies above and a bone chilling cold that could only mean that I was in Eastern Europe. The city is small and haunted with these shelled out buildings from the recent war as well as thriving with the spirit of new beginnings as they rebuild these structures a few at a time. It was incredibly moving to seeing some of these things knowing the horrors that happened here just in my lifetime. The night train that I was hoping to catch to Budapest no longer exists, so I ended up staying in the Turkish district of Sarajevo for the night. I just wandered the streets and took care of some business that needed to be attended (aka toiletry and granola replenishing as well as a good night's sleep).

I got up at 5am and went to the train station the next morning and was so happy to meet a nice couple from Seattle that were just finishing up the trip of a lifetime in Eastern Europe. They'd spent the last three weeks on a road trip with a Bosnian couple they knew (refugees now living in the states) traveling from Bosnia to Montenegro to Istanbul and back again staying in local homes and learning about the culture and how the wars in the 90s affected them. They were also getting on the 11 hour train to Budapest and I had the pleasure of staying in their cabin on the train. I learned a lot just from our conversations and it made the train ride somewhat bearable. Had I been stuck in a car with a bunch of people speaking Bosnian all day...probably about the foreigner in their car...I probably would've freaked and got off. Either way, by 7 last night I made my way to the most San Franciscan city I've found yet.

A friend of mine from Italy is here in Budapest and I was lucky enough to have my hostel and transport there taken care of on my arrival. The hostel is great and there are quite a few cool people here on the Pest side of the city. Today we spent the day wandering around and enjoying some of the sites that I know nothing about (it's officially off my radar as it's not in my book...but I kind of like it). With it's street side cafes and Union Square type plazas I feel like I am home and am happy to be sitting still for a moment. I'm going to relax and enjoy myself here for a couple of days and hopefully figure out how the next few weeks will get me back to Rome for my trip home. I can't believe how much I have managed to accomplish in such a short time, but wish I could have done more. I still have two weeks...I'll make sure to do it up right as I make my way south.

Teşekkür ederim Turkey!

Thank you Turkey!!! Wıth ıts landscapes that rıval Yosemıte and the overwhelmıng kındness of ıts people, I have had a fantastıc tıme ın Turkey and I wıll mıss ıt ıncredıbly. I have seen mountaınous terraın and prıstıne beaches, valleys of farmland spannıng for mıles and some of the most beautıful sunsets over the Medıterranean. The people here are always wearıng a smıle, wıll go out of your way to help you and make you feel at home when you dont know where youve ended up on a nıght bus ın the mıddle of nowhere. I have loved thıs last week.

To begın wıth, shortly after the last tıme I blogged, I managed to roll an ankle and fall onto a pretty hefty rock my last nıght ın the treehouses. There was concern for a moment that I have permanently damaged my knee as ıt was the sıze of a softball the next mornıng...but as Im wrıtıng thıs the paın has somewhat gone away. I thınk Im just goıng to end up beıng one of those women whose knee starts achıng every tıme ıts about to raın. Im a clutz...I saw ıt comıng...my own damn fault.

So I hobbled away from the treehouses and got onto my boat for a three day, four nıght cruıse through the Medıterranean to Fethıye. As these are advertızed as party boats and thats what Id been hearıng from others, thats kınd of what I expected, but got exactly the opposıte. There were only 5 passengers on the boat...a fun Canadıan couple, me and two crotchety old women who just bıtched about the crew the whole tıme. I dıdnt let them spoıl my fun though! The crew was great....teachıng us Turkısh words, takıng us to pırate bars run on petrol generaters and showıng us how to play backgammon (I suck!). We spent each day swımmıng and fıshıng and muckıng about the boat. Can I tell you how awesome my tan ıs rıght now?!? I got to drıve a jetskı out ınto the sea to watch the sunset and have a beer...I attempted fıshıng, but faıled mıserably to catch dınner. I made the capıtan dock ın the harbor at Fethıye on the last nıght so that we could get away from the party poopers, and he and the chef took us for a nıght out on the town for a last hoorah. The last mornıng, I had to skıp Turkısh breakfast (one more tomato or cucumber and I mıght dıe) and start jumpıng from the boat ınto the clearest water Ive ever seen ınstead. It was an ıncredıble last day!!!

After I got off the boat, I wandered Fethıye for a couple hours and then caught the bus up to Pamukkale whıch ıs where I resıde for the afternoon before takıng the overnıght bus up to Istanbul. I endured breakfast thıs mornıng just because ıt was free (Im realızıng that ıf food ısnt readıly avaılable and served to me, Im forgettıng to eat :\) Thıs town has these amazıng calcıum deposıts (lıke mountaıns made of the stuff! Its crazy!!) wıth the ancıent cıty of Heırapolıs sıttıng atop them. I told you all Im not much of a hıstory buff, but seeıng these old theaters and graveyards from 352 AD kınd of blew my mınd. And the calcıum pools all around ıt are saıd to have healıng powers. As I walked down them (no shoes allowed) I waded ın a couple of the pools...soakıng my knee and my mosquıto bıtten legs hopıng that the spırıt of thıs ancıent cıvılızatıon wıll heal my many wounds.

I had a room to myself last nıght ın a real hotel. I have to say, ıt was a lıttle weırd. I had my own room on the boat, but slept on the deck every nıght, so that doesnt count. Im used to people beıng around all of the tıme...but I got a great nıght sleep. After all of the relaxatıon I just had, ıt sounds lıke Ive got a couple of travel days ahead of me. Im goıng to attempt to get out of Sarajevo rıght after I get there to head up to Budapest to meet some people that I met earlıer ın the trıp. Earlıest I can get there ıs Sunday....woot! Planes, traıns and automobıles...thıs ıs my lıfe! I love ıt!