TravelStream™ news feed for member twittg on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/twittg en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sun, 27 Jul 2008 13:07:03 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/rtw/1130170260/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/rtw/1130170260/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/rtw/1130170260/tpod.html Sun, 27 Jul 2008 13:07:03 -0400 Living the dream - quit my job and traveling the world. Over 50 countries in just under two years. Having a monkey for a traveling companion assured me of some fun adventures.

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Santiago, Chile

Maybe I should start by correcting everyone on the pronunciation of "Chile". It's not like chili that you eat. It's pronounced more like "chee'lay". So when I get home no one better ask me how "chilly" was or I'll say it tasted fine, but I don't much like beans.Chile is the long, skinny country on the west coast of South America. It has the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Andes Mountains on the east (really not too far from the ocean). Chile is another of the Latin American countries with a series of poor leaders, including the dictatorship of Pinochet in which there were thousands of deaths and "disappearances" (that ended in the late 1980s). The main concern now is reviving the economy and reducing unemployment.My flight from La Paz had two stops enroute to Santiago (Arica and Iquique). The good thing about that is I didn't have to pay the $100 entry fee for US citizens at Santiago immigration. Woo hoo! I arrived at my hostel in the evening and as luck would have it, it was bbq night. I hung out around there, ate lots of food and chatted with a German couple. The hostel was kind of loud with hardwood floors (squeak) and my dorm room was just outside of reception (where they had music going 24hrs).I flew out the following morning for Easter Island. See previous entry for the pics and story.Back to Santiago. This time I stayed at a hostel in the Bellavista area. That area is kind of arty/trendy with lots of restaurants and bars. The first evening was just spent updating Travelpod with the E.I. entry (free i-net at hostel).The idea of seeing Patagonia presented itself when I saw a flyer for a cruise down that way. When I was originally thinking of coming to South America, Patagonia was definately a spot I wanted to see. Once planning, I didn't think I'd have time nor was it the right time of year. The Aussies I met in Bolivia said the weather was great while they were there and the idea kept nagging at me so I decided to check on getting there. I visited the LanChile office in Santiago and arranged to change my flight to Buenos Aires to Punta Arenas instead. Then I went to the Navimag cruise ship office and booked a bed on the boat trip from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt. Once I got that travel stuff taken care of, I had the rest of the day to explore around Santiago. Mainly just went around the touristy streets and Plaza de Armas. It was actually fairly warm that day with clear skies and good views of the Andes. I should've gone up the hill for views of the city and mountains but was feeling lazy. Back at the hostel that evening, I sat around and chatted with some English.Chile is actually quite expensive...comparable to Europe. Seems even more expensive after coming from cheap countries like Peru and Bolivia. A meal in a normal restaurant can cost you $10. The people here definately aren't shy about showing affection. There are couples kissing all over the place. I wasn't expecting Halloween to be celebrated down here, but there are displays in many of the shops. Maybe I'll get to dress up...Back to the travels... I flew out of Santiago the next morning for Punta Arenas, the edge of the world. It's way down in southern Chile. Gettin' quite close to Antarctica and being that close made me think "last continent, you could visit it". Didn't go though. Caught a bus immediately to Puerto Natales and found myself a hostel. PN is just a small town so didn't have much to do. It was grey, cloudy and cold too.I booked myself on a day tour of the Torres del Paine National Park (Patagonia) so had to be up early. Met a couple English girls, Emily and Julie, who were also doing the tour and it turns out were booked for the Navimag boat too. Julie said my voice sounded like Barry Manilow. Not sure if that's an insult or not, but she likes Barry so maybe it was a compliment. The day tour first took us to Cueva Milodon, a cave which looked rather lame from the pics I saw. I just looked around a little at the scenery there. I spotted a couple bunny rabbits who were obviously spies for the Easter Bunny as they ran when they saw me (<i>see previous entry to explain this). Did a photo stop at a lake to view the Torres but it was too cloudy to see the granite spires. Into the actual park and stopped by Lago Nordenskjold for views of pretty mountains. Went to a waterfall for great views of Grande Paine and Horns of Paine. <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1130170260.imgp8562.jpg" height=185 width=250>Lago Pehoe was a beautiful shade of blue/green though we drove past missing excellent photo ops (that's why I hate tours!). On to Lago Grey for views of the glacier and icebergs. That was a cool place with more great photos. <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1130170260.imgp8625.jpg" height=185 width=250>I was going a bit crazy taking lots of pictures (as you will see in the photo album for this entry). We were lucky enough to spot quite a few animals while touring through the park - nandu (like an ostrich), guanaco (like a llama), puma, fox, condor. The weather wasn't the best, but I still enjoyed getting to see all the pretty scenery.Back in Puerto Natales, I had dinner with Emily and Julie before going onboard the Navimag ship. <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1130170260.imgp8657.jpg" height=185 width=250>I was sharing a cabin with an older Swiss guy named Franz. He was really nice and spoke English very slowly. The cruise was 4d/4n (sort of) and consisted of resting, looking at the mountain scenery, listening to presentations/documentaries, reading and chatting with people. The scenery was good the first day with lots of snow-covered mountains. The fjords were nice for cruising through. We met a couple English guys, Jamie and Graham, that were good fun. Ended up playing cards with them in the bar most evenings. <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1130170260.imgp8692.jpg" height=185 width=250>There was bingo the second and fourth nights. Emily won a neck warmer and Jamie a hat. I didn't win diddley squat. That second evening there was dancing after bingo. They played some interesting "megamixes" by artists rather than just one good song. Most afternoons there were movies to watch, but they were usually nothing too great. The second full day we were out at open sea so the boat was rockin' a bit. Made my head feel spacey. A few people were seasick. The food served didn't help with stomach queasiness...actually, it wasn't that bad but it certainly wasn't too good. The third afternoon we were supposed to have the chance of seeing whales so we spent the afternoon out on deck. Didn't see any whales, but did see seals, dolphins and a penguin. I had a game of chess with Jamie on the big board outside that afternoon. I won! (though I got checkmate and didn't even realize it) <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1130170260.imgp8690.jpg" height=185 width=250>They had a last night party (and bingo), which ruined all the rest we'd got the last few days. Stayed up too late and woke up too early. We were all egging Julie on to hook-up with some French guys she'd been flirting with. During the night went out on deck for fresh air and the stars were in abundance and bright ("look at the stars look how the shine for you", "i think about you on a moonlit night and the stars all seem to weep", "see the stars they're shining bright everything's alright tonight" - lots of songs about stars). The cruise was good fun and a nice way to force myself to relax for a few days.The morning we disembarked from the boat, I went up to Puerto Varas in the Lake District with Emily and Julie. They were staying there for a few days but I was only checking it out for the day. We looked around town and got food for making lunch. The hostel they were staying at was quite cozy and had a good kitchen. By afternoon, we were all rather exhausted (from lack of sleep). The few clouds cleared and there were perfect views across the lake of Volcan Orono. <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1130170260.imgp8720.jpg" height=185 width=250>Beautiful! Said my goodbye to the girls [they were fun to hang out with] and caught an overnight bus to Santiago.This time around it was cloudy in Santiago (damn, I should've gone up that mountain for pics last time I was here). I hadn't really got to see much of Santiago so went out exploring the city again. Can't say there's really a lot exciting to see and do. I went out after 11pm to check out the nightlife, but the discotecas were all closed. Looks like people just hang out at the pubs. Not too entertaining when you're by yourself.In the morning, I caught the bus out to Viña del Mar. There are some nice parks in town I wandered in. Had myself a big 'ol sloppy sandwich for lunch. Headed off towards the beach and spotted a breakdancing mime. Sweeeeet! <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1130170260.imgp8753.jpg" height=250 width=150>I went back a bit later to get a video, but he was gone! Must learn to not pass up on those opportunities when they present themselves. At the beach there were people sunbathing...it's still cold out! I was wearing my jacket. They must be desperate for a tan. Got a minibus to the nearby town of Valparaiso and checked out the port and small streets there. Eh, it was ok. I guess there are cooler small streets up the hill that I missed. Bus back to Santiago. Many people were bugging me today for money. Maybe I had an air of wealth eminating from me...I certainly shouldn't. I met up with Jamie and Graham that evening in Bellavista. Visited a few bars then a place with dancing. I noticed everyone seemed to be dancing as couples...doesn't look so good for tommy getting out on the dancefloor in those circumstances. I had to skip out on the boys after 1am as I had to be up early for a bus.On to Argentina next. Jacci is going to meet up with me in Buenos Aires. Tango!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/9/1200622080/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/9/1200622080/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/9/1200622080/tpod.html Mon, 28 Jan 2008 12:11:29 -0500 Puerto Rico - a quick getaway

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San Juan, Puerto Rico

I had to be awake really early (3:45am) to drive to the airport and catch my flight out of Portland. The airport was actually quite busy for a Thursday morning. The flight to Atlanta is about 5 hours. The airlines are getting so cheap these days. You get a personal tv monitor, but Delta makes you pay to watch movies. They also don't serve you a meal - it's a 5 hour transcontinental flight! Cheapskates. Anyway, I arrived into Atlanta with a couple hours before my next flight so had some lunch and wandered around. The next flight to Puerto Rico takes about 3.5 hours. The airport in San Juan seemed deserted when I arrived (9pm) - no one was around and everything was closed. It was busy around the exit though. Caught a cab into town and dropped off at my hotel for check-in. I was staying in the Condado neighborhood. My hotel room was quite small, especially for $100 (PR is expensive for accomodation). If you didn't know, Puerto Rico is in the Caribbean a bit east of the Dominican Republic. It was settled by the Spanish in the 16th century and served as a strategic port for centuries. The U.S. took it over in 1898 and it's been a territory since. PR has had a couple votes to decide if they should become autonomous or the 51st state, but choose to just keep things as is.A festival called the San Sebastian Street Festival started today and would run all weekend. I wanted to check that out so I talked to the hotel reception about getting to Old Town and they recommended the bus. I walk several blocks to the bus stop and wait a little while to catch the #1 to Old Town. It was completely packed - had to squeeze on. The back of the bus wasn't too full, but everyone was crowded in the front so you couldn't get back there. Fifteen minutes later and we're at the edge of Old Town and everyone gets off. I see some signs of a party (people with drinks) but nothing crazy. It's sprinkling a little and some people are hiding from the rain while others have umbrellas. I follow where most people are going passing through a couple nice plazas. The architecture is reminiscent of New Orleans - colonial with the iron-wrought balconies. Continue along the cobblestone streets until I find the crowds. Just being out again in a new place, I feel this is where I belong. Not Puerto Rico, but just out traveling - dumping myself in an unknown land and having to figure out how to get around, experiencing new places, new cultures.Calle de San Sebastian is jam-packed with people, music eminating from bars, a few bands around playing. All the side streets are filled with people too. Reminds me of Bourbon Street, only bigger and crazier. There are various doors and windows open with people selling beers and drinks. I grab a beer and wander through the crowds. Find a band of drummers playing and people dancing. Wander some of the side streets then back to the main area. I find a plaza with a stage and band playing so stay and listen there for a while. People seem to know all the songs and have some special dance they do (not salsa...more like line dancing but with a Latin flair). I stayed out 'til about 1am then decided I better see about getting the bus back. Only I couldn't find the bus stop (or any signs of a bus). It was supposed to keep running until 2am but I thought maybe the guy at the hotel was wrong. So I started to walk back along what I thought was the bus route figuring if one did come by, I could catch it. I walked and walked and walked through some areas I probably shouldn't have been walking through at night. I was just about to the bridge to Condado when I saw a bus go by (about 45 min later). Missed it so just crossed over the bridge and got back to the hotel about 2am quite tired. Had some new blisters to show for the walk too.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/9/1200975060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/9/1200975060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/9/1200975060/tpod.html Sat, 26 Jan 2008 16:39:38 -0500 Puerto Rico - a quick getaway

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El Yunque, Puerto Rico

I woke up about 7am to get an early start for the drive back to San Juan. I wanted to try and make it to the El Yunque Rainforest for a visit before my flight. At first the drive was fine, but it started to rain after about an hour. Traffic was at least moving better than on the drive to Rincon. I made it to San Juan in 2 hours then headed east towards El Yunque. My map showed the road as a freeway, but it was actually a highway with LOTS of stoplights. The heavy rains were causing standing water in the roadway as well. I made it to El Yunque about 11:15am and checked out the info center. Drove through the park stopping at some of the sights. Saw some waterfalls and went for a brief hike through the rainforest. It was actually raining less here than along the highway. ??? I couldn't stay long though and had to be on my way by 12:30pm. Drove back to the airport and dropped the car off with Enterprise.I had lunch at the airport then went in to wait for my flight. The flight to Atlanta was uneventful. I only had a 1 hour layover there so grabbed a to go sandwich and found my flight. The flight to Portland was long but we made it on time.The brief getaway to Puerto Rico was alright. It felt very much like being in an Americanized Mexico rather than the Caribbean. Old San Juan was cool and the street party was fun. Rincon would have been better with more sunshine. If I had to do it over, I think I would've either just gone to Mexico or picked an island with a more Caribbean vibe.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/9/1200888660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/9/1200888660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/9/1200888660/tpod.html Sat, 26 Jan 2008 16:27:37 -0500 Puerto Rico - a quick getaway

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San German, Puerto Rico

No sun today. :( Since it was cloudy, I drove south to the town of San German which is supposed to have many historic buildings. Took about 45 min to drive there. I found the old town area and walked around. It was ok - not so many narrow, cobblestoned streets like Old San Juan has. There were some nice buildings and architecture though.Drove back to Rincon for lunch and a nap.The surfer guys had said the beaches north by Aguadilla were great so I went in search of those. They're a bit harder to find as my map of that area was poor. I think I found Dunes Beach, but really am not sure. I asked a guy but he mumbled some reply that didn't make sense. It was at least sunny when I got there so laid in the sun for a bit. The wind was blowing though so I was getting sand all over me. I drove through some dirt roads and found what may be Surfers Beach. Headed back south to Rincon in pouring rain.I had dinner at Calypso while watching the Chargers vs Patriots game. I came back later and watched the Giants vs Packers game. There were quite a few NY fans at the bar.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/9/1200802260/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/9/1200802260/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/9/1200802260/tpod.html Sat, 26 Jan 2008 16:11:47 -0500 Puerto Rico - a quick getaway

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Rincon, Puerto Rico

I woke up to sun! Hooray! Had my fake Fruit Loops breakfast, put on sunscreen and took off. I first stopped by Taino Divers to check on renting snorkeling gear, but the guy there said the water was murky today due to big swells. :( So instead of snorkeling I headed a bit north to Antonio's Beach / Sandy Beach. Not too many people there. Walked along the beach and took a few pictures then settled down to lay in the sun. After a couple hours I packed up then went into town for lunch. Back out to the beaches. This time a wee bit south to Barrero. Clouds started to move in about 4pm so I headed back north to Maria's Beach and hung out there 'til happy hour started at Calypso. The rain came while I was hanging out there. North looked better so I went to Tamboo Tavern, but of course once there so were the clouds. Stayed a little while then back to Calypso for sunset. A little later returned to the hostel for a shower and dinner.The surfer guys, Brian and Billy, were hanging out at the hostel and being a bit nuts. We were told to check out Pools Bar, but when we went by it was empty (their power had gone out). So we went to nearby Tamboo Bar. The guys knew the bartender there (surfer clique). An older US transplant started talking to us...he had really bad breath. A couple attractive promotional girls came in to work the bar, even though the bar was relatively dead for a Saturday night. We kept them entertained though. I had the tequila girl give the Corona girl a shot. Stayed there 'til about 1am then found a bar just across the way with a fair bit of people (mostly surfers again). We weren't there too long before they started to close down. Back to the hostel where the guys were causing mayhem - they had to leave at 4am to get to the airport for their flight so figured they'd stay up all night. I snuck to bed when they went to BK for late night munchies.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/9/1200697740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/9/1200697740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/9/1200697740/tpod.html Sat, 26 Jan 2008 15:48:48 -0500 Puerto Rico - a quick getaway

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Rincon, Puerto Rico

I had breakfast at the hotel then caught the bus to Old Town. It was cloudy out, but not raining. I walked along the old city walls to the fort.Explored around the fort quickly then into Old Town. That's when the rain came - it just poured. I hid away with some others under awning. There were street vendors setup with food and gifts for the festival. With the rain it really wasn't that busy out though. I wandered around Old Town checking out the architecture, waited about 45 min for the bus then rode back to Cordado. Grabbed my bag from the hotel then walked to the car rental place. They were friendly and nice and gave me a free upgrade for asking where my Ferrari was.The seat in the car wasn't very high up (or I'm short) so I couldn't actually see the front tip of the car, making it awkward for pulling out of a parallel parking spot. I bought a PR map so had some idea of where I was going. Managed to find my way out of San Juan and onto the freeway. Headed west along Hwy 22 and soon discovered Puerto Ricans are bad drivers. They drive like old folks - leaving the blinker on, slowing for no reason, going slow in the left lane and not moving, changing lanes without looking, etc. That meant kind of weaving between lanes to keep at an ok pace. This wasn't helped by Hwy 22 being a toll road with various stops, rain, lanes that liked to disappear without warning and the next highway (2) having lots of stoplights that always seemed to be red just as you got to them. The drive took 3 hours instead of the expected 2.I got into Rincon just after 5pm and found the hostel. Within five minutes I heard one of the surfer guys talking "bro, epic waves today". Dumped my stuff off then went out by the lighthouse to check out the beaches and sunset. It was mostly cloudy so not much of a sunset. I stopped by the nearby Calypso bar for a sundowner before going to The Spot. There I found a couple of the surfer guys from the hostel and hung out for a little while for happy hour. Back to the hostel for a bit then went to a nearby beachside bar with some others staying at the hostel. It was alright.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/e.europe06/1150949460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/e.europe06/1150949460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/e.europe06/1150949460/tpod.html Tue, 21 Aug 2007 21:51:30 -0400 "There and Back Again - A Monkey's Tale". Returning to Eastern Europe to see the places I missed in the last trip.

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Side, Turkey

Wow, where to begin with this entry? Good times, great places, wonderful people... When people ask why I travel, I need to be able to give them a highlights video of the last couple weeks extracted from my memory. I don't think anyone would question the desire to travel after seeing that.Turkey has been a crossroads and disputed territory for centuries. Being the link between Asia and Europe has meant being conquered and reconquered as empires spread. Hittites, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans... All have had their influence on religion, culture, architecture, food, etc. In the early 20th century, Ataturk came to power and made major changes to the country trying to make it more western. He created a more western constitution, changed the alphabet from Arabic to Latin based, legalized alcohol, Islam was no longer the state religion, abolished polygamy, gave women near equal rights (including being able to have a job), etc. Ya, drastic changes. Because of this it's a much more liberal Muslim country than most in the Middle East (Turkey is 99% Muslim). Some might say that's a good thing, but many would argue otherwise. There was some incredibly high inflation just a few years ago but the lira was revalued and is doing alright now. Today it's on its way to joining the EU with some of the affects already being felt (e.g., many places already list prices in Euro [the Euro means higher prices but also more money for the Turks with the high number of European tourists]). In the east, Turkey is bordered by Iran, Iraq and Syria. Those countries love Americans. Actually, I've heard good things about Syria. There are still occassional clashes with Kurdish guerrilas out that way. I think I read that like 80% of men smoke here, which doesn't surprise me after being here for a little while.I arrived in Kusadasi on the west coast of Turkey after an overnight ferry ride to Samos in Greece and a morning ferry from there to Kusadasi. I had met Renato from Brasil while on the overnight ferry and we caught the same ferry to Kusadasi in the morning. I was pleasantly surprised at Turkey immigration that my visa only cost $20 since my book said it may be as high as $65 and last I read online it showed $45. Renato didn't have to pay for a visa and was outside recruiting others to go to the same hostel we were on our way to (Ariel plus Sue and her kids from Australia). You're forced through a shopping center to exit and one of the first things I saw was Starbucks. It's freakin' everywhere! We found the guys from our hostel just outside port and they transported us the 20 min or so to Atilla's Getaway in Selçuk. Atilla's is about 2km outside of town and is sort of an oasis with pool, bar, hammocks and places to relax. <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1150949460.imgp0121.jpg" height="185" width="250">One of the guys working there gave me the rundown on all they have to offer and was nearly planning my entire time in Turkey before I had to stop him and say "whoa, I may want a couple days to relax and really don't need to be in that big of a hurry." He did get me setup with a daytrip to Pamukkale (though I should've checked first with Renato and the others to see when they were going) and a boat cruise along the south coast. Soon after arriving, Renato, Ariel and I went into town to explore a bit. They got money changed at a jewelry shop and we sat down for lunch after. It quickly became apparent that we might not have chosen a good place as everything we ordered seemed to be coming from elsewhere (waiter went next door to a market for water and sodas). A guy on a scooter arrived and dropped off our food to the waiter which was then put on plates and served. ??? When it came time to pay, the restaurant didn't have change for 50 lira and had to run around to various shops to make change (this would become a standard practice all over Turkey, even with small bills). After lunch we explored the market which was cool 'cuz we got to see the locals shopping as they normally would. Lots of clothes, spices, fruits and vegetables. We lost Ariel in the market and Renato and I went to see St John's Basilica (John the Baptist was supposed to have come to this area following the death of Jesus) and the Citadel. The Citadel is closed but as we walked towards it a kid approached and offered to show us a way through and gave us a tour. That was kind of cool. Of course he wanted more than we originally bargained on after showing us around, but we figured he deserved a little more (I bargained him way down in the beginning). Caught the shuttle back to the hostel and had some time to relax and have a swim before dinner (dinner was included with stay). We sat at picnic benches with everyone else as we ate. I met Johanna from Austria sitting across from me and was putting her to the question as to places to go in the Austrian Alps. After dinner we played some backgammon and billiards. Not too crazy a night at the hostel which was ok as I needed to catch up on sleep from the previous night's ferry ride.The following morning I went on a daytrip to Pamukkale. At a rest stop on the way, we learned that Japanese and Turkish are very similar languages as a Japanese girl was nearly able to have a conversation with a Turkish shopkeeper. Who would've thunk it? We stopped for lunch before 11:30am, which was a little too early for me after having just had breakfast at 8:30am. After lunch we headed out to the Hieropolis where there are various tombs from 3rd century A.D. We had a few hours to explore Pamukkale at our leisure. Pamukkale is an area on a hill in which calcium has built up as water flowed down. There are, or used to be, pools of water to frolic in and everything is all white from the calcium. <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1150949460.imgp1311.jpg" height="185" width="250">The story I was told is that a hotel at the top and a hotel at the bottom have drained all the spring water so water no longer flows and the pools have dried up. Plus all the tourists visiting caused damage and turned much of the white to yellow. I walked around and could see how it would have been beautiful back in the day, but now it's just ok. I don't know that I'd even recommend it anymore. I also went and checked out the amphitheatre ruins while I was there. Bus back to Selçuk and dinner at the hostel. It was an all vegetarian meal...anyone who knows my eating habits knows veges aren't my favorite. I was sitting with Sue and her two kids and I got to compare what vegetables I did actually like with the kids. At least there was lots of bread. What I began to notice by the second day is far less of the American and Canadian college kids and more "real" people out traveling, which was just fine by me. Played more backgammon with Johanna and Renato in the evening.The others were all off to Pamukkale for the day but I went to Ephesus to explore the ruins. Got there early and kind of raced down to the most impressive of the ruins, the library, for pictures. <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1150949460.imgp1331.jpg" height="250" width="190">Had a couple hours to explore all over and I actually walked through most everything three times. The shuttle dropped me back in town where I had lunch while waiting for the shuttle back to Atilla's (which didn't come). Since the shuttle didn't show, I had time to kill in town and went to the Archaeological Museum and just wandered. Later I got the shuttle back to Atilla's and just hung around there 'til dinner. Renato and Johanna were kind of late getting back from Pamukkale and I sat and was blabbing non-stop with Johanna as I hadn't got to talk to much of anyone all day. The three of us played a dice game Johanna knew then more backgammon. It always ends in backgammon, eh?Renato and Johanna were due to leave in the evening for an overnight ride to Istanbul and I didn't have to leave anytime soon for Köycegiz so we decided on a beach day. We had to wait around most the morning for Atilla's to shuttle us into town so we wasted time playing pool and just hanging out. Got the bus from town to Pamucak beach. It wasn't very crowded but that may have had to due with the wind. Renato felt he was coming down with a cold and didn't like the wind so went back after just being there a short while. Johanna and I stayed and got sand blown all over us and stared at by Turkish men (though I'm fairly certain they were staring more at her than me). I dropped my camera while there and the lens stopped working (open/close) - d'oh! At least I brought my backup camera (it's the one that leaves black at the corners and sometimes a spot). Maybe I can get the camera fixed when I get to Istanbul. We stayed at the beach 'til about 3pm then got the bus back to town and the shuttle to Atilla's. The guys at Atilla's told me I had to hurry for my bus so I rushed for a shower and said goodbye to Johanna (Renato wasn't around) and they gave me a lift to town where I proceeded to wait 40 min for my bus. Uhh, what was the rush for? I had some good times at Atilla's - it really was a nice getaway from the city and a cool place to chillout. Johanna is cute and great to spend time with, Sue and the kids were fun and Renato was one of the most genuinely nice people I've ever met.I got the bus from Selçuk to Aydin and from there to Köycegiz arriving late in the evening. The bus driver informed me it was 2km from the bus station into town - d'oh! - so I started walking. About 10 min later a car pulls up alongside me and I see it has "Tango Hostel" written on it so I'm like "sweeet!", hop in and get a ride to the hostel. Checked in and went to dinner in town with Mark (who I met at Atilla's). The hostel there had free i-net access so I spent the evening trying to crank out the entry for Greece.Köycegiz is right on a big lake which actually connects to the ocean. I went on a boat trip on the lake with Donna and Guy (who I also met in Selçuk) and a bunch of Turkish. It took us across the lake before breaking down for the first time. Then it proceeded through some marshy areas and past cliffs with tombs built into them (Lycian Tombs).<img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1150949460.imgp0137.jpg" height="185" width="250">Those were quite cool looking. We stopped at Turtle Beach to lay in the sun but had the wind blowing sand all over us there too. Saw a couple turtles on the boat ride back. We stopped at the mud baths were you rub mud all over your body, stand in the sun to dry, rinse it all off then have a dip in the hot springs. It didn't feel like it did anything for my skin. Back to the hostel for a quick shower and catch a lift to the bus station for the next bus to Fethiye, where I'd be starting my cruise the following day.I arrived in Fethiye about 8:30pm and caught a taxi down to the port. Found Olympos Yachting office and Rami showed me the boat and let me stay in a cabin for the night. I had some dinner then met up with Rami, Mel and Sara at Car Cemetary Bar for overpriced drinks. I think Sara may have been the owner...or at least worked there. A couple of her middle-aged friends showed up later and one was giving me the eye and showing entirely too much interest in me, which creeped me out so I left. Back to the engine fume filled cabin for a night of sleep.I wandered town and lounged on the boat in the morning until the other passengers showed up. Karina (who I met at Atilla's), Sue and her kids (from Atilla's), Jono (NZ), and a middle aged American family with their mom were onboard. Steve (Australia) would kind of be our guide and liaison with the crew. Mel was also aboard for the first couple days just to check it out (it helps to be dating the manager). Not quite like the brochures which show about 12 young ladies and one guy. The boat's water pump broke so we ended up stuck in port 'til 2pm (supposed to leave at 10:30am). Just laid out in the sun mostly 'til then. It was windy so we weren't able to make the stop at Butterfly Valley. We did stop by Oludeniz for a swim. It quickly kind of became the younger gang hanging out together (me, Jono, Steve, Mel and Karina). We had the windsurf board out in the water and were attempting to stand on it or get all of us on at once. The boat continued on to St Nicolas Island where we anchored for the night. Had dinner and stayed up having some drinks with the others. The American family thought I was Australian, even after talking to them (???). They also thought I was married to Sue and those were my kids (!!!). Not sure where they got that from...maybe 'cuz I told them where Sue was from and that she lived in Beijing (since I already knew this from meeting her in Selçuk). I would sure be a lousy husband and father, if that were the case, 'cuz I was mainly hanging out with the others my own age. Many of the people slept on deck since it wasn't too windy and the cabins were rather humid and fume-filled.The next three days were spent mostly lounging in the sun on the deck with an occassional swim. <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1150949460.imgp0214.jpg" height="185" width="250">All meals were provided to us, though lunches were always vegetarian and always a Turkish breakfast (bread, tomato, cucumber). We visited Kas, the sunken city of Kekova, Simena and the Pirate's Cave. Played some drinking Uno when we got stuck in Kas due to high winds. We didn't last long drinking Raki (Turkish alcohol) and switched to beer. I began to miss the Amstel available in Selçuk as Efes doesn't taste so good and leaves a bad taste in your mouth. One of the dinners gave me an allergic reaction. The old American woman was trying to convince me it was eggplant because her late husband was allergic to eggplant and started off on one of her many tangents/stories. She should have simply asked if I'm allergic to eggplant, which is no (since I'd been eating it at various meals before then and actually didn't have any at dinner when I had the reaction). Sue's kids, Georgia and Amy, would come hang out with us often when Sue would be having discussions with the others. They were well-behaved and never cried, but there were times when we didn't really feel like babysitting. Also had more time playing with the windsurf board in the water and learning backgammon skills in the evening.The last day we cruised for a little while and arrived in at Demre where we were then shuttled to Olympos. The cruise was reasonably good but didn't live up to all the hype I had been hearing about it.Olympos is a national archaeological site and has a regulation for building such that there can be no concrete or paved roads. Some of the first things built there were treehouses for travellers and it became a popular destination so more and more started being built up. Part of the deal with the cruise was we'd get a discount at Turkmen Treehouses so all us young'ins stayed there. It was only about $12 for my own bungalow and that included breakfast and dinner. Breakfast was Turkish and dinners were a big buffet with various salads and same main courses. Quite good and people from other pensions raved about it as well. My original intention was to stay 2 or 3 nights but that turned into 5 as it was a great place. Steve works with Turkmen / Olympos Yachting so got a free place to stay, free food and free beer while at Turkmen. That guy's got a sweet deal - lounging on a boat for a few days at a time and hanging out in Olympos getting free food and drink the other days. The first night we hung around Turkmen most the evening playing foosball, ping pong and backgammon waiting for the evening to get late. The main place to go is Orange Bar, an open-air dance club with views of the mountains and stars (quite nice). We arrived there sometime after midnight and started dancing. I showed off my "crazy legs". It started to die down before 3am so we left and went back to the pension.Karina was leaving that second day and I thought she had to be checked out by 11am so was looking around for her (she had Spanky), but didn't see her anywhere. I went to the beach and met up with a couple of the guys from the night before and lounged on the beach. Back at Turkmen I found Karina still in her room nursing a hangover and was able to recover good 'ol Spanky. Watched the Aussies beat Japan in World Cup (with lots of commentary by Steve) and had dinner. Said goodbye to Karina as she was on the overnight bus to Cappadocia. Steve, Jono and I went over to Bayrams to hang out with some pretty Aussie girls (Maddie, Lou and Clem) from earlier at the beach. Their tag-along, Ivan, was also there who was smitten with Clem and would follow her around. Ivan was on holiday from Serbia and could be seen by day at the beach in small blue speedos. We had some drinks at Bayrams then out to Orange Bar for another night of dancing. Danced on the bar and all over the dancefloor. <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1150949460.imgp0242.jpg" height="185" width="250">The ladies received several free drinks from the bartenders. One of the perks of being a pretty girl, but I also heard lots of bad stories about men trying to break into places they were staying in other parts of the world, being followed, being grabbed, etc. so maybe it isn't all that easy being pretty. That was a late night...out 'til almost 5am.The Aussie girls said I should stay and I was enjoying Olympos so that pretty much was enough reason to extend my stay there. The next few days were spent at the beach during the afternoon, Turkmen Pension in the evening for World Cup and dinner, then out to one of the bars at night. It actually rained late in the afternoon one of the days...first rain I'd seen in like a month. Luckily it was sunny earlier that day when the ladies met up with me at the beach so Lou could ask if I minded if she sunbathed topless. That is the silliest question ever. :) I explored some of the ruins around the beach, which are cool in that it feels more like you're exploring the forest and discovering the ruins yourself. <img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1150949460.imgp0219.jpg" height="250" width="190">I later read in my book to be careful of snakes and scorpions. Uh, ok...too late now. I also haven't actually worn a pair of shoes or socks in a month (just my sandals). It's nice. Had lunch with Sue and her girls on the day it rained. Spanky made a trip out to the beach one of the day for some good photos. I had a bit of a bender one of the nights and ended up staggering back to the pension with Steve as the sun was rising. Jono and my last night was actually a bit calmer and we just hung out with the girls at Turkmen and at a bar next door. Still didn't get to bed 'til like 4:30am though. Lots of relaxing days and some crazy nights (never to bed before 3am) while in Olympos. Great times! Never did make it to the Chimaera flames though.My liver thanked me profusely as I left Olympos and got away from Steve's bad influence. ;) I took the bus to Antalya, which I originally considered as a stop but the city was much too big for my liking, especially after being in remote Olympos for 5 days. Caught the bus from there to Side. My book made it sound like Side would be nice, but it's become very, very touristy. There must be cheap flights to this area from Germany and Scandinavia as there were lots of them there (some English too). The shopkeepers would all address me in German and ask "Deuschland?" - "Nein! Deuschland ist kaput!" Anyway, I got a pension where the woman spoke no English which made some of the communicating difficult. I just waved my arms frantically and spoke louder and slower. ;) Explored the ruins in the area and the town before naptime. Went out in the evening for dinner and watching World Cup (lots of bars with big screen tv's and some in English). There was a nightclub right near my pension blaring music 'til like 5am so sleeping proved difficult. I was hoping to catch up on sleep while there.<img src="http://www.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1150949460.imgp0311.jpg" height="185" width="250">Next day was a beach day to lounge in the sun. I visited the museum first and had some lunch before getting a chair on the beach. Tough times, let me tell you. Another quiet evening just watching World Cup.The couple weeks in Turkey were wonderful, highlighted by the great people I met along the way. The Turkish people are very friendly and always honest (I kept expecting a scam or ripoff). And I was actually able to just sit and relax in the sun (usually I'm too ancy and wanting to do something). Heading away from the coast now, inland toward Cappadocia and later Istanbul.<i>"Don't you think it's quiet around here?Doesn't seem so much to do here?Think back to this time last yearGood times, good times, good timesDon't you think we've stayed far too long?Don't you think the colour has gone?Get on a plane it can't be wrongMoving on, moving onRed light blinking in the twilightTracing out a path right out of here and nowBaby baby, I think it's time we move on now" - <i>move on now, Hard-Fi
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/rtw/1075655460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/rtw/1075655460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/rtw/1075655460/tpod.html Mon, 23 Apr 2007 14:46:38 -0400 Living the dream - quit my job and traveling the world. Over 50 countries in just under two years. Having a monkey for a traveling companion assured me of some fun adventures.

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Portland, Oregon, United States

RTW Welcome PageHere are some quick links by continent:EuropeAfricaAustralia & NZAsiaN. AmericaS. America<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1087329000.luz-tom.jpg?25774">This is me (flying a plane in Luzern)<i>Who am I? - My name is Tom. I'm from Portland, OR (USA).<i>What made you do a rtw trip? - I have the travel "bug". I was saving to buy a house and had to make a decision - house or travel? I chose travel. There were all kinds of places I wanted to see so figured I'd just hit as many of them as I could, hence the round-the-world trip.<i>How much did this trip cost you? - A LOT! (see here)<i>How did you save enough money? - 7 years of working and saving. Sorry, no get rich quick scheme for you.<i>What was your favorite place? - I hate this question. I went to over 50 countries and many, many places in each of those countries, and you want me to pick 1 favorite!?! You'll have to settle for a list of some of my favoriteS broken down by category in this entry.<i>What's next? - Going back to Eastern Europe in 2006I started this trip off in the familiar, but excessively expensive, United Kingdom. Travelled around there and Scotland before a few weeks in Ireland. <img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1078176780.imgp0417.jpg?32502">...<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1080328440.14_kinsale.jpg?43836">You may notice a difference in picture quality after Ireland since I broke my camera there. I was stuck with disposables for a couple weeks after that then got a cheap-o digital in Portugal when it became apparent that my original camera wasn't going to be fixed anytime soon.On to sunnier and warmer places - Spain! I flew to the southern coast, spent some time there and on to Portugal. Saw more of Spain, cruised over to Italy then north into Switzerland and Liechenstein.<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1082035320.lagos.jpg?40623">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1084145640.pisa.jpg?38006">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1086825780.s-view.jpg?2499">"ich sprechen kein deutsche!" Through southern Germany with a brief foray into Austria and Eastern Europe. Met up with Teeter in the Czech Republic then I ventured north back into Germany and Scandinavia. While traveling Scandinavia I was ranking the countries for beautiful women and found that it wasn't any of those countries that actually won, but Estonia.<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1088474880.neuch.jpg?27516">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1090401000.prague_castle.jpg?58196">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1092410580.g-viewpt.jpg?63656">viajo a espana! Back to Spain for La Tomatina - the tomato fight festival. Also visited the cool town of San Sebastian before going to France. Continued north to Belgium, Holland, Germany and Luxembourg. That completed my 8 or 9 months in Europe. I had meant to see Greece and Eastern Europe as well, but ran out of time (before winter).<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1093710540.ss2.jpg?11655">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1098119100.imgp0604.jpg?35914">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1099350840.imgp0770.jpg?38760">I did a couple week tour around Egypt visiting the pyramids, Aswan, Luxor and the Red Sea. Met some nice people on that trip. I gave myself some extra time beforehand in Cairo and afterwards in Alexandria.<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1100545920.imgp0960.jpg?36103">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1100545920.imgp1122.jpg?42794">Next stop - Cape Town, South Africa. I rode the hop-on/hop-off bus up the coast stopping at various place along the way before flying to Nairobi to join up with an overland tour. I went on a month long tour through Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa stopping at some of the best game parks along the way. Saw some incredible wildlife, the locals were the friendliest and most the others on the tour would great too. Finished in South Africa and had another trip up the coast before visiting a couple friends in Pretoria.<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1103551260.imgp1682.jpg?55290">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1103551260.imgp1919.jpg?12589">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1104414360.imgp2344.jpg?6357">A long plane ride took me to Sydney, Australia, where I met up with my friend, Josh. Saw other friends there as well and met the friends of friends. Did a roadtrip along the Great Ocean Road to Adelaide. Also visited Perth on the west coast.<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1109610060.imgp3158.jpg?29144">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1109610060.imgp3529.jpg?33883">Spent a month traveling the north and south islands of New Zealand and it's beautiful landscape. I did the hop-on / hop-off bus thing there too.<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1112545740.imgp3868.jpg?24138">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1112545740.imgp4308.jpg?38340">Back to Australia to chill-out for a month. Visited Byron Bay for a few days and also had a weekend down at Jervis Bay.I had heard lots of stories of how overwhelming India can be for a newcomer so was preparing myself for the worst. It wasn't so bad and I think starting in Mumbai (relatively western) helped. I traversed across Rajahstan taking in some cool cities before heading to the tourist mecca of Agra and the Taj Mahal. I finished in Varanasi and flew out via Mumbai.<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1116429060.imgp5039.jpg?4559">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1116429060.imgp5084.jpg?30591">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1116429060.imgp5227.jpg?17072">My friend, Matt, gave me a swanky place to stay in Bangkok where I recovered from India (I got food poisoning the night before I left). On the way to Cambodia I met a trio of Brits and ended up traveling with them through Cambodia and Vietnam. I loved the fresh fruit shakes there! Back to Bangkok for eye surgery (I was punched in the eye in Jo'burg and didn't realize until SE Asia the extent of damage). I did a couple getaway trips from Bangkok to Laos and the Thai islands. I had to keep returning to Bangkok for follow-up eye appointments so that made it so I couldn't getaway for too long. In total I ended up in Bangkok nearly a month. I was so sick of that city by then. Finally got out of there and headed south to Malaysia and Singapore.<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1116515460.imgp5564.jpg?28484">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1119625860.imgp6112.jpg?42554">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1123600260.imgp6833.jpg?56784">A flight from Singapore took me to Hong Kong where I stayed a few days before heading up into mainland China. Yangshuo was a cool town with some beautiful landscape. Also visited Zhangjiajie, the Three Gorges area, Xi'an, Pingyao and Beijing. Pingyao has the look of classic old China. Beijing is a cool city too (big!).<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1125504660.imgp7075.jpg?9609">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1125504660.imgp7354.jpg?57543">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1125504660.imgp7521.jpg?49646">To get to South America from China I had to pass through North America, so figured I'd make a visit home. First stopped in L.A. and visited Tony then we went south of the border to visit Marcela. Surprised friends back in Portland with a visit and also saw the family there and in Seattle.<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1127319060.imgp7628.jpg?64183">Spent a couple weeks in Costa Rica, but unfortunately it was the rainy season so it wasn't at its best. Too many Americans have setup shop there as well driving prices up.<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1128096660.imgp7833.jpg?48901"> On to South America! I arrived in Lima and travelled through Peru a bit before going to Machu Picchu. That was cool. I liked Cuzco a lot as well. Just had a few days in Bolivia before flying south to Santiago. I also visited Easter Island, another interesting spot. Patagonia wasn't originally part of the plan (due to time constraints), but I figured as long as I was there, I'd try to see it. I really enjoyed Argentina - excellent food & wine, lovely ladies and good nightlife. Jacci met up with me in Buenos Aires and we spent some time there, visited Uruguay and up to Iguazu Falls. I also checked out the falls on the Brasil side then ventured on to a few stops before finishing in Rio. Rio is a great city with nice beaches and good nightlife. It would be better if it was safer though.<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1129306260.imgp8067.jpg?14317">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1129565460.imgp8456.jpg?48859">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1132765860.imgp9327.jpg?17117">My round-the-world ticket took me back to London so I visited friends there, Southampton, Manchester and Edinburgh. I liked the Christmas markets setup in each of the cities.<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.rtw.1133802660.imgp9376.jpg?28703">Final stop was home. Transitioning from traveling back to the working world would prove a challenge.This entry has some travel-related links I found useful.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/e.europe06/1147018260/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/e.europe06/1147018260/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/e.europe06/1147018260/tpod.html Mon, 23 Apr 2007 11:32:58 -0400 "There and Back Again - A Monkey's Tale". Returning to Eastern Europe to see the places I missed in the last trip.

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Portland, Oregon, United States

Welcome Page<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1154535060.imgp1335.jpg?42955">This is me (in Belgrade).<i>Who am I? - I'm Tom from Portland, OR (USA).<i>Why Eastern Europe? - That's explained in the next entry in more detail. Here's the brief: I was in Europe a couple years ago and didn't have time to see Eastern Europe so I came back.<i>Why do you travel? - hmmm, that's a more complicated question. The simplest answer would be to see and experience new places, and meet other travelers along the way. But there's more to it than that. Maybe a sense of freedom and adventure, or just having so many more possibilities available each day.<i>What's the deal with the monkey? - It was given to me by a friend. I named it Spanky and he gets his picture at famous sites (and with chicks!). Here are a couple pictures of him:<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1151554260.imgp0532.jpg?20393">_ <img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1149264660.imgp0431.jpg?6730"> Here's a quick overview with links to some of the entries:On this trip I travelled through mainland Greece with stops at places like the Meteora Monasteries, Delphi and Rome. <img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1149178260.imgp0148.jpg?34449">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1149178260.imgp0201.jpg?35877">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1149178260.imgp0253.jpg?58918"> I hopped aboard the ferry for some island hopping visiting Santorini, Ios, Paros, Naxos, Mykonos and Samos. <img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1149264660.imgp0411.jpg?57628">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1149264660.imgp0423.jpg?33844">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1149264660.imgp0459.jpg?45325"> Caught a boat from Samos to the west coast of Turkey and stayed at a cool hostel in Selcuk. From there I saw Pamukkale and the ruins at Ephesus. I did a boat ride on Lake Koycegiz seeing some turtles and taking in a mudbath. I went on a boat trip along the southern coast from Fethiye to Olympos, which was relaxing and fun. Olympos was great - had a fun group of people, went out every night and laid on the beach each day. I also went to Side on the coast, but it was very, very touristy. <img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1150949460.imgp1332.jpg?35175">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1150949460.imgp0165.jpg?27383">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1150949460.imgp0242.jpg?9480"> Continued through central Turkey to Lake Egirdir, the cool rock formations of Capadoccia, north to the Black Sea then to Istanbul.<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1151554260.imgp0356.jpg?52211">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1151554260.imgp0411.jpg?52792">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1151554260.imgp0554.jpg?3744">I road the bus north to the Black Sea coast in Bulgaria and continued north to the (cruddy) Romanian coast. From there I headed to Transylvania, which is a lovely area with some neat towns. More travel through Romania to Bulgaria visiting Veliko Turnovo, Plovdiv, Sofia and did some hitchhiking to Rila Monastery.<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1152375060.imgp0635.jpg?18975">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1152375060.imgp0673.jpg?56759">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1152375060.imgp0912.jpg?48948">Cut-over through Macedonia to the Adriatic and north passing through Albania, Montenegro and Croatia. I ventured on the road less travelled through Bosnia and Serbia. Sarajevo was one of my favorite cities - just a cool vibe in that town.<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1154535060.imgp1082.jpg?47324">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1154535060.imgp1179.jpg?11288">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1154535060.imgp1231.jpg?41267">I followed the trail of a mysterious code through many towns in Hungary and saw a cool music festival. Had a brief visit to Bratislava then went hiking in Austria with Johanna. Visited more of Austria and had a weekend in Munich with Josh and a couple of his friends.<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1155183060.imgp1387.jpg?35913">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1155183060.imgp1751.jpg?484">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1155183060.imgp1901.jpg?50532"> On to the Czech Republic and its fine beer. I met up with Josh again in Prague and we went to Cesky Krumlov and Olomouc. I moved on to Krakow, Poland, after that enjoying that cool city and a sobering visit to Auschwitz.<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1157645460.imgp2010.jpg?46474">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1157645460.imgp2105.jpg?48076">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1157645460.imgp2190.jpg?15924">A long overnight train ride brought me to Ljubljana, Slovenia. Peter & Katy played tour guide and showed me around their beautiful country. I also did an 'adventure tour' with biking, rock climbing, river rafting and canyoning. Headed down to the Slovenia coast then south along the Croatian coast. Saw lots of cool old towns and enjoyed the sunshine and rocky beaches.<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1159373460.imgp2323.jpg?38096">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1159373460.imgp2443.jpg?58612">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1159373460.imgp2627.jpg?51490">My visit to Eastern Europe complete, I thought I'd visit some friends around Europe before heading out. I saw Esther is Bern, Carmen in Lausanne, Diana in Bad Homburg, Alex & Penny in Goteburg, Petra in Stockholm, Claire & Euna in Edinburgh, Jayne in Manchester, Jon & the Mulleys in Southampton, and Jodie, Emily and Charley in London.<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1160928660.imgp2806.jpg?47208">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1160928660.imgp2875.jpg?16341">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1160928660.imgp2894.jpg?45908">Then it was off to Thailand for some allergy tests, eye surgery and dental work. As usual, too much time in Bangkok. I did getaway for a few days to Koh Samet. Also visited Nick in Hong Kong.<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1162746660.imgp2927.jpg?51704">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1162746660.imgp2916.jpg?15964">I went to Sydney to attempt to get a job in Australia. This proved virtually impossible without a work visa though (I need a company to sponsor me). I applied for all kinds of jobs and received lots of callbacks, but whenever they heard I didn't have a work visa it ended the call. While there I stayed with Josh, Lis and Ali. The weather was periodically nice so I'd make it to the beach on those days. After about a month and a half and running low on money, I had to face reality that the job thing wasn't going to work so changed my plane ticket to fly home for the holidays.<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1166375460.imgp2981.jpg?52386">..<img src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/twittg/thumbnail.large.e.europe06.1166375460.imgp2991.jpg?31433">I hope you find the entries entertaining and the pictures pleasing.Here are some of my favorite places I visited on this trip:Santorini, Greece - this is what you picture of the Greek Islands with the white buildings, blue domes and the blue Mediterranean. alright beaches and a good nightlife.Ephesus, Turkey - well preserved ruins (or at least well restored). the nearby town of Selcuk is alright too.Olympos, Turkey - fun backpacker village. lazy on the beach by day, party by night.Capadoccia, Turkey - amazing rock formations. the rooms built into the rock are cool. it's a backpacker oriented town as well.Istanbul, Turkey - not Constantinople! cool blend of east and west with many historic sites of interest. though i was disappointed with the grand bazaar.Sozopol, Bulgaria - fun little beach town on the Black Sea. nice beaches and good nightlife. heaps better than Varna.Brasov, Romania - one of my favorites. beautiful old town area with lots of things to see within a daytrip.Rila Monastery, Bulgaria - lovely monastery up in the mountains. there's good hiking in the area too.Budva, Montenegro - great old town, alright beaches and ok nightlife. a bit on the touristy side though. Kotor is just a daytrip away.Sarajevo, Bosnia - there are lingering memories of the war here but the people are wonderful and the city has a cool vibe. there really wasn't a lot to see and do, but i just enjoyed being here. good nightlife.Budapest, Hungary - cool city, lots to see and do. i also checked out the Sziget Festival while here and that was cool too.Bratislava, Slovakia - this city has a neat old town area. good for chillin' out for a day or two.Prague, Czech Rep - great architecture, good food and beer, reasonably cheap, good nightlife. downside is all the tourists.Cesky Krumlov, Czech Rep - i'll admit it, i like Cesky despite it being a backpacker mecca. really cool old town and architecture. fun to raft the river lazily during the day and go out at night.Krakow, Poland - cool city with cheap food, beer and a good nightlife. tons of churches to see here. Auschwitz is a sobering, must-see daytrip.Slovenia - i'm just going to go with the whole country on this one 'cuz it's small. the capital, Ljubljana, is cute and easy to get around in. nice cafe/bars along the canal. Lake Bled and the Julian Alps are a daytrip away and simply breathtaking. there are some cool caves south of Ljubljana. the coast has some very Italian-influenced cities which are cute.Plitvice Nat'l Park, Croatia - lots of pretty waterfalls and lakes.Split, Croatia - cool old town area with some nice bars. the beaches aren't the best but there are nice ones close by on bus.Hvar & Korcula, Croatia - both islands have neat old town areas. good bars and nightlife too. "beaches" are rocks but water is nice.Dubrovnik, Croatia - the old town is awesome. if it wasn't overrun with tourists, it would be much better.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/hawaii/1063080660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/hawaii/1063080660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/twittg/hawaii/1063080660/tpod.html Thu, 12 Apr 2007 13:24:58 -0400 A couple trips to Hawaii

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Maui, Hawaii, United States

Tony and I did a snorkeling trip out to the Molokini crater. I had heard it was great for fish life, but found it to be just ok. There wasn't much colorful coral either. Still, I enjoy snorkeling and swimming around with the fishies so it was good. They took us to another spot with turtles so we swam with them too.Marco's mom was trying to set him up with the daughter of a woman she knows, and she flew out for the weekend. We picked her up later Saturday. We knew Elisa was a doctor, so when she and Tony were discussing Nike shoes and she was telling him they're not very good for the feet (Tony was defending Nike products) I realized she's a foot doctor and thought I better point this out to Tony (he was in over his head). Marco didn't seem all that interested in Elisa. Maybe it was the fact that his mom did the setting up, I don't know.I was trying to convince the guys we should go out to Big Beach / Little Beach where I was last week since it was fun. They seemed more interested in going to a bar to watch the Raiders game. The compromise was hanging out at the beach across the street. We also splashed around in the pool for a while. Elisa was trying to dig in and figure out what makes me tick. I took it as a compliment when she said she's never met anyone like me before. Maybe it was the awkwardness of the blind date setup or that Marco wasn't showing much interest, but Elisa decided she had to rush back to California for work reasons. Ya, we scared her off. ;)Monday Marco took us on another tour of the island. We drove along the Road to Hana with lots of twists and turns. Along the way we stopped at Oheo Gulch (7 Sacred Pools), Waianapanapa Park, Kaihalulu (red sand beach) and a couple other spots. It was a cool day getting to explore the island.We went to the beach with beers for our final sunset on Maui.
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