2009 Adventures

Archive for the ‘Photos’

Istanbul, not Constantinople

Published September 20th, 2009 in Photos, South Africa, Turkey | No Comments »

Hello from…Istanbul! I bought a last-minute ticket on Friday evening, flew out on Saturday evening, and arrived on Sunday evening. And after almost exactly 24 hours in transit, I am beat. After we landed, I followed the instructions that came up from a “Istanbul airport to city” google search–last-minute flights=no guidebook–and took the metro and tram to Sultanahmet in the old city. That meant an hour sitting surrounded by piles of luggage on crowded trains and struggling through turnstiles with a gigantic backpack, rolling carry-on, and heavy laptop case. Oy. Old Turkish women in headscarves were giving me is-she-crazy looks out of the corner of their eyes as I sweated and struggled.

I’m so tired, I’m barely coherent.

I had a seven-hour layover in Doha, and although I was too tired to go out into the city, the airport is close to town and has a great view over the rooftops. It was surprising to find how much I miss the sights and sounds of the Middle East–it always makes me smile to see men in their white robes, chatting on high-end cell phones. And I’d forgotten how the extreme heat creates a haze that obscures the horizon, giving the impression that you’re in a very hot, very sandy bubble. It was lovely to be back, if only for a while.

And now I’m in Istanbul–love at first sight. Although extreme exhaustion complicated the process of walking over the (very lovely) cobblestones and over-zealous Turkish restaurant owners turned the road into a gauntlet of “hi lady, are you hungry?,” I just can’t get enough. Earlier, I heard the evening call to prayer from the Blue Mosque as I strolled along streets lined with colorful glass lamps. And now, I’m in my top bunk, listening to the sound of a sudden rainstorm on the awnings below; it’s quieted the sounds of the Eid celebrations.

Now, to sleep before I begin the search for a reasonably-priced private room at a hostel with decent internet–because of the time difference, I’ll be working 3:30-midnight, which won’t go over well in a dorm. I’ll leave you with some pictures of my last days in Cape Town, which were wonderful and filled with good people.

http://picasaweb.google.com/eekauppi/CiaoCapeTown?feat=directlink

Ciao, Cape Town

Mas Fotos

Published March 13th, 2009 in Granada, Hostels, Nicaragua, Photos | 2 Comments »

This week, in little chunks:

- Nikki and I tried to go to Ometepe, with no success. Apparently, the wind was too high, and ferries weren’t running.

- So, we went to San Juan del Sur instead. It was a hole. There was a lovely fish dinner, Nikki got confrontational with some Nicaraguan prostitutes :), the wind was high, the water was cold, and we left in the morning.

- Yesterday, we kayaked on Lago Cocibolca. It was lovely. I was in search of a mango tree, because I really wanted to pick one. Sadly, they were not ripe or reachable. Kayaking was wonderful, though. I can’t wait to get out on the Great Salt Lake this summer.

- I was sitting by our hostel pool, reading, not really listening to a group of girls chatting at a table nearby. Then, I heard “mita” (can’t make the symbol above the a)–they were Finns! We chatted for a while, and I told them the Finnish words I know–sophisticated ones, like “busca” and “saatana.” They got a kick out of that. I find that Finns are always surprised when someone’s been to their country. I always love to hear their accents.

- If you are ever in Granada, you MUST stay at the most amazing hostel ever (even those of you who are not exactly hostel travelers :), Hostel Oasis. Visit the website, even though it’s not a good representation. Make reservations in advance, because they are super popular.

- I’m in Managua right now. I’ve spent about $20 on four taxis so far today, and gotten completely screwed over by two of them. They know I’m going to pay rather than put up some kind of fuss. Just WAIT till my Spanish is better, taxi drivers.