|
Waking up in an enviornment with proper sanitary conditions, is like walking into traveling heaven!! Adios Dehli...bring on Istambul....what a remarkable city!! Its jots down as another favorite....Beauty, History and the all inportant Night spots. I was immediately impressed with this city, but like most Americans I didŽnt know much about Turkey and its powerful background. Constanople and the Ottoman Empire....there reach spreading all the way to Austria and North Africa. Turkey is the first of two predominately Muslum countries that are on my itinerary...Morroco being the other...it boarders all the hot spots as of Late Iraq and Iran. However Turkey shares a border with both Asia and Europe and has influences from both cultures and political philosophies. The people are amazingly hospitable when addressed. Actually....I thought IŽd run into the Universe of Homosexuality....everyone is walking down the street arm in arm like you would w/ your prom date....men my same age struting around embrasing each other with a kiss on both cheeks....needless to say this is just cultural, but as your typical former Leatherneck...it took a while to set in and still Im not overly sure Im confortable w/ it....dont think its going to catch on in the States any time soon. Hospitality Example ( which by the way ..the world and its people continue to amaze me w/ kindness...expecting nothing in return): Decided to go to an outside cafe in the Trendy Taksim area for a happy hour drink. A guy at the nieghboring table asked if I was American...which of course I acknoledged and he and his friends that were out for a few pops themselves invited me over....(remember some little things about hospitality...everyone (4) at there table had to stop their Turkish and some had to stugle through their English to make me feel welcome...thats great for a half hour, but all night is sincere), I accepted and a a few w/ them. They were all heading off to a group dinner with some other friends and ask if I wanted to join them. I said I didŽnt want to inpose any further, they said they wouldŽnt have asked if that were the case...so I went along and felt like I had known them forever. When the bill came they insisted on paying for my meal..." When your invited by Turks...its the Turks costom always to buy"....I said it was unnessasary....I had learned the pay wages of young Turk worker and knew my travel budget was greater then their daily desposable income...and said " No Realy IŽll pay my share...were all friends...Right", they would here of none of that. And so it is cronicled here as a further example of how stangers can affect your life in positive ways.
Istambuls Mosques give the city a special unique look. Their dome shapes with Disney world type spires are amazingly athsetic. The interiors are spectacular in the simplicity...the famous "Blue Mosque" which seems to anchor the cities sites is covered with blue mosaic tile, and it spaceous prayer room is covered with the beauty of Turkish carpeting. My tour book is not with me but Aya Sofia was a lovely Cathedral that after the Muslim captured Istanbul they converted it to a Mosque...leaving its beauty in tact and also saving its beautiful Catholic frescos that date back to its costuction...if my memory serves me well....the 1400Žs. I also loved a Palace, I visited (the most spectacular of my trip) where all the Sultans lived ( Name excapes me...Will correct with info later) with thier many wifes. I toured this Palace with a Bolivian couple that was studing in Spain and had been to Versasse in France and said..that this was far more opulant and dramatic...Ive never been to France so I cant compare but Id say this was hard to top...it sits smack dab on the river that separates the Asian side of Istambol with the European side.
I took a break from Touring and went to the weathy Turk beach resort town of Bodrum. The towns beach looks out on a lovely old stone castle that houses a museum of lost sunken ship treasure. It has the oldest treasures brought from the sea depths in the world. The town is quaint with nice shops and beach front resturants. I went to my first ever foam party at the largest disco in Europe...the disco is set up like the Roman Collisium and they just keep pumping the foam in. Pretty cool.
Only had one stop in greece at the ever beautiful, ever expenive, ever overpopulated Island of Mykonos. My Fairy from Bodrum arrived at 2:30am and having no set pan to stay...I ventured out with my 50 lbs backpack tired as all and for two hours found nothing...eventually went to the other side of the Island to a young peoples club called Paridise Beach which was also booked solid till the next morning. The attendent said I could stow my gear in a locker and sleep on the beach...which I did...not exactly Paradize but available. There a few days and moved on...could see great potencail w/ group of friends but it was very clicky and more of a Vacation spot then a travelers place. While in route to Italy myself and two Aussie gals I made friends with had to spend the night at a hotel in the Polenesse area of Greece waiting for the morning fairy. We were Rocked awake by a 6.4 earthquake, the second Ive experienced on this trip. he other was a nerve racking experience in Tokyo...having never felt one it literally freaked me out. With the girls I could play it cool and look over and say " relax...its just a earthquake" it was there first experience w/ one. On this trip I have seen and felt some of the cool natural powers of this world...my Volcano experience in Guatamala, Avalances in Nepal, and these two earthquakes...we are far less powerful creatures then we think.
Italy...Everything I expected and more. The beauty of the Amalfi coast sets the stage for a great 19 days enjoying this marvalous country. Serento was my first city with a day trip down to Posatano. Both are beautiful but latter is picture post card beautiful with homes and shops cut into the cliffs and reaching down to the seas cristal clear water. Great few days.
Rome.....is a tourist dream, great Food, historic Collisium and Roman Forum and a Catholic lads dream of attending mass and veiwing the grandure of the Vatican and the St. Peters square....now throw in Pablos birthday and you have the make up for a great stay. Rome, like Florance and Venice is a wonderers dream...to lose yourself in the belly of a city and throw the map to the wind is what Italy and these town are made for. Roma has no shortage of Piazzas and Ruins that predate and coinside with Christ. Its fantastic to discover it charm just on a stroll. The Roman structures were grand but I was looking forward to the Vatican which didŽnt let me down. I saved this experience for my birthday, so as to ethch it into my memory. St Peters Square makes a profond inpression from images of new pope nominations and massive Catholic mass celebrations. St Peter and St. Paul share the spotlight of the entrance to the Cathederal...Peter w/ this keys to Gods Kingdom and Paul w/ his Sword as protecter. The intimate feel of the constuction coupled with the enormity of where you are asstounded me. I sized it up and thought to myself our National cathedral in DC is pretty close to this size...after our guide said the Vatican is the largest Catholic Cathedral in the world....well it turns out the size of all the major catherals of the world are marked on the Vatican marble floor for your inspection. Well I started at the end ( rear of it) and procedded to walk forward....20 paces London....10 more another and then a bit more and Washingtons stood there, I tured around and more then 40 yards away was the door...the width is also as large. The designer wanted everone to feel intimate within so they used huge columns and windows...it is vast but you feel like you could be at ease with your prayers. Michelangelos works are on display in chapels within the Vatican in addition to his masterpiece in the sisteen chapel which is breathtaking and took him four years to accomplish.
My Birthday was great..I hooked up with some travelers and celebrated well with free courtesy shots from the Italian bartenders. I made my way to Florance next where I had one of those special travel days by myself. One of the those days that just make you feel greatful to be alive. I rented a motor bike and toured the Tuscany countryside wine vinyards and hill towns. The landscape was outstanding and the day glorious..like my Great wall day or a Everest hike day or beer w/ my Tuk-tuk drived day in Ankgor Wat or a fall day with my family at home...its hard to descibe them but you all know the feeling. Just great!!!! Florance is a romantic town with a great layout. Once again Michealangelo , De Vinche and Raefeal all had their places. The grandure of "David" is unbeivable...I always thought he was a actual mans size...he is about 20 feet tall and the poportion of his body is exact, all cut from a single block of stone...no oh damn...broke off a toe get me another emence piece of marble....remarkable.
Venice....in my mind is no way overrated..as I had been told. I think thats a cliche in itself. Their has been no town on my trip that can compare to its uniqueness. The allys, bridges and waterways are inposable to duplicate and compare.Its a city planers wonderland and an archatecural feat. If you want to get major points from your wife or girl..plan a trip here I cant imagine you would go wrong.
Waking up next in Salzburg, Austria....go on ya fields with music!
|
