Equal Goes It Loose
The World Of Teaching & Learning English
In Cappadochia
[ No Comments ] Posted on 08.23.08 under travel
And it is awesome. There are no other words to describe this place. It was created from volcanic ash which created soft rock, and the people who lived here carved out entire cities. Some people still live in the rock houses that were created here. Like so much in Turkey we just dont want to leave, but after one more night we may have to. Other countries and adventures call to us!
Turkey is such a modern and yet traditional society all in one. You can see all manners of modern dress alongside the traditional, fast shiny new cars next to horse carts, chickens pop out at you from everywhere. One moment you think you are alone in a desert, and then someone comes around the corner with a cell phone. Some places only take cash, others you can book online and offer you a variety of transactions with things like authorize.net.
Lack Of Internet Is Sometimes Good
[ No Comments ] Posted on 08.20.08 under travel
So this lack of internet thing is really driving me crazy. Not because I miss it on the road, far from it! When we are driving I do not even think of it. However when we check into a hotel for our cleansing and relaxing days, well there are 2 of us, both hardcore internet geeks, both with a million and one things that have to be done. It doesnt work out so well. Plus being put back into the life you left behind is sometimes just more stressful than not. But this morning I woke up and realised that what had stressed me out was no big deal. I sometimes wish I had more anymous blogs so I could write out my frustrations, but when I cant, a good nights sleep puts it all in perspective, and though the comment was right to upset me, coming from the person it did I should have just rolled my eyes and continued on. Ah well, you live you learn.
Either way, today we head west, after reaching our most easterly goal of Nemrut! One of these days I will look into Las Vegas travel, but for now where I can drive with my bike in Europe is for me!
A Rant On Turkish Drivers
[ No Comments ] Posted on 08.15.08 under travel
So I am still in Turkey, and we are just days away from our goal of Nemrut mountain, but not so close that we are not still on the Mediterranean. Today and tomorrow will probably be our last (I say probably because if there is nothing I have learned on this trip I at least learned that plans change. So far we have done NOTHING the way we planned it, even the day before).
And the trip has been beyond fantastic. Every day is completely different, every day we have no idea what to expect, but it has never been bad. Offroad was and is challenging, but I am improving even with that every day. The only hitch in this entire trip has been the Turkish drivers, in particular the Turkish coach drivers, yes the ones with a load of tourists that they seem intent on killing. I wonder if it is as obvious in the bus as it is to those of us unfortunate enough to be on the road (and the object of the attempts at singular killings).
In most countries the lanes exist because you are expected to choose on. In Turkey they are a mere suggestion. And if you are so unlucky as to be driving within the confines of the markings of a lane and a Turkish coach driver wants to drive in the middle of both, and not just in the middle of both, but to bump you out of your proper lane, well you better be willing to give it to him, because if not he merely tries to hit you with his coach because HE is bigger and therefore you are expected to slow down and let him take over both lanes. Even though there is more than enough space in his lane for his bus, he just wont or cant use it.
I recommend coming here, but if you do, and if you insist on driving, then you really want to do your auto insurance comparison and make sure you have the best deal! You are going to need it!
One Sad Thing Has Happened
[ No Comments ] Posted on 08.08.08 under 365 project, travel
Namely my camera has broke. I knew it was on the fritz before I left. But at the same time I am now traveling for 3 months, and so any amount of savings can go a long way. Therefore I never bought a new one before I left. If I had found one on sale, I may have. The good news is that Patrick travels with a camera and he always lets me borrow it. AND the other good news is that the camera still takes great shots in Black and white and sephia, just not in color.
Go figure.
In Turkey!
[ No Comments ] Posted on 08.08.08 under travel
So I have made it as far as Turkey! Yes you may need a Toshiba Satellite to keep track of me and my movements, because I am in a constant state of flux at the moment, which is why the blog posts are not as steady as they would be under different circumstances. In terms of the bike I am finally settling into it. I always loved the driving, but with a big bike (the F 650 is big to me, Im 5 1) and luggage I found things that were once easy (like turns) suddenly became a challenge. It threw me a little at first and shook up my conifdence. But the past 2 days I have even gone offroad with only on edrop. 
Still Going…..And going
[ No Comments ] Posted on 07.29.08 under travel
We have yet to leave Bulgaria after 8 days here. In fact I think today is day 9, although tonight will be our last night. We are on the border of Turkey and Bulgaria, and as much as we love it here, we really need to move on if we dont want to have to rush home and through Croatia, Albania, etc. But sometime in the past 3 days the trip feeling finally kicked in. It really does take between 2 and 3 weeks to let go the pressures of home and everyday life and slip into long term travel. You cant help but think about everything back home at first, and though you are loving the travel, you still think about work, things you need to do, money, even about your kitchen faucets, it is amazing what goes through your head. And then suddenly something clicks. Its the scenary, its the driving, its just the pleasure of sleeping in a tent every night, maybe even just the fact you dont know WHERE you will be sleeping that night. You just love the moment, and even when things go wrong, who cares, its just an opportunity for a new adventure!
So tomorrow Turkey, after one of the most awesome weeks in one of the most beautiful countires I have had the pleasure to visit:
Still Working…
[ No Comments ] Posted on 07.24.08 under travel
There is one thing I have found about this trip, and that is that I should be going to the gym more often or looking into legal steroids. I have now dropped Betty no less than 5 times (once in front of my friend breaking my mirror in the process, so much for a cool send off), and the one thing I have to say that I need help with is picking her back up once she has hit the ground! Sometimes there has even been group efforts!
Still Going
[ No Comments ] Posted on 07.24.08 under travel
Before you accuse me of ignoring my poor blog in the interst of travel and adventure (you would be paritally correct, however not entirely!), you should know that internet has been a killer to find! Especially a connection that allows you to stay connected for more than 5 minutes of time! But even more radom has been some of the places we have stayed, if the connection stays working long enough I will load up some pictures and some stories, as these guys who are Scottish, live in Spain, and are currently in Bulgaria working on building a Ping Golf course informed us that you can actually stay at the monastaries here. This made one random night of pouring rain in a thunder storm where we thought we would die into one of being saved by an old monk!
6 A.M. Wake Up, 7 A.M. Start
[ No Comments ] Posted on 07.13.08 under travel
So we decided to wait until tomorrow to leave. At first I was a little freaked out by this, as we had originally planned to leave Friday afternoon, but then I took extra work, and we lost Friday, and the bikes are taking much longer than we thought to get ready. So in the interest of stress relief, as well being able to have riding partners tomorrow and Tuesday, we have put off the big departure till tomorrow morning, where we hit the road at 7 after waking up at 6.
Sigh.
But as friends said, what is 3 days in 3 months (of course they said the same about 2 days in 3 months). Or as my brother said, why am I complaining anyway, since most people spend their time working, stressing and finding as well as paying back their mortgage lenders, whereas my stress is getting a bike ready to hit the road for 3 months of exploring the Black Sea, Turkey, Greece and the Balkans.
Today Is Sunnyish
[ No Comments ] Posted on 07.12.08 under travel
So go figure the forecast is not right. We were told today was going to rain rain rain, and as driving in the rain is about as fun as spending my free time prowling the internet for cheap term life insurance, and we still had some stuff to do today, we decided not to rush, take our time, and leave on Sunday. Today is proving to be though not strictly sunny, certainly not rainy, and not a bad day to have started.
Oh well, tomorrow is another day. 