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Travels in and about Istanbul

Ok... so I\vefinally found an

Travels in and about Istanbul

Ok... so I have finally found an English layout keyboard and feel a little better about posting. Although, I still cannot find the apostrophe... ergo the cannot. In any case, our travels in Athens were brief at best. Upon climbing up to the Acropolis in 112 degree weather, we found out that the entire historical tourism department was on strike for the only day were were in Athens. So, frustrated, we walked down the hill, canceled our reservation, and walked to the train station. We were assured by the porter that our train from athens to Salonica would arrive in time to board the night train to Istanbul leaving at about 11pm. Well informed as he was, he was absolutely right. We arrived around 9pm. However, the 11 o'clock train to Istanbul doesn't actually exist (found it!). So we needed to find a room. The best we could find was a hotel in the stripclub district, seemingly very close to the lawnmower parts district, for about 40 Euros. We finally took showers and slept in real beds. (It had been about 48 hours since we had slept in anything but a chair). The next morning we made reservations for the next train to Istanbul... around 8pm. So we waited in the station with our luggage for about 8-9 hours in the over-a-hundred-degree heat. The train ride was fairly uneventful except for the border check, which was truly Kafkaesque. The Americans and only the Americans were taken off the train at 4AM to be processed for entry. In my haste I left my shoes on the train and ended up shoeless before the immigration officers. The fun began when everyone attempted to pay the 15 euro fee with a 50. Having limited change, the officer attempted to offer me ten british pounds in change. I replied in a 90% sleep filled state... "I'm not really going to England" To which he responded with a facial expression I can only describe as extreme dissapointment. For the next ten minutes everyone traded money with one another until the officer was satisfied that none of us had any clue how much money we had. His job done, he smiled and told us we could get back on the train. Little did he know that we actually came out about 15 Euros ahead. US:1 Turkey:0 Well, more to come! I'll update again soon! I have to get on a boat to go up the Bospurus!

Athens

Hey Everyone, I'm back online and now I'm in Athens! We left the Pink Palace last night in the midst of their weekly pink toga party. The whole hostel seems to operate like a very organized and expensive frat party, but it is fun for a few nights. In any case, TJ and I felt like we had reached the end of our stay at the Palace and caught the Pink Palace Athens Bus from Agios Georgios to Athens. The package deal promised comfortable seating, and a stop at a restaurant for a snack. We left at midnight and took a ferry from Corfu to Igoumenitsa and then drove from there to Athens overnight. The "restauraunt" promised by the bus guide was a truckstop at 5AM. The whole place was covered with little roaches and the only food they served was souvlaki for 7 Euro! After our food stop, we hopped back on the bus and tried to sleep until Athens. Unfortunately, the sun rose and the bus began to heat up. The outside temperature here is 90 degrees Farenheit at 9:30AM. So, sleep did not work out very well. In any case, we got to Hostel Aphrodite in one piece and we are about to check in. Directly after we lock up our stuff in our rooms, we are going to Placa and the Acropolis before it gets much hotter or dark. It's gonna be a long and hot day! Hopefully this place has comfortable beds!

Corfu!!!

Hey Everyone! Long time no update. Well, we've been in Corfu for a few days now and internet cafe's are few and far between. Corfu town is still great, but the overwhelming amount of cars parked along the roads is enough to make you never want to drive again. Staying in the house also presents some challenges. When we first arrived, the plumbing was extremely weak and the shower barely worked. The next day it was fixed though, and apart from some dust, the house is in pretty decent shape. Our first day at the beach was awesome. We went to Agios Georgios and spent all day in the sun. TJ and I met two extremely cute Canadian girls (Topless I might add) who invited us to a club. Unfortunately, the club was closed taht night so we never got to meet our new friends again. Since our first appointment fell through we decided to go out on the town to check out the local scene. Unfortunately for us, it truly was locals only. One bar refused to serve us due to our nationality. The others allowed us to drink, but no one was interested in conversation. I was a bit surprised by the reception of the locals, everywhere we have been so far has had an extremely friendly local population, apparently Corfu is the exception. The next day we went to Dassia. Although it was uneventful, it was a nice resting spot, and the water was nice and warm. I'm starting to get a great tan, the food is excellent, and the water is clear; I'm not sure I really need anything else! I'll update you again soon when I remember more to tell!

On the boat!

HHey everyone, jsut a quick message. I'm on the boat on my way to corfu. This place is a universe unto itself. It's a little speck of Deutschland in the mediterranian sea. EVERYONE here is German, half-naked, and Geriatric. Fortunately, I met some other americans who have a tent that we set up near the front of the ship away from the mayhem of tourism that pervades throughout the rest of the ship. The food is rather expensive, and drinks are exorbitantly priced (Coke etc.) But the weather is absolutely perfect and the sun is just about to set over the water. We almost missed the boat though, due to train delays. In my haste, I left my gift bag from Florence in the train and have now lost the two Italian leather purses I bought for Amy and Kristen. It's a shame since they were the only large purchases I have made on the trip to date and asked Mama to bring a bag to transport them specifically. Other than that though, it has been smooth sailing and I am anticipating a really relaxing week on the Corfiot beaches. Looking forward to having pastidsada every other meal. I'll message again soon!

On the Boat!

We just arrived on the boat and I have to make this quick so pardon the typos. We almost didn't make it! The italian train was delayed and we had to catch a cab from outside Venice to the port to get to the boat. Now that we are on I have just realized that my gift bag has parted ways from my pack and all within is lost. Unfortunately, that included two very nice italian leather purses for Amy and Kristen, and a few T-shirts and post cards. The ship is incredibly crowded and the Germans are everywhere! We found two americans and we have camped out at the front of the ship away from the bulkk of the mayhem and I am just about to crash. Since we were in such a hurry, I also haven't had the chance to eat, except for a cappucino in Florence.So I am now at the mercy of Greek Cruise food prices... 2 euros for a coke! Well, I'm almost out of time so I must go! Talk again soon!!!!

Florence

Hi again everyone! I am writing on my last day in Florence and I am absolutely exhausted! Our campsite is on the top of a very large hill upon which sits the piazza de Michaelangelo. The first night, we checked in and ate dinner at a fantastic restaurant on the Ponto Vecchio. The next morning, TJ and I slept in for the first time until 10AM when our tent got unbearably hot in the sun. Our tent is actually situated inside a new-growth olive grove overlooking the city of florence! Not bad for 10 dollars a night! We walked around a bit at night and had a small snack at a cafe in the Piazza della Republica. After that we walked up to the Piazza de Michaelangelo again and watched the sunset with a couple of bottles of wine and some cheese and some other UGA people that are studying abroad here. Wine is only2-5 Euros here, and incredible. TJ went out last night and I stayed in with another bottle of wine and some really cool Brits at the campsite bar overlooking the River. Upon waking, TJ and I ate a nice breakfast with some cappucino and headed down to the city to see the David in the Galleria Academica. After seeing it in person, I can truly say that photographs do not do it justice. The david is massive, and astonishing to see. Afterward, TJ went to another museum and I headed back to the camp to rest and shoot off an email or two. In a few minutes, I'm going to go pack to the Piazza de Michaelangelo and open a new bottle of wine for the sunset. Florence is a really cool town, but everything is expensive, with the exception of wine and leather. This internet session is a euro per ten minutes. I'm very much looking forward to being in Corfu and having a brief hiatus from travelling and touring. Pictures will be posted when the internet is not so expensive!

Long Night in Salzburg

Ok this will be a quick post. After going to bed last night around 2AM a new roomate came into the room while we all slept. He had a key so I guess he belonged. Well, to make a long story short he began stomping around the room at about 3AM and went to bed after about 20 minutes of said stomping. The plot thickens though, whilst stomping, he bagan reciting and and singing religious sayings. Once he was in bed he continued to do this... for 6 hours. At one point he actually turned on the light and woke us all up. Basically, I only slept an hour and a half becuase he kept pacing past my bed. I thought it was kind of a weird story! More to come later!

Bis Später!
- B

Travelling Onward!

Sorry for the delay in emails, posts, and calls everyone! Munich is very touristy and everything costs a fortune. The internet connection in out hostel was spotty at best and was also expensive. The last three nights were great though but the wild-tourist atmosphere is a bit tiring. Our last night there, TJ and I split up for a while and I went to the rooftop lounge at the hostel. For most of the night, I hung out with a bunch of girls from Stuttgart that spoke little to no English. They were very friendly and surprisingly I held my own in conversation. I'm certaintly not fluent, but I can have a fairly sophisticated conversation around a meal or a beer. Due to the late night out, TJ and I decided to wake up a little later than usual at about 9:30 and grab the free breakfast. After that, we walked a couple of kilometers to the Hauptbahnhof and boarded a train to Salzburg. On a side note, we tried two types of sodas that are very good Apfel Schorle and Mezzo Mix, which was a sweet departure from our 4 liters of Stillwasser to combat the midday German sun. Now that we are in Salzburg, we have far better access to the internet although still expensive. The hostel is extremely nice and the weather is pleasant (not nearly as hot as Munich) and there is a nice smell from the light rain that came through this morning. The rain ride was absolutely fantastic. The mountains were beautiful! I have so many pictures to post right now that I may wait until I get to Greece to post them. Most cafes and hostels do not allow patrons to use the USB ports but I know that some will allow me to use them to upload my photos. Also, the Skype phone works like a charm in our hostel, so feel free to call us tonight. It's laundry day and Sunday, so we're likely to stay in (everything is closed!) Well I'm running out of time, so... .Bis Später!

Munich some more!

Ok so, we've done some more touring around München and we've seen a lot of new places. First, out roomates in the hostel are pretty cool. One is a Turkish girl and the other is Italian. Our common language is German, but they speak a bit of english too. In any case, we went to a nearby schloss that once housed the Bavarian royal family. It wasn' that impressive and cost 4€. Next was the Deutsches Museum and was, by far, the most interesting place we have visited so far. After that we walked around the city to find a nice place to sit down and have a beer. We promptly met a group of Irish guys and hung around with them at a bar for a little while. After about an hour we decided to switch locales and moced to a new bar. Little did we know that the bar was a VERY gay bar. There were posters all over the walls of male models and the TV was men's beach volleyball. In any case, we left there and continued on to the Chinese Tower Beer Garden which has excellent food and beer. We walked back a couple of kilometers to our hotel after leaving the Irish and that is where we are now. Tomorrow we leave for Salzburg and hopefully a little more calm. Bis Später!

München!

This is one of the many Münchner Löwen.

We've spent the last couple of days in Munich and we've been having a great time. On our way from Köln, our train was stopped for repairs so we had to stop in Mannheim. Unfortunately for us it was the Day of Ascencion, a national bank holiday. As a result TJ and I walked aroudn the town with our packs on for about 2 hours before we found a single open restaurant. We got back on the train and headed to Munich after eating the best Döner Kepab ever and apfel schorle. Once we were back on the train it was a quick stop to Munich. We walked to our hostel to find an entire German soccer team on vacation and drinking heavily, but they were actually pretty nice and bought me a beer because I speak german!

This is a German girl doing an Irish dance.

This is me and Judith from Stuttgart.

The Morning After

Ok, so after a night's rest, we both feel a lot better. Last night we met a bunch of other student travelers and hung out with them most of the night. They were mostly Americans, but there were some brits and Aussies as well. I was the only one among the group that spoke passable German so it was pretty fun for me to translate, order food, etc. Unfortunately though, we are in Cologne on the day or week of some massive Evangelical festival and the town is completely overrun with German young-teens wearing orange scarves and what seem to be boyscout uniforms. Strangely enough the main staging point for the festival is directly in front of the Dom, a catholic cathedral. I was told by some other travellers that most Germans view this group as something similar to Billy Graham. In any case, it is a madhouse here, and we're looking forward to getting somewhere a little less busy. Both TJ and I woke up very early this morning (0630) and we're about to go grocery shopping, pack up, and catch a train to Munich. I'll update you when we get there!

We Made It!

Hi guys! TJ and I have just arrived in Köln and we are very tired! Our flight from Atlanta was delayed on the tarmac for about an hour and a half. The flight was pretty uneventful, and the layover in Newark as WAY too long. The flight to Germany was awesome; it was hald empty and i got a whole bench to myelf. Tj didn't have a neighbor, so we both got to spread out. The flight still sucked though, it was really long! Either way, we just got to the hostel and they have free internet with wireless, so the Skype phone works like a charm! Since we could not enter our rooms until 2PM (it was about 9AM), we took a walk around the innenstadt and visited the Dom, a massive cathedral in the middle of town that completely dominates the Köln skyline. Little did we know that the tower walk, which we paid 2€ for was 530ft straight up. By the time we reached the top, our legs were shaking and we were both drenched with sweat! We are both exhausted now after travelling for the last 24 hours and touring the city, so its off for a nap! Tschuss everyone! More to come with pictures!