1 year

16 countries

It's been an incredible journey.

Thank you for following along 

& reading my stories.

Playing Favorites

Since I've returned home, people are constantly asking me, "What's your favorite place you visited this summer?" The truth is that I loved every single place I went to on my voyage, and all for different reasons. It is nearly impossible for me to compare them or choose favorites. So instead I have assigned a word to each country-- one which sums up my personal experience there:

CANADA= CELEBRATION

SPAIN= PARTY

ITALY= FOOD

CROATIA= BEAUTY

BOSNIA= TRADITION

GREECE= VACATION

TURKEY= LUXURY

EGYPT= HISTORY

MOROCCO= MAGIC

"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." -Henry Miller

Parlez-vous anglais?

Bonjour. I never expected so many people to speak French in Morocco. I assumed that I wouldn't need to bother with learning French since we skipped over France on our voyage, but a few basic phrases certainly would have come in handy.

I only stayed in Casablanca long enough to go to Rick's Cafe. Then I went to the train station with Bernadette, Bonnie, Erica, and Noel. We bought 2nd class tickets for the 4:50 train to Marrakech. Bernadette and I were forced to stand awkwardly in the aisle for 45 minutes until two men were kind enough to offer their seats. I spent the next 2 hours flipping through French-Moroccan fashion magazines. We arrived in Marrakech at 8 pm with no reservations. A man named Ahmed approached us at the train station and offered to take us to a riad. The five of us climbed into his minivan and he drove us to the Old Medina. We got out and walked through a colorful vegetable and fish market, and came to a stop at the end of an alley in front of a miniature door with a #8 on it. We ducked through its frame, and got a walking tour of the lovely 4 bedroom, 3 1/2 bath riad. After an hour's worth of negotiating, we talked the owner, Jawad, down to 900 dirham from a starting price of 3000. So we each ended up paying 21 USD per night for a gorgeous three-story riad that had a kitchen, rooftop terrace, open courtyard, and French-speaking maid. I think that deal alone merits extra credit for one of my business classes.

The riad was perfect-- well almost-- It lacked air conditioning. In fact, all of Morocco seemed to embrace the heat. If you want to go to Morocco, avoid the month of August. During our stay the average high temperature was 120°F. Every nap and night's sleep began and ended with a cold shower. At one point, I retreated to the cool concrete floors of the second story balcony just so that I could fall asleep. During the sweltering afternoons, I stayed cool by drinking bottled water by the liter and perspiring more than I ever have in my life. I also took advantage of the ubiquitous stands selling delicious fresh-squeezed orange juice for only 3 DH.

My favorite place in Marrakech was the Djemaa el-Fna, a bustling square that comes alive at night with acrobats, snake charmers, belly dancers, musicians, and story tellers. Here I ate dinner, shopped until I dropped, and found inspiration at every corner. The air was filled with mouth-watering scents and smoke from the food stalls. Every night the exotic, carnival-like atmosphere seemed to appear magically out of thin air. The haziness and bright lights and sounds made me wonder if I was dreaming or awake.

Other things I did in Morocco:

• Spent an entire day shopping in the souks.
• Unsuccessfully tried to talk Bonnie out of buying a turtle
• Relaxed in the beautiful Jardin Majorelle
• Took a trip to the Ourika Valley in the High Atlas Mountains
• Visited a Berber family in the Ourika village
• Enjoyed homemade bread and mint tea made by a sweet, little Berber grandma
• Allowed her 10 year-old granddaughter to give me a less than adequate henna tattoo on my hand
• Tried cactus fruit
• Learned about the art of making argan oil
• Finally made it to a grocery store after 30 minutes of playing charades and Pictionary with our French-speaking cab driver. Most hilarious taxi ride ever!

Casablanca

Rick's Cafe

The kitchen in our riad where Atika made us coffee

Bonnie, Erica, & Noel enjoying the 3 DH orange juice

I love all the colors in the souks

delicious :)

getting tatted up

Makeup (I bought the lipstain pot)

Spices

Kitchen in a Berber home

pouring homemade mint tea

the Ourika Valley

sure kids... I'll let you give me a henna tattoo

We couldn't believe we payed 50 DH for this... little girl ripped us off

How argan oil is made

Morocco was the perfect place to end the voyage of a lifetime. It was unlike any county I’ve ever encountered. The food was flavorful and delicious. The geographical landscape was unique and diverse. The colorful sights and sounds I experienced are blurred in my memory—from our fast-paced adventures, the sweltering sun, and the surreal but delightful atmosphere. Morocco is undoubtedly the most exotic, rich, & colorful country I’ve ever been to. I now understand why so many designers travel to this area to find ideas for art, furnishings, fashion, and décor. There’s beauty and inspiration to be found everywhere you look.

Lessons in Egyptian economics from a cab driver

The Bangles said to "Walk Like An Egyptian." While in Egypt, I quickly learned to "run like an Egyptian," as this is the only way to cross a street without being hit by a car. If crosswalks, stoplights, and stop signs exist here, I was unaware of them and so was every other driver on the road. For this reason among others, my friends and I took taxis everywhere we went in Alexandria.

Egypt is completely different from any place I've ever seen. This African nation is populated by over 80 million people (95% living along the Nile, 20 million in Cairo alone.) I think it is safe to say that more people drive here than any other country I have visited this summer. This is evident by the numerous car dealerships, auto shops, and visible signs of pollution. Other means of transportation include the public bus and the tram system, which looks like it was built in another era. I much prefer to see the city from the comfort of a non-air conditioned cab, even though traffic tends to come to a standstill when everyone gets stuck behind a slow donkey cart or horse-drawn carriage.

Alexandria

When we arrived in Alexandria, I realized immediately that I had left Europe behind. I looked around and saw streets crowded with vehicles, beautiful Arabic words on buildings and advertisements, women dressed conservatively, and few American and European tourists. I knew right away that I was in Africa.

Alexandria wins the award for the city with the greatest historical importance and the least to show for it. The historical sights are small in quantity and many of the greatest ones were lost in antiquity or the rising sea. On the first day, I visited the Catacombs of Kom ash-Shuqqafa. The catacombs are the largest known Roman burial site in Egypt and were discovered by accident in 1900 when a donkey disappeared into the ground. Bonnie, Katie, and I climbed down into the tomb just as a huge tour group left, so we had the place to ourselves. I felt like Indiana Jones as I walked across the wooden planks and hopped from stone to stone in the flooded and dimly lit chambers.

The three of us went to the Carrefour City Center Mall, because I needed more conservative clothes to wear in Egypt and Morocco. It was interesting to see how the mannequins were dressed differently than they are at home, and walking through the supermarket was a cultural experience in itself. Bonnie and I also went to the Royal Jewelry Museum, where we admired the glitzy collection of family heirlooms that belonged to Farouk, the last king of Egypt.

Since we traveled so much by taxi, I came to know a couple of the cab drivers on a first name basis. First there was Uncle Khamis, with his silvery hair and moustache. He kept a black leather guest book under the passenger seat. We flipped through its pages, which were filled with notes of appreciation in every language you can imagine. Naturally, we added our own sentiments. I signed my off with a "Go Frogs!" And even though he rear-ended another vehicle, Khamis was a very good driver.

Next, there was Shabban who had a smile that matched the color of his eyes. Before taking us to the jewelry museum, we stopped for coffee at a place on the water called The Mermaid. The menu was in Arabic so when I tried to order "breakfast food" the waiter brought out four pieces of cake. Mmmm....the breakfast of champions. Shabban had a lot to say about life in Egypt. He expressed his frustrations about the economic conditions, saying "Where does all the money go? We have everything we need--petrol, the Suez Canal, cotton." He complained about rising prices and high taxes. He said there were too many "Ali Babas" in Egypt. I'm not entirely sure what he meant by that, but I have a feeling it had to do with the huge disparity between the rich and poor. He showed us a picture of his five year-old daughter and said he had two more kids at home. He also helped me with my Arabic pronunciation. One thing I will never forget is when I sat inside his light blue taxi, and tried to point out a destination in my travel book. He told me, "close the book and open your heart," insisting this was the only way to see the real Egypt. 

On our last night in Alexandria, I went to dinner at the Greek Club with Kristina, Katie, and Bonnie. We snacked on delicious warm bread, olive oil, and hummus. Bonnie and I ordered a sea bass from the fish display and they brought it out grilled with lemon, olive oil, and oregano. The fish was one of the best I've ever tasted and it was probably big enough to feed a family of four. From our table on the second floor of the restaurant I could see fishing boats in the bay, highlighted by the glowing lights of Alexandria. Behind me was a seawall crowded with families flying their plastic kites. As we were leaving the restaurant, our waiter chased us down the stairs with a fish in hand. "Don't forget your take away fish." Apparently we accidentally ordered an extra fish to go, so we ended up giving it to Shabban.

Cairo

I went on my first overnight SAS trip to Cairo. We stayed in a really nice hotel called the Mena House Oberoi, which is the closest in proximity to the pyramids. On our first day we visited the Egyptian Museum which is awesome and impossible to see in just one day. I must have spent a solid five minutes staring at the mask of Tutankhamen in complete disbelief. We traveled to Saqqara and visited Zoser's Funerary Complex where I took pictures in front of the Step Pyramid. At night we went to the sound-and-light show at the Great Pyramids. This was an entirely cheesy performance complete with a narrated voice for the Sphinx and neon green laser lights. But I attempted to look beyond this spectacle and instead memorize the magnificent outline of the three pyramids. Gazing up at the stars and watching the silhouette of a camel in the far distance, I tried to envision what the place looked like thousands of years ago.

The next morning we arose at 4:15 am and traveled by bus to the Pyramids of Giza. As I watched the sun slowly peak over the pyramids, I realized that I was watching the same sunrise that Egyptians have been watching for thousands of years. It was one of the most incredible things I've seen in my life. I couldn't help but feel a strong connection to humanity and history. God is so great, and I'm thankful for the amazing things he has shown me every day.

Also at Giza-- I rode a camel which was absolutely thrilling, and then the boy who led us toward the pyramids demanded extra baksheesh for his crummy picture-taking skills. Next, we visited the market place where I bargained with local vendors and turned down marriage proposals. Before leaving Cairo, we ate lunch on a Nile River cruise, while being entertained by a belly dancer, live band, and whirling dervish. 

On the bus ride home, I gazed out the window at the thousands of gray and tattered brick homes stacked on top of each other. Everything in the city was covered in a visible layer of soot and smog. A former irrigation canal was piled with trash, polluted water, stray cats, and the occasional child or two playing nearby. The signs of overpopulation and extreme poverty were unavoidable.

...

Back in Alexandria, I started to reflect on the things I saw and the people I met during my 5 day visit. Although there were obvious feelings of frustration, disappointment, and uncertainty toward the current economic and political situation, I never once detected a sense of hopelessness. The Egyptians are a proud people-- filled with a love for their history and traditions. The new Bibliotheca Alexandrina shows Alexandria's efforts to restore itself to the wondrous city that it once was. I visited this modern marvel three times during my stay. As I walked through the rows upon rows of books and art exhibitions, I couldn't help but feel hopeful and optimistic about Egypt's future.

Turkish Love & Apple Tea

Toto has officially left the building. I'm not in Kansas anymore. I'm in the place where the East meets the West, the ice cream is elastic, the drivers are crazy, and the tea is better than the coffee. There's just no place like Istanbul.

I spent most of my days in Turkey hanging out with Katie and the friends she traveled with in Greece. One of these friends, Scott, sailed on the Fall '08 voyage where he met a Turkish guy named Batu. Batu, or "B" for short, calls Istanbul his home and he graciously showed us around the city. On our second day, Scott rented out a yacht and invited us onboard. We sailed around the Bosphorus and enjoyed a barbeque lunch and tea.  I went swimming in the Black Sea, and I swam to Asia! It was a relaxing and fun day.

The seven of us (Katie, Liz, Kristina, Scott, B, Eric, and I) had the best time-- we hit up a hookah bar, karaoke bar, and nice restaurants that had spectacular views of the city. One night we all got dressed up and went to a ritzy dinner at a restaurant that used to be a palace. Afterwards we went to a club called Reina that was sleek, pricey, and crowded with Turkish top models and soccer players.

Yes, Istanbul became my big splurge of the trip. The shopping was amazing! I strolled through both the Spice Bazaar and the Grand Bazaar where shop owners made all sort of offers and sales pitches to try to lure you into their stores:

• Pretty necklace for a pretty lady. 
• Nice rug for your mother in-law. 
• Oh you dropped something-- my heart. 
• You're from Texas?-- so is my cousin! That's my favorite state!

I went into a rug store that was featured in National Geographic. I know this because the shop owner eagerly pointed it out to us in the magazine. So Katie, Liz, and I went inside to check out the hand-woven Turkish rugs. They sat us down on a couch, gave us hot apple tea, and brought out every carpet in the store. We bargained, drank more tea, shared life stories with one of the salesmen named Fatih, and each of us went home with an unanticipated, expensive souvenir. But I absolutely adore my little rug, handmade with "Turkish love" and I have no regrets about purchasing it!

On our last morning, Bonnie and I woke up early to go to an ancient Turkish bath. I've never been to a spa or gotten a massage in the States, but I have a feeling this was a completely different experience. When you walk into the bath you are told to lie down on a hot slab of marble where you are scrubbed from head to toe by an attendant. After relaxing in the jacuzzi, you can request apple tea to sip on while waiting for your hot oil massage. It was the most luxurious thing I've ever done. Before we went back to the ship, Bonnie and I trekked across the city to go to the three-story Starbucks in Taksim. We were only in Istanbul for five days and we already had a favorite coffee spot-- that's so us. Although I must say that two of my favorite things in life, coffee and ice cream, are not my favorite things to order in Turkey. Turkish coffee is strong and muddy, and the ice cream is chewy and can be stretched into a 2 ft long rope, because it is made with an orchid tuber (which acts as a thickening agent.) How bizarre!

Don't worry--I managed to squeeze a bit of culture into my five days of fancy living. I visited the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia; both are beautiful in their own way. I took a trip outside of the city to visit the Hereke rug factory. This rug company claims to produce the finest rugs in all of Turkey, and they have presented their carpets as gifts to well-known figures including Pope John Paul II, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Kaiser Wilhelm II, and many others. That same evening I attended a Sufi Whirling Dervish ceremony, which was a spiritual and solemn ritual. But I now know what the nuns are referring to when they sing "She could throw a whirling dervish out of whirl." Sound of Music anyone?

I came to Istanbul with unrealistic ideas of what it would be like. I expected all the women to be dressed conservatively and it to be a very traditional culture. And though I was surrounded by the country's rich history and Islamic practices, Istanbul is very much a European city. It's home to over 16 million people, a huge advertising industry, hopping nightlife, and Westernized fashion.  I left the city with a new understanding of Turkey's history and culture, some apple tea, a new friend, and happy memories.

My Big Fat Greek Adventure

Five days of Greece in three chapters. Sorry folks-- this is a long one.

Chapter 1: Piraeus

My first impression of Piraeus is that it was just like other port cities-- filthy, confusing, and frustrating. When we first arrived I went with Krystin, Kara, and Bonnie to purchase our ferry tickets to one of the islands.  Finding the right ticket booth was difficult as most of the signs were completely in Greek. Once we found the line and stood in it for quite some time, we finally arrived at the front to discover there were only 2 tickets left. So the man pointed in a general direction, told us to go down 3 blocks, wait for ten minutes, and then we should be able to buy 2 more tickets. What? But we followed his loose instructions and miraculously arrived at a place that had 2 tickets left-- cabin tickets, which were slightly more expensive but worth every euro.

On my last day in Greece, I gave Piraeus a second chance. There were several things I had to do before leaving Greece, and I decided the only way to get them all done was to do them on my own. I often think it would be much easier to travel if I was a guy and I didn't have to constantly worry about "safety in numbers." I would be free to do exactly what I wanted to do, and I wouldn't miss out on a cultural experience just because my friends did not feel like going to a museum or play or festival. And as I was wandering the streets of Piraeus on a sleepy Sunday, I realized that it is much easier to blend in when you aren't traveling with a giant group of American college students.

On my way to find a coffee, I stopped into a beautiful Greek Orthodox church to take a few photos of the ornate decorations. The service was over, but there were still families that had lingered outside to chat on the marble staircase. I found a coffee bar, sipped on a frappe, and wrote a few postcards before conquering my next quest-- olive oil. Greek olive oil is supposedly the best you can buy, and it's a staple ingredient for nearly every dish they make. I told myself that I was not going home until I bought some, which was challenging since all the stores and markets were closed on Sunday.

While I walked aimlessly through the streets in search of an open supermarket, something really exciting happened. A man approached me and asked for directions in Greek. For those of you who don't know, it's always been a goal of mine as a traveler to be mistaken for a local. I told him I didn't understand Greek, and luckily he spoke fluent English. He asked me where I was from, and I told him about my hunt for olive oil. He seemed really surprised when I told him that many stores in the United States are open on Sunday, and he wished me luck on my search.

Before I got back to the ship, I stumbled upon a store called Asian Market and it was open. Fortunately, they had one type of olive oil. It was green and it was Greek, so I bought five bottles of it. Success. During the last few hours before on-ship time, I got very lost. But, I found a family owned restaurant nestled in the stalls of the fish market. The owners, a mother and father, didn't speak a word of English. Luckily their 11 year-old son did, and he helped me order something from the handwritten menu. I had a Greek salad, bread and olive oil, and a small glass of ouzo. It was simple. It was healthy. It was delicious. And it was 100% Greek.

Chapter 2: Santorini

You learn a lot about people by traveling with them-- their true colors begin to shine through. But I have also learned a lot about myself. For instance-- I always thought that I was the planning type that liked having things organized and figured out ahead of time. But in reality, I am much more spontaneous and laid back than that. My friends were panicked the night before we got to Greece and so stressed about not having ferry tickets or hotel reservations. How will we get there? What if the ferries go on strike? It's the peak tourist season and all the hotels will be booked! If chill pills were real, I would have been passing them out like candy. The way I see it-- if you go into something with no expectations or preconceived plans, you are less likely to be disappointed.

We took a midnight ferry to Santorini. I didn't even know that ferries could have cabins with beds, but I'm so glad Bonnie and I had one, because we got a full 7 hours of sleep while most people tried to sleep on the floor or lounge chairs. We got to Santorini, and there were plenty of people awaiting our arrival with cheesy grins and hotel brochures in hand. We hopped into a van with the first man who made us an offer-- an apartment for four in Perissa at only 70 euros a night. The apartment was just what the doctor ordered-- white with a blue door and shutters, across the street from the bus stop, and within walking distance of a pristine, black sand beach.  It  couldn't have been more perfect if we had planned it in advance.

I spent the entire day with the girls on the beach doing absolutely nothing. It was fabulous! The black sand was about 200 degrees and the water was as clear as a swimming pool. At night we took the bus to Fira and enjoyed the sunset from a restaurant on a mountainside overlooking the ocean. I tried the moussaka and it tasted like delicious warm comfort food. The next morning we came back to Fira, and shopped in souvenir shops, jewelry stores, and hip clothing boutiques. I rode up a mountainside on a donkey named Marco. We paused for snacks and drinks at cafe after cafe. There was a moment when we were all enjoying fancy snacks in a chic taverna overlooking the bay, when I realized that I am quite possibly the luckiest person in the whole wide world. There are not many people who get to enjoy the things I've enjoyed at such a young age. To those who have helped make this voyage possible-- thank you! I will forever be grateful for this wonderful opportunity. 

We went back to Perissa that evening and enjoyed even more food at the tavernas along the beach. At the day's end, we took the midnight ferry back to Piraeus. I was sad to leave our little apartment #5. I could have stayed on Santorini for another month or two.

Chapter 3: Athens

On Saturday morning I attended a cooking class in Athens. The students were divided into teams and we had about ten minutes to make each dish. We were given a list of ingredients, but no instructions. Our only guide was the example dish they showed each table. I was the leader for our group so I had to wear a ridiculous looking chef hat and help make each of the dishes. I learned to prepare dakos, tzatziki, Greek salad, frappes, some kind of potato salad, and a dish with lentils. I love the Greek cuisine, and I have found myself eating things I never eat at home (cucumber, tomato, onion, green pepper, hummus, eggplant, etc.)

After the cooking class, Bonnie and I took the subway to the Acropolis. We went into the new Acropolis Museum which houses artifacts from thousands of years ago. Next we climbed the marble steps and visited the Ancient temples and the Parthenon. The 360° view of Athens from the top of the Acropolis is breathtaking and unbeatable. We came back to the ship and met our friends for dinner and took a long nap.

Later that night Kara, Bernadette, Krystin, Bonnie, and I took a cab to Gazi, which is the hub of Athenian nightlife. We went to bar that was hosting a concert, and the first band sang in English and the second performed in Greek. We got lots of stares, because we stood out everywhere we went. I thought it was strange that nobody came up to talk to us, but then I realized that the other places I went out to in other cities were very international and most of the people I met were travelers also. My night in Gazi was likely the most authentic nightlife I have experienced on this trip. It is more difficult to mingle with locals who are already enjoying good conversation with their close circle of friends at their favorite spot. So instead I ended up meeting a group of Albanians. Oh well-- it's all Greek to me!