Erich, Betül, and little Vero's Visit

Knock, knock. I opened the door and was immediately comforted by the familiar faces of family, including someone who spoke Turkish. Bonus! 

Looking back on my time with my cousin, his Turkish wife, and their daughter (I'm just going to say cousins from here on out), it was pretty special. For years I had been planning to visit Turkey as one of my stops during my trip, but my hope was that I would be able to be there when my cousins were visiting. 

Traveling alone is rewarding, but it's nice to just tag along and not make every decision. It's nice to know someone has your back. Do you know how difficult it can be just to use the airport bathroom with a 70-liter bag on your back? It's simple with family... can you watch my bag? Sure. 

Erich, Betul, Suer, Behrna, Gökan, and of course, little Vero. You housed me, fed me (well I might add), helped translate, quarantined me with my 24-hour bug, and got me to my bus outta Turkey on time. Thank you for all you did for me! 

Here's some pics from our adventures together. 

Local political issues: Construction, Traffic, Quality of Life, GOV Conservative vs. Progressiveness.

The Blue Mosque, I think?  

My cousin and I failing miserably at windsurfing in Cesme.  

The Turks have a saying, "the fish will cry without Raki."  I happen to agree with that statement.

Intense game of backgammon between father-in-law and son-in-law. Little Vero is already an expert. 

Wonderlust in Istanbul

Istanbul really gave my wanderlust a shot in the arm. Physically, I was getting well, but I was moving past the side of the world that was comfortable to me. You see, I was somewhat familiar with Western Europe because I had been there before. It probably resembles the U.S. more than any other region of the world. Turkey, though, I knew very little about. As soon as I arrived, I got this giddy, night-before-Christmas feeling. I was so anxious for what was about to happen. I was overloaded with new sights, smells, and sounds, and I was instantly out of my comfort zone. One second you think you know. The next, you learn that you know nothing. That's the good stuff! That's what keeps me wanting to see more. 

Constantinople, Istanbul, the Ottoman Empire. The bridge between east and west. However you describe it, this place is filled with history. There are so many cultures, foods (there's like a hundred different ways to grill meat), religions, and opinions on how progressive or conservative the country should be. All have left a mark on this wonderful city. 

Right after this small tunnel... 

While I was walking to the ferry one evening, a man started to follow me. He knew I wasn't from around here. I didn't feel threatened, and I could tell he was more curious than anything else. We just had a quick conversation, but one thing he said about people from different places living in other countries stuck with me. 

"No place is pure. Everyone is from somewhere else. Now more than ever we have to accept that."

A Kurdish-French man

The packed neighborhood of Beyoglu. 

Antique trinkets left over from hundreds of years of bartering in the Grand Bazaar.

Taksim Square. The heart of Istanbul. This is the site of many demonstrations, including the 2013 Gezi Park protests. 

Window. Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) Museum / Church

Istanbul - Getting Well In Üsküdar

I was really looking forward to being in Istanbul to recover from the last few weeks of hitting the road hard. I was beyond grateful that my cousin Erich and his wife Betul came through with a free place to stay in Üsküdar. It was a place I called home for the next 19 days. 

The first week, my main priority was getting healthy, so as much as I wanted to go exploring in the city of two continents and over 20 million people, by far the largest city I've been to, I had to pace myself. 

I needed to get better if I was going to continue to travel. I knew from my time on my bike that small issues can quickly become larger ones that ultimately stop you in your tracks completely, so I went to a local physician who prescribed antibiotics for me to help kill my sinus infection. As much as I was worried about how a doctor's visit would be in a foreign country, it was all very simple. I paid cash (299 TL = $100), and they treated me. I have traveler's insurance but I have to file a claim in order to be reimbursed (Doh! That reminds me I still have to do it). My antibiotics eventually ended up working, although I still have a little fluid buildup in my right ear. Hopefully it goes away soon. 

While on the mend, I decided that if I couldn't tour the entire city, I would at least get to know my neighborhood (Üsküdar). Üsküdar lies on the Asian side of Istanbul, which is by far the more conservative side, specifically in Üsküdar. A couple of examples are that there are very few bars and many women wearing headscarves. Although I probably favored the European side for all the historical sites and energy, I loved coming back to Üsküdar where I felt less stressed by all the people and was much more at home. 

During my stay, I was pleased to hear the New York Times had just written an article on the Asian side. If you'd like to read it, click here.

Walking into Üsküdar center. It took me about 20 minutes to get from my apartment to the ferries. 

Ferry ride on the Bosphorus from Üsküdar to Eminönü. The ferries are one of many ways to get around this large city. Others include: marmaray (underground metro Asia/Europe), metro, light rail, metro bus, bus, dolmus, taxi. 

Mykonos, Santorini

Eat, sleep, party, repeat. Then end up sick... That's what happened to me. Here's some pics (PG version). 

Venice airport. Little did I know that my bag would never show up in Athens. I finally had my bag delivered three days later in Mykonos. 

Mykonos cruise ship. There are plenty of these guys but I can't blame them, the view is pretty ridiculous.  

Santorini church. 

The Aegean Sea. As I gazed over its grandeur, you could see how the rulers of the Greek, Ottoman, and Roman empires might have felt. 

Much love for this kid who took care of me while in Mykonos. Thanks, bro.  

Tourism - Milan, Cinque Terre, Venice

Milan, Cinque Terre, and Venice. All cities/towns in Italy, world-renowned as tourist hot spots. You can understand why as soon as you're in Italy. The food, the art, the history, the amore. It has it all. And Italy is one of the countries everyone thinks is "cool" on a world stage.

Traveling, along with everyone else, to all these unbelievable destinations has made me reflect on whether tourism in major destinations is sustainable. Personally, I think it has already affected my experience of these places. The problem is the culture of a place takes on the personality of its tourists rather than its locals. To be clear, I had a wonderful time in Italy. I enjoyed every minute of it, but I wonder if it can withstand the volume of people and still keep its charm? I feel like this could be a recurring theme as I move on. We'll see...

Duomo di Milano. One of the most magnificent cathedrals I've ever seen, and there's a bunch of good ones in Europe.  

Lake Como. No Clooney sighting, however, Jordan and I ran into a guy who said "George" and De Niro were throwing a party a couple days after we were leaving. 

According to a reliable source (the Italian Job), the two granite columns behind me in Piazzetta di San Marco are where the Venetians used to hang the bad guys. 

Jordan, looking cool in Venice. 

Vernazza at night. This is one of the 5 (cinque) villages in Cinque Terre and where Jordan and I stayed. 

The weather report on the way from Vernazza to Corniglia. 

Pictures and faces of the flood that hit Vernazza in 2011. 

Just another boat ride to the airport. Only in Venice. 

Switzerland & Italy (Jordan's Visit)

You blink and all of a sudden a month and four countries pass without an update. A lot has happened in the last 30 days. My brother came to visit, I met a good friend in Mykonos, I caught a pretty bad sinus infection (still not 100%), and my allotted time in Europe (90 days) passed. 

Currently in Istanbul, but to catch up quickly I've posted a few videos from my brother's visit. 

Berlin 2 of 2

For me, Berlin is a hard city to fall in love with immediately. When you first enter the city, the way I did from west to east, you're greeted by its history. The Berlin Victory Column, Soviet War Memorial (Tiergarten), Brandenburg Gate, and next to that is the Berlin Wall, or what's left of it. Monuments to war, peace, and change. Tough images to wrap your head around.  

Then there's the graffiti, some of which is the most amazing street art you'd ever see. It could be in the Louvre somewhere. Other ink covers the city like outdated tattoos. The artists don't discriminate on their canvas. Monuments, storefronts, and of course the wall.  

Berliners seem to express themselves and don't care what you think. I think it's because of their history. Don't tell them they can't because they will. The city has a history of repression, expression, and change.  

I get the sense that the people of Berlin are now fairly comfortable with their quality of life. A city of rebellion is now a city of tourism and partygoers. The biggest controversial issue that I came across was the gentrification of certain areas. According to some locals, you're no longer able to pick the area you want to live in, your economic class does that for you. I think they were referring to squatters. After the wall fell, a lot of Berliners just took over uninhabited buildings, fixed them up, and made them cool. 

By the end of my five-day stay in Friedrichshain (East Berlin), I came to gain a huge respect for the bluntness that people showed, even if that bluntness was expressed by doing whatever the person wanted to do. I appreciate that people act the way they want. At times I wish I was more like a Berliner. 

Berlin Victory Column

Soviet War Memorial 

Brandenburg Gate

Berlin Wall (east view)

Berlin Wall (west view)

Friedrichshain art district.

Tempelhofer Feld. 

Berlin was built on a swamp so they have to remove the sewage and waste through these aboveground pipes.