Homeward Bound

Well these white cliffs can only mean one thing - yes I am back in England. Unfortunately this leg of my travels is over - well almost. Due to ridiculous bureaucracy and the sheer amount of English stag parties, I was unable to travel as I originally intended to Amsterdam and then catch a ferry to Hull or Newcastle. Instead I crossed Europe and boarded a ferry at Calais. I have no intention of forgetting about Amsterdam and will hopefully be flying back there in a few weeks for a final blow out.
The first thing that greeted me in England was the torrential rain - I can honestly say it has been almost a year since I saw rain like it. Apart from a couple of showers which were over in an hour or so, I have not got wet on this journey. (The freak blizzard in Turkey doesn't count, I was cold not wet!)
I have had an absolutely amazing time and have loved the majority of it. I have met some amazing people, made great friends, had my faith in human nature restored and met some people that I am truly thankful that I will never be seeing again. I have jumped out of a plane, jumped off a cliff, almost drowned, climbed mountains in the moonlight, climbed mountains full stop, learnt to dive, swam with sharks and stingrays, survived Dracula, crossed continents, learnt to say thank you in 9 different lanuages, never mastered a single word of Hungarian, climbed inside a pyramid - I even bought a Turkish Carpet. Its been a wonderful 10 months - all I need to do now is find a job so I can start planning and financing the next adventure.

Prague

Well what can I say about Prague - I do absolutely love it here which may explain why I have been here a week already (or that could have something to do with old friends and bizarre european rules on buying certain coach tickets!) This is the home of Good King Wencelaslas and currently home of thousand of souvenir shops selling russian dolls? Alas Prague is not as cheap as it once was or even as cheap as it was last year due to a sudden influx of Americans (Thanks alot Brad and Angelina) Beer though is still dangerously cheap, equivalent to about 75p for a large 1/2 litre glass - about half the price of soft drinks. Go to the right prices and you can get wine at the same price - wonderful. After complaining about the tourists I find myself on Charles Bridge - famous local landmark and I am overcome with sheer numbers of people. This place is a tourist mecca and I very quickly find myself short tempered and unable to see anything but bloody tourists. Most of them going around in large packs. There are many statues on the bridge and rubbing one of them is supposed to bring good look. There was a huge crowd gathered here. Only the statue is of a man and his dog - the dog went mad and mauled the much loved wife to death. Have no idea why rubbing that dog would bring you luck??? Silly silly tourists. Prague also has a huge castle and many many churches and old fortifications. Prague was extremely fortunate during the second world war not to suffer from any damage (apart from the old town hall which the retreating Nazi's burnt down as they left) and becaue of this the old town square is incredible from a stunning architectural angle. Another famous part of Prague is its astronomical clock. It was made around the 1400's and as well as telling the time, it tells you the position of the sun, moon and other planets. Even shows you which astrological period we are in (if you know how to read it). The grateful townsfolk liked it so much they cut the eyes out of the clockmaker to stop him from making another even better one for another town! When it came to the local politians and noblemen they didn't like - they simply threw them out of a window from the top of a tall building. Don't mess with them Prague folk. Whilst here I caught up with Veronica, whom I travelled Mexico to Panama with. It was great to catch up and here latest travel exploits - you also don't feel as bad drinking all that wine when there is two of you. I've seen loads and loads here, not to mention got a tan into the process as it is bloody hot, but one of my favourite things has to be in Petrin Park. They have a mini Eiffel tower which I climbed to the top off, a planeterium in which I viewed Venus and the Sun through giant telescopes but the best as to be the mirror maze. Yes you have guessed it - its a maze made out of mirrors but it is such good fun. There was even a hall of mirrors at the end when I appeared extremely tall and short at the same time. Must have appealed to my inner child cos I laughed for hours. Off back outside now, to brave the heat, the awful tourists but even worse than as, as the weekend as started again there are hoards and hoards of English stag parties. All of them wearing england football strips and exposing far too much white flabby gut. Now they should be thrown out of a high window...

Interesting? snipits on Europe

1. Bulgaria is full of casino¨s and sex shops.


2. Romania is full of services offering erotic massages.


3. Romanians are the friendliest Europeans.


4. Hungarian is impossible to say.


5. The first country on my travels to offer a veggie burger was Austria. (Burger King not McDonalds).


6. In all countries were the little green man says it is safe to cross the street - beware - traffic coming from slip roads still have right of way to run you over.


7. Never ever drink more than one shot of palinka in any 24 hour period.


8. C + A are alive and kicking in Europe.


9. Hostels in Austria (and apparently other Western European countries) do not give you bedding. You have to rent sheets for extra.


10. The national of Hungary is Unicum. I kid you not. Its bloody digusting too.


11. In Prague there is a park and ride. There is also the Kiss and ride? No idea what that involves.


12. Romanians love flowers. Almost every other person is carrying some.


13. Communist staues are huge.


14. Austria doesn´t have Communist stautes, so they have 20 million statues of horses instead.


15. European horse statues are always anatomically correct.


16. Despite skieving off school, hanging around the local park in large gangs whilst engaging in underage drinking, Bulgarian teenagers are ridiculously polite and respectful to their elders.


17. European beer is often sold in half litre bottles - not the 330 ml bolltes
    you get in the uk.


18. Every computer keyboard is layed out differently. Turkey has 2 letter i ś. You must use the right one or it blows up. This keyboard has the y and z reversed.


19. In Prague beer is far cheaper than soft drinks - what are you going to drink if you are on a tight budget?


20. My favourite European toilet so far is not the Viennese Opera toilet but the toilet here at my internet bar in Prague. It has a phallic shaped knob you have to pull. Some people could misconstrue crewd thoughts.

Vienna

So currently I am in the city of Vienna (or as one guide book lovingly calls it - the big merengue). Its easy to see why - you are surrounded on all sides by old impressive palace like buildings.The place is also chock full of tourists - its an absolute nightmare. After going so long practically having places to myself, it has come as rather an annoyance to find I have to wait for the multitude of tour groups to go past before I can get a good nosey at whichever place of interest is in front of me. I have enjoyed being presented with a number of free food samples since being here - I have had two giant yoghurt pots (one passion fruit, one strawberry), 2 packs of gummy bears and a huge block of milka chocolate. Still hoping there will be free drink next! As well as going to the home of the Vienena Boy's Choir, the Spanish Riding school (I saw horses - well you would have been shocked if I had seen elephants) various points of interest to do with the life of Mozart - maybe I am biased but they were not in the least bit interesting, I also went to the outskirts of town to visit Schronbrunn Palace. As i arrived here on the 17th May, that well known public holiday to do with the ascension!, the guided tours had finished early.I was able to take a stroll around the grounds though, which where stunnung and had amongst other things, several follies but more excitingly a maze. Its impossible not to have a great time in a maze, even when it starts to drizzle!. But the wierdest thing I have seen since being here has to be the Opera toilet. This toilet (which costs 0.6 Euro to use) plays the Blue Danube for you and is decorated in the style of a great opera house.Well the ladies is in that style, complete with costumes, art work, royal boxes (cunningly disguised cubicles) but the gents side is even more bizarre. Those lips you can see next to the real piano are in fact the male urinals. Its not every day you see this! There is no doubting that Vienna is beautiful and jam packed full of culture, but maybe its the crowds, or the expense or the fact the everyone just looks so smart but its not the destination for me. I have an inkling that I will enjoy my next destination alot more ... Prague.

Budapest

Without a doubt this has to be my favourite city I have visited so far. Its got tree lined avenues, wonderful monuments, many street cafes, a river ( a famous one at that) not to mention castles, palaces, thermal baths and good wine. This is the parliament building overlooking the Danube. The river Danube links the two towns of Buda on one side and Pest on the other - hence the name. On the Buda side there is Castle Hill complete with an old citadel, the ex royal palace which is now the national art gallery and the Fishermans Bastion to name a couple of things. What is the Fishermans Bastion you ask - its the merengue looking building on the right. At no point was this ever part of the city walls it was simply built as a folly. A rich mans folly at that. Some people simply do not know what to spend their money on. I could have spent my time lazing in one of the cities many many thermal pools - most of them housed in ornate art deco style buildings - and the next time I visit I will do just that. There is definately going to be a next time. With only 2 1/2 days here though I had to be more frugal with my time. After visiting the Castle Hill district, I moved to the far end of Pest to visit Heroes Square and take a peek at the art deco style zoo. This was a lovely walk helped along by the temperature - we got an unseasonal 30 degrees here yesterday. But one of the highlights for me has been my visit to the House of Terror Museum. This is a normal building on one of the nicest streets in the city - only in the mid 40's it was home to the Nazi's, then it was home to the Arrowcross Party and eventually the Hungarian / Soviet Secret Police organization. Basically since 1944 it was home to whichever group of the day was responsible for torture and confessions and informing on your neighbour. Hungary was the battleground between Germany and Russia during the second world war. After the war, the Soviets took control (although Hungarians never voted in the communists). The Hungarians had a revolution in 1956 and ousted the Soviets and put their own prime minister in charge. Despite officially agreeing to this, just a few days later the Soviets brought the tanks in, killed the prime minister and the government and siezed power - which lasted till the 1990's. The museum inparted alot of information, most of which I was totally ignorant of before. It was fascinating and chilling at the same time. What really makes this place creepy is that you visit the cellars - a labyrinth of cells that ran the whole length of the street - and see the cells in which the 'confessions' were gained and the executions carried out. If you are ever in Budapest, this place is a must. After the intensity of the House of Terror it was great to be able to sit back on the shores of the river Danube drinking a glass of wine, watching the world go by. The only thing I have to worry about at the moment is the ever increasing weight of my packpack...

Heart of Translyvannia

This is the medieval town of Sighisoara in the heart of Translyvannia. Its a tiny place enclosed in a citadel on the top of a hill. It does have a new town attached to it at the bottom of the hill but that is neither quaint nor historical. The whole village in on the Unesco world heritage list - its that good. Tiny is not a good enough adjective to describe it - minute would be better. It takes all of a good 10 minutes to circle the place but somehow once you enter the city walls it seems to be hours before you re-emerge. That is certainly what happened to me. I ran into so many friends I had made in previous Romanian towns that the day soon passed in a haze of laughter and very good cheap wine. It meant I could spend another day here taking in the many sights! Apart from the clock tower the main reason people flock to Sighisoara is to see the house on the right. It is the birthplace of Vlad Tepes - son of Vlad Dracul - who later was known as Vlad the Impaler and Dracula (which literally means son of Dracul). Vlad Senior was made a member of the order of the Dragon by other members of Eastern European royalty. It was a society whose members fought together to try and stop the Turks from conquering their lands. Vlad Senior minted all his coins and his own seal with the symbol of the Dragon and hence became known as Vlad Dracul (meaning of the Dragon - notof the Devil as some people mistakenly think) Not alot of people know that! Sighisoara is a very rural place and I saw more horse and carts going past than I did cars. Stunnigly picturesque but still very small so it was time to move onto my final stopover in Romania. Cluj-Napoica.
Cluj is very different to the last few places I have visited. It is a university town and has a big city feel to it with its many bars, clubs and restaurant. I have certaintly moved away from the rural Romania. I have been spending the day here chilling out - I should really baking in the heat. Here it is hot. No idea if the heat wave is still in England but its definately in full swing here. Tomorrow morning at an ungodly time (5.15 am) I will be bording a train bound for the Hungarian capital of Budapest. Tomorrow is going to be fun!

Brasov

The train dropped me off at the beautiful medieval walled city of Brasov - in the heart of Transylvania. This really is a picture postcard perfect little town and I fell in love with it straight away - so much so that I stayed an extra night. The town square is dominated by the Black Church- home of the largest organ in Europe - oohh. I voluntarily climbed the mini mountain behind the town and enjoyed the hike. The town has lots of hills in which to go hiking plus you stumble across old watch towers and sentry posts.
From Brasov I took a couple of trips into the nearby countryside. I visited Bran Castle, built on the hilltops as a line of defensive against marauding Turks. It was a Royal getaway in the 1920's so the interior is crammed full with ornate furniture - not really matching with the exterior. Alot of tours visit this place as Bran Dracula's Castle - it has nothing at all to do with Vlad Tepes but it does mean that there is a wonderfully tacky Dracula themed tourist market outside. Get your Dracula T-shirts here! It took all my will power but I did manage to resist!.
From Bran, I visited the medieval fortress town of Rasnov, only a short distance away. Rasnov was a citadel city atop a hill and the citadel still exists. It is the best preserved example of its kind in Europe. The film Cold Mountain was filmed here - it was mountainous but nowhere near cold. Romania's weather goes from downpour one minute to absolute scorcher the next. The great thing about the citadel is that it still has its original torture implements intact. Apart from the usual and common to find stocks and yokes, this place has an iron cage suspended from one of the high points in which to lock people into until they die. It also had a hanging frame in which you could be tied and hung by the wrists. Great fun was had by everyone hanging themselves up! After viewing even more torture implements I had to come back to town and immerse myself in the great outdoors.
I really am amazed by the outstanding beauty of this place but I am told that my next destination is even more stunning... can it be possible.

Romania - Land of the helpful

I crossed the border into Romania by means of a sleeper train. What a wonderful experience, I could have so easily been back in the 1920's (I think the train was), watching the countryside roll by, whilst I had the luxury of an entire compartment that sleeps six to myself. A group of Australians next door where squashed in, 5 in their compartment (he he). For the first time in its entire history, the train managed to pull up almost 2 hours early into Bucharest. It meant I arrived at the station at 6am! Not surprisingly, there were not many people around I could asked for directions to my bus stop. I spied an out of service bus (complete with driver) and thought I would ask him. He was a good 5 mins away in the wrong direction, which when your carrying my luggage is a huge gamble! But he was the nicest man on the planet (well one of them anyway. He gave me loads of info about Romania then drove me a couple of blocks to the stop I needed. He even apologized for not being able to take me all the way to my hostel, but his bus was due to start running in the next 10 minutes. What a love. When I turned up at my hostel at half 6 - the owner let me have a bed straight away, gave me a free breakfast and then did all my washing for me (free). Later than evening I got given alot of free beer, toasted cheese sandwiches and apple pie!

Did I actually do anything in Bucharest I hear you wonder (apart from eat and drink). I had to visit the Palace of the People, the extremely ugly building you see above. Nicolae Ceausescu destroyed most of the historic city of Bucharest to build this - it turned out to be the second largest building in the world (the pentagon is bigger) It 10% percent larger in volume than the great pyramid. Ceausescu even had the road in front of it widen so it would be bigger than the Champs Elyse. These days it is known as the Palace of Parliament as guess what - it houses parliament. I took a tour inside some of the rooms and my goodness it is grand on a gigantic scale. The floors are marble, as are the columns, it is literally dripping in crystal chandeliers. One room has 50 of them. Works of art, paintings, sculptures, busts - all line the corridors. After a while I was stunned by the glare coming of all the crystal and marble!

I spent the reminder of my time in Bucharest, walking around the area of Lipscani. This is the last of the historical district - the part that escaped Ceausescu's large sledge hammer. The architecture is magnificent. Every building has a different style, though they are all ornately and intricately finished off. That afternoon I turned into architecture student - I just couldn't stop taking photo's off the different buildings. This area was also known as Little Paris because of the cafes and boutiques that lined the streets. There are still pockets of these cafes in existence, and sitting there, enjoying the most wonderful cakes, in a 1870's cafe complete with original wrought iron fixtures and fittings was a very pleasant way to wile away the time. After saying that a couple of days in Bucharest was plenty for me, I was longing to go someway alot smaller with alot less traffic. I boarded a train to take me to the town of Brasov. As I was entering my carriage, I was finding it very difficult to haul my backpack onto the overhead racks. An elderly gentleman appeared from the next carriage and despite my protests, picked up my pack and threw it into storage. He was shorter than me but refused to let me keep trying. Romanians are by far the friendliest and most helpful people I have come across so far. I am determined to be able to say more than Moultzoomesc by the time I leave!

Bulgaria

Well after many months of group travel I have finally ventured out on my own and I have made it all the way to Bulgaria - to the capital Sofia to be precise. Sofia is a small city for a capital in fact it is roughly the same size of York - which makes it great to walk around. Must admit it is not quite as pretty as York though. Although Bulgaria is now a republic there are so many left over reminders of Russia. Bulgarians use to love Russians because they defeated the Turks on their behalf, then after WW2 when Russia moved in - communism and the associated problems with the regime were unsurprisingly not as popular. So Sofia is a curious mixture of love / hate towards the Russians. This is the Nicolai Alexander Memorial Church - Bulgarians most popular sight whilst the 1300 year monument is in such a bad state of repair there are large chunks of it falling off. The Communist Monument has all been abandoned and a skate park has been built up around it.

Facts about Bulgaria you probably did not know:
1. The country's president used to be its former King Simeon 2nd. He was disposed just before the war at the tender kingly age of 6. His full name is Simeon Saxe - Coburg
2. Spartacus came from these parts!
So after a day or two of chilling out, enjoying the best nights sleep I have had in months I took myself off, 200km south of Sofia to the little town of Rila in the mountains. Here is situated a beautiful hidden monastery. The architecture is quite stunning and its central church is covered every inch from brightly painted murals showing biblical images. It is still a working monastery and monks dressed in outfits similar to the Greek Orthodox church wander about freely. You feel like you have stepped back in time a couple of centuries. Next to the monastery locals are tending crops by hand and getting around on mule driven carts. Its not all 18th century though - look closely and you can stop monks whipping out their mobile phones to check their text messages!. So apart from chilling, have I done anything else whilst in Bulgaria. Sofia is famed for its dance clubs but I have not been boogieing. Instead after a glass or two of rather nice Bulgarian wine, I took myself off for a night at the opera. I realized it has been a while since I did anything remotely cultural so I went to the royal opera house and watched a production of Carmen. The voices were amazing but the women were all extremely scary looking. Couldn't imagine this Carmen teasing anyone. (She looked like an aged Mrs Kemp - yes that bad). I'm afraid Easter Europe does conform to all the stereotypes where looks and dress sense are involved. The tight fitting stonewashed jeans coupled with shirt made out of shell suit material is still very fashionable as are the mullets. The people though are very friendly and find my attempts at Bulgarian extremely amusing!

Istanbul

My last few days have been spent in the enchanting city of Istanbul - the city where Asia and Europe meet. I have heard so many travel writers claim that Istanbul is their favourite city and it is not hard to understand why. The city should be approached in terms of a small country, there are that many different areas and regions to explore. 4 days is no where near enough time to see even a small part of it. This stunning photo is of the Blue Mosque - such a magnificent building and the decor inside is breathtaking. The name comes from the delicate blue tiles that cover the inside walls. Opposite the Blue Mosque is the Aya Sophia - it was once a church, then a mosque - now it is a museum. The dome inside is the largest unsupported dome in the world. You stand underneath, looking up, wondering why it doesn't fall on your head. For many centuries Istanbul (nee Constantinople) was the centre of the Ottoman Empire. Apart from the Blue Mosque there are many more reminders of this once oppulent empire. The largest of these has to be Topkapi Palace. As well as the many rooms, including throne room, library, great halls, breakfasting pavillion, kitchens, circumcision room (yes you read correctly) and various living residences there is also a treasury and a harem. Harem actually means private and it was for all intents and purporses a closed city within the palace. The Sultan could ave up to 400 concubines in there with the 15 current favourites taking precedence. Their main goal was to produce a male heir to the Sultan. The mother of the Sultan was the most important woman. When a new Sultan was throned all his other half brothers of which there could be hundreds would be murdered. This was later abolished to the half brothers beeing locked up in a cage for their entire lives. Live at the palace was not fun! It was all in fighting and murder. Extremely few Sultans died of natural causes. The treasury is still home to some of Turkey's most precious treasures. Within I saw jewel encrusted pendants, bowls , plates, thrones, chainmail, arrow quivers. The famous Topkapi dagger is breathtaking as is the 86 carat diamond (the fifth largest in the world). This was originally found on a rubbish dump by a beggar and sold on for the princely sum of 3 spoons! The weirdest treasure is the arm of St John the Baptish encased is a gold glove and his skull encased in a solid gold skull case! You may remember I have seen other parts of John at the Ummayyad Mosque in Damascas.

No trip to Istanbul woud be complete without visiting the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market. I've visited a number of bazaars now and to be truthful these are not a patch on the ones in Damascas. But you cannot come to Istanbul without visiting the Grand Bazaar. Even if I wanted to I could not buy a simgle item more. Tomorrow I start making my way through Eastern Europe and already I cannot pick up all my luggage. I wonder if tht has anything to do with the silk carpet, ceremics, perfume and art work I have already bought. One thing is for sure, I will be alot stronger by the time I get home. Istanbul has been a fantastic city and I will certainly be back here one day!

Anzac Day

The Gallipoli Penisular in Turkey was an extremely important battleground during the first world war. If the allies could gain control it would mean a supply route into Russia had been opened up. Unfortunately the narrowest point of the Dardanelle Straits is only a few Km wide and the Royal Navy could not make it through. They lost 4 battleships in the space of 5 minutes due to mines when they attempted to take it. So instead the allieds decided to send a land army to take it. British and Indian soliders were sent alongwith almost every Austrailian and New Zealand solider that had volunteered. They became known as Anzacs. (Austrailian and New Zealand Army Corp). They were different to the majority of soliders who went as they had all volunteered and had not been conscripted. They had also had very little training and had never fought before. The forces landed in April 1915 and came up against an extremely well trained Turkish army. For 9 months the allies dug in - the area around what is now known as Anzac Cove is very inhospitable, strong biting winds, no naturally growing food or water supplies amd open land - it was alos very steep. The Allies lost many thousands of soliders before being evacuated although the Turks lost alot more - around 250,000. What makes this battleground different to many others is the respect the Allies and the Turks had for one another. When the war was over Ataturk (the Turkish leader) made a speech directed at the mothers of the Anzacs

Those heroes that shed their blood
And lost their lives...
You are now lying in the soil of a friendly Country.
Therefore rest in peace.
There is no difference between the Johnnies
And the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side
Here in this country of ours...
You, the mothers,
Who sent their sons from far away countries
Wipe away your tears,
Your sons are now lying in our bosom
And are in peace
After having lost their lives on this land
They have become our sons as well

Today there is a very strong commaraderie between the Turks and the Anzacs and this is evident at the Anzac day Rememberance Services. On the morning of the 25th April, I joined 8000 others who had camped out at Anzac Cove to take part in the Dawn Service. After the service was completed a further 3 services took part at different cemetaries in the vaccinity. An Austrailian service, a Turkish Service and a New Zealand Service. At all three there were representatives of the three governments, all three national anthems were played at each service and were attended by the different nationalities. It was an incredibly moving experience and I am so pleased I was there. It was the complete respect and shared loss between the former enemies that made this service so much more moving - it seemed to honour the pointless loss of life more. I only wish all remembrance services could be like this.

Guess where I am?

This is the library at Ephesus, probably one of the best preserved Roman cities almost still standing. The site boasted two amphiteatres, public baths, public toilets, many temples and statues not to mention the obligatory brothel. In the last year a nobleman's house - well really a bishops house has been unearthed and the floors are still covered with fine mosaics and marble. It was stunning - Oh how the other half live. After leaving Ephesus and seeing the site where the Temple of Artemis once stood (one of the original ancient wonders of the world) - the temple is now just one column with a stork nesting atop it - I made my way to Troy. Troy is the city of Greek legend where the Greeks and the Spartans fought over Helen. The city of Troy really exsists and archeologists have discovered that the city was sacked and burnt to the ground at the same time that Homer indicated in the Illiad. At the site now it is possible to see 9 different levels - where the city has been rebuilt ontop of the previous city 9 times over. But the biggest attraction has to be the huge tacky wooden horse that the local government has built for the tourists. This really is it and yes I did climb inside it and yes it was alot of fun. You can't beat good solid tack! And as for the title question, both the incredibly preserved Roman city and the most famous city in Greek legend are on the Turkish coast. Turkey is urning out to be a remarkable country!.

Getting Hotter

As I moved form the region of Cappadocia towards Turky's coast, a miraculous thing happened. The snow stopped, the sun came out and it began to get warmer again. I stayed on the Mediterranean coast of Olympos. I actually stayed in a tree house which was rather cool - alas due to a fire last year the trees did not survive but the houses have been rebuilt on stilts. I was even able to sunbathe briefly on the pebble beach - after the blizzard it was great. In the evening I climbed a local hill to see the Chimera. According to Greek legend (thıs area used to be Greek) the monster Chimera was imprisioned in the mountaın. The chimera are actually flames that could be seen from sea originally and use to guide sailors. The flames were supposedly coming from the monsters mouth. They are also known as the eternal flames and are used to light the Olympic torch. It is fascinating to watch them - the flames just leap from the rocks. They do not need to be ignited. Even today scientists are not quite sure how or why they exsist but they are exceptionally good to toast marshmallows on. The flames gıve out heat but not smoke.The next day I treated myself to a traditional Hamman or Turkish bath. You lay on a heated central marble slab and begin to get hotter and hotter. You are then massaged and then scrubbed down with a loofah mit. The amount of dirt that was extracted from me was shocking. Thıs was followed by being covered ın warm soapy bubbles and massaged again. After an ice cold shower you are pronounced clean. As if I wasn't pampered enough I followed this up wıth a deep oıl massage. I was floating for the next two days. It was blıss.

All the good work was overıdden when I got to Pamakkue a couple of days later. Agaın these are natural rocks but they are brıght whıte. To stop dıscolouratıon you have to take off your shoes when climbing on them. Its not that easy on the feet.

So currently I am in Selçuk. I will be visiting Troy before going up to Gallipoli in time for the Dawn memorial service on Anzac Day. After the servıce I will be heading towards Istanbul and Europe agaın. My middle eastern adventure ıs almost over - looks lıke I wıll have to start shoppıng sooner rather than later - carpets anyone?

Cappadocia - home of the fairy chimneys

Crossıng Syrıa ınto Turkey, I headed for the regıon known as Cappadocıa. My first ımpressıons of Turkey were of how cold it was - then the weather turned bad. Whilst those in England were lapping up the sunshine I was experiencing freak blizzards. Great! İ haven't brought enough jumpers wıth me. The landscape around the area ıs known for its bizzare rock formations. These were caused millenia ago wıth volcanic erruptions. The wınd and rain erossion have the left the rocks ın odd shapes - some of them extremely phallic. After peering through the hail and snow at the formations I made my way to the more sheltered spot of the underground city. I have been fascinated by this place sınce I saw Dan Cruickshank do a tv programme about it a couple of years back. These hidden cities housed up to 50,000 people - all hiding out due to wars and religious persecution. The tunnels leadınd down the cıty got extremley tight and narrow and at one point I was crawlıng to get through. Not a good home for the claustrophobic. As the people couldn't go outsıde for at least 6 months at a time - ıf any body died they had to be sealed up ın gıant urns and stored ın the corner of the living room. Nice! After exploring Gorome's underground cıty I went back to the fairy chimneys and as the sun had come out, I could actually see them. St Simon is reputed to have lived ın one on the cave houses carved into the rocks. Accordıng to legend he was there 40 years only ever leavıng the house to get food. He certainly wasn't suffering from wonderlust. The whole landscape around here is just magical -the weather couldn't spoil it - in fact seeıng the snow laying on the 'fairy chimneys' made them seem even more magical. Whilst I was ın Gorome I was staying in the Flintstones Pension - which was a cave with a door attached to it. Fun but caves are not renoun for their warmth especially during blizzards. Do hope it warms up soon though as typing ıs very difficult without feeling ın your fingers!

Syria - Probably not what you are expecting

Not knowing what to expect I crossed Jordan into Syria (according to some an axis of evil) but what I found was an incredibly friendly country jammed packed full of ancient history. My first stop was the city of Damascus, reportedly the oldest continually inhabited city in the world. It was on the road to Damascus that Saul was converted to Paul and I visited the church that stands on the site of the baptism. I also visited the Ummyyad Mosque in the centre of the city. This place is huge and so ornately decorated. 3 out of the 4 walls of the courtyard are covered in a fine mosaic - it is so beautiful. The Mosque is also home to the tomb of Saladine and the tomb of John the Baptist (although it doesn't have his complete body) My knowledge of the Bible has certainly improved during this trip!
After Damascus I moved northwards to the town of Palmyra. This is one massive site of what looks like Roman ruins - only they are not Roman. When the Palmyrans built the city it was a vital trading city on the Silk Route - I saw the remains of the trading areas including the hitching posts to tie your camels up whilst you engage in a bit of haggling. I visited the temple of Baal (Dad, I'm sure you'll recognise the name) and the pits where animals were sacrificed to appease Baal. It was a fascinating site not least because I got to climb to the top of a funery tower (it even contained bones).
I was really looking forward to the next stop. The crusader castle Crac des Chevaliers, This was one of 7 in the vacinity but due to a restoration in the 1960's by the French - it is in a great condition. It has been labelled as one of the best examples of a castle in the world and it lives up to its reputation. You get to explore right into the heart of the castle and that includes the secret passageways leading through the moat, the tunnels that run underneath the kitchens and the maze of alleyways under the baths. Even saw the dungeons and the vats in which they kept the boiling oil in times of seige and attack. The castle came complete with its own round table. In short it was a proper castle - almost complete - not just a pile of foundation stones. It was great.
My final stop in Syria was the country's second largest city - Aleppo. As well as being a maze of Souks selling everything you could imagine under the sun including so many sweets and pastries, the city also has a citadel above it protecting it from any would be attackers. This country really does medeavial castles well. This citadel came complete with its own palace inside. It was stunning. For those of us for whom the souks and the many hours of haggling does not appeal, Syria is great because you can go climb and explore instead. Something for everyone. Have overdosed slightly on the hummous and baba ganooush (aubergine dip) you get out here so I am looking forward to pressing northwards into Turkey and perhaps some different food specialities. But for anyone who thinks Syria is not a holiday destination - get out here - its great.

Jordan -A wonder of the World?

After the longest ferry crossing known to man (the crossing took 4 hours but we were on board for over10 hours) I left Egypt and entered into Jordan. The first stop we made was at the Wadi Rum national reserve. This is a desert with incredibly large rocks within it. Due to the strong winds the wind erossion over a couple of million years has left the rocks with interesting shapes and features to them. Wadi Rum is a beautiful place and was also the home of T E Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) for many years. It was from here he masterminded the unification of the Arab tribes and the subsequent defeat of the Ottomans during World War 1. This is the seven pillars of creation, the mountain that bears the same name as Lawrence's book. From the desolate landscape of wadi Rum wemoved northwards slightly to the town of Wadi Musa. Here I had my first Turkish Massage. This involves time in a steam roon followed by being vicsiously rubbed down by a large scrubbing brush. The amount of dirt that came out of me was worrying! But at least I had the jacuzzi and massage left to make me feel alot better about myself. At the outskirts of Wadi Musa is the centuries old city of Petra. This city was only rediscovered (ie by westerners) in the late 1960's. The city was built at the bottom of a gorge and the temples were literally sculptured into the rock face. They are truely stunning. You may recognise the Treasury from the Indiana Jones film. I had entered Petra at half 6 in the morning which meant for a couple of hours we had the place to ourselves before the tour groups arrived. Visiting all the sights of Petra involves alot of hiking - most of it up incredibly steep hills / cliffs. But the views are well worth it. By the time I descended from the Place of high Sacrifice it was 1pm and Petra was unfortunately sinking under the weight of all the tourists. I was so lucky to get to see the entire place without any crowds - it makes a place feel alot more special. As I was leaving a large group of people entered, chanting and waving banners. They were campaigning on behalf of Petra. Worldwide there is a competition going on at the moment to rename the 7 wonders ofthe world. Petra has made it onto the shortlist. The locals feel it deserves to renamed as a wonder of the world - and I must admit I agree with them. Petra is spectacular - makes the Pyramids look like a childs sculpture!
It was almost time to leave Jordan but on the way to Syria we passed the lowest point on Earth - 400 metres below sea level. The Dead Sea. So called because hardly anything can survive in the water as the salt content is almost 80%. The evaporation of the sea has led to this high salinity. The most famous side effect of this is the high buoyancy of the sea. It is nigh on impossible to drown in the Dead Sea - its impossible to stand up in it. the water just makes you float. The white lumps in the photo are giant salt crystals - you have to walk over these to get into the sea. Its certainly a novel experience and so much fun - the only drawback is that you cannot get water into your eyes or an open cut because by gum it stings. It was great fun though. My final final stop in Jordan was at Mount Nebo. This is where Moses looked out and saw the promised land. It is also where he is buried. I visited the church atop Mount Nebo and saw the promised land for myself. Coincidently it was Easter Sunday when I was on Mount Nebo so the visit had extra significance especially for the Christians within our travelling group. If Mount Sinai and now Mount Nebo was not enough my next stop will be the city of Damascas within Syria - a city brimming over with its biblical roots. I'm not sure what to expect at all from Syria but I'll soon find out...

Coral spotting again...

The resort of Dahab on the Red Sea peninsular is famous for the diving and snorkelling opportunities it has. Dahab is different from other dive sites as due to the geographical nature of the coral reef - the snorkelling is almost as good as the diving. I went snorkelling at the blue hole. It is the proximity of the coral to the surface that gives it the destinctive shape. As you would expect the coral was spectacular. I saw so many varieties of the most brightly coloured fish not to mention the wide variety and different coloured corals. The only problem for me was the temperature of the water. Even though I was in a wetsuit the water was still very cold. The second time I braved the water I could only last 40 mins before the shivering got a bit much. Apart from snorkelling the rest of my time in Dahab has been spent relaxing. It has been difficult sat about relaxing, reading, chatting, generally doing nothing. The sea food has been amazing too - as I say its a hard life! I will definately be coming back to Dahab - primarily to take advantage of the great diving opportunities but I will come back slightly later in the year - giving the water a chance to warm up slightly. I am leaving the coast now, crossing over the water to Jordan and the land of deserts.