Time for an update

Izmir, Turkey

Yeah, I'm still alive. And no, I haven't forgotten about the blog. As alluded to last time I haven't posted in a while 'cause I've been stationary and there hasn't been so much to talk about. Well, I recently made a short jaunt over to Cyprus and thought I would show some photos and talk about the place a bit.

In short: don't go to Cyprus in the off season. Busses stop running, the weather is a a mild 20 degrees (although not so bad for November when one thinks of Canada!), stores close for lunch and don't bother to re-open, and forget trying to do ANYTHING on Sunday.

Nevertheless, there were some highlights. As many of you know Cyprus is divided into two countries, the Turkish north and the Greek south. Nicosia is the last divided capital in the world, placed square in the middle of the border. There is a UN controlled greenline that is still very active and stringent (although quite passable) border checkpoints. Luckily the country is moving steadily towards reunification so the world's last divided capital may not be divided for long.

The UN controlled Green Line

Border checkpoint between North and South Nicosia

Additionally, Nicosia has the biggest comic store I've seen outside North America so that was a plus. I didn't get over to the Roman ruins of Pafos, thanks in large part to the lack of busses, but I did manage to see a good deal of the Turkish north and the land has a lot of natural beauty. Dusty plains lead to green fields, towering mountains, and beautiful blue coastline. There are castles and ports in Girne, ancient churches in Famagusta and everywhere, Greek cathedrals converted to mosques. I don't think the catholics particularly approve but from the outside observer it makes a fantastic sight.

Yours truly in a ruined cathedral, Famagusta



Nicosia's biggest Mosque and former church



Girne harbour

A 3000 year old boat discovered off the coast - now inside Girne Castle

Former cathedral in Famagusta

Interior of the same Mosque

Cyprus also contains what could possibly be the most overrated monestary of all time. It's a four hour drive from the capital through windy backroads and small Turkish villages before finally tıy reach a long white building looking something like a barracks and a crummy tourist market. The end. Enjoy your stay. But it did have a good view:

View a few km down the road from the monastary

Unfortunately I don't have much to say of the Greek side except that their version of Nicosia is a little nicer with a few more conveniences. Limassol is a nice city but again busses are a problem. If you go, rent a car.

As for me, I have some good news to report. As of this Saturday I will be published in the Medicine Hat News. I'm pursuing papers more regularly over the last week and it seems to be paying off. Hopefully soon I'll have some bigger publications to announce.

Also I have a job here with a company called English Life that may or may not be worthwhile. THe pay is poor (although for Turkey it is outstanding. I make twice what my friends do for half the hours), and they want me to sign a one year contract which I will but do not intend to honor... hmm... world traveller... can you say flight risk? Still, they need me as much as I need them so for now it should work out okay. Right now I am thinking I will continue the expedition in another season or two. Gotta re-save some money after europe.

I also still await the near mythological laptop. It's current status is "stranded in Taiwan" with a couple false alarms for sending it. I've wanted to buy a second one in Turkey and sell it later but it's too hard to find a used one here that's reliable and the new ones are expensive as hell. I may be forced to continue with internet cafes for the foreseeable future. If you ever do a world trip and plan to make money while you travel by writing... well... GET A LAPTOP FIRST YOU FUCKING MORON! Little things you learn along the way... :)

Anyway, in the next few weeks I will post again with a special treat for all you engineer types. I have some part way numbers for you. I also plan to post a map of my progress one day. We'll see if I can sort some computer stuff out.

A bonus shot of the view from my balcony at home in Izmir

Anyone want to buy my shoes?

Fetiye, Turkey



I finally got pictures to work. I am going to China in a couple weeks so when there I will catch up all the old ones. For now, here are some from Turkey and one from Estonia.


I don't have much to say about Estonia. It seemed very blah after seeing Riga and Klapeida and all these other wonderful places in neighboring countries. However, I did get a chance to shoot a bow. My first shot hit the center of the target! But I couldn't duplicate that unfortunately. I hit the target on at least half my shots though! Here is my epic photo with wrist protector and cape. That's right, I'm wearing a cape.

Shooting a bow in Estonia

I spent a week in Istanbul before coming here to Fetiye and it was a hell of an experience. I mean... Bangkok felt big but Istanbul is HUGE! It has 4 million more people than Bangkok in about the same amount of space. The nicest area is called Taksim and no, it is not the place that has the palace, or the blue mosque, or Aya Sofia. That section is Sultenamhet. Taksim is just one neighbourhood north of Sultenahmet across a stretch of water called the Golden Horn. Taksim is a bit of an amalgamation kind of like Istanbul itself. You can buy stuffed muscles and 'wet hamburgers' (actually really delicious) on the street and if you keep walking you find bars, shops and a tourist haven without all the tourists. There is one street with about 30 small pubs and restaurants where another Canadian told me 'eventually if you sit here long enough you will meet everyone you know on this street.' I think it's not too far from the truth.

Istanbul - Foreground is Taksim, water is The Golden Horn and background is Sultenahmet

Taksim


Looking at Sultenahmet across the Golden Horn

Sultanahmet has some beautiful buildings but is a little too crowded with tourists. And not normal tollerable tourists, but the ones who are holding maps, looking at the sky, wandering in all directions and snapping photos whenever possible. You know, the ones where if you sit in the corner where there is nothing interesting with the hopes of taking a break from them, they all come over to you because they think you're looking at something that's not in their guidebooks... grrr... Still, like I said, the places are beautiful.

The Blue Mosque

Inside the Blue Mosque


Aya Sofia - 1500 year old church turned to Mosque turned to museum

Me at the Palace and the Asian side of the city in the background

So where does the title of this blog come in? Well I was sitting in a park across the street from the tourist zone and a local guy comes up beside me and sits down on the bench. He lights up a cigarette and asks me if I smoke. I say no so he asks me if I want to buy some marijuana. I say no again and we make small talk for a few minutes before he mentions he owns a carpet shop in one of the bazaars. He wants me to go with him to see it and buy a carpet. The next few minutes passed with me trying fruitlessly to explain to this guy that I have no use for a carpet and that I can hardly carry it around on the top of my backpack for the next year while travelling the world. Eventually though he does let it drop and we make some more small talk. I tell him I'm staying with a girl in a neighbourhood called Fulya and he promptly asks if we can have a threesome... 'No,' I say, trying to keep a straight face. 'I don't think that's a good idea.' So he spends the next few minutes talking about the tightness of various bodily orafices and then looks down to notice my shoes. 'Those are nice' he says. I agree, thankful to change the subject. 'Can I have them?' I laugh. 'No, you can't have my shoes.' 'Why not?' 'Because I need them for walking.' He thinks for a minute and says 'Can I buy them?' he sees the look on my face and says 'Okay, I'll give you 30 Liras and my shoes if you give me yours.' I tell him no again. By this point I'm getting tired of new experiences and conversation with the locals so I say I have to go. He asks me for an email address and I get out a pen to give him mine, thinking he'll never write me anyway. 'No,' he says, 'I want an email for some Canadian girls.' I leave.

Fetiye is a beautiful place. Very different from Istanbul. It's on the coast of the Mediteranian next to a small area called Ölüdemiz which translates to 'The Dead Sea.' It's not the same famous one that you have heard of from Jordan but it is a beautiful area. I've been swimming there twice now and today in Butterfly valley, a place only accessible by boat or a long steep clımb down a cliff, I met a Chinese girl from Shanghai. You remember what I said about the universe working out if you put yourself out there enough? Well Shanghai is where I plan to teach in a couple weeks so she has agreed to meet up with me when I arrive and show me around a bit and help me get settled. The universe rocks.

2300 year old Lycian tomb in Fetiye

Butterfly Valley

Ölüdemiz - The Dead Sea