California Dreamin'

I can hardly believe it, much the less write it, but this will be my last blog entry on this amazing journey of mine. I've had a fantastic couple of days chilling with long time friends: Aaron, Kim and Eli in Seattle. Being here has helped me prepare for the journey home. I plan to take a week to drive from Seattle to the Bay and I want it to be me and the road home. So before I get into the finality of it, I want to tell you how much I have enjoyed writing this blog. Not only do I have a new found love of writing, but the more I hear that you've enjoyed reading it and traveling with me, the easier it is to share. And I needed to share with you...I needed to know you were out there. You've helped me focus on me (which is weird to say), to not be afraid of sharing my thoughts and voice my feelings. It's definitely been therapeutic for me...so thank you for keeping me going.

There is so much that I've learned and discovered on this trip, it's hard to put my feelings into words, but let's see if I can get it out :) Now that I've started learning more about myself, I am aware of my place in the world. But learning about other people's beliefs, culture and religion has given me direction, made me more understanding and increased my tolerance. I'm much more patient, but at the same time I am confident and powerful.

Although I'm nervous and, honestly, a little scared of coming home, I know good things await me when I get there...just as good things were awaiting out in the world. I won't lose perspective because I know what's important. I'll take chances because I know what it's like to be inspired and to be an inspiration.

I have met some incredible people on the road, but it didn't happen right away. I remember in the beginning, I barely spoke with anyone. I had to go inside myself and figure out what the hell was I doing and how I ended up here. And, I'll tell you, it was one of the toughest things I've had to do. But the reward is that I know what it means to have soul mates and I'm so lucky to have met a few men and women who will always be connected to my soul. In considering all these new connections and relationships, the thing that I admire most about myself is that I know how to be alone. So, very clearly from my body, heart and soul, I can tell you that I am finally happy.

I'm glad you've been with me to experience this life changing trip. I'm looking forward seeing you and hearing your thoughts about my journey and the changes I've made.

So keep the champagne chilled...because I'm finally coming home.

Vancouver, Canada

Who knew Canada had Thanksgiving?! Yeah, and it's tomorrow! So I'll get 2 Thanksgivings this year, lucky me. Zahra and Matt came up to Van for a quick holiday, which I'm super stoked about and we're going to fix a feast! I'm staying at my friend Al-Riaz's place downtown. Yet another long time homie, we met back in '92 when he lived in California. Crazy, I know. Anyway, Van is a super cool city, I feel very urban chic here. It's definitely a lifestyle city, as Al-Riaz puts it. People work to have a good time. Therefore it's not unusual to go out dancing on Tuesday night, which we did last week. The local gay bar had straight night, whatever that means. I couldn't tell. But fun nonetheless.


Van is yet another city I could live in. Surrounded by water on 3 sides, cute happenin' neighborhoods, very walkable, tons of outdoor activities...just up my alley, all except the Canadian part. LOL, ok, just kidding - sort of.


It's been pretty chill the last few days. I signed up for some yoga classes which have kicked my ass, walked around English Bay, checked out the view from my the 32nd floor roof top deck and have eaten ridiculously well. Not a bad way to wrap up a world wide tour. Yes, I did say wrapping up, as in the end of my trip is in sight. I'll be leaving for Seattle for a few days and then I'm going to drive back home. The plan is to take a week to drive down the Washington, Oregon and NCal coasts and be back in the Bay on October 26th. I know, take a deep breath...it's even a lot of detail and planning for me :) But, as I've told you before, even the best laid plans have a way of getting twisted around, so I can't make any promises, but I hope to see you soon.

Whistler, Canada

2 words - ZIP LINE!

Rez and I zipped through Whistler at 60km/hr on zip lines threaded throughout the trees in between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. What a rush! At first I was a little nervous, I mean who wouldn't be? Clicked onto a cable by a paperclip and then to willingly step off a platform 50m (at least!) above the forest floor. Yeah, I was a little nervous. But after the first zip, you think you're bloody James Bond, hanging upside down, spinning around Look, ma...No hands! It was so cool.

Whistler definitely made me miss home. Especially my girlfriends and our weekends in South Lake Tahoe! It's a super cute, fun, active village just like the village at Heavenly or Squaw Valley with tons of fantastic restaurants, bars, people watching patios and great, overpriced shopping. The weather, although rainy and cold, made for perfect autumn days. The leaves were changing color and the first snows of the season dusted the highest peaks overnight.

Rez and I bonded, again, and caught up on the last 10 years. We just picked up like it was yesterday. Funny how time and distance don't really effect relationships that are important to you. These special people never leave your heart because they've touched your soul. I feel very fortunate to have the friendships that I do...all around the world I've been looked after and thought of by my friends at home and the ones I've met along the way. And the great thing is that these relationships work without effort, whether I'm near or far, we are always connected.

Victoria, Canada

I'm in the Pacific Standard Time Zone! OMG, it's been great to be able to talk to my sister and friends and not have to calculate the time difference. See, it's the little things that make me happy.

So anyway, it was a very very teary good bye to my aunt...her and I are so similar, now all my weird quirks make sense. I'm so glad that I had a chance to spent 3 wonderful weeks with her. We had such a fabulous time. I haven't laughed that much, well, ever. We were like 2 giggly kids, with our inappropriate comments, and juvenile sense of humor. She's really the only one I can be like that with and I like it. It makes her that much more special to me.

I left for Vancouver at the crack of dawn on Tuesday, had a quick stop downtown to unload some of my pack (which has reached a ridiculous 31 lbs even after the shameful amount of stuff I sent home with Zahra), and then took the bus to the ferry and sailed over to Victoria to spend some time with my aunt and uncle on my mom's side. The ride over was stunning. Have you been anywhere in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle, San Juan Islands? It is breathtaking. I'm glad to be here in the fall...all the leaves are changing, the crowds are gone and it's very peaceful. Plus the weather has turned a little cool and it's nice to bundle up!

My Aunt and Uncle have a great place 10 minutes from quaint downtown Victoria. We've been doing a lot of walking around the waterfront, having lazy mornings and overall just relaxing. I'll be here for a few days before heading back to Vancouver to whoop it up with my long time friend, Rez, who's coming in from Atlanta. We've been friends for 20 years - damn, when you can reminisce in decades, well, you know you're not 10 anymore. He and I are also going to check out Whistler for a few days and I'm super excited, b/c it's somewhere I've always wanted to go. I am just squeezing out every last bit of fun on this trip that I can :)

Montreal, Canada

I'm in Canada - did I mention that? But, in Montreal, and I'm pretty sure the entire province of Quebec, think they're a European country. I'll give you a clue...it starts with an 'F' and ends with 'rance'. For-The-Love. Not one sign for anything is in English. This is a first for me and I've been to a lot of places and seen a lot of signs. Unfortunately there is also a bit of 'tude going on here. Let me see if I can sum it up: irritable; I can't be bothered; just try and ask me for help; you obviously don't speak French; where the hell do you think you are, Canada?

Did I mention I'm in CANADA?

Ok, besides that, Montreal is a super cute city :) It was my cousin's birthday and I got spoiled. We stayed on the 32nd floor of the Sheraton downtown, overlooking the entire city. Hello - the bathroom had a hairdryer and room for dance lessons. (I'm so easily impressed these days - I mean if I don't have to share a bathroom with 10 others, I'm stoked) Anyway, we went to the BEST steakhouse for dinner...translated, it's called The Horse's Tail. I haven't had a steak since I left, so I totally indulged. That with a bottle of wine and a ridiculously decadent dessert and I was ready to be rolled out of the restaurant. But I pulled it together and we hit the happenin' part of town. My cousin and I showed our faces at a few hip spots before settling in to shake our groove thang at a multi level club. Good times with the family.

Ottawa, Canada

So did anyone catch the NHL pre-season Ottawa Senators vs. the Philadelphia Flyers game Wednesday night? Of course you did. So you must have seen me on TV - club level, center ice, 4 rows up from the penalty box...yeah, that was the top of my head! I had a little understanding of the game from last year, but watching it live was so fun! Hockey players are tough dudes. There were 3 pretty good fights...gloves off...helmets off...totally going for it. I think that's why people enjoy hockey, that and the body slamming into the boards, b/c trying to follow the puck, well that's just pointless.

My aunt and I are visiting my cousins for a long weekend in Ottawa. We're headed to Montreal for a few days. Better brush up on my French. I was totally surprised when driving over here from Toronto...it's absolutely beautiful. It reminds me of New England, lots of trees/forests..and the leaves are changing color, it's just stunning. Although it's the capital, it's a small town with a small town feel. Downtown is super cute, with tons of restaurants and shops, beautiful churches with turquoise domes, and their Parliament buildings could have been picked right out from London. Can you tell...I'm impressed. And I'm in Canada.

Toronto, Canada

Toronto is such a cool city - I never really had a chance to check it out. Every time I've been here, it's to spend a quick weekend with my family and all I see is the airport and the inside of my aunt's apartment. It's quite diverse and cosmopolitan, which makes for an easy re-entry back into the western world.

I rented a car when I got here and it's been nice having the freedom to roll wherever I want. Although I've been a little scared of driving. I really have a hard time with what side of the road other cars are coming from, what side I should be on, can I turn left on red...you know, the usual concerns. But I'm managing :)

The highlight for me was seeing my sister! My parents and sister came to Toronto for the weekend to celebrate my birthday. We had family and friends over for dinner and they wanted a run down of what I've been doing for the last 8 months. No small task let me tell you. So I started off in New Zealand and worked my way through Turkey. I think I spoke for an hour (or so it felt). It was humbling, yet again, to reminisce on the things I've done, places I've been and people I've met. I'll never stop feeling how lucky I am.

Overall I've been chilling...my aunt and I laugh until we cry pretty much everyday - we don't even have to say anything! We're headed to Ottowa tomorrow to visit my cousin and his fam and then I'm off to Vancouver for 2-3 weeks. My oldest friend, I've known him for 20 years (!) will be in Van as well and I can't wait to catch up with him.

It's been months, but my US cell phone is back in working order! This is huge for me b/c I've had about 10 phone numbers over the last 7 months. I got a new sim card in almost every country which means that my number changed constantly. Yet another step closer to being back home.

Westward Bound

Even though I won't be back in California for several weeks, I still feel like I'm coming home. My extended family is in Canada and I'm really looking forward to be pampered and looked after for a bit :) Plus my sister and parents will be here to celebrate my b-day next weekend, and I can't wait to see them. I flew straight from Istanbul to JFK on Tuesday. I thought I would be more emotional about leaving Turkey, because I really did fall in love with the country, but when the customs officer in NY said 'welcome home', I almost cried. I've found that my 'special traveler' status is gone...when you're traveling the world everyone wants to talk to you, find out where you're from and where you've been. But in America (and I'm assuming in Canada as well) I'm just another American traveler. No one wants to hear my story or talk to me about my adventures. But I know that all of you will be anxiously awaiting... :)

I can't believe that my travels are coming to an end. I have had the most amazing journey - I am grateful everyday for this experience. I still feel so lucky and humbled most days. And the best part is that I've finally found who I really am - and man, I am so cool :)

So, I'll be in Toronto for a few weeks. My Internet access is limited, so the blogging will be minimal. Plus all I'll be doing is eating and drinking more chai with my aunt. Not a bad way to live :)

Istanbul

Back in İstanbul after a RIDICULOUS bus journey. I started in Savur on Sunday a 10am and took a 1 hour minibus ride to Mardin. Of course I hadn't planned out my journey and I was just hoping that there would be a bus to Istanbul...and wouldn't you know it - there is. I was supposed to leave at 1pm but the bus was late and we left at 2pm. After stopping, oh I don't know, somewhere in the range of 7 times in an hour, we filled the bus and we're off. I already understood that the trip would be 18-21 hours and I'm ok with this b/c I really have nothing but time. So we start late, no problem; we stop frequently, also no problem; but then one of our drivers (we have 2 and 3 flight attendants) gets into a fight with one of the passengers - ok, small problem. Actually I have no idea what happened, but it was 7am and we are close to Istanbul and all hell breaks out at this bus stop.The next thing İ see is the passenger running after the driver with an orange construction cone...İ should have taped it b/c İ would have won the $10K prize from America's Funniest Home Video. Holy shit, I'm still laughing.

But what's not funny is that this spectacle adds at least an hour onto my journey. I get into the Istanbul bus station or rather JFK airport around 12pm. The bus station is crazy - there are least 150 platforms with buses coming and going from every direction. Did İ mention pedestrians do not have the right of way here? Yeah, good to know.

3 more buses and 2 hours later, I am back in Istinye with Sercan and Jim. Tıme passes easily with these two and we are constantly laughing, talking, sharing... they have become my dear frıends, and the next thing you know another week ın Istanbul has passed. I am headed to Edirne tomorrow for a few days, and, get ready for this...I'm crossing the pond on Tuesday and headed to Toronto for a month ın Canada. When I bought my ticket, I thought I would have been a little more emotional about ıt, but surprisingly, I wasn't. What really choked me was the price of the ticket.

I'm on my way...

Mt. Nemrut, Mardin, Savur

I just came back from a week in Eastern Turkey and it was absolutely stunning. I was quite surprised to hear warnings from many western Turks about traveling to the East alone. But all the other travelers that I spoke with, said that the east is not to be missed. I started in Mt. Nemrut from Capadoccia, a 12 hour bus ride. I tell you, I'd take a 12 hour bus ride in Turkey over an hour in an Indian bus any day. They have bus attendants, similar to flight attendants that serve beverages, cake and ice cream! But my ride did suck because I had to sit in the jump seat next to the driver for almost the entire overnight journey. So I got to Khata and was totally jacked. I stayed in a little village called Karadut about 12km from the top of Nemrut. The pension owner told me to find the Karadut Market and talk to Mustafa and he'll help me get a minibus (this is the local transport) to Karadut. Ok, so İ'm a little nervous and skeptical about this, but quickly realize that this is the old me thinking. İ consciously change my energy and wouldn't you know, I meet Mustafa right away and end up having breakfast with him and his son at the shop. We took a ton of pictures and he gave me the shop address so I can mail them to him. İ am constantly amazed at what happens when İ stop to think about the energy that I put out into the world. It doesn't happen like a wish, but rather, it is something that İ truly feel in my heart. Sometimes İ think that İ'm thinking positively, only to realize that my thought is really negative and İ'm just 'hoping' things will work out. Funny how life has a way of discerning these things.

So, Mt. Nemrut has these massive statues at the top of the mountain, but the heads have fallen off and now they sit at the feet of their bodies. İ didn't get many pictures b/c the batteries in my - camera died - damn it. But İ did watch an amazing sunset in the desert.

From Mt. Nemrut I headed southeast, I think I was 70km from the Syrian border, to Mardin. What an amazing little town. Kurds, Turks, Arabs and Christians all live peacefully in this beautiful place. For 2 days I sat in a chai shop and looked out at the honey colored desert that stretched to Syria. It was a surreal experience...the desert is mesmerizing.

One more minibus ride and İ was in the sweet town of Savur. İ splurged on a place to stay b/c it had an amazing view of the valley below. There is a river that runs through the valley, but you can't see it because of the trees that grow around it. So from my perch all you see is a river of green snaking through the mountains. The town is smaller than Mardin and they don't see many tourists, especially women travelling alone. But after being stared at for a good long while (İ have just come to accept this - with my big sunglasses, short hair, height.. and lets face it, İ'm damn cute, well: people stare), İ was welcomed into every tea shop. The family İ stayed with treated me like a long lost relative and it was good to be looked after for a night. And let me tell you, İ needed a good night's sleep because İ was about to embark on an epic bus journey that would last 30 hours....

Capadoccıa

I've been having a bout of writers block about Capadoccia. I don't know why...I think it's because I've had a travel partner for the last 10 days. And instead of talking to you, I've been talking to him. But we parted ways in Goreme and I was more emotional than I thought I would be. It just came to be that we traveled for so long together, but I think that's why it worked, because it was easy. In my mind I thought that it would be good to do the last bit of traveling alone, but along with the rest of my planning, that didn't happen. Almost the entire time I've been in Turkey, I've been with other travelers. Sometimes I would insta-bond just because they were from California or the States or just spoke English! Only to find out that our travel styles, outlook on life, perspective on reality was different, so after an hour or a day, we'd part ways. As you know it's hard to travel with someone 24/7 and really hard when you don't know the person. So I consider myself lucky to have made a new friend and even luckier that Josh and I had such a great time exploring Turkey together... sometimes it's nice not being the driver and the navigator. So thanks, Josh, for helping me find the words when my English was limited, for listening to my crazy stories, for making great Nescafe, for calling me a hippie and for sometimes being the driver and sometimes being the navigator.

So, Capadoccia! What a fairy tale of a place. This is an area of crazy rock formations, some look like melting ice cream with caves and carvings (have you ever seen any of Gaudi's work? Look him up, check out the buildings in Barcelona), some like giant penis' (is that the plural? when have i ever had to type that word), some like mushrooms. It's unreal. We stayed in Goreme, which is a great town that blends old village with modern tourism, at the Flintstones. Yes, in a cave! It was so cool. We had tea in a tea garden where the same groups of old men gather to place backgammon and drink endless cups of tea. Oh, speaking of, I must drink like 7 cups a day, they're so small and cute, and it's such an easy thing to stop and do when your tired of cruising around. Anyway, we did an all-day tour which was fantastic except for the obligatory stop at the onyx factory. I swear, anything to get you to buy something.

I left on the overnight train to Mt. Nemrut and Josh is now sleeping in his own bed in San Francisco, I'm so jealous.

Konya

We decided to couch surf in Konya, the final resting place of the Sufi, Rumi, and home to the whirling dervishes. We found George, new to couchsurfing, and we were his first guests. OMG - he was great, generous and eager to show us his town. We arrived around 6pm and from that moment until about 1am we were non stop. We went for dinner, coffee, tea, downtown, uptown, the river, if there was a sight to be seen, he showed us. He played photographer with my camera and the results are priceless.

One thing he didn't mention was that he lives with his family, who just happened to be on vacation...except for dad whom we had breakfast with the following morning :)

Konya is the first city that I've been to (so far) where I really felt a religious presence. Women cover their heads, there wasn't a drop of beer to be found, and the city pretty much shuts down around 11pm. Ok, you're right, where there is beer to be had, we will find it. We just happened to spy an Efes sign (local turkish beer) down an alley, so we walk towards it, only to find 3 guys kind of lurking in front of a small shop that has one cooler full of Efes in a can or bottle. I mean I thought that some shit was going down! All this to buy beer. The guy almost wrapped it in newspaper but then gave it to us in a dark plastic bag. I thought for sure the beer police would hear the bottles clanking away in my bag, but we made it back to the hotel and couldn't help but laugh at yet another adventure in Konya.

Olympos, Turkey

Talk about getting sucked in...Olympos is that kind of place. Its hardly a town, more like a village or giant campsite with mostly backpackers and a smattering of locals thrown in. Its claim to fame are the tree houses; some of them are pretty cool, but most are just wood structures without a roof on stilts. I opted for the dorm and a/c. Josh and I spent 3 nights in Olympos and honestly, I don't know where the time went. It was so ridiculously hot, that even walking the 10 minutes to the beach took me 2 days. Most of my time was spent lounging and reading, trying not to move too much. After 4 days on the boat I wasn't about to break the relaxation spell. However, the one super cool thing I did was get up at the crack of dawn to watch a baby turtle, just hatched, make it's way to the sea...

I ran into a couple that I met on one of my many bus rides and we were immediately invited into the 'cool' group. They had taken over one of the harem areas and we carried on laughing and drinking until the wee hours. And so 3 days passed...I could have easily spent the rest of my time in Turkey here.

Selcuk, Fethiye, Blue Cruise, Turkey

I took the overnight bus from Istanbul to Selcuk (say: Sal-chuk). The bus system here is very easy, but we stopped like 5 times on a 10 hour journey. I stayed in Selcuk to see the ancient ruins in Ephesus, but, and this sounds so bad, after being in Petra I wasn't as 'wow-ed' as I should have been. But the place I stayed, Atilla's Getaway was well worth the trip out there. It's an oasis with a pool and tons of places to chill out with a good book. I spent 2 very lazy days lounging in a Turkish sitting area (harem), you know, carpets, pillows, no shoes, nargile (hooka). I really can't complain.

I've been surprised to meet so many Americans traveling in Turkey. In fact, I think I've met more Americans here than I have in the last 6 months. I met Josh from San Francisco and we decided that if the timing worked out with our travels we'd take the Blue Cruise together. So from Selcuk I headed to the Mediterranean Coast to Fethiye (say: Fet-ee-ya) where the boat was leaving on Saturday to Olympos. The boat is actually a gullet, but we never sailed, which was a little disappointing, but I got over it right quick after my daily morning swim in the Med. Ok, so if you haven't had a twinge of jealousy yet, now is the time to stop reading.

After 2 nights in Fethiye and 2 nights in Faralya in a bungalow overlooking butterfly valley, I met Josh on the dock and we set off for 4 days cruising the Med. I don't think I've mentioned, but it is hot here - I'd say close to 100 every day. Even being on the water it was crazy hot. So everyone took their bedding from the staterooms and slept on the deck on lounge cushions. It was so fun, like one giant slumber party. We used our stateroom as a big closet with shower and toilet. Ok, right, so there were 2 couples from Turkey, 4 people from Spain and a family of 4 from Libya.

In the beginning our group was a little shy, but by day 2 we were all friends. It was really easy to talk to everyone, even when english was limited. I absolutely fell in love with the Libyan family, and have promised that I will visit one day.

On the last night the captain promised us an evening of fun and shortly after dinner a boat pulled up to take us to the Smugglers Inn - a disco/bar on the beach. OMG, what a riot! Each gulet's passengers had taken over a harem to chill in, but our group hit the dance floor like banshees and we didn't stop until everyone had left.

One of my 'must do's' on this trip was this cruise and I'm so glad that I was able to! 4 days of looking out at the beautiful blue Mediterranean, swimming, reading and meeting new friends...this is what vacation is all about. Now if I could just stop rocking...

6 months

Has ıt really been 6 months?

I've been sitting here in this hot as hell Internet cafe in Fethiye, Turkey, reflecting on my last 6 months and I feel like you know everything already. I've shared with you what I've seen, how I've traveled, my doubts, my perspective, in fact I've been more open on this blog than I thought I would. But I'm glad you've been following me...it's nice having a bit of home while on the road

So, I think I'll try something new and tell you about my gear. I know it's not deep, but it's been with me the entire journey, so I think it deserves some mention. My pack started off at 20lbs when I weighed it at SFO way back in February. If I do say so, I packed brilliantly. Everything I brought I used. From the zip off pants-to-shorts to the sleeping sack. I had 2 pairs of shoes: Reef platform flip-flops and Clarks walking shoes. I flattened the flip flops by May, but continued to wear them until July, which was a bad call, because I've jacked my hip (but nothing that a week at the spa won't fix). So one pair of new flips later, and I'm good to go until I get home. I think I told you that I sent my rain coat home with Jennifer when I was in Greece and that wasn't a good call either, b/c 2 weeks later I was in torrential downpours in Croatia. I've changed out all my t-shirts I had in India because of the laundry situation. Washing clothes on a rock using a rock to beat them clean tends to shorten the life of your clothing, you know? I have all 8 pairs of underwear I started out with. And I know you're thinking that having chonies for 6 months is not unreasonable, but when you wash them weekly... the cuteness fades away.

Now this is not to say that I haven't done my fair share of shopping, because let me tell you London has some fabulous shopping...to date (and what I can remember) I've bought 5 pairs of shoes, 2 pairs of pants, a leather jacket, several shirts/tanks, and many gift-y items. But many thanks to Zahra, Dad, Jennifer, Kelsey and Mom for taking my purchases home. On average now, I carry 12 kilos, which is about 26lbs. I have acquired 3 skirts, 2 dresses, 1 pair of jeans but I've gotten rid of 2 pairs of pants, rain coat and 3 t-shirts (replaced by tanks). The stupidest thing I'm carrying is a bottle of my perfume (Gucci II). I was missing a little bit of girly-ness, so now have this ridiculous glass bottle of fragrance. The thing I hate the most is my bag of electronics - phone charger, iPod charger, universal converter, camera cord, battery charger. I can never fold it small enough. And recently I've acquired a Kurdish rug which I'll have to carry around for the next 3 weeks, but it's manageable.

But now I'm missing my friends and family and I think that's a good indication of being ready to come home. Not to say that you haven't been on my mind the last 6 months, but rather I've had other things rattling around in there that have taken up residence lately. So I'll finish up Turkey and am thinking of a side trip to Syria (but it's so f-ing hot right now so we'll see) and move westward beginning of September. But, by now you have come to know the erratic nature of my traveling, so all I can say is we'll see :)

So, with much love...thank you for keeping track of me via the blog and for all your comments and well wishes along the way. I thought that I was on this trip alone and I needed time away, but really, you have been with me the entire journey. I am looking forward to coming home.

Istanbul, Turkey

I can't believe that I've been in Istanbul for a week! I stayed in a great youth hostel in Sultanamet for the first 3 nights and took in all the touristy sights: Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, riding the tram, kebabs, baklava, etc. The Big Apple hostel had a great rooftop terrace, where after a long day of sights, the beer tasted even better. The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia were definitely my highlights, each domed and outrageously ornate. Going into the Blue Mosque, you have to cover your head and legs and take your shoes off. When I got in, I was totally overwhelmed...by the smell of feet. It was a hot day and holy shit, it was horrible. But after my eyes stopped watering, I was able to sit and reflect. Even though there were a maddening number of tourist groups, I found it quite peaceful.

Istanbul is such a cool city - half of it is on the European side and half in Asia. The Bosphoros Straight is the dividing line. I cruised out to an island one day...I swear I'm going to buy a boat one day...and worked on my tan :) The city has great energy. I had dinner with some people from the hostel and we ended up in an area where block after block are restaurants, bars and clubs with cafe style seating spilling out onto the sidewalk and cobblestone streets. All kinds of music competes with one another, guys are selling stuffed mussles and grilled corn on carts and persistent turkish men try to lure you into their rug shops with promises of tea.

I heard about this website called couch surfing and decided to try it out in Istanbul. Basically, its a reciprocal hospitality website where you offer your couch, meet and greet, night out, coffee/drinks to travelers from around the world and in turn you do the same when you're out in the world. The basic idea is to promote peace through learning and understanding of other cultures. So I've done my research, bc you know that's how i am, and I find Sercan (say: Ser-jan). He seems like just the type of person that I want to have in my life and I wasn't disappointed. He has hosted over 400 couchsurfers over the last 4 years and somehow always has room in his house, whether for 1 or 15. Jim and Matt, Sercan's friends, greeted me and I felt like I had know these guys forever. I was so quickly welcomed and included, I felt like I was home. We joked non stop, cooked dinner together and celebrated Jim's birthday, it was one of the most memorable experiences on my trip. I really wanted to experience how locals live, local culture and just be in it, and that's exactly what I got.

Geneva, Switzerland

Finally out of the UK! I meandered down to Geneva to visit Misty and Manfred who had baby Finn just over 2 months ago. I don't know what I was expecting of Geneva, but it blew my mind. It is absolutely beautiful. From their house on the French side, you could see Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc (the highest peak in Europe). It's so green with vineyards climbing up the steep mountains that surround the lake. I have been absolutely spoiled with my accommodations, when it comes to my friends. And Misty & Manfred's house is no exception. They are in the foothills of some massive mountains with a ski run right above them. The property is sprawling with lots of trees and yard space and they have done beautiful work to the yard. Actually props to Manfred who has rediscovered his primal roots and took down a few trees for firewood. Oh, and just to add to the atmosphere, there were cows grazing in their back yard. It was very tranquil and I found myself loosing track of time.

Misty & Manfred have always been gracious hosts and this time was no exception. Besides myself, Misty's mom was visiting for a few months. The day after I arrived, friends of theirs and their children stayed for the weekend, and the day before I left 7 of Misty's family came through. I had such a good time reconnecting with them. We chilled at Lake Geneva for an afternoon, visited the vineyards, cooked amazing meals, and lounged at the house in the sun. It was an absolutely perfect week.

Baby Finn is ridiculously cute and just along for the ride. Slept well, ate well, hardly fussed. If we could all be that lucky. Even I complain more than Finn :)

Off to Turkey for a month and if I'm lucky, Syria as well. But don't worry, I really am on my way home :) ha ha, I know what you're thinking....

Exeter, England

I've spent the last 5 days in Exeter with a great friend, Annika, who I met in India. Exeter is in Devon, southwest of London near the coast. It is quintessential English countryside with the green rolling hills and tons of sheep. The town is very quaint, very English with a massive cathedral and the Exe River river flowing through. I have been exposed to proper English tea with clotted cream and scones, fish and chips, and Sunday roastie. Spending time with Annika and her friends has really made me miss my friends back home!

I've been 'wankering' on (i have learned some interesting English words which I'll try to incorporate) about being in the UK for so long, but I've come to realize that this time is preparing me for when I come home. I have been so busy running around, visiting friends, spending time with family, that I haven't spent any time alone. I have barely written in my journal or on the blog. And when I do get to it, I find it difficult to get inside my brain and heart and write about what's going on. I have to practice listening so I can understand my feelings and thoughts and connect them with what's happening in my life and in my environment. I know it sounds like I'm over thinking things, but for me it's much more rewarding (albeit challenging) to be able to listen and understand my feelings and write about them, than it is to ignore.

It's been a challenge for me to incorporate the 'new' me with the 'old' me. But I think I've found my way and the feeling of coming home is stronger than it has been in months. I have really missed connecting with my friends. Part of that, of course, is because I've been gone, but I think a bigger part is b/c I understand myself so much better. My priorities have changed. For me, there is more to life than I previously thought. My decisions, thoughts and feelings come from a different place. I do things differently, I have new perspective, I feel whole, but yet not complete. But that's ok, because it gives me something to look forward to. And, as crazy as it sounds, there are times when I have really missed having a companion. For the times when my journeys are frustrating and for when they are extraordinary an arm around the shoulder would be enough. But, I realize for that to happen, I have to be a little more stationary, but just a little :)

So, as I said before, I'm getting ready to come home, but I'm not quite done yet. I really want to end this trip on my own, just like I started. So I think another 2 months should do it.

I know what you're thinking: 'bollucks'.

Lisbon and Northern Portugal

Lisbon, like many European cities, is full of plazas, pedestrian streets and old churches. But what's a little different in Lisbon is the Moorish influence in the architecture and neighborhood. So lots of tile work with intricate designs, symmetrical patters, etc. Mom and I meandered through the narrowest winding streets in the Alfama area, relaxed with some fantastic Portuguese pastries at an outdoor cafe and window shopped throughout the city.

But, Lisbon is a big city, and one day is enough and we were there for 3, so I was done.
I did buy some great shoes.
I learned that Obrigada/o is thank you in Portuguese.

Northern Portugal was beautiful. Very green and mountainous. We took a day long river cruise through the Port wine growing region in Porto and saw Europe's oldest university in Coimbra.
We were staying in some luxurious hotels, with swimming pools and hair dryers (thanks mom!) until I saw the room rate and then it was back to the Lonely Planet. Actually we stayed in some very quaint guest houses that included breakfast. I think even mom was impressed. Breakfast wasn't usually a feast. But the Portuguese must really love their baked goods b/c most mornings we would have freshly baked pastries and bread. Except once, we must have had some day old bread b/c I look up and mom is chasing her pat of butter around the bread with her knife. The coffee is hit or miss. And actually I haven't written about this b/c I think I'm blocking it out. But most of the world thinks that Nescafe is coffee. Not many people understand the beast that lurks within coffee drinkers and how we need beans not granules or powder. Now, I'm by no means undermining Nescafe b/c I realize that some people are fiendish about it. But I swear I have had enough Nescafe to last a lifetime, so I'm always on the look out for the real stuff. A few times in Jordan I ordered a Turkish coffee, but I used my teeth as a sieve and that kinda sucked.

The Algarve, Portugal

Just my luck that Mom wanted to go to Portugal, so here we are! We spent 4 days driving around the southern coast and up the west coast to Lisbon. I've been driving, which is hysterical, bc the last time I drove was in New Zealand and I was on the left side of the road in a giant SUV. Now I´m back on the right side of the road, in a tiny, manual transmission VW Polo. Half the time I´m questioning what side of the road should I be on and looking left when I should be looking right - scary, right? I also find the street signs really confusing. For example, there´s a round red sign with a red car and a black car - WTF, am I red, am I black? And once I figure out what color, what do I do? The roundabouts are MASSIVE and make me sweat. That coupled with mom navigating from the passenger seat, yelling to turn right, (well it´s a circle, mom, what does turn right mean?), driving will be the end of me. And if we don't die on the city roads, we'll for sure meet our demise while on the highway. The suggested speed is 120 km/hr (75mph). I am the only one going 120. So I bump it up to 130 so at least I can pass the trucks.

We flew into Faro which is the main city in the south. Neither one of us were really interested in the city, so we headed east to Tavira. A very quaint town with a river running through it to the ocean. We only had 4 days to make our way to Lisbon, so we hopped around a lot, but we did manage to spend a few quality days on the beach. The weather was gorgeous and I've brought new meaning to the word tan :) We stayed in Sagres and Vila do Milfontes, two sleepy surf towns...did you know that the west coast of Portugal is a great surf spot? Neither did I and was looking forward to checking out the action (come on now, everyone is a sucker for a surfer) but the surf was blown out by the wind. Regardless, just chillin' was good enough.

Mom and I are headed to Lisbon for 3 days...

London, England

London is stupid expensive. If things were equal, pounds to dollars, then it would be manageable, but when you double the price of everything it gets ridiculous. For example...a prepackaged sandwich is £4 (that's $8 for the challenged), train and tube all day card is £7, a beer is £3.60, jeans that I really wanted were £88, shoes I bought were £99. For the love.

Anyway, enough complaining!
I spent 4 days in London before Nairobi and I'll be here for a week, before Mom and I head to Portugal. London is a very hip, chic city. Everyone is well dressed, well groomed, well everything. Even the men take time to pimp themselves out. I think I've seen more hair product on men than women. The 'do' that's really popular is the grown out mohawk, it's actually very sexy when done right, but laughable b/c you know that the man sporting this ´do, spent way too much time on it. In most department stores, the men´s skin care products rival the women´s counter. I heard two men talking about moisturizer. I think the term is 'metro-sexual'. However, ridiculous it may seem to us, Californians, it´s refreshing to see some effort being put into appearance :) I, on the other hand, have nothing to say, since I wear the same thing 5 days in a row, until it stands up on it´s own, and then just one more day, bc I can´t be bothered to do laundry. HA! Ok, not that bad, but when you only have 5 shirts, options are limited.

Nairobi, Kenya

Yes, back in Africa and I love it! I was invited to tag along and help at a Sports Festival for my religious community. Most of you know that I grew up Ismaili Muslim, but I have been 'out of practice' for the past 15 years (or so). So why did I decided to come to the Games? It took me a while to figure it out, but I realize that I miss the sense of community. Aside from the religious aspect, Ismailis are very involved in volunteering and in third world development. Which is something that has become more and more important to me as I gain insight on myself during this trip. But again, what was I doing spending a week with 5000 other Ismaili's? I won't lie, it was a little overwhelming at times. But I took my time outs to regroup and it was a very rewarding experience.

I didn't see much of Nairobi, since most of my time was spent in a cab or bus to and from the 'Village' and the Kasarani Sports Center. Did you know that Nairobi is the 3rd most dangerous city in Africa? Yeah, I didn't know either until I got into town. Probably would have helped to do a bit of research before just jumping on a plane. I mean even walking across the street is dangerous. Security at the hotel was tight, especially since we stayed downtown. I never felt targeted, but we heard stories, and that was enough for me to keep my solo meanderings to a minimum.

The Games were amazing. There were athletes from 20 countries, including Syria, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, UK, US, Canada, Uganda, Tanzania and of course, Kenya. All together about 1200, participating in volleyball, basketball, soccer, swimming, track & field, table tennis, badminton & chess (is this really a sport? no offense). I knew that I would be recruited to help and I was all for it. I volunteered to help with the player's uniforms. We pressed flags and numbers on thousands of jerseys. Although the majority of the work was done the week before, we repressed all of the Syrian athletes shirts at least twice. Logistics were great but something always falls through the cracks.

I was overwhelmed by the Kenyan hospitality and the coordination effort of countless volunteers, who worked 18+ months, in addition to their regular jobs, who made the Games such a success. On the first day I met Laila, from the UK, who knew about half of the people at the games. Therefore, I was introduced to about 2000 people in a week - no joke. Her and I meeting wasn't an accident. I was in need of the community and she brought me to it. By the end of the week, people were greeting me like we were old friends. I made some friends for life, in a week (!). As far as connecting with others, this trip has been the most rewarding thing I've done.

Sarajevo, Bosnia-Hercegovina

The bus ride from Dubrovnik to Sarajevo was absolutely beautiful. Bosnia-Herzcegovina (BH) is lush and green, contrary to what I thought. The coast is more rock than green, but traveling inland, the landscape turned almost rainforest like. We drove along a dark emerald green river with mountains climbing up either side. The water was so still in some places you could see the leaves reflected. The towns are very small with white buildings and red tile roofs. Most of the stone/brick buildings were destroyed in the war, remnants of which we saw on the drive.

Sarajevo is a great city, lots of energy and a good vibe. But again with the war damaged buildings! Ten story apartment buildings that have bullet holes (still!) and in some places where something larger hit, the concrete is crumbled down to the re-bar. There is also a street called 'sniper alley' where I'm sure you can guess what happened. The Holiday Inn where all the journalists holed up covering the war is now a tourist spot and the tunnels they used to get people and goods in and out of the city is a museum.

I think being in these countries makes such an impact on me because the war started when I was in high school, so old enough to read about it, watch it on the news and understand what was happening. It's completely overwhelming to actually see the damage. But they are independent now and people love their country. It's a very welcoming and beautiful feeling when you come to a country where the people are happy just being citizens, where family and friends come first and everything else is the means to being able to spend time with those you love.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

I arrived in Dubrovnik yesterday...it's a stunning city. The old city is walled in complete with turrets, clock tower and the oldest running pharmacy in all of Europe, I think. It's hard to think that this city, this country, was at war just 17 years ago. I met a Croatian who said the 'worst things' were the grenades coming over the wall and the sniper fire. He said the entire Old City was on fire and the walls crumbling from attack, right where we were sitting. You can still see bullet holes in the sides of buildings and part of structures that they just never rebuilt. It's pretty intense.

So, I don't think I've mentioned, but it's been raining for the past few days, not all day, but there are a few hours when it's thunder, lightening and a torrential downpour. Of course I sent my rain coat back with Zahra, thinking the worst of it was over. But today is beautiful and I'm headed to the beach. The beaches along the Adriatic are mostly just rocks, sometimes small and sometimes boulders. I just end up pushing them around until I get them to support me. Believe me, I'm definitely not complaining!

I'm headed to Sarajevo tomorrow for a quick 2 night stay because I'm flying to London on Wednesday and then back to Africa on Sunday! I've had a little change in travel plans. I got in touch with an old friend who is volunteering at a sports festival in Nairobi and invited me along. So I'm heading out on Sunday for a week :) I know, crazy me.

Korcula, Croatia

So I have managed my way from Rovinj to Rijeka to Zadar to Split and finally to the island of Korcula. Wow - it's ridiculously beautiful here. I arrived by ferry from Split and met another woman traveling alone. We stayed at the only backpackers, called One Love (OK!) last night. The Lonely Planet describes it as a well run, fun management, but not a place to get much sleep. So true :) I checked into a private room in an lady's house this morning. This is the norm, more than hostels and backpackers. The little old ladies come accosting you at the bus and ferry stations with pictures and maps of their places. For the most part you can negotiate a good deal, especially since it is only mid-season. And with all the negotiating I have under my belt, you can be sure I am getting a good deal.

You know, it's been interesting for me the last several weeks, being back in "western" culture. I struggled to find myself, because I felt like I couldn't go back to the 'old' me - the one before this trip - but I've found it hard to maintain the 'new' me in this part of the world. I know eventually I will be back in the US and I will have to adjust, and I wonder how that will play out. I check in with myself and really think about: ˝is what I'm doing making me happy?˝ Sometimes the answer isn't as clear or as easy as you'd think.

As I grapple with the adjustment, I've come to understand that regardless of where I am and what I'm doing, I am already different and I feel good about who I am. I understand that life isn't about having your environment dictate who you are, but knowing yourself well enough to be true to who you are and flexible enough to appreciate your environment. I really didn't think about how much I would be effected by being back in 'western' culture, but because I've changed, I am already make a difference in the world.

Rovinj

Say: Rovin. The j is silent, why even have it? whatever
Ok, so I have just met the tallest person in my life. 7 feet 2 inches - are you joking? I had to squint to talk to him b/c I was burning my retinas looking up at the sun. No joke. Our chance meeting happened due to the bus breaking down from Zagreb to Rovinj. It's already a 6 hour journey, made longer b/c of mechanical problems. But everyone on the bus was very friendly, and luckily we broke down in front of a cafe. I also met Jake and Millie, Croatian Americans who have been living in the US for 40 years or so. I think they learned english in New Jersey, b/c Millie was full of "whaddaya, crazy?" She complained about her fellow countrymen tinkering with the bus, while her husband threw back 3 or 4 beers and kept telling her to chill out. It was very endearing.
Rovinj is a great coastal city, it really reminds me of Venice with the narrow cobblestone alleyways and laundry hanging from building to building. I've been here for 3 days and am reluctantly leaving tomorrow. And for all my friends who have been waiting for me to announce: yes, there is a mega yacht docked here and yes I am trying my damnedest to get an invite (where are my gold shoes!) This thing must be 300 feet and has a helicopter parked on deck 3. Plus their version of the 'zodiac' to get them from ship to shore, is just a regular 'ole yacht. More to come on that. Keep your fingers crossed :)

Zagreb, Croatia

Thanks for your patience while I partied it up with my girlfriends. Here is a quick, G-rated summary of my last few weeks:
Greece was amazing and beautiful. Jen and I hit Athens and the islands of Paros and Santorini. My favorite was Paros, its very laid back and quaint. Definitely quintessential Greece with the white buildings, blue roof tops and cobblestone alleyways.
I forgot how much I love Italy! Venice was beautiful, beyond what I expected. Spending time with Kelsey was unforgettable. The wedding we went to at Lake Garda was spectacular, minus the torrential downpour all day.
And that's all I'll say about that.

I took the train to Zagreb, Croatia from Venice, its a quick 7 hour ride...I arrived at 4am, which at the rate I´d been going, was no big deal. But the late nights caught up with me and I got sick :( I feel bad for the people in my dorm room, b/c I have been coughing up a lung these last few days. I think a guy actually requested to move to a different room b/c of me...sorry! Anyway, I cruised around Zagreb for two days, it's an interesting city, lots of eastern and western European architecture, but overall unremarkable. The best, or worst, thing about this city is everyone parties, all day, every day. I swear people were drinking beers at 10:30 in the morning, like people who live-work here...not just me! HA

Ok, really, I waited until 11am, I mean its 5 somewhere right?

But it's really laid back, you can linger over a cup of coffee, or beer for hours and no one pressures you with the bill, or gives you the eye to get on.

Greece/Italy

Farah Dunn is on vacation until June 2, 2008. There will be no blogging during this time, as all the stories are too scandalous to publish.

I am off to Italy tomorrow to meet up with Kelsey for a week. Spending time with Jennifer in Greece was beyond fantastic.

more to come.
Miss you all!

3 Months!

I can't believe 3 months have passed since I left California. I feel grounded, secure, strong, confident and at the same time, I feel calm and peaceful. Navigating part of the world, alone, has put all my emotions to the test. I am better than before, I feel better, I think I look better. Or it could be that I finally got a hair cut and an eyebrow wax. The lady at the salon said I looked "lighter". Not sure if she meant physically or spiritually, but it's a good description of how I feel.

I'm in the suburbs of Tel Aviv, visiting my very good friend Masha and her family. Her children are beautiful and even though we don't speak the same language, throwing the ball, chocolate and hugs are universal. I'm getting primed for my jaunt to Europe, other than having my hair cut, I'm trading in my convertible pants-to-shorts, my scruffy t-shirts, and all my 'roughin' in gear' for some European appropriate attire. Which means, jeans! And maybe a dress! And some shoes!

From here I'm meeting my best friend in Greece for a 10-day holiday during my holiday and then a quick trip to Italy for a wedding (since I'm in the area and all). And then I head back to Eastern Europe: Turkey, Czech Republic, Romania, and potentially Russia. I'm trying to stay away from countries on the Euro, since the dollar is doing so poorly...
But you know, this could all change in a minute, given I have no set plan. And given the way things have gone so far, I'm rather expecting that what I expect to do, will change. So for all of my lovely friends who are anxiously awaiting my return, I can only say that it will most likely be sometime this year, but no promises :) However, I will give you plenty of advanced notice so you have time to chill the drinks and draft your toasts to how much you missed me. Thank you for your well wishes. I enjoy reading your comments on my blog...and that you actually read it and like it! That's to much :) I miss you too!

Jerusalem, Israel

I crossed the border into Israel yesterday. I wish I could say that it was easy, but it wasn't. I thought for sure my US passport would be the golden ticket, but Farahana Shiraz Dunn was not allowed in without an hour's worth of questioning. The custom's girl (she could not have been over 25) asked me about my name, my last name, my maiden name, where I'm from, where my family is from, what religion am I, why did I decide on this trip, how did I decide on the countries, why did I quit my job, do I have enough money, when am I leaving. I think she confused herself with all the questions. In the end, I got through, although they did raise their eyebrows again when I asked them not to stamp my passport. But I guess this is all part of the fun :)

It is Israeli Independence day! And I found out how much Israeli's like to celebrate. When I finally arrived in Jerusalem around 8pm, people were filling the streets. I headed out with another traveler I met from San Francisco and we came upon a huge street party. A concert style stage was set up for, what I assume, were popular Israeli bands, at least 50 spotlights accompanied the laser show and fireworks, I mean it was going OFF! Families were out, old and young were dancing in the streets. I saw only one young man get carted off by the police, otherwise, it was a pretty civil event given the throngs of people - this would never happen at home!

Because of the holiday, the museums were free today, so we head out. Half way there a police car pulls over and asks Steve for his passport. Next thing you know, the police have asked the poor guy to empty his pockets, dump his bag out and the entire time I'm just sitting here, totally ignored. There is no reason other than 'security'. It's a little nerve racking because these are kids, no joke, under the age of 25, wielding machine guns, questioning you.

But security aside, Israel is a beautiful country. Jerusalem is so unique with Muslims, Christians and Jews all coming together to visit the myriad of holy sites. Even if you're not religious, to walk through a town that's written about in holy books and see the Dead Sea Scrolls from the 1st Century (!) is a pretty humbling experience.

Petra, Jordan

I flew from Dar to Dubai, overnight in the airport, then to Amman, Jordan on Saturday morning. I have had my fair share of 24+ hour travel days and I have done some hard traveling, but there is nothing worse than spending the night in the airport. Trying to curl up around the armrests of a plastic chair is no fun. But, the Dubai airport has 24/7 Duty Free shopping, so i spent my time and money wisely :)


I arrived in Amman, obviously haggard from my journey, and still had a 3+ hour bus ride to Petra. I took the bus from the airport to one of the 3 bus stations, only to find out it wasn't the right station. But Jordanians are notoriously friendly, and I was headed in the right direction in no time. The Jordan I saw is desert, and not the sandy kind, but the rocky kind with mountains and scrub brush - its very desolate but beautiful. The only reason I'm in Jordan is for Petra and now I cannot find any words to describe it. Dramatic, breath taking, intense, overwhelming... they don't even come close to what I saw and what I felt. This place is magical. I spent 19 hours in Petra over 2 days. I met a Bedouin, Ahmed, who took me around on his Bedouin Ferrari, aka, mule and I got a local's point of view. Ahmed and his family live in Petra, there is a Bedouin village not far from the ruins, but he lives in a cave. I drank tea with his family and looked after their jewelery shop while they chatted with their neighbors.


If you've ever seen pictures of Petra, it's probably been of the Treasury, think Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. But what you don't see is the miles and miles and miles of carved sandstone, wind and rain eroded rocks, cave formations, it's brilliant. Once past the Treasury, Petra opens up into an ancient town, with a street of facades, monastery, cemeteries...it can easily take a week to explore all of it. But I did my best with 2 days. This is one of those things you must see in your lifetime...I am truly at a loss for words.

I have been promising pictures for a month! I know, but the Internet connections have not been great and one picture can take up to 30 minutes. I'll keep trying :)

Ngorogoro Crater, Serengeti, Lake Manyara

Sorry for the delay in updating my blog - internet is sloooow in Africa.
Ok, so I have had quite an exciting week...first the safari:

Ngorogoro Crater
Dad and I met Richard, our safari driver, in Arusha. We had the limo of all jeeps! 4 rows, GIANT 4 wheel drive, let me tell you we needed it, and a pop up roof. Again, I'm blessed with a former Indy car driver, well actually more like a Baja desert racing driver. I swear he could not drive below 50mph, and we were on some serious dirt/boulder/rock/sand/mud/crater roads, made worse by the rains! But it was so fun! What added to my experience is that you could stand up, in the car and pop out the roof, holding on for dear life of course, b/c Richard couldn't find the brake. I felt like a kid on a roller coaster ride! It was exhilarating and scary at the same time, like riding in the back of a pick-up, or being on a motorcycle w/ no helmet! LOL

So our first day we drive to Ngorogoro Crater. The rim is at 7500 feet and we descended 2000 feet to the crater floor. We saw flamingos in the lake, a rino and it's baby, elephants dominating the landscape, it was unreal. At one point we stopped the car to watch a lioness chase down a zebra - I swear I'm on National Geographic!! She wasn't successful, but it was thrilling to watch. She and her family came right by the car and drank out of a puddle we were stopped by. I mean they were so close - I-Could-Hear-Them-Drinking. holy shit.

Dad and I went all out and stayed at the Serena lodges (thank you, dad!) throughout our safari. Our room opened up onto a balcony overlooking the crater. Again I'm pinching myself.

Serengeti
The next day we drove to Serengeti. Hello, I'm in AFRICA, and in the SERENGETI, are you kidding me?! Ok, can you tell I'm completely overwhelmed? We drove through thousands of wildebeasts and zebras migrating south, I mean through, we had to wait for them to clear off the road. We saw every animal there is to see - lions, cheetahs, leopards, a million types of antelope, hyenas, buffalo, giraffes, I mean I could go on and on.

The scenery was amazing, I will definitely get some pictures up when I get to a faster connection.

Lake Manyara
The Serena lodge in Manyara was my favorite, it overlooked the lake, which is like 260km across or something ridiculous like that. Richard took us to the game park where we pissed off an elephant (ok!) and it came charging after us. For the love! Richard threw the jeep in reverse and we were flying out of there - it was a half-assed charge, but you don't mess around with elephants.

After 4 days in the car with Richard behind the wheel, my core muscles are toned and my arms bruised from holding onto the roof. What an incredible experience.

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Holy Shit, I'm in Africa.
I swear I have to pinch myself 3 times a day - I cannot believe the things that I'm doing.
I have been here for 5 days or so, just taking it easy. My cousin lives here and owns/operates the community swimming pool where the local schools send their children for swimming lessons - it's so ridiculously cute, I can't tell you. I promise to put some pictures up!

As many of you know, my family is from Dar es Salaam. My parents left in 1969 and my dad, who's flying in today, hasn't been back since. So I'm really looking forward to sharing this experience with him.

Dar is a big city, I think 4 million or so, and is much cleaner than India :) For those of you who are looking on the map - its on the East Coast, right under Kenya and the equator. So needless to say it's HOT! April is the rainy season, so we get massive downpours for 15 minutes or so and then blue sky. Africans are a beautiful people, they are always smiling, laughing and singing. No one is in a hurry to do anything, it's all very laid back...

I've had some amazing food here. The other day my cousin took me to the Kaytee shop (I'm not sure that's how you spell it, but whatever). It's a TINY shop with 3 tables 9 chairs and you just sit where it's open. We had had kebabs, oh my god, I ate 7, at least. I think it was ground lamb, deep fried with coconut chuntey and chai so sweet your spoon stands up. Wow.
The fruit here is unreal, some of it I've never seen before. Everyday I've had something new and you know that's new for me, b/c I eat just about everything.

So Dad and I are going on a safari next week and then spending a few days in Zanzibar. Sounds fantastically exotic, doesn't it? lol. Pictures for sure next time.

Farewell to India

India offered me every emotion and I took advantage of it. Now that my time here is over, I've had a few days to think back on my almost 2 months in this country. When I started planning my journey, I remember thinking, India will be easy, 6 weeks will pass quickly. But I could not have been more wrong. It's not just the traveling that was difficult, I was difficult. Within the first 2 weeks I became Farah the Traveler. I had my game face and my suit of armor on, nothing was going to get in...but that's not the point, is it? How do you experience a culture so vastly different than what you know, when you have a wall up? I mean, I had to navigate train stations, find places to stay & negotiate purchasing toilet paper, while 1 billion people are breathing down my neck and my personal space isn't my own anymore because I'm sharing it with a family of 7, their goat and a crate of chickens. How do you let that in? I don't know either, but you do, and not because you have to, but because you want to. I thought I knew myself but I never thought I was capable of the things I've done. It's not just India I've let in, but a side of me I've let out.

I am Farah the Traveler, but I'm softer. I have learned to open & follow my heart while my brain takes a break. And let me tell you, that is harder for me than you can imagine. I SO want to make lists, call ahead, check the reviews on line & get the best deal. Those of you who know me, know I am a planner! This is where meeting other travelers becomes invaluable. Adventures, advice, and proper English become good tales and the people attached to those tales become family. That's why I extended my trip for a week. It didn't feel right to be leaving when I had just met these people...I felt like my adventures were just beginning.

India wasn't ready to let me go, and when I needed friends, companionship & a reason to stay, they were all delivered...I will always be grateful for that.