Warsaw

Day 32. 2nd Nov 2009
Location: Warsaw
Status: Cold but cool
Author: Simon

My goodness. It's chilly.
To think a mere 17 days ago we were drenched in beatuliful sunbeams,
sucking in the vitim D and showing off our tans. Now it's cold.

Yesterday we made our way from krakow to Warsaw and it was in krakow I
learnt about windchill. Sure knew that in winter when the wind blow it
is cold. I experienced this when on childhood walks, normally boxing
day, that seamed to involve a beach. Who ever thought that setting
foot on a English beach at any time other than the two week summer was
a good idea is beyond me. Well no it's not really beyond me, it was my
mother who must have thought this. Anyway, I knew wind could be cold.

But Poland in November. It's a whole other thing.
Krakow was beautiful, wonderful arcitechture, massive medieval castle
and churches. Tree lined paths winding their way through parks. Clear
blue sky, sun shining, leaves all autumnal. Almost like krakow was the
city with roads pathed with gold as the leaves fell to form and
uncollected goldern blanket. (perfect for running through and kicking,
which we did of course)

Out of the wind it was almost warm.
In the wind the Goldern city changed to a land that summer forgot,
maybe an enternal winter like narnia.
So out came the thermals and the MA fleases.

I pride myself on being at the cutting edge of fashion. Almost a trend
setter. If I was on radio one I would be 'timmy trendy' maybe with my
own daytime TV show about how to keep 'on trend'
Keeping top of my fashion game is a lot harder in this dam icey wind
when carring such a limited wardrobe.
I gave a lot of thought to what clothes I would take away. I wanted to
ensure maxium flexablity within my clothes. Allowing me to mix and
match outfits.

Step one was to pick a small amount of clothes, 3 pairs of trousers, 4
t shirts, 2 fleases, set of thermals.

Step two is to ensure Colour Blindness. This allowed me to match any
two garments with no knowlage or concern if they work as a fashion
combo.
Step 3, this is only relevant to wind chill. Wear eveything at once.
Then it must go together.
Today I purchased a pair of thermal trousers, a Warsaw must have, to
compliment my fleese.

But let's be greatful we had our training in cold, damp, grey london.
We are currently sharing a room with two people from the Asia area,
not that I am jumping to conculsions, but they must really be
struggling with the temperature. I make this assumption because of
their sleeping attire, not that I look, which is basically tacksuits.

Now we are currently in a £7 per night six person dorm rooms which
are, as there are 6 people, rather snug and cosy and I do not require
much in the way of PJs. So if they require full sleeping suites they
must find the icey winds crippling.

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Poland

Loction. Hostel in st pertersburg
Author. Davina
Status. It's snowing outside
Lesson.

We arrived in st Petersburg yesterday from Warsaw. We ended up flying
because we couldn't quite justify spending 28 hours sitting up right
in a train versus a 2 hour flight for £30 more.

So I am writing about Poland in the attempt not to get too far behind.

We stared in krakow. The orignal reason we came here was to visit
auschwitz. We had heard krakow was a lovely city but that was all we
really knew.

Our first night was with mark and after spending a great time together
in Prague we were a lot more subdued in krakow after auschwitz. After
a sad farewell we looked to see what krakow would offer.

First thing we did was a walking tour. It was classed as an off the
beaten track tour. It was good but too long. I was very foot sore by
the end. But we did get to see the jewish ghetto and oscar Schindlers
factory.

The next day we went to the salt mines. Back in the day salt was the
prime way of preserving food so not only was it important it was also
worth a lot of money. Soldiers were paid with salt. So when this mine
was founded it was a massive asset to the people of krakow.

It was mined for around 600 yrs so you can imaging how extensive the
mines were. As it was the basic home for 1000s of people the miners
started carving sculptures out the the salt. Statues to churches the a
12cm deep 3d carving of da vinci's last supper. We went down to about
135m by stairs and the rode the miners elevator back up.

We even met a very interesting 70 year old dubliner who is writing a
text book on how to use economic factors to predict the future. He is
not confident that lessons will be learned and things will get better.

We decided that we were interested enough to go on another tour and
started to get really interested in krakow. Unfortunately it was time
to leave and we were left feeling that we could have seen more.
Although our second guide thought we were mad to Warsaw. He said it
was ugly. Very much a sence of sibling rivilry there.

We got to warsaw and caught the bus to our hostel. Which was pretty
friendly.

We have either been very lucky, no matter where you go you will meet
friendly people.

It was here that we separated. Si got in touch with the opera house
and went to visit them. I went to the national museum.

Had a bad direction day that day and took me ages to find and when i
got there I couldn't work out were it started stated at the end. Much
to the irritaion of all museum staff. But as my polish is non existent
and their English just as bad I just dredded going into each room and
getting that dirty look.

But I found it fasinating. I did not realise that there were 2
uprisings in Warsaw. The Jewish one and then the Warsaw one. It put in
perspective 12% of the city was destroyed during the invasion. By the
end 85% was gone.

The Warsaw uprising was so well organised that they had everything in
place before they started with comand posts and first aid stations.

They manages for over a month and even had the scouts delivering post
behind the lines. Unfortunately it failed, helped along by the Russian
army who sat on the other side of the river watching and waiting for
the Nazis to finish off the population.

When they surrender the Nazis deported the entire population to
concentration camps and set about destroying the city building by
building.

It is amazing to see how they have painstakingly rebuilt the old town
to it's former glory after being left with ruble.

That night we went to the opera. I have only ever been to the opera
twice. Both times with Simon, both time in a forgein country and both
times it was the Magic Flute.

The difference this time was that it was aimed at children. The format
was set so it was narrated as well as sung and there was some jokes
and audience singalong. Was very cool to hear the audience get very
excited even though I couldn't understand either the French or the
Italian.

Next day we went to what was left of the ghetto. Was really close to
the centre of town and all that was left was one street and a bit of
the wall. And they had a line following where the wall was.

We also had DVD watching time which was really needed.

Next day we went to Russia.

Sent from my iPod

Auschwitz

Author: Simon

A visit to Auschwitz could be nothing but shocking.
Simply it's the grave of over a million people.
But as I expected to be horrified and upset before I got there it
allowed me to focus on others thoughts and feelings.
I set my own expectations of the horror meaning I could take it in my
stride.
We had visited a concentration camp before on our first visit to
Prague two years ago and although a much smaller scale it still
contained similar horror.

The 'concentration' camp of auschwitz is made up of over 40 camps of
varying sizes, the three well known and biggest were Auschwitz I,
Auschwitz birkenau and Auschwitz III.
Auschwitz I was an old polish military barracks that the Nazis
converted and expanded into a prison. At first only for political
prisoners, something like 10,000 lived in cramped brick buildings. It
also housed all the administration buildings.

It was here in a bomb shelter the nazis first used gas on a large
scale killing 300 people at one time.

I was struck by two things.

First was the camps location. I was expecting it to be in the middle
of no where, I was even a little confused as to why we could get
public transport there. But it was in the middle of a residentiall
area. This makes sense of course because Auschwitz is the German
translation for the name of the polish village, Oswiecim, where the
orginal polish barracks was located.

The second thing was the proximity to the camp of rudolf hoess's
house. He was the commandant, manager, of the camp and he lived with
his wife and 5 children right next door, within meters of where people
were being killed.
I remember noticing this when we visited the camp just outside of
Prague. The manager of this camp lived with his children just the
other side of the wall to the camp, also next to the place where they
executed prisoners. What made this stand out was the swimming pool he
had the prisons dig for his children. 14 Jews died digging this pool.

Auschwitz one has been restored and many of the barracks converted
into exhibitions. There is no need for me to go into detail about what
is displayed.

Auschwitz birkenau has been left as it was. And it's a different beast
altogether.
Unlike the first camp which had been a converted military base. This
camp was purpose built to quickly and efficently murder thousands of
people.
There was only one small adminastration buiding, no need for more. One
gate through which the trains came in. One platform where the
transportations of people were sorted into fit to work or not. One
path to 4 gaschambers and crematorium where 20,000 a day could be
murdered and burnt. 80% of the people that arrived there would not
live untill the next day. The rest, 100,000, were put to work in
conditions I am unable to imagine.
The sheds where they slept were wooden, pre-fab animal barns. They
were wood because it was quicker and cheaper than brick. They were put
up so quickly they still had the rings to tie horses to on the walls.

Visiting these places, as well as the other museums of communist
occupation that we have seen in a number of counties, has shown me
what we as humans are capable of.

What makes this worse is it was not one crazy person or even a group
of soldiers getting trigger happy and following an order. Hitler was
not 100% to blame. There must have been thousands of SS officers and
admin staff, policemen, factory managers, the two companies that
supplied the gas crystal, even train drivers of the transportations
that had an idea what was going on and either believed it was the
correct thing to do or were too scared to act against the machine that
was the Nazis.

Throughout all the stories of horror there often came stories of
bravery where one person would either give or risk his/her life for
others some times for just one other person.

Lest we forget.

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Auschwitz

Author : davina
Status : foot sore... Bloody new shoes
Location: train going to Warsaw

A little family history first.

My brothers and I where all given piano lesson when we were small. My
brothers both got the same teacher while I only had her for a short
tome as unfortunately she passed away. Her name was Mrs Claire (Clara)
Martos.

What makes Mrs Martos special, apart from being able to put up with
the young Tredgets and actually teach them something was the fact she
had a pretty amazing life. One that I would never swap with her for
anything.

You see Mrs Martos, apart from being a gifted musician was a Hungarian
Jew. Not necessarily important apart from the fact she lived in
Hungary when World War 2 broke out.

This women was a survivor of auschwitz. Not only that but she came
through the Hungarian uprising 20 or so years later. We are talking
firing squads, torture beatings starvation and she survived that to
teach a 6 year old me the piano.

Mrs Martos is a legend in my family as anyone who has met a survivor
can understand. They take on this quite dignity. They instantly become
someone you respect and am in awe of. When I met a survivor who came
to our school you just can't help looking at them in amazement. This
little old person has more fight determination and bravery then I
could ever hope for.

So having this background and being a history teacher, I was
determined to go to auschwitz.

The trip there was rainy and cold. The red brown and yellow leaves
were falling beautifully to the ground. It was chilly and grey. Not a
nice place for anyone to be outside. Especially not with out proper
clothes and shoes. The worst part was it was only October. No where
near the minus 20 it can get if it was a few months later.

Auschwitz 1 was an awful place. There were rooms with chambers piled
high with suitcases, toothbrushs, plates, glasses, shoes and human
hair. 8 tones of human hair which hadn't been sent to Germany yet to
make uniforms. Imagine how many tones had been sent.

There was a wall where naked prisoners were forced to stand facing it,
while someone held them there. Soon someone else walked up behind them
and shot them in the back of the head.

There are flowers and candles everywhere. On pictures of long dead
prisoners, (the only reason we have these photos is because someone
hide the negatives inside a heater) on the ground where the gallows
stood and next to this wall.

There are no flowers and no candles at the glows where they hung the
commandant of auschwitz. Here he died 2 years after the war, next to
the small gas chamber which wasn't big enough as it only killed 300
each time and in sight of his house. Where his wife and children used
to live and play.

This was auschwitz 1. The camp which was ok. The houses were made of
brick so even though they had no fuel to put into the heaters there
was still some heat retention.

Mrs martos was not taken hear.

We then left for auschwitz - birkenau which is a few kilometers down
the road. Cold grey rainy and mud all around.

There are only a few photos of what happened when Jews arrived here
and even they were a surprise. The Nazis knew they were doing
something wrong and hid what they were doing. Why else destroy the
evidence?

But the photos we do have are of a transport of Hungarian jews. You
can see the trains. You can see them being separated, men from women,
and you can see the Nazi doctor point to the right telling an old man
with a cane he was to join the line of children, women, the sick and
the elderly who are to go to the showers.

Now we can see the railway tracks, the platform and the place where
selection happened.

Mrs Martos would have stood here. She could be in that photograph.
She would have had to stand infront of the doctor. She would have been
sent to the left. Did she know this was a good thing? What family was
with her that day? When was the last time she caught a glimps of them?
When did she find out that they weren't going to the showers?

So many unanswered questions and questions I can't believe I am asking
with the expectation of getting an answer. These shouldn't be
questions you should ask anyone because they should not have happened.
The very idea should not be there.

I have walked in the foot steps of a lady who had everything taken
away from her and yet she survived. I then walked in the footsteps of
those who did not even spend one night in auschwitz.

I saw the ruines of a place where someone thought it was ok to open a
hatch and throw poison into a room with over a thousand people inside.
And then walk away.

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Prague

Day 27
Location: Prague
Status: home sick.

Author. Simon

An easy 7 hour day train whisks us into Prague with no problems or
dramas. 7 hours of iPods, squeesy cheese and cupa-soups.

Prague was always a mile stone in my mind. Arriving here means we have
completed the first leg of our trip, through the warmer countries.
This is our second visit here, the first 2 years ago almost to the
day. That time we were not on the same budget, limo from the airport,
hotel room over 100sq meters with two balconies. Our accomadation this
time around has no balconies as it is in a cellar and we are sharing a
room with a man that insists on wearing very colourful but tight pants.

One of our friends, Caz, parents moved out here a couple of years ago
and runs an English pub called the Royal Oak, check it on facebook.
Here we were blessed with tastes of home and uneccessary but
greatfully received kindness.
While here it was my grandparents ruby wedding aniversary and to
celebrate all my family got together for a party. I am one of a few
that have not made it and to miss it makes me very sad.
So being with Caz and her mum, Gill, was perfect timing.
We spent a few evenings in the pub and even lost at the quiz, had
large English breakfast, tea and cake and shopping trips. It was nice
to just hangout for a while.

Mark also flew over, very last minute, to join us. Great to have him
around. We drank and laughed liked we did back in wandle. It was also
intresting sightseeing with him as he noticed different things and had
a diffent point of view. I wish he could have stayed with us longer.
One evening we went with Caz and mark for a traditional Czech meal.
Bottle of nice and cheap wine.
Mixed starters, kind of tapas style, lots of little bits of meat and
cheese. This was almost enough. And then the main course. I had a form
of mixed grill comprising of: Pork chop, chicken Breast stuffed with
sausage, salami and duck! Of course with cabbage.
Davina orderd pork knuckle not really knowing what it would be. Out
came this massive breadboard with a frame on top holding, well, a pork
knuckle.
We left full and satisfide for only £12 each. Back to the bar.
The bar was for mainly expats and the locals had their own tankards. I
wanted one.
While siteseeing me and mark kept looking for metal tankards ideally
with a lid, all we could find were ceramic ones. Just not good enough.
Just down from the bar was a junk shop that had eveything and here
mark found a tankard and so I did not feel left out Gill loaned me one
of Cazs dads. See picture.

20 years ago the Czech republic gained their indepence. This Is
celebrated with a national holiday. And the marching of polarbears in
the main square. Ok, I am not sure of the relivence of the polarbears.
But it was a funny site. See pictures of the lounging and of
polartransport

Prague for us signified the moment we decided Europe would get cold.
It is here we swap swimsuits for thermals. Sunscreen for snowboots.
Caz very kindly brought over a pack of extra clothes and my boots as
well as our canadian visas which did not come through before we left.
We also shopped for a coat and boots for Davina. All this extra stuff
means repacking. I bin my jeans, a pair for short and a tshirt to make
room.

It was here I had a wonderful moment. Looking at the map knowing we
had to enter russia on the 5th or 6th of November but no plan on how
to get there. We could go where ever we wanted and how ever we wanted.
I loved this feeling.

First though to krakow, with Marky!
We book the night train, the last 3 person cabin. It's all very
exciting. We have done night trains before but this time we had a fun
cabin with lots of things to play with. It was fun to travel this way
with mark, if it was not for him I think we would have gone 3rd class
in coachett and hoped for the best.

Prague was great.
Thank you mark for coming over.
Thank you Caz for fun and smuggerling
Thank you Gill for eveything, English breakfast, English bread, beer
in my own tankard and for single portions of butter.

Sent from my iPhone

Hungary. Finally

Author: d
Status: trying to catch up
Where: very cold krakow

Am a little behind in the blogging thing so apologies for that. Time
has gone so quickly I cant believe we are getting ready to leave for
Warsaw and I haven't even talked about Hungary And Prague let along
warsaw. So this will either be very long or way too short.

Hungary was a beautiful city so different to Romania which is strange.
It was the different mentality that really shone out.

Upon leaving romania we not only left our baggage (some kind people
ran after us) but we got on the wrong train. We were help and all
worked out in the end but we met a romanian who was living in canada.
He needed to return to help his parents and he was annoyed that he
actually had to come to romania to fill in The forms. While in other
counties and email would have done. He sad that Romania was stuck in
the past. They had to do it this way because that is how it has always
been done. No mater that an easier way was readily available. He also
said that it was the romanians who put a cross through the number 7
when writing it because the 7th commandment says though shalt not
steal. And to Romanians this is impossible.

Enter Hungary and we are in this hostel which is like someones house.
There were a few people staying. 2 Australians 3 kiwis with new tatoos
and and a German called felix. We all got on well which made the
hostel, small and and possibly bed bug ridden though it was really
good on our eyes.

Budapest was lovely we did a walking tour runs by students who only
work for tips you pay what you feel and that gave us the insite to
Hungarian mentality. While she freely admitted that over the last
century things have gone wrong for hungary they were all optimistic
that having joined the EU things wod be better this century. A real
difference in thought.

We then spent a few days looking around and loving the scenery. We did
a hungarian bath. No where near as good as the Turkish one. We had no
idea where we were supposed to go. We had no towels. It was a rabbit
warren and no one spoke enough English to explain it. We ate lunch on
the presidents front lawn. And saw more rocks in the museum. It was
really great.

We got back to the hostel on the second last day and planned our last
day. When I was small I knew a lady who was an Hungarian Jew who not
only survived auschwitz but also the Hungarian uprising and I wanted
to see the Jewish museum while Simon wanted to see parliament so we
agreed to go our separate ways.

Then we found out it was a public holiday but we maybe lucky and it
will be open. So we left in the morning separately and the street
were empty... Except for the 1000 or so fully armoured police. This
was interesting. As I walked to the museum there were people putting
up a stage and some others with flags, and a lot police who could win
a robocop lookalike competion.

My museum was closed so managed to sneak onto someones wireless
emailed Si that I was having a tea and decided to go to the house of
terror afterwards.

10mins later Si walks in with the same problem. So off to the house of
terror in hope.

The house of terror is the former building belonging to the secret
police who had a lot of control during the communist era. When I was
in Russia I had my passport details taken down by the police because I
was to close to the building belonging to the secret police. But they
more objected to us taking photos.

In Hungary, despite it being placed incorrectly on the map, is easy to
find as it is surrounded by photos, candels and flowers. Each one the
photo of a victim of the people who ran his awful place. They have
turned it into a museum and as the national holiday was to commemorate
the fall of communism entrance was free.

The first thing you see is the massive tank infront of a wall of over
1000 people who where innocent victims. Simon has already posted that
picture. The museum first talks about the Nazi occupation but quickly
deals with life under so soviet rule. It is all very interesting
untill you get to the basement.

There is the wall of the victimisers. People who tortured, spyied and
generally used their power to repress the hungarian people. It was
like a wall of shame.

Next was the Hungarian uprising which was brave and horrific but it
led you to the cells.

In each cell there were pictures of the people who were once held
there. The was a toture room with a drain under the chair. There were
cells which were the worst. One cell was pitch black and 3 foot high.
Another was designed to be ankle deep in water. And one was about 50
cm square so all you could do is stand. One was padded and one pitch
black. All these designed to torture and break.

It was a great museum though awful at the same time.

The the next day we went to parliament but got there too late and the
tour was full. So we pottered until it was time to leave for Prague.

Sent from my iPod

Victims.

A sombering reminder of the victims of the Russian occupation of
Hungary.
Let's hope it's never frogotten.

Simon's arty picture. Where are my millions?

A little note on Bucharest.

Day: 17
Date 17th October
Status: watching the taxi drivers closely
Lesson: sometimes looking like a lost tourist gets you in for free but
not on Mondays.

Having only one full day in Bucharest we wanted to make the most of
it. So we got up early and hit the streets. The problem was Bucharest
was still in bed. It felt like we were walking through the city at 7
in the morning, not 10. The gypsy Market which should have started at
8 was no where to be seen. The shops that should have been open for
half an hour were shut up tight. I know it was the weekend but it was
a saturday. We stopped for coffee and a bite to eat and nothing. What
to do?

We decided to head to the people parliament. One of the biggest
buildings in Romania. In fact it is the Second biggest building in the
world behind the pentagon. In will get to that latter. Needless to say
it was easy to find as it towers over all the other buildings around.
When I say tower it looms. A big beautiful building that you just
can't fathom. Would love to see the pentagon up close to compare.

It is the building that houses the parliament and also one of the
hardest places to find an opening. In the classic case of going left
when we should have gone right we ended up walking around the entire
thing.

The language barrier did help us in one regard though. When we asked a
guard if this was the way in he said yes, great. It wasn't but it was
the entance to an art gallery and we decided to go in. Once in we were
told where to go and pay but before we got there we were ushered in.
We spent the whole exhibition waiting to be told off but all good.

When we were in istanbul we went to the Istanbul modern. Basically the
Tate modern but in another country. And while there I realised that I
just didn't get it. Why oh why is a painting of a girl in a dress that
looks like it was drawn by an eight year old worth a lot of money and
where oh where is the meaning the bit of card next to it says it
has???????

And again I didn't get it in Romania either.

But we did see a very interesting documentery ( yes it is an art
gallery) on shepherds in Moldova talking about there way of life. And
how the communists decided they weren't allowed donkeys and horses
anymore so they walked in, rounded them all up and killed them. Also
try to talked about swimming the river to Romania to talk with and
trade with them. And all that changed when Romania joined the EU and
the Borders became really strict.

Anyway back to this building.

We eventually walked around the entire thing trying different doors
and found the right one. Only to be told we had to have our passports
wih us luckily the next English tour (you aren't allowed in unless you
are in a tour) (infact it is considered a crime if you leave the tour
and walk about on your own.) so we hoofed it back to the hostel and
just made it back in time.

Again our luck helded out. As we walked In there was a big que which
we joined and went in. Only no one asked us to pay, so we saved a
little there too.

On this tour a very bored young lady took around a few rooms and gave
us some facts

1. One pair of curtains are 19m long
2. Some of the carpets weigh 4tonnes. All of them are so large that
they have to be made in sections and brought in.
3. All of the building is Romanian. Everything from the crystal to the
marble to the wood.
4. It was begun in 1984 and with 3 shifts working 24hrs a day 70% was
completed in 5 years
5. Thousands of homes were destroyed to make way for the buildings
6. Some of the curtIns had gold and silver thread in them and were
made by nuns.
7. Some of the carpets were made to match the sky lights

We read that there was a nuclear bunker and we asked about it. We were
told not to ask as there were so many rumour about the building that
she didn't know.

It certainly was an impressive building. Would love to see the
pentagon and compare because we only saw 3% of the building and it was
amazing. But was a little dissappointed with the lack of history we
were told. Just figures. I am an historian after after all.

When we got back to he hostel our host and a friend of his were
watching the soccer. They asked what we thought and I told them what i
thought.

This is when we got the real history.

1. Not only were thousands of houses forcefully destroyed to make way
for this building but they cleared one of the oldest and beautiful
parts of Bucharest. Including the oldest church which they moved
elsewhere.

The reason 70% was completed so quickly was because thousands of
people were forced to leave there homes and made to work on the sight.
Sometimes for months. One of these peope was our hosts friend.

On the tour we also weren't told about the bodies of those who died
while building it. If they felll into the concrete it was not stopped
but thry continued to pour and the poor person who fell were left in
the foundations.

The nuns hated making the curtains.

The building actually has so many floors under ground that only a very
few are allowed to go. Our hosts friend was a manager of the main tv
station in romania and he was only allowed down to the 15th level.

When the revolution happened they wanted nothing more than to destroy
the building but that was such a huge job they couldn't afford it.

Donald trump offered to buy it for 2 billion. They refused thinking
that to build it cost more like 8. But didn't take into account the
day to day costs of running a building that big and Romanians just see
it as a huge waste of everything.

Our host also told us about the open air peasants village. They
thought this idea was so great that that went and took some peasants
houses and transplanted them in the middle of bucharest.

Problem was that also transplanted the the peasants and told them to
go about their lives while people came and watched them. This idea did
not last long as who would want there lives to be on show 24/7 in the
form of a museum. Although saying that big brother springs to mind.

The next day before we left for sighisoara we went to see the peasants
museum ( not the out door one) and having the idea of going and taking
things still in use for the sake of a museum was so firmly in our
heads that everything we saw was tainted. I am sure this is not the
case though as the museum won the title of best museum in the world 3
or 4 years running so hopefully that is not the case.

We are now in a place called sighisoara. It is the birth place of vlad
Dracula. Or vlad the impaler or better known as the inspiration for
bram stoker's Dracula. A book I am reading now and am actually finding
quite good and suspensful. It is also an old
Medieval town and a UNESCO world heritage site. The entire site is a
medieval town which is still inhabited. Very cool, very beautiful but
closed on mondays. And they are digging up the ancient road so also a
mud bath full of slippery stones and heavy earth moving machinery.

So our one and only day here and we watched GI Joe in a theatre which
is also a night club. We were the only ones there and got to sit on
couches so was very cool. And generally walked around.

Oh well Budapest next

Sent from my iPod

RE: Tale of the ferry boat disartster

Thanks for these updates, we have been following your progress with much delight!  All in all it sounds as if the experience is great, disasters only make you enjoy the good bits more!  We think about you lots, please take good care of you both!  love you heaps, Nana.xx
 
> From: simon.barrett.mail@googlemail.com
> To: simon.barrett.mail.dontpanicsid@blogger.com; suechaddock@tiscali.co.uk; Jonathan.chaddock@homecall.co.uk; edith_barr@hotmail.co.uk
> Subject: Tale of the ferry boat disartster
> Date: Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:46:55 +0300
>
> Day 14. 14th Oct 2009
> Location: Ferry boat
> Status: Less sick than some
> Lesson: if you tip the cart with wheels on its side it will stop moving.
>
> We left canakkale to Istanbul in the afternoon. There are two
> transport options, 5 hour bus or 2.5hour bus and 2 hour ferry.
> We picked the latter dispite it being a little more expensive, by
> expensive I mean £4 more.
>
> You could tell winter was moving in. The sun was hiding and the wind
> was giving it all it had. All this said the ferry ride was smooth
> enough untill we got to Istanbul!
>
> I have been thinking about health and safety recently. There is a lot
> I want to say on the subject, but this is for another time and what I
> want to say will contradict how I feel now about the Health and Safety
> policies Trukey has implimented in regards to ferry transportation.
>
> We are chatting away to this nice Turkish banker, there is an
> announcement asking drivers to return to their cars as we are about to
> dock. We stay where we are as there is no need to poke the bear that
> is Davina's well behaving motion sickness by getting up when the boat
> is still moving.
> We pass what looks like the dock
> We pass what looks like the dock, again.
> We seam to be going around in circles for about 20mins, almost like we
> are looking for a parking space. The manager explains to us that there
> is not a lot of space at the dock and the rough sea is making it very
> hard to dock. But it will only be 10mins.
> So around and around we go. And it starts to gett rough, very rough.
> People are getting thrown about and some very sick. Glasses are
> smashing.
> Then we hit somthing.
> Everyone comes up from below, many very scared. Some put their life
> jackets on.
> But the priority of the staff is not to reassure people, help those
> who are struggling, give out sick bags. No, it's more important that
> the coffee machine does not fall over! There were 4 members of the
> junior staff having to hold the coffee machine and three trollies in
> place. One of them was terrified and looking very unwell. Customers
> were approching them asking for sick bags or water and while they went
> to get these items they had to hold the trollies!
> I could not believe it.
> So I went up and unable to understand their protests, tipped one of
> the trollies over so it no longer moved allowing the poor scared girl
> to sit down.
>
> During this whole proccess, 1.5 hours of very rough sea, there was not
> one announcement or reassuring word to tell us what was happening or
> that it was all ok. And if you wanted water you still had to pay for it.
>
> Davina missed all this fun as she was doing her best not to feel sick.
>
> Finally we docked. It was raining of course. After a short taxi ride
> we got lost then to our hostel.
>
> I was looking foward to Istanbul. What we saw was stunning. But I was
> very ready to leave. Eveything is expensive and directed at the tourist.
>
> We have escaped istanbul with our lives.
>
> Sent from my iPhone

---

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Size does matter

Day 18. 18th of Oct 2009
Location: Train
Lesson: Less is more

Today we saw our first snow!
It's seems crazy that just a few days ago it was close to 36degrees
and we were wearing shorts and sunscreen. We are only in Romainia
which is closer to the equator than England so surely it should be
warmer?
We are up in the mountains, so that might explain it. But no one has
explained it to me. I know there is a logical explaination but... We
are up a mountain, mountain closer to sun, sun hot, so we hotter? But
no, higher equals colder.

From D: I have now explained it to him. See Rob I was listening when
it was your turn to teach.

I have been feeling a little strange the last couple of days and
unable to put my finger on it, yesterday it came to me.
Every now and then I would wake up, usually on a weekend meaning a
little later than the working day and under the curtains or through a
gap between them the sun would be streaming, this would signal the
first of some long, hot, happy days.
The opposite would happen months later. It would hit me, normally in
the shower ( unneccessary detail I know), that it was still dark and
for the first time, cold.
Both of these have happened in a mere 17 days. First morning waking in
Turkey knowing it was a sunscreen day and 2 days ago waking on the
train from Istanbul, peaking under the curtains and just seeing grey.
This put an automatic downer on Bucharest. It was an ok city. But for
me it was the first day of winter.

We are currently on the train from Bucharest to a small town in the
romainian countryside called Sighisoara which once might have been
home of/birthplace/once stopped by for coffee of Dracular or someone
that met him it may be just one guy that had heard of him. Really the
whole area has built up this legend to support the tourist trade.
As we crawl up from bucharest we noticed patches of snow on the
ground. It looked like the morning after a day of snow in england. So
nothing impressive, but still it was our first. On the flip side the
journey has been very impressive. Our train has been winding through
the mountains that are covered in massivly tall pine trees
interspursed with small villages of a slightly romantic if not
delapidated style. Large pointy roofs and balconies all made of wood.
Alpine lodge style. The clouds are very low and cut the tops off the
highest trees. It's the kind of journey that could be the setting for
a novel if you could replace our cowded and dirty inter-city train
with a steam train, cosy first class compartment and an old gentleman
wearing a flat cap and walking with a cane.
Possibly even the begining of "the woman in black"!

It's now that I am greatful for the large fleaces and rain coats we
have been hauling around Turkey.
Right from day one I noticed "pack envy". In hostels or stations I
would notice other travels and their bags, were they bigger or small
than ours?
When we were researching our trip I read a post about luggage, it's
main point is that one moves from A to B with your pack but if it's
small enough you can stop off at point C on the way.
We aimed to take as small rucksacks as possible knowing it would make
our life happier.
We are both carrying 55L packs. So not tiny but also not these
monstrous of 65L, 70L or even 90L.
Our main problem was the diffrent climates we are visiting. Sticking
with just tropical warm locations means you need less and when it
comes to washing this takes much less time than in cold damp places.
We had those silly trecking flip-flops and shorts as well as windproof
fleaces and thermal underware.
To compare to those we met in Turkey is just not fair. There were
those that were lugging around huge suitcases, one girl had hair
strainers and a hair dryer. Come on!
Yesterday we went to a supermarket to top up on supplys, the down
point to this is the extra weight. This morning we left with
4L of water
400g of detergentt for hand washing
20 ziplock bags (one of the most important things)
Loaf of bread
Pack of cheese slices
Jar of jam
Jar of instant coffee
Box of tea bags
Apples
Oranges
2 tuppawear tubs for left overs

So we might not have the smallest packs but at least we won't be cold,
wet or hungry.

Sent from my iPod

Night train

Day16. 16th of Oct 2009
Location: night train to Buachrest
Status: Feeling first class
Lesson... Lesson free
Authour: Simon

We have left turkey. What a great place to begin our journey. It was
hot, sunny, beautiful, friendly and easy.
Eveything was easy, arranging hostels, night buses doing the tourists
sites ourselves.

Next stop is Buachrest via a 20hour train leaving at 10pm. I was a
little apprehensive about it.
Back in my "rock and roll" days, by rock and roll I mean low budget
contempary dance, we missed a connecting flight on the way to a show
in Italy so had to use a night train. But this is the first night
train I have arranged and I was not sure what to expect.
As we are on the cheap we opted for a choachett, 6 people to a cabin
and no beds. It's about half the price of a sleeper, 2 people to a
cabin.
We got on the train very early, got our stuff arranged on the
assumption that we might have to share. 10mins before departure no one
else in our carraige, 5 mins still no one. Then the off. As we leave
the guard comes to check our tickets. Leaves and comes back with
pillows and sheets and despite the language barrier we establish that
we are the only two in this cabin all the way!
If you book a sleeper you get bunkbeds and a kind of utililty area,
cupboard, mirror, power socket.
We missed out on this utililty section but did not have to use bunkbeds.

As we left a few other guys got on, all seamed to be friends with the
guard. He introduces us to the second guard that will take the
carriage the final 12 hours after the 20hours to Bucharest onto
Belgrade.
There is also a Police officer in our carriage.
Making the beds up and Mr policeman stops by to show us how to drop
the seat down to make a larger more comfy bed. He comes back a second
time to show us how the heating system works and he let's me hold his
gun. Later he beds down himself in the cabin next to ours.
So we booked second class but were the only customers in our carriage
and got our own armed securty! Beat that you pompous first classers.

Of course sleep was light and regularly disturbed. We had our tickets
and passport checked a number of times as we crossed border points.
Only once did we have to leave the train.
We both slept untill 9.30. Had something to eat then went back to
sleep and also had a little nap after lunch.

All in all. Not a bad way to spend 20hours.

Sent from my iPhone

Tale of the ferry boat disartster

Day 14. 14th Oct 2009
Location: Ferry boat
Status: Less sick than some
Lesson: if you tip the cart with wheels on its side it will stop moving.

We left canakkale to Istanbul in the afternoon. There are two
transport options, 5 hour bus or 2.5hour bus and 2 hour ferry.
We picked the latter dispite it being a little more expensive, by
expensive I mean £4 more.

You could tell winter was moving in. The sun was hiding and the wind
was giving it all it had. All this said the ferry ride was smooth
enough untill we got to Istanbul!

I have been thinking about health and safety recently. There is a lot
I want to say on the subject, but this is for another time and what I
want to say will contradict how I feel now about the Health and Safety
policies Trukey has implimented in regards to ferry transportation.

We are chatting away to this nice Turkish banker, there is an
announcement asking drivers to return to their cars as we are about to
dock. We stay where we are as there is no need to poke the bear that
is Davina's well behaving motion sickness by getting up when the boat
is still moving.
We pass what looks like the dock
We pass what looks like the dock, again.
We seam to be going around in circles for about 20mins, almost like we
are looking for a parking space. The manager explains to us that there
is not a lot of space at the dock and the rough sea is making it very
hard to dock. But it will only be 10mins.
So around and around we go. And it starts to gett rough, very rough.
People are getting thrown about and some very sick. Glasses are
smashing.
Then we hit somthing.
Everyone comes up from below, many very scared. Some put their life
jackets on.
But the priority of the staff is not to reassure people, help those
who are struggling, give out sick bags. No, it's more important that
the coffee machine does not fall over! There were 4 members of the
junior staff having to hold the coffee machine and three trollies in
place. One of them was terrified and looking very unwell. Customers
were approching them asking for sick bags or water and while they went
to get these items they had to hold the trollies!
I could not believe it.
So I went up and unable to understand their protests, tipped one of
the trollies over so it no longer moved allowing the poor scared girl
to sit down.

During this whole proccess, 1.5 hours of very rough sea, there was not
one announcement or reassuring word to tell us what was happening or
that it was all ok. And if you wanted water you still had to pay for it.

Davina missed all this fun as she was doing her best not to feel sick.

Finally we docked. It was raining of course. After a short taxi ride
we got lost then to our hostel.

I was looking foward to Istanbul. What we saw was stunning. But I was
very ready to leave. Eveything is expensive and directed at the tourist.

We have escaped istanbul with our lives.

Sent from my iPhone

Outside blue mosque at night

Outside blue mosque. Davina's head is in the way!

Access tower in blue mosque

Inside the blue mosque

Bath time

Day 16. 16th Oct 2009
Location: Istanbul
Status: Cleaner than some.
Lesson: Some times it better not to look.
Author: Simon

Even since we planned to visit Istanbul a real Turkish bath, a Hamam, has been on the agenda. Really it was after listening to a Radio One pod cast by a famous and funky international DJ. He blessed istanbul with his presents in search of new vibes, new tunes that he could drop into his sets. As part of the Podcast he discribes a Turkish bath.
On the first day we passed one of the more famous baths and one that was recomended in the guide book. The leaflet shows beautiful people lounging around and being pampered. Obviously this is the place for us.

It is split into male and female sections. Allowing no embarressment or distractions.
After paying at the reception I am ushered into the main front room where the cafe and gift shop are located and then upstairs to a little wood and glass room, given a small towel and, dispite the language barrier, instructed to take everything off.
I am not realy that shy and i am never going to see these people again, so i jumped in with both feet.
Anyway, I am thinner than most there, fitter than 90% of them, I assume my manhood is average to above average and my cute girlfriend who is next door being soaped up by a team of mermaids, goddesses and freshman year college girls, loves me. And there is no one hairer than a Turkish bath attendent.

In I go.

It's a very simple concept, lay on a very hot Marble platform called a göbektaşı (belly stone), a round central platform  in the centre of a hot steamy room. Sweat out all dirt and toxins. Then approched by a large scantaly clad Turkish sumo wresler (nothing like the stunners that must be rubbing Davina down) who man handles you around. First is a dry scrub with a sandpaper mit. Now I consider myself to have average to above average personal hygine even though I am now a backpacker. I use soap and shower regularly. But my goodness did he scrape some shit off me! I must have lost 1kg of skin in 39seconds. I assumed I had built up a nice tan, but back to Lilly white now.

Then he emptys a pillowcase of soap on you and rubs it into evey inch of skin. I now resemble a bar of soap that has been dropped in the shower and has no control over it's direction, speed or abilty to stop. I pray that he does not let go of me, who knows where I will end up.
He gives me a massage, cracks a few bones and then rinces me off. Next is a hair wash and they must use "no more tears" shampoo as I got loads in my eyes but it did not sting.
I was now allowed to return to the heated platform and lounge like a basking serpent for a while, but it was a little to hot for much basking. Quick shower to cool off and return, via the public areas, to my changing cubical.
As I leave the hot rooms I hear the attendends say somthing and laugh a little. I can only imagine it was:
"did you see that pueny white boy, what a small $$&@, bet that girlfriend of his who is currently being pumled by our friend the Turkish shotput champion does not even like him, bet she leaves him for a Turkish lover"

I feel very clean and it was an experience. But I do think I was given the "tourists package".
It was a good thing to do just before 20hours on the train to Bucharest.

The whole place made me think of "Health clubs" that an ex collegue frequents. Full of naked soaped up men being men. Not for me.

From: D

While I leave Si to his imagination I think I will enlighten you on what I saw on the other side.  A naked woman size 20 or so shaving...but not her arms or legs.

Sent from my iPhone

Galipolli Troy Istanbul all in one blog

Location: carriage on bucharest train
Status: groggy
Lesson for the day: travelling in winter means you get a 6 person
carriage all to yourself for 20hrs
Author: Davina

While waiting for this very long train journey, without resturant car
or other passengers, to end I thought I would get on with bogging
about some of the places we have seen. We gave away our books and have
no access to wifi so you will need to excuse the spelling.

The most significant stop for me was Gallipoli. I have been brought up
with the stories and pictures of this war and to see them and to stand
there was very sombering.

We blew the budget and went on a tour. Which was the best way because
the sites are so far apart and you would need a detailed guide book,
map and hire car to do on your own. Our guide was Turkish and he
really knew his stuff, from both sides of the war. He had a really
good trick of asking the last person back on the bus a question about
what they just learnt. Needless to say we were on time.

We saw the beach on anzac cove where thousands landed on a beach 500m
long by 35m wide while being shot at. Simpsons grave - all Australians/
new zealanders will know who he is. We saw the rock the anzacs named
the sphinx. All the graves which were a laugh because they buried
thousands more in the cemetery but had no idea who they were. One
cemetery had 10 gravestones with 300 and something actually buried
there. And some of those had 'believed to be buried here' on them.

Also saw the site of the battle made famous on the gallipoli movie
where the main guy dies. All very sad when you find out they knew that
dying was a certainty but they were doing it because they thought it
was giving the English the diversion they needed to land and attack
behind the Turks. So while they were dying the English stopped because
they were waiting for the water to be delivered.

Inbetween learning about the Anzacs we learned about the Turks. There
was a reason it was called the gentlemans war. The troops on both
sides were so close that they sang songs for each other, swapped food,
water, letters and found a respect for each other that still stands
today.

When we went to the Turkish cemetery an old Muslim man visiting went
over to a kiwi and welcomed him to his country and started asking if
he had anyone who fought there. That is one thing about the Turkish.
Many times while walking down the street people would just stop us to
say welcome. While our mistrustful minds wants to know what they are
selling. It was a wonderful experience. And so beautiful. Every view
was stunning. The Turks have left gallipoli alone and while the
trenches are still there the trees have taken back what is theirs.

The next day we discovered that winter had come and we discovered this
the hard way. We went to Troy. Troy is famous as then scene for homers
Iliad and that god awful movie Troy. And one of the reasons it was
such a rich city was because it controlled the shipping in and out of
the black sea. Due to the area being so windy the man powered crew had
to wait at Troy for the wind to calm down. That meant money.

Well on this day we found out excatly what a problem the wind could
be. There are actually 9 cities of Troy. They kept being destroyed by
earth quake or fire or invasion but people kept rebuilding. Guess that
shows just how profitable the city was. The one of Iliads time was the
6th layer. And the site was very good at showing you the different
layers and how it interconnects. But we re on top of a hillock. And it
is windy. In the end we whipped round it and onto the bus.

Next stop was Istanbul and I will let si tell that story as I don't
want to relive it by writing about it.

The first stop was the blue mosque. From the outside an impressive
grey building. From the inside a beautiful, large echoy building
covered in blue tiles. Not blue though. Blue flowers and patterns
covering everying. And stain glass windows. Hard to describe and I
doubt the pictures do it justice.

Thinking we has seen the altimate building we went into the aya
sophia. Built by emperor Justinian 1500 yrs ago and coverted into a
mosque 800 yrs ago there is a real sence of Christianity and Islam
coming together. Originally the invading army covered over the
beautiful mosaics and now it is a museum they are slowly bringing out
the beautiful pictures of both religions.

Next stop was the underground water cistern. Built to hold the cities
water suply 1500 yrs ago. The interestig thing about it is the used up
old building materials so you have different styled columns all mixed
intogether and even a couple of large medusa heads being used to
support the smaller ones.

Sent from my iPhone

The quest for coffee.

Day 11. 11th of October 2009
Location: Canakkale, west cost of Turkey.
Status: Without

"Canakkale- a simply charmless city"

After a 5 hour day bus we arrived in Canakkale. A small town that sits
at the narrowest point of the dardanelles. This is the strip of sea
that divides Europe and Asia and leads from the Agean sea up to the
blacksea and Russia.
Canakkale does not have a lot going for it other than it's proximity
to Gallipoli and the site of Troy. There is also a heavy navy presents
here because of its important location on the dardanelles. But there
is not alot here.
Push me though and out of the 4 places so far this is my favourite.
It is just so beautiful. Even if I was Steven Fry I would still not
have the words to describe it to you. But I am going to anyway.
There is a prominard about 1km long that cuvers around next to the
sea. In the centre is a small ferry port and marina for tiny fishing
boats. The sea is amazingly calm due to its sheltered location. Just
1km opposite over the water is the gallipoli peninsula, a range of
mountains and hills. It's behind these hills that the sunsets. We walk
along the bullovard just one foot above the calm, clear water as it
refelects all the colours of the sunset. Then the sun drops behind the
mountain, sillohette it but leaving a glow of orange and gold above
it. Just perfect.

There is also a great vibe about the place. It's just full of familys
and groups of young people. We sit in a bar enjoying the view, a
cocktail and game of Turkish scrabble.

I just want a coffee.
Evey country has it's coffee a particular way. Italy is famous for its
short, strong expressos. Similar to alot of europe, when in our german
office you can have a "long coffee" that is about the size of a double
expresso. We, in the UK, like vatts of coffee as absent as possible
of any coffee flavour with as much cream, syrup, marshmellows and
strawberry topping as possible.
A turkish coffee is simalar in size to an expresso, beware of all the
grains at the bottom though. It's also not as hard hitting.
I like, for reference and comparison, a latte. With high street
preference coming from Nero. Not a bucket of mud, with a strong flavour.
But for some reason it is assumed that the local preference will not
be yours so as a forinor you are offered "nescafe". This is an
international issue not confinded to Turkey.
I knew when I left london there would be scaraficses and that there
would be home comforts I would miss and I am ok with the perfect latte
being one of them, replaced with instant coffee. This is ok. What I
can not fathom is how people can mess this up.
It's simple, teaspoon of coffee and hotwater. Maybe the lady this
morning miss understood me and when I asked for coffee she thought I
said "wow you look ugly, face of a man." so to punish me she gave a
cup of crap. We went in seach of even a cup of instant that would sort
me out. The search it's self was nice, we found a cafe by the sea and
watched as the marina came to life. Though the woman must have called
ahead. They advertised "cappachion" what i reacived resembled "cupa-
soup" that was poorly mixed, lumps of the power still floating under
the creamy head.
My morning activity on the second morning here, while Davina was still
sleeping, was a little walk by the sea.
I notice that one of many cafes has a coffee bean grinder so must do
latte/cappchion that is not from a power mix. And I am presented with
a small cup, nice amount of froth and a very drinkable body. Not Nero
but the closest so far.

Sent from my iPhone

Day 10 10.10.2009
Location: Small room over looking a busy market
Status: A lot better then I was
Lesson for today: the camera battery is just as important as the camera.
Auther. D with extras from
Si

We left our lovely relaxing hostel in olympos at 7pm after seriously
spending a day doing nothing. We don't do that often but we did want
to spend sometime relaxing in the beginning of the trip which we
haven't done yet. It was really lovely although after a while the
flies got a little annoying.

We caught the bus to Anatalya and waited for a couple of hours for the
night bus to selcuk... pronounced selchook. It was a lovely bus with
wifi and an young attendent in a bow tie that looked exactly like Jack
Longhurst. An annoyingly immature yr 11 from last year. Some of you
would appreciate the image of jack as a bus attendant with bow tie and
red vest.

We were told the journey would take 8 hours which got us into selcuk
at 8 am. You you could imagine our surprise when we were shaken awake
at 5.25am. We were off loaded on a dark deserted street cold, half
asleep with no idea where we were.
The town has a population of only 23000, that's about one street in
lewisham. So, of course, nothing was open. Not even a barber.

This is where the lovelyness of Turkish people come in. A man was
walking past and stopped to ask us where we were staying. He then
pointed out to us where we needed to go. He did not try and rob us,
sell us coke or offer us a funtime girl, what a weirdo. We have found
that a lot here, people will see you are lost and will offer help.

Keep that in mind for the next bit. We arrived at the hostel 2 hours
early. There was a couch by the front door and figured to have a nap
there untill they open. Suddenly the lights turned on and an elderly
couple came out. They sleep in the front room. They rang the owner who
came and let us into our room and told us to get some sleep. They
could not have been more wonderful and have helped us out with
everything we needed. ESP the old couple despite not having the best
grasp of English.

After 4 hours sleep we got up and approached the day. First was the
basilica of St John. He was the youngest disciple of Jesus and was
given the task of looking after jesus' mother Mary. They built a
massive church in his hounour which if still standing would be the 7th
largest in the world.

Then to the museum to look at some artifacts from Ephasis and then to
the beach for sunset. A lovely romantic stroll down a black beach with
the beautiful Agean sea one side lapping at our feet and litter, half
finish buildings and people who really dont have the body to wear that
on the other.

Then we blew our budget on a lovely bottle of wine over dinner. Which
we drank on the balcony watching people set up for the Market.

Today we were up early to go to Ephasis. We were however distracted by
the huge Market that happens here every Saturday. Before we left the
UK Si wanted to ensure we had everything we needed, he thought that
outside of the uk eveyone lived a barbarian existance living off what
they could grow. This is very much a narrow minded incorrect
assumption. They have everying you need and all of it here in the
Market. Lots of beautiful fruit and veg but more important was
everthing else. If we required a "abbercomby and finch" hoodie or a
"bench" tshirt, maybe a "louie vitton" bag or "G star" jeans it was
all there. So after walking around that for a while we went to some of
the oldest ancient ruins around. They were really impressive and
wanted to take loads of photos to bore you with but left the battery
in the charger in the hostel. So all we have are the ones on the
iPhone, you can all breath a sign of relief.

There was a ampitheatre with a capacity of 23000, that's as many as
the O2. It was stuning. All the way up you have a great view of the
stage but also of the surrounding landcape of montains and valleys. As
we sat at the top a group of itallian, I expect, tourists would come
in and sing from the stage and the couple of hundred people there
would clap. It sounded amazing. To have 23k people in there and
cheering would have been mind blowing.

It was in these beautiful ruins, ruins that I have wanted to see for
years that I started to feel sick. Thinking it was sun stroke ( go
early! ) we decided to leave. It was on the way out that I realised it
was something I ate.

So we went back to the hostel where i stayed close to the westernised
toilet for a couple of hours and now all is good.

We walked around the Market again for an hour and now Si is getting
ready for us to leave for Gallipoli tomorrow.

We are now on the bus. It's comfy, cool and they are playing a program
about Turkish donkies. It's the day bus and should take about 6 hours.
We decided on the day bus because the two long distance buses we have
taken so far have been at night meaning you miss seeing the land
scape. All you get are service stations "cathedrals of dispair" and
sleeping towns. Though strangly there is always a barbers open. The
rest of the town is locked up and dark but you are guarrenteed to pass
an open barbers. On this note, Si has had his first haircut. During
the day, He did not want to risk a barber that was 22hours into a
36hour shift

North we go.

Sent from my iPod

Davina at theatre in Ephesus.

Theatre in Ephesus with new Turkish hair cut.

Overlooking Ephesus

There is a time and place for "Dirty dancing"

Day 6/7/8
Location: Olympos. South coast of Turkey
Status: very relaxed.
Author: Si

The title on this hostel's website is "so relaxed you will forget to
breath"
And it's not far wrong.

....insert
While writing the power has been cut. No one cares at the moment but I
can feel my heart rate increasing because I can hear the alarm on the
UPS! Get over it, it's not show critical!

...The place is call olympos. We are staying in a large hostel at the
bottom of a valley just a few hundred meters from the beach. It's very
warm, very quiet and very beautiful. All the accomadation is made of
"tree houses" really they are garden sheas. There is a large
communial area shaded by orange trees made up of seating platforms
with low tables and lots of cusions. There's a bar that plays relaxing
music (saying that we had the sound track to Greece the musical
yesterday?!) And Dirty Dancing- yey ( well I was happy singing along
even if si was horrified... The girls would understand)- d

Inculded in the price (about as much as a cocktail in London) are two
meals which you eat with eveyone. All this produces a very social
atmosphere. At first we thought one night would be enough. We felt it
was a party hostel and that's not what we are after. The people might
be party people. But no one can be bothered to party. Even getting up
to go to the bar is an effort.

The beach is close but not sand, more gravel. We spent one day there.
But like the bar, it's a little to far to walk, about 400m.
I am currently a little hungry and concerned that there is nothing to
eat within arms reach!

As nice as it is here we are ready to move on. You can have too much
relaxing.

So at 7pm we begin our second night on the bus. Maybe they will play
the second half of "transporter3"

Not alot more to say other than "blind faith" by ben Elton is quite
good.

Sent from my iPhone

Thanks goes to my mum

Day 5
Location: Bus. Middle of no where
Lesson: when they say 9 they mean 14
Authur: Simon the bus driver

So today thanks has to go to my mother. I owe her a great debt of
gratitude.
Currently I am multi tasking (for this skill the praise goes not to
mummy but to my slightlu girly side, which I guess is her fault also.
Why did she make me go to drama class and not football club?) I am
writing this blog and watching a film and, the important bit, while on
a night bus. Davina, on the other hand, is not. Well she is on the bus
and she is mutli tasking the diffrence being that she is trying to
keep her eye on the horizon which turns out to be quite hard at night
at the same time as supressing her travel sickness.
I don't mean to boast. But I could read hanging upside down while
traversing the worse roads eastern Europe can throw at me at the same
time as eating a bigmac without feeling queasy.
As a child we travelled alot mostly from our...
I had to pause here as watching "transporter3" in tukish with Turkish
subtitles required more of my concentration than first allocated
dispite my multi tasking. Then as it was midnight I went to sleep.

....we travelled alot as kids to visit my family in Devon and this was
before the days of seatback DVDs so we had to entertain ourselves with
books or games. We also used to sleep which is why I think I sleep so
well while travelling. And for this education I thank my mother.

We are now on the south coast of Turkey in olympos after 14 hours and
3 buses. It was not too bad, the main bus was quite empty and we both
slept well. Actually Davina did not suffer with motionsickness too
much. We have these funny little bands that sit on your wrist where
you check a pulse. No idea what that do but seams to work.
It is beautiful here.

Are we here yet?

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Derinkuyu

Location: derinkuyu... Aka place with no women
Status: a little freaked out while waiting for a bus... Again
Lesson for today: sometimes you miss the bus
Author: Davina

Day 3 of our travel and we have about half an hour for the bus.
Yesterday was a nice day. We slept in, booked our balloon ride and
explored.

We went to an open air museum in goreme. About 1000years ago the
Christian population were forced into the area so they built their
houses and churches in the rock. Cannot describe what a fasinating
place this is. There are holes everywhere in the rock and sometimes
the rock has broken apart and you can see into rooms. There are 1000s
of these and the open air museum is a collection of churches and a
monastry. All very amazing.

Two thing for the historian in me. If I was a museum curator I would
have a blank canvas to work on. There is very little information on
how the houses and community were run and lived. You have a sign that
says this was a house and you see an empty room with nothing else. It
was fun trying to imagine was they did here but would have liked to
how found out for sure. Also after a while it is just another room
seen one seen them all.

Secondly alot of the painting had been damaged deliberatly. People had
scratched out the eyes and faces of some beautiful paintings and when
I asked why the attendant said they had only been protected since the
Early eighties and before then people would come in and damage them.
Was a real shame.

Then we went bush bashing. We found this little tiny valley like space
and we walked down into it. There was an ancient walk way running
along it under the rock so we got to explore that and there were fruit
tree and flowers and all isolated.

I have to admit I was having images of us getting lost and having to
be rescued just like the English backpackers in Australia who take of
for a walk in the desert with no water, no map and not having told
anyone where they were going or when they would be back. Luckily that
wasn't us.

Then we went back to the hostel rested up and went to see the sunset.
We climbed a hill and sat there watching the sun go down and take so
many pictures that you will all be bored by them.

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Cost of traverling

Day 3
Location: 1000ft above turkey
Status: Rich in other ways
Author: Captin Simon
Lessons: Comfort and the sins cost. Don't pull the red cord

Money and budget features heavly in our lives and has done since we
started saving about one year ago. For example we moved from two large
rooms in a wondeful house in the centre of greenwich to a small room
in a friends flat in Morden (the end of the earth) just to save money.
Dispite our best efforts we left England with less than expected, this
is due in part to the large pre-departure costs that we had not
expected.

Bag £100
Injections £360 (better be worth it)
Camera £170
Itouch £110
Custom Earplugs £67 (worth it already)
visas £680

But off set with planning for a year are birthday and Christmas
presents in the form of:
Pacsafe
Thermals
Travel pillow

We also worked hard on all loyalty points with enough air mile to fly
hong kong to vancouver and Vancouver to Perth in oz.
Nectar points to purchase essentials before flying.
Hotel points for a night post trans Siberian in china

Still daily budget is on my mind 24/7.
And we really messed it up today with a sunrise hot-airballoon which
was about 4 days money in 45mins.
But it was worth evey penny.
Awoken by the call to pray at 5.24, quick cold shower then collected
by minibus and taken to the launch site. I was expecting a few
balloons but there were loads, I counted 31, each one could hold 20-25
people. It was really exciting to watch the teams set up and inflate
the massive balloons. We all jump in, then quick safty talk which was
basically not to get to out of the basket or to pull the red cord.
Then off!

With so many balloons in such a small space it was quite impressive
and scary. We fly into a valley, very close to the rocks and sure to
hit the wall on the other side. Then up, over the region and to the
landing site. Our pilot, John, landed the basket perfectly on the back
of the truck. As soon as we were down out came the souvner hats,
fleases and photos. From getting in the basket where our photo was
taken to landing the best of the pics were printed off, given to the
correct groud crew and the displayed. Of course we had to get the one
of us!
It was a wonderful experience that showed beautifully the area of
cappdioca off.
I have to say that most of davinas flight was paid for by her friends
for her resent birthday. Very greatful to them for this.

*note added by editor.
The following day I got up before sunrise and went for a little run to
the launch site. I was not there in time to see them all depart but
saw them all floating off. An amazing sight After 10mins or so just
as they were all dipping in and out of the valley I noticed that one
of the balloons had landed in the valley. This must have been by
accident as there was not space to roll the balloon up. I assume that
it hit the valley wall and came down. There was still alot of air in
the balloon so must have glided gentally to earth. Sure no one was hurt.

About 50km from where we are staying are some man cut caves that were
dug to house and hide a whole community. About 10000 people lived
undergound for months at a time as all they required was there with
them, kitchen, stables, church, school and wine press. Air was
supplyed by hidden chimnies. The whole complex was impressive, all the
way down to 50m.
Getting there was no fun for us and here we learnt why comfort comes
at a cost. There was a nice easy bus tour that would pick us up, show
us the caves, give us lunch and return us home. But at a price. So we
go it alone on public transport. We totaled about 3.5 hours waiting
for busses and only had crips for lunch but at 25% of the tour cost.
We are very aware of money and that eveything costs. We have to have a
bed, that's ok. But we are able to cut costs everywhere else.
Sitting down costs as your normally need to purchase something. I had
in mind that many hours would be spent drink coffee on the balcony of
a cafe, reading, watching the world go by, maybe even penning some
prose. There will be no prose as coffee costs. There will be no crazy
party stories as beer costs.
There will be no action pictures as white water rafting costs.
So by cutting out comfort, evils (coffee beer and some time washing)
and adventure/fun we can stick to budget.

Pondering this sad state of affairs brings to mind the poem by the
wonderful Tim Minchin where he discribes as conversation he had with a
banker about how the successful money man thought that Tim,
struggeling artist, was, in fact, richer than he. But in a spirtual
way. And the banker would give up all his riches for what Tim has. I
am not sure what this musing is called, search it on YouTube, I can't
as the Internet costs.

Sent from my iPhone

Day 2
Location: hotel pretending to be Istanbul
Status: waiting for the airline to pick us up
Author: davina
Lesson for today: when you find out how to get somewhere make sure you
find out how to get back.

Today was the first day of our mamouth trip and we aren't even there
yet. After deciding we didn't want to get up at 5am to catch the 6.30
flight we thought to stay and relax on our first day. And that is what
we have done.

While our fellow travellers left early we woke up at 9.30, went to
breakfast went back to the room and went back to sleep again. Nice!

Eventually we decided to get up and actually do something. After
finally working out how the shower worked we set off to see a small
port town of Tulza. The receptionist told us to catch a bus by asking
the driver if they go to the right place. Finally we got on this tiny
bus where the aim of the game was to stop for as short a time as
posible and drive while on the phone and taking money and give change.
We were not charged money and couldn't work out why some passengers
paid while others didn't. It also seemed that the bus could stop
anywhere it wanted to either pick up passengers or drop them off. We
were just following the signs and hoping for the best.

The driver worked out that he shouldn't have told us to get on the bus
so pulled over at a junction and waited for a bus that would take is
there.

Eventually we got to Tulza and it was a nice little town with a large
number of stray cats. Not skinny cats mind you as all the bins were
open and we watched one cat go into a bin 3 times and each time came
out with a fish in it's mounth.

We had a look around ate something nice but have no idea what it was
called and can now understand how you get fat travelling. Then thought
about how to get back.

As we caught the wrong bus we had no real idea of where to go or what
number. We thought of hiring a taxi but could not find any signs of
one. We eventually hoped on a bus and gave the driver the hotels
card. He of course drove off and allowed his conductor and another
passenger to work out if we were on the right bus or not... We werent.

They told us to get a bus going to a
Place we didn't know how to spell and dropped us off. So we stood by
the side of the road, not sure if we were actually at a bus stop and
hoped for the best.

Then an old lady started talking to us. We said we were English and
looked sorry. 2 other ladies turned up and she started talking to
them. Suddenly one asked in English where were we going?

We handed the card over they talked it over a bit then told us the
number we needed, flaged down the bus and told the driver where we
were going, the driver then told us where to get off.

God bless the kindness of strangers.

Now we are back at the airport, having been picked up in a bus with a
fridge and coffee maker, spent a small forture on not very nice
airport food and the flight is delayed.

Never fear we will get there ... Eventually

Sent from my iPod

Thank you British Rail

Day 2
Location: hotel on outsirts of Istanbul
Status: not as stressed as some.
Author: Simon

I have to thank British Rail or rather it's privatized components for
their training in disapointment and how to handle disaster. Really
this blessing comes from every element of british rail travel whether
it be a broken down train at Liverpool street, points failer at
watford juntion or leaves on the line in the middle of nowhere.
As a user of the British transport system for many years I am now used
to or even expect delays and the chaos that ensues. For example, my
last trip with MA was back from Edinburgh. I was looking foward to 4
hours of relaxing in firstclass with many G&Ts and some DVDs. The
chaos at the staion gave the impression that every train track in the
country had exploded and that the end of world might be close so grab
your towel. Actualy it was just the east coast main line that had been
flooded. No trains going south or coming north. I make it to the
informatin desk to be told that my option was join a queue longer than$
$$$! For a coach to newcastle picking up the train onward to London
from there. This was not really an option. It was only 3.30 but there
were alot of people with no sign of a coach meaning a late night. So I
remembered past lessons from BR. Took a deep breath and sat down. I
watched the arrival board. All trains from the south were delayed or
canceled. Then one arrived so I got on it assuming that if it came
from London it must go back. I sat in first enjoyed some coffee and
sparkling water while the world outside the train collapsed. After a
while it left, not to London but to Glasgow were I picked up a virgin
train to London. So I did not get my G&T but at least I was not on a
coach to bum-f$&k nowhere.

Yesterday we arrive at stanstead on time but the flight to Istanbul
was delayed. We checked and they should hold our connecting flight for
us. We check again once on the plane to be told it will be ok We land
at 7.24 and our next flight is at 7.25. The pilot comes on the PA just
to let us know we have to wait on the tarmac for a few minuets untill
another plane has moved out of the way, turns out to be our connecting
flight of course we don't know this at that moment. More garbled
anoucements that basically instructed all british tourists that they
needed to panic, run off the plane and start shouting. So we do. Run
through passport to the help desk where, just like Edinburgh, chaos
has erupted. The three connecting flights have all left and they are
offering to put us in a hotel and on the first flight in the morning,
we are to go to the sales desk to get further instruction. I take a
deep breath. Think for a second. Agree with Davina that she will
collect the bags and I will wait in line at the ticket desk and ask to
not fly at 6.30 in the morning, rather get the evening flight. Simple.
Not for everyone else. Do they not remember the lessons from BR? Our
flights have left and there are no other flights. The poor 16 year old
behind the counter can not answer your slilly questions and it was not
their fault. Anyway, why do that to yourself? Why get in such a state
and make a bad situation horrid for all? One very cross woman was
complaining that she had been traveling since 5am (she lived in London
like us and we left at 9am?!) I wanted to point out that I had just
left everything I knew, my friends and family and that she should shut
the fuck up.

I knew we would be ok. We had water, snacks, a book and a pencil. Even
if we stayed in the airport we would have been ok. In the end we got a
free night in a nice hotel with a free meal which we ate with three of
the shouty British tourist who had calmed down and turned out to be
very interesting. What was also a little interesting was the two
crossest were starting a very relaxed 5 week trip around turkey so
were on no dead line!

We are in the middle of nowhere. But we have a large clean if sparce
room and all is well.

So thank you London underground for training me in disapointment and
dely

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See you on the flip side

Departure day
Location: Mac's car, m25.
Status: feeling rather sick
Author: Simon

It's depature day. We are off.
Packed and on our way to the airport.
This has to be the strangest day ever, I am so excited, a little
nervous and so sad.
Leaving is alot harder than I thought it would be. I know the time
will go very quickly and we currently plan to see my family in only 10
months when they come over to Oz. I also know the world is now very
small with facebook, email and skype. But still very sad. I will miss
my family, friends and current life very much.
I am also finding the change of status hard. Gone from nice job, great
house in Greenwich, great friends and eveything in it's place. To
eveything in a box or a small rucksack. I am a creature of habit,
maybe a little OCD, so this is hard for me.
It's not all been bad, going through everything I own is very
refreshing, questioning everything. I hope when I do settle again I
will reavaulate all the 'stuff' and weather it really need it.

Also learnt alot about preparation. We have been working on this for a
year and some tasks we completed months ago. But too much we left to
late meaning the last few days have been unnecessarly stressful and
less fun

Lesson is. Do it today. Not tomorrow

It's now three hours untill we fly. Fuck.

Sent from my iPhone

Friends and fun

Unemployment

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." –Mark Twain

Location: Nor then line, London

Count down: 6 days until departure

Status: a little teary

Employment or rather the lack of it.

I am currently on my way in to work for the very last time. It's a very strange feeling, of course very exciting but also sad. The last 2.5 years with MA have been wonderful with massive learning opportunities and the last 6 months have been particularly enjoyable.

For MA uk, the foreseeable future show signs of being very successful as well as very enjoyable. Chris, Callum and Philip are a force to recon with and I am sure will create a very fun working environment.

The next few months should be interesting with the MA 2, the software is coming along in leaps and bounds.

Altogether I am sure they will take over the world.

I am sad that I will miss this.

Of course I am excited about not working, it will be nice to remove that responsibility from my limited mental capacity. But I like a little stress and routine. Not really sure how I am going to feel without it.

Anyway, it's been a great couple of years. I have learnt, laughed and eaten lots.

Oh and Paul was a dick

The 50 Most Inspiring Travel Quotes Of All Time

The 50 Most Inspiring Travel Quotes Of All Time

1. “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” – Mark Twain

2. “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine

3. “There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

4. “The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.” – Samuel Johnson

5. “All the pathos and irony of leaving one’s youth behind is thus implicit in every joyous moment of travel: one knows that the first joy can never be recovered, and the wise traveler learns not to repeat successes but tries new places all the time.” – Paul Fussell

6. “Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.” – Jack Kerouac

7. “He who does not travel does not know the value of men.” – Moorish proverb

8. “People travel to faraway places to watch, in fascination, the kind of people they ignore at home.” – Dagobert D. Runes

9. “A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” – John Steinbeck

10. “No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” – Lin Yutang

11. “Your true traveler finds boredom rather agreeable than painful. It is the symbol of his liberty-his excessive freedom. He accepts his boredom, when it comes, not merely philosophically, but almost with pleasure.” – Aldous Huxley

12. “All travel has its advantages. If the passenger visits better countries, he may learn to improve his own. And if fortune carries him to worse, he may learn to enjoy it.” – Samuel Johnson

13. “For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller

14. “Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” – Cesare Pavese

15. “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller

16″A traveler without observation is a bird without wings.” – Moslih Eddin Saadi

17. “When we get out of the glass bottle of our ego and when we escape like the squirrels in the cage of our personality and get into the forest again, we shall shiver with cold and fright. But things will happen to us so that we don’t know ourselves. Cool, unlying life will rush in.” – D. H. Lawrence

18. “To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” – Freya Stark

19. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

20. “Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” – Miriam Beard

21. “All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” – Martin Buber

22. “We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” – Jawaharial Nehru

23. “Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going.” – Paul Theroux

24. “To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” – Bill Bryson

25. “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

26. “Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by.” – Robert Frost

27. “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

28. “There is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage like the beginning of it.” – Charles Dudley Warner

29. “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu

30. “If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” – James Michener

31. “The journey not the arrival matters.” – T. S. Eliot

32. “A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” – Tim Cahill

33. “I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” – Mark Twain

34. “Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quiestest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.” – Pat Conroy

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

35. “Not all those who wander are lost.” – J. R. R. Tolkien

36. “Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.” – Benjamin Disraeli

37. “Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.” – Maya Angelou

38. “Too often travel, instead of broadening the mind, merely lengthens the conversation.” – Elizabeth Drew

39. “Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe”……Anatole France

40. “Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.” – Seneca

41. “What you’ve done becomes the judge of what you’re going to do – especially in other people’s minds. When you’re traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don’t have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road.” – William Least Heat Moon

42. “I soon realized that no journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within.” – Lillian Smith

43. “To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” – Aldous Huxley

44. “Travel does what good novelists also do to the life of everyday, placing it like a picture in a frame or a gem in its setting, so that the intrinsic qualities are made more clear. Travel does this with the very stuff that everyday life is made of, giving to it the sharp contour and meaning of art.” – Freya Stark

45. “The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it.” – Rudyard Kipling

46. “Travel is glamorous only in retrospect.” – Paul Theroux

47. “The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.” – G. K. Chesterton

48. “When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” – Clifton Fadiman

49. “A wise traveler never despises his own country.” – Carlo Goldoni

50. “Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” – Mark Jenkins