So, no blogging in the Baltics. It was gorgeous outside, and night time was a liver endurance test. Laura pointed something out to me the other night, and that was that I couldn't remember the last night in a row I didn't drink. So last night I played Scrabble. And actually the night before that I took a train, so that's two in a row! I'll break that streak tonight.
Anyway, here's all I get to say on my eight days in Vilnius and Riga, because I want to get to my day in St. Petersburg. Vilnius was a cute little town, very much unchanged (or at least rebuilt to look like) a thriving medieval town. 24 churches in an area that's 15 minutes in any direction. Pretty impressive, really. Riga is a much bigger city, with slightly fewer churches, but many, many more coffee shops, international restaurants, strip clubs, and mafia beatings. It's known as the Sin City of the Baltics, and they're actually pissed about all the men coming for bachelor parties destroying their city every single weekend. Both the Baltic cities I went to were good for going out - Vilnius, mostly on the weekend, I guess but that's when I was there - and both places are full of beautiful women everywhere you look. I won't go into any more detail on that point... (So Laura, I, uh, hung out with a lot of guys in the hostels. We may have discussed this once or twice.) And the locals were actually pretty friendly both places - I had heard they wouldn't be in Riga, but it was all good.
The other thing that's similar and quite sad about both places is the history. Both were first independent right around WWI, after years of invasion and bloodshed, and in 1939, when Hitler and Stalin signed the pact with Stalin dividing up everything between, they were given to Russia. Eventually, when Germany and Russia were on opposite sides, the people of both countries turned to help the Nazis because they were liberating the Baltics. As a result, both countries' hugely thriving Jewish population were almost completely wiped out in the span of a few months. I noticed this most when I attempted to find a Judaica shop to buy a gift, and only the Jewish Museum in Riga had a little cabinet. That's it. The history is there, and they are working hard to preserve it, but the culture is completely gone. Anyway, even the resistance movements in the 80's were eerily similar with very good museums documenting them, and both states became free in the beginning of the 90's. The Vilnius KGB museum, in particular, was also very similar to Budapest's Terror House - both in the former Nazi/KGB headquarters, even.
Ok, so onto St. Petersburg. Took the overnight train and started off by annoying an older woman with her son (also older than me) who was sitting in my window seat. They had their stuff everywhere, so I kept moving it out of my way, until she got up with a huff and cleared it all. About halfway through the 13 hour trip though, she warmed to me, when she realized I was just a clueless American and didn't know what the heck was going on, like with passport control, etc. By the way, no one on the train, including this woman, spoke a word of English. Oh, and the compartments weren't exactly plush, so I slept only minimally.
Next, I get into St. Petersburg, and make all the turns to where my hostel should be (guessing here, since street signs are pretty much optional in this city), and I eventaully ask three people where I am, where again, no one speaks English - not even the standard reply of "no English", only to realize I came into a different train station, 2 km away... So I walked, checking the map every couple min, because of those stupid missing street signs, and an hour later, checked into the hostel, and passed out for four hours. Then I went and ran a few errands (which, since no one speaks English, took forever - noticing a pattern here?) and stayed in the hostel with a couple Irish girls (they're everywhere!), and like I mentioned, played Scrabble.
So today I aimed to get up early and do another super-tourist day like in Istanbul. Well, my super-tourist day started with me essentially getting mugged by the ticket agent at the train station, who way overcharged me, and when I called her on it she basically shrugged. Wow, did I feel powerless. Welcome to friggin Russia, man. After nursing my bruises, I went down to Kazan Cathedral, on the way to the Hermitage, which doesn't open until 10:30. I walked into the Orthodox Cathedral, and there was a priest chanting monotonously, and churchgoers were scattered everywhere, occasionally crossing themselves. There was a sporadic crescendo in the chanting, which sounded oddly like an auctioneer's sale. Then the next auction started immediately after. Another priest was walking around with incense, spreading it everywhere - it was interesting. Only later did it occur to me that today was Sunday, so trying to sightsee in a church at 10AM might be rude, but I'm kinda glad I went in then. The church itself was massive, full of marble columns and gold everywhere, and a repeated single floral square throughout the ceiling. Not the nicest I've seen, but ok. Though that reminds me to mention St. Peter's in Riga - the style on the inside was all red brick patterns on plain, white plaster. And a carved, unpainted wooden altar. Probably my favorite church I've seen yet, because they did so much with so little, and I thought that simplicity was incredibly beautiful.
Anyway, onto the Hermitage. This is, well, just a massive, massive art museum that has swallowed a former palace, two or three former government buildings, and a small island safari. Well ok, not the last, but I didn't see the whole thing. I went in fully prepared, ready to blaze through with my Lonely Planet's highlights section, only to find that half of the highlights were closed, so I went even faster and had to go see more to feel I really did enough. However, the closed exhibits are the only normal pathway to certain other exhibits, so it's an absurd maze to try and get around there, so eventually, I gave up. Anyway, the highlights to me (of what I saw, which given my patience for art museums, probably wasn't enough) were a couple really cool Picassos and the Winter Palace itself, which clrealy dwarfed a lot of the art held inside. The ceiling, the chandeliers, everything - that was really amazing, and quite worth the admission fee. Though of course the other awesome thing about the Hermitage it that it's free for students! I'd definitely go there a few times if I were around more because of that. Well, except for the huge lines even before opening. Oh, and I ran into random MIT people there - a brother and sister it seemed - Fong, who I seem to remember as 04? and a younger guy I did TKD with, but don't remember his name... Whoops. Anyway, I'm almost surprised that didn't actually happen earlier in my trip - it has before, but that was funny.
Anyway, then when I left, it started pooring, but I trekked on to see basically the rest of St. Petersburg proper. Church on Spilled Blood was very ho-hum, and way too expensive to get in. The mosaics had the feel of the Sistine Chapel's overcrowded painting without as much beauty. But compared to Issac's Cathedral, that one was cheap, so I didn't even go into the latter. The only other thing I did today was wander around the canals (the city is built like Amsterdam, with artificial islands and canals) and meet a Hungarian guy at lunch randomly. Ah, lunch. What a fun meal that was. I ordered Okroshka, a soup with beer. I figured you mix beer in with the broth, and soup would be great on a cold, rainy day. Well, hot soup would have been great, indeed. What it turns out I ordered was cubed radish, ham, potatoes, scallions, egg, and a dollop of sour cream, essentially a so-so salad, in a bowl, with ... wait for it ... a pint of beer dumped in. Yeah... They must have thought I was an alcoholic when I ordered a beer to drink, too. This dish is pretty much as appetizing as it sounds, though maybe not even. I went back and ordered a blini (Russian pancake) with smoked salmon and cucumber after. Aaah, much better.
And so, I find myself at a computer, pretty much done with the city in six hours, and with a train tomorrow night at 1AM. Perhaps I rushed it a bit today, but at least I won't have to wake up early tomorrow. Gotta try that Russian vodka, after all.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
...And Warsaw.
After Krakow, I went to Warsaw just for a day on the recommendation of everyone that had been there. None of them were Jewish. I realized only after I bought a bus ticket for last night that there is much more to see for a Jew. Anyway, what I did do was go to see the last remnant of the ghetto wall, and the Jewish cemetery. There are actually Jews in Warsaw now, so the cemetery is still in use, but the same issues can be seen of pre-war areas, as in Krakow. It's striking - the newer parts are ordered and cared for and the older parts, up to roughly the war (judging by the grave dates) look like a massive forest. There's also a memorial to the unnamed vicitms of the Holocaust.
I also saw the Old Town and the Palace in the Park, whose name apprently literally translates to the Royal Bathrooms. It was all alright, but really, when I think of Warsaw, I'm not thinking of the medieval town, so I just didn't feel as interested.
I ran into a couple on the train to the park and we ended up seeing that bit togheter and then getting dinner. At Pizza Hut. Trust me, really not my idea at all, but I went along, cuz, well, it's a Polish Pizza Hut, and the girl assured me it was differnt than Britain (where they now live). Well, sure, amybe, but it looks like a US one. Though they did have a Thai chicken pizza, and I had had plenty of pierogis anyway, so I pretended it was CPK and chowed down. I think if I deviate from ethnic foods, it may not be American chain restaurants any more though.
Ok, well, I'm caught up again, and I will not spend only one day in any city again. The rest of my route right now seems to be Vilnius, Riga, maybe Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Zurich and Berlin. Seems like so much when I write it out, but less than three weeks till I'm back. Ok, off to explore Vilnius.
I also saw the Old Town and the Palace in the Park, whose name apprently literally translates to the Royal Bathrooms. It was all alright, but really, when I think of Warsaw, I'm not thinking of the medieval town, so I just didn't feel as interested.
I ran into a couple on the train to the park and we ended up seeing that bit togheter and then getting dinner. At Pizza Hut. Trust me, really not my idea at all, but I went along, cuz, well, it's a Polish Pizza Hut, and the girl assured me it was differnt than Britain (where they now live). Well, sure, amybe, but it looks like a US one. Though they did have a Thai chicken pizza, and I had had plenty of pierogis anyway, so I pretended it was CPK and chowed down. I think if I deviate from ethnic foods, it may not be American chain restaurants any more though.
Ok, well, I'm caught up again, and I will not spend only one day in any city again. The rest of my route right now seems to be Vilnius, Riga, maybe Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Zurich and Berlin. Seems like so much when I write it out, but less than three weeks till I'm back. Ok, off to explore Vilnius.
Moving too fast! Catching up with Krakow.
Ok, I'm falling behind in posts again... I almost feel it's more difficult to write when I have free internet, because there's always someone waiting for me to get off.
So I'm now in Vilnius for a few days, after four days in Krakow, a day in Warsaw, and a truly stupendous night bus experience (Surprisingly, it wasn't actually as bad as I'd imagined, but I still prefer, say, a good ice cream cone, for example).
Krakow was a few days of drunken madness, mostly. Most notable was Flamingo hostel, the best hostel I've stayed in, and incidentally, rated the best hostel in the world in 2007 by HostelWorld. The rooms were clean, beds comfortable, and everyone there was really fun. They had a British guy with crazy long red hair whose job title was "party guide". And having the entire rest of the staff consist of incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and gorgeous women probably doesn't hurt their reviews.
I also saw a real live fire breathing dragon! Ok, would you believe a mechanical fire-breathing dragon? No? How about a motorcycle with a headlight shining? Tin can with a hole in it on a sunny day?
Sorry bout that. Saw Get Smart somewhat recently, and well, it just came out. No, but seriously I did see a mechinzaed fire-spouting dragon. Legend has it that a shoemaker named Krak killed a dragon, won the hand of the princess, became King and founded Krakow. So they like dragons now, I guess. I saw the dragon at Wawel Hill - there's a castle and a cathedral, which has tombs and a bell tower. The bell tower was tiny and fun to climb, and I could not figure what drove the language choices on the plaques of the royal tombs. All had Polish, and some French, some English, none both, seemingly at random. The sign asking for donations just had English - no Polish. Go figure.
The rest of Krakow's sightseeing was mostly accomplished via a bike tour. It was interesting, but about halfway through we started getting into the WWII history, and then I realized that the next trhee weeks of tourism will all be incredibly depressing. We saw the ghetto and heard the real story of Oscar Schindler outside his factory. Most poignant to me was the Jewish cemetery. It was completely overgrown, with gravestones spilled every which way. Before the war, there were 60,000 Jews out of 250,000 people in Krakow. After, 1500 survived, and they all immediately fled to America, Australia, and after a couple years, Israel. The reason the Jewish cemetery is in such disrepair is that the people buried there either have no descendants or have none in Europe. There's just no one left to look after it.
To continue the Jewish theme, we watched Everything Is Illuminated that night. Fantastic movie - I highly recommend it. Just maybe not right before a party. Though as we proved, enough alcohol can overcome anything.
Finally, the next day, I went to Aushwitz-Birkenau. Got roped into a kinda ripoff tour, but whatever. So the Nazis blew up most of the "evidence" at all the camps before the war ended, so most of what's at Birkenau is rubble. There was a barrack. Orignaly sleeping 52 horses, it managed to fit 400 people. Yeah... Aushwitz had one intact gas chamber/crematorium, and collections of all the things that were found whan the Russians got there.
It was roughly as miserable an experience as you'd imagine it to be. Talking to people after, they all cracked at different points. For some it was the collection of human hair, and some it was the shoes. For me, the photo of child medical experiments was pretty bad, but I sorta flipped when I saw all the tallitot (prayer shawls, for the non-Jews reading this). I just remember picking one out, and that everyone's in really a personal thing. And this is especially strange considering I haven't prayed, well in a really long time, but at that point, I just kept repeating the Mourner's Kaddish in my head for the rest of the tour. Couldn't stop myself. Kinda freaked myself out even more.
So I'm now in Vilnius for a few days, after four days in Krakow, a day in Warsaw, and a truly stupendous night bus experience (Surprisingly, it wasn't actually as bad as I'd imagined, but I still prefer, say, a good ice cream cone, for example).
Krakow was a few days of drunken madness, mostly. Most notable was Flamingo hostel, the best hostel I've stayed in, and incidentally, rated the best hostel in the world in 2007 by HostelWorld. The rooms were clean, beds comfortable, and everyone there was really fun. They had a British guy with crazy long red hair whose job title was "party guide". And having the entire rest of the staff consist of incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and gorgeous women probably doesn't hurt their reviews.
I also saw a real live fire breathing dragon! Ok, would you believe a mechanical fire-breathing dragon? No? How about a motorcycle with a headlight shining? Tin can with a hole in it on a sunny day?
Sorry bout that. Saw Get Smart somewhat recently, and well, it just came out. No, but seriously I did see a mechinzaed fire-spouting dragon. Legend has it that a shoemaker named Krak killed a dragon, won the hand of the princess, became King and founded Krakow. So they like dragons now, I guess. I saw the dragon at Wawel Hill - there's a castle and a cathedral, which has tombs and a bell tower. The bell tower was tiny and fun to climb, and I could not figure what drove the language choices on the plaques of the royal tombs. All had Polish, and some French, some English, none both, seemingly at random. The sign asking for donations just had English - no Polish. Go figure.
The rest of Krakow's sightseeing was mostly accomplished via a bike tour. It was interesting, but about halfway through we started getting into the WWII history, and then I realized that the next trhee weeks of tourism will all be incredibly depressing. We saw the ghetto and heard the real story of Oscar Schindler outside his factory. Most poignant to me was the Jewish cemetery. It was completely overgrown, with gravestones spilled every which way. Before the war, there were 60,000 Jews out of 250,000 people in Krakow. After, 1500 survived, and they all immediately fled to America, Australia, and after a couple years, Israel. The reason the Jewish cemetery is in such disrepair is that the people buried there either have no descendants or have none in Europe. There's just no one left to look after it.
To continue the Jewish theme, we watched Everything Is Illuminated that night. Fantastic movie - I highly recommend it. Just maybe not right before a party. Though as we proved, enough alcohol can overcome anything.
Finally, the next day, I went to Aushwitz-Birkenau. Got roped into a kinda ripoff tour, but whatever. So the Nazis blew up most of the "evidence" at all the camps before the war ended, so most of what's at Birkenau is rubble. There was a barrack. Orignaly sleeping 52 horses, it managed to fit 400 people. Yeah... Aushwitz had one intact gas chamber/crematorium, and collections of all the things that were found whan the Russians got there.
It was roughly as miserable an experience as you'd imagine it to be. Talking to people after, they all cracked at different points. For some it was the collection of human hair, and some it was the shoes. For me, the photo of child medical experiments was pretty bad, but I sorta flipped when I saw all the tallitot (prayer shawls, for the non-Jews reading this). I just remember picking one out, and that everyone's in really a personal thing. And this is especially strange considering I haven't prayed, well in a really long time, but at that point, I just kept repeating the Mourner's Kaddish in my head for the rest of the tour. Couldn't stop myself. Kinda freaked myself out even more.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
It's confirmed. Defintiely not Constantinople any more.
Ok, not that I thought it was. But if after about 7 hours of hardcore tourism and 219 pictures, I was still confused, that would be pretty sad. And I am pretty proud, because only the training I have endured in the last 2.5 months could possibly have allowed me to be a tourist for such a long, concentrated time. Whew.
Istanbul's sights (done all in one day): The Aya Sofia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, and Topkapı palace. The Blue Mosque is called that because of the roof and the tiles on the inside. It's stunning, really. And the Muslim commitment to prayer, as it's been explained to me, is really quite beautiful, most in the respect the institution itself commands, particularly with the need to just be pure of mind and body entering the mosque. There were fountains outside where people were washing preparing for prayer, and even through the throngs of tourists, I felt that this gorgeous and exceptionally grand mosque was really a majestic place.
The number one tourist spot in Turkey, the Aya Sofia, however, was not. I don't know - people seem to say it matters which one of the two you see first, but the Aya Sofia, while bigger, was dark and not as pretty. I suppose it has more history, but it's not great. The Basilica Cistern was a humongous cistern. It was cool. There were fish. And Medusa sculptures. And they charged 10 YTL ($9 or so), the same as all other places. Not really worth it, but ah well.
The Palace defined opulence. I mean, if you think of "sultan" as opposed to "emperor", you think of Islam and opulence, right? Well, there was a mosque, so that's covered. And then three rooms of collected treasures, including a suit of mail studded with gems and gold, an 86 carat diamond surrounded by 49 other diamonds used as a turban ornament, and a canteen of gold and gemstones instead of, well, leather. Cuz that's how the sultan rolls. There were hundreds of other things, as well as a harem, the kitchens/kitchenware, Mohammed's robe, and great views. It was pretty damn impressive, but quite tiring. And after hour seven of tourism, I collapsed.
Turns out I have traveler's sickness, so I wasn't just tired, but it's a mild case, and I'm fighting through it. The rest of Istanbul is basically a very nice hub for nightlife. Istiklal Cadessa is the crazy crazy main street, and as the guidebook says, just turned on any side street for a raki-soaked (or beer in my case) night on the town. The national beer, Efes, is actually not bad. We went to a bar full of wanna-be Rastafarians and it was pretty funny, actually, until the stomach cramps got the better of me. I'll probably meet the German guys I was with in Berlin so that can show me around some, so that's another plus for the night.
Since I exhausted the tourism the first day, the next we caught a ferry to the Asian side of Istanbul. It looked a lot like the European, but woo, we were in Asia! And drinking beer at 2 PM. And we ate fish sandwiches plucked out of the strait and grilled. And that was day two in a nutshell.
I definitely felt there was a great energy in Istanbul, especially in the nightlife area, and I could likely live there. Except for the disappointing lack of egg breakfasts anywhere outside of McDonald's - that would drive me nuts. I'll likely return someday - it seems the rest of Turkey, especially the Aegean coast, would be a cool place to vacation. Though I am definitely relieved not to have to deal with the morning call to prayer (4:30 AM wake-up call) in Muslim countries any more. Now I'm in Krakow, at a rival for the coolest hostel yet. More stories to come!
Istanbul's sights (done all in one day): The Aya Sofia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, and Topkapı palace. The Blue Mosque is called that because of the roof and the tiles on the inside. It's stunning, really. And the Muslim commitment to prayer, as it's been explained to me, is really quite beautiful, most in the respect the institution itself commands, particularly with the need to just be pure of mind and body entering the mosque. There were fountains outside where people were washing preparing for prayer, and even through the throngs of tourists, I felt that this gorgeous and exceptionally grand mosque was really a majestic place.
The number one tourist spot in Turkey, the Aya Sofia, however, was not. I don't know - people seem to say it matters which one of the two you see first, but the Aya Sofia, while bigger, was dark and not as pretty. I suppose it has more history, but it's not great. The Basilica Cistern was a humongous cistern. It was cool. There were fish. And Medusa sculptures. And they charged 10 YTL ($9 or so), the same as all other places. Not really worth it, but ah well.
The Palace defined opulence. I mean, if you think of "sultan" as opposed to "emperor", you think of Islam and opulence, right? Well, there was a mosque, so that's covered. And then three rooms of collected treasures, including a suit of mail studded with gems and gold, an 86 carat diamond surrounded by 49 other diamonds used as a turban ornament, and a canteen of gold and gemstones instead of, well, leather. Cuz that's how the sultan rolls. There were hundreds of other things, as well as a harem, the kitchens/kitchenware, Mohammed's robe, and great views. It was pretty damn impressive, but quite tiring. And after hour seven of tourism, I collapsed.
Turns out I have traveler's sickness, so I wasn't just tired, but it's a mild case, and I'm fighting through it. The rest of Istanbul is basically a very nice hub for nightlife. Istiklal Cadessa is the crazy crazy main street, and as the guidebook says, just turned on any side street for a raki-soaked (or beer in my case) night on the town. The national beer, Efes, is actually not bad. We went to a bar full of wanna-be Rastafarians and it was pretty funny, actually, until the stomach cramps got the better of me. I'll probably meet the German guys I was with in Berlin so that can show me around some, so that's another plus for the night.
Since I exhausted the tourism the first day, the next we caught a ferry to the Asian side of Istanbul. It looked a lot like the European, but woo, we were in Asia! And drinking beer at 2 PM. And we ate fish sandwiches plucked out of the strait and grilled. And that was day two in a nutshell.
I definitely felt there was a great energy in Istanbul, especially in the nightlife area, and I could likely live there. Except for the disappointing lack of egg breakfasts anywhere outside of McDonald's - that would drive me nuts. I'll likely return someday - it seems the rest of Turkey, especially the Aegean coast, would be a cool place to vacation. Though I am definitely relieved not to have to deal with the morning call to prayer (4:30 AM wake-up call) in Muslim countries any more. Now I'm in Krakow, at a rival for the coolest hostel yet. More stories to come!
Bad mood entering Istanbul
Yesterday I was in a really bad mood.
My trip from Cairo to Istanbul began with the realization that Cairo was the first place I've been that I really was just relieved to get out of. I love that I saw the pyramids, and they were suitably amazing. But between the heat and the aversion to talking to locals for fear that they would either try to aggressively sell me something or ask for a tip for nothing, I just couldn't handle the city. I love the chaos of NY, but it's a much more ordered chaos than Cairo, and at the end of just felt tired.
My day continues: arriving at the airport, I was told angrily by Egypt's version of the power-loving TSA asshole that I need a copy of my ticket receipt to go to the check-in desk. "They can print one out for me at check-in," I reply. Yeah... So I go to the ticket office, where 30 or so people are waiting and after refusing to take a ticket, I see a manager for the stupid printout and then get on my plane.
I then land and see over an hour long line at immigration. After wading through the line, being pushed almost the entire time by a slightly overaggressive and stout woman, I finally get to the desk, and rather than hand the officer my passport and thank him for his great service to mankind, I sort of toss it on the desk. He then looks at it, asks me, after an hour plus of standing there, why I threw it at him, and waits for me to reach under the glass and pick it up and physically hand it to him. "I threw it because you're spending your time asking people why they're throwing the passports instead of moving the fucking line along, you ass!" is what I didn't say. I said, oh, sorry, and handed him the passport.
Next in the gauntlet was the man at the tourism desk who couldn't either operate his Windows computer or read a map. I know hiring only IT guys is too strict a requirement, but is it too much to ask that someone who works in a tourist information office be able to read a fucking map? Luckily, I realize he's an idiot and go ask someone else to tell me how to get to the address I've now found myself.
After taking the bus and wandering up and down hills with a 50 pound pack, I finally get to my hostel, only to find that they have overbooked my room (which I reserved May 25th) and want me to move to their sister hostel that somehow, was not the top rated on the websites... No discount offered, but hey, they agreed to pay my cab ride over after I asked.
So yeah, not a great day. I did meet this interesting Malaysian bakery chain owner looking to franchise to Istanbul and NY, and is friends with the Penang people, too. He gave me lots of great life tips, most of which he decided I needed because when he asked whether money was my driving goal, I said no, and continued answering why I'm going to law school/ This was a sign that I stress over everything and plan out my life too much, and I'm only going to be unhappy is I'm always "trying to be happy". He tried to explain to me that regret and worry were useless emotions. I'm not sure how I managed to come off as needing those exact tips, as that's usually what I'm telling everyone else. I think my nationality more than anything else led to that conclusion. But anyway, I enjoyed talking with him, and it put me in a better mood for Istanbul, which was good, because I hope to enjoy this city.
My trip from Cairo to Istanbul began with the realization that Cairo was the first place I've been that I really was just relieved to get out of. I love that I saw the pyramids, and they were suitably amazing. But between the heat and the aversion to talking to locals for fear that they would either try to aggressively sell me something or ask for a tip for nothing, I just couldn't handle the city. I love the chaos of NY, but it's a much more ordered chaos than Cairo, and at the end of just felt tired.
My day continues: arriving at the airport, I was told angrily by Egypt's version of the power-loving TSA asshole that I need a copy of my ticket receipt to go to the check-in desk. "They can print one out for me at check-in," I reply. Yeah... So I go to the ticket office, where 30 or so people are waiting and after refusing to take a ticket, I see a manager for the stupid printout and then get on my plane.
I then land and see over an hour long line at immigration. After wading through the line, being pushed almost the entire time by a slightly overaggressive and stout woman, I finally get to the desk, and rather than hand the officer my passport and thank him for his great service to mankind, I sort of toss it on the desk. He then looks at it, asks me, after an hour plus of standing there, why I threw it at him, and waits for me to reach under the glass and pick it up and physically hand it to him. "I threw it because you're spending your time asking people why they're throwing the passports instead of moving the fucking line along, you ass!" is what I didn't say. I said, oh, sorry, and handed him the passport.
Next in the gauntlet was the man at the tourism desk who couldn't either operate his Windows computer or read a map. I know hiring only IT guys is too strict a requirement, but is it too much to ask that someone who works in a tourist information office be able to read a fucking map? Luckily, I realize he's an idiot and go ask someone else to tell me how to get to the address I've now found myself.
After taking the bus and wandering up and down hills with a 50 pound pack, I finally get to my hostel, only to find that they have overbooked my room (which I reserved May 25th) and want me to move to their sister hostel that somehow, was not the top rated on the websites... No discount offered, but hey, they agreed to pay my cab ride over after I asked.
So yeah, not a great day. I did meet this interesting Malaysian bakery chain owner looking to franchise to Istanbul and NY, and is friends with the Penang people, too. He gave me lots of great life tips, most of which he decided I needed because when he asked whether money was my driving goal, I said no, and continued answering why I'm going to law school/ This was a sign that I stress over everything and plan out my life too much, and I'm only going to be unhappy is I'm always "trying to be happy". He tried to explain to me that regret and worry were useless emotions. I'm not sure how I managed to come off as needing those exact tips, as that's usually what I'm telling everyone else. I think my nationality more than anything else led to that conclusion. But anyway, I enjoyed talking with him, and it put me in a better mood for Istanbul, which was good, because I hope to enjoy this city.
Monday, July 14, 2008
You want buy? Price not an issue. How much you want to pay?
In other words, I'm in Cairo.
So yesterday I went to the pyramids and it was definitely one of those things where you know you're going, and then you walk up and you're like "holy shit, I'm here". Pretty amazing stuff. And I got some really good pics, though I lack the creative impulse to take stupid funny shots. I went inside the Second Pyramid and you go from this tiny tunnel (like 4 feet tall) to a HUGE hallway (all of 5'10" - still had to bend my neck), then an actually huge, but, um, empty, room. I'll see the contents today in the Egyptian Museum. You know how no one knows how they built the pyramids? Well, I refuse to believe any humans fit in that tunnel. Elves or goblins. That's it. Oh, and they take your camera at the entrance but the guy I was with had a second, so I'll have pics eventually.
Everything you might hear about the pushiness of Egyptians in the tourism industry is true. We had a driver hired by the hostel - probably better than any other, who insisted on taking us to the tourist-only place for lunch (70 Egpytian Pounds =$13, for a lunch I'd pay maybe ten for in a big city at home). Food here is really good and ridiculously cheap, so I tried to find a place in the guidebook to eat, but they were all "really far". He obviously gets free lunch and commission. Then between taking us to pyramids, he takes us to one of the many "papyrus museums", and "perfume palaces", where they show you how to make the stuff and then try to sell it to you for an hour. It was really interesting watching, and I considered buying a souvenir, but they were all overpriced to account for commissions. And the guy in the papyrus place kept following me around while I looked at the pictures to buy, and suggesting ones he saw my linger at for a second. If I'm lingering, I obviously see it, you ass! If I were going to buy, he definitely lost a sale. Anyway, even at he pyramids, they try to sell us camel rides for 125 pounds at the "bargain price". They're 25 inside. This is how all tours here are here. It was sad. But if you're on your own and ignore it, it's not too bad - much worse being deposited in the trap by your driver.
Hostel-wise, I've been hanging out here with this Canadian guy who has lots of fun stories, cuz he's been traveling for over a year. He's also in IT and gave me some hot computer tips I'll promptly forget. He also speaks English, so I pretty much had to hang out with him. The hostel's cool and tiny and the owners are uber-friendly. Last night we went out for coffee and sheesha - a pretty much nightly occurrence in Cairo. I tried the apple flavored one, but it has a black licorice aftertaste - gross! And I don't like smoke anyway, so two puffs was enough. Anyway, that was fun - I talked to one of the owners about their dream of opening a hostel - it's been only 5 months. They want to make new friends all the time - it's the same social aspect they want as I always say I want in being a bartender someday. They also don't themselves push tours on people because they realize it turns them off - why can't the rest of Egypt clue in? We also discussed how Egyptians hate American politics but 95 out of 100 would borrow $10,000 if it could guarantee legal emigration to America. Makes sense. Too damn hot here. Speaking of which, it's the one problem with the hostel - no A/C in my dorm room. Makes it tough to sleep.
Food: Egpyt has all the standard Arabic fare, plus three things of note. 1) Kushary - this noodle, lentil, fried onion and tomato sauce thing, served with garlic vinegar and hot sauce if you want. Pretty good, and a 7 pound ($1.30) plate kept me full for 14 hours. Of course the heat helps with that a little. 2) Last night I tried hamam, stuffed pigeon. It was stuffed with rice, and ok but with very little flesh on it, so I wouldn't bother again. And 3) fiteer, this Egyptian pizza thing, where the dough is basically corncake. Peter (the owner with the dream) says he'll just order me some next time he orders. Oh, another cool thing about Arab countries, is pretty much everything delivers. Not just all food places, but pharmacies and sometimes even electronics stores, I think. Well maybe not, but something like that - it's pretty absurd. Strangely, not enough to make me want to live here though.
UPDATE: Just ate fiteer. Not corn, but deelish.
So yesterday I went to the pyramids and it was definitely one of those things where you know you're going, and then you walk up and you're like "holy shit, I'm here". Pretty amazing stuff. And I got some really good pics, though I lack the creative impulse to take stupid funny shots. I went inside the Second Pyramid and you go from this tiny tunnel (like 4 feet tall) to a HUGE hallway (all of 5'10" - still had to bend my neck), then an actually huge, but, um, empty, room. I'll see the contents today in the Egyptian Museum. You know how no one knows how they built the pyramids? Well, I refuse to believe any humans fit in that tunnel. Elves or goblins. That's it. Oh, and they take your camera at the entrance but the guy I was with had a second, so I'll have pics eventually.
Everything you might hear about the pushiness of Egyptians in the tourism industry is true. We had a driver hired by the hostel - probably better than any other, who insisted on taking us to the tourist-only place for lunch (70 Egpytian Pounds =$13, for a lunch I'd pay maybe ten for in a big city at home). Food here is really good and ridiculously cheap, so I tried to find a place in the guidebook to eat, but they were all "really far". He obviously gets free lunch and commission. Then between taking us to pyramids, he takes us to one of the many "papyrus museums", and "perfume palaces", where they show you how to make the stuff and then try to sell it to you for an hour. It was really interesting watching, and I considered buying a souvenir, but they were all overpriced to account for commissions. And the guy in the papyrus place kept following me around while I looked at the pictures to buy, and suggesting ones he saw my linger at for a second. If I'm lingering, I obviously see it, you ass! If I were going to buy, he definitely lost a sale. Anyway, even at he pyramids, they try to sell us camel rides for 125 pounds at the "bargain price". They're 25 inside. This is how all tours here are here. It was sad. But if you're on your own and ignore it, it's not too bad - much worse being deposited in the trap by your driver.
Hostel-wise, I've been hanging out here with this Canadian guy who has lots of fun stories, cuz he's been traveling for over a year. He's also in IT and gave me some hot computer tips I'll promptly forget. He also speaks English, so I pretty much had to hang out with him. The hostel's cool and tiny and the owners are uber-friendly. Last night we went out for coffee and sheesha - a pretty much nightly occurrence in Cairo. I tried the apple flavored one, but it has a black licorice aftertaste - gross! And I don't like smoke anyway, so two puffs was enough. Anyway, that was fun - I talked to one of the owners about their dream of opening a hostel - it's been only 5 months. They want to make new friends all the time - it's the same social aspect they want as I always say I want in being a bartender someday. They also don't themselves push tours on people because they realize it turns them off - why can't the rest of Egypt clue in? We also discussed how Egyptians hate American politics but 95 out of 100 would borrow $10,000 if it could guarantee legal emigration to America. Makes sense. Too damn hot here. Speaking of which, it's the one problem with the hostel - no A/C in my dorm room. Makes it tough to sleep.
Food: Egpyt has all the standard Arabic fare, plus three things of note. 1) Kushary - this noodle, lentil, fried onion and tomato sauce thing, served with garlic vinegar and hot sauce if you want. Pretty good, and a 7 pound ($1.30) plate kept me full for 14 hours. Of course the heat helps with that a little. 2) Last night I tried hamam, stuffed pigeon. It was stuffed with rice, and ok but with very little flesh on it, so I wouldn't bother again. And 3) fiteer, this Egyptian pizza thing, where the dough is basically corncake. Peter (the owner with the dream) says he'll just order me some next time he orders. Oh, another cool thing about Arab countries, is pretty much everything delivers. Not just all food places, but pharmacies and sometimes even electronics stores, I think. Well maybe not, but something like that - it's pretty absurd. Strangely, not enough to make me want to live here though.
UPDATE: Just ate fiteer. Not corn, but deelish.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Nothing is as scary as the fisrt baby of your peers.
Well, some things, maybe. But I just met Jawad, Tamam's son. And here I am, jobless, going back to school, when friends around are lawyers, doctors, opening their second businesses, and now parents. It all makes me feel like a kid, but I just can't imagine any of that yet for myself. I guess the whole engineering career set my life back a few years.
Anyway, Jawad's incredibly cute, with long thin feet and lots of spit bubbles, but I have not yet gotten to take more than one picture. I must remedy this. I stupidly asked (at 3 months) if he's walking, not really thinking much other than that's the sorta stuff you ask. I got laughed at, deservedly. But what do I know about babies? Anyway, turns out it will be a major victory when he can roll over. Been trying for about a month. It almost happened yesterday and immediately there was a video camera - Tamam claims it's for the grandparents.
Yesterday, many of Tamam's cousins all gathered for dinner, and it was a stunning revelation - the week of partying last year (last three days worth aside) was only a slightly embellished version of real life for them over here. I had that Great Gatsby feeling again last night, as there were various appetizers and then a huge dinner spread and 20 people for "no occasion, just dinner." I felt kinda bad too, since I've been in hostel mode, and I've been thinking about saving money and eating cheap, and spent a while (while describing my Dubai experience mostly) talking about that to Tamam. I think I gave the impression I was in dire straits, when it's really just mode hostel life puts you in. Ah well.
The night was fun though. Lots of good food, and I got reintroduced to all sorts of people I met a year ago. I actually met every single one a year ago, and recognized a fair bit, but didn't remember names, and they didn't mine, so all was well. Tonight will be a joint birthday party between Tamam's sister Galia and her friend. We were at last year's birthday party too. I'm amused. Should be good times.
Anyway, Jawad's incredibly cute, with long thin feet and lots of spit bubbles, but I have not yet gotten to take more than one picture. I must remedy this. I stupidly asked (at 3 months) if he's walking, not really thinking much other than that's the sorta stuff you ask. I got laughed at, deservedly. But what do I know about babies? Anyway, turns out it will be a major victory when he can roll over. Been trying for about a month. It almost happened yesterday and immediately there was a video camera - Tamam claims it's for the grandparents.
Yesterday, many of Tamam's cousins all gathered for dinner, and it was a stunning revelation - the week of partying last year (last three days worth aside) was only a slightly embellished version of real life for them over here. I had that Great Gatsby feeling again last night, as there were various appetizers and then a huge dinner spread and 20 people for "no occasion, just dinner." I felt kinda bad too, since I've been in hostel mode, and I've been thinking about saving money and eating cheap, and spent a while (while describing my Dubai experience mostly) talking about that to Tamam. I think I gave the impression I was in dire straits, when it's really just mode hostel life puts you in. Ah well.
The night was fun though. Lots of good food, and I got reintroduced to all sorts of people I met a year ago. I actually met every single one a year ago, and recognized a fair bit, but didn't remember names, and they didn't mine, so all was well. Tonight will be a joint birthday party between Tamam's sister Galia and her friend. We were at last year's birthday party too. I'm amused. Should be good times.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Dubai or not Dubai, that is the question.
Ok, so Dubai wasn't as bad as I originally thought. Once you get used to the heat and get into town it has redeeming qualities. I figure one day, I'll come back with someone(s) and more money and not in summer and I'll really enjoy it. The problem is the hostel was just a cheap place to stay, not a friendly hostel, socially the worst I've been in, regardless of the great amenities (pool, gym, billiards room), and it was 25 min from any part of town. When I moved to a hotel downtown, walked around, and saw the Dubai Museum, I felt better about it.
Also, my last night there I did a Desert Safari, which includes dune-bashing (driving around fast in a Jeep on dunes), a traditional Arabic BBQ, a camel ride, and belly-dancing. Well, I got queasy from the motion of the dune bashing, the sand boarding (think snowboarding on dunes) was left out because we were picked up an hour late, waited 1/2 an hour for more people to show up, and then had to fix both a flat and the engine overheating. So of our "6 hour trip", we got 2. Once again, something that, like the rest of Dubai, I could see being good, but not this time. Oh, and due to haze, we couldn't even see stars in the desert. Sad.
Ah well, I'm in Jordan now.
Also, my last night there I did a Desert Safari, which includes dune-bashing (driving around fast in a Jeep on dunes), a traditional Arabic BBQ, a camel ride, and belly-dancing. Well, I got queasy from the motion of the dune bashing, the sand boarding (think snowboarding on dunes) was left out because we were picked up an hour late, waited 1/2 an hour for more people to show up, and then had to fix both a flat and the engine overheating. So of our "6 hour trip", we got 2. Once again, something that, like the rest of Dubai, I could see being good, but not this time. Oh, and due to haze, we couldn't even see stars in the desert. Sad.
Ah well, I'm in Jordan now.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
You can live in Dubai without millions, but it's not recommended.
Dubai sucks. I'm definitely lonelier than I've been in a long time as the hostel is miles from town and they're rude and stupid and no one quite speaks English. I had to leave my key and I got back last night after experiencing Dubai's "night life" to find they only had four keys to a five bed room and gave mine away. They offered to open another room and I could get my stuff the next day. I was fucking pissed, and eventually got a key to another room and moved my shit out. Dubai sucks ass. I'm gonna call the airline and try to go to Jordan early. Not sure what I'm gonna do there either though, but at least I can hang out with Tamam.
So, here is Dubai - everything is far apart, and it the buses are ungodly slow. Everything's a $15 taxi ride from everything else, but that's preferable to the 2.25 hours on buses last night to get to the club (that in the end didn't exist!). 2 hours and 15 minutes! We never left the city, and there was no traffic. The bus driver did run into a restaurant and grab a drink, and we did have to change buses and wait like 1/2 an hour for the bus to leave the depot though.
Anyway, yesterday I did at least meet someone to hang out with - a Swiss girl with whom I didn't have much conversation except in short bursts. Maybe it's because we were both hot and tired though. She was smart enough to only have a layover in Dubai, not a few days. So now I'm alone. But it was definitely more fun going out with her last night, cuz nothing would have worked if I were by myself, and taxi rides are twice as much.
So, Dubai night life. Weird, by any account. First, alcohol is mostly illegal here, and all the bars/clubs are in hotels. You can't buy alcohol outside a bar. So, last night we ride our 2.5 hours to a 5 star hotel to find out that the club we wanted closed three months ago. Luckily, it is a 5-star hotel, so we go to the concierge. He informs us more about Dubai nightlife, how it's constantly changing and there are all sorts of rules. There are lots of member-only nightclubs and some couples only. He was trying to call one of those for us, but it ended up being closed. (I guess for couples only they just want equal numbers I guess, and no one hitting on anyone? I dunno.) So he called a bunch of places, and it turns out most of Dubai's nightclubs are closed on the weeekend. Well, our weekend, but most importantly Saturday night. Allow me to repeat that for effect. Most clubs are CLOSED Saturday night. So after 15-20 min, he found one for us to go go to that had a 100 AED ($28 or so) entry fee. We asked for a cheaper one. He told us about a mid-level place and we caught a cab.
Getting to the Rattle Snake was about the point when I realized Dubai can probably be fun, but only if you really do not blink at high prices. We blinked. And then blinked again. And blinked a third time to really clear our eyes of a shithole bar that looks like somewhere out of East Texas, and with a 50 AED ($14) cover, 71AED ($19) Red Bull/vodkas and no women except the band and prostitues. Blink blink. Prostitutes everywhere! This was the bar we PAID to get into... Some of them looked like men, too, which was surprising for this part of the world...the whole thing was pretty gross for a night out. Sigh. So we got drunk and listened to the band (mostly 80's covers and the women were actually pretty decent singers) and caught a 67 AED cab home at 3, at which point I found I had no room and no key.
Dubai in the daytime (becoming a long post, but I have hours to kill): The majestic city I imagined simply does not exist. First, most of the stuff they're planning is still just that - plans. Dubai holds the world record for cranes per capita. Seriously, the skyline is just yellow machines in all directions. And in the summer everything is hazy and gross, so you can't even see the tall buildings from far away, even if the coser cranes weren't in your way. Anyway, because it's all spread out, there's not really a skyline to look at per se, just a lot of tall buildings with $20 cab rides between. We did stop by the 7 star hotel last night, near the nightclub that wasn't, but they won't let you in - there are guards. You need a reservation at the spa or something at least to get in. We also went to the hugest mall I've ever been in (the one with the ski slope), and that was pretty cool (literally as well), but still far. The mall is laid out in a grid with these little circles everywhere. The coolest part is that on each of the circles, there is a coffee shop. There were maybe 50 differnt coffee shops in total. There were at least three Starbucks, and even a Seattle's Best! Also a Borders (which did not actually contain the Seattle's Best, but rather a Bucks) and they can expect a visit from me as I burn through my stack of books here. The Ski Dubai thing was pretty interesting, and the only real thing picture worthy that I've seen, but I just kept thinking of the amount of energy needed to run that in this disgusting heat. It was depressing. The kids looked like they were having fun though.
Anyway, basically Dubai is worse than I could have imagined. Not only is there nothing to do, but you have to pay $20 to get there. Hopefully I can get out before I go mad.
So, here is Dubai - everything is far apart, and it the buses are ungodly slow. Everything's a $15 taxi ride from everything else, but that's preferable to the 2.25 hours on buses last night to get to the club (that in the end didn't exist!). 2 hours and 15 minutes! We never left the city, and there was no traffic. The bus driver did run into a restaurant and grab a drink, and we did have to change buses and wait like 1/2 an hour for the bus to leave the depot though.
Anyway, yesterday I did at least meet someone to hang out with - a Swiss girl with whom I didn't have much conversation except in short bursts. Maybe it's because we were both hot and tired though. She was smart enough to only have a layover in Dubai, not a few days. So now I'm alone. But it was definitely more fun going out with her last night, cuz nothing would have worked if I were by myself, and taxi rides are twice as much.
So, Dubai night life. Weird, by any account. First, alcohol is mostly illegal here, and all the bars/clubs are in hotels. You can't buy alcohol outside a bar. So, last night we ride our 2.5 hours to a 5 star hotel to find out that the club we wanted closed three months ago. Luckily, it is a 5-star hotel, so we go to the concierge. He informs us more about Dubai nightlife, how it's constantly changing and there are all sorts of rules. There are lots of member-only nightclubs and some couples only. He was trying to call one of those for us, but it ended up being closed. (I guess for couples only they just want equal numbers I guess, and no one hitting on anyone? I dunno.) So he called a bunch of places, and it turns out most of Dubai's nightclubs are closed on the weeekend. Well, our weekend, but most importantly Saturday night. Allow me to repeat that for effect. Most clubs are CLOSED Saturday night. So after 15-20 min, he found one for us to go go to that had a 100 AED ($28 or so) entry fee. We asked for a cheaper one. He told us about a mid-level place and we caught a cab.
Getting to the Rattle Snake was about the point when I realized Dubai can probably be fun, but only if you really do not blink at high prices. We blinked. And then blinked again. And blinked a third time to really clear our eyes of a shithole bar that looks like somewhere out of East Texas, and with a 50 AED ($14) cover, 71AED ($19) Red Bull/vodkas and no women except the band and prostitues. Blink blink. Prostitutes everywhere! This was the bar we PAID to get into... Some of them looked like men, too, which was surprising for this part of the world...the whole thing was pretty gross for a night out. Sigh. So we got drunk and listened to the band (mostly 80's covers and the women were actually pretty decent singers) and caught a 67 AED cab home at 3, at which point I found I had no room and no key.
Dubai in the daytime (becoming a long post, but I have hours to kill): The majestic city I imagined simply does not exist. First, most of the stuff they're planning is still just that - plans. Dubai holds the world record for cranes per capita. Seriously, the skyline is just yellow machines in all directions. And in the summer everything is hazy and gross, so you can't even see the tall buildings from far away, even if the coser cranes weren't in your way. Anyway, because it's all spread out, there's not really a skyline to look at per se, just a lot of tall buildings with $20 cab rides between. We did stop by the 7 star hotel last night, near the nightclub that wasn't, but they won't let you in - there are guards. You need a reservation at the spa or something at least to get in. We also went to the hugest mall I've ever been in (the one with the ski slope), and that was pretty cool (literally as well), but still far. The mall is laid out in a grid with these little circles everywhere. The coolest part is that on each of the circles, there is a coffee shop. There were maybe 50 differnt coffee shops in total. There were at least three Starbucks, and even a Seattle's Best! Also a Borders (which did not actually contain the Seattle's Best, but rather a Bucks) and they can expect a visit from me as I burn through my stack of books here. The Ski Dubai thing was pretty interesting, and the only real thing picture worthy that I've seen, but I just kept thinking of the amount of energy needed to run that in this disgusting heat. It was depressing. The kids looked like they were having fun though.
Anyway, basically Dubai is worse than I could have imagined. Not only is there nothing to do, but you have to pay $20 to get there. Hopefully I can get out before I go mad.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
