On the Banks of the Jordan...

Goodness.

What a trip.

Are there even words to describe Jordan with?

We spent our first three days in Amman. The capital city of Jordan was mightily unexplored by our group. We spent most of our time in the residence we stayed in. We did manage to at least walk around every night, and got out via taxis on two nights. However, I feel as though I know nothing of Amman.

Although, on our way out, we did get to visit the beautiful King Abdullah Mosque. It's obvious contrast to the mosques of Turkey piqued my curiosity and made me enjoy it's architecture perhaps more than is warranted.

That's a lot of little blue tiles...

As we packed up from Amman, there was something of a weight lifted off my shoulders. Dana and I had panned the entire 10 days of our groups' time in Jordan - which of course made me want to deliver the best product that I could. The lectures in Amman were definitely the part that was most on our backs. They went so well - the students all appreciated them and the speakers enjoyed talking.

But after Amman, it was basically all on the tour company's back.

And man did they deliver.

The Dead Sea

OK... This place is crazy.

I have never felt like I did wading in the waters of this sea. It's completely inexplicable. I spent most of my time on my back, and laughing. It's just such an absurd feeling, you can't help but laugh!

Naturally, it took about 1.5 minutes for the guys to lost their trunks.

Yup, I'm proud to say that I carried on Chris's legacy and swam nekkid in the Dead Sea.

Petra by Night

We drove from the Dead Sea to Petra and got in just at dusk. The valley - Wadi Musa (meaning Valley of Moses) - was lit in deep reds and browns as the sun set.

At 8:30 we made our way into the Petra complex, following only the light of candles laid along the pathway.

It made the whole experience so mysterious - climbing through a canyon complex that you have never been to, only by what's visible from small candles and the full moon's light.

Epic is the word.

Petra

I have wanted to see Petra since I first discovered that it was a real place after watching Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

I had imagined riding down the canyon on horseback into a vast opening with the Treasury exploding into view in all of its glory.

I wasn't disappointed.

Well, minus the horse. There were none of those.

Choose Wisely.

What I didn't know was that this is only one small small part of Petra. We got here by noon and hiked the rest of the afternoon throughout the massive Petra complex. This is by far the most massive and impressive archaeological site I've ever been to.

When you think "meh... that's the least impressive four-story-high-ancient-tomb-carved-into-the-canyon-wall-two-thousand-years-ago I've seen today" you are spoiled.

Wadi Rum

The next day we drove to Wadi Rum to spend two nights camping with the Bedouin.

Come. On.

This is the section of the desert that T.E. Lawrence settle down in and explored/fought for in the early 1900s.

I'm not sure it's changed much since then.

We began our Bedouin adventure witha two hour camel ride. Yup. I've become a master camel rider in the past week.

The Caravan...

Our Fearless Leader

What I Saw.

No Problem for Dana.

Happy Joe Young.

 We arrived at our camp after those two back-numbing hours and then spent the next day and a half wandering, jeeping, and climbing around Wadi Rum.

I felt so at home in the desert.

Who would have thought?

I already miss the feeling of sand, the Bedouin tea and music, the awe-inspiring sunsets, the way-too-dangerous rock climbing, and the pace of desert life.

See you soon Wadi Rum...

Biblical Sites

After leaving the desert, we made it to Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan.

Where John baptized Jesus.

Woah.

Not sure I can capture what it felt like to dip my feet into the Jordan where Jesus' (probably) dipped his, other than to say that it was mysteriously amazing.

Then, to Mt. Nebo, where Moses caught his glimpse of the long-awaited Promised Land and finally rested his weary feet forever.

It was so chilling to look into Israel from where Moses did and know that I was going to complete the journey he never could.

Which is exactly what I did the next day.

Making Drake Proud...

How do you chart your travels?

This is my new favorite technique.

:)

Cyrillic is a really fun script. I love it.

Mapping the journey...

This was one heck of a day (see below).

Oy... Massive task ahead. I'll get you yet Arabic!

April 1, 2012

3:30 AM  - Wake up. Groggy. Smile, cause this is the last time I will wake up in the annoying dorms at Yeditepe University.

4:00 AM  - Get on the bus. Run around herding the students into the bus. Feel terrible as it is breaking hearts on both sides of the car doors.

4:15 AM  - Cross the Bosphorus Bridge from Asia into Europe. Frown, because it hits me that this is the last time I will be in Istanbul until who-knows-when. Recognize that I love this city.

4:45 AM  - Get to Atatürk airport and try to check-in. There is no one from Turkish Air at group check-in. Uh oh.

5:25 AM  - Still no one. Don't Panic. Where's my towel?

5:45  - Finally she shows up and tries to expedite our check-in. This technique kinda works.

6:05  - Get passport stamped.

6:10  - Begin running to gate.

6:20  - Still running.

6:30  - Gate in sight. Still running.

6:40  - Get on plane for our schedules 6:45 take-off. Phew.

7:15  - Plane takes off. Birds on the runway keep us taxiing for far too long on the tarmac.

7:20  - Watch the sunrise over Istanbul. Officially miss it for the first time. That didn't take long...

8:45(Egyptian Time)  - Land in Cairo, Egypt, Africa (counting the continents?)

9:00  - Get passport stamped (#2).

9:45  - Hop on tour bus.

10:05  - Cross the river Nile. Think: 'Woah... I'm in Egypt.'

10:15  - Realize that Cairo isn't at all how I imagined it. Officially give up on thinking that I can try to transliterate any of the signs.

10:30  - Get to the Great Pyramids at Giza. Say "This is SO surreal!" for the first of at least 100 times that day.

10:45  - Climb all over the stones. Obligatory. Get caught in sandstorm of epic proportions. Perfect setting.

10:50  - Get back on bus, drive to panorama shot. Remember to get in a few photos. Proof.

11:10  - Take a bunch of pictures at the Sphinx. This is pretty awesome.

11:35  - Herd cats...er...students back onto bus. 

12:00 PM  - Cross back over the Nile. Still can't believe where I am.

12:20  - Start to process Cairo. Fail to understand the terrain - so much sand.

13:00  - Return to airport. Easy and successful check-in.

13:05  - See Sarah Iskander. Talk separated by glass wall. Feel particularly like I'm incarcerated.

13:30  - Get passport stamped (#3).

13:50  - Get told that since we put together Jordan, we are calling all the shots. For the next 10 days, we are the Program Directors. DON'T PANIC. Start clutching said towel...

14:30  - Take off from Cairo. Watch as we ascend in the sandstorm. Surface from the storm at about 20,000 feet. It was this serene picture of a horizon created by the sandstorm, dotted with huge clouds on top of it, and a stunning look at the full moon in broad daylight. It felt kinda like this:

That said, I have never in my life felt like Keanu Reeves. 

16:00  - Land in Amman, Jordan, Middle East, Asia (full-continental-circle).

16:30  - Drive through a city that feels how I imagined the Middle East would feel. 

17:15  -  Check into our residence for the nest four nights. 

19:00  - Mind melts from complete overload.

General Will...

So what if it's a little sappy?

This is how the people can share their voice with their governments. It's movements that will shape the future. Don't believe me? Take a look at how many Congressmen and women are suddenly aware of who Joseph Kony is.

Government's do listen.

The people finally have the tools to make their words echo in the halls of politicians.

And this is just the kind of thing that should be shouted:

Life is Good Today (Part 3)...

... And that was just Saturday...

On Sunday we went out to celebrate Jenna Fikes' birthday.

Her and I had both been really excited to try this bar that we had found on spottedbylocals.com.

The place is called Karga, and it looked cool.

Little did we know that we had found the best bar in Istanbul.

Of course, the first requirement for a gem is that it is advertised very little. Check. This place doesn't have a sign, an ad, or even writing letting you know you've found it.

Instead, there is simply a little logo above the door:

It opens up into an old, converted four-story bar. At the entrence is a DJ booth lined with CDs from a huge variety of genres (Radiohead was the choice when we were there). Every floor has it's own mini bar, and is pock-marked by random assortments of tables, chairs, artwork, and unique lighting.

It's simply fantastic. It's what every bar should aspire to become.

And they had Guinness on tap. Got my St. Patty's Day in, after all.

Sláinte.

Life is Good Today (Part 2)...

...And that was just Friday.

Obviously, after that day/night we all slept in a bit for a later start.  

We got going and again took the long trek from our dorm to Sultanahmet. Today, we were going shopping.

See, normally, I'm not a big shopping guy. But there's this place in Istanbul that makes the act really fun. This place is called the Grand Bazaar.

Credit where it is due: Anadolia.com

I mean, when that: 

<---

is one of the over 20 gates to your mall, you're doing something right.

We were smart enough to limit our time in the bazaar to an hour and a half, because if you don't do something like this, then you're lucky to leave that place with anything left in your wallet.

In my three visits to the Kapalı Çarşı this trip I have come away with: gifts for my entire immediate family, a new meerschaum pipe, a  handmade turkish coffee set, a gorgeous framed Iznik tile, all of that ancient money from previous posts, and my show of devotion for one of the Istanbul football clubs.

What a perfect segue way.

We left at a certain time because we didn't want to miss the start of the game.

On Saturday, two of the three soccer teams located in Istanbul played each other.  

 Normally, there are giant crowds of rowdies collected at spots in their neighborhoods. 

Normally, the city slows to a halt in the neighborhood where the game is being played.

Normally, this is a big deal.

But, this was no normal game.

Oh, no. You see, the two teams that were playing are also the number 1 and number 2 teams in the Süper Lig standings.

This was a HUGE deal. 

Which meant that despite starting our search an hour and a half before game time, we couldn't find a single bar on the European side of the city that had seats for all nine people with us. 

We walked around until just before game time.

Then, crunch time came and the four of us who truly wanted to watch the match decided to camp outside one of our favorite spots and watch the game through the windows.

It was awesome. 

We ended up standing on the street cheering with about 30 other diehards from both clubs - going to the corner store for a can of beer, or getting a bag of popcorn from the street vendor who came by with his cart.

I've never had this much fun watching a soccer game. Add to it that the game was spectacular, with three of the prettiest goals I've ever seen, and you've got a perfect night.

Life is Good Today (Pt. 1)...

Sometimes you just have to archive a weekend. Because it's that fantastic.

This is what we call a good old fashioned update.

Friday, March 16 2012

-We finished up our last day of classes and I rejoiced. Lectures done. We made it. 

I've left these days full of classes utterly exhausted. I'm not entirely sure of why.

Perhaps is the length or type of lecture.

More likely it's due to the strange chi that envelopes our dorm building that makes true and actual rest impossible.

Sleep is uncommon enough, but rest? Well that's just out of the question.

So, per usual, I spent the walk back from class debating, do I go into town with some people, or take a nap?

I was so tempted to take a few hours off. 

I am SO glad I didn't.

-Hopped on the bus/ferry into town with Peter, Joe, Keaton, and Sam (boys night out?) just in time to see this:

Ferry with the silhouette of Sultanahmet in the background (Ⓒ Keaton Hudson).

COME. ON. 

How gorgeous is that view?

I'm already missing this city. And I haven't even left. I wonder what the implications of that are...

-We spent the whole ferry ride tossing bits of bread up in the air and watching the gulls catch them in their mouths. Some things to learn from this:

-Birds would make unbelievable wide-receivers/outfielders.

-We are far too easily amused. And that's just fine with me.

-Immediately we headed to the New Mosque. New... as in finished in 1663. 110 years before America was founded, and they call this place the NEW mosque. It's true what they say, Middle Easterners have long memories.

An excellent Ottoman mosque, the Yeni Camii offers a fantastic break from the supremely touristy Blue Mosque while still showing off Mimar Sinan's incredible style. Observe:

Boy. I wish that Istanbul had some pretty things to see... (Ⓒ Keaton Hudson)

-Then, we raced through the Egyptian Spice Bazaar and up the hill to the Suleymaniye Mosque. You see, we were really worried that we wouldn't make it before the call to prayer went off at sunset and we would be barred from entering.

Well, we made it in time. 

And I didn't catch my breath for an hour.

This is, by far, the most amazing, reverent, wonderful mosque I have ever seen. It's daring in its architecture, and yet surprisingly simple. Maybe that is what made it so spectacular. Here's a "doesn't-do-it-justice"still photo and video clip:

Please forgive the shakey-cam.

Not only did we make it in time, we were allowed to stay for the entire prayer. Talk about an experience. That's something that every person should get a chance to witness. We didn't say a word for a half-hour, and that was absolutely A-OK.

-After the prayer, we walked outside. And it just kept being breath-taking...

Can you ever imagine something like this just becoming "normal"? 'Oh that? That's just my mosque, no big deal.'

Mükemmel. 

 There was also this:

Nothing special, just an extremely vivid shot of Jupiter and Venus highlighting one of the minarets lit-up in dramatic fashion.

-We left the mosque and headed down the hill for a bite to eat and then to a nargile cafe. Oh, but not a typical nargile cafe.

As we walked down a street for the second time, Keaton said 'I know it was on this street!' Just then, one of the restaurant hawkers, whom we had been ignoring brazenly, got even bolder. He approached us trying to get us into his joint. Finally, we asked him if he knew where the "Cistern Bar" was.

'That's my bar!' It's right here! We've done some construction recently...' He exclaims pointing at a newly concreted spot in the wall. Then, he leads us through one of the restaurants windows, because, obviously, the door had been sealed up for no apparent reason.

We hunched through the window and immediately found exactly what we were looking for:

The entire bar is a converted cistern, each room an ancient underground Byzantine water holder.

I don't often use the word 'epic', but, come on, this is epic.
Please note the ideal range of facial expressions.

-We hung around the bar so long that we missed the ferry back to Asia, and none of us cared. Nothing could get us down on this night.

You know, every so often (read: like once every two days) I have a moment that makes me stop and think 'this is my job!' And then I remember how incredibly blessed I am. 

This is our night-capping view. Hello, beautiful.

The Road Goes Ever On and On...

So, this is what happens when I get into a little creative frenzy and have a few hours on my hands...

Maps have always been something of a passion of mine, so I've decided to physically map out some of my travels. 

This one is pretty fun.

As I visit a country, I'm filling it in with it's flag.

Makes me feel super thankful for where I've been blessed to go,

and really hungry to keep on walkin'...

Upwards and onwards, I guess,

Please kindly ignore the random line of red in Romania, the phantom Krakow location, and the (I'm really embarrassed about this) misspelled Deutschland...

Next on the list?

⃞          Jordan

⃞            Israel

⃞       Palestine

⃞     Lebanon?

⃞          Egypt?

⃞     Hungary?

⃞     Romania?

⃞     Moldova?

⃞ Transnistria?

⃞       Ukraine?

Checks, please!