If you scroll down a little further you'll see I managed to get some photos up. They aren't the most recent shots, because those are mostly blurry, die to some recent troubles my lens has been giving me. But atleast I was able to get some pics online for everyone viewing pleasure. It helps that I am at a great hostel in Berlin with some nice computes with card readers, free Internet, fast computers, etc. The hostel also has ping pong, foose ball, bikes, 1 euro beer, movies, video games, books. And its in a huge park a few miles from the city. The staff is actually helpful, too. Which is a change from some of the recent places I've stayed.
Now I'll turn my attention back to Prague, where I have wandered around for the past few days. And after careful consideration of what to compare Prague to. I have come up the Playboy Mansion. Because everything is too perfect. You think to yourself that it cant be real. Are all this buildings really this stylish and classic? Much like you'd say while walking the grounds of the mansion, are these girls really from this planet?
It seemed like Prage was too good to be true, there was zero trash in the tourist quarter/old city. All the flowers were blossoming, all the streets were cobbled. Much like at the mansion where all the girls are bosomy and stunning...though usually not real. And I like my cities a little more real, this place just seemed to perfect, not gritty enough. It was like it was just made for tour groups to stroll through for the day and dine at overpriced restaurants and visit over priced museums.
I mainly wandered the cobbled streets in the day, looking at the free galleries, and most of all looking to find cool bars to visit later that evening. I believe I suceeded in my mission, I consumed a variety of tasty lagers and darker beers in my 3 days in town. From the standard Pilsner Urquell to some local micro brews with coffee and lime flavors. They have some very nice bars, once youget away from the main square. Even though the exchange rate has hurt the US dollar and Prague is a little more pricey than a few years ago, you're still only paying 2 dollars for a 500ml beer. You wont find that anywhere west of Prague in Europe.
If I do return someday, It won't be in August, and it will be with a student ID card. You get half off admission into all the attarctions, churches, museums, etc. And if I return, hopefully I will be a little more motivated. At the moment I can't stand the crowds and the constant shelling out of money to see some church or museum that I'm not completely interested in, or for that matter I don't know if most of the attractions are even worth the money.
Friday, August 14, 2009
PICTURES!!!
Taking the plunge in Croatia
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Blue Mosque, Istanbul
Muscle pickers on the shore of the Marmares Sea, Istanbul
Trail dog, fagaras Mountains, Romania.
Mountains of Montenegro.
Ahh, Back to the Hindu Kush, in Chitral, Pakistan.
Mostar Bridge, Bosnia.
Biking On Korcula, Croatia.
Monday, August 10, 2009
I see the light at the end of the tunnel...and I like it.
Once again I have tried to pt some photos online, and once again I have been stymied by terrible computers and internet cafes. the next time I travel i am getting one of those net books. You can have free wifi everywhere and you can avoid the debacle of power cuts and slow computers that afflict internet cafes the world over.
I have some free tome today so i have been trying unsuccessfully to upload pictures, but also using the internet to reserve and organize the rest of the trip. Believe it or not, I only have 9 days remaining of on a journey that began over 7 months ago in the cold dreariness of January.
It goes against my style and ethos of travel to make a bunch of reservations, but after suffering the consequences of showing up in a busy city at the height of tourist season I have decided to make it easier on my self, eliminate the searching and the stress and book accommodation in Prague, as well as booking a bus to and from Berlin. Some recent examples of the lack of planing backfiring were in split and in Budapest. each time I had no accommodation booked and ended up autise of town in some temporary hostels that weer actually college dorms. They weer all and, comfy beds and all, but not hostel feel where you meet other people, plus they weer a good walk or bus ride from the heart of town. And this morning I tried to geta bus to Prague, when i showed up at the bus it was full, thus giving me 7 hours of free time until the departure of the next bus which I was able to secure a ticket for. You may be wondering, why the bus, I thought everyone took trains in Europe, well I found a student bus company which is half the price of the train , and faster, therefore, I take the bus.
since I left the little slice of heaven that is Korcula Island in Croatia I have visited Ptitvice lakes in Croatia. Beautiful place, but was to many people. to walk around the boardwalks was like a shopping mall a he day before Christmas. Plus my camera battery died so i couldn't get many shots in.
Here is photo of the Plitvice lakes. it is very similar geologically to Havasupai falls and Semuc Champay in Guatemala. A collection of travertine lakes and turquoise water.
After Plitvice it was quick stop in Zagreb to catch a train to Budapest. I thought I would have to wait 3 hours for the 1 am bus, but I was mistaken and I would have to wait 7 hours for the train that departed at the charming time of 5am. A sane person actually would have found a hotel or abed and booked the 10am train, but m a little nuts at the moment. I booked the 5am train, then promptly bought a liter of beer and headed for the park. I decided the park was little sketchy, so I wandered the empty streets until i found A dark spot between the road, the rail tracks and the building where the railway workers took their place. i snuck in the back through a busted fence. I knew I would be safe their, since there was a guard at the from entrance, though I think he was keeping an eye on the government building next door. I was able to catch a few Z.s before the train departed and was undisturbed by security or vagabond Croatian street walkers. I'm glad i chose the spot because the train ride was an oven. Ill never under stand public transport the world over, they crank up the heat for no reason, then when its cold, they will turn on the AC. Rarely is the AC on when its need and vice versa for the heat.
As I mentioned earlier, I'm in Budapest, Hungary at the moment. Sleeping in the University dorms. Not all bad, only one roommate, and he was a cool fella from Denmark that I met on the train. And the dorm was across the street from a outdoor club that played music till 6am. We stayed until 5am, when the sun was on its way up. We spent the last couple of days wandering and hiking the streets of Budapest. Taking in all the amazing architecture and culture of this city. Id love to show pictures, but as mentioned before, no dice. But a quick description would be... A huge palace on one side of the Danube, as well as some museums and more of the old city. This is the Buda side, while across the river, on the Pest side is the parliament building, more of the bars shops and hotels. We checked out some top notch museums here. Especially the terror museum, talking about the Russian and Communist regime that had a hold of Hungary from the second world war, until 1990.
Royal Palace, Budapest.
Budapest is a great city, but a little difficult for the traveler and much different from the other European cities I have visited. It is pretty big, with a great transit system. and it spread out. so you really have to know where to go, as far as night life and culture. All the Local people take public transport everywhere so you rarely see people walking. There is an amazing open air bar and hangout spot right down town where you can order beers, wine and coffee and sit in the park or on the benches with your friends. its super relaxed. It something you would never see in America. A bunch people buying cheap beers, siting down and relaxing, all of it legal and with out problems and police supervision. I the center of the park there is stair case down to an open pavilion with tables, art work and chill music.
There is a lot to see on foot though, just wandering the city near the river, comparing all the old building with their rich details to the mono looking buildings you see in most cities. Ive never seen so many huge statues in a city either. So Budapest is definitively a hot spot and worth a few days. Maybe next time ill rent a bike to see all the sights.
On my way to Prague now, and only one more stop after that. Looking forward to a break in travel when I get home in a couple weeks.
I have some free tome today so i have been trying unsuccessfully to upload pictures, but also using the internet to reserve and organize the rest of the trip. Believe it or not, I only have 9 days remaining of on a journey that began over 7 months ago in the cold dreariness of January.
It goes against my style and ethos of travel to make a bunch of reservations, but after suffering the consequences of showing up in a busy city at the height of tourist season I have decided to make it easier on my self, eliminate the searching and the stress and book accommodation in Prague, as well as booking a bus to and from Berlin. Some recent examples of the lack of planing backfiring were in split and in Budapest. each time I had no accommodation booked and ended up autise of town in some temporary hostels that weer actually college dorms. They weer all and, comfy beds and all, but not hostel feel where you meet other people, plus they weer a good walk or bus ride from the heart of town. And this morning I tried to geta bus to Prague, when i showed up at the bus it was full, thus giving me 7 hours of free time until the departure of the next bus which I was able to secure a ticket for. You may be wondering, why the bus, I thought everyone took trains in Europe, well I found a student bus company which is half the price of the train , and faster, therefore, I take the bus.
since I left the little slice of heaven that is Korcula Island in Croatia I have visited Ptitvice lakes in Croatia. Beautiful place, but was to many people. to walk around the boardwalks was like a shopping mall a he day before Christmas. Plus my camera battery died so i couldn't get many shots in.
Here is photo of the Plitvice lakes. it is very similar geologically to Havasupai falls and Semuc Champay in Guatemala. A collection of travertine lakes and turquoise water.
After Plitvice it was quick stop in Zagreb to catch a train to Budapest. I thought I would have to wait 3 hours for the 1 am bus, but I was mistaken and I would have to wait 7 hours for the train that departed at the charming time of 5am. A sane person actually would have found a hotel or abed and booked the 10am train, but m a little nuts at the moment. I booked the 5am train, then promptly bought a liter of beer and headed for the park. I decided the park was little sketchy, so I wandered the empty streets until i found A dark spot between the road, the rail tracks and the building where the railway workers took their place. i snuck in the back through a busted fence. I knew I would be safe their, since there was a guard at the from entrance, though I think he was keeping an eye on the government building next door. I was able to catch a few Z.s before the train departed and was undisturbed by security or vagabond Croatian street walkers. I'm glad i chose the spot because the train ride was an oven. Ill never under stand public transport the world over, they crank up the heat for no reason, then when its cold, they will turn on the AC. Rarely is the AC on when its need and vice versa for the heat.
As I mentioned earlier, I'm in Budapest, Hungary at the moment. Sleeping in the University dorms. Not all bad, only one roommate, and he was a cool fella from Denmark that I met on the train. And the dorm was across the street from a outdoor club that played music till 6am. We stayed until 5am, when the sun was on its way up. We spent the last couple of days wandering and hiking the streets of Budapest. Taking in all the amazing architecture and culture of this city. Id love to show pictures, but as mentioned before, no dice. But a quick description would be... A huge palace on one side of the Danube, as well as some museums and more of the old city. This is the Buda side, while across the river, on the Pest side is the parliament building, more of the bars shops and hotels. We checked out some top notch museums here. Especially the terror museum, talking about the Russian and Communist regime that had a hold of Hungary from the second world war, until 1990.
Royal Palace, Budapest.
Budapest is a great city, but a little difficult for the traveler and much different from the other European cities I have visited. It is pretty big, with a great transit system. and it spread out. so you really have to know where to go, as far as night life and culture. All the Local people take public transport everywhere so you rarely see people walking. There is an amazing open air bar and hangout spot right down town where you can order beers, wine and coffee and sit in the park or on the benches with your friends. its super relaxed. It something you would never see in America. A bunch people buying cheap beers, siting down and relaxing, all of it legal and with out problems and police supervision. I the center of the park there is stair case down to an open pavilion with tables, art work and chill music.
There is a lot to see on foot though, just wandering the city near the river, comparing all the old building with their rich details to the mono looking buildings you see in most cities. Ive never seen so many huge statues in a city either. So Budapest is definitively a hot spot and worth a few days. Maybe next time ill rent a bike to see all the sights.
On my way to Prague now, and only one more stop after that. Looking forward to a break in travel when I get home in a couple weeks.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Croatia, Loving it.
That is a photo of the main town on the island of Korcula, where i spent the last week swimming in the Adriatic, camping 5 seconds from the beach, dining on delicious home made food and enjoying myself to the highest extent.
I was only planning on spending a couple days on the island, then hopping to another island or two, but I ended up enjoying myself so much that I extended it to almost a week. I had a great campsite in the shade, right on the water and opnly a 20 minute walk to town. The whole island was super chill. It didnt have the feeling that it was over ran by tourists at all. Even though it started to get busy by the time I departed. I was expecting more noise and sleaze, but it was just peace. One Austrian I met while having a beer at the beach in Lumbarda said it like this. This is paradise, pointing to the ground, and that is Europe, pointing to the mainland. Even though it was wealthier than normal Croatia it didnt seem condescending or pretentious. Us bums and backpackers could wander relax with the rest of the locals.
After almost 7 months of pretty rough travel, this was the first time that I felt like I was on vacation. This came to me when I was drinking a beer with some local guys at a small beach a few kilometers from town, with some Bob marley playing in the background. These guys I met also had a restaurant in the town of Pupnat which they said I should check out. It was little hard to get to since it was 10k from camp, but I made it after one scary ride in a VW rabbit that i hitched a ride from. It was definitially worth the trip. I went on a saturday, which happened to be the celebration of the year in Pupnat, complete with local folk dancing with the whole clothes get up of wool socks pulled up to the knee, black trousers, red vest and big swords. The dancing was followed by copious amounts of drinking by all the locals and dining on a cow that had been roasted all day over hot coals. I didnt dine on the beef, I ate at the restaurant i was invited too. All the food their was locally grown, from the sage and cheese in the ravioli to the tomatoes and onions in the salad. And besides food, they make all their own wines and liquors which they are constantly hoisting onto your table free of charge. It was one of the pricier meals of the trip, but it was delicious and worth the treat.
The next few days were spent with some friendly Croats i met while hitchhiking to the beach. Ante and Narcissa are their names. We explored the island in their car, did some swimming, had a few beers in town and just enjoyed being on island time.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Montenegro and Sarajevo
My travels continue to take me to beautiful places, as well as places that have been ripe with chaos and violence in the past 15 years. My most recent travels have taken me to Bosnia, to the cities of Mostar and Sarajevo, both of which were nearly physically destroyed during the clashes with the Serbs of the early 1990's. When you arrive into Sarajevo on the bus, you pass through Yugoslav era apartment complexes that have bullet holes and mortar shells covering the outer walls. And as you drive further into town you will see it on nearly every building, house, hotel, apartment. Many of the nicest, historical buildings have been remodeled, but homes and apartment buildings still bare the scars of the recent war that killed 11000 Bosnians. I visited a museum a little bit out of town, called the Tunnel museum. It sits on the sight of where the Bosnians built an 800 meter tunnel under the airport as a way of supplying food, medicine oil and other supplies to their people. This helped hold of the Serbs, who had control of nearly all the surrounding hills, until NATO stepped in.
It is a very confusing mess of religions and cultures on the Balkans, but basically I think Serbia was trying to claim land in Bosnia because much of the land was populated with Bosnian Serbs. They ended up with many of the Yugoslav weapons after the break up. But to claim such land they had to slaughter a lot of innocent people and a lot of Muslims as well. As for Serbia and Kosovo I did a little reading to figure out that issue, and it basically goes like this. During ww2 the US and Serbia weer Allies. When the war ended Albania turned into a communist dictatorship, so many of the people fled to nearby Kosovo, which is in southern Serbia. The Albanian way is to reproduce young and reproduce often, so with in 40 years they made up 90% of the population in Kosovo. They must of drove out a bunch of Serbs too. So soon Kosovo was claiming Independence since they were ethnically so Albanian. But Serbia was against that because Kosovo was the heart of Orthodox Serbia for the past 1500 years. The conflict seemed to get bigger and bigger, I'm sure with both sides doing some terrible things to each other. It is easy to look up online and read about some of the atrocities the Serbs did to the Albanians.
Presently Kosovo is recognized by some states as Independent and not by others. From my visit there I was curious about where everyone gets their income. since I read there is 50% unemployment and most people drive very nice cars and all seem young. I discovered that the US alone gives Kosovo, which is the size of Los Angeles, 350 million dollars in 2008. I can understand Serbia's opinion of the US and other foreign countries. They would like them to stay out of their business and let them fight for what they think is theirs. they want to preserve their culture and strengthen their peoples, but it seems they go about doing so in a very violent way. OK enough for today's history lesson.
Tunnel Museum.
The recent violence and scarred buildings hasn't seemed to put a damper on the spirit of Sarajevo though. The cafes and cobblestone streets are full of tourists in the day, and as evening approaches the locals appear and fill up every seat of every cafe sipping strong coffee's in preparation for the summer nights festivities.
Before Bosnia, I was in the mountains of Montenegor, in the stunning Durmitor National Park. I stayed in a small mountain town at a campsite costing 3 euros a night and an owner who enjoyed drinking beer and listening to American rap music, especially the Wu Tang clan, pretty unique for a middle aged MonteNegran.
I did some trekking their, climbing up to the highest point in the park, 2523 meters. But this was no nature walk through the woods. The trail winds it way through the trees, to the tree line at 1600 meters, then up through green valleys full of wildflowers of virtually every size and color. Blues, reds, yellows, etc. Beyond the valleys the trail starts to climb through a couple snowfields and up step limestone rock, which is usually pretty strong, but when its loose and crumbly it can be a little slippery. I would rate this trail on the Pakistan scale. it was not easy. It would have been nice to have a pair of boots, but all I have are my Chacos.
The hike took 8 hours on a hot day, but the views and scenery were amazing. I hiked with some Check guys who I bumped into again in Sarajevo who offered me a place to stay in Prauge, so that was a bonus too.
Durmitor National Park, Montenegro.
Tomorrow I am going to the Croatian coast. it is a place that has been on my must see travel list for some time. But I have my doubts about visiting at this time. It is peak-peak, the prices will be high, the beaches busy, the campgrounds full. I have coming up with a strategy of visiting the islands in the Adriatic and trying to stay at nudist camps. i figure they will have fun people, be secluded and hopefully have a place to pitch a tent( pun intended, no pun intended, I'm not sure.)
It is a very confusing mess of religions and cultures on the Balkans, but basically I think Serbia was trying to claim land in Bosnia because much of the land was populated with Bosnian Serbs. They ended up with many of the Yugoslav weapons after the break up. But to claim such land they had to slaughter a lot of innocent people and a lot of Muslims as well. As for Serbia and Kosovo I did a little reading to figure out that issue, and it basically goes like this. During ww2 the US and Serbia weer Allies. When the war ended Albania turned into a communist dictatorship, so many of the people fled to nearby Kosovo, which is in southern Serbia. The Albanian way is to reproduce young and reproduce often, so with in 40 years they made up 90% of the population in Kosovo. They must of drove out a bunch of Serbs too. So soon Kosovo was claiming Independence since they were ethnically so Albanian. But Serbia was against that because Kosovo was the heart of Orthodox Serbia for the past 1500 years. The conflict seemed to get bigger and bigger, I'm sure with both sides doing some terrible things to each other. It is easy to look up online and read about some of the atrocities the Serbs did to the Albanians.
Presently Kosovo is recognized by some states as Independent and not by others. From my visit there I was curious about where everyone gets their income. since I read there is 50% unemployment and most people drive very nice cars and all seem young. I discovered that the US alone gives Kosovo, which is the size of Los Angeles, 350 million dollars in 2008. I can understand Serbia's opinion of the US and other foreign countries. They would like them to stay out of their business and let them fight for what they think is theirs. they want to preserve their culture and strengthen their peoples, but it seems they go about doing so in a very violent way. OK enough for today's history lesson.
Tunnel Museum.
The recent violence and scarred buildings hasn't seemed to put a damper on the spirit of Sarajevo though. The cafes and cobblestone streets are full of tourists in the day, and as evening approaches the locals appear and fill up every seat of every cafe sipping strong coffee's in preparation for the summer nights festivities.
Before Bosnia, I was in the mountains of Montenegor, in the stunning Durmitor National Park. I stayed in a small mountain town at a campsite costing 3 euros a night and an owner who enjoyed drinking beer and listening to American rap music, especially the Wu Tang clan, pretty unique for a middle aged MonteNegran.
I did some trekking their, climbing up to the highest point in the park, 2523 meters. But this was no nature walk through the woods. The trail winds it way through the trees, to the tree line at 1600 meters, then up through green valleys full of wildflowers of virtually every size and color. Blues, reds, yellows, etc. Beyond the valleys the trail starts to climb through a couple snowfields and up step limestone rock, which is usually pretty strong, but when its loose and crumbly it can be a little slippery. I would rate this trail on the Pakistan scale. it was not easy. It would have been nice to have a pair of boots, but all I have are my Chacos.
The hike took 8 hours on a hot day, but the views and scenery were amazing. I hiked with some Check guys who I bumped into again in Sarajevo who offered me a place to stay in Prauge, so that was a bonus too.
Durmitor National Park, Montenegro.
Tomorrow I am going to the Croatian coast. it is a place that has been on my must see travel list for some time. But I have my doubts about visiting at this time. It is peak-peak, the prices will be high, the beaches busy, the campgrounds full. I have coming up with a strategy of visiting the islands in the Adriatic and trying to stay at nudist camps. i figure they will have fun people, be secluded and hopefully have a place to pitch a tent( pun intended, no pun intended, I'm not sure.)
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Busy, busy, busy
Once again I'm way behind in updating this little travel blog. But my excuse is that I have just been too busy. In the sense that busy is a synonym for lazy. Here is a little collection of the things that have been occupying my precious time and keeping be "busy."
In Bulgaria I was too bust staring at the topless girls on the shores of the Black sea. Also In Bulgaria I was too busy getting on a train going the wrong direction...at midnight. I probably could have been a little more thorough and figured it out, but who expects 2 trains to show up at the same time at midnight at a small station in the middle of Gypseyland, Bulgaria.
I have also been too busy forgetting my Ipod at hostels. Twice I have been at the train/bus station and realized I left it back at the hostel, which is miles away, but each time I have been able to hop on the public transport and grab it in just few minutes. I'm an idiot for doing it twice, but also lucky to get int back both times. Any time you loose an ipod its devastating, trust me Ive done it like 4 times. I have also been too busy inhaling second hand smoke. Everyone is a chimney over here, pregnant women, kids, it really doesn't matter. The smokes are super cheap, along with the beers, and most people sit around at cafes all morning, day and night enjoying a puff and a drink.
In Romania I was very busy climbing the highest mountain in the country, 2544 meters. But it's a climb. You start out at 500 meters. And I started 1 day after it had poured for 3 straight days, so there were some river crossings that were a little intense and a few times when the trail was gone completely. Luckily all I had was my Chaco sandals, so that was convenient in all the wetness. The Romania mountains have a great trail and hut system, so getting around was easy, as well as finding a place to say, even though I didn't have a tent at the time. It was a beautiful walk, it took 3 days. I stayed at 2 different locations. The second night I slept out under the starts next to a beautiful alpine lake. And the weather had cleared so I had 3 days of sun. So far Romania is my favorite place, some of the villages in the countryside are classic looking, with old houses with red tile roofs and cobblestone streets. They have really fixed the place up in the past 20 years since the fall of communism.
The last few days I have been busy sleeping at bus and train stations. My travel hasn't been the smoothest, a couple times I've finished 1 bus/train journey at 2am, only to find out the connecting route doesn't leave for 4 or 5 hours. I'm not going to find a hotel for that short amount of time, so I just roll out the sleeping bag and find a bench with the least amount of drunk Romanian weirdos around and catch a few winks! Ahh the joys of travel when you're as cheap as me!
I have been in Kosovo for the past couple of days. It's in the southern section of Serbia. It is a disputed area, like much of the old Yugoslavia and the Balkans. most of the people are Albanian, like 90%. There are still a bunch of soldiers here from NATO. I was looking for some American soldiers so I could ask them for a can of chew, but unfortunately i couldn't find any. In my couple days there I did notice that almost all the buildings are 10 years old or younger, because the old ones were bombed my Serbia. I also noticed the road names. For example, if you wanted to five someone directions in Kosovo you could say. "Walk 3 blocks down Bil Klinton Ave, then hang a right on Robert Dole street." They really hold the Yanks in high regard for helping them out.
Like much of the rest of Serbia and Eastern Europe the main past times in the summer seem to be drinking coffee and beer, smoking cigarettes and sitting in street side cafes. The ladies get all dressed up, lots of make up,nice clothes everyday and strut around town, and the guys seem to do the same thing. It all seems to be a big pose fest. One thing that's funny, at all these posh cafes and bars, they don't watch sports on the TV, they watch the fashion channel. That should only be allowed in Paris and Italy in my opinion.
I visited Belgrade, Serbia and I was too busy visiting underground bars, partying on floating clubs on the Danube river with a group of cool Aussies who gifted me a tent, which I'm super grateful for. I'm using it tonight in Montenegro. Belgrade was a cool city, not gorgeous, but the people were great.
A few other things that have kept me busy have been:
Thinking I may have contracted Giardia in Pakistan, but i think I'm past that.
Trying to figure out what's wrong with my email, it keeps sending out bogus emails to everyone in my address book.
been trying to get some couch surfing organized, but haven't had any luck so far.
Drinking cheap Machiatos in some of the numerous cafes.
Currently I'm in Montenegro, I think it's one of the newest countries in the world. I'm in the mountains, about 4 hours from the Adriatic sea. There is really nice national park up here so I'm doing a little camping with my new tent and some more hiking. I like to break it up, not just visit city after city, looking at church after church. I'll be heading over to the coast for a few days after this, And up through Bosnia and Croatia. I'll try and update this thing a little more ofter, it's pretty easy when all the hostels have free internet! I'm off to find some dinner, more than likely a large piece of meet with a couple tomatos and a piece of salty bread. Mmmmmm, delicious, and I'll was it down with a 50 cent beer.
In Bulgaria I was too bust staring at the topless girls on the shores of the Black sea. Also In Bulgaria I was too busy getting on a train going the wrong direction...at midnight. I probably could have been a little more thorough and figured it out, but who expects 2 trains to show up at the same time at midnight at a small station in the middle of Gypseyland, Bulgaria.
I have also been too busy forgetting my Ipod at hostels. Twice I have been at the train/bus station and realized I left it back at the hostel, which is miles away, but each time I have been able to hop on the public transport and grab it in just few minutes. I'm an idiot for doing it twice, but also lucky to get int back both times. Any time you loose an ipod its devastating, trust me Ive done it like 4 times. I have also been too busy inhaling second hand smoke. Everyone is a chimney over here, pregnant women, kids, it really doesn't matter. The smokes are super cheap, along with the beers, and most people sit around at cafes all morning, day and night enjoying a puff and a drink.
In Romania I was very busy climbing the highest mountain in the country, 2544 meters. But it's a climb. You start out at 500 meters. And I started 1 day after it had poured for 3 straight days, so there were some river crossings that were a little intense and a few times when the trail was gone completely. Luckily all I had was my Chaco sandals, so that was convenient in all the wetness. The Romania mountains have a great trail and hut system, so getting around was easy, as well as finding a place to say, even though I didn't have a tent at the time. It was a beautiful walk, it took 3 days. I stayed at 2 different locations. The second night I slept out under the starts next to a beautiful alpine lake. And the weather had cleared so I had 3 days of sun. So far Romania is my favorite place, some of the villages in the countryside are classic looking, with old houses with red tile roofs and cobblestone streets. They have really fixed the place up in the past 20 years since the fall of communism.
The last few days I have been busy sleeping at bus and train stations. My travel hasn't been the smoothest, a couple times I've finished 1 bus/train journey at 2am, only to find out the connecting route doesn't leave for 4 or 5 hours. I'm not going to find a hotel for that short amount of time, so I just roll out the sleeping bag and find a bench with the least amount of drunk Romanian weirdos around and catch a few winks! Ahh the joys of travel when you're as cheap as me!
I have been in Kosovo for the past couple of days. It's in the southern section of Serbia. It is a disputed area, like much of the old Yugoslavia and the Balkans. most of the people are Albanian, like 90%. There are still a bunch of soldiers here from NATO. I was looking for some American soldiers so I could ask them for a can of chew, but unfortunately i couldn't find any. In my couple days there I did notice that almost all the buildings are 10 years old or younger, because the old ones were bombed my Serbia. I also noticed the road names. For example, if you wanted to five someone directions in Kosovo you could say. "Walk 3 blocks down Bil Klinton Ave, then hang a right on Robert Dole street." They really hold the Yanks in high regard for helping them out.
Like much of the rest of Serbia and Eastern Europe the main past times in the summer seem to be drinking coffee and beer, smoking cigarettes and sitting in street side cafes. The ladies get all dressed up, lots of make up,nice clothes everyday and strut around town, and the guys seem to do the same thing. It all seems to be a big pose fest. One thing that's funny, at all these posh cafes and bars, they don't watch sports on the TV, they watch the fashion channel. That should only be allowed in Paris and Italy in my opinion.
I visited Belgrade, Serbia and I was too busy visiting underground bars, partying on floating clubs on the Danube river with a group of cool Aussies who gifted me a tent, which I'm super grateful for. I'm using it tonight in Montenegro. Belgrade was a cool city, not gorgeous, but the people were great.
A few other things that have kept me busy have been:
Thinking I may have contracted Giardia in Pakistan, but i think I'm past that.
Trying to figure out what's wrong with my email, it keeps sending out bogus emails to everyone in my address book.
been trying to get some couch surfing organized, but haven't had any luck so far.
Drinking cheap Machiatos in some of the numerous cafes.
Currently I'm in Montenegro, I think it's one of the newest countries in the world. I'm in the mountains, about 4 hours from the Adriatic sea. There is really nice national park up here so I'm doing a little camping with my new tent and some more hiking. I like to break it up, not just visit city after city, looking at church after church. I'll be heading over to the coast for a few days after this, And up through Bosnia and Croatia. I'll try and update this thing a little more ofter, it's pretty easy when all the hostels have free internet! I'm off to find some dinner, more than likely a large piece of meet with a couple tomatos and a piece of salty bread. Mmmmmm, delicious, and I'll was it down with a 50 cent beer.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Some recent ramblıngs
Here ıs a general feel of what is been goıng through my head for the past week or so. I fınally left Pakistan, I am now ın Europe...barely. The current location ıs Istanbul. I have been seeing the sıghts, lots of old mosques that all seem about 400 years old. they are huge and beautıful and everywhere. They domınate the cıty skyline ın all dırectıons. The Mınarets on all 4 corners shoot skyward for hundreds of feet, lookıng lıke rockets. Istanbul ıs a great cıty to walk around. It ıs all pretty flat, wıth good access to the sea, whıch ıs nıce to see after 6 months of beıng land locked. It seems lıke you fınd a new cobblestoned street around every corner lıned wıth cafes and men tryıng to pull you ınto theır shop. Lots of tea shops. Lots of classıcaly dressed women wıth scarves over theır heads and overcoats, even ın thıs heat. Lots of men catchıng small fısh ın the Marmara sea.
It seems lıke every tıme I cross a country border I get a lıttle sıck. Wıth all the travel. Bad food and lack of sleep. Thıs was no exceptıon. I actually moved up my tıcket and left Pakıstan 2 days early whıch was a great decısıon. But I dıd some math and I fıgured out that I got 3 hours sleep ın 40 hours. I had to get to the İslamabad aırport at 230 am. I got maybe 20 mınutes sleep on the flıght because I was lıke a lıttle kıd watchıng all the tv shows, movıes and musıc that were on my personnal TV screen on my Qatar aırlınes flıght. Then on my 4 hour layover ın Qatar I went and got a coffee, and sınce Ive barely drank any coffee ın the past 6 months ıt had me wıred. My body was a zombıe, but my mınd was racıng. I trıed to sleep but ı just lıed there. I was happy everything went smooth, no hassles at any of the aırports, I collected my bag and went to fınd a hostel.
The fırst couple days were the sıght seeıng days. There is alot to see, palaces, museums, etc but they're all expensıve, at least to some one who has been spendıng 7 dollars a day for the past 6 weeks. A lot of the attractıons are beautıful and super hıstorıc, but they all cost lıke 20 lıra-14 dollars. I just cant fork over that type of cash for another museum. I know I'm cheap but Id rather get great experience by meetıng some local people.
Whıch leads me to my next plan. sıgned up for couch surfıng today. It seems lıke ın Europe ıt a great thıng to do. Free accommodation, local knowledge, new experıences. I thınk the hostel thıng ıs cool, but you lımıt you possıbıtıes to seeıng the tourıst sıghts and meetıng the same type of people most of the tıme. Tangent comıng...the travelers ın Asıa are way more ınterestıng, as far as travel experıences go. So far Ive met mostly young kıds wıth rıch famılıes. They all seem to be vıstıtıng theır familıes ın Italy or Zurıch after a couple weeks ın Istanbul. So that is how the other half vacatıons. I thought campıng at Chelan wıth the fam. was cool. But Villas ın Europe don't sound too bad.
Watched the Roddıck-Federer fınal yesterday. I watched every poınt actually. I was one of the only people cheerıng for Roddıck ın the bar. The other guy was a drunk Scotsman on leave from Afghanıstan. All the euros were pullıng for Federer. What a match. Fed. seems unbeatable. Does the guy ever make a mıstake? Borıs Becker was doıng the commentary over here and he makes Erıc Dıckerson on MNF look lıke Howard Cosell. They showed a shot of Federer's wıfe and Becker says, (She seems to be breathıng very heavıly). I just used parentheses because Turkısh keyboards don't use quotes.
In a few hours I'm leavıng for Bulgarıa, headed to the Black Sea coast, then up to Romanıa, hopefully surfıng some couches.
It seems lıke every tıme I cross a country border I get a lıttle sıck. Wıth all the travel. Bad food and lack of sleep. Thıs was no exceptıon. I actually moved up my tıcket and left Pakıstan 2 days early whıch was a great decısıon. But I dıd some math and I fıgured out that I got 3 hours sleep ın 40 hours. I had to get to the İslamabad aırport at 230 am. I got maybe 20 mınutes sleep on the flıght because I was lıke a lıttle kıd watchıng all the tv shows, movıes and musıc that were on my personnal TV screen on my Qatar aırlınes flıght. Then on my 4 hour layover ın Qatar I went and got a coffee, and sınce Ive barely drank any coffee ın the past 6 months ıt had me wıred. My body was a zombıe, but my mınd was racıng. I trıed to sleep but ı just lıed there. I was happy everything went smooth, no hassles at any of the aırports, I collected my bag and went to fınd a hostel.
The fırst couple days were the sıght seeıng days. There is alot to see, palaces, museums, etc but they're all expensıve, at least to some one who has been spendıng 7 dollars a day for the past 6 weeks. A lot of the attractıons are beautıful and super hıstorıc, but they all cost lıke 20 lıra-14 dollars. I just cant fork over that type of cash for another museum. I know I'm cheap but Id rather get great experience by meetıng some local people.
Whıch leads me to my next plan. sıgned up for couch surfıng today. It seems lıke ın Europe ıt a great thıng to do. Free accommodation, local knowledge, new experıences. I thınk the hostel thıng ıs cool, but you lımıt you possıbıtıes to seeıng the tourıst sıghts and meetıng the same type of people most of the tıme. Tangent comıng...the travelers ın Asıa are way more ınterestıng, as far as travel experıences go. So far Ive met mostly young kıds wıth rıch famılıes. They all seem to be vıstıtıng theır familıes ın Italy or Zurıch after a couple weeks ın Istanbul. So that is how the other half vacatıons. I thought campıng at Chelan wıth the fam. was cool. But Villas ın Europe don't sound too bad.
Watched the Roddıck-Federer fınal yesterday. I watched every poınt actually. I was one of the only people cheerıng for Roddıck ın the bar. The other guy was a drunk Scotsman on leave from Afghanıstan. All the euros were pullıng for Federer. What a match. Fed. seems unbeatable. Does the guy ever make a mıstake? Borıs Becker was doıng the commentary over here and he makes Erıc Dıckerson on MNF look lıke Howard Cosell. They showed a shot of Federer's wıfe and Becker says, (She seems to be breathıng very heavıly). I just used parentheses because Turkısh keyboards don't use quotes.
In a few hours I'm leavıng for Bulgarıa, headed to the Black Sea coast, then up to Romanıa, hopefully surfıng some couches.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Time to move on
The time has come, I have drank my last cup of chai,ridden my last dilapitaded bus on a dilapidated road and answered the requisite 5 questions of ant traveler in these lands. (Which country? Are you alone? Are you Muslim? where are you staying? and can I have your watch?) I am back down in Islamabad,and to my mothers relief,shortly I will be headed to the airport to catch a flight to Istanbul and "safe" places.(I'll probably get mugged in the first 3 days,while in Pakistan you're more likely to be invited over for tea and dinner.
The last couple weeks I have been bumping and jostling my way over the rough roads of the north,over the Shandoor pass to Chitral and surrounding valleys. Wherein 12 days saw as many foreigners as snow leopards...0. I have ridden in and on all sorts of transport. Buses,jeeps,grain trucks, motorcycles, mini-buses. I've met some amazing people,like the man in a small village who offered me a house on his land to come teach in his village. He put me up in his home for the night,fed me 3 great meals and invited his friends over for a night of sitar playing. I've also met some real donuts,like the kids in a small village who started throwing stones at my tent when I asked them to leave and quit begging for rupees and pens. I broke down camp and walked down the road through the beautiful valley until I met a guy who offered his home as a place to stay. Rarely do you meet bad people here,but there are always other peoples friendliness make up for it.
Overall it was a great last 2 weeks up north with more great mountain views. But I'm looking forward to moving on after nearly 6 months in the Indian sub-continent. There have been so many highlights. I have only traveled a small distance physically but I have seen so much, religiously, physically, architecturally, historically and culturally.
I would really love to expand and write all the thought that are in my head and journal, but I'm on a computer that doesn't have a functioning spacebar,which makes the typing a little tedious. maybe if i get around to it I'll post some of the highlights, or Ben's plan to fix Pakistan.
All for now, Ben
The last couple weeks I have been bumping and jostling my way over the rough roads of the north,over the Shandoor pass to Chitral and surrounding valleys. Wherein 12 days saw as many foreigners as snow leopards...0. I have ridden in and on all sorts of transport. Buses,jeeps,grain trucks, motorcycles, mini-buses. I've met some amazing people,like the man in a small village who offered me a house on his land to come teach in his village. He put me up in his home for the night,fed me 3 great meals and invited his friends over for a night of sitar playing. I've also met some real donuts,like the kids in a small village who started throwing stones at my tent when I asked them to leave and quit begging for rupees and pens. I broke down camp and walked down the road through the beautiful valley until I met a guy who offered his home as a place to stay. Rarely do you meet bad people here,but there are always other peoples friendliness make up for it.
Overall it was a great last 2 weeks up north with more great mountain views. But I'm looking forward to moving on after nearly 6 months in the Indian sub-continent. There have been so many highlights. I have only traveled a small distance physically but I have seen so much, religiously, physically, architecturally, historically and culturally.
I would really love to expand and write all the thought that are in my head and journal, but I'm on a computer that doesn't have a functioning spacebar,which makes the typing a little tedious. maybe if i get around to it I'll post some of the highlights, or Ben's plan to fix Pakistan.
All for now, Ben
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Two weeks in the Northern Areas
I’m finally back somewhere where there is an internet connection, back in Gilgit. I have been traveling up the Karakorem Highway and exploring and trekking in the side valleys and mountains for the past two and half weeks. It was been an amazing and adventurous experience. Even though much of Pakistan is fraught with danger and chaos at the moment, up north, where I am is filled with peace and happiness. Though all the locals, especially those in the tourist business would like to see many more tourists. It seems all the trouble, or the “Taliban situation” as many people call it in the surrounding regions has scared away about 90% of their international business.
But I can’t say enough about the place, from down in the Hunza region, to up in the Chaperson and Shimshal valleys. All the people have been so welcoming and friendly. The scenery is amazing, every vista seems like it could be in a post card. There always seems to be a rich green valley full of crops and poplar trees, then higher up a vast and arid brown, yellow, black or red mountain. Above that, at every turn is some snow covered peak I’ve never heard of, or jagged peaks dusted with a fresh layer of snow. And in between the mountains, when it’s not a river or a lush valley, it will be a mammoth glacier descending from the heavens of the high peaks. Some look like frozen waves, while others are covered in grey or black scree and rock.
I have been doing a lot of hiking and trekking, but the trails and terrain are unlike anything I have ever set foot on. Sometimes there are trails going in every direction, with cairns to mark the way, or wrong way. While other times the trail will disappear into a field of crops or be washed away by an avalanche or landslide. Leaving me searching and climbing through cacti and pricky bushes, and over and around boulders, or scrambling up loose, dangerous scree. This happened on every single walk I did. I was constantly lost, or searching for the trail. The trails weren’t like your national parks at home, or even Nepal for that matter. All the trails are primarily trails for goats, yaks, cows and Shepard’s. Not for tourists to get nice views. So they are strewn with loose rock and scree. It seemed I couldn’t walk more than a few minutes, or steps sometimes without stumbling, tripping, falling, sliding or landing on my rear end. I never had any big falls, but I was constantly aware of injuring myself, which was a little scary, since I was always alone, and the nearest help was usually some Shepard a few miles away. My shoes took a beating too. I thought I had a couple months of wear in them, but after trekking in Pakistan for a week they are a wreck, with seems breaking and the soles peeling off. I’ll hold onto them though, since they are still better than 90 of the shoes that the locals wear. Which is funny to me, because a lot of times they wear old soccer, baseball or track shoes as their normal footwear, or to work in the field. All of these shoes have been donated from the US or other western countries. Along with the rest of their clothing, except their shalwar kameez’s.
I had a great time in all the places I went, but the clear highlight was visiting the Chaperson Valley. On the road to China, it’s the last valley to the west. The visit got off to an interesting start. When I showed up to Sost, the truck stop town on the KKH where passengers catch a jeep to get to the valley, there were already about 20 people waiting for a ride in the old red cargo Jeep. So Hafeez, a local kid from the valley suggest we walk to his village and spend the night, and then I could walk on to where I was going at the end of the valley tomorrow. He said it would take 6 hours to get to his home. So we set off at 3PM as the wind howled out of the north, pushing a rain squall in our direction. We were making good time through the brown, eroded valley and it was very pretty but my bag was heavy, at least 20kg, as it was filled with food for trekking, and not prepared for a 30km journey. As we continued walking, a van pulled along side us. I asked Hafeez how much longer to his house. He said 2 hours. I said, “In real time, or in Chaperson time?” He answered, “In real time.” So we continued walking. But a few minutes later, his father showed up on a motorcycle and asked us why we were walking. Hafeez said because the jeep was full, and it was only 2 hours more. But his father told the real time, and said it was at least 3.5 hours, which would get us to his village at 9:30 pm. So Hafeez and I hopped on the back of his fathers little Honda bike, with Hafeez in the middle and me and my heavy pack in the back. This turned out to be the most uncomfortable painful 30 minutes of my life. I was holding on for dear life. And there was a rack at the back of the bike digging into my back at every bounce along the rough dirt road. Finally I had to pound on Hafeez’s back and command his father to stop the bike, I would be walking the final few K’s. I asked them how long to Kirmin, their village. They both said, 30 minutes. These 30 minutes was actually 90 minutes and Hafeez and I finally arrived at 9:30 at his home. And that included the 10k we traveled on the back. If we hadn’t received the ride we would have arrived at around midnight. But their hospitality was great, the tea was sweet and delicious and they gave me a place to sleep for the night before I set off to Zood Khun, the last village in the valley the next morning. I did give Hafeez a pretty hard time about his time estimates though. But I realized he had no watch and in their culture time isn’t kept with a watch. Everything takes time; to walk, to grow crops, to make food. It’s not an exact schedule or planned system they have they just go by feel. But I did say I’m American and I like to know a little more precisely.
The 16K’s to Zood Khun were uneventful. I just shook a lot of hands and said I was walking to Zood Khun, everyone was very friendly. The kids were shy, but the women would look at you and say hello, which is more than in some other places of Pakistan.
Zood Khun looks a lot like other villages of the Chaperson Valley. With green fields of wheat and potatoes surrounding small home traditionally made of stones, mud and wood. But there is one man there who sets it apart. His name is Alum Jan; he runs a small guest house in the village and is a little bit of a black sheep compared to the rest of the farmers. He has a pony tail and usually sports a turban. He seems like the tallest man in town and the only one who looks younger than his actual age. He plays music, writes poetry and lets tourist stay in his home and eat food with his family. He’ll also guide you anywhere in the Pamir’s and Hindu Kush mountains. But he’s unlike other guides who seem to beg you to take them along with you. He has traveled on horseback through the Pamir’s of Pakistan and Afghanistan and down into the Hindukush. He said it took 40 days and covered about 1500km. When you stay with him, you’re not separated like a hotel; you sleep on the ground like the local Tajik people. You eat on the ground; no table’s and chairs here, just a sheet of plastic on the ground in the center of the house. So it’s the real experience. I spent my first couple days in the village just cruising around with my camera, chatting with the locals, who surprisingly speak very good English, as well as their local Wakhi language. I also helped move around some stones with the rest of the men in the village to help build a home. I took in the popular local sport of polo, which I had never seen before. Watching a game of polo is like watching ice hockey, but without the plexi glass, and you have to sit on the boards surrounding the ice. Meaning the ball or horse could come colliding into the sidelines at any moment, keeping all the villagers and spectators on their toes. It was also tea overdose; I must have drunk 10-15 cups of tea everyday and Alum Jan about twice that. All the tea was included on the price of the stay, which averaged out to less than 5 bucks a day. And there were no shops in town to spend any money at.
Besides the amazing experience with in the village, I set off to do some trekking. I did a little 4 day excursion up into the Pamir’s. The plan was to get up to the Pakistan/Afghan border and look down into the Wakhan corridor that separates Pakistan from Tajikistan. But I never made it there. Partly because I went up the wrong valley, I took the hunters route to the pass. And because this area received massive amounts of snow and by the time I reached 4700 meters I was waist deep in snow. But if I had found the correct path I think I could have made it to the top of the pass at 4950 meters. It wasn’t like I didn’t see anything though. It seemed like I was surrounded by snowy peaks I didn’t even know existed before I set my eyes on them.
This place leaves you always saying, “When I come back here next time...” there is just so much to see, so many treks, passes and villagers to encounter. I could easily spend the rest of summer here, biking, trekking, horseback riding, relaxing, drinking tea and enjoying the local culture.
But I can’t say enough about the place, from down in the Hunza region, to up in the Chaperson and Shimshal valleys. All the people have been so welcoming and friendly. The scenery is amazing, every vista seems like it could be in a post card. There always seems to be a rich green valley full of crops and poplar trees, then higher up a vast and arid brown, yellow, black or red mountain. Above that, at every turn is some snow covered peak I’ve never heard of, or jagged peaks dusted with a fresh layer of snow. And in between the mountains, when it’s not a river or a lush valley, it will be a mammoth glacier descending from the heavens of the high peaks. Some look like frozen waves, while others are covered in grey or black scree and rock.
I have been doing a lot of hiking and trekking, but the trails and terrain are unlike anything I have ever set foot on. Sometimes there are trails going in every direction, with cairns to mark the way, or wrong way. While other times the trail will disappear into a field of crops or be washed away by an avalanche or landslide. Leaving me searching and climbing through cacti and pricky bushes, and over and around boulders, or scrambling up loose, dangerous scree. This happened on every single walk I did. I was constantly lost, or searching for the trail. The trails weren’t like your national parks at home, or even Nepal for that matter. All the trails are primarily trails for goats, yaks, cows and Shepard’s. Not for tourists to get nice views. So they are strewn with loose rock and scree. It seemed I couldn’t walk more than a few minutes, or steps sometimes without stumbling, tripping, falling, sliding or landing on my rear end. I never had any big falls, but I was constantly aware of injuring myself, which was a little scary, since I was always alone, and the nearest help was usually some Shepard a few miles away. My shoes took a beating too. I thought I had a couple months of wear in them, but after trekking in Pakistan for a week they are a wreck, with seems breaking and the soles peeling off. I’ll hold onto them though, since they are still better than 90 of the shoes that the locals wear. Which is funny to me, because a lot of times they wear old soccer, baseball or track shoes as their normal footwear, or to work in the field. All of these shoes have been donated from the US or other western countries. Along with the rest of their clothing, except their shalwar kameez’s.
I had a great time in all the places I went, but the clear highlight was visiting the Chaperson Valley. On the road to China, it’s the last valley to the west. The visit got off to an interesting start. When I showed up to Sost, the truck stop town on the KKH where passengers catch a jeep to get to the valley, there were already about 20 people waiting for a ride in the old red cargo Jeep. So Hafeez, a local kid from the valley suggest we walk to his village and spend the night, and then I could walk on to where I was going at the end of the valley tomorrow. He said it would take 6 hours to get to his home. So we set off at 3PM as the wind howled out of the north, pushing a rain squall in our direction. We were making good time through the brown, eroded valley and it was very pretty but my bag was heavy, at least 20kg, as it was filled with food for trekking, and not prepared for a 30km journey. As we continued walking, a van pulled along side us. I asked Hafeez how much longer to his house. He said 2 hours. I said, “In real time, or in Chaperson time?” He answered, “In real time.” So we continued walking. But a few minutes later, his father showed up on a motorcycle and asked us why we were walking. Hafeez said because the jeep was full, and it was only 2 hours more. But his father told the real time, and said it was at least 3.5 hours, which would get us to his village at 9:30 pm. So Hafeez and I hopped on the back of his fathers little Honda bike, with Hafeez in the middle and me and my heavy pack in the back. This turned out to be the most uncomfortable painful 30 minutes of my life. I was holding on for dear life. And there was a rack at the back of the bike digging into my back at every bounce along the rough dirt road. Finally I had to pound on Hafeez’s back and command his father to stop the bike, I would be walking the final few K’s. I asked them how long to Kirmin, their village. They both said, 30 minutes. These 30 minutes was actually 90 minutes and Hafeez and I finally arrived at 9:30 at his home. And that included the 10k we traveled on the back. If we hadn’t received the ride we would have arrived at around midnight. But their hospitality was great, the tea was sweet and delicious and they gave me a place to sleep for the night before I set off to Zood Khun, the last village in the valley the next morning. I did give Hafeez a pretty hard time about his time estimates though. But I realized he had no watch and in their culture time isn’t kept with a watch. Everything takes time; to walk, to grow crops, to make food. It’s not an exact schedule or planned system they have they just go by feel. But I did say I’m American and I like to know a little more precisely.
The 16K’s to Zood Khun were uneventful. I just shook a lot of hands and said I was walking to Zood Khun, everyone was very friendly. The kids were shy, but the women would look at you and say hello, which is more than in some other places of Pakistan.
Zood Khun looks a lot like other villages of the Chaperson Valley. With green fields of wheat and potatoes surrounding small home traditionally made of stones, mud and wood. But there is one man there who sets it apart. His name is Alum Jan; he runs a small guest house in the village and is a little bit of a black sheep compared to the rest of the farmers. He has a pony tail and usually sports a turban. He seems like the tallest man in town and the only one who looks younger than his actual age. He plays music, writes poetry and lets tourist stay in his home and eat food with his family. He’ll also guide you anywhere in the Pamir’s and Hindu Kush mountains. But he’s unlike other guides who seem to beg you to take them along with you. He has traveled on horseback through the Pamir’s of Pakistan and Afghanistan and down into the Hindukush. He said it took 40 days and covered about 1500km. When you stay with him, you’re not separated like a hotel; you sleep on the ground like the local Tajik people. You eat on the ground; no table’s and chairs here, just a sheet of plastic on the ground in the center of the house. So it’s the real experience. I spent my first couple days in the village just cruising around with my camera, chatting with the locals, who surprisingly speak very good English, as well as their local Wakhi language. I also helped move around some stones with the rest of the men in the village to help build a home. I took in the popular local sport of polo, which I had never seen before. Watching a game of polo is like watching ice hockey, but without the plexi glass, and you have to sit on the boards surrounding the ice. Meaning the ball or horse could come colliding into the sidelines at any moment, keeping all the villagers and spectators on their toes. It was also tea overdose; I must have drunk 10-15 cups of tea everyday and Alum Jan about twice that. All the tea was included on the price of the stay, which averaged out to less than 5 bucks a day. And there were no shops in town to spend any money at.
Besides the amazing experience with in the village, I set off to do some trekking. I did a little 4 day excursion up into the Pamir’s. The plan was to get up to the Pakistan/Afghan border and look down into the Wakhan corridor that separates Pakistan from Tajikistan. But I never made it there. Partly because I went up the wrong valley, I took the hunters route to the pass. And because this area received massive amounts of snow and by the time I reached 4700 meters I was waist deep in snow. But if I had found the correct path I think I could have made it to the top of the pass at 4950 meters. It wasn’t like I didn’t see anything though. It seemed like I was surrounded by snowy peaks I didn’t even know existed before I set my eyes on them.
This place leaves you always saying, “When I come back here next time...” there is just so much to see, so many treks, passes and villagers to encounter. I could easily spend the rest of summer here, biking, trekking, horseback riding, relaxing, drinking tea and enjoying the local culture.
Tecnical Difficulties.
Die to the fact that the hotel in Gilgit switched internet providers yesterday., I am trying to upload 81 fantastic pictures on a dial-up connection. I don't think it will happen until they get back with the DSL. So at the moment I should be able to atleast upload what I have written about the places I have most recently visited. And hopefully I can get these photos up here too, Inshallah.
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