Saturday, January 9, 2010
Istanbul to Vienna, via Bulgaria, Serbia, and Hungary
After a long day of driving, we arrived back in Istanbul just after midnight. The next day I met with one of my fathers old business contacts and family friend and toured the Istanbul Terminal Markets. It was amazing how similar it was to New York and it was really nice seeing all the action again. I met up with other members of the Manav family and ate delicious foods and discussed different ideas for the future. I was lucky enough to watch a banana container boat from South America be unloaded which was truly fascinating and got to tour their brand new cold storage facilities. After a few more meetings and a few more games of Tavla, I had to decide how I was going to get back to Germany. To keep up with the idea of always having a new adventure, I decided to do something that EVERYONE thought I was crazy for doing. I was going to take a bus from Istanbul, through Bulgaria, through Serbia, through Hungary and into Austria. After some research, I found a company that did exactly that and the price was about the same of a plane ticket, but it took 26 hours!
The following morning I was picked up by Atilla and after a thirty minute car ride I arrived at the bus terminal.....which was more like an airport! The first part of the ride leaving Istanbul was breath taking and the weather was perfect. As I approach the Bulgarian boarder, the sun started setting and the adventure began. I was the only non Turk on the bus and it was mostly elderly couples that were traveling to Austria to visit relatives. At the boarder, two people were removed from the bus and searched by the police. They were then taken back to the Turkish boarder and not allowed to enter Bulgaria. The Bulgarian police questioned me for a moment and were really curious as to why I was taking a bus and why I had no luggage. I told him I was on vacation and didn't want to take planes and this seemed like a guaranteed adventure. He looked at me like I was crazy. We were then boarded by the Bulgarian police whom told us we all had to pay 5 Euros to avoid being searched. I told the police officer he was welcome to search me and I didn't want to spend the money. He said “This is mandatory payment.” I decided it was then a good idea to forget about trying to argue with a grumpy Bulgarian police officer. As the sunset, I struck up a pleasant conversation with a Turkish/Swiss woman whom had been taking this bus for the past decade because she was terrified of flying. She knew every stop we made, which included stopping three times to give Bulgarian police cartons of cigarettes. Once inside Bulgaria, we stopped at a duty free zone where I was attacked by beautiful women asking if I would buy them cigarettes....apparently anyone traveling through is allowed to purchase 6 cartons of cigarettes at an extremely discounted prices. I pretended I didn't understand them and went to get food. There were dozens of cars that were literally filled with cigarettes.
Somewhere around midnight we crossed the boarder into Serbia and we all had to pass our passports up to the front of the bus and remain on board. About twenty minutes later I was called off the bus by the police. It was FREEZING and he asked me numerous questions in surprisingly good English about why I was on the bus. He seemed to accept my story after looking at me quizzically. At dawn we stopped somewhere in Hungry and I had delicious Goulash for breakfast for 2 Euro. The rest of the ride to Vienna was rather mundane, but the scenery was nice and I was happy to have made it through all the passport checks without too much hassle! Once in Vienna I met up with Kiwi and Moni for a pleasant night of catching up with old friends. The following morning I caught the ICE express back to Germany.
The following morning I was picked up by Atilla and after a thirty minute car ride I arrived at the bus terminal.....which was more like an airport! The first part of the ride leaving Istanbul was breath taking and the weather was perfect. As I approach the Bulgarian boarder, the sun started setting and the adventure began. I was the only non Turk on the bus and it was mostly elderly couples that were traveling to Austria to visit relatives. At the boarder, two people were removed from the bus and searched by the police. They were then taken back to the Turkish boarder and not allowed to enter Bulgaria. The Bulgarian police questioned me for a moment and were really curious as to why I was taking a bus and why I had no luggage. I told him I was on vacation and didn't want to take planes and this seemed like a guaranteed adventure. He looked at me like I was crazy. We were then boarded by the Bulgarian police whom told us we all had to pay 5 Euros to avoid being searched. I told the police officer he was welcome to search me and I didn't want to spend the money. He said “This is mandatory payment.” I decided it was then a good idea to forget about trying to argue with a grumpy Bulgarian police officer. As the sunset, I struck up a pleasant conversation with a Turkish/Swiss woman whom had been taking this bus for the past decade because she was terrified of flying. She knew every stop we made, which included stopping three times to give Bulgarian police cartons of cigarettes. Once inside Bulgaria, we stopped at a duty free zone where I was attacked by beautiful women asking if I would buy them cigarettes....apparently anyone traveling through is allowed to purchase 6 cartons of cigarettes at an extremely discounted prices. I pretended I didn't understand them and went to get food. There were dozens of cars that were literally filled with cigarettes.
Somewhere around midnight we crossed the boarder into Serbia and we all had to pass our passports up to the front of the bus and remain on board. About twenty minutes later I was called off the bus by the police. It was FREEZING and he asked me numerous questions in surprisingly good English about why I was on the bus. He seemed to accept my story after looking at me quizzically. At dawn we stopped somewhere in Hungry and I had delicious Goulash for breakfast for 2 Euro. The rest of the ride to Vienna was rather mundane, but the scenery was nice and I was happy to have made it through all the passport checks without too much hassle! Once in Vienna I met up with Kiwi and Moni for a pleasant night of catching up with old friends. The following morning I caught the ICE express back to Germany.
Izmir
I know that I have been slacking on updating my adventures and for that I apologize. Luckily I have an impeccable memory so writing about events from two months ago should not be a problem :)
The next morning we got up terribly early (5am) to catch the ferry from Istanbul that takes you out of the Bosphorus and down the Aegean coast a bit. By doing this, you save a few hours which would have been spent fighting Istanbul traffic on one of the bridges. Unfortunately due to bad weather, we were told the boat would not be sailing so we immediately headed out of Istanbul to catch another ferry. We arrived at the boat just at dawn and I caught a breathtaking views of the Bosphorus. (see attached pictures). The boat was loaded with truck drivers heading to the Asian side to make deliveries and go on their routes. I was incredibly exhausted and freezing cold, but after two cups of strong Turkish tea I was ready for the eight hour adventure to Izmir.
The area between Istanbul and Izmir is some of the most beautiful in the world. Not only is the coast line breathtaking, but roads also take you inland through small mountains and valleys teeming with agricultural activity. After passing through Bursa, we decided to stop for lunch at Viktor's favorite restaurant in all of Turkey. It is a family owned, very traditional restaurant and it was by far the best meal I had in recent memory. I had a plate piled high with eggplant and roasted spicy peppers as well as a Kebab.
The closer we got to Izmir, the more familiar everything became. I started recognizing names and actually seeing places I had been. Once we passed the signs for Manisa I knew we were getting close. We entered the city near to the Karşıyaka side and made our way into Alsancak. I was so unbelievably happy that not much had changed, except that the water was cleaner, the streets were wider in most places, and a few new buildings had sprung up. For me it was a true homecoming. I felt like I was fourteen again without a care in the world. After dropping our bags off at Ozkans amazing apartment, right on the first Kordon, I wandered around the streets of my childhood that I know and love so much. I made my way down Talatpaşa, passed the American Bazaar, into my old stomping grounds. The area around my school had changed dramatically, but was still very recognizable. I walked down lovers lane, turned left at the Hilton and I was standing in front of my schools. The High school has been torn down and is now a bank, but a large chuck of the Elementary school, that ugly, yet loveable, old tobacco warehouse is still standing. The corner store where I use to buy snacks and sneak cigarettes when I was a teenager was still there, and the most bizarre thing happened. The owner, whom I was friends with immediately recognized me. This man had not seen me since I was sixteen! He got my name wrong at first but quickly corrected himself and gave me a big hug!
The following week was spent meeting prospective clients for business and possible investors. These meetings took me all over the Izmir region, including Manisa, Salili, Soke, Bornova, and Goztepe. Ozkan and I set up office in his AMAZING restaurant where we ate most of the time and occupied the back tables like our own cubicle. The food at Le Trio was truly first class and their clients were the elite of Izmir. I got a kick out of working out of the restaurant and people watching. Towards the end of my stay in Izmir, all of my old neighbors from Güzelbahçe met up with Ozkan and me for a night of Raki and catching up. It was a shock to see how much they had all changed! All but one of them were almost completely bald and most had gained a lot of weight. They joked about it and just said it is too much of the good life.
For some reason I was nervous my last day in Izmir when I met up with old family friends and headed out to Güzelbahçe, my old neighborhood, for a visit. I had heard from numerous people that lots had changed and that my hold house was a retirement home, but I decided I wanted to see it anyway. That night I spent with the Yetkin family enjoying wonderful food, great conversation, and good company. In the morning I was greeted by incredible weather, and the view of the coast that was my playground for five years. Seeing my old house was a bit depressing and it looked nothing like it did when my family lived there, however my neighborhood had not changed much so it was worth it! In fact, much of Izmir was exactly how I remembered it, which I am happy for. The area between downtown Alsancak and my old neighborhood is the area that had changed the most. It is now packed with chain stores, luxury apartments, and upscale shops. It has now become my dream and goal to move back to Izmir in 2010 and start living and working there.
The next morning we got up terribly early (5am) to catch the ferry from Istanbul that takes you out of the Bosphorus and down the Aegean coast a bit. By doing this, you save a few hours which would have been spent fighting Istanbul traffic on one of the bridges. Unfortunately due to bad weather, we were told the boat would not be sailing so we immediately headed out of Istanbul to catch another ferry. We arrived at the boat just at dawn and I caught a breathtaking views of the Bosphorus. (see attached pictures). The boat was loaded with truck drivers heading to the Asian side to make deliveries and go on their routes. I was incredibly exhausted and freezing cold, but after two cups of strong Turkish tea I was ready for the eight hour adventure to Izmir.
The area between Istanbul and Izmir is some of the most beautiful in the world. Not only is the coast line breathtaking, but roads also take you inland through small mountains and valleys teeming with agricultural activity. After passing through Bursa, we decided to stop for lunch at Viktor's favorite restaurant in all of Turkey. It is a family owned, very traditional restaurant and it was by far the best meal I had in recent memory. I had a plate piled high with eggplant and roasted spicy peppers as well as a Kebab.
The closer we got to Izmir, the more familiar everything became. I started recognizing names and actually seeing places I had been. Once we passed the signs for Manisa I knew we were getting close. We entered the city near to the Karşıyaka side and made our way into Alsancak. I was so unbelievably happy that not much had changed, except that the water was cleaner, the streets were wider in most places, and a few new buildings had sprung up. For me it was a true homecoming. I felt like I was fourteen again without a care in the world. After dropping our bags off at Ozkans amazing apartment, right on the first Kordon, I wandered around the streets of my childhood that I know and love so much. I made my way down Talatpaşa, passed the American Bazaar, into my old stomping grounds. The area around my school had changed dramatically, but was still very recognizable. I walked down lovers lane, turned left at the Hilton and I was standing in front of my schools. The High school has been torn down and is now a bank, but a large chuck of the Elementary school, that ugly, yet loveable, old tobacco warehouse is still standing. The corner store where I use to buy snacks and sneak cigarettes when I was a teenager was still there, and the most bizarre thing happened. The owner, whom I was friends with immediately recognized me. This man had not seen me since I was sixteen! He got my name wrong at first but quickly corrected himself and gave me a big hug!
The following week was spent meeting prospective clients for business and possible investors. These meetings took me all over the Izmir region, including Manisa, Salili, Soke, Bornova, and Goztepe. Ozkan and I set up office in his AMAZING restaurant where we ate most of the time and occupied the back tables like our own cubicle. The food at Le Trio was truly first class and their clients were the elite of Izmir. I got a kick out of working out of the restaurant and people watching. Towards the end of my stay in Izmir, all of my old neighbors from Güzelbahçe met up with Ozkan and me for a night of Raki and catching up. It was a shock to see how much they had all changed! All but one of them were almost completely bald and most had gained a lot of weight. They joked about it and just said it is too much of the good life.
For some reason I was nervous my last day in Izmir when I met up with old family friends and headed out to Güzelbahçe, my old neighborhood, for a visit. I had heard from numerous people that lots had changed and that my hold house was a retirement home, but I decided I wanted to see it anyway. That night I spent with the Yetkin family enjoying wonderful food, great conversation, and good company. In the morning I was greeted by incredible weather, and the view of the coast that was my playground for five years. Seeing my old house was a bit depressing and it looked nothing like it did when my family lived there, however my neighborhood had not changed much so it was worth it! In fact, much of Izmir was exactly how I remembered it, which I am happy for. The area between downtown Alsancak and my old neighborhood is the area that had changed the most. It is now packed with chain stores, luxury apartments, and upscale shops. It has now become my dream and goal to move back to Izmir in 2010 and start living and working there.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Istanbul
Ahhh Istanbul! Although it was very difficult to leave Landshut, it was time to head to Turkey. It had been a decade since my last time there and it truly was like coming home. After a very mundane flight, we began our decent into cloudy Istanbul. The landing was one of the scariest of my life, but after a few deep breaths, I was on my way. I was greeted in the airport by Swine Flu hysteria. The virus had finally made its way to Turkey and the media had blown it WAY out of proportion. Growing up in Turkey I was use to seeing the TNP (Turkish National Police) carrying machine guns, so that didn't phase me. However, seeing them and every airport employee donning N-95 respirators and latex gloves was a little unnerving. I figure after all the countries I have gone through and all the crowded hostels I have stayed at, luck has been on my side. So Inshallah my luck with continue! After taking an hour bus ride from the airport to Taksim Square, I was greeted by Seyit, my buddy Ozkan's brother. After a short car ride, I arrived in Bebek (which means “Baby” in Turkish) which is Istanbul's nicest neighborhood. My friend Ozkan's apartment is right on the Bosporus and a very short walk to a really neat, cute, but expensive area. When I say expensive, a bottle of beer in a bar is 12-18 YTL, which is roughtly 6-9 Euros.....not that I drink that much anyway :) When Ozkan got off work, we sat in his living room, gazed at the Bosphorus, sipped Remy Martin, and got caught up on the last ten years. We then went out for some beers and discussed business ideas, our dreams and aspirations, and various other things.
The following morning was my birthday and unfortunately Ozkan had to work during the day but he left me a key and I set off on a long walk along the Bosphorus. My birthday also happens to be the birthday of the Turkish Republic so the whole town was in full celebration mode. Flags lined the streets and most business were closed. I walked from Bebek, through Kurucesme, through Ortakly, through Besiktas, to Tophane.....roughly 8 kilometers. I was overwhelmed by olfactory induced memories and familiar sounds and sights. It was so nice to hear Turkish, see the street vendors, smell the cooking, and truly be back! I found a nice little Kebab restaurant on the water and sat down by myself for my birthday lunch. I had all my favorites.....Adana Kebab with Pilaf, grilled eggplant, Turkish tea, and an Elma Nargile (apple hookah water pipe). As I finished my meal, and began enjoying my Nargile, the huge ancient Mosque of Tophane began the call to prayer and in that instant I was so incredibly happy and glad I had made it back here. I am talking goosebumps! That night Ozkan took me and his father out to a nice dinner on the sea where I enjoyed all the best fresh sea food and Raki I could stand!
Another one of my friends from Izmir flew in the next day from Kyrgyzstan, and we all met up for lunch. It was so great to catch up with old friends, talk about our days on the wrestling team, and reminisce. We were all going to catch a Besiktas match (soccer) that night but the weather got progressively worse throughout the day so we just decided to meet up later for drinks. After another delicious dinner I ended up being the fifth wheel on a night out on the town. Ozkan and his pseudo girlfriend and Andew and his girlfriend met me in Taksim square and we checked out a few local hotspots, but the consistent downpour made the night rather difficult. Tomorrow I head to Izmir via ferry and car....I am so excited I doubt I will be able to sleep tonight.
The following morning was my birthday and unfortunately Ozkan had to work during the day but he left me a key and I set off on a long walk along the Bosphorus. My birthday also happens to be the birthday of the Turkish Republic so the whole town was in full celebration mode. Flags lined the streets and most business were closed. I walked from Bebek, through Kurucesme, through Ortakly, through Besiktas, to Tophane.....roughly 8 kilometers. I was overwhelmed by olfactory induced memories and familiar sounds and sights. It was so nice to hear Turkish, see the street vendors, smell the cooking, and truly be back! I found a nice little Kebab restaurant on the water and sat down by myself for my birthday lunch. I had all my favorites.....Adana Kebab with Pilaf, grilled eggplant, Turkish tea, and an Elma Nargile (apple hookah water pipe). As I finished my meal, and began enjoying my Nargile, the huge ancient Mosque of Tophane began the call to prayer and in that instant I was so incredibly happy and glad I had made it back here. I am talking goosebumps! That night Ozkan took me and his father out to a nice dinner on the sea where I enjoyed all the best fresh sea food and Raki I could stand!
Another one of my friends from Izmir flew in the next day from Kyrgyzstan, and we all met up for lunch. It was so great to catch up with old friends, talk about our days on the wrestling team, and reminisce. We were all going to catch a Besiktas match (soccer) that night but the weather got progressively worse throughout the day so we just decided to meet up later for drinks. After another delicious dinner I ended up being the fifth wheel on a night out on the town. Ozkan and his pseudo girlfriend and Andew and his girlfriend met me in Taksim square and we checked out a few local hotspots, but the consistent downpour made the night rather difficult. Tomorrow I head to Izmir via ferry and car....I am so excited I doubt I will be able to sleep tonight.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Eberstein
So it is time for some work up at the castle! So Felix, Uschi, and I (plus the two dogs at our feet) piled into the Mercedes Sprinter Van and headed up to Eberstein. We decided to go and visit Gisi on the way up for coffee and cake which was really nice. We stopped for a few hours in Marburg and enjoyed good conversation, coffee, plum cake, and sifting through photo albums. As the sun was setting we continued on to the castle. We arrived a little after 9 pm and Felix used my cell phone as a flash light to navigate his way through the back of the castle to the front door to let us in. After a delicious dinner I fell asleep quite quickly after an exhausting 8 Hrs in the car. The next five days were filled with odd jobs around the castle which included sheet rocking the courtyard entry hallway, sheet rocking the stairway leading to the second floor, cutting firewood, removing trees and debris from the moat, cutting the grass, trimming the hedges, and general maintenance around the property. The weather was terrible for the first four days.....it rained for most of the day and night....but as Felix said "It is a good thing it is raining...we might actually get something done inside instead of plonking around in the garden." We were lucky enough to be in the Harz during the Stag's mating season which was truly phenomenal. You can't imagine the sounds that these deers would emit. It was a cross between a lion roaring and a goat dying.
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