Europe/Middle East Trip 2010

MAde it safely to Istanbul last night despite being caught off gaurd by the visa requirement at the Turkish Boarder with no money. Luckily before i could imagine the details of being left behind in the middle of nowhere the bus driver lent me the cash. Im guessing i wasnt the first one to miss that particular forsight. Despite it's immense size the metro system was pretty simple so i was able to make it to make it to my hostel in old town istanbul without any real difficulty. Here for atleast 3 more days. Getting pretty travel weary so i might skip Cairo and fly home from Istanbul. Will update you in a couple days.

Now i am really feeling the reality of being a foreigner in a foreign country. English is not nearly as prominent here and i can't understand any signs or attempt to speak the language because words are written in the Sirilic alphabet. Varna is poorest country ive visited thus far, The buildings are smaller and less gaudy, garbage is scattered about the streets and uneven sidewalks, Stray cats and dogs take refuge in dumpsters and lay about the sidewalks respectively. Despite these harsh realities ive really enjoyed this city off the beaten tourist track. The city is Bulgarias third largest and has a relaxed and welcoming vibe, also there are plenty of parks and beaches to hang out at. While still a tourist destination due to its close proximity to the beautiful Black Sea many people come from Bulgaria and other parts of E. Europe.

First day here I visited the museum of archaeology and learned that Varna, known as Odessos in antiquity, was home to the first European civilizations, the Thracians, and a major center of trade and culture throughout ancient times. After getting my fill of history and ancient artifacts inclduding the very first worked gold objects, i walked a short distance down to the beach lined with clubs and restaurants. The next day i had delicous fillo dough pastries filled with fruit for breakfast and hung out in the massive park inbetween downtown and the Black Sea. Than i walked back into the city center stopping at the ruins of a Roman bath house. That night i stayed in a hostel outside the main city. The next day i walked down "500" stairs to a more seclueded beach and spent the rest of the day relaxing back at the hostel.

Today i am plannig my next move which will be to Istanbul. i booked a hostel for 3 nights starting on the 5th. I think i am going to take the bus. Excited to see more new places but also getting a bit of travellers fatigue and will be happy to come home in a couple of weeks. Hope all is well and its been great to hear your comments and suggestions!

Just made it to Varna, Romania, located on the Black Sea, after 2 days of train rides. Trains move a lot slower in the less developed E. Europe and going through Serbia was tricky because people try to smuggle cheap cigarettes out of the country. Slept on the train last night and the night before that i stayed in Belgrade after missing my train by mere minutes. Turned out okay because i met another American who also missed the train and we got food and found a hostel together. Looking forward to staying put for a while and exploring Varna.

All accommodations reasonably priced were completely full in Chinque Terra and i really wanted to get out of the big city so i decided, with only two travel days left on my euro pass to set off to Salzburg, Austria, a long journey that brought me about half way to Turkey, my final destination on the continent. I Got to the relatively frigid and wet Salzburg saturday around midnight after a full day of trains and buses and thankfuly had no problems finding my hostel.

So here i am in the best preserved Eurpean city north of the Alps, Salzburg. the land Mozart was born in and much of the film The Sound Of Music was filmed. Its a lot less crowded here and the Alpine air is cold and invigorating. People are very friendly and it feels like there are actually locals enjoying the city as well as tourists. The city is beautiful because of the architecture and geography (Salzburg is surrounded by mountains and bisected by a swift glacial river, the Salzach.

First day here i checked out the Salzburg Museum to get a feel for the culture and later on i hung out at a cafe in old town and enjoyed people watching during the festive Sunday atmosphere, complete with amusement rides, market place and marching soldiers. Later i Walked to the gardens outside Mirrabel Palace, made famous by the Sound Of Music.

The next day i checked out my very first castle thus far in my travels, the Hohensalzburg Castle. One of the biggest in Europe it's perched atop a hill providing panoramic views of Salzburg. Later i walked through the wooded paths, zig zagging my way back down to the city.

Today, my final day in Salzburg, i took a bus a few miles north to Untersburg where the immense mountains of the alps awaited me. After two bus rides and walking in circles for a while i finally found the street which took me to the trail head. I hiked for several hours up some of the steepest and rockiest terrain i've ever hiked on. The fall colors were beutiful and i got some amazing views of the surrounding areas. As i reached the misty peak of the first set of mountains the rain i had observed from the ground and was expecting all day began to settle in. As beutiful and fairy tale-esque as the scenery was i was glad to turn back when i did because walking down the rocky steppes was almost as difficult as going up.

Just had my first traditional Aurstrian meal: Beer, Pretzels, and Käsespätzle (kinda like maccaroni and cheeze but with thicker noodles and delicous cheeses garnished with herbs and fried onions.

Tomorrow (wendsday) i leave early for Varna, Romania and ill arrive on thursday evening. Not sure how long ill stay but ill keep you all posted!

Hey everyone. Im okay, the boogey man has yet to snatch me away. Italys been great, sorry i havent written earlier but ive been too busy traveling.

Okay, friendly sarcasm aside.

I am super glad i decided to come to italy. I got to my hostel in Florence last sunday morning and was welcomed by my host with a super strong italian accent who greets all of his guests with a glass of fresh Tuscany wine.

To my surprise the streets of Florence were packed with tourists but i still managed to walk the whole length of the city later that day. Florence is pretty small so i walked the entire length of the city center, climbing a massive bell tower to gain a view of the city and later watching the sun set over florence perched on a hill above the city. English is pretty common so i have no problem getting around and ordering food at restaurants, its nice being able to recognize most of the items on the menu. Foods been awesome Ive been eating lots of pizza and pasta aswell as the occasional (only like 2 a day) gelato or conoli. MEt alot of nice people at the hostel mentioned before. We were even were given a classic italian meal.

Although it was hard to leave i am now in rome and have just finished my second full day here. Yesterday i walked to the vatican and took a tour of the worlds smallest country. Iwas blown away by the extravagence of St. Peters, Romes biggest church, aswell as the beutiful renaissance sculptures, tapestrys and frescoes housed in their museum. Today i spent my time exploring the ruins of ancient rome, namely the colloseum, pantheon, and forum. It was amazing but now i am truly exhausted. Especially after staying out late last night.

Tomorrow i am off to Chique Terra if i can find a hostel or cheap hotel with available space. Then its probably gonna be Turkey. Iàll try to post another one of these within the next week. Going to get some rest now. Goodnight!

Mark