Where the hell are we?

OK OK OK

I am sorry to have not updated the blog since we were in the middle of London. The emails have been pouring in asking where we are or if we have fallen off the face of the planet.

Actually we had a great time in London and saw a lot of the sights. The Tower of London is a lot more than a tower, the Parliment buildings look just like they do on TV and Westminster Abbye is really cool. Especially if you like walking over the final resting place of some of history's most famous people.

After London we flew into Toronto (on the same model aircraft that went down in the Atlantic two days later). Once there we stayed with Lana's Dad for a couple of weeks trying to figure out what is next.

We now have decided that since our kids seem set on staying in Ontario for the next few years we should be there as well. As I write this we are staying in a friend's house on a ranch in BC while we start to make preparations for the move to Ontario.

Where in Ontario you ask? Depends on where we can get employment. I guess the auto plants are out so we are open to suggestions. Hopefully somewhere near Kingston but you never know.

The trip was really different and I am glad that so many of you enjoyed the blog so much. (Well at least a couple of you did.) I can't say it was always fun writing it but it did give me an interesting challenge.

If any of you have any questions on the trip or if you might want do the same thing then let us know.

It is always sad when you reach the end of a particular adventure but at least it gives you something to talk about when meeting new people.

In answer to a few common questions that we have gotten.

The best spot we went to? They were all good in different ways but if we had to choose one spot to settle in then it would be New Zealand followed very closely by Scotland.

Are we still talking to each other? All the time.

Would we do it again? Absolutely

Now the adventure continues as we are still living out of backpacks - and looking for work.

Thanks very much for following along. It has been great to have the company.

Bob and Lana.

England

May 25th, 2009

London

Spent a few days zooming around the English countryside. Saw the remains of a Roman fort (part of Hadrian's wall), a lot of sheep and Stonehenge. Got used to the roads and saw more cameras on both the highways and in the local towns then I would have thought possible. How many people do they have watching all those anyway?

Finally hit London and gave up the car. Now we have four more days before the flight back to Canada. Damn.

What in god's name does the dog have in its mouth?

Scotland

Having completed a week in Ireland which saw us drive south from Dublin, along the east coast and up the west coast we felt that we had had enough. Ireland is really charming but seemed to be lacking 'Irishness'.

Over the last 10 years the country had been riding high on goodwill and property speculation and has now hit the wall harder than most. With local and European parliament elections coming up the roadsides are covered in election posters and the airwaves are filled with commentators lamenting the state of the economy. Throughout the countryside we pass large suburban style homes that seem to be vacation homes for expats or Europeans. Since they are miles from any sort of industry or city they certainly aren't for the working class.

Of course everywhere in Ireland there are old monasteries and churches. Old walls and narrow lane ways but it somehow seems like we are still in Europe.

We flew from Dublin to Glasgow, rented a car and explored Scotland. Now here was some serious character. From the castles dotting the landscape to the single malt sold in the pubs it was really what I imagined. Up in the highlands there was still some snow on the hills (they call them mountains but by BC standards they are just big hills) and vast landscapes with nothing but grass. In the lowlands the hills are filled with sheep but the rolling nature of the landscape makes it anything but boring. At least here some of the roads are over 10 feet wide so the driving is not too bad. (For me at least - Lana's fingerprints are now embedded in the dashboard of the rental car).

I even visited the distillery of the best whiskey on the planet - the Macallan. Not as well known as some of the other single malts even the distillery is somewhat hidden in the hills. The other ones like Glenliviet have big signs on the road but you have to look for the home of Macallan. I couldn't even get on a tour since they only take 10 at a time but at least they gave me some whiskey. (the 10 year old from the sherry oak casks - if you are interested). Now at least I am content with my life - no other mountains to climb now.

Edinburgh was great but the lack of hotel rooms (due to the rugby championships) limited our time there. We mostly stayed in B&B's and have gotten used to massive Scottish breakfasts with eggs, sausage, toast, cereal and slabs of bacon. One night we stayed in a farm B&B since we couldn't find any other spot near Edinburgh. Turned out to be the best place that we stayed the whole trip.

Big fluffy beds, our own bathroom, green landscapes out of an 18th century painting and even a friendly Labrador retriever to come and lay its head on your lap. I spent part of the afternoon watching another guest trying to fly fish the small pond next the house while the cattle mooed in the nearby fields. Guess he didn't want to try for the salmon in the small river below.

Guess you can tell that we really liked Scotland.

Oh and the dog. I was in the house with the owner and we saw the dog happily trotting by with what appeared to be the leg of a calf. The owner's face went white and he dashed out the door. Guess there were some cows calving in the next field and one of them was still born. Nothing like the country life.

Didn't we already go by that?

May 14, 2009

Kenmare, Ireland

On the spur of the moment we decided to take a cheap flight out of Helsinki to Dublin. Landed and got a car and headed out after a lecture on the huge number of accidents in Ireland.

Spent the first night just south of Dublin and enjoyed a country where the menus were all in English. First impressions is that Ireland is really green. The second one is that it is really expensive. The third is that the roads are way too narrow for cars. Maybe for motorbikes or bicycles but not cars.

Spent the second night night in Midelton in a hostel run by a very nice lady who taught Gaelic and had opinions on every thing else. By chance we stopped at the Jameson Irish Whiskey distillery as we drove by. (It was by chance - honest). I know have a certificate saying I am a qualified Irish whiskey taster.

Spent a lot of time racing by on small roads with no names looking for connections to other places that may or may not exist.

A friend told me that it takes a long time to get anywhere in Ireland and he was right. When it says that your objective is 150 km away you better plan on a three hour drive. Of course it might be better if we quit taking the scenic route all the time. Maybe if we found a road without a village every fifty feet or so.

Stopped at little Irish villages to have hot soups and cold beer. Spent a good 30 minutes in one just trying to get out of town and we kept ending up at the same place.

Anywhere else in the world the streets we were on would have been one way with no parking. In Ireland they have parking on one side and allow two way traffic. That means that you have to peer down the street and give way if anyone is coming your way. If you are already on it then you have to hope that they will be pulling over for you. Reminded me of driving narrow mountain paths where there is only room for one.

Tonight we had a drink at a pub with a little Celtic band in one corner. I even had a pint of Guinness. It is Ireland after all.

What dock are you at?

Helsinki Finland
Turku Finland

After a long 91/2 months we finally saw our son again.

The ferry ride over from Estonia took two hours. The ship was more of a cruise ship then ferry and it was full of Finns bringing back cut rate beer and liquor.

As the ship neared the dock David called on the cell and asked if the ship was delayed. When I told that we were docking he said that was impossible since he was at the dock and no ships were coming in. Turns out he was at another dock about two kilometers away. After a period of us waiting and him trying to walk there we just decided to meet at the central train station in Helsinki. After a 20 minute wait for a bus (in the rain) we finally got there and of course didn't recognize him until he was right in front of us.

I haven't felt that good since my daughter came back from a year in Katimavik.

We took the two hour train back to Turku where he was living and then spent two days trying to meet all three of his host families. We stayed at the third host family and spent Mother's Day morning and afternoon with them. The first family we had dinner with and the second family we played salibandy (floorball - a kind of floor hockey) and had dinner. At both places the men had to go into the sauna a number of times (oh we also had to drink beer as part of it). At one place we also jumped into the small pool outside (9 C - 48 F) several times.

Sauna is a very important part of Finnish culture and I thought it was great. Not the same as a North American sauna at all. Certainly if you had any inhibitions before doing sauna you didn't after.

All the families were incredibly nice to us. They all asked why we were spending so little time in Finland and couldn't we stay longer. I had read that the Finns were a quiet reserved people, and maybe they are, but certainly not with us. After five months on the road it had been a long time since we had spent time with anyone but strangers. Now we have a lot of friends in Finland.

I think when we actually have a house again we would like to invite everyone in Finland for a visit although I will have to build a pretty damn big sauna.

Spent the last night in Helsinki with David. He has changed a lot but it is good to see that we can still drive him crazy with very little effort. Very hard to let him go again - even if it is only for a couple of months.

If Disney could see this

Tallinn, Estonia

We made it to the fairy tale old town of Tallinn, Estonia after a 17 hour bus trip from Warsaw. If you have never done that trip (and the chances are slight) then let me tell you that there are few flatter places on the earth then going north from Warsaw through the Baltic Republics. The highlight of the journey through Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and then Estonia was watching the colour of the brick farmhouses change from country to country. Good thing that they sold food on the bus (big two level bus) because nobody was carrying the four different currencies necessary to buy anything from the tiny little stands at the different bus stops.

Got into Tallinn (capital of Estonia) at about 11:00 pm and then tried to follow our google maps printout through the dark streets of the new city into the walled old section. Lana really wanted to stretch her legs after the bus ride and I barely stayed with her as we did the three kilometers. Eventually, despite people who kept trying to help us (the assumption being that no one with a backpack should be wondering around at night), we made the old city and found the hostel just as the cafes where closing. Fortunately the hostel staff knew of the Hell Hunt, a cool bar in the heart of the old city. Beer never tastes as good as it does after being on a bus for the last 17 hours.

The old sections of Tallinn are really old with the first fort being built there in 1050 AD although people have been living in the area since 3000 BC. It is all very colourful and, thankfully, very small so that getting around is not the same as a Prague or Veinna. There are the remains of the fortifications left by the German knights and lots of cobblestone streets. All the houses are stone and nothing runs in a straight line. You have to think that the knights would have appreciated all the cafes and pubs that have survived them. If Disney built an old city it would look like this.

We spent the one day here and then we are were on the way to Finland! Long way to come just to see a son - don't you think?

Onward and northward

Warsaw, Poland

Yes, in response to hundreds of inquiries our laptop is still in a coma so my posting have to be short.

Took a ten hour bus ride to Warsaw and ended up renting a room in a guys apartment. Kinda of creepy but at least it was clean.

Walked to older section of Warsaw and saw all the sights including the Presidents Palace where they signed the Warsaw Pact. There were a few public displays of photos of what the city looked like by 1945. Over 90% of the buildings were destroyed in all the fighting. The medival section was completely gutted but yet somehow the citizens rebuilt it all. You would swear the old section had been there for 600 years.

There are lots of square and ugly apartment blocks left over from the communist days but the newer sky scrapers sort of cancel them out. The land outside of Warsaw is flat as a board and doesn't make for interesting viewing from the bus. Food and beer are cheap for Europe and the resturant selection (for those who can avoid such things) is pretty good in the downtown.

Went to a movie in a really upscale mall and saw lots of big box stores on the outskirts of the city.

It may, at times, look a little drab but they are coming right along. With the possible exception of the Palace of Sports. It was a gift from Stalin and is a huge skyscrapper with lots of socialist statues and dynamic posing. Has to be the ugliest thing I have seen in a long time.

And, for those of you who are wondering, the perogies are tremendous. On the other hand, after drinking lots of Czech beer (the best in the world) the local stuff tastes like Labatts.

Prague no - Praha yes

May 1, 2009

You would think that city names would stay the same where ever but not so. In Europe Prague is Praha. Not sure why except that it does make you feel like an idiot when you are trying to explain where you are headed for.

Prague, sorry Praha, is a beautiful city that somehow escaped the destruction visited on most European cities for the last few centuries. The old town has magnificent churches and buildings some of which were built in the 1300s. If you like baroque then this is the place.

We made another late night arrival on the train from Vienna. Getting good at figuring out metro and tram systems while being dead tired. Our hostel is in a neighbourhood a little away from the overcrowded tourist district but it is only a 30 minute walk away.

The food here is heavy on the dumplings and of course beer is everywhere. There seems to be a small bar about every 20 feet and the drinking is serious. Of course this may have something to do with them having some of the best beer in the world, but then again maybe not.

The old parts of the city span the river and there is a castle and palaces on one side with the old city centre on the other. Prices here are less than in Vienna but they use their own currency so we are trying to do the currency rate thing in our head. At times it would be nice if we were back with the euro.

A fair number of people speak some English but it is amazing what you can do with a few frantic hand gestures and carefully watching the total on the cash register. Thank god that the numbers all look the same.

Lana thinks that Praha is the most beautiful city that she has ever seen and the old town certainly fits the bill. If Disney was going to come up with a European city theme park they would build something that looked like this. Things are crowded but I can't imagine what it is like during the height of the tourist season. It is bad enough on the old cobblestone streets as it is.

Talked with David in Finland a couple of days ago and he is, as we speak, somewhere in Russia. At the time we told him our travel plans (Praha, Warsaw, Tallinn and Helsinki) and he talked of his trip. It is going to be awful boring when we get back to Canada and start talking about Vancouver or Toronto.

By the way it is Spring here and the lilacs are in full bloom. Hard to stop Lana from leaping into the blooms to "smell the roses" so to speak.

We are in Spain - no France - no Austria - whatever

Computer is still dead so I will try some updates from internet cafes.

We stayed in Barcelona for a few days after an all night bus trip. The bus trip was terrible but the city was awesome. Lots of pictures (which I am still uploading to the same place as before) but really cool. Great subway system and beautiful weather. Nice fort on the hilltop with one of the best collections of swords I have ever seen. No sign of General Franco.

Had to fly to Paris because the train trip would have cost a mint. Made our way through the Paris subway system (which looked like it was using the medieval tunnels still) with no problem and to the over priced hostel. Actually for Paris it was cheap but everything in Paris is expensive except the wine and beer in the stores. Saw all the sights. The Tower is bigger than it looks. Versailles is pretty big for a cottage and the traffic is not as bad as I thought.

Small world item. While in the line for Versailles a woman screamed 'Lana' and it turned out to be her old friend Jill, who had been maid of honor at our wedding. Haven't seen her in 20 years or so.

After Paris we flew to Vienna. Great security at the Paris airport by the way - best of the trip. Vienna is also great and much cheaper than Paris. Nothing like bottles of wine in the store at 1.50 Euros. Spent four days here and loved it all.

Now onto Prague for five days before heading to Poland.

Sorry this is lacking the normal wit but time is short and I gotta go.

Sorry folks we have a technical problem

April 24, 2009

Yesterday our little laptop stopped working. It was the key to doing the blog. Write off line and then post it up.

I am afraid that, until or if I sort that out, the blog postings will be very skimpy if they happen at all.

Currently we are in Paris having just left Barcelona Spain. Saw the Louve yesterday - Great

Tommorrow on the plane to Vienna

The Last Kingdom

April 16.17, 2009

Granada, Spain

Did you know that, for awhile in the 1200’s or so, the part of Spain ruled by the Moors was the most civilized in Europe? They had Universities, built beautiful buildings and in general had a prosperous thing going. This was at a time when most of Europe was in the dark ages. In the 1300’s the last Moorish kingdom fell to the Christian armies and their final stronghold was Granada.

La Alhambra sits on the hill that dominates the city. It is a vast complex of palaces, walls, gateways and forts all in various stages of ruination or restoration. Touring the area is not always easy since they only sell 2,000 tickets a day to the public and you have a certain time that you must be at one palace or you can’t get in at all. We had to walk up the hill, in the dark, at 6:30 am to get a ticket when the office opened at 8:30.

I have to say the Moors really knew how to live. The palaces all have extensive systems of fountains, pools and channels of water throughout. There is even a staircase where the banister is open at the top and water runs down the inside of the railing. The gardens are amazingly intricate and there are enough fruit trees to keep everyone stocked up on their Vitamin C. The fort looks like one out of a young boy’s adventure book - complete with dungeons and towers. Starting to get the picture?

Washington Irving, the American writer, lived here among the ruins for a few months in the 1880’s and wrote a number of books and stories based on it. There is even a little plaque on the wall of the one room commemorating it.

The old city beneath the fort is full of narrow cobblestone streets and buildings dating from the period after the Moors when the Spanish Court was based here. There are tons of restaurants, statues and plazas to make it picture perfect. On the other hand, it can be expensive and there are many tourists.

Nice place. Glad we stopped. Didn’t mean to originally but the bus trip to Barcelona was going to be too long by itself and we ended up taking two days here. Now we get on an all night bus trip to Barcelona. Love in sleeping in my clothes.

Back to Coronation Street

April 14.15, 2009

Tangiers, Spain
The Rock, Iberian Peninsula

Nothing like a first class overnight train. Sounds good doesn’t it? Really, it is more like a very small den with six Lazy-Boys and not nearly enough ventilation or legroom. It would be somewhat entertaining watching everyone trying to get comfortable except for the fact that you are trying to do it too. After the night in the desert, that is how we spent the next one while on the train from Marrakech to Tangier.

We got into Tangier and headed for the ferry over to Spain. We took the high-speed one and it really was – making the crossing in only 35 minutes versus the standard four hours. Followed an Australian fellow from the train over to the bus station and plopped onto a local bus to La Linea de la Concepcion - the gateway to Gibraltar. An hour later, we were following the big silhouette in the sky towards the border crossing.

At the border, a bored Spanish cop glanced at the inside of our passports and then a nice British gentleman only glanced at the Canadian cover before waving us through. No customs check, bag check or forms to fill out and we were in. Must have known we were coming. Took the double decker bus (really) to the centre of town and found the Cannon Hotel – on Cannon Lane.

For the last two months, we had been in jungles, deserts and strange cities where any English we heard was a bonus but not expected. We couldn’t drink the water and the culture was always a learning experience. For the last three days, we had been in the same set of clothes and smelled a little like those camels. After all that, we found ourselves on the set of Coronation Street. Gibraltar has to be more English than anything in England is.

For two days we drank pints of beer, ate Shepherd’s pie, shopped at Marks and Spencer’s (whose chocolate cookies are really good), watched soccer games in pubs and walked around the narrow old part of the colony. Of course, we went to the top of the Rock for the view and the monkeys and we shopped for a new camera since the last one was broken when Lana’s camel fell on it. (Apparently, camel damage is not covered by the warranty.)

Going to Gibraltar was great. There was even hot water and TV! Had a great time and were sorry to leave. Left for an early bus on the Spanish side and had to walk out of the colony at six in the morning with a light English drizzle helping us along. Not a lot of space in the colony so the last little bit was crossing the airport runaway and hoping that no early morning flights were scheduled.

When a Camel falls over does it hurt?

April 12.13, 2009

Zagora, Morocco

The Sahara Desert

What would a visit to Morocco be without seeing the Sahara? We decided that a quick visit to the land of camels and Berber tents would be fun. So at 7 am, we loaded into a van with six others and headed toward the Atlas Mountains looming in the distance.

Eight hours later, after winding on a narrow two-lane road up and over the mountains, we pulled into Zagora. Just like everything else on the way the buildings are all made of thick mud walls. Zagora has a small river passing through it so the palm trees and crops around the city are a splash of green at odds with the greys and browns of the rock we have been looking at all day.

Our driver, who spoke rarely and then only in French, stopped the van next to a bunch of camels and motioned for us to get out. The Berbers with the camels, all kneeling, motioned for us to grab our gear and stand next to a camel. I have to tell you that, up close, a camel makes a moose look good.

We crawled onto the blankets on top of the camel and eventually one of the Berbers would come along, bark a word at the camel and up it went. (Word of advice here – when they get up hold on tight).

We spent the next hour riding into the desert. The swaying isn’t bad but there aren’t any stirrups and a camel is pretty wide Lets just say that you feel stretched by the time you get off.

We stopped amidst some small dunes out in the desert. One tent for all of us. It is a wide low tent made of old rugs with a small table inside along with sleeping pads, tough cushions and itchy blankets. No water and the toilet facilities are as close as the next dune but it sure feels authentic.

At dark the sky is filled with stars and a Berber brings us some “Berber whiskey” (Berber tea). A little while later soup, bread and Moroccan stew follows. We sleep through the desert night in the clothes that we came in, huddled under the blankets as the desert night gets colder.

We are awaken at dawn for a breakfast of bread and tea and the ride back on the camels.

Close to the end point we had a small problem. Lana had mentioned, before the ride, that she would probably get the camel that would run off into the desert since something like that always happened when she got on any kind of animal. I asked what could happen with a camel?

What happened was it fell over.

Right in the middle of the group, her camel suddenly went over like it had been hit by a truck. As it fell she hit her leg on the ground with the camera in between the ground and her. So now, she has a really enormous bruise and we need a new camera.

The camel is fine.

Another eight hours to Marrakech and directly to the train station for the overnight to Tangier. Still in the same clothes.

So this is what they were singing about.

April 9.10.11, 2009

Marrakech, Morocco

Crosby, Stills Nash & Young had a song a long time ago where they sang about the “train to Marrakech”. Now I know what the hell they were talking about.

Marrakech has been a market and trading town for maybe a thousand years. Sure there seem to be a lot of new developments on the outskirts of town but the old Medina looks much the same as it did 500 years ago. Of course, I am overlooking the continuous stream of motor scooters racing down the narrow passageways but they still have to stop for the burro carts blocking the way.

We stayed in a B&B that was in the old city. The directions were to enter at one of the old gates and then take the first right and the second left. Stop at the door with the 70 above it. The passageways were only eight feet wide (no names of course) and I felt that we stepped back into the movie set of some biblical epic.

Through the occasional open door, we could see tiled entranceways but mostly there were solid wooden doors with embedded steel rivets that wouldn’t have been out of place in a medieval fortress. We had a bad moment with a swarm of kids that wanted money to guide us, followed us there and demanded payment. Insulted by the paltry change we offered they eventually stormed off in search of wealthier prey.

We spent the next few days wondering the old city (and getting lost on a continuous basis). The souks, or markets, are narrow passageways crowded with vendors selling everything from clothes to lamps to spices to produce to antiques to rugs to pharmaceuticals. Most of their customers are locals not tourists and the bargaining can be furious. Of course, if you are a tourist the initial asking price triples but that just gives you more room to bargain.

The passageways can be more than crowded with burro carts, motor scooters, bicycles, the odd small truck and hundreds of people. If you are hungry then lots of vendors sell the local round flat bread to nibble on. The vendors are not as aggressive as those in Turkey are but once you start to bargain getting away without a sale can be a serious problem.

The real heart of Marrakech is the Djemaa el Fna. In a ritual that is hundreds of years old the huge square is filled during the day with snake charmers and vendors (like the guy selling the teeth – a whole table of human teeth). For a few Dirham you can have a poisonous snake draped on your shoulders or take a picture of a cobra swaying in front of a charmer playing a flute.

At night, the square really comes alive. Half of it is filled with musicians, storytellers and speakers. The other half (set up only at 4 pm and gone by the morning) becomes a vast restaurant with kitchens and tables selling kebabs, snails, fresh orange juice, fresh sheep’s head (really) and a dozen other things. With the lights, the smoke from the grills and the hundreds of people it is a truly unique sight. I have never seen anything like it. Really one of the world’s really cool places.

That CSNY song was always one of my favourites but now it’s magical, just like the Djemaa.

Rick where are you when we need you?

April 7.8, 2009

Casablanca, Morocco

Hmmm. In a town made famous by a movie there is no glamour to be had. Rick, from the movie, wouldn’t like it. Drinks are hard to find and then very expensive when you do locate a place willing to sell them.

Nowadays it is primarily a port and industrial town with its only cultural claim to fame being the world’s second largest mosque (after the one in Mecca). It has room for 100,000 people at one time. Other than that it has an airport (which we came in at) and a bus station (which we used as soon as possible). Not one of our favourite towns.

Welcome President Obama. Meet my new best friend Muhad.

April 5.6.7, 2009

Showing that he can’t be out done by us, President Obama decided to visit Turkey while we were there. He was not only visiting the country but exactly the same places that we had visited the day before.

Of course you would have to be blind to miss the preparations. Blue police barricades suddenly appeared around the Hagia Sophia (for 1000 years the largest church in the world – built 537 AD) and the Blue Mosque (built in 1616). Large men, wearing sunglasses and nylon parkas, appeared in local coffee shops and the waiters at the cafes all knew which rooftop bars had been taken over for sniper posts.

Our concern was just getting out of the city since he was coming to our area as we were trying to get out. In the end it all worked out except that we had to detour an extra couple of kilometres to catch the tram for the airport. Not fun while carrying a large pack and walking uphill on cobblestone streets. Interesting to pass police, soldiers, water cannon and armoured personnel carriers with machine guns while walking out. If the Canadian PM came I don’t even think he would get a private tour.

Now back to Istanbul. Spent our last full days there touring attractions (see above), getting lost in the narrow twisting streets and trying local cuisine. I particularly like the Turkish tradition of the hookah – the water pipe. We spent one evening in a traditional style bar, with the cushions on the floor – no chairs, with Lana watching me smoke a hookah. Apple tobacco I think.

The last afternoon we went to a traditional Turkish bath. I developed a close personal relationship with a large gentleman, named Muhad, who was wearing nothing more than a towel and a big moustache.

In a Turkish bath (this one was built 500 years ago) you lie for a while on a huge piece of marble in a steam house atmosphere. Eventually, when they think you are ready, an attendant comes to exfoliate, massage and soap you down. Eventually they douse you with buckets of warm water. It was great right down to the moment when Muhad learned over me and said “you come back with tip”. I knew then we had a connection. Besides no one had ever touched me that way before.

On to Casablanca.

My friend, please take my card.

April 1.2.3.4, 2009

Istanbul, Turkey

Everyone has friends in Turkey. Specifically everyone who runs a restaurant, a street stall or a booth in the Grand Bazaar is your friend – your good friend. How do I know? They have all told me – repeatedly.

We flew into Istanbul, in a very comfortable Turkish Air jet, on the overnight from Bangkok. With the nine and half hour flight and the change in the time zone we had a fun time getting onto the metro and making the connection to the tram to get to our hostel. After that, we wandered the streets with our heavy packs on and at the mercy of a bad map and the equally bad directions of half a dozen locals.

We are staying in the oldest part of the city and there is an ancient (500 AD) city wall down the street. The bulk of the Blue Mosque rises in the near distance and the roof of the hostel offers a view the Bosphorus – the strait separating Europe and Asia. Istanbul is located on both sides of the water.

Many of the structures that you see here date from 500 AD or were built during the glory days of the Ottoman Empire. It is unusual to see an 800 year old wall with a new building using it for support.

Since Istanbul is the largest city in Europe (did you know that?) we plan to only see a small part of it. The Grand Bazaar and Spice Markets were a hoot for me but a bit of a strain for Lana. Every shop or stall has the owner standing in front of it and they are like, shall we say, a little aggressive. Did I mention that they are all men as well?

At the better shops, they are quite polite and will be happy to get you a cup of tea to discuss business over. At the small cheap stalls, the only English words they seem to know are “Hey Lady”. Many of them will try anything to start a conversation usually based on where they think you are from. Wearing my hat from Australia seems to generate some interest in my non-existent horse or perhaps just the hope that shouting “Cowboy” will prompt me to buy everything in the store.

The failsafe for them and us is the business card. If you find yourself cornered just ask for one of their cards and say you may be back later. If they can’t get your attention any other way they may force a card on you. I have quite a collection right now.

The aggressive salesmanship aside, the Grand Bazaar is really one of those places you have to visit to believe. Just finding your way through is an exercise in navigational expertise akin to being dropped blindfolded into a shopping mall parking lot at Christmas and trying to find someone else’s car.

Have toured two Sultan’s palaces and think that they knew how to live. My favourite was seeing a basket of emeralds from the old royal treasury. Each of them was half the size of a chicken egg. Have to get me one of those.

Travelling in Thailand (and Southeast Asia)

March 2009

Ok so if you want to follow in our footsteps but have never been to this part of the world before then here are some travel tips. If you are planning on staying at western style hotels and taking only managed tours then skip this. Best Westerns are the same all over.

• Driving – stay alive and don’t drive. Maybe rent a scooter in a nice safe place but don’t even consider driving here. This is from someone who enjoys driving in Montreal or Detroit.
• Hope you like rice and noodles. If you are eating cheap then those are your options. Western style food, especially pizza and spaghetti, cost two or three times as much. In the bigger cities, you can find any kind of Western food that you want but you won’t pay Thai prices for them.
• Buy only bottled water. I don’t drink bottled water elsewhere but I do here.
• Take only clothes that hide it when you sweat. If you do any degree of walking or trekking you will sweat. If you sweat a lot at home this will be a lot worse. Wear colours that look the same way wet and dry. Take only clothes that don’t need any special care. Be prepared if the laundry has ironed your socks and bleached your favourite beige blouse into something that looks like a hospital uniform.
• Learn how to walk. In the towns and cities there are many open drains, broken tiles, unexpected drops and curbs. Your feet have to have eyes of their own if you want to avoid a twisted ankle. (The concept of liability is not one that rules the day here). Walk a lot on rough ground before you come here and your feet will teach themselves (or spend all your time looking at the ground).
• Everyone knows someone who can help you. Every guesthouse or hostel or hotel already has a suggestion for how to book a tour, do the laundry or find a business. Usually it is owned by a family member or friend. Thailand runs on what we would call kickbacks or commission. This doesn’t make it bad and in fact it can be very convenient at times. For expensive stuff always check around. The more expensive the accommodation the more likely you are paying more for the extras.
• Toilets – a traditional Thai toilet is one where you squat over the hole in the floor (which is probably hooked up to a modern plumbing system). A typical en-suite in a guesthouse has a western style toilet, a sink and a shower all in the same space. If it is a shared bathroom, wear your sandals. Expect, in some areas, to have no handle to flush but rather a small cistern in the room where you can ladle water into the toilet. Toilets in train stations, etc., usually have a small charge to use them. Oh and if you are wondering what that small hose with the nozzle is next to the toilet it is connected to the fact that there may be no toilet paper in the room. I'll let you figure it out.
• Thai don’t sweat much (generally not at all) and go to great lengths to look good in public. Do what you can to match that.
• Beer is everywhere and pretty cheap. Wine is not cheap at all and is very hard to get in budget places. The more westernized (and higher priced) the restaurant the greater the chances of getting wine. Street stalls never have it. Don’t expect it to be on a budget restaurant menu.
• Learn to love 7-11 stores. As amazing as it seems they are the great equalizer for pricing on beer (the cheapest), cigarettes, pop and water. They are everywhere in all mid to large sized towns.
• Air Conditioning – always ask for it when you stay somewhere and pay the dollar or two extra. Be prepared that many businesses (and subways and buses) set their units at about 16C (62F). For example, when I step out of the monorail cars my glasses fog up. On the other hand, 7-11s are a great way of avoiding heat stroke.
• Many people in Thailand know 5-10 words of English, are genuinely nice and just want to help. Their English is just enough to do some business. Try to talk simply and without using vowels (i.e. pay bill) until you know how much they understand. Do not assume that since they are smiling and nodding you are getting through. They may just not want to embarrass you or themselves. And, please for God’s sake, don’t talk loudly. Their hearing is just fine. Your lack of Thai is the problem – not their lack of English.
• Thai writing. Many things are written in English letters in Thailand but most aren’t. Thai script is indecipherable to most English speakers. Their street numbers and names are a completely different system than the one in use in NA and many streets have no markings. Always try to get a map or specific directions if you can.
• Taxis and Tuk-Tuks. Always settle on a fixed fair beforehand. Most Thais take the bus and that is always preferable if you can figure it out.
- Staffing – expect there to be at least two Thai staff, and maybe more, in every tour bus or truck or at every desk. Sometimes it maybe the whole family. That doesn’t mean that they are all there to help you. They may just be hanging out, catching a ride or doing something else. Don’t be mad if they aren’t all trying to solve your problem.

Dogs – last but not least there are dogs everywhere in Thailand. “Mixed breed” is an understatement. Some may belong to people but most don’t. They won’t bother you if you don’t bother them. Don’t make the mistake of trying to pet them or play with them. Think of them as more of an urban coyote. They help keep the streets clean and won’t beg for food.

Bangkok, Thailand -- again

March 29.30.31, 2009

Ah to be back in Bangkok. Oddly enough, since we have been in Bangkok a number of times, it feels like we are coming home. Booked in to the same hostel we know how to get around the city and what things cost. There is also nothing like Bangkok air. Once you taste it nothing else tastes the same.

At the airport, where we first arrived in Asia at midnight a month ago, we relax while waiting for the express bus to the area that our hostel is in. We grin watching backpackers from all over the world try to figure out which bus to take to where. Every now and then it is nice to be smug.

For two and half days we do not do much. We went to two of Bangkok’s famed shopping malls. One of them was very high end with white coated doormen and the other was best described as a giant street market crammed into a six storey mall. Both had massive food courts and movie theatres. The Department store at each had large numbers of staff who basically shadow your every move hoping to get the commission from the sale. If you happen to be my age it is somewhat unnerving to buy a pair of underwear with three young Thai women trying to show you samples of everything that you look at.

Went to a movie in a huge theatre with the best seats I have ever seen. (In Thailand and Malaysia, by the way, they sell you a specific seat even if there is nobody else in the theatre.) Of course, at the beginning of the movie we had to stand for a video of the King while the national anthem played. Good video too. Made Ghandi look like some kind of scumbag in comparison.

Had two late night discussions with a very interesting group of travellers. There was the retired English professor of psychology (neo-Freudian but I tried not to hold that against him), the snake biologist from Australia, the farmer’s son from India, the would-be English teacher from Ireland and any number of others who dropped in and dropped out as the night went on. Of course, the depth of the discussion seemed to vary in direct proportion to the number of Chang beers that were consumed. Nevertheless, I think we would have stood a fair chance of solving the world’s problems if we had a few more nights. If any of them read this – thanks. It was one of the more outstanding times that I had on our travels.

On March 31 we bid farewell to Bangkok, and SE Asia, and got on the 11:35 pm flight to Turkey. We were sad to go.

Singapore, Singapore

March 27.28, 2009

I have heard a lot about Singapore and it was all true.

First of all the City is clean – really clean. I don’t think I have ever been in a big city that was so clean. The traffic follows all the rules. There are skyscrapers everywhere and malls in between.

We stayed in Little India, which, oddly enough, is full of Indians. Singapore definitely has specific areas where different folks are expected to live. We didn’t mind since the area was teeming with life at night. It was amazing to watch the temples overflowing and the shops selling saris, tires, shoes and anything else.

Lana went to the art museum (which she said was good) and I went on a tour of the “Battlebox”. This series of tunnels and rooms was the British command centre during the siege of Singapore. There was a series of dioramas on what happened on the last day of the siege, which, for a student of history, was really fascinating.

We wandered among the high-rises and along the river. Even though we had lived in the Toronto area for many years, I felt that Singapore made me feel like a country bumpkin. I would challenge anyone who thinks that North America is the most developed area on the planet to visit somewhere like Singapore (or Kuala Lumpur).

Of course, the cost had also increased along with the buildings. Actually the cost wasn’t as bad as we feared with things (once you had done the currency conversion) costing about the same as Toronto. Still for me it was a shock since I had gotten used to the much cheaper prices in Thailand and Malaysia.

On the other hand we did splurge on food. We had Indonesian, French, Italian and Indian all in two days. Had a nice visit over dinner with an Australian maritime engineer who was in town to convert a super tanker. Nice guy.

Definitely a city to visit and be awed by.

Mashed potatoes at the movies, buttered and fried coffee but not roasted.

March 25.26, 2009

Melaka, Malaysia

We made a short (2 hours) trip down Malaysia to Melaka. For hundreds of years Melaka was the centre of adventure in this part of the world. A logical port for the ships waiting for favourable trade winds there were, at times, 2,000 ships in the harbour. For 500 years local kingdoms, the Portuguese, the Dutch and the English and Japanese fought over it. A Ming Emperor even sent one of his daughters (with 500 retainers) to wed the local ruler.

Nowadays the biggest thing in Melaka is the mega-mall. To be honest it is a really big mall that seems to stretch for miles and it is air conditioned (a big plus in this part of the world).

There is a little left of Melakan history with a few old buildings and a little section of the original fort. There is a chapel that was built in 1540 of so and some really old tombstones but the town has changed. The fort site, which once guarded the harbour now looks over shops and business built on land reclaimed from the sea. There is a cool Chinatown with narrow streets and small shops. Unfortunately, my search for a kreis, the traditional knife of Malays, didn’t find anything that I could afford.

Wondering about the title of this entry? Well we went to the movies and one of the treats you could buy was mashed potatoes. Caramel corn was there along with a nice tub of lite and sweet corn.

How about the “buttered and fried but not roasted”. Well the coffee in Malaysia tastes a little different. Coffee beans here are not roasted but are fried in butter. Actually a lot of coffee is a blend of coffee, chocolate and sugar. Not bad once you get used to it.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

March 23.24, 2009

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I had expected the capital of Malaysia to be just another Bangkok but it’s not. First of all, there aren’t people living under tarps next to the high rises. Secondly, it is a lot cleaner than Bangkok. Thirdly where most of Bangkok’s charm comes from the mass of people continually moving around the streets downtown KL feels much more cosmopolitan.

One of the indicators of wealth in Asia (I think) is the number of scooters on the street. KL has far fewer than Bangkok and there are far more SUV type vehicles. Secondly, people actually seem to pay attention to the traffic laws, in the downtown area at least, it is a city that I would consider driving in.

I counted at least 14 large construction projects in and around the city. Large cranes were everywhere and the feeling was one of a “world city” if you want to use that term. The people aren’t quite as friendly as Thailand (but that might be an unfair comparison).

We stayed in 3rd floor walk-up guesthouse that was right in the downtown core. The street was lined with restaurants with a variety of non-Asian fare. This would include German, English, Russian, Indonesian and many bars where English was the language of choice. Of course a block over you could find a good roadside open-air restaurant serving Malay, Indian and Thai food. (Funny there are few Malay restaurants in Thailand but tons of Thai restaurants in Malaysia).

There was a huge shopping mall down the street and we wandered the streets comparing the two cities. We found our way to the Malay national museum, since our trip up the twin Petronas towers was a no go because of rain. The museum was well laid out and, to my delight, they had a temporary display on the traditional weapons in Malay culture. I am pretty sure that Lana enjoyed it as well although I kept losing sight of her amidst the swords, knifes and spears.

We walked a good piece of the city although the temperatures and humidity were high. I was hoping that I would be used to this by now but I still generate enough water for a good-sized reservoir.

Splurged on a really good tapas meal in a great restaurant one night and ate at a local street food stall on a side street. Overall, we were impressed with the city and would love to come back.

Penang Island, Malaysia

March 21.22, 2009

The trip from Thailand ended in a dirty bus terminal in Georgetown Penang sitting underneath a large shopping mall. Penang is an island (although that is also the state name) which had been colonized by the British East India Company back when they were battling against the Dutch for the spice trade. It now has over a million people in the area.

At one time, it was kind of a mega-open port and trading centre for the whole area. Consequently, there were Arabs, Chinese, English, Indians (Tamils), Burmese, Japanese and even Armenians (I am really not sure how they got there) and many others that settled in the area along with the resident Malays.

Most of the population is about evenly divided between those with Chinese ancestry and those with Malay (or other local inhabitants). Since there are little similarity between Malay and Chinese languages many of the locals have learned some English as the common language and many of the signs and street names are in English. This does not mean that you can have a conversation with everyone but it does make it a lot easier to order beer and ask when the bus might be coming.

The old town, where we stayed, is a series of small narrow streets with crumbling buildings and street vendors like you see in Thailand. There wasn’t quite as much garbage however and it seemed cleaner. Remember that is cleaner on an Asian scale. If you are clean freak or abnormally concerned about germs it is best that you stay in your condo in Toronto or wherever. The buses ran regularly and you got the idea that everyone gets along – sort of.

My personal favourite thing were the open storm sewers on most the streets. They were about 18 inches across and 18 inches down. Just the thing when you are wandering around without a light or with too much alcohol in your system.

There were lots of old Colonial buildings and since the weather was balmy (34C) Lana and I did a walking tour of the old area including the local museum which was quite good for its size. With me leaving sweat puddles along the sidewalk, we breezed past a BMW safe driver course on the waterfront and then passed hundreds of closed shops since most Chinese shut down on Sunday. We did stop at a very cool Chinese clan compound.

In the old days, the Chinese and the Malays formed societies to help themselves. Eventually these became warring factions. The clan house is notable because it was used in the movie the King and I since they were prohibited from filming any of the movie in Thailand. The carvings and decorations in the main temple were extremely ornate and worth the visit.

By the way we were in the New Banana Guest House on Chulia Street and, if you like sweet things, there is a street vendor just up the road who makes a really tasty banana, sweet corn & coconut pancake thing. Five small ones wrapped in a banana leaf for 2 ringgit (about $0.60 CDN).

If you stay in the New Banana the rooms look new but it is noisy. They didn’t brick over the old windows or shutters but just put up office dividers so it is dark but you think you are right in the heart of the activity outside. Not bad if you want to keep track of what is happening on the street below. We had a private room with A/C but shared toilet & shower. Actually, it was a water closet with toilet along with a shower head and heated water unit attached to the wall. We wore our sandals while showering!