Reflections on Day 2

A country song passes through my mind tonight - or this morning - at 2 AM - as, with jet lag still present, I reflect some of the many people I met today on day 2.  

"God is Great, Beer is Good, People are Crazy".

Musa, 21, a Turk, now living in Germany, a Fullbright Scholar who I talked with for over an hour at the hostel.  Motivated, mature, very intelligent, inquisitive.  He studied on his Fullbright in Kentucky.  He gave me an informative tour guide quality itinerary for the Black Sea coast, complete with photos.  I told him there is an unlimited future in store for him.  We could have talked for many more hours.  I would enjoy being a mentor to him.

Machmud, 27, nearing graduation from University, working the graveyard shift at the hostel.  "I do not know what I want to do with my life".  I told him it is time to decide.

After wandering back to the hostel from the hilltop castle and buying some beer (expensive) I heard a lot of commotion upstairs.  I took a bottle of beer and went to investigate.  I could tell that they were not Japanese travelers........   

About 10 students - Archeology, Mechanical Engineering, Urban Planning majors that were on a foreign exchange program - all young - several from Poland (that I easily related with), Spaniards, Portuguese, Turks, Germans, Italians.  All young men and women.  They had 3 bottles of vodka and orange, lemon and lime mixers.  I drank mine straight, in the Polish style I so easily learned with minimal coaching during my 2 weeks of travel there.  

I had over an hour of continuous, enjoyable, wide ranging conversation with each of them.  Some conversations were shorter than others.

Work or pleasure travel?  I replied "Neither.  I am on walkabout".

Are you Turkish?

Do you believe the 9/11 event was actually a plot by the US government?  

The male Polish student was the most engaging and enjoyable.  

The women had no use for an old fart like me, but they were quite engaged with the buff young Spaniard.  I wished I was a buff young Spaniard.  They were around him like bees to honey.  

I stayed with them for an hour, sipped some vodka and got exactly what I wanted from the hostel - young, international, intelligent conversation.

I doubt that the hotel beneath the castle and above the mosque will have the same atmosphere tomorrow night.  Almost every room key was hanging on the board behind the desk in the office when I inquired about availability today .........  

Just exactly what I want and need.

Day 2 - Exploring Ankara

Spent most of the AM getting organized.  Went through bags, threw away old boarding passes, receipts, notes, etc.  Showered, buffed and pufffed.  Removed the rats nest in the ponytail.  

Received some tourista info from the host at the hostel and then booked the Sunday flight from Ankara to Trabzon, on the Black Sea coast about 40 miles west of Georgia.

Took off walking.  Walked about a mile or two and saw "the castle on the hill" described by the hostel host in the distance.   Hailed a taxi and in 15 minutes was up there.  The area had an old city feel, much different from the hustle and bustle of the Kizilay area where the hostel is located.  At the castle met 2 women from Estonia - one was teaching English here in Ankara and the other lady had married a Turk from Ankara.  Both lived here.  We talked travel, work, vacations, living the dream of international travel.  

While talking, the 4PM call to prayer stared booming from all the mosques in the city.  The oldest mosque in Ankara is 100 feet below the castle, right across the street from a quaint, classy immaculate hotel I checked out only 30 minutes before.  

Walked down the hill from the castle to the tourist info center and met Hasan.  He was extremely helpful and provided a 30 minute overview of the towns and cities along the Black Sea coast.  He lived in Germany for 10 years, spoke German, English with a strong German accent and is a native of Ankara.  We talked international politics, war in the middle east, radical muslims and ISIS, travel in Europe, and space exploration.  He gave me great info on the Black Sea coast and helped me feel confident about going there in several days.  He had traveled to 70 countries but had not been to the US.

The "And Butik Hotel" is the white building next to the mosque.

Walked all the way back to the hostel from the hilltop castle, the mosque and the "And Butik Hotel" that is smack dab between the two.  The area around and below the castle had a great feel.  Small, winding roads with all types of rug shops, tinsmiths, small quaint restaurants and felt like a world away from the hustle and bustle of the region around the hostel.  I kept telling myself "I am not lost"  "I am not lost" '"I am not lost in a city of 4 million.".  I have found it most beneficial to approach women for directions versus men.  Women have been more helpful for the most part.

Walking back to the hostel took an hour but It was all downhill and I knew I finally made it when I saw the Burger King restaurant.  Everyone was most helpful along the way, even if they did not know a word of English.

Bought a few beers and canceled the room tomorrow night and Saturday night at the hostel.  Had the hostel host book me a room for two nights at "And Butik Hotel" between the mosque and the castle on the hill.

A great day that allowed me to say "This is why I travel".

Ankara Arrival and the Deeps Hostel Day 2

Uneventful arrival at Ankara airport.  My backpack was the absolute last piece of luggage out of the carousel.  It was starting to feel lonely and worries increased with every traveler departing the carousel with their luggage.  Cleared immigration, the online VISA application worked without a hitch and easily cleared customs.

Went to the Turkey tourism kiosk and was offered a piece of Turkish pizza and received great help about bus service to the hostel and travel in Turkey. 

Got on the bus for the 30 minute ride downtown.  Bus was less than $4.00 USD.  Asked a young woman in the seat behind me for directions - she just returned from 9 months of university in Poland.  

We talked about Polish hospitality, drinking with Poles, Krakow, Poland vs. Turkey, the difficulty of the Polish language and our impressions from our visits to the Auschwitz death camp.

After a 30 minute ride to the bus stop at Kizilay, I set off to find the hostel.  The first guy sent me south.  I stopped and asked again - I was sent north.  After going north 3 blocks, I stopped again and was told further north.  Then I stopped at a restaurant and the owner called the bus boy who in a very friendly manner took me to the hostel doorstep, 3 blocks away.  No one spoke any English but somehow I was able to find the Deeps Hostel and my little room for $25.00 USD a night using my map, gestures and a smile and head nods.

At the hostel I settled in and returned 3 blocks to the restaurant to eat and tip the young man that escorted me to the hostel.  Took a sleeping pill and slept soundly.

Will stay here in Ankara for 2 days and leave on 10/4 for the Black Sea coast town of Trabzon via a short 1.5 hour flight.

101 days of Walkabout - Day 1

Up at 4 AM and off to the airport in the early morning drizzle and darkness.   The rains are starting to begin in the northwest and the fall salmon run is over.  After over 60 days without measurable precipitation and hundreds of hours salmon fishing in the boat on the Columbia,it is now time to experience new places, people, cultures,  sights.

At the check in counter I am often amazed by traveler behavior.  This time it was the Chinese guy with the upright suitcase with the 4 roller wheels.  His bag was half the size of a steamer trunk.  My first thought was "I bet that is heavy".  He struggled mightily to put it on the luggage scale and was promptly told that the bag was 20 pounds over the maximum. What was he thinking?  That you could cram 70 pounds of crap in a giant suitcase and get it on an airplane?  Did he read anything during the ticketing process?  

He was told by the ticket agent that he would need to make two pieces of luggage - that baggage handlers could not lift, move and heft 70 pound luggage.  He was told that he would be given a box to put 20 pounds of stuff in and then be charged a fee of $100.00 for the second 20 pound piece of luggage.  He argued with his wife/girlfriend - there was lots of hand waving, finger pointing, heated words were exchanged.  He had no options - either cough up $100 and make 2 pieces of luggage - or not travel. I chuckled and continued to watch with amusement.   More consultation with the traveling companion and the agent.  Finally he was given two boxes - 2 boxes because he could not fit 20 pounds of crap in one box - and the agent said she would tape them together to make 1 box.  He was handed the two smallish cardboard boxes and several other Chinese travelers in his traveling party grabbed the bag from the scale and the two boxes and then cracked open the trunk - right in front of the ticket counter, thus effectively blocking those behind him (me) from using the ticketing kiosk until the task was completed.   He slowed everything down even more at check in.  The suitcase when folded open took up about 20 square feet of floor space and the two boxes and all the clothes being sorted and laid out to find the heaviest stuff took up another 20 square feet of floor space.  The 4 or 5 Chinese pouring over the mess took up even more floor space and effectively blocked other check in kiosks.   I should have taken a picture.

At the kiosk I inserted my credit card and was prompted for the first 3 letters of my destination.  I typed "ank" and the automated check in kiosk spit out this message "no flights in next 12 hours for B Johnson".  Panic.  Heart pounding increase in blood pressure.  My mind started racing.  Was/is my flight yesterday/tomorrow.? Was there a booking problem?  What time is it?  Flight cancelled?  I took a deep breath and confidently said to myself "must have typed "ank" incorrectly.  Retried the process and was rewarded with my 3 flights  - to Washington DC, Munich and Ankara.  The first of many instances of travelers panic I will endure and hopefully resolve favorably.

Finally was able to get boarding passes and bag check my backpack off to Ankara - it has just 30.5 pounds of stuff for my 101 days of travel in 5 countries.  One pair of shoes for 101 days of travel.  OMG.

 I grabbed my carry on day sack and left for the gate.  

Walkabout time, I thought.  I am ready.

Flight was completely full. Not an enpty seat.  Listened to a little Bob Seger - Beautiful Looser which contains "Kathmandu", some Michael Martin Murphy - Cowboy Songs, NeilYoung - Living With War, Mark Knopfler -  Cal and poof, like that, I was in DC.

An uneventful change of flights and then I was on the Boeing 767-400 to Munich.   Found my seat - an aisle seat on an outside row with two seats.  There are 4 seats in the middle row and another row of two on the other side.  

The flight was delayed about 40 minutes and all the while the seat next to me - the window seat - was vacant.  I thought I might have hit the lottery for the 8.5 hour flight with an empty seat next to me and as it turned out, I did.  The gentleman that had the window seat was about the size of a fullback on a professional football team.  He stopped, checked his seat assignment and said "I was told there are empty seats in the rear of the plane, I am going to find one so we both will have more room".  I replied "Works for me".  And it did.  I was able to fold up the armrest between the window seat and the aisle seat and have plenty of room for the entire flight.  A good omen, me thinks

Had A Small SNAFU

SNAFU #1, just 2 weeks prior to departure.  Was talking with my friend Andy re: meeting and celebrating our October birthdays in Kathmandu - after I leave India - and he mentioned that an entry VISA for India might take a while.  

Went online and surprisingly found out that US citizens cannot get an on arrival VISA at the Delhi airport - or anywhere else for that matter.  If you are from Burma, Viet Nam, Lao, and about a dozen other countries, it is available on entry.  But Great Britain and US are not on the "on entry" list.  As if British or Americans are a high risk entry group of people.  I can understand Pakistani or Bangladeshi citizens being closely screened, but not a US citizen.  Go figure.  Most Americans I have talked with were glad to escape the squallor, poverty and beggars and return to the US anyway.

Spent better part of two hours exploring every available option - fly to San Fran and go to the Indian Consulate, use a rapid VISA online service, etc.  every effort ended with "not enough time" answers.  I just cannot get it done in time.  Sooooo......the flight currently booked from Ankara to Delhi needed to be changed.  Had more problems finding availability of a points flight on Turkish Air through United.  It appears to me.....and to the United agent I talked to for 35 minutes.....that as of 10/13, flights are not offered for points.  Took what was available and depart Ankara 10/13 for Kathmandu.  Will only cost about $35.00 to change the ticket and I will spend a few more days on the Black Sea coast.

If India still draws me, I will persue a visit and a VISA from Nepal before I go to Thailand.

Travel is all about change of plans.  If you are not flexible and roll with the changes and go with the flow, you will go nuts.

Listening to a little music before I leave........

"Katmandu" By Bob Seger

I think I'm goin' to Katmandu,
That's really really where I'm going to
If I ever get out of here
That's what I'm gonna do

Kkkkkk, Katmandu
I think it's really where I'm going to
If I ever get out of here
I'm goin to Katmandu

I got no kick against the west coast,
Warner Brothers are such good hosts
I raise my whiskey glass, and give 'em a toast,
I'm sure they know it's true

I got no rap against the southern states
Every time I've been there it's been great
But now I'm leavin' and I can't be late
And to myself be true

That's where I'm goin to Katmandu
Up to the mountains where I'm going to
If I ever get out of here
That's what I'm gonna do

I got no quarrel with the midwest
The folks out there have given me their best
I lived there all my life I've been their guest
I sure have loved it too

I'm tired of lookin' at the tv news
I'm tired of drivin' hard and payin' dues
I figure baby I've got nothing to lose
I'm tired of being blue

That's why I'm goin to Katmandu
Up to the mountains where I'm going to
If I ever get out of here
That's what I'm gonna do

Kkkkkk, Katmandu
Take me baby cause I'm goin' with you
If I ever get out of here
I'm goin to Katmandu

I ain't got nothin' against the east coast
You want some people well they got the most
And New York City's like a friendly ghost
You seem to pass right through

I know I'm gonna miss the USA
I guess I'll miss it every single day
But no one loves me here anyway
I know my plane is due

The one that's goin to Katmandu
Up to the mountains where I'm going to
If I ever get out of here
That's what I'm gonna do

Kkkkkk, Katmandu
Really really really I'm going to
If I ever get out of here
If I ever get out of here
If I ever get out of here
I'm goin to Katmandu

Ooh ooh ooh, ooh yeah

Katmandu
Katmandu
Katmandu
Katmandu
Katmandu
Katmandu

Well, followers, my next walkabout departure approaches. 

Will head eastward around the globe this time.  I have always wanted to say that I made it completely around the world, and this trip will get that item off the bucket list.  

Depart PDX to Washington DC, then across the lake to Munich.  Have a short layover then off to Ankara, in central Turkey. 

Will spend 13 days in Turkey, with a current destination - via train - of Samsun, on the Black Sea coast.

After about 13 days in Turkey, will be heading over to Nepal.