A: Age in which you first internationally travelled.
AT (stinkin’ Brits) age 13
B: Best (foreign) beer and where.
Tough call--at this point I’d say anything but Efes--but probably Madagascar THB just for all the memories. (I celebrated my 21st with plenty and more.)
C: Cuisine (favorite)
Ceviche on the beach in Peru; Alinazik and dolma/sarma in southern Turkey;
B: Best (foreign) beer and where.
Tough call--at this point I’d say anything but Efes--but probably Madagascar THB just for all the memories. (I celebrated my 21st with plenty and more.)
C: Cuisine (favorite)
Ceviche on the beach in Peru; Alinazik and dolma/sarma in southern Turkey;
D: Destinations (favorite) and why? Least favorite and why?
FavOrites (stinkin’ Brits): Italy. They say there's a magic in your "first." I believe it, but it might also be because it. is. Italy. Fort Dauphin on the southeastern coast of Madagascar and the Lycian coastline of southwestern Turkey also get a gold stars.
FavOrites (stinkin’ Brits): Italy. They say there's a magic in your "first." I believe it, but it might also be because it. is. Italy. Fort Dauphin on the southeastern coast of Madagascar and the Lycian coastline of southwestern Turkey also get a gold stars.
Leasts: New York City. Fun for about half a day. After that it's mostly just crowded.
E: Event you experienced that made you say “wow”
Madagascar--all of it. To name a couple: Mandrare river bathing and clothes washing; seeing lemurs and hissing cockroaches and ground boas and chameleons IN REAL LIFE!; drunkenly skinny dipping in the furious surf of the Indian Ocean by moonlight.
Madagascar--all of it. To name a couple: Mandrare river bathing and clothes washing; seeing lemurs and hissing cockroaches and ground boas and chameleons IN REAL LIFE!; drunkenly skinny dipping in the furious surf of the Indian Ocean by moonlight.
F: Favorite mode of transport
Buses are growing on me--especially when there is cake.
Buses are growing on me--especially when there is cake.
G: Greatest feeling while travelling?
Feelin’ alive, man. Noticing details and feeling like I'm learning new things all the time.
Feelin’ alive, man. Noticing details and feeling like I'm learning new things all the time.
H: Hottest place you’ve ever travelled to?Pompeii, Italy; Gaziantep, Turkey; Mahajanga, Madagscar. I’ve been pretty darn uncomfortable in a lot of places. Perhaps one of the times I’ve stopped to see the world’s tallest thermometer in Baker, California takes the cake.
I: Incredible service you’ve experienced and where?
Cab ride through the Cappadocia countryside and Kayseri. After discovering us distraughtly stranded, the cabbie promised he’d get us to Kayseri in time to catch our bus back to Antep. If we had crashed, we definitely would have died. BUT we didn’t. And we did make that bus (even if we had to meet up with it on a random highway interchange.)
Cab ride through the Cappadocia countryside and Kayseri. After discovering us distraughtly stranded, the cabbie promised he’d get us to Kayseri in time to catch our bus back to Antep. If we had crashed, we definitely would have died. BUT we didn’t. And we did make that bus (even if we had to meet up with it on a random highway interchange.)
J: Journey that took you the longest?
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA-->Antananarivo, Madagascar (By way of Chicago, London, Amsterdam, AND Nairobi. 40 hours and I. am. a. giant. cheapass.)
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA-->Antananarivo, Madagascar (By way of Chicago, London, Amsterdam, AND Nairobi. 40 hours and I. am. a. giant. cheapass.)
K: Keepsake from your travels?
Fabric. It’s cheap, pretty, and packable. My future abode will be decked out with cool wall hangings--I have a vision.
Fabric. It’s cheap, pretty, and packable. My future abode will be decked out with cool wall hangings--I have a vision.
L: Let down sight? Where and why?
Umm...I’m kind of a gigantic cornball so I typically convince myself to “appreciate” wherever I am, but I might have to say Pamukkale in SW Turkey. It WAS surreal but sort of overwhelmed by touristy kitsch and bleh weather. I’m definitely glad I went, but I’m REALLY glad I did it as a day trip.
Umm...I’m kind of a gigantic cornball so I typically convince myself to “appreciate” wherever I am, but I might have to say Pamukkale in SW Turkey. It WAS surreal but sort of overwhelmed by touristy kitsch and bleh weather. I’m definitely glad I went, but I’m REALLY glad I did it as a day trip.
M: Moment where you fell in love with travel?
European art in Italy did me in forever.
European art in Italy did me in forever.
N: Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in?
The Niza Park in Ankara where I had a private room and a giantass bed? There were a couple really nice places in Peru where my travel pal Hailey and I each had the luck of getting sick... BLOODY HELL WHAT AM I THINKING?! Good Karma in Ubud, Bali. Hands freakin’ down. Ahh...excuse me while I drift into a hibiscus daydream...
O: Obsession. What are you obsessed with taking pictures of?
Too easy. Chaco should probs be paying me.
Too easy. Chaco should probs be paying me.
P: Passport stamps. How many and from where?
The ol’ book’s actually in Ankara right now gettin’ itself a brand new INDIA visa! (Please join me in praying it gets back within the week.) I can’t verify but maybe 10? If doubles count: Italy, UK, France, Switzerland, Italy again, Indonesia, Madagascar, UK again, Peru, Turkey. (Not including the I’m-a-nut-and-I-will-never-be-able-to-navigate-Heathrow stamps from getting lost in the airport on London stopovers.)
(Dear LORD, it does indeed appear to be all that we do.)
R: Recommended Sight, Event or Experience?
Go in alone. Learn the local language. Take the tea (melon, weed, etc.) when it's offered and make friends.
S: Splurge! Something you don’t mind forking over for while travelling?
Food and art
Food and art
T: Touristy thing you’ve done
I’ve been some cheesy places, most of which have been worth it. I guess I did pay 8 lira recently to enter a particular cave church in Cappadocia. But the sign was so alluring and I toats stole a single gloriously illegal photo (no flash of course). So, once again, worth it.
I’ve been some cheesy places, most of which have been worth it. I guess I did pay 8 lira recently to enter a particular cave church in Cappadocia. But the sign was so alluring and I toats stole a single gloriously illegal photo (no flash of course). So, once again, worth it.
 |
| Forbidden photo from inside The Dark Church at the Goreme Open-Air Museum. |
U: Unforgettable travel Memory.
Corny-and-glorious-as-heck sunrise over the Indian Ocean. I was like a friggin’ mermaid out there on the rocks alone.
Corny-and-glorious-as-heck sunrise over the Indian Ocean. I was like a friggin’ mermaid out there on the rocks alone.
V: Visas. How many of them and for where?
3: Indonesia, Madagascar, Turkey
W: Wine. Best glass of wine had while travelling and where?
There was that one time in Peru when Hannah and I drank a whole bottle before our meal arrived (service was slow and we hadn’t yet realized that Hailey wasn’t drinking with us). I shared a good Cappadocia one on a freezing December night in Urgup, Turkey. Nothing like drowning the hoca sorrows and gender expectation woes with some gal pals by the fire.
There was that one time in Peru when Hannah and I drank a whole bottle before our meal arrived (service was slow and we hadn’t yet realized that Hailey wasn’t drinking with us). I shared a good Cappadocia one on a freezing December night in Urgup, Turkey. Nothing like drowning the hoca sorrows and gender expectation woes with some gal pals by the fire.
X: eXcellent views and from where?
Waking up at dawn in my sleeping bag dangerously close to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon at a completely deserted Cape Royal viewpoint.
Waking up at dawn in my sleeping bag dangerously close to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon at a completely deserted Cape Royal viewpoint.
Y: Years spent travelling?
In the nearly 10 years since my first international foray, I’ve spent about 11 total months abroad. I guess right now at this moment, 4 and a half months into this year in Turkey, just qualifies as the longest single period I’ve been out of the country. Big moment!
In the nearly 10 years since my first international foray, I’ve spent about 11 total months abroad. I guess right now at this moment, 4 and a half months into this year in Turkey, just qualifies as the longest single period I’ve been out of the country. Big moment!
Z: Zealous sports fan and where?
I suppose I have chosen my İstanbul “team.” (Mostly because you must. I’m pretty sure to express disinterest in football is to insult Turkishness--and they send bitches to jail fo that.) But I am completely open about the fact that I chose GALATASARAY strictly for the wordsound of the name and the nice colors.
I suppose I have chosen my İstanbul “team.” (Mostly because you must. I’m pretty sure to express disinterest in football is to insult Turkishness--and they send bitches to jail fo that.) But I am completely open about the fact that I chose GALATASARAY strictly for the wordsound of the name and the nice colors.
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