While Turkey is a country that has one foot planted firmly in the East and one firmly in the West, Albania at first glance seems to be a country that's still trying to figure out just what to do with these new Nikes that the Fedex guy just delivered.
I landed at Mother Teresa International Airport this afternoon at about 1pm. I had been advised by the owner of the hostel I'd be staying at to catch a bus downtown as it was one-tenth the price of a taxi. I found the bus, but it didn't leave for another 40 minutes. Deciding my time was worth the extra 15 bucks, I hopped into a taxi and was able to eventually get him to the Hostel Albania. After settling in, I ventured out into Tirana to see what the town had to offer.
The streets were quiet, and most of the shops were closed, which I attributed to the fact that it was Sunday afternoon -- or because it was Ramadan. Either way, the city had surprisingly little going on, even for a hot, late summer Sunday afternoon. I wandered down to Skanderbeg Square, the capital's main square on which the national opera house and old mosque are located. The square is currently undergoing a major modernization and pedestrianization effort, which at the moment leaves it looking a bit like a war zone.
I followed a road down to the Bllok neighborhood, which formerly housed the Communist party leaders and was off-limits to the rest of the Albanian citizenry. In the last two decades, the neighborhood has been turned into the trendiest part of town, brimming with boutiques, bars, coffee shops and hotels -- a perfect representation of Albania's embrace of capitalism. Many of the buildings here and along the way have been painted super bright colors, although I've been told that the bright exteriors belie the crumbling interiors, untouched yet by Tirana's rebirth.
After strolling for a bit longer and picking up a sandwich at one of the few shops that was selling food, I headed back to the hostel to wait out the rest of the afternoon heat. Once the sun went down, I ventured back into town and was met with a much more vibrant, alive Tirana than had been around a few hours earlier. Cafes were bouncing with people, the streets were full of cars and music was streaming out of restaurants. I found a spot that looked friendly and planted myself amidst the cheerful locals, ordering what I hoped would be a couple of types of kebabs and a large local beer. All for around $3. Nice.
So far the city seems to be a unique mix of Mediterranean, post-communist, burgeoning economics and tentative democracy. The people seem to have an optimism that comes from emerging from decades of totalitarian regime without the reckless abandon that often accompanies such a transition. I'm excited to explore more of the country, as I'm going to take a day trip to Kruja tomorrow and then head off to Berat on Wednesday before moving on to Macedonia. I like what I've seen so far, and I'm intrigued to see what more this captivating country has to offer.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
On the road again
I'm into my second day in Istanbul, and I'm listening to this douchewad American make a scene in the lobby of my hostel complaining about the service. "I've stayed in hostels all over the world, and I know..." blah blah. Put your travel dick away, buddy. We all have one.
Anyway...
It's nice to be back on the road, doing the backpacker thing. I'll admit that something feels the tiniest bit off so far on this trip, but I haven't quite put my finger on what it is. Maybe I am, as my dad so diplomatically suggested, getting too old for the hostel scene. Maybe it's that I'm traveling in a place that I feel like I should know, having lived in Turkey for three years, and that feels just familiar enough to be disconcerting yet not familiar enough to be comfortable. Maybe it's because I know that this is a fake vacation, that I'm just killing time before my 'real' trip begins in Kyrgyzstan. Maybe it's just some weird jetlag. I don't quite know. I do know that it's not going to stop me. I've certainly hit bouts of malaise on trips before, and I've always found it best to just power through. There's always something worthwhile waiting once you break through it.
The last time I was in Turkey was 1997, when I was graduating from high school. And I don't know exactly when I was in Istanbul last. But it's nothing like I remember it. I think part of it is that I always came to Istanbul on either school or family trips. As I remember, we'd bus from site to site, fairly insulated from the real Istanbul -- not that there's anything terribly nefarious that requires insulation. But I don't remember Istanbul being this big or cosmopolitan or Western. I'm sure once I rip myself out of Sultanahmet and away from the tourist ghetto, I'll get a whiff of the more authentic Istanbul. But the sites must be seen, right?
And so I've seen them. Blue Mosque? Check. Hagia Sophia? Check. Grand Bazar? Check. Yerebatan Cistern? Check. Bosphorus Cruise? Check. I'm giving Topkapi Palace a miss, as that's one of the attractions that I remember clearly from visiting Istanbul in high school. I've got two more nights in Istanbul and haven't quite figure out what I'm going to do with the rest of my time here. I'm sure something will come to me. Something always does.
One thing that hasn't changed is the persistent misconceptions about Turkey -- and Islam -- by Westerners. I've already had a number of conversations about culture, politics and religion -- compounded by the fact that it's the beginning of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month in which most practicing Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. (The major benefit of traveling during Ramadan is that you can buy Ramadan bread, the traditional unleavened bread that Turks eat to break their fast. It's seriously the best bread on the face of earth.)
The comment that sticks out the most came from a guy that I met on my Bosphorus cruise. He remarked offhandedly that Turkey would never get into the European Union. I asked him why, and he said that it was just too different. Statements like that really irk me for a variety of reasons. While I know that there are political hurdles that still need to be jumped for the full accession of Turkey into the EU to occur, stating that Turkey's just too "different" is, frankly, ignorant. I would argue that Turkey and Bulgaria have more in common than Bulgaria and, say, Sweden. Yet Bulgaria is a full EU member, while Turkey has waited on the sidelines for 40 years. I don't purport to be an expert in European affairs, but I think simplifying it to "difference" between Turkey and the rest of the EU smacks of racism and Islamophobia.
Anyway...I didn't quite intend for this to become any type of diatribe, so I'm going to cut it short. I think tonight I'm going to venture out into Taksim to sample the Turkish nightlife. Should be fun...see you later.
Anyway...
It's nice to be back on the road, doing the backpacker thing. I'll admit that something feels the tiniest bit off so far on this trip, but I haven't quite put my finger on what it is. Maybe I am, as my dad so diplomatically suggested, getting too old for the hostel scene. Maybe it's that I'm traveling in a place that I feel like I should know, having lived in Turkey for three years, and that feels just familiar enough to be disconcerting yet not familiar enough to be comfortable. Maybe it's because I know that this is a fake vacation, that I'm just killing time before my 'real' trip begins in Kyrgyzstan. Maybe it's just some weird jetlag. I don't quite know. I do know that it's not going to stop me. I've certainly hit bouts of malaise on trips before, and I've always found it best to just power through. There's always something worthwhile waiting once you break through it.
The last time I was in Turkey was 1997, when I was graduating from high school. And I don't know exactly when I was in Istanbul last. But it's nothing like I remember it. I think part of it is that I always came to Istanbul on either school or family trips. As I remember, we'd bus from site to site, fairly insulated from the real Istanbul -- not that there's anything terribly nefarious that requires insulation. But I don't remember Istanbul being this big or cosmopolitan or Western. I'm sure once I rip myself out of Sultanahmet and away from the tourist ghetto, I'll get a whiff of the more authentic Istanbul. But the sites must be seen, right?
And so I've seen them. Blue Mosque? Check. Hagia Sophia? Check. Grand Bazar? Check. Yerebatan Cistern? Check. Bosphorus Cruise? Check. I'm giving Topkapi Palace a miss, as that's one of the attractions that I remember clearly from visiting Istanbul in high school. I've got two more nights in Istanbul and haven't quite figure out what I'm going to do with the rest of my time here. I'm sure something will come to me. Something always does.
One thing that hasn't changed is the persistent misconceptions about Turkey -- and Islam -- by Westerners. I've already had a number of conversations about culture, politics and religion -- compounded by the fact that it's the beginning of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month in which most practicing Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. (The major benefit of traveling during Ramadan is that you can buy Ramadan bread, the traditional unleavened bread that Turks eat to break their fast. It's seriously the best bread on the face of earth.)
The comment that sticks out the most came from a guy that I met on my Bosphorus cruise. He remarked offhandedly that Turkey would never get into the European Union. I asked him why, and he said that it was just too different. Statements like that really irk me for a variety of reasons. While I know that there are political hurdles that still need to be jumped for the full accession of Turkey into the EU to occur, stating that Turkey's just too "different" is, frankly, ignorant. I would argue that Turkey and Bulgaria have more in common than Bulgaria and, say, Sweden. Yet Bulgaria is a full EU member, while Turkey has waited on the sidelines for 40 years. I don't purport to be an expert in European affairs, but I think simplifying it to "difference" between Turkey and the rest of the EU smacks of racism and Islamophobia.
Anyway...I didn't quite intend for this to become any type of diatribe, so I'm going to cut it short. I think tonight I'm going to venture out into Taksim to sample the Turkish nightlife. Should be fun...see you later.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
In İstanbul
I'm here. Huzzah.
The trip got off to a great start when I arrived at the hostel and they had no record of my reservation. Oh well. I have somewhere to stay for the next few nights, and that's the important thing.
It's closing in on 2am in İstanbul (I've been ın town for about an hour and a half), so I'm going to call it a night and hopefully avoid major jet lag issues. But I wanted to let y'all know that I arrived safe and sound.
The trip got off to a great start when I arrived at the hostel and they had no record of my reservation. Oh well. I have somewhere to stay for the next few nights, and that's the important thing.
It's closing in on 2am in İstanbul (I've been ın town for about an hour and a half), so I'm going to call it a night and hopefully avoid major jet lag issues. But I wanted to let y'all know that I arrived safe and sound.
And we're off
I only have a couple minutes to type this as I'm paying (way too much) for Internet access at Heathrow.
But I've left the US! I took off from RDU last night on an overnight flight to London. Spent the day today meandering through some old stomping grounds in London. Visited the Tate Modern, which I always love, ate at Wagamama...good London stuff.
And I'm boarding a flight for Istanbul in about an hour. I'll be spending four or five days in Istanbul and then backpacking around the Balkans for about 2 weeks. Of course, I haven't decided where I'm going yet...that'll sort itself out. And then it's off to Kyrgyzstan Labor Day weekend.
More from Istanbul...
But I've left the US! I took off from RDU last night on an overnight flight to London. Spent the day today meandering through some old stomping grounds in London. Visited the Tate Modern, which I always love, ate at Wagamama...good London stuff.
And I'm boarding a flight for Istanbul in about an hour. I'll be spending four or five days in Istanbul and then backpacking around the Balkans for about 2 weeks. Of course, I haven't decided where I'm going yet...that'll sort itself out. And then it's off to Kyrgyzstan Labor Day weekend.
More from Istanbul...
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Some quotes for posterity
I'm in the final stretch of cleaning and organizing my room. I found a few pages with random quotes on them, and I wanted to save them here before I recycled the paper. So here we go:
Of all lies, art is the least untrue.
The world is a book, and those who do not travel only read one page.
Greet the dawn with a breath of fire.
She sat at the window of the train, her head thrown back, one leg stretched across to the empty seat before her. The window frame trembled with the speed of the motion, the pane hung over empty darkness, and dots of light slashed across the glass as luminous streaks, once in a while...She thought, For just a few moments - while this lasts - it is all right to surrender completely - to forget everything and just permit yourself to feel. She thought: Let go - drop the controls - this is it.
Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter; the road is life.
For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.
Music, the soul of life.
Throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
Not all those who wander are lost.
It is a strange thing to come home. While yet on the journey, you cannot at all realize how strange it will be.
I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.
Of all lies, art is the least untrue.
The world is a book, and those who do not travel only read one page.
Greet the dawn with a breath of fire.
She sat at the window of the train, her head thrown back, one leg stretched across to the empty seat before her. The window frame trembled with the speed of the motion, the pane hung over empty darkness, and dots of light slashed across the glass as luminous streaks, once in a while...She thought, For just a few moments - while this lasts - it is all right to surrender completely - to forget everything and just permit yourself to feel. She thought: Let go - drop the controls - this is it.
Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter; the road is life.
For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.
Music, the soul of life.
Throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
Not all those who wander are lost.
It is a strange thing to come home. While yet on the journey, you cannot at all realize how strange it will be.
I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Maudlin
I leave the country in 12 days. That hasn't quite sunk in yet. I've packed a good chunk of my belongings. I've got confirmation that the first grant payment is on the way. I should be getting my passport and visa back in the next few days. I'm registered at the London School of Bishkek for intensive Russian classes. The Ts are mostly crossed and the Is are mostly dotted. But somehow it's still not quite real yet.
This tends to happen when I'm planning on big trips. It really doesn't sink in until I'm sitting on the plane. And then I have this rush of awareness of the adventure that awaits. And that's always a fun and overwhelming experience.
I do have to be thankful, though, because the universe has been particularly kind to me over the last few weeks. I've been running into people -- some of whom I haven't seen in years -- completely randomly. Combine that with my own summer farewell tour and my wonderful friends who have taken time out of their lives to come visit me and bid me adieu, and it's like the universe is conspiring to give me one big cosmic hug before I go. And that's been really lovely.
This tends to happen when I'm planning on big trips. It really doesn't sink in until I'm sitting on the plane. And then I have this rush of awareness of the adventure that awaits. And that's always a fun and overwhelming experience.
I do have to be thankful, though, because the universe has been particularly kind to me over the last few weeks. I've been running into people -- some of whom I haven't seen in years -- completely randomly. Combine that with my own summer farewell tour and my wonderful friends who have taken time out of their lives to come visit me and bid me adieu, and it's like the universe is conspiring to give me one big cosmic hug before I go. And that's been really lovely.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Logistics Dump
Well, if all goes according to plan, I'll be leaving the States in 17 days. And while that's exciting, I'm beginning to realize just how much I have to accomplish in those days. And many of these things are in the works, but until they're finished, the trip cannot begin. So, apologies in advance for what is a laundry (hey...that's one of the things!) list of things for myself to take care of...
Pack room
Cancel cell phone service
Confirm grant receipt
Get new debit card
Receive visa/passport
New computer (?)
New camera (?)
Plan Balkans trip
Set up language school course
NCDOR stuff
And I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting. Eep! This is all going so fast.
Pack room
Cancel cell phone service
Confirm grant receipt
Get new debit card
Receive visa/passport
New computer (?)
New camera (?)
Plan Balkans trip
Set up language school course
NCDOR stuff
And I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting. Eep! This is all going so fast.
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