If there wasn't bulletproof glass, I'd kiss you...

I've made it to Africa. Arusha, to be exact. It is my first time south of the Equator and, of course, to Africa.

What a trip this place is!

But of course, there is a story!

It all started when I got to the airport in Istanbul and was informed that they couldn't issue my ticket because the Kenyan Gov't required a return ticket. And, of course, it needed to be a flight -- not the bus ticket I had for 18 hrs after landing in Nairobi.

*Cut sweat forming on my brow as they sent me to their booking agents on the other side of the terminal to sort it out.*

There I met with two incredibly helpful, sympathetic agents. One spoke no English, the other perfect. They informed me that the only solution to my "situation" was to buy a ticket and then call and cancel it. It would be a $150 penalty.

I was going to chalk it up to the travel gods just like I did a second pair of pants and another long sleeve back in Rhode Island. BUT - the non-english speaking woman had an idea!

She came back 15 mins later (of which I stood there looking like an idiot), with an even better plan. She talked to her travel agent friend and booked a dummy ticket.

Not only was my problem solved, but it didn't cost ANYTHING! When does that happen? Certainly not on a Friday night during a 5-day holiday weekend in Turkey (OR... Maybe that is the only time it happens?)

I told them I'd kiss them if it wasn't for the bulletproof glass separating us, but settled for a hand to the glass and I was off to my plane (this time sweating for real).

After a 10 hour layover in Saudi Arabia -- which, I gather, is an odd place for a gawky, white guy to be at any time of day, let alone the hours between 2am and 12pm -- I was off to Kenya, nervous that this little ruse wasn't going to work.

But, the Border Agent didn't even ask. Just gave me a smirk over putting "Professional Human" in my occupation box and told me I only had to pay for a transit visa vs. a single entry.

So, the way I see it, at this point I'm up $180 bucks.

After collecting my things and taking out 10,000 Shillings (I'm RIIIICH!); the driver the hotel sent, Jonas, insisted on giving me the tour of Nairobi because he felt bad I was only going to be here for 18 hours. The whole time I'm thinking that the nickname for this city is Nai-robbery, and kung-fu gripping my luggage (like it would've made a difference), but all went well. We even stopped to take pictures "to send home and prove that [I] was here".

(the building over my left shoulder is the tallest building in Nairobi and has the distinction of "not falling" (Jonas' distinction, i don't think he meant it to be pointed) when Bin Laden and gang bombed it in the 90's. I think that means the US Embassy is in or near that building and it was 1998, but he was loose on the particulars)

I had a decent night's sleep interrupted realizing that I had the time wrong and a knock at the door telling me that the bus was waiting for me and I had two mins. Packing at lightspeed, I made the bus and it proved to be the end of my travel despair.

What had been billed as a harrowing trip by bus to Arusha was nothing of the sort. Even Immigration was easy, though it it seemed to me to be one of the least sophisticated outposts on the planet.

I've arrived in Arusha and firmly in the hotel. The staff is super friendly and are taking me to get supplies in the morning before heading on to Karatu.

What strikes me most so far in this part of the trip, and overall, is just how amazing people are when you clearly need something. No words need to be exchanged, not ones that are understood at least, for common human decency to prevail. From the ladies in Istanbul, to the hotel manager offering to take me shopping. And everything in between. It is quite awesome. And, in my case, means the world.

Tomorrow a new adventure begins. I'm not sure exactly what I'm getting myself into. The way things are going, I think it'll be all right...

Tanzania Bound

Apologies for the back-to-back posts - I do greatly appreciate that so many of you seem to be reading this thing.

Today, I leave Turkey, after 11.5 great days, bound for a volunteering stint with the Tanzanian Children's Fund.

More specifically, I'll be spending the next month at the Rift Valley Children's Village.  It is a place where almost 100 orphaned children are given a loving home and a life of opportunity.

It is located in Northern Tanzania, near the Ngorongoro Conservation Area on the Kiran Coffee Estate in Oldeani Village, about 45 minutes outside of Karatu.  (Hopefully this means that they'll have good coffee.  I've been starved of it!) Here, roughly:

I'll be flying from Istanbul to Nairobi via Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Once in Nairobi, I'll spend the night and then take a bus across the border to Arusha and spend the night there.  I'll pick up some supplies that my current "home" wasn't able to accommodate and head to the village on the 29th via Karatu. 

I'm told that when I get there my days will run from 0615 to 1930.  I'll learn more once I get there about the ins and outs of each day, but the basic day has been outlined as follows: 

0615: Kids are up

0630 to 0700: Breakfast, where volunteers help with prep for the children in their respective houses.  

0800 to 1230: Most children are occupied either at school (Kindergarten and Standards 1- 7), preschool or playgroup. 

1230: Lunch

1300 to 1430: Naptime

1430p - 1630: PLAYTIME!! This time may be free play or organized play and is an ideal time for volunteers to just have fun with the kids: kick a soccer ball, paint some pictures, etc. Usually during this time, as well, a few children are individually being tutored by a volunteer.  

1630: Bath time begins.  With the help of the housemothers, student teachers and volunteers, every child has a bath and changes into clean clothes.  

1700: Snack Time, then Movie or Study time (depending on age) The older children have study time during movie time.

1830: DINNER

1930: Bedtime for the kids

Among other things, I'll be engaging with the children and exposing them to English (they speak Swahili and are learning English) through lessons, engaging in conversation, encouraging class participation.  I'll also be helping them with math skills (thankfully it won't be Calculus!) and participating in daily activities with them.   Oh, and I'll also share a house with them too. (more details on this to come...)

Volunteering has been a part of the fabric of this idea (the trip) since its inception.  I didn't think that the first opportunity to do it would happen so early in my trip, but I am beyond excited. 

At the risk of sounding trite, I know that I am an incredibly fortunate person and have been blessed with a lifetime of opportunity.  I am anxious to give back and will try my best to do so in whatever sized way that this opportunity may present. 

A big thank you to Natalie Davies for helping to make the connections that set this up. 

There is no internet in the Village, but they do encourage volunteers to head into town on Sundays where there is access. 

I'll check in from Arusha before I head out to tell you the story of the bus ride and border crossing.  Hopefully it isn't very interesting...

Things I Learned in Turkey

We do not receive wisdom, we must discover it for ourselves, after a journey through the wilderness which no one else can make for us, which no one can spare us, for our wisdom is the point of view from which we come at last to regard the world. The lives that you admire, the attitudes that seem noble to you, have not been shaped by a paterfamilias or a schoolmaster, they have sprung from very different beginnings, having been influenced by evil or commonplace that prevailed round them. They represent a struggle and a victory. - Proust

I've returned from Olympos, for one more day in Istanbul before the trek to Tanzania.

It was a very relaxing time there, (save the evening that I was woken up by a domestic disturbance in the treehouse above me - "She: You don't love me. He: You never loved me!" rinse and repeat for an hour at 3am), even if it was quite rainy and cloudy. The place I stayed was an orange and pomegranate grove with great little cabanas filled with cushions that made it more that perfect to do a bunch of reading. And on the one day of no rain, I still was able to fit in a good hike into the hills that Poseidon unleashed his fury on Odysseus.

My hiking group (comprised of two Germans, three Aussies and me) cooking up a snack at the Eternal Flames of Olympos.

The were some blue skies!

Now, as I sit on a terrace in the Sultanahmet district overlooking the Bosphorus and Dolombache Palace, I decided to reflect on some of the early learnings of this adventure.

• Athens is quite a dirty city. Sort of sad for such a beautiful and historic city. I'll have to go back for the islands some day.
• Turkey is a frickin' HUGE and stunningly beautiful country.
• There's only so many overnight buses a man can take to get from here to there. It may be cheap(er), but I'm not as young as I used to be. (I flew back to Istanbul to save myself another one!)
• There is an extensive (almost a day's worth!) history of the Full English Breakfast. It's quite fascinating. Thanks, Alex.
• Put soaps that can leak in a zip-loc bag, Parker. Duh!
• Ear Plugs are a godsend.
• I should've taken more lens cleaning cloths as I've already lost two. As a man who always wears glasses, I should've known this.
• People drive like maniacs. As a nervous passenger (to which my Brother can surely attest), I'm going to need to learn to "let go - let god".
• Santa Claus is Turkish. Well, sort of. Saint Nicholas was. He was from Myra, which is close to Olympos.
• The Turks are also all over Gagnam Style. I watched a group of 16yr olds do the entire dance from beginning to end IN A RESTAURANT one night.
• There is much to be learned from other gentlemen and women "of the road" once I come out of my curmudgeonly shell.

Last, this adventure isn't a vacation and therefore running around like the crazy traveler I am can get exhausting, quickly. This is a long haul. The goal of the trip is as much, if not more, to"soak" it in, instead of simply to "see" it. And to soak it in, one must pause. Not the easiest thing for a guy like me, but a good reminder to have so early on.

Sorry for the lack of pictures. Olympos was quite stunning. However, as mentioned, it was raining and I did a lot of reading!

Merhaba, Göreme

Despite enjoying my few days in Istanbul, I was finding myself pretty grumpy and wanting to get out of a city.  Some of it as the non-stop travel/sight-seeing, some of it was jet lag.  What I also realize is that after what was a month of nonstop time with friends and loved ones, I was also going through a bit of withdrawal.

Whatever funk there was has been quieted with a trip to Göreme, a town in the region of Cappadocia. 

I've spent the last three days hiking the valleys here and meeting new friends.  It is quite an amazing and serene place. 

"Fair Chimneys" - Pretty weird stuff around here...

I spent the first day hiking with Luca and Moreno, two fine gentlemen from Milan, Italy, that I was staying with.  We hiked the Rose and Red Valleys, meeting up with a Chilean guy, Sebastian, who is on his 9th month of a RTW, while on the trails.  It was a great way to kick of Cappadocia. 

That's Luca in the middle, with the funny English gent from next door

...and this is Moreno

The next day I met up with Freya, the Aussie I met in Istanbul, at the "CAVE" hostel we were both staying at and we went in search of the Zemi and Love Valleys, finding only Love Valley and then eventually Çavuşin.  (for a bit more information on both Istanbul and Cappadocia, historically speaking - Freya has done the heavy lifting that I did not.  Check out her post here)

Some of the "fairy chimneys" that the region is famous for...

Freya at the top of Çavuşin.  We climbed through homes and a church carved dating back to 950AD that were carved straight into the rock!

We returned for a "clay pot" dinner -- They cook the food in a sealed clay pot and then crack it open for you at the table. It's totally gimmicky, but the food was pretty good. 

I found Zemi Valley today and went in solo.  It was a comedy getting out of it, but I made it.

Now, I'm prepping to head to Olympos tonight.  I was going to do some more sightseeing over in Pamukkale and Ephesus, but I'm realizing that a little more down time is in store.  It'll be a long trek to Tanzania at the end of this week and 3+ hard, yet rewarding, weeks there.  

So, I'm going to take it easy.   I am in early retirement, after all. 

Until next time... 

Go Pats!

Some more Cappadocia - this time the Balloons!:

They take off at Sunrise...

Lots of them...

Well over a hundred, in fact. 

It was so cool to watch; I did it again this morning!

New Tumblr Page

Hey guys - at the request of a few people, I have built a Tumblr for additional photo sharing.  It's a better set up for photography, so I'm happy to oblige.

You can link in here:  http://justcuzitsround.tumblr.com/

There isn't much up there now, and some you've see before.  But, I'll try to mix it up, so check it out.

Been a great couple of days in Cappadocia.  Will post some of the amazing stuff here soon.  In the meantime, check this out:

(more pics on the Tumblr and to come...)

Istanbul-ievable!

Excuse the title.  While I acknowledge that it is equally as terrible, I couldn't bring myself to use the lyric that They Might Be Giants made famous with my generation (the song was actually written in 1953).

However, I am getting all up in this Turkish city's business.

It's not as different as I thought it would be, truth be told.  Aside from the calls to prayer, hijabs, and ablution stations; I feel there's still a lot of West in here.  Probably because there is.  It's been a melting pot for thousands of years, after all.

It's still not like any place I've been before (a category which almost all of the places I'm going will fit).  And, as Europe transitions to Asia here on the banks of the Bosphorus, so does my trip.  The West meeting the East. And I'm pumped!

It does reveal a need for some work on my communication skills though.  They are seriously lacking which leads to a fair amount of comedy.  (If I don't laugh, I'll cry...)

Given that I'll be in very few English-speaking places this year, I really need to sort out a method for this.  Living out of a backpack means that I'm going to need really simple things, as well as more complicated ones.  Case in point: Getting passport photos (No, I haven't lost it already.  They're for my Tanzanian Work Visa.).

Well, it turns out that I'm just not that good at charades.  At least not with the Turks.  I went to tourism offices, hotels, "English" pubs, and camera stores.  Eventually my persistence paid off, but not without needing to remind myself that to the poor souls who I'm approaching, I'm just some gangly American who is flailing his arms and hands.

Further to the communication skills, I've found they're important for directions too.  While it hasn't been that big of a deal, yesterday it did result in a in a hilarious 4.5 mile trek with an Aussie named Freya that I met on a boat ride up the Bosphorus.

Needing to get away from a chatty woman from North Carolina who wanted to do nothing but talk about her 29-year-old and wayward daughter, we opted to get off the boat at an earlier stop.

Well... let's just say it looked closer on the map.  And the map not showing the area's topography, it also meant that we went up a couple of big hills only to find out that we needed to walk back down them when we got to the top.

Luckily, our third attempt was a success, but not before I had earned the nickname "Sweaty Parker" (Note: I didn't leave for this trip is tip-top shape, but something tells me I'll leave it much closer.  Plus, it's hot!).  It was a great time nevertheless, and nice to meet a new friend to talk with for a couple of hours.

I surely wouldn't have made it otherwise.

It hasn't been all a comedy of errors.  Here's some photos:

The Blue Mosque

Lights inside Hagia Sophia (There's tons of these type of pictures, I was fascinated by them for some reason)

Basilica Cistern

One more day in Istanbul and then on to Cappadocia via overnight bus.  Should be interesting, but will definitely be nice to get out of cities for a little while...

And So it Begins...

This is going to be easy...  I've just successfully made it 20% of the way around without a hitch...

Well, that's over-simplifying, but it's making me feel better.  

After leaving Boston last night and stopping at T5 for a couple hours to check in on the Yanks' big win last night, I finally made it to Athens around 330pm this afternoon.  

I swiftly checked in and then headed up to the Acropolis for a "It has begun" celebratory cigar. (Sorry for not shaving, you guys!)

I'm tired as hell, but it has begun!  

Thank god I don't have to leave this time zone +/- 1hr for 10 weeks!

It was a good couple hours roaming the cradle of civilization and after returning home (read: hostel dorm room) this evening, I now have a a 3 week volunteer gig confirmed for Tanzania!  

Details to follow, but it starts in two weeks.  So, needless to say I've got some rearranging/booking to do!  

Not before I get some souvlaki in my belly though! 

The Importance of Knowing the Whereabouts of One's Towel

"...a towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: nonhitchhiker) discovers that a hitchhiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush, washcloth, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet-weather gear, space suit etc., etc. Furthermore, the strag will then happily lend the hitchhiker any of these or a dozen other items that the hitchhiker might accidentally have “lost.” What the strag will think is that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the Galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through and still know where his towel is, is clearly a man to be reckoned with."  - Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

One of the most frequent questions I've gotten since I've started telling people is, "What does one pack when leaving for a year?"

Answer number one -- much less than what you'd think and what I thought...

With my apologies to those who received a more sarcastic response, I'm packing the following:

* picture taken before (several) sacrifices to the travel gods were made

Which breaks out roughly as....
- Towel (1) -- see above
- T-Shirts (3)
- Long Sleeve (1)
- Pants (1)
- Belt (1)
- Shorts (2)
- Swim Suit (1)
- Socks (5 pair)
- Polo Shirts (2)
- Oxford Shirt (1)
- Rain Coat (1)
- Down Sweater (1)
- Sandals (1)
- Shoes (2)
- Warm Hat (1)
- Baseball Cap (1)
- Backup Pair of Glasses
- Sunglasses

Sundries
- Accenture Branded Plug Adapter (1) -- Thanks Guys!
- Head Lamp (1) -- Thanks MK!
- Ear Plugs (28)
- Headphones (1)
- Leatherman
- Various Chargers, Plugs, etc...
- Hoener Special 20 Harmonica (1)
- Duct Tape (1)
- Rope
- Rain Cover for Backpack
- Pillow
- Sleep Sheet
- Med Kit
- A tiny pharmacy
- Ziplocs (2)
- Baseball (1)

Data Storage -
- Hard Drive (1) -- Thanks SP and Ty!

Writing:
- Notebooks (6 smaller ones, one for each continent) - Thanks SP!
- Colored Pencils (12)
- Fine Tip Sharpies (2)
- Pencil Sharpener (1)
- Glue Stick (1)

Entertainment
- Kindle -- I had to take a shower after I ordered it, and now every time I turn it on I get served an ad. I mean, seriously!!! That said, I have named him Barnibus.
- iPod Touch- Loaded with all the hits. His name is Tribute.  Tribute to the greatest songs in the world, that is.
- Some photography equipment.  So I can take pictures and make you jealous.

And finally, of course, a proper amount of toiletries

All loaded into my home for the next year, the Osprey Waypoint 85:

or as it looks now:

ahhhhh, my home!

For those wondering at home, the towel is in the upper right quadrant.

Around the World in 57 Seconds

How do you get around the world in 57 seconds?  Well, you watch the video below, of course.

I am under no pretense that the trip will be as tidy as that, however.

It will certainly change; I'll move due to weather, loneliness, preference, cash flow, to see a friendly face, because I've aborted the mission and on and on.

That progression is my rough plan as of Today though.

As for when I be in those places; well, that's outlined below:

Athens -             10.13 to 10.15
Turkey -             Last two weeks of October
Jordan -              First week of November
Tanzania -          Middle of November
Victoria Falls -   Thanksgiving Week
South Africa -    One month
Thailand -          Arriving two days before Christmas and staying for 3 weeks
Myanmar -         Last two weeks of January
India -                The month of February
Nepal -               3 weeks in March
China -               End of March to mid-April
Japan -                A few days in mid-April
South Korea -     A few days in late April
Vietnam -            First three weeks in May
Cambodia -         End of May
Indonesia -          Until mid-June
OZ/NZ -             Until late July
Chile -                A few days in late July
Peru -                 10 Days in August
Ecuador -            2 weeks in August
Colombia -          End of August
Brazil -                First two weeks of September
Argentina -          Last two weeks of September


Home - OCTOBER 2013  

Built for Speed

"I have shaved my head. My flowing locks are now quite a bit shorter."  - David Ginola

So, I bet a guy I work with that if he could raise $1,000, I'd let him shave my head and donate it to charity. 

I learned two things...

1. Never bet against San Churnakoses when he's motivated...

2. That the people I worked with for 4.5+ years hated my hair, save a couple.

3. That the people I worked with for 4.5+ years are some really great and supportive people 

They raised $2,100, with some of these funds being pledged in support of my hair!

All proceeds going to Room 13, an organization I hope to hook up/volunteer with along the way. 

I'll have a lot of fond memories of my time at TBWA, but none quite like having my head shaved in front of the agency after they'd donated to make it so. 

Thanks for the support, well wishes and streamlined look, you guys!  Helluva send off!

See it happen in the video below --

Super Speed: 

Full Length: