Zdrasti from Bulgaria!

Yesterday, I ended up buying another digital camera (Canon's Powershot A430) for 176 Euros, or about $235, thanks to the devalued dollar. I ended up wandering around the same streets I explored three years ago when Kevin and were here. I ended up at the exact same spot in the spice bazaar (a photograph of that spot was on my wall in my apartment). If I stayed another day there, I would not see anything new, so I headed to the massive Otogar (bus station) in the morning and found a bus leaving for Bulgaria within the hour. It was a seven hour ride to Plovdiv, but it was nice and comfortable in the plush Mercedes coach. Even going through the passport control was a breeze (you just sit on the bus while immigration officers board the bus). We did deboard to get our passport stamps and for customs inspection. I smuggled 25 cigars into Bulgaria! A middle-aged man mumbled something and handed me a bag of cigars as we approached the customs inspection point -- I figured he wanted me claim the cigars he bought at the duty free zone were mine. No problem. The customs officer peered into my, then pulled out the cigars. He eyed me and said something in Bulgarian, and nodded his head in agreement to my fine tastes. Everyone laughed, and he moved on.
Almost all the signs in Bulgaria are in Cyrillic, the same letters used in Russia and other Slavic countries. A lot of the rusty and crumbling apartment buildings hail from the Soviet-influenced era, but there are stores selling new electronic gear and hip clothes. The roads are not as smooth as they were in Turkey, and the people have completely ignored, which is amazing. I'll see what the next few days bring.

Selimiye Mosque and the Golden Horn

Selimiye Mosque and the Golden Horn
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

Dining out

Dining out
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

I met three guys in my dorm at the Orient: Nicholas, Daniel, and Andreas (not shown). They had met at Istanbul's train station and I joined them for dinner and a wander through Istanbul at night. Nicholas and Andreas had were graduating from secondary school in a month and were wandering around Europe, getting into trouble, armed with only a backpack and a rail pass. They were Danes travelling as a Mexican and German to avoid hostilities in a Muslim country (ha,ha). Daniel had just used up his year-long working visa for the UK and was returning to New Zealand. The three of them had spent the day strolling around Istanbul drinking from bottles of Efes beer. It reminded me that I was no longer in the Middle East and I had arrived in Europe, where, like Southeast Asia, the backpackers were looking for a good time.

Aya Sofia Mosque

Aya Sofia Mosque
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

Constructed under Emperor Justinian in 532 AD, the Aya Sofia (Church of the Holy Wisdom), was the largest church for a thousand years...until the Ottomans came and converted it to a mosque. It sits across from the Blue Mosque.

Blue Mosque

Blue Mosque
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

Built in 1619, this beautiful mosque lies across from the Aya Sofia. The two of them combined make up the landmarks of this amazing city.

Streets in Sultanahmet

Streets in Sultanahmet
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

This is a street around the Topkapi Palace, home of the sultans during the Ottoman Empire, in Istanbul.

Touchdown Europa!

I made it across Asia minor to the European landmass this morning. It was a beautiful sunrise on the ferry coming to Istanbul. I took the overnight bus from Selçuk to Istanbul last night, and arrived tired and stumbling through Sultanahmet, the old city quarter of Istanbul. I passed by the Aya Sofia and the Blue Mosque like I was here yesterday and found myself a dorm bed at the Orient Youth Hostel. Within an hour I had traded for a Europe on a Shoestring LP book and crashed out for a nap.
Wandering around the city and seeing the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus, I realized it was too much to bear not having a good camera, so I think I will get ripped off today and buy another one.
This city is amazing with minarets filling the skyline and three bodies of water. Still, I think I will be headed to Bulgaria soon.

Basilica of St. John on Ayasuluk Hill

Basilica of St. John on Ayasuluk Hill
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

This is where St. John is buried. Somewhere in this field is the Temple of Artemis and its one remaining column. It is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that remains.

Roman show

Roman show
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

The cruise tours brought a show with them with music, costumes, gladidator fight, and the sentencing of a slave.

Hordes of tourists descend

Hordes of tourists descend
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

I was enjoying the lack of tourists at Ephesus for about ten minutes until I looked up hill and saw this mess. Most of them were from cruiseboats that harbored in nearby Kuşadasi.

Celsus Library

Celsus Library
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

This beautiful structure housed a library.

Theatre at Ephesus

Theatre at Ephesus
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

My Canon Powershot s410 died yesterday so I had to use my videocamcorder for taking photos. The ruins (yes, more ruins) of the city of Ephesus are only two kilometers from Selçuk. Built around the 1st century AD, it was supposed to be second to Athens in beauty. It is a famous Christian site as St. Paul prosetlyzed here (his Letters to Ephesians).

Ölüdeniz's beach

Ölüdeniz's beach
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

The water was a powdery blue and there was some sand mixed with pebbles. I never even went in because the hotel pool was so nice and devoid of people. From Ölüdeniz you can take a boat to Butterfly Valley, a backpacker haven, but I couldn't be bothered to leave the hotel nor it's buffet table.

Blue Lagoon Hotel in Ölüdeniz

Blue Lagoon Hotel in Ölüdeniz
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

After six days in Olympos, I headed west along the coast to Ölüdeniz, a package tourist destination (catering to mostly Germans and Brits as far as I could tell). Even the prices on signs were in British sterling.
Fortunately I was referred to this hotel by a German couple at the bus station. It was only $22 for an ensuite room with aircon, cable tv, and buffet breakfast and dinner. It was awesome. Even the booze at the bar was cheap (cheaper than Olympos).
Strangely, Hussein decided to come with me to Ölüdeniz which was a little awkward. I started getting flashbacks of that wierd Brit I met in Cairns 19 months ago. But I was only there for two days so I left him behind.

Me at an overlook

Me at an overlook
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

I actually got off my lazy butt and hiked up to this citadel to take this photo.
My glasses, which I had sat upon in Palmyra, finally fell apart later this day, so I am in Kumluca today using cheaper and faster internet, getting more money, and getting a new pair of spectacles.

Hussein and me

Hussein and me
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

I met Hussein on the bus to Olympos, so we ended up sharing a room at Moonlight, in a strictly non-gay way. He speaks a little English, so I have been learning some Turkish.
I ended up shaving my moustache after this dinner because it was acting like baleen, sieving plankton from the sea. Naaaaaaaasty.

Tree house dwellings

Tree house dwellings
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

Even up to three years ago, Olympos was known for its rustic treehouse dwellings, but these are just for show now.

Olympos -- not even a town

Olympos -- not even a town
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

Ruins at Olympos

Ruins at Olympos
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

You have to pay 2 YTL everyday to use the path that goes to the beach because it passes by these ruins from the 2nd century. (zzzzz...)

Boats bring daytrippers to Olympos

Boats bring daytrippers to Olympos
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

Olympos is a small backpacker strip built around a riverbed 11 km from the main highway about an hour south of Antalya. It's not even a town because it only has pensions and small stores for tourists. I had heard about this place from other backpackers while I was in Syria and Lebanon. Like Dahab, its a great place to do nothing and take a break from all the sightseeing, which is exactly what I am doing.
A room goes for 20 YTL (around $14) which includes breakfast and dinner. An hour after arriving, I headed out toward the beach and heard a couple people call out my name. I found a couple people I had met in Hama two weeks ago and someone I had met in Aleppo. It is a small world on the backpacker circuit.

Buses have airplane-like interiors

Buses have airplane-like interiors
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

In Göreme I realızed that I had had enough of sightseeing so I headed to the coast for some quality beach time. I only decided to get on the overnight bus an hour before it left.

Üçhisar's citadel

Üçhisar's citadel
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

The next town from Göreme.

Volcano off in the distance

Volcano off in the distance
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

Not far from the village of Göreme, I am guessing, that volcano in the distance is what left ashes all over the place.

Underground city in Kymakli

Underground city in Kymakli

Watch the video

I actually don't know anything about this place. Maybe early Christians hide here, fearing persecution. What I did realize, however, is that I was pretty tired of sightseeing, so I headed for the coast on the overnight bus.

Ventilation shaft for Kymakli's underground city

Ventilation shaft for Kymakli's underground city

Watch the video

The underground city was quite deep and extensive. Ventilation shafts and ports allowed for cooking and lighting without its inhabitants suffocating.

Chimneys lit up at night

Chimneys lit up at night
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

Afternoon in Göreme

Afternoon in Göreme
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

Göreme is a very touristy vıllage, but there are loads of cheap accommodation, which is nice. Fortunately a cheap (1.5 YTL, which happens to be $1) can take you to the Nevşehir, the next big town over, which has cheap eats and internet.

Cappadocia

Cappadocia
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

View from my new room

View from my new room
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

I moved into another room for the next day as it was too cold to "chill out" (har, har!) in the cave. This was the view from my window.

Göreme cave dwellings

Göreme cave dwellings
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

Cappadocia is famous for its "fairy chimneys", a geologic phenomenon resulting from wind and rain erosion of volcanic ash. Or something like that.
It sucks arriving so late at night, but I was able to get this room which thankfully had hot water to wash off the day's sweat. It was surprisingly cold in this cave so the comforter helped.

Antakya

Antakya
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

I was only here for four hours waiting for my bus to Göreme. It was a long day from my 0500h bus from Aleppo; I didn't arrive in Göreme until 2345h after changing buses three times. But the buses in Turkey are awesome. There are several different operators, and they're not as plush as Taiwan's buses, but they're still quite nice. It's There's even a steward who brings you refreshments.

Entering Turkey

Entering Turkey
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

Yeah, what a suck getting in it was. Fifty people at the window thrusting their passports blindly through the window while the one official stamped away; meanwhile about 20 of us formed a sensible line waiting for two hours to get up to the window as more and more people squeezed up and left. Finally a fight nearly broke out with all the line cutting. The bus threatened to leave without me, but they finally decided to help me get my visa and away we went! Strangely, on the Syrian side there were about eight windows with bored officers waiting for customers. What's up with Turkey?

My smallest room yet!

My smallest room yet!
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

Only 200 SP, this place had a fan and a stool. It was hot all night and I actually slept only a few hours before my early bus to Turkey. I think this used to be a balcony.

Souq in Aleppo

Souq in Aleppo
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

The ruins inside the Citadel walls

The ruins inside the Citdael walls
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

The Citadel ultimately succumbed to time. There was a restored theatre and a mosque here. It blazing hot that day, and I took refuge in the shadow of the wall.

The Citadel in Aleppo

The Citadel in Aleppo
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

This is the imposing entrance to the Citadel in Aleppo (normal entry price 300 SP, but only 10 SP with my student id card, ka-ching!). Built on a man-made hill, apparently this fortress was never taken. Invaders circled around it, and after a few days, left, deciding it would be too difficult to breach.

The duty free mall and food court

The duty free mall and food court
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

This was not a bad place to hang out for 8.5 hours.

Leaving Lebanon

Leaving Lebanon
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

Thıs is the border between Lebanon and Syria. There are big yellow American muscle cars that will zip passengers between Beirut and Syria. I actually got a ride on one of these when I eventually made it through the Syrian side. I had forgotten how smooth those beasts were; it actually made me miss my 1978 Impala stationwagon.

Crossing borders

From Beirut, I headed back to Syria. It's supposed to be only a three-hour trip from Beirut to Damascus, but I ended up waiting 8.5 hours at the border for my Syrian vısa. On the bright side, there was a great air-conditioned duty-free shoppıng mall next to the passport control which had an inexpensıve food court (even a Dunkin Donuts!). By hour seven, it was already dark and I got the nerve to ask the immigration officials if there was a place for me to sleep, but the officer on duty reassured me that it never took longer than eight hours, they were open 24-hours, I could sleep anywhere, they would wake me when word came from Damascus, and he would be happy to have one of hıs men drive me to Damascus for free. Ya gotta love Syrian hospitality!
It doesn't seem right that I only spent a couple more days in Syria! I went to Aleppo, the second largest city ın Syria after Damascus, visited the souqs of the old city and Christian Quarter, and explored the 12th century Citadel built on an man-made earthern mound, and decided that it was time to move on to Turkey (either that or be stuck in Syria on a Friday when everything ıs closed and get more money from the ATM).
At 0500 this morning, I got on a nearly empty bus headed to Antakya, the nearest big city in Turkey. I was stuck at the border again for two hours this tıme, but only because there was only one window open at the passport control, and there were about 50 people crammed up there (and more arriving and contributıng to the scrum) trying to get their passports and carnets de passage stamped. That border was the busiest I've seen with trucks and buses parked on the side of the border for a few miles.
I'm in Antakya now, awaiting my afternoon bus heading for Cappadocia. It is more expensive here than in Syria (thanks to the EU!); I'll be spending more for the bus rıde (about $14) than I have on any day ın Syria.
So I finished my tour of the Levant, including Israel & Palestine, which should be impossible in one visit because of the stigma of the Israeli immigration stamp. If you have any evidence of entry into Israel, you are not allowed into Lebanon or Syria. So how do you do it? When leaving Egypt for Jordan, you take the ferry from Nuweiba so that you avoid the border crossing into Israel. When leaving Jordan for the West Bank, you leave vıa the King Hussein Bridge crossing. Jordan still considers the West Bank as part of Jordan, so although you pay a 5 JD departure fee, you don't get an exit stamp from Jordan. On the Israeli side, you have to repeatedly ask/plead/beg the sexy Israelı passport control women not to stamp your passport, and if you're lucky, they won't. After that, it's easy because you just have to return to Jordan via the same crossing and you'll have no problems getting into the other countries. In the Mideast, only Morocco, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan will let you enter with an Israeli stamp in your passport. Of course the Israeli's treat others only slightly better. A couple British students I met in Jerusalem were harrassed and questioned and delayed by the Israeli immigration officials (one even had his butt probed) at the same checkpoint; one had been to Iran and Syria while the other had been to Pakistan to visit family, but hey, I guess they got in.

The Temple of Bacchus

The Temple of Bacchus
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

Another day trip from Beirut is Baalbek, the site of an old Roman temple built upon a temple to the Sun God, Baal.
The Temple of Jupiter is pretty much gone, but this great temple to Bacchus remains in good condition.

Sidon's coast

Sidon's coast
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

Sitting room

Sitting room
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

Debanne Palace

Debanne Palace
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

An old palace that has been restored and is free to visit. It is found by a marked door in the souq.

Crusader castle

Crusader castle
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

Sidon

Sidon
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

I took a couple hours to visit the old port of Sidon (Saifa in Arabic). It has an old Crusader castle on a small rock island in the harbor, and an old city with souqs.

Scars from the civil war

Scars from the civil war
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

The modern history of Lebanon is quite complex involving several different parties, and not as simple as "Muslims versus Christians" as many would have you think. Sadly it has involved several years of civil war bringing in to play the Israelis, Palestinians, Syrians, and a UN Multinational Force, costing thousands of lives. Things remain somewhat unresolved as the predominantly Maronite Christian government is supposed to have more Muslim representation.
May 23 (today) is their Independence Day, but celebrations were cancelled this year to prevent demonstrations and conflicts between opposing parties. Still, I bought a watermelon to share at the hostel.

Beirut skyline

Beirut skyline
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

Okay, there's more to the skyline, but there are a lot of cranes in the air.

The Corniche

The Corniche
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

Folks stroll in the evenings along the Corniche.

Downtown's pedestrian zone

Downtown's pedestrian zone
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

Rebuilt buildings all of the same color and shape. It definitely contributes to the non-Middle Eastern feel in Beirut.

Old and new

Old and new
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

Fancy new cars roam the streets of Beirut passing quaint buildings that remind me of France.

Entering Lebanon

Entering Lebanon
Originally uploaded by bastchild.

Entering Lebanon was a breeze. You can get a visa on arrival for 25,000 Lebanese Lira (1,500 LL = $1) that will give you 15 days, which is plenty for a country the size of Delaware.