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Just a quick note to let you know that I made it home safely after an incredibly long and tiring journey over some 40 hours. I haven't really processed the fact that I'm back in Montreal. Not sure it will really hit me before a little while.

Also, I feel compelled to make something clear: when I said that we had been offered cocaine I did NOT mean that we had accepted it, hell no. I can't believe some of you actually thought that :P My "I wish I was kidding" meant that I wished we hadn't been offered these things.

All good?

See you soon (maybe even face to face)

So Sorry

Hey everyone! First off I am SO sorry for having gone M.I.A. Internet access has been a lot harder since we left Bodrum for Oludeniz and there were so many emails to answer and things to figure out that I never got around posting here until now.

Big news (for those who do not know already): I'm heading home, starting today at 9:00 PM Turkey time. Yep, that's right. Karel left early this morning and flew to Vienna, from where she'll head back to Budapest and then who knows where.

Let me explain so I make a bit more sense. In Bodrum, there really was not much to write about. We went to the beach everyday, had people give us free stuff (among which were food, drinks, and cocaine. I wish I were kidding) and grew more and more weary and uncomfortable with the place and the people, until we both hit our limit. A mini breakdown ensued, in the form of spending the day at the mall, going to watch The Hangover  Part II, having fries and ice cream at Burger King and going hunting for a Starbucks until we could have our frappucino. Yeah, it was bad. We felt horrible as we were doing this, but I cannot, repeat, CANNOT stand to have another Turkish man wolf whistle, make inappropriate comment as we walk by or say "Yes please!" in that unbelievably irritating way of theirs. I could've dealt with it if we had been here for just a week, but when it's been more than three...

Moral of the story: 5 weeks in Turkey is just too long. The reason I decided to head home early was that I didn't to bring back nothing but bad memories about this wonderful country. It also felt right to me to go home instead of continuing on to Europe. I have a few other opportunities for the rest of the summer, so this blog will not be entirely dead.

I'll post more when I get home, about Oludeniz which has the most beautiful beach I have ever seen and more thoughts on getting home and being home. But for now, I need to pack and figure out my airport transfer.

We've had some amazing times here.

xoxo

Party town

Aka Bodrum.

Please let me introduce you to the Lonely Planet's description of the place: Today it's known throughout Turkey and beyond as a posh paradise where sun-kissed travelers dance the breezy summer nights away".

And being here is totally what it feels like. This city is absolutely wonderful, and so is our hotel. We are 1 minute away (I kid you not) from the beach/restaurants/anything our spoiled little hearts could desire. All this for 25 Turkish Liras a night. We got quite a deal, thanks to Karel's extensive research!

The view is absolutely stunning here. You want to take a picture of everything, because it's all so beautiful -and it doesn't stop. Examples:

Yup. You know you want to be here. I have succeeded in my getting tan mission! This hasn't happened in years. I must say, it is nice that here, we can wear whatever the hell we want and not care. I mean, men still look at all the girls that are passing by, but it's completely different from everywhere else we've been in Turkey where you are likely to be harassed if skin is showing. I completely understand that it's a different culture and will always strive to act respectfully, but it's also nice to be able to let your guard down every once in a while.

We sneaked inside a resort today to enjoy their sandy beach. We even got a second round of drinks for free! We keep on getting things for free...it's kind of funny. But also weird -we're pretty convinced it's because they take pity on us. Or because we're young (this city is rich, but it's a lot of older people too) and they want to make their place look more 'hip'. Who knows!

Free daiquiri!

I got too much sun though, I feel dehydrated, hot, and I have a headache...off to bed! We might visit the Underwater Archeology museum tomorrow. Karel is so excited!

xoxo

Change(s) of Plan(s)

Quietest beach I've ever been to.

Yesterday we went to visit the Roman ruins of Ephesus with a few people (very cool people too, so many Canadians here, it's incredible!) from the hostel. It was stunning, the library was awe-inspiring, but there were thousands of people there, often more concerned about kicking you out of their picture than enjoying the beauty of the city and appreciating the fact that so much of it is still standing. The heat was difficult to bear too, there was no shade to be found, and so when we were done, we all went to the beach at Pamucak. It's on the Aegan coast, and it was beautiful! It makes me look forward to the Mediterranean beaches, which are supposed to be a lot more impressive. I tanned/burned a bit too. That was to be expected. 

The Library from afar

Speaking of which: things have been moving a lot in the past few days. It's almost certain now that Karel will be extending her trip for at least another month. Don't worry people, I will be coming home! I do not have the financial means to survive abroad for that long, and I also feel compelled to come back on time. I know there are people waiting for me. I owe that to my family too, who has been supportive in their own quiet way, by not putting any obstacles and trusting me, even when I didn't trust myself. 

I guess it would make more sense if I started explaining things from the beginning. Early on (as in, while in Vienna) we realized that we probably wouldn't make it to Eastern Turkey. I was heartbroken at first, and didn't want to accept it (this was what I was really looking forward too, the Western Coast not so much). However, I slowly came to accept things for what they were, and my level of exhaustion convinced me that I could use the time on the beach. When we were staying in Istanbul, when the hostel owner heard that we had at first planned to land in Trabzon, his immediate reaction was: "Don't go there. They will kill you. They're extremely patriarchal over there. They'll adopt you or something, but two girls alone, that's not going to work". I doubt it's that bad, but honestly, I think that when I do go, I will need to be travelling with a man (and pretend we're married because otherwise, that's not going to fly either). 

Considering all this, we decided to stick to the Western Coast. Problem is, we realized through conversations with other travelers that 5 weeks is a long time in Turkey, especially since we're cutting out a huge part of the country. As a result, we've started talking about our possibilities, as well as at what point we'll want to split up. We might head to Bulgaria (from where Karel would continue on to Romania, back to Hungary and then who knows), or maybe I'll go to Greece/Greek Islands on my own for something like a week. We're slowly trying to figure it out.

One thing I have learned is that, next time I travel in Europe, I'm not getting a return ticket, I won't even have a plan! We've been going on a straight line since the beginning and restricted ourselves too much with dates and things to do. I feel like I've been on the go for almost a month now, and my body is exhausted to be honest, especially since I know the food I'm getting, no matter how delicious, is not giving me all of the nutrients/energy I need.

Don't mind my face. Cool people from the 'resort'!

I'll upload a few pictures later, and start packing too. We're leaving for Bodrum tomorrow at 7:30 AM. Ew. Hopefully I can get out of bed...

xoxo

Contentment

Mhmmm. Just spend quite a few hours soaking up the sun by the pool, enjoying a stunning view on the Turkish countryside, which is nothing like I expected it to be. So lush, so green, and yet so dry! What my day looked like:

Good times. We honestly didn't do anything. The night bus from Istanbul was so tiring so we were out of it by the time we were dropped in front of the Selcuk bus station at 7:00 AM. It's a good thing the hotel staff comes to pick you up for free.

I have a few thoughts to share on travelling, the desire to slow down, the books I have been reading as well as keeping in touch while abroad. However, it is now too late for that (meaning I can't concentrate) so you will have to wait until tomorrow! On this note, I will try to let Amy Winehouse sing me to sleep. At least, the noise is somewhat muffled by the dorm's closed door, which we're sharing with just one other girl tonight. Success!

xoxo

East meets West

Hi again! Istanbul, Istanbul...what an incredible city! Things are crazy here, there is always something happening, and I now understand why some people think it is the coolest city in the world.

On Wednesday, after a good night's sleep (even the muezzin at 5 am could not wake me up), we enjoyed breakfast on our hostel's rooftop. The view was amazing, I'm sad I don't have a picture to share, but the Sea of Marmara was quite a sight from up there. We decided to be good tourists and go to the city's most important attractions: Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. I cannot try to describe how awe inspiring these monuments are. Despite the hordes of tourists, it still remains an experience that I hope you all get to enjoy one day. 

Inside the Hagia Sophia

On Tuesday, we went to Topkapi Palace and the Archeological Museum. Again, so interesting, I really wish I knew more about Ottoman history these days! My only complaint is the non-existence of student prices here...I've been way over budget since I got here, and I'm starting to freak out about it. Hopefully, it won't be as bad once we hit the coast.

On one of the Topkapi Palace's numerous terraces

Yesterday, we moved from the Sultanahmet to the New District to an adorable little hostel called Chambers of the Boheme, near Taksim Square. I must say, our street is where it happens! It is 2 seconds away from the main pedestrian street Istickal, and it is full of cafes, teahouses and live music. I love it, this is probably where we'll stay when we come back at the end of our trip. But before we left (and of course got lost looking for the hostel), we went to the Basilica Cistern, which was SO cool. Probably the most underrated site here in Istanbul. It was so impressive and eerie all at once...I couldn't describe it properly.

View of the Old Istanbul from the bridge to the New District

Today, we walked to the other side of town to visit the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market. Quite an experience! It is such a maze, I wonder how we even managed to get out of it. The sights, the smells...Everything is so alive here, constantly moving and shifting, and yet enjoying life in a way that I'm not used to seeing in North America. I must say though, it is very tiring to always be in a city, so Monday's departure to Selcuk/Ephesus is welcomed.

And of course, I have been eating delicious foods...I'm so happy that it is no longer a rarity to see vegetables on my plate! So exciting. It's also much easier being vegan here. However: surprise, surprise, I, the cheese hater par excellence, ended up having some twice yesterday. I also had goat milk ice cream. That's how weird life is.

xoxo

Making our way to Istanbul

Ahhhh. Sorry I didn't get to write before! Budapest was very quiet for our last few days. We went to the Opera (couldn't understand a thing, it was in German with Magyar subtitles), to the Szechenyi Baths, had some delicious Transylvanian food, and hung out at the hostel a lot (that place is just too cozy, it's so easy not to do anything). I definitely want to go back to Budapest. This is a place where I could see myself living, as opposed to Vienna where I would spend a couple of months and be happy to leave. It's so cheap too! It was great.

Anyhow. We had a flight on Tuesday morning with Aerosvit (Ukrainian Airlines...) from Budapest to Istanbul through Kiev. We woke up at 4, took a taxi to the airport at 5, and thought everything would be fine. Well, turns out our flight was delayed for more than 2 hours. We were freaking out about our connection, because although we knew we would probably make it to the other gate, we weren't so sure that our luggage would follow...We finally did board, it wasn't as sketchy/dangerous as I had imagined, and we landed in Kiev, where we realized that our other flight was also delayed. We ended waiting another 3 hours. Let me tell you, there is nothing to do in an Ukrainian airport. My book could not entirely distract me at that point. We were also debating whether once we arrived in Istanbul we should get a taxi or used public transportation (we were afraid it would be dark by the time we got there). We opted for the latter (had no problem at the airport), took out some Turkish Liras from the ATM, and promptly left, using the metro and the tram.

We got off at the Sultanahmet station (this is the historical Istanbul, the neighborhood in which all of the major attractions can be found). We had no idea how to get to our hostel, despite the google map. Bear in mind, it is now past 9, I haven't eaten all day, we're carrying our backpacks and we're two girls. It was quite stressful. After much running around and being harassed by rude maitre d's/waiters/sales clerks we did find the place, and proceeded to calm down after this very stressful day. So that was the big adventure of the day.

No pictures are available (or needed in my opinion) for this post. But don't worry, I'll be back really soon (like, 2 hours max) for a recap of our adventures in Istanbul. A hint: I LOVE IT SO MUCH.

xoxo