June 12, 2009 – Day 169 – Aleppo, Syria
Since we are really just in transit to Turkey and don’t have enough time to really see Syria this time around, we checked out early and caught a bus to Aleppo. Unfortunately, we spent most of the day traveling and didn’t get to Aleppo til early evening.
The drive north
June 9, 2009 – Day 166 – Amman, Jordan
We checked out from the hostel and set out to the bus station with plans of going to Damascus today. We tried countless bus companies and all that we asked refused to take us to Damascus because we don’t already have Syrian visas.
The fruit market
June 2, 2009 – Day 159 – Petra, Jordan
“The Pink City” of Petra holds true to its name and its allure. Feeling like Indiana Jones (ok, sans horse) we made our way through the 80 meter high walls of the amazing Siq and marveled at the random trees and bushes growing from cracks in the rock. How they can sustain themselves in such an environment is pretty incredible!
Burro in front of the Treasury
June 1, 2009 – Day 158 – Aqaba, Jordan
What a difference a border makes! We have only been in Jordan for a matter of hours and we already love it! From the fanatastic guys at the falfel place who were ecstatic to see us as repeat customers to the clean scent-free streets and the shops that we can walk past without a single business owner taking notice of us, not to mention that no one evens seems to notice that we are foreigners or if they do they don`t care to stare at us! Woohoo! It feels so nice to be invisible again and these falfels are the best thing ever!
Yummm.... Falafels
May 20, 2009 – Day 146 – Cairo, Egypt
Cairo has so many faces and personalities that it’s difficult to decide whether one likes it or doesn’t. Today we felt both. When spent our morning wandering through the Coptic Museum that houses some really amazing ancient pieces and the best part is that they are being cared for quite well! Unfortunately, these beautiful old things can’t be photographed so we have no way to share what we saw today.
Africa
May 18, 2009 – Day 144 – Cairo, Egypt
En route to Giza on a stuffy, sweaty minibus, a man offered us both a Kleenex to wipe the sweat dripping from our faces. It was 105 degrees Fahrenheit and we were wilting in the miserable heat. Saben chatted with the man who, within a matter of 10 minutes, kindly invited us to visit his home before we went to the Pyramids. We gratefully declined since we were running an unfortunately tight schedule today but he would hear none of it. He took us to visit his home, a lovely beautiful and very large Egyptian home, and to meet his family, who were wonderful and endlessly hospitable.
Curls by fire
May 16, 2009 – Day 142 – Cairo, Egypt
A shout rang out, “Hello, Money Money!, Hello, Money Money!” In a flash a myriad of small hands had thrust out from the darkness and fastened themselves like barnacles to Sabens pants.
Us at the Airport
May 9, 2009 – Day 135 – Delphi, Greece
The most famous ruins of Delphi (the temple of Athena), are surprisingly free! Which would have been nice know before we paid the 3 Euro entrance free to get to the lesser ruins at the top of the hill.
Ruins of Delphi
May 8, 2009 – Day 134 – Athens/Delphi, Greece
What the hell is so wrong with us that no one will pick us up?! Frustrated, lost, and literally seconds from missing our 3:30 bus to Delphi, we were passed by at least 10 empty taxis that refused to stop to pick us up despite our safe location for pulling in and hugely obviously waving arm. We had crossed the highway, the crossed back, and finally crossed back-back once more trying to figure out why it was that whenever we crossed the 6 lanes of traffic without a stoplight or crosswalk that all the taxis started passing like mad on the side we had just crossed from! We just couldn’t win!! Read the rest of this entry »
May 3, 2009 – Day 129 – Rafina, Greece
Small fried fish, if you saw that on the menu, what would you expect? One small fried fish one a plate, right? Yeah me too, but in fact that small phrase can mean more than one thing. In Greece apparently it means ”TWENTY (very) small fried fishes.” So while Saben sucked away at his jumbo shrimp, Lin was throwing down some serious fish carnage.
Before
Taxi Rides = 123
Boat Rides = 35
Motorcycle Rides = 10
Plane Rides = 16
Bus Rides =330
Train Rides = 124
Rickshaw Rides = 98
Truck Bed Rides = 25
Rainy Days = 42
Current Rummy Score
Lin 10950, Saben 12435
