The Power Of A Matriarch

We've been here in India and I've found it to be a great place for getting your creative juices flowing once again. The noise, colors and music can't help, but make you productive, as it seems everyone here is in a hurry to somewhere. But this post is neither here nor there, it's about a moment in Africa.

As part of our introduction/initiation process onto the Acacia Truck, Matt and I had to give the group reasons as to why we decided to travel to Africa (followed by a swig of 98% vodka, then an unsuccessful attempt in saying your full name without coughing - not an easy task). For Matt, it was the landscapes and World Heritage Sites. For me, it was to see the African elephants. All my life, I've always admired them for their grandior, intelligence and strong family ties - they have even been shown to assimilate a burial ceremony for their kin, i.e. the elephant funeral. So, the first time we spotted a herd of elephants in the Serengeti, I was beyond excited.

We watched in silence as a head matriarch quietly led her family only a few meters in front of our open-roofed safari truck. Just seeing that, I was in awe. I can't imagine what she may have thought of us. Perhaps we were some strange creature from outer space  with a large shiny body that sprouted 8 heads, each with one long extending eye (aka: the camera zoom). We must have looked very strange indeed, because shortly after she got the herd safely across the road, she double-timed it back towards us to get a closer peek. She moved with purpose and then suddenly stopped on a dime, causing her large Africa-shaped ears to swing forward in the momentum. She stood still as a board, and glared right into our pupils, trying to make heads or tales of the danger we presented.

Photo Courtesy of Stacey Berg

As I stared blankly back into her dark little eyes, I held my breathe. (1...2...3...) She had stood long enough. She had made her point, her presence known. She slowly turned her back to us and followed after the herd. Even after she was far in the distance, I still felt her presence. A true matriarch, she was mesmerizing.

Photo Courtesy of Stacey Berg

P.S.
My camera died during this whole occurrence, but thankfully Stacey, our fellow passenger, took pity on me and gave me a few of her photos. Thanks, Stacey! :)

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Gnomes On Safari

Matt and I have both tried writing a post to summarize our African Safari experience at The Maasai Mara National Park in Kenya, but all that we could come up with was how incredibly happy we were just riding around the open plains with our heads popped out of the sun roof like gophers, watching as 'National Geographic' played before us in real time. We hope this little montage of my first / Matt's second game drive can help shed saw light on what we saw. Roll 'em!

The Maasai Mara National Park in Kenya  
(ADVISORY: Please turn up volume & push pause to wait for video to load halfway before playing.)

CLICK HERE FOR PICS

A Plan Not To Plan

Upon arrival into Kenya, one thing was clear. We were, for the first time in five months of travel, ready to let someone else do the planning and take a break from the independent side of travel. It was a combination of fellow traveler recommendations and being unsure of independent travel in Africa, but doing an Overland trip with a tour company was looking like the best option.

The high council of the Gnomes was summoned in Nairobi, and the number-crunching game began. We researched numerous tour operators and the council reached a decision after four days of deliberation. The Gnomes would go on a 43-day overland tour from Nairobi, Kenya to Cape Town, South Africa, starting Oct 7 - Nov 18 with Acacia Africa. Let the African journey begin!

POST-ARRIVAL*: This post is a little outdated, but thought we'd include it anyway as an FYI when looking for an organized overland tour across one of the world's most intriguing places - Africa. Plus, it kind-of gives you a before and after take on the whole thing.

Meal Time in Botswana (Click pic to enlarge)

ITINERARY: NAIROBI, KENYA TO CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA 2012 | 43 DAYS

• OCT 7 - 13 (DAYS 1-7): Nairobi, Masai Mara, Serengeti Plains
• OCT 14 - 21 (DAYS 8-15): Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Malawi
• OCT 22 - 31 (DAYS 16-25): Lake Malawi, Victoria Falls, Livingstone
• NOV 1 - 7 (DAYS 26-32): Chobe National Park, Okavango Delta
• NOV 8 - 12 (DAYS 33-37): Etosha National Park, Swakopmund
• NOV 13 - 18 (DAYS 38-43): Fish River Canyon, Cape Town

LOGISTICAL STUFF:

FACTORS OF PICKING AN OVERLAND TOUR: 

Note:* The below info is from advice given from those that have already taken the plunge themselves, and what we learned through the booking process. We may alter these notes in the end - hopefully not.

1. PRICE - They all pretty much do the same itinerary, so pick one in between the highest and lowest price. Apparently, you get what you pay for and low may be REALLY low in regards to quality of guides and camping gear. Also, make sure you understand ALL of the hidden fees and additional costs, like admission to national parks, 3 day activities/treks/game drives in said parks, and more obvious add on activities that are truly optional. After adding these all up, the least expensive could very well become the most expensive in the bunch.
   *POST-ARRIVAL NOTE:  We went with 'Acacia Africa', which is in the mid price range. 
2. GUIDES - Some of the more inexpensive companies may provide guides that are more like "tour leaders," aka: logistical organizers, rather than actual guides that are also knowledgeable on the areas you are visiting. Additionally, check up on the general reputation of the guides at a particular company. If you want to get really specific, you can even call the company directly and find out who will be leading the tour on the dates you want. Then do some reconisance on his/her name via travel forums and the like. You have now entered an A.D.D. Wonderland.
   *POST-ARRIVAL NOTE: We had great guides - a married couple, Julianna and Riann, with 20+ years of tours (and catering...yumm) under their belts.
3. GROUP - Which leads me to the last point. You can also ask the company what the demographics are for the group, which is a nice way of asking, "What's the age range?" Now, we understand age is just a number and maturity (or rather, imaturity) can come at any age, but there are generalities to consider. Also, remember to ask how many people max would be on the bus.
   *POST-ARRIVAL NOTE: Our group ranged from 21 - 40 years old, with 12 - 22 people max, depending on which leg of the trip you're on. Something we didn't know beforehand - we booked from Nairobi to Cape Town, but some peeps on your tour may have only booked Nairobi to Zanzibar. Some Zanzibar to Livingstone. Others Livingstone to Cape Town or Livingstone to Johannesburg. So, you won't always be with the same 22 people during a 43 day trip. If you're joining in at a particular leg, you may find yourself to be "the newbie," welcomed by a 98% proof vodka shot as part of your initiation. Also, if you want to extend your trip to include the next leg, our company (Acacia) seemed to be flexible in accommodating your desire to keep on truckin'.

VISAS:

For U.S. citizens, you only need to obtain VISAs for entry into Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia, all of which you get upon arrival for $50 - $100 USD each (depending on country).

*POST-ARRIVAL NOTE: If you're a U.S. citizen, don't be surprised if your VISA fees are a little higher than every one else in your group - the country you're entering is only matching what U.S. officials charge for their citizens to enter the U.S. - Only fair.

MUST HAVES:

• Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate - Some countries will not let you into the country without it.
• Travel Insurance - Some companies will not let you on the bus without it.
• USD currency - Plenty to pay for the Local Payment, paid directly to the company when you arrive (must have USD cash in hand - will not except any other currency), VISAs on arrival, and any additional fees for activities, park admissions, snacks, drinks, etc. Zanzibar has ATMs and you can pay for things with Credit Card, if necessary. Also, some places will allow for local currency when paying for fun-in-the sun-type activities.
• Note: If you are booking your tour while in Africa, you probably don't have enough USD on hand. You should allocate a few days to take money out of ATMs in local currency and exchange them into USD. If you're from The States, seem's weird to convert from USD to local currency and then back to USD, but that's how it's done (so they say). OR, the company you're booking with may do you a favor and let you pay the Local Payment with Credit Card at a high exchange rate - 5% or more.
  *POST-ARRIVAL NOTE: You actually only need USD for the local payment and VISAs on arrival. All countries will take local currency for site activities and if they don't, they will be happy to oblige swiping your credit card - for a fee, of course. Also, you may be able to exchange local currency with your tour guides for USD if you absolutely need it. Bottom line - take some USD, but don't break the bank.
• Sleeping Bag / Pillow / Toilet Paper / Sunscreen / Detergent / Towel - They will NOT provide a sleeping bag for you. Check the overnight weather for the season to determine the weight needed.
  *POST-ARRIVAL NOTE: You really can take as many things as you want - within reason. Since your things will be stored on the bus the entire time, you don't have to worry about how much your bag weighs. This also means that you can buy as many curios (souvenirs) as you can carry back to the bus and then either post them home via good ole snail mail, or pack them in your carry-on for your flight home.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE PICS: Nairobi (place of planning for the overland tour)

A Good Lay...Over

When the cheapest flight from Amman, JORDAN to Nairobi, KENYA had a 19 hour layover in BAHRAIN, we immediately had visions of uncomfortable airport seats and back cramps. It wasn't until i glanced at the flight times, that I realized we might be able to spend a night there. It turns out that 'Gulf Air' handles all the details, including VISA, transport, meals and accommodation at an upscale hotel for a reasonable price of $40 per person. I did the math and the plane ticket was saving us almost $200 per person, so it was still a really good deal, plus we could hang out in BAHRAIN for the night. 

In the end, everything worked out exactly according to plan. I guess there is such a thing as a good layover. Who would have thought?

Here are some pics of our brief outing the night we spent there:

The Bahrain World Trade Center

Mall on Ground Floor of World Trade Center

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Petra Through Rose-Colored Glasses

Matt asked me how I would describe Petra, while discussing the blog post yesterday on our bus in Southern India - heading from Kerala to Tamil Nadu. After only a couple seconds, three words rose to my minds eye, like scrolling letters of fog from 'Alice's Wonderland Caterpillar': vast, colorful and ornate. There is so much more to Petra than just these three words, but for me, they are what made it such a unique experience - and one of our favorite places we've visited thus far on our trip.

After reading a few blurbs on Petra from our friend's, Ivan The Great, 'Rough Guide,' I discovered how massive the park actually was (264,000 square meters) and had to grab a guide book myself before venturing out to the hidden city. Like the sandstone walls that make up every inch of this place, the layers upon layers of history and changing of hands make Petra so curious, but it was the Nabataeans that made it a true wonder of the World - and for us.

We went early in the morning to "beat the crowds" and found ourselves amongst the slow trickle of people with the same train of thought, walking peacefully through a long hall of echoes, before we finally stumbled out in an agora of light from the labyrinth that is 'The Siq.'

  
The Siq / The Treasury at the end

The first thing that hit me (and many others for that matter) was the precise craftsmanship of 'The Treasury,' which greets you head-on, first with it's pinkish hue peeking from beyond the escarpments of 'The Siq,' and then as you get closer, with it's unimaginably crisp lines of the intricately topped pillars and rooftops. It's as if it was done with a laser from 2012, not with chisels of craftsmen from 2100 years ago. I still can't believe the superb condition in which it finds itself - the jewel of Petra.

The Treasury

As you begin to enter the many other tombs of countless Nabataean rulers speckled across the landscape, you find yourself surrounded by frozen rivers of red, orange, pink, black and grey. These sandpaper murals hug the angles of the carved inner walls and leak out the gigantic doorways that contain them. I've never seen such colors stained in the Earth.

For us, Petra was one of those places that truly lived up to it's hype - even though "World Tourism Day" did not - (see below).

LOGISTICAL STUFF:
ONE DAY VS TWO DAYS:
Because Petra is so large, it would be physically taxing to try and do the whole thing in one day. Matt and I started at 7:30am and (taking our time) only got through 1/3 of the sites and treks by 6:00pm - 10.5 hours! We do tend to be doddlers, so that can somewhat explain away the long day, but if you have a day to spare, we would highly recommend taking it. If not for you, for your poor feet.

On the day we went, it was "World Tourism Day," where you are granted free admission into any national park within Jordan, according to VisitJordan.com. At least so we thought. Come to find out that it was only the "Jordanian" tourists that received free entry. No biggie though - a 2-day pass only costs slightly more than a 1-day pass.

GUIDE BOOKS: LONELY PLANET VS ROUGH GUIDE:
I personally feel that it's important to have some kind of guide, whether it's a book or a person, to fully enjoy this place. Both will help you map out how to make the most of your time there, and without them you'll just be looking at a lot of pretty structures without much context. Plus, you can find out unmarked trails that you normally wouldn't have known on your own. Just my two cents. 

In regards to books, I have to say, I read the sections for Petra in both the Lonely Planet and Rough Guide, and although the Lonely Planet gives you an oober cool 3D map (and I'm a huge advocate for LP), it doesn't really give you diddly on the history of Petra itself and all the sites within the park. Rough Guide did a much better job in thoroughly spelling it out.

TRANSPORT: AMMAN TO WADI MUSA:
There is a posh air-conditioned bus available around 8am from Amman to Wadi Musa (Petra), which leaves to Amman around 3 or 4pm. Also, there are several public buses (non-A/C) that will take you there throughout the day. However, you'll find that sharing a taxi with some fellow travelers will fare around the same price, be much quicker, and will drop you off at your hotel. (We took a shared taxi.)

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Roots Of Hebron

Before going to Jordan, I (Matt) had no idea where Hebron was or why it was relevant to Chris' family.  I left with the answers to both questions.   When we arrived, all we knew was that Chris' Uncle Jamal had arranged for us to meet his sister, Najah, and her family, who lives in Amman, but that was the extent of it.  We had no idea that they (through her daughter, Safa) had arranged for a private driver to take us to the Dead Sea and Baptism Site of Jesus and that after they would have us for dinner at their house.

They were beyond generous and hospitable in every way possible.  The best part though was that they made us feel at home, in a way that only family could.  We ended up going over for dinner twice and both visits were spent getting to know Chris' extended family and where they came from.  That's when I learned that Jamal wasn't from Jordan at all, but instead from a town in Palestine, called Hebron.  Unfortunately, due to the political conflicts with Israel, his family ended up fleeing Hebron (with the roots of a Hebron grape vine in tow) and taking refuge in Jordan.  There's no doubt though that Najah and her husband are passionate about where they come from.

 

 

Top Left Clockwise:
Hijazi Family, Najah's husband wearing black and white head piece (representing Palestine), Grape vines from Hebron, Najah and her family.

Independent of how much you read or watch on the news, there's nothing like visiting the Middle East region to get a real understanding of the difficulties there.  I for one never realized that so many Palestinians left to Jordan because they considered their territory occupied by Jewish settlers.  It's sad hearing stories of the conflict in the region, but we still really appreciated visiting and listening to different perspectives on both sides of the issue.  More importantly though, it was nice just getting to share stories over a home-cooked meal, baklava, and some fresh picked grapes from that very same vine they grew up with.

LOGISTICAL STUFF:
CROSSING THE BORDER FROM ISRAEL TO JORDAN:
There are three points of entry from Israel into Jordan -  Sheikh Hussein (north), King Hussein Bridge / Allenby Bridge (central) and Wadi Araba (south). The NAME border is by far the most popular as it's more of a direct line into Amman (57 km / 35.4 miles away), the capital of Jordan and great jumping off point to various sites around northern and eastern Jordan. However, you will need to visit a Jordanian embassy to obtain your VISA before crossing. We chose the Sheikh Hussein border, mainly because we're lazy and didn't want to have to obtain our visas beforehand - VISA on arrival for U.S. citizens.

SHEIKH HUSSEIN - NORTHERN BORDER CROSSING:
We took 2 buses and a taxi to get the border - Bus #1: Tel Aviv - Jerusalem (18 ILS), Bus #2 - Jerusalem to Bet She'an (42 ILS), Taxi: In Bet She'an, take an overpriced taxi (40 ILS) straight to the border - there is no local bus that we found that will take you there, after asking around for 30 minutes. Go to www.egged.co.il/eng for bus schedules - super easy website and the air conditioned buses DO run on time.

When you arrive to the border patrol office on the Israeli side, you may wonder if you're in the right place. Matt and I made up of 66% of the patrons, with the only other person of Palestinian decent, crossing for work purposes. After exiting Israel, you'll have to wait approximately 45 minutes for a bus to take you 100 yards to the Jordanian border patrol office. Leave your bags/luggage at the door when you enter.

OBTAINING A VISA ON ARRIVAL / STAMPS INSIDE YOUR PASSPORT:
It's very straightforward to obtain a visa on arrival at this border crossing. Now, stepping back when we were first entering Israel, we were very specific in requesting to have our Israel entry stamped on a separate piece of paper, i.e. not in our passport. After explaining that we were on a long trip and could potentially visit countries that will not allow us entry with the stamp, like Malaysia, Bangladesh, etc. The officer obliged  although not without a little Spanish Inquisition. 

Fast forward to the present, entering Jordan overland via Israel. The Jordanian officer asked me TWICE if I (Chris) wanted to have my visa and entry stamp included in the pages of my passport. Without thinking it through (blurred by my excitement), I replied, "Of course!" But, after the fog cleared, Matt and I quickly realized why he had asked. The officer explained that since the stamp specifically names the border we used to cross into Jordan, it was obvious that we have visited Israel, regardless of not having an Israeli stamp in our passport. In other words, all that work and worry about the Israeli stamp was moot, now that we had that particular entry stamp. 

Thankfully, it appears that border patrol officers are only looking for the Israeli stamp itself when thumbing through your passport. I only say this because we had someone specifically ask us if we've been to Israel, and we simply said, "We do not have an Israeli stamp." That seemed to suffice. (Phew!) 

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The Open Road

Chris' Dad, Ryck "Polamalu," had to head back home to return to work, but her mom, Liz, stayed for an extra week with us to see Northern Israel- Nazareth, Tiberias, Sea of Galilea, Golan Heights, Akko, Haifa & Caesarea.  After battling with public transport during Sabbath and the holiday season, we quickly decided we would do the rest of the trip with our own wheels.  The open road gave us flexibility to roam freely and even drive out to Israel's borders with Lebanon and Jordan. Super cool.

Here are some of our favorite pics from the road:

Three Amigos

'

Border of Lebanon

Now where to?

Liz, experiencing the dorm life.

No, Liz. You can't escape us.

CLICK FOR MORE PICS: Tiberias | Nazareth | Haifa | Akko | Caesarea

Have Faith And Float

Floating in the Dead Sea is an unnerving experience. You have to trust that you will in fact float. It's not easy, when every billboard is warning you of the adverse reactions that can happen if you do any one of the following: jump in head first, float on your belly, get your eyes wet, get water in your mouth, stay in the water too long, shave any part of your body, etc. etc. From what I gathered, burning doesn't even describe the sensation you'll feel if you disobey any of these rules.

(ADVISORY: Please turn up volume & push pause to wait for video to load halfway before playing.)

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim, you don't grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float.
-Alan Watts | philosopher, writer, speaker

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Polamalu Vs Masada

We flew out of Armenia, our first flight since our initial flight to Russia, to Israel where we met up with both sets of parents.  My parents were going on a formal tour, but had built in time to meet up for dinner.  Chris' parents decided to have a go at 'budget style' travel with us.  Thankfully, we were able to get both sets of parents together for dinner before mine set off on their own itinerary.  It was really nice relaxing and catching up in Tel Aviv, but the real adventure started when we headed for Ein Gedi (Dead Sea area).  It was there that the saying, "If you can't run with the big dogs, then stay on the porch," would get played out on the big stage.  The following is a play by play account of those events. (NOTE: No professional football players were injured during the writing of this story.)

Team Leseman and Team Vasallo Unite

It's half past five in the morning and Polamalu positions himself squarely in front of his opponent. His rival stands as big as a mountain, daring him to take the first step. This foe laughs in his face, as Polamalu glares sternly ahead. He looks behind him to see the first haze of light high above the arrid land. That's the signal. The game has started. It's time to climb.

Masada Snake Path (Dead Sea at top of pic)

BLUE 42! BLUE 42! HIKE.....HIKE! That becomes his mantra, repeated like a tymphony in his head. Only a few more yards until the first down. He loses ground as he slips on the dry sand, falling back a few hash marks. But gotta push through. The clock is ticking and the ref isn't calling any timeouts.

The odds are against him. Drops of perspiration mark the ground like gingerbread crumbs, as they fall rapidly to the Earth. His heart is aching, straining for blood, but the sun refuses to stop the game. He crosses the 50 yard line. The giant sneers, but Polamalu isn't giving in to his intimidations.

He glances at the clock. Two minute warning. He can taste the chalk that marks the goal line in his mouth. Game on. With 43 seconds to spare, he passes the threshold of the end zone. TOUCH DOWN!!! During his dance, the sun breaks over the stands. BZZZZZZ!!!!! Game over. 

Polamalu 6. Masada 0.

Chris & Chris' Dad, Ryck "Polamalu"

LOGISTICAL STUFF:

If you want to climb "The Snake Path" up to Masada early in the morning, you have to take private transport, either a hired car or taxi. We took a taxi and prearranged for him to pick us up at 4:55am to arrive at Masada by 5:15am (15 minute drive from The Ein Gedi Youth Hostel). You buy your ticket for entry at the ticket office at the start of the path. (You then buy your cable car ticket separately at the top of Masada.) 

According to the driver, it would take anywhere between 45 - 75 minutes to climb to the top, depending on your athletic abilities. We reached the top at exactly 6:27am (72 minutes). We initially asked the driver to pick us up at 9:15 (giving us 4 hours for both the climb and seeing Masada), but that really wasn't enough time. In retrospect, we wish we had asked him to pick us up at 10:00am. Those extra 45 minutes would have given all of us time to watch the film down at the bottom of Masada (near the entrance) and venture down the stairs to the Northern Palace that clings to the cliff. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE PICS

Press HERE For System Restart

Admittedly, there were a few setbacks and the staff didn't return to their positions as quickly as expected, but this announcement serves as restart of the blog production line.  Our current environment is more conducive to work activities, as the inter web facilities are available and somewhat reliable.  So let's roll the clock back and post by post make our way to the present.

The backlog started back in our final days in ARMENIA.  We had experienced numerous random acts of kindness from all sorts of strangers.  Those encounters alone are probably enough to justify a visit from fellow backpackers. But, for someone who enjoys visiting old churches I would say it's definitely worth your time.  Surprisingly, we never got tired of visiting all the churches.  We walked through the forest to some and took "the world's longest cable car" through mountainous canyons to others. It was good times searching out all the churches and seeing all the scenery along the way.

Here are some photos of holy sites and other things we saw while we traversed the country:

Noravank

Saint Hripsime Church

Sevanavank

Haghpat Monastery

Matosavank Monastery

LOGISTICAL STUFF:
SOLO TRAVELERS:
Public transport is pretty limited and you'll probably find most of the marshrutkas (mini-buses) to be full unless you catch them at their original departure point.  We found hitchhiking to actually be easier and safer than the erratic driving of taxi or marshrutka drivers.  It was foreign to us at first, but we quickly learned that it was practically another form of public transport.

GROUP TRAVELERS:
Renting a car in Yerevan (the only place to do it) is probably the best option.  Although you'll miss out on the hitchhiking encounter, you'll get to see more of the country and get more out of your time.  Also, the local bus schedules don't always link up right, so you could end up waiting for your next bus for a few hours at the station.  Also, if you're more than 2 people it becomes almost impossible to hitch a ride since you won't all fit in a single vehicle.

ALL TRAVELERS:
We found it very customary to be offered homemade vodka from our guesthouse host or even from complete strangers when we were hiking.  From our experience, it was always harmless and safe, but drinking 40-50% proof shots can quickly send you into a very bad world. We enjoyed a shot or two, but there were definite occasions when we politely declined, which translates into saying, "no thanks" about 20 times (no exaggeration).

CLICK FOR MORE PICS: FULL GALLERY | ARMENIA

ALERT: All Systems Down At The Blog Generating Plant

Due to foreseen circumstances, and managerial visits (from both our parents), all blog assembly line personnel have been dismissed from their post with minimal notice. We'd like to apologize for the slack in production in recent weeks, but our equipment (hard drive) was damaged within the timezone continuum and is in need of repairs. In addition, there has been a breakdown in Internet access, along with shortened office hours, particularly those spent in the break room.

We're working as quickly as we can to repair the damage, and will be operating on all fronts in the blogosphere before the next Internet opportunity is available (i.e. generating posts on Israel and Jordan). Again, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. Thank you so much for your cooperation and continued support.

Sincerely,

Mr. & Mrs. Gnome McGee

P.S.

The staff has taken their temporary dismissal to travel overland around the African continent through November 18th: Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa. Their whereabouts will be posted as a progress report within the coming week. 

Iced Coffees

Something happened today that I just can't get past. Matt and I were trying to hitch a ride from Yeghegnadzor to Goris (because we found out that we had missed the last marshrutka by just 8 minutes). After being propositioned by several Taxi drivers who had stopped for us, we see a man slam his brakes, reverse his car and exclaim, “No money. No money.” He wasn’t going to Goris, but he offered to take us to a town halfway. So, we hopped in. 

Mid-way through the 40 minute ride, he pulled over for a pit stop - we were assuming he had to run an errand. Two minutes later, he hops back in the driver's seat bearing gifts – iced coffees for himself, Matt and I.

Wait a minute. We ask for a ride, and YOU are the one that gives US something. Mind exploding - shouldn't it be the other way around? I mean, we didn't have much, but we were prepared to offer him an apple we had stashed in my bag.

I don't know why I'm so dumbfounded by this simple gesture. I guess it's because things like this just keep on happening. Just the night before, the next door neighbor of an apartment we were staying in randomly brought over a tray of fresh fruit and hazelnuts as a welcome gift. Then later invited us into her home for coffee and pastry with her family, where we ended the night with a gift from her son – a stone cross necklace for me.

I've never encountered perfect strangers with such blatant generosity and not a shred of expectancy to return the favor.

This world just keeps surprising me, and I'm so grateful that we get to experience these little moments one encounter at a time. As for the man, we said thank you in broken Armenian, popped open our iced coffees and cheersed our new friend – he politely said no to the apple. 

Yerevan Or Bust

We've quickly found out that here in Armenia all roads lead to Yerevan. It's easy to get there, but much more difficult to leave with a specific place in mind - outside of taking a Taxi, renting your own vehicle or hitching a ride (aka: auto-stop).

From Tbilisi, GEORGIA we wanted to cross into ARMENIA and stop 2km past the border in a town called Alaverdi. Unfortunately, according to the bus station, no such ticket existed. We tried for 3 hours to find a marshrutka to take us there (taxi wanted to charge 50 Lari / person), but they would only let us buy a 30 Lari ticket to Yerevan. If you speak Georgian, you may be able to work out a deal, buy even that is difficult without going through "the chief" first.

Chris - Using her backpack as a seat.

LOGISTICAL STUFF: 
TBILISI, GEORGIA - ALAVERDI (OR YEREVAN), ARMENIA: From the Ortachala international bus station in Tbilisi, buy a marshrutka ticket to Yerevan (last one leaves at 15:00 - private bus companies do not go to Alaverdi) for 30 Lari / person - sadly, you cannot get a cheaper ticket just for Alaverdi. We were unable to locate any information on trains to Alaverdi. If anything, there is a train to Yerevan on EVEN days, and one from Yerevan to Tbilisi on ODD days, but we are unsure if they even stop in Alaverdi. From talking to several travelers, there may not be one, and if so, it's difficult to stop.

Matt - Inside Georgian border control building.

VISA:
Hop off the bus (leave your bags on board) and go through the Georgian border control building to obtain your exit stamp. Hop back on the bus to travel 30 feet to the Armenian border control booth (outside, next to a large metal gate) to obtain your VISA. Fill out an application given to you by the officer in the booth - no photo required, despite what it says in the designated rectangular area on the top right corner of the application. Make sure you have a full-page available in your passport for the full-page VISA sticker to live. Sign the entry/exit paperwork (again, given by the officer) and pay the man. You cannot pay with any other currency other than Dram - 3000 Dram / person for U.S. Citizens. (If you need Dram, ask one of the security officers in fatigues to point you to the "bankomat" across the Armenian border - he will hold onto your passport until you return.) Walk 30 more feet to a tiny booth next to several car lanes to get your entry stamp. Welcome to Armenia! :) Don't forget to hop back onto the right marshrutka.

Day 100 - Brother & Sisterly Love

We wanted to post a big THANK YOU to Mark & Gaby (Matt's brother & sister-in-law) for bestowing upon us a taste of luxury for our 100th Day on the road. Also, thanks to Nicole (Chris' sister) for working her magic on the "hook-up" in this endeavor. Love you guys!

With their powers combined in Tbilisi, GEORGIA:

A Hiker's Paradise

There's still a great deal more to see on our trip, but if someone were to ask me today what place has had the most natural beauty in all the places I had ever traveled to, then I would, without question, say the Caucasus Mountains in Georgia.  I'm sure I would get a few blank stares back at home, until I explained that I meant the country of Georgia and not the state.
We visited two different places in the Greater Caucasus - Mestia and Kazbegi (there are plenty of others) - and both were equally mind-blowing in terms of natural beauty. There really aren't any words to describe how breathtaking it was, but picture small village towns, super fresh cool air, massively steep mountains, glaciers tucked away in almost every valley, and wild horses randomly seen on distant mountain sides.  

Mestia
 

Kazbegi

These regions truly are a hiker's - or any nature lover's - paradise. From the extreme glacier summit climbers to the 3-day trekkers, or even the 8hr day hikers, the options to enjoy nature seem endless. We saw wild horses on two of our four hikes and on all of them we couldn't stop saying, "Wow, where are we?!"

Mestia

The only possible negative part was the potential for over development and tourism run amok.  Although still not a tourist "Hot Spot", the once small village town of Mestia now has futuristic-looking buildings and construction on every corner. It's easy to see why there is such huge potential for tourism, but hopefully it doesn't take away what drew people here to begin with. (This wasn't the case in Kazbegi and, in our opinion, these regions as a whole are still very much "untouched.")

CLICK FOR PICS: Mestia & Kazbegi

Serendipity

Ha! That was aaaamazing!

A few days ago, Matt and I were making our way across Georgia from Borjomi to Kazbegi by their infamous marshrutkas. We had to stop in Tbilisi to catch the next bus north. The ride in itself is always an interesting venture - near head-on collisions, random local hitchhikers that hop on/off at will, babies that are tossed around the bus to various other passengers so that the mother could have a break, and shared snacks amongst us all.

This time, there was a middle-aged woman who succumbed to motion sickness. At first, she just felt woozy, so a fellow passenger let her lay her head down on her shoulder. However, immediately after she spilled her cookies inside the bus, almost every single passenger got involved in her care. Aside from stopping the bus to let her out, she was given bread, water and even the driver plucked some fruit from a tree on the side of the road to give to her. Keep in mind, these are absolute strangers. I wanted to do my part (I mean, we've all been there), so I handed her some wet wipes I got from a pizza restaurant weeks before, saving them for this such occasion.

After 10 minutes of back rubs and low chatter, we were on our way. Everyone shifted around so that she could take the front passenger seat near the driver, and a woman behind her continued to check-in every so often to see if she needed a break. Once we arrived in Kazbegi, after slowly maneuvering around each switchback (very unusual for marshrutkas to go slow around anything), everyone went their separate ways - we went to Nazi's Guesthouse.

Fast forward to today. We decided to check out some waterfalls just outside Arsha. It was a 5km walk there, along a very busy road, but once we got to the waterfall we were happy about the journey. We spent a few hours roaming the mountain side, eating the sandwich Nazi made for us, and finally made our way back down.

We greeted the road once again with a tad disdain. We began to walk, but had remembered seeing someone hitchhike their way to the waterfall earlier that day. So, we both decided to give it a go. We smiled big and on our first hand wave (up and down, like you're petting a dog) someone pulled over to pick us up.

We thanked the driver profusely, and got in. And guess who was in the passenger seat? None other than the sick woman from the marshrutka ride. It was just too serendipitous that we all chipped in to help her out when she was in need and there she was (not recognizing us) giving us a lift back to town. Just amazing. Guess that's just how it works here in Georgia.

SIDE NOTE:
Shortly after writing this, we found out that the sick woman from the marshrutka was in fact Nazi's Aunt, and the man in the driver's seat...(wait for it)...Nazi's Brother-in-Law. Wuddayaknow.

Georgian Hospitality - Marina's Guesthouse

Hospitality can come in many forms, but for us it came in a glass jar.

Coming from Turkey, where everything was high energy and long distances, we were looking forward to a little down time when we crossed into Georgia. But unfortunately, when we hit our first city – Zugdidi – we didn’t quite get the rest we were hoping for. Although the mosquito net Matt had been carrying in his pack for the past 3 months finally got a chance to make its debut, it still didn’t alleviate the puddles of sweat forming in every crevice of our bodies while we tossed during the night.

Zugdidi Hostel

When we reached Borjomi, it was a pleasant town with a relaxing atmosphere – humid-free, with various carnival rides and an outdoor café in the park, a cable car, even a Ferris wheel overlooking the mineral water park that Borjomi is so famous for. But, these are not what made our stay here so memorable. It’s not so much a matter of what, but rather who it was that made all the difference.

When we arrived at the front door step of Marina’s Guesthouse, we weren't quite sure of what to expect – would she even have availability?  We were aching for a place to just sit and catch up on blog posts, phone calls, and any other odds and ends that needed mending – like Matt’s ripped Jeans. As soon as we stepped over the threshold, we knew we had found our sanctuary. 

Not only did we have exceptional accommodations, like a sparkling bathroom (with hot water), baby soft sheets and our very own living quarters, but Marina herself was all around pleasant. One of the first things she mentioned was how her children both met Americans teaching English in Georgia, and are now married, living abroad. As we struggled to ask questions sprinkled with Georgian, she handed us a book, “English to Georgian Easy Phrases,” that her daughter had given her.

During our 5 days there, we did some laundry (rather, she did for us), uploaded some pictures and had some of the most delicious jam one would every lick off a spoon. Every morning, we would get giddy waiting to glob it over every edible surface that could withstand the weight. It was that good, and it was homemade by Marina and her mom right in that very kitchen.

We were only supposed to stay for 2 nights, but she just made us feel so welcome in her home that we didn’t want to leave. (Meanwhile, we counted the people that had come and gone during our stay.) When we came down for our final breakfast, we were genuinely sad to go. We did our best to memorize the flavor profile of her signature jam, but just as we were finishing our final bite, a sizeable jar of this deliciousness appeared next to me on the table. Marina smiled and said, “It’s to take with you.”

That did it. My jar of jam runneth over.

Before we left, she gave us one of those “mom” hugs – you know, where you just feel loved, and we did our best to thank her for making us feel so at home – a home away from home if you will. We hope to one day meet again in Georgia or even the States when she’s visiting her daughter. For now, we’ll just have to make due with scraping the bottom of the jam jar.

LOGISTICAL STUFF:

• Marina Zulmatashvili's Homestay (Marina's Guesthouse)
• Address: 2 Ketevan Tsamebuli St (2 Shroma St), Borjomi, GEORGIA
• W: http://www.facebook.com/MarinasGuesthouse/info
• E: marinasguesthouse@gmail.com | P: 598 18 45 50

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