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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"It's Naked Time!" - Matt's Short Story

I went to take a shower at one of the guesthouses, here in Mestia, Georgia. Just as I disrobed, and was about to jump in and close the curtain, in walks the relatively older woman who owns the home - she calls herself 'The Babushka.' I stood there, bare ass naked, frozen. She just paused, smiled at me sweetly and closed the door. 

NO PICS FOR THIS ONE (for obvious reasons)

Crosswalk to საქართველო

One might think that crossing a border by foot would require more effort than taking a bus. This is definitely not the case crossing into Georgia from Turkey. In a matter of 25 minutes (including a bathroom break), we had our Turkey exit and Georgian entry stamps.  Not to mention, the helpful tourist info booth at the Georgian border. They called one of the hostels we had picked out to make sure there was enough room for us that night. Fantastic! All that was left was to catch a marshrutka (minibus) and head to Zugdidi.

"Here we come Georgia!"

LOGISTICAL STUFF:

Take bus to the Turkish border town, Sarp. (Some buses will take you all the way to Batumi, GEORGIA, but tend to be more expensive. We were advised to get off at Sarp.) Follow the crowds on foot through the Turkish and then Georgian border crossings – no Visa required for U.S. citizens. Once inside the Georgian checkpoint building, you are now in Sarpi, GEORGIA. Don’t forget to take advantage of the English-speaking information desk before you exit - they even have mini Georgian translation cards. Hop on a marshrutka for 1.5 GEL / person to Batumi. From there, you can catch another marshrutka to anywhere.

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Day 84 - 3 Month Mark In Göreme

Daily video for Day 84 - our 3 Month Anniversary on the road. Watch as we recap our very uneventful, anti-climatic last day in Göreme, Cappadocia, TURKEY - aka: 'A Travel Day.' Commentary recorded on Day 86 in our Trabzon, TURKEY hotel room (the day we went to the Sumela Monastery).

“Betty & Al”

CLICK FOR PICS: Cappadocia & Trabzon-Sumela Monastery

99 Hot Air Balloons

I was dead asleep when I heard someone's alarm go off two beds over, here in our cave dorm in Göreme (Cappadocia). Half awake, I sat straight up, "Matt! It's 4:12!!! It's 4:12!!!l" Thankfully almost the entire dorm room was already awake, getting ready for their own balloon rides.

Today was the day! For the first time, we booked something in advance, so we had been counting down the days until our infamous hot air balloon ride over the Göreme Open Air Museum. From what we heard down the grapevine, it was to be a life changing event.

We were running late. I scrambled down the bunk ladder, making all sorts of racket in the darkness - there really is no light when you sleep inside of a cave. We tried to get ready as quickly (and quietly) as possible, but our efforts were interrupted by the voice of the bus driver. "Sultan Balloons! Let's go!"

I have to admit, I was pretty grumpy. This "life changing event" was not off to a good start. We were half dressed, half awake, and had some stanky breathe when we hobbled to the bus. What I didn't realize was that Matt, in a moment of sheer genius, swiftly grabbed the toothpaste out of his bag on his way out. Gosh, I love this man. :) After some spastic finger brushing, followed by a sugary breakfast crisp, we were physically and mentally ready to begin our mystical journey of weightlessness.

Captain Carlos, in his Portuguese accent, happily greeted everyone in their respective languages, and explained the rules of the basket. Within minutes, the ground disappeared below our feet. We watched as the still grounded balloons became glowing orbs, flickering like a string of Christmas lights stretched across the valley.

It was an incredible feeling - the warmth from the flame above, the chill of the crisp air, the subtle breeze, the pink and orange light spreading across the horizon, and pure silence, as we simply floated away. It was euphoric. We both looked at each other with goofy grins, and kept repeating how "aaaaamazing" this was.

This outer body experience lasted throughout the flight, so I'm not sure if there's a whole lot more I can describe, since the feeling overtook all of my senses. All I know is that I was surrounded by 99 balloons at all altitudes and had the love of my life with me to witness it together.

After we landed, and collected ourselves, we couldn't help compare the peacefulness to our times on the water with 'The Flying Pumpkin' - the ebb and flo of the currents. You have to respect and understand the wind, in order to navigate properly. And our Captain Carlos was a master of his craft - a true sailor.

At the risk of sounding dramatic (too late), I have to say this will be a day that will forever remain engrained in our minds. 

LOGISTICAL STUFF:

• Sultan Balloons | http://www.sultanballoons.com 
• E: info@sultanballoons.com | M: +90 533 239 37 88 | O: +90 384 353 52 49
• Booked via Travel Agent in Fethiye (Omer Sherif at Yildirim Pension)

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The Climb - Selime Monastery

I sighed with relief as I reached the first landing platform of the vertical tunnel to the lookout point. As I caught my breath, I looked down to see a speck of light dancing in the darkness – the torch from Matt’s iPhone. His calls to me echoed up the narrow shaft, carved by Christian monks 800 years ago. All that was left of this once exquisite stairway were smooth slabs of disintegrating rock, so badly worn, that it was hard to distinguish one step from the other. (It would now be better served as a water slide for the rain.)

Matt urged me to turn back, “We’re not even sure this is the right one!” “This has to be it!” I said, as I evaluated the plausibility of what the man said at the ticket office below – “narrow passageway that leads up.”

We were certainly climbing up, but, I really wasn’t sure this was it. All I knew was that I couldn’t ignore this palpable desire to see where this tunnel was leading. It was as though I was entranced by the romanticism of the moment, walking in the footsteps of religious men before us.

As Matt followed in close pursuit, I examined the walls, feeling along the dust and gravel, hoping to find a grip in the dim light. I stood there, desperately trying to decode the sequence of footwork needed to continue. After a moment of thought, I leapt over the large gap beneath me and onto the next platform.

One by one, I grasped the tiny holes bored into the stairs, and imagined the warm glow of endless candles they must have contained. Matt pleaded with me, “I don’t think we should go any further.”

But, it was too late. We had reached a literal crossroads. It’s either go up and continue forth into the rabbit hole or forever wonder if we were in the right tunnel. We chose the path of the Mad Hatter and plunged further into darkness.

“I see light!” I exclaimed. “We’re almost there!” We crawled up the final steps with the excitement of a marathon runner, only to find another chute, impossible to climb. Matt and I looked down the burrow we emerged from, dripping with chalk. What had we gotten ourselves into – we were alone, inside the womb of a rock, with only a fragmented sentence from the man at the ticket office to guide us. Reality set in and our hands began to shake. The only way out was down. Matt went first.

I watched as he made his way, strategically placing his hands and feet gingerly on the crumbling stairs. Just as I was about to follow suit, six feet down, he froze. All four of his limbs were stretched out, vibrating with nerves. His chin buried in his chest.

“Are you okay?” He responded with a deep inhale and I knew something was wrong. I stood quietly and watched his movements. He was looking straight down, and at that moment, he recognized how far he could fall with one ill placed step. I waited patiently, praying that he would regain his composure. Not a moment too soon, he slowly began retracing his steps downward once again.

It wasn’t until we popped out onto the second floor of the church that we allowed the gravity of the situation to wash over us. My hands were still shaking, but oddly enough, I had a huge smile on my face. “Well, that was most insane, idiotic, and awesome thing we've every done.” Nevertheless, we made it out of there unscathed, with shaken nerves, an element of danger and one hell of an experience.

DEAR MOMS: 
We don't mean to scare you with this post. Please don't worry. We've learned our lesson and won't be doing this again. :)

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Where Are You From?!

So far, all of our travel has been "independent."  We rarely book in advance and instead opt to show up at the bus/train station and figure it out there.  Though, here in Turkey, we've noticed things are a bit different.  There are numerous companies competing for your business and they go to great lengths to win you over.  "HELLO MY FRIEND.  WHERE ARE YOU FROM?!"  It's a bit abrupt at first, but you quickly learn that it's just how things go here and regardless if they get your business, the people are still very willing to help you find your way.
 
This whole idea of booking early really hit home for us when we attempted to score a last minute deal on a 4 day / 3 night 'Blue Cruise' in Fethiye (to Olympos) and found out booking ahead through a travel agent was actually cheaper. As fate would have it, we discovered a travel agent two hostels down because we needed to do laundry, and they were the only ones that could do it.  The hostel owner / travel agent, Omer Sherif, turned out to be the key maker that guided us into the tourism matrix, and offered to book us without commission.  We saved 100 Turkish Lira ($50) by not buying directly through the main boating office.  (Thanks, Omer!) 

Goes to show, there's no one proven formula for getting the best deal.  Turkey is definitely opening our eyes to at least some pre-packaging...and hey we'll take it.  A deal is a deal.

LOGISTICAL STUFF:
Many (and I mean MANY) hostels / travel agencies, especially in Istanbul, will offer package deals for your entire trip in Turkey. They may differ in price and length of stay, depending on your preferred flavor, but they all typically follow the same path. Even though we decided against the packaged deals (outside of the Blue Cruise), we happened to mimic the same EXACT route as many of the tour junkies. 

ISTANBUL >  SELÇUK / EPHESUS > PAMUKALLE > FETHIYE > (Blue Cruise) > OLYMPOS >  GÖREME (CAPPADOCIA)

Istanbul

Selçuk

Pamukalle

Fethiye

Blue Cruise

Olympos

SUGGESTED ITINERARY: 
So alas, there may be something worthwhile in at least considering a package, even though we didn't. However, it's important to mention, that quite a few people we spoke to who did do a tour wished they had stayed longer in certain places, and shorter in others. So, we thought we'd put in our two cents on what spots we felt deserved a little more attention, and which can be enjoyed as a day trip.
Note: These are minimum days suggested. We stayed longer in some cases.

• ISTANBUL (4 nights) - Massive city. New Mosque, Blue Mosque, Aya Sofya, and so on - too many attractions to name.
• Overnight bus from Istanbul to Selçuk
• SELÇUK / EPHESUS (1 night) - Small town. Arrive in Selcuk around 6am. If it's a Saturday, go to the enormous farmers market. If you like ruins (and you probably do since you're here), you'll want to visit St.John's Basilica, then around 4:00pm (after all the large tour groups/cruise ships are gone) take a Dolmus (minibus) to Ephesus. After entry, make a beeline to the Terraced Houses (extra ticket cost - last entry at 6:30pm) and view the enclosed area almost entirely alone. Then make your way around Ephesus and end at the Roman Theatre (next to the entrance) right as the sun is setting. Must be out by 8:00pm.
• 3 hr bus from Selçuk to Pamukalle
• PAMUKALLE (Day Trip) - Arrive in Pamukalle around noon. All the attractions here are included in a one day ticket to the National Park, which has the famous Cotton Castle, Ancient Roman Bath, Roman Theatre and various other ruins. Last bus to Fethiye leaves around 5pm. If you want to stay another day to see more of the park, you will have to buy another entrance fee.
• 4.5 hr bus from Pamukalle to Fethiye
• FETHIYE (2 nights) - Small boat town with cool Lycian tombs carved in a cliff. There are all sorts of day trip cruises to surrounding attractions, like Butterfly Valley and the like, but we opted to take this time to relax from the very fast-paced last few days. 
• Blue Cruise (3 nights / 4 days) - Sailboat with no sails - only engine used. Not a must. So, Lonely Planet notes this as one of the most memorable things you can do in Turkey. We wholeheartedly disagree. If you want to soak in the sun, relax and read a book, than this is for you. If you want to take in the Turkish culture, pass and save your money for something else (like a balloon ride in Cappadocia).
• OLYMPOS (2 nights) - "Treehouses" and Roman ruins.  More tourists than Turkish in this area. Treehouses is a term to be used loosely - these are more like cabins, so think along the lines of camping. Again, nothing to really do here, but chillax and enjoy the pebble beach. Only real attraction are the naturally occurring Chimera flames, which are totally worth seeing (even if it costs 25 Turkish Lira to do so at night).
• Overnight bus from Olympos to Göreme (make sure your ticket says Göreme not Cappadocia)
• GÖREME (3 nights) - Small town. First: Hot air balloon ride over valleys and fairy chimneys. If all else fails, this will make your entire trip to Cappadocia, however short, worthwhile. Bus picks you up at 4:30am. You'll be back by 7:30am. Second: you will be offered the 'Green Tour' or the 'Red Tour' by your hostel when you arrive. If you are staying for one night only, take the green tour. It includes our favorite three attractions - *Derinkuyu Underground City, Ihlara Valley (4km hike) and *Selime Monastery. (*Bring a torch with you.) Red tour includes Rose Valley. If you are staying longer, try renting a scooter. Basically, the colored tours all start and end at the same time (9:30am - 6:00pm), so each attraction is swarmed by tourists, like locusts attacking this summer's crop, at exactly the same time each day. With your own transport, you'll get to spend more time at the places you want, when you want.  If you wish to see Selime Monastery deserted, than go before 2:30pm - when the first tour bus arrives. You'll need at least 1.5 hours to really enjoy the place. Derinkuyu is clear around 12:00pm. Ihlara around 4:00pm.

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Istanbul At A Glance

If cities had middle names than Istanbul's would be GINORMOUS!  This city is huge, but what's amazing is that it still draws you in.  We really aren't "big city" people, but we'll openly admit Istanbul is proving that we can be.  Our jaws dropped as we crossed over the Galata Bridge for the first time and understood the true size of this place. It just seemed to keep going and going.  Yet somehow, we didn't feel overwhelmed or the need to go fast paced.  In addition to the many locals, we also noticed that there were LARGE numbers of foreign tourists here and massive cruise ships docking daily - herds of cattle looking for a place to graze.  
Even with all the people, we got around easily by foot and still found a relaxing spot in the New Mosque to sit and take it all in.  Istanbul had so much to offer that even 6 days seemed like a rather quick stay.

Here are some of the highlights:

Galata Bridge

New Mosque

Aya Sofya (Our Favorite Site)

Topkapi Palace Harem

Dinner with Pinar (Fellow UT Ad Grad) & Dave! YAY! :)

Amazing sunsets every night

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Merhaba Turkey

We were welcomed, quite serendipitously, into Turkey by a crescent moon and star.  We attempted to capture it with pictures taken from inside our overnight bus, but they did it no justice.  It's crazy to think we've made it here via overland travel from Russia and soon we'll be crossing into Asia.

LOGISTICAL STUFF:

Turkish VISAs are fairly straightforward - 3 minutes, $20 USD per person (exact change) and you're done. 

We crossed on the bus from the Bulgarian border. You get out and line up to have the Bulgarian authorities stamp your passport for departure. Then you hop back on the bus, ride 50 yards to cross the Turkish border and hop back off. For U.S. citizens, you can get your Turkish VISA upon arrival. You will have to run across several car lanes to the 'VISA office' to do so, but with a quick exchange of $20 USD for one small rectangular sticker, you'll have your VISA. 

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"Could've Been A Plovdiv."

Yes.  It's sad, but true.  We didn't know about Plovdiv before arriving into Bulgaria, but it quickly became our favorite city of the country.  We had big expectations for Sofia, but as always it was the unexpected that delivered.  Plovdiv was just cool.  Its ancient Roman ruins scattered throughout its old town - living in harmony with the modern shops and cafes.  It goes to show that there's a lot more to a country than its Capitol.  We left Bulgaria remembering the great food, peaceful Rila and cool old Plovdiv.

Watched a Bulgarian Opera in the Roman Theatre (Built 98 - 117 AD)

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