So, J and I came ambling out of the woods yesterday after four days and nearly 40 km's of cold nights, barking cow dogs, heaps and HEAPS of manuer, three thunder and lightning storms, two boxes of matches, and two rolls of toilet paper. Today, we are two sorry heaps of pain--20 k's down-hill in one day isn't a good idea.
The original plan was to go up the Karakol Valley (20 k's day 1), then up to Ala Kol lake (10 k's day 2), over the 3,800 m pass to Altyn Ashran (20 k's day 3), and then back to Karakol (14 k's day 4). What really happened: late start day 1 and only halfway up the valley, late start day 2 and up the second half to the Ala Kol trailhead which was little more than a serious of conspicuous rocks that would their way through bushes, marooned in the valley day 3 due to bad weather, and after a lot of consideration of many different things, we decided to head back to our nice hostel in Karakol instead of traverse the pass.
It was a good decision.
Things that factored in to our retreat: first, we were squeezing our two bodies plus sleeping bags plus backpacks into a one man tent each night which made things really sticky and really cramped. Second, Jeremy has a liquid fuel stove which he bought thinking that it would be hard to come across gas out here--um, no. We had to use petrol instead of clean white gas or kerosene and it really wasn't too high in quality; lots of sputtering lead to a lot of wasted matches and with only a box and a half left, we weren't sure going so high or so far without ample supply would be very smart. Third, the weather was getting a little if-y. We went through several thunderstorms which consquently dropped a bit of snow on our intended path (enough that we could see it a good 10 k's and 1,000 m lower) and that made me nervous. I really didn't want to lose the path in the snow and since we were following a rather vague map, it was probably best we only try to cross sans snow. Fourth, the animals. Night two a herd of cows moved in to our camp and we were constantly waking up in fear that something was lurking outside. Night three, the cows and the herders moved on but their howling cow dog was sadly left behind and consquently kept us up all night thinking about bears, snow leapords and wild packs of wolves. (I'm a little ashamed to admit that last one.)
But, we did have lots of fun and lots of adventures. We saw the most beautiful valleys and peaks I've ever seen with amazing glacial rivers that looked like blue slushies. We saw truly majestic horse herds move down roads, along the river, through lush green pastures, and among some yurts. We witnessed some truly amazing clear night skies which made the whole milky way visible. We entertained ourselves inside our little tent with a cramped game of Uno, goofy sleeping bag photos, watching Juno (the movie) on my iPod, and creating our own Kyrgyz myths of the Heti (Kyrgyz yeti) and the Karakol Valley Witch (sister of the Blair Witch)--I'll post the stories later. Oh, and night one, in the middle of a deep sleep, Jeremy says, "I gotta get out. Move." I was a little confused and slow moving so Jeremy just kinda pushed me out of the way, ripped open the zipper and puked right outside our door. Needless to say, we weren't too worried about wild animals after that. Just concerned about him puking inside the tent.
So, we're back in Karakol and trying hard to make the internet work around here. Tomorrow we hope to go to Altyn Ashran (sulphuric hot springs) by mini-bus for the day and then it's back to Bishkek to work on our Uzbekistan visas.
Apart from the trip, lots of great things have happened. First, ptl, ALL of my packages from Korea made it to J's parent's in Australia (I was hesistant). Second, my deferrance request for my Stafford loans was granted and I'm payment and interest free for at least the next year! Woo hoo!! And--the best part--my birthday is in just a few days: October 5th. I'll be 24. :) Third, I found the best Creme Brulee icecream last night and I plan to eat another pint of it tonight! Hee hee!
More photos and stories to come.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Onward and upward!
Well, Bishkek has been... quiet? Slow? Relaxing?... but we're now off and ready to leave for Karakol tomorrow morning. Karakol is a small mountain city at the end of Issyk Kol lake--the second largest alpine lake in the world (behind Lake Titticacca in Mexico).
From there, we plan to make an exciting (but chilly) ascent to Ala Kol lake--a very beautiful crystal clear lake around 3000 m. Our trek should lask about 5 or 6 days and end at a really interesting old Soviet sanitorium with natural sulfur springs (as if we didn't stink enough after 6 days without a shower). Below is a photo of Ala Kol lake.
From there, we plan to make an exciting (but chilly) ascent to Ala Kol lake--a very beautiful crystal clear lake around 3000 m. Our trek should lask about 5 or 6 days and end at a really interesting old Soviet sanitorium with natural sulfur springs (as if we didn't stink enough after 6 days without a shower). Below is a photo of Ala Kol lake.
Ala Kol Lake, originally uploaded by John & Gayle.
Photo from Flickr.
Should be fun! Keep coming back as I'm boung to post up some incredible photos soon!!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
The Plan, Stan.
Hey all! I'm here in Kyrgyzstan and had a very safe and quiet flight. Thanks for all your pleasant thoughts. :) My first night was spent in a yurt or gur (a collapsible nomad house made of wool and sticks) as there were no rooms at the inn. It was pretty cool... For about the first 6 hours. Then I was woken up by the train--or should I say train-S. And after that, there were the dog fights. And in the morning (6 am) the gardener scraping his metal dustpan across the sidewalk. And later that morning, I discovered the flea bites. LOTS and LOTS of flea bites. Ick. I feel for all dogs everywhere today. Amazing that I did not get a single flea bite in India but take me to a 3 star hotel in Bishkek and I get about 50. *sigh*
I waited all day for Jeremy yesterday but he arrived around 5 pm after a long night of Kebab revenge (food poisoning) and a 4 hour bus ride. Then he had about a 6 km walk to the hotel with a 30kg bag on his back. Poor guy! He was exhausted when he arrived but it was a really nice reunion. From there, we stayed up all night sharing photos and stories about my time in India and Pakistan and his adventures in Kazakhstan. Good times all around.
Today we've been out and about exploring Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital. First stop: a really cool sidewalk gallery of some French photographers work. The display included 100 photos of life from the air covering every topic from India rug markets to garbage cities in Mexico. Loved it. Second stop: an art market with hundreds of pieces painted by local artists. Most of it was Kyrgyz mountain scenery but also the typical majestic horse in the wind kind of stuff too. :) Third stop: the State History Museum. Some pretty interesting stuff. Mostly branze painted plaster monuments of Communist themes and LOTS of letters penned by Lenin. The only bad part was that everything was in Russian and the only place I saw anything in English was a couple news clippings on display. The best part though was the gallery on Kyrgyz nomadic life. I must say, their art work, weavings, tools, and lifestyle really reminded me of the Native Americans. It's cool to think that this lifstyle still exists out there on the steppe... Fourth stop: lunch! Some really good mutton on a stick, a nice wheat noodle soup in a bell pepper and tomato broth, and some interesting dumplings not too different from China's gyoza and Korea's mandu. Fifth stop: the Russian Orthodox church. We wondered in just before service started which gave us a really nice opportunity to hear the traditional songs and prayers as well as witness many worshippers lighting candles. The inconography was beautiful as well as the numerous paintings form the life of Jesus. Sixth stop: the internet cafe. :) Next stop: check out another guest house where we can leave our bags and head out for some trekking. This may be where we go tomorrow night as they've got a really cheap dormitory and free luggage storage (plus cheap meals!).
I will keep you all up to date as we get moving here. Right now we're just feeling out the city, spotting the tourism offices, looking for some hiking stuff (for me), seeing what gear we can rent, and making plans about where we're going and how we're going to get there. But things look good! There's a lot to see here! Some really beautiful mountain lakes, glaciers, snow capped peaks, old Russian sanatoriums with natural hot springs, and some pretty cool horse back riding. Appearently it only costs about $300 to buy a horse here... And Jeremy is considering heli-skiing. I'm certainly not good enough to justify the expense (or the steep descent) but have vowed to wait at the bottom with a hot cup of hot chocolate when he gets down. But we'll see. Kyrgyzstan is an outdoor wonderland.
Hope you are all doing well! Thanks for keeping up with this journey of mine. I really didn't expect things to go this way but I'm really glad they did. :)
I waited all day for Jeremy yesterday but he arrived around 5 pm after a long night of Kebab revenge (food poisoning) and a 4 hour bus ride. Then he had about a 6 km walk to the hotel with a 30kg bag on his back. Poor guy! He was exhausted when he arrived but it was a really nice reunion. From there, we stayed up all night sharing photos and stories about my time in India and Pakistan and his adventures in Kazakhstan. Good times all around.
Today we've been out and about exploring Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital. First stop: a really cool sidewalk gallery of some French photographers work. The display included 100 photos of life from the air covering every topic from India rug markets to garbage cities in Mexico. Loved it. Second stop: an art market with hundreds of pieces painted by local artists. Most of it was Kyrgyz mountain scenery but also the typical majestic horse in the wind kind of stuff too. :) Third stop: the State History Museum. Some pretty interesting stuff. Mostly branze painted plaster monuments of Communist themes and LOTS of letters penned by Lenin. The only bad part was that everything was in Russian and the only place I saw anything in English was a couple news clippings on display. The best part though was the gallery on Kyrgyz nomadic life. I must say, their art work, weavings, tools, and lifestyle really reminded me of the Native Americans. It's cool to think that this lifstyle still exists out there on the steppe... Fourth stop: lunch! Some really good mutton on a stick, a nice wheat noodle soup in a bell pepper and tomato broth, and some interesting dumplings not too different from China's gyoza and Korea's mandu. Fifth stop: the Russian Orthodox church. We wondered in just before service started which gave us a really nice opportunity to hear the traditional songs and prayers as well as witness many worshippers lighting candles. The inconography was beautiful as well as the numerous paintings form the life of Jesus. Sixth stop: the internet cafe. :) Next stop: check out another guest house where we can leave our bags and head out for some trekking. This may be where we go tomorrow night as they've got a really cheap dormitory and free luggage storage (plus cheap meals!).
I will keep you all up to date as we get moving here. Right now we're just feeling out the city, spotting the tourism offices, looking for some hiking stuff (for me), seeing what gear we can rent, and making plans about where we're going and how we're going to get there. But things look good! There's a lot to see here! Some really beautiful mountain lakes, glaciers, snow capped peaks, old Russian sanatoriums with natural hot springs, and some pretty cool horse back riding. Appearently it only costs about $300 to buy a horse here... And Jeremy is considering heli-skiing. I'm certainly not good enough to justify the expense (or the steep descent) but have vowed to wait at the bottom with a hot cup of hot chocolate when he gets down. But we'll see. Kyrgyzstan is an outdoor wonderland.
Hope you are all doing well! Thanks for keeping up with this journey of mine. I really didn't expect things to go this way but I'm really glad they did. :)
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Pakistan
And here are some photos from Pakistan:
Yay! I'm in Pakistan! At the border.
Very cool Pakistani semi-trucks. Made me think of Mexico. lol.
My first glance at Pakistan: a really dusty border town called Wagah.
Goofy pigeons living in the wall at Lahore Fort.
A very beautiful yet unsuspecting Pakistani woman at the top of the elephant stairway in Lahore Fort.
The king's mosque at Lahore Fort.
The giant mosque across from the fort.
My "guide" Sawamni.
A super smiley little Pakistani kid. Those aren't tears--it's sweat!
Some beautiful Pakistani women cooling off in the shade outside the mosque.
Some very curious men at the fort who really wanted me to take their photo.
Amritsar
Here are some photos from Amritsar:
The emcee/cheer leader who led the hundreds of Indian spectators in songs, cheers and chants at the border closing ceremony.
Retiring the flag.
An old man at the Golden Temple.
Another old man...
A really cute young Sikh boy dressed as a maharaja and packing a golden sword. Too cute for words.
A father and his two daughters enjoying the sunrise at the Golden Temple.
Two young and beautiful sisters.
The Golden Temple at night. Pretty gold, eh?
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Off and Pak-ing!
Pakistan was wonderful, a real treat and a nice escape from the craziness of India.
I rolled into Amritsar--the holy Sikh capital of the world--on Sunday and rolled right on out Monday afternoon. But Sunday in Sikh land was really nice too. While Delhi's wild honking has somehow made it's way this far north, the rude hawkers and touts have not and I found it relatively easy to walk down the street hassle-free. Amritsar is home to the beautiful Golden Temple where the original holy Sikh books are housed. It's completely impossible to describe in words but when I make it to Delhi tomorrow, I'll try to post a few photos. But the best thing off all is how Sikhs practice community--everything is free!! There are free dormitories for pilgrims and visitors as well as free meals at the temple kitchen (open 24/7). Yes! A FREE day! Upon arriving at 5 am, I quickly found the foreigners dormitory and put my stuff in a locker. That's where I met Tess, a really fun guy from Germany who was on his way out. We had a great time hanging out all morning and sharing a cup of Chai in celebration of some recent success in his pursuit of scholarships. Later that night, a guy from Canada joined me to watch the India/Pakistan border closing ceremony. Unfortunately all of my videos were accidentally deleted but hopefully the photos will accurately show the goofiness of this event. It's like a Charlie Chaplin film meets M*A*S*H. It was a fun day. The only draw back was the bed bugs... Luckily I slept in a bed without them but the other two people in my room were not so lucky--they woke with bites all over! Eeek!
Sunday afternoon I continued on to Lahore, Pakistan. It was an interesting day. Crossing the border was an experience to remember as I was the only one crossing. The place was virtually deserted save a handful of border guards. This particular border point is the only place foreigners are allowed to cross by land and it's often closed due to fighting over the Kashmir region, so making it across was momentous--few get to do it. And lucky for me, I'm an American! Chinese, Pakistani and India nationals can only cross by train which is always delayed by about 3 hours on both sides for custom checks!
Once I crossed, I was instantly impressed. Pakistan was LOADS cleaner. The people smiled more. The buildings were more modern with air conditioning. And my tuk-tuk driver was super nice; on the way to Lahore, he not only bought me lunch as a welcome gift but also stopped to help to people who's motorbike broke down. Indians just wouldn't do that (or at least not any that I met).
Upon arrival, I checked in to the Regal Internet Inn (basically the backpacker's first and only choice in Lahore) and was warmly welcomed by Malik and his groovy group. Some people had been living there for months, some had arrived just that day, but all of them were kind, interesting, intelligent, and really funny. There were people from Morocco, France, Australia, Germany, UK, and me. All sitting around the coffee table in a makeshift-living room up on the roof, we all enjoyed sharing stories from the road. It was just like a home and the friendly atmosphere was just what I was missing. Maybe it was the facilities or maybe it's the fact that you better be determined and a little "out there" to go to Pakistan, but they were the best bunch I've met yet. Later that night we all went to Food Street to dine on some truly delicious kebabs. It was amazing. I've seriously decided that Pakistani food is second only to Thai and not by much.
The next day, every one slept late (as in 11 am)--including me! Shock of the century! The bed was just too comfy and clean! Then I headed out to see the Lahore Museum, the second largest museum in Asia. Too bad I only got to see one gallery of 20... Just 15 minutes after I arrived the power went out and never came back on. I waited two hours before the closed and locked the doors. It was rather disappointing. So I did the next best thing: I went to the fort. It was well worth the trip. Rebuilt numerous times since around 100 AD, the fort's present state is all that's left of Akbar's remodeling in the 1600's. Most of it's in ruins but I got some great photos and really enjoyed the emptiness of the 26 acre complex. (This month is Ramadan and Muslims are supposed to fast both food and water during the day which means most of them stay home and just think about eating and drinking.)
After the fort I went across the street to the mosque which can hold over 100,000 worshipers at a time! Wow! There I met a really cute old man named Sawamni who kind of tricked me into being my guide (as most will do) by telling me it was free, at the end though, after a long sad story about his house being swept away by a flood, he asked for a donation. I'm pretty sure the story was fake but he was just so cute I couldn't help it and I paid him more than his service was worth. It was just so nice to have someone to talk to, who smiled and laughed and joked with all the joy in the world. I have a great photo of him which I'll post soon. When we parted, he gave me his home made business card written on a piece of Coca-Cola cardboard box. It was adorable. While at the mosque, I also saw some interesting relics: hairs from Mohammad's mustache, Mohammad's turban and cloak, as well as Mohammad's walking stick. Very interesting... Though I highly doubt any of them really belonged to the man. lol. But I guess that it's not really whether their real or not that's important, perhaps it's just what they symbolize and the reassurance they give believers that maintains their value. It's also worth mentioning that while in Delhi at the National Museum I saw three relics of the Buddha: three pieces of his bones.
Then I went back to the Inn/dormitory and chilled out for the rest of the evening with some truly remarkable people. Malik--the owner--was Benezir Bhutto's Press Secretary (Bhutto is Pakistan's recently departed, former Prime Minister, beloved by most Pakistani's; her husband was just recently elected President there). We had some interesting talks and I really look forward to using him one day as a contact for a story because this man knows EVERYTHING and EVERYONE in Pakistan. Just love him. I also met a guy named Chris who writes for The Stranger in Seattle and is currently en route to Afghanistan as an embedded journalist. Good news for me because that's yet a second contact that I can use in the near future! Among the others around the coffee table were several young men who had recently been to Kyrgyzstan and offered lots of advise and pointers for traveling there.
But perhaps it was my conversations with the locals that were most interesting. Every conversation started like this:
Where are you from? --America.
Your country is attacking mine. Why do you do that? --Well, that's President Bush and no one likes him.
Then why is he your President? --Hmmm... Good question...
Do you hate Pakistan? --No.
We are not terrorists. Your country says we are terrorists but we are not. --I know. I'm sorry about that.
Can I just say here that the sooner Bush leaves the safer Americans will be at home and abroad. I met lots of people who are hostile towards Americans because of our President and the crap he says and the decisions he makes. It's really unfortunate that these days many American's choose to stay home out of fear rather than travel and spread goodwill because I see no other alternative to fixing this problem as long as he's in power. (An interesting side note: one guy told me that some teacher from his mosque told him 63% of our parliament was made up of Jews. I laughed and had to set him straight. He was really surprised to hear that not only do we have a congress and not a parliament, but that only one Congressman is Jewish and that's Joe Liberman--less than 1%. Just goes to show you how our actions have really influenced the way people think of us.)
But today it was time to go, so I met up with another guy from Germany who was crossing over to India today and we made the journey together which was especially nice because we could split the cost of rickshaws to and from the border. He wasn't really all that interesting to talk to and a little argumentative at times, but I think in the end he was happy to be with me as I knew what to do and where to go at the border as well as how to get a rickshaw at a good price and where to go once we arrived in Amritsar.
So I'm back in Amritsar and currently wasting time on the internet. It's 6 pm and my train leaves at 9:30 (supposedly--these things are usually late) but I figured a little update would do well to fill the time gap. Tonight I'll travel by train to Delhi and then check in to a hotel in the morning. And then, around 2 am Friday, it's off to the airport! I can't wait to go to Kyrgyzstan! Though I hear the food is nothing special, the scenery is and that home stays are totally the way to go. But the best part will be seeing MY best part: Jeremy. I miss him terribly. He's currently in Kazakhstan and will meet me in Bishkek on Saturday.
Until we meet, I'll be chilling out pool side in my glorious escape from the sub-continent heat! Yikes!! I've been sweating like mad! How much water does Kortney drink a day? 7 liters. Wow. And the most amazing part is that even though I'm drinking about half of my body weight in water, I only have to use the bathroom about once a day. That means I'm sweating A LOT.
Keep reading! I'll be posting photos soon with perhaps a few more anecdotes from my sub-continent adventures!
I rolled into Amritsar--the holy Sikh capital of the world--on Sunday and rolled right on out Monday afternoon. But Sunday in Sikh land was really nice too. While Delhi's wild honking has somehow made it's way this far north, the rude hawkers and touts have not and I found it relatively easy to walk down the street hassle-free. Amritsar is home to the beautiful Golden Temple where the original holy Sikh books are housed. It's completely impossible to describe in words but when I make it to Delhi tomorrow, I'll try to post a few photos. But the best thing off all is how Sikhs practice community--everything is free!! There are free dormitories for pilgrims and visitors as well as free meals at the temple kitchen (open 24/7). Yes! A FREE day! Upon arriving at 5 am, I quickly found the foreigners dormitory and put my stuff in a locker. That's where I met Tess, a really fun guy from Germany who was on his way out. We had a great time hanging out all morning and sharing a cup of Chai in celebration of some recent success in his pursuit of scholarships. Later that night, a guy from Canada joined me to watch the India/Pakistan border closing ceremony. Unfortunately all of my videos were accidentally deleted but hopefully the photos will accurately show the goofiness of this event. It's like a Charlie Chaplin film meets M*A*S*H. It was a fun day. The only draw back was the bed bugs... Luckily I slept in a bed without them but the other two people in my room were not so lucky--they woke with bites all over! Eeek!
Sunday afternoon I continued on to Lahore, Pakistan. It was an interesting day. Crossing the border was an experience to remember as I was the only one crossing. The place was virtually deserted save a handful of border guards. This particular border point is the only place foreigners are allowed to cross by land and it's often closed due to fighting over the Kashmir region, so making it across was momentous--few get to do it. And lucky for me, I'm an American! Chinese, Pakistani and India nationals can only cross by train which is always delayed by about 3 hours on both sides for custom checks!
Once I crossed, I was instantly impressed. Pakistan was LOADS cleaner. The people smiled more. The buildings were more modern with air conditioning. And my tuk-tuk driver was super nice; on the way to Lahore, he not only bought me lunch as a welcome gift but also stopped to help to people who's motorbike broke down. Indians just wouldn't do that (or at least not any that I met).
Upon arrival, I checked in to the Regal Internet Inn (basically the backpacker's first and only choice in Lahore) and was warmly welcomed by Malik and his groovy group. Some people had been living there for months, some had arrived just that day, but all of them were kind, interesting, intelligent, and really funny. There were people from Morocco, France, Australia, Germany, UK, and me. All sitting around the coffee table in a makeshift-living room up on the roof, we all enjoyed sharing stories from the road. It was just like a home and the friendly atmosphere was just what I was missing. Maybe it was the facilities or maybe it's the fact that you better be determined and a little "out there" to go to Pakistan, but they were the best bunch I've met yet. Later that night we all went to Food Street to dine on some truly delicious kebabs. It was amazing. I've seriously decided that Pakistani food is second only to Thai and not by much.
The next day, every one slept late (as in 11 am)--including me! Shock of the century! The bed was just too comfy and clean! Then I headed out to see the Lahore Museum, the second largest museum in Asia. Too bad I only got to see one gallery of 20... Just 15 minutes after I arrived the power went out and never came back on. I waited two hours before the closed and locked the doors. It was rather disappointing. So I did the next best thing: I went to the fort. It was well worth the trip. Rebuilt numerous times since around 100 AD, the fort's present state is all that's left of Akbar's remodeling in the 1600's. Most of it's in ruins but I got some great photos and really enjoyed the emptiness of the 26 acre complex. (This month is Ramadan and Muslims are supposed to fast both food and water during the day which means most of them stay home and just think about eating and drinking.)
After the fort I went across the street to the mosque which can hold over 100,000 worshipers at a time! Wow! There I met a really cute old man named Sawamni who kind of tricked me into being my guide (as most will do) by telling me it was free, at the end though, after a long sad story about his house being swept away by a flood, he asked for a donation. I'm pretty sure the story was fake but he was just so cute I couldn't help it and I paid him more than his service was worth. It was just so nice to have someone to talk to, who smiled and laughed and joked with all the joy in the world. I have a great photo of him which I'll post soon. When we parted, he gave me his home made business card written on a piece of Coca-Cola cardboard box. It was adorable. While at the mosque, I also saw some interesting relics: hairs from Mohammad's mustache, Mohammad's turban and cloak, as well as Mohammad's walking stick. Very interesting... Though I highly doubt any of them really belonged to the man. lol. But I guess that it's not really whether their real or not that's important, perhaps it's just what they symbolize and the reassurance they give believers that maintains their value. It's also worth mentioning that while in Delhi at the National Museum I saw three relics of the Buddha: three pieces of his bones.
Then I went back to the Inn/dormitory and chilled out for the rest of the evening with some truly remarkable people. Malik--the owner--was Benezir Bhutto's Press Secretary (Bhutto is Pakistan's recently departed, former Prime Minister, beloved by most Pakistani's; her husband was just recently elected President there). We had some interesting talks and I really look forward to using him one day as a contact for a story because this man knows EVERYTHING and EVERYONE in Pakistan. Just love him. I also met a guy named Chris who writes for The Stranger in Seattle and is currently en route to Afghanistan as an embedded journalist. Good news for me because that's yet a second contact that I can use in the near future! Among the others around the coffee table were several young men who had recently been to Kyrgyzstan and offered lots of advise and pointers for traveling there.
But perhaps it was my conversations with the locals that were most interesting. Every conversation started like this:
Where are you from? --America.
Your country is attacking mine. Why do you do that? --Well, that's President Bush and no one likes him.
Then why is he your President? --Hmmm... Good question...
Do you hate Pakistan? --No.
We are not terrorists. Your country says we are terrorists but we are not. --I know. I'm sorry about that.
Can I just say here that the sooner Bush leaves the safer Americans will be at home and abroad. I met lots of people who are hostile towards Americans because of our President and the crap he says and the decisions he makes. It's really unfortunate that these days many American's choose to stay home out of fear rather than travel and spread goodwill because I see no other alternative to fixing this problem as long as he's in power. (An interesting side note: one guy told me that some teacher from his mosque told him 63% of our parliament was made up of Jews. I laughed and had to set him straight. He was really surprised to hear that not only do we have a congress and not a parliament, but that only one Congressman is Jewish and that's Joe Liberman--less than 1%. Just goes to show you how our actions have really influenced the way people think of us.)
But today it was time to go, so I met up with another guy from Germany who was crossing over to India today and we made the journey together which was especially nice because we could split the cost of rickshaws to and from the border. He wasn't really all that interesting to talk to and a little argumentative at times, but I think in the end he was happy to be with me as I knew what to do and where to go at the border as well as how to get a rickshaw at a good price and where to go once we arrived in Amritsar.
So I'm back in Amritsar and currently wasting time on the internet. It's 6 pm and my train leaves at 9:30 (supposedly--these things are usually late) but I figured a little update would do well to fill the time gap. Tonight I'll travel by train to Delhi and then check in to a hotel in the morning. And then, around 2 am Friday, it's off to the airport! I can't wait to go to Kyrgyzstan! Though I hear the food is nothing special, the scenery is and that home stays are totally the way to go. But the best part will be seeing MY best part: Jeremy. I miss him terribly. He's currently in Kazakhstan and will meet me in Bishkek on Saturday.
Until we meet, I'll be chilling out pool side in my glorious escape from the sub-continent heat! Yikes!! I've been sweating like mad! How much water does Kortney drink a day? 7 liters. Wow. And the most amazing part is that even though I'm drinking about half of my body weight in water, I only have to use the bathroom about once a day. That means I'm sweating A LOT.
Keep reading! I'll be posting photos soon with perhaps a few more anecdotes from my sub-continent adventures!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
I'm fine, thanks.
So, some of you may have heard that there were bombings in Delhi yesterday and I thought I would let you all know that I'm fine. I was at the train station being helped by some nice guy. (Indian train stations are pits of chaos.) Yes, some of the bombs occurred in tourist areas but no worries, I didn't frequent those places anyway. :)
But this is a good reminder that terrorism happens everywhere. India is a pretty safe country to travel in but no country is entirely safe--even our own. I'm not unaccustomed to terrorism as I was in Madrid during the train bombings on March 11, 2004. But, after being there and seeing it happen, you realize that you can't live life in fear of what "could happen." So I don't. Instead, I travel the world and enjoy every moment of it.
Please continue to pray for my safety but keep in mind I'm at a far greater risk of food poisoning or being pick-pocketed than being a victim of terrorism.
And just to keep you all on your toes, I'm off to Pakistan tomorrow for two days. :) lol. Not to make you worry or anything...
But this is a good reminder that terrorism happens everywhere. India is a pretty safe country to travel in but no country is entirely safe--even our own. I'm not unaccustomed to terrorism as I was in Madrid during the train bombings on March 11, 2004. But, after being there and seeing it happen, you realize that you can't live life in fear of what "could happen." So I don't. Instead, I travel the world and enjoy every moment of it.
Please continue to pray for my safety but keep in mind I'm at a far greater risk of food poisoning or being pick-pocketed than being a victim of terrorism.
And just to keep you all on your toes, I'm off to Pakistan tomorrow for two days. :) lol. Not to make you worry or anything...
Friday, September 12, 2008
The real wild, wild west...
Visa--check!
Flight--check!
Hotel--check!
Flight--check!
Hotel--check!
I'm going to Bishkek! Where is that?... In the Kyrgyz Republic (formerly Kyrgyzstan)--a country smooshed between Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, China, and Uzbekistan. And really, it's wild out there!
The facts:Populations: 5,264,000 (estimate because a lot of people are still nomadic herders and such)
Languages: Kyrgyz (Turkish roots) and Russian (Soviet roots)
Independence: 31 August 1991
Land: From the Tian Shan Mountains with a peak at 24,400 feet and the sub-tropical valley called Fergana.
Weather: Ranging from 104 F to sub zero with even constant snow fall in some desert areas during winter.
Traditions: Bride kidnapping.
Games: Buskashi or Ulak Tartysh. (A team game resembling a cross between polo and rugby in which two teams of riders wrestle for possession of the headless carcass of a goat, which they attempt to deliver across the opposition's goal line, or into the opposition's goal: a big tub or a circle marked on the ground.)
Transport: Train, plane, bus, mini-bus, and horse.
Should be fun! But I think the real adventure starts on Thursday when I fly out on Uzbekistan Airways. Read some entertaining reviews here: http://www.airlinequality.com/
Read more about K-stan here. (All of the above information was obtained from Wikipedia.)
See the countryside here. (Photos taken from real people and posted on Flickr.)
Tomorrow night, I'm off to Amristar to visit the famed Sikh Golden Temple. Should be interesting. It's the most holy place for people of the Sikh faith. Then I'm off to Pakistan for a two day jaunt in a country once considered part of India but now an independent Islamic Republic. Exciting stories to follow. Stay tuned!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Going Places
So, good news! I'm getting out of Delhi! I've been in contact with Jeremy and we both are miserable without the other so I'm flying out to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on Friday next week to meet him. Oh my gosh, I can't wait! This is what I was really missing--not just people in general, but that one special person. I finally feel like I can be happy again. :)
Anyway, more updates later. Right now I need to catch a taxi to the Kyrgyz embassy. Will give more details later. Hope you all are well! Love!!
Anyway, more updates later. Right now I need to catch a taxi to the Kyrgyz embassy. Will give more details later. Hope you all are well! Love!!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Agra Day 3
Still feeling like a caged rabbit.
I sat and chatted with a guy from Poland last night and we both shared a lot of the same sentiments regarding India. He's been here a week as well but his best friend left him a couple nights ago--out of the blue!--to go meet up with his girlfriend. And so here we were, a couple of lonely travelers. But he had friends coming to meet him and they planned to go to Nepal together. I still have no one. It was nice having someone to talk to though.
We had some interesting conversation about the conflict in Georgia, the war in Iraq, the US missile defense system in Poland, and how depressing India is. Everywhere you go, people are begging for money. There are cows all over in the street eating plastic and gum wrappers from the ground. Kids are flinging dung at each other. Men are making kissing noises at you and rickshaw drivers follow you for blocks trying to convince you to ride with them. Every corner smells like urine. Dogs fight in dark alleys and follow you if you're carrying food. You have sweat beading off your face, rolling down shirt and dripping from your hair. Incredible India?
India is unlike any place on earth. I wouldn't call myself a seasoned Asia traveler, but I've seen enough to know that India stands apart on it's own. It's worse than China. Worse than Vietnam. Significantly worse than Thailand. The country is disorganized. The government corrupt. The people happy living in filth.
At historical sites, rebellious teenagers climb fences and deface historical buildings. People swing from columns and picnic in closed areas. Mosques, tombs, temples, and forts are abandoned within the ever sprawling urban jungle, left to face a very certain demise of encroaching business and homes.
No one cares.
I knew it would be dirty, crowded and poor, but I never thought it would be void of passion and pride. It's hard to imagine that in the most populated country in the world--over 1 billion people--that one could still feel so alone.
In the last few days, I've started to think that maybe Korea wasn't as bad as I thought it was... I really wasn't ready to start over again. But now I'm here and I don't know where to go next. I can't go back to Korea (I sent all my documents to Australia). Flights back to Seattle are really expensive. I could go to Australia but I'd be alone there too (the difference is in the standard of living). I feel like I'm trapped in India. I'm pretty sure that if I leave early, I'll never come back. That worries me a bit. I don't want to waste this experience. But right now I really need a friend. I kinda feel like that's more important. Anyway, I found a flight to Sydney on Friday for $600. I haven't bought it yet but it's looking pretty nice at the moment... If any of you know someone there that I might be able to hangout with for a bit until I get a job or a place to live (whichever comes first) please let me know. I'm not sure I'll go then but it's a thought... Let me know if you've got any ideas.
I sat and chatted with a guy from Poland last night and we both shared a lot of the same sentiments regarding India. He's been here a week as well but his best friend left him a couple nights ago--out of the blue!--to go meet up with his girlfriend. And so here we were, a couple of lonely travelers. But he had friends coming to meet him and they planned to go to Nepal together. I still have no one. It was nice having someone to talk to though.
We had some interesting conversation about the conflict in Georgia, the war in Iraq, the US missile defense system in Poland, and how depressing India is. Everywhere you go, people are begging for money. There are cows all over in the street eating plastic and gum wrappers from the ground. Kids are flinging dung at each other. Men are making kissing noises at you and rickshaw drivers follow you for blocks trying to convince you to ride with them. Every corner smells like urine. Dogs fight in dark alleys and follow you if you're carrying food. You have sweat beading off your face, rolling down shirt and dripping from your hair. Incredible India?
India is unlike any place on earth. I wouldn't call myself a seasoned Asia traveler, but I've seen enough to know that India stands apart on it's own. It's worse than China. Worse than Vietnam. Significantly worse than Thailand. The country is disorganized. The government corrupt. The people happy living in filth.
While in Delhi, I walked around Cognaut Place--the city center and former home of the British Raj. The beautiful colonial buildings are all crumbling. They are stained with years of graffiti and yellowed by daily dousings of piss. Men hide in dark corners and pollution fills the air like a black fog. Being there, you can't help but be sad. When the Brits left, they left so much behind for India, but you can see--everywhere you go--how unwilling, unmotivated and uncaring Indian's are about the up-keep of their country.
At historical sites, rebellious teenagers climb fences and deface historical buildings. People swing from columns and picnic in closed areas. Mosques, tombs, temples, and forts are abandoned within the ever sprawling urban jungle, left to face a very certain demise of encroaching business and homes.
No one cares.
I knew it would be dirty, crowded and poor, but I never thought it would be void of passion and pride. It's hard to imagine that in the most populated country in the world--over 1 billion people--that one could still feel so alone.
In the last few days, I've started to think that maybe Korea wasn't as bad as I thought it was... I really wasn't ready to start over again. But now I'm here and I don't know where to go next. I can't go back to Korea (I sent all my documents to Australia). Flights back to Seattle are really expensive. I could go to Australia but I'd be alone there too (the difference is in the standard of living). I feel like I'm trapped in India. I'm pretty sure that if I leave early, I'll never come back. That worries me a bit. I don't want to waste this experience. But right now I really need a friend. I kinda feel like that's more important. Anyway, I found a flight to Sydney on Friday for $600. I haven't bought it yet but it's looking pretty nice at the moment... If any of you know someone there that I might be able to hangout with for a bit until I get a job or a place to live (whichever comes first) please let me know. I'm not sure I'll go then but it's a thought... Let me know if you've got any ideas.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Agra Day 2
In response to Judy's comment, no, I won't be hanging out with the Boston guy anymore. He left last night for Varanasi and is then on his way to Nepal. I, on the other hand, have the rest of today and most of tomorrow to fill here in Agra. It's painfully obvious at this point that I allotted far too much time for this city. There is only one more sight that I wish to see but getting there is difficult and I've seen my cash disappear rather quickly (Delhi was expensive). I'm also hesitant to spend money because my pension check hasn't been deposited yet into my Korean bank account--that's a good $2,000 or so.
Above are some cool photos from the Taj Mahal that I took earlier this morning. I wanted to post some others too but it's taking AGES to upload photos to Flickr. Oh, I miss South Korean internet...
There are a lot of cool things to see here but I'm seriously considering leaving. I didn't think it would be so hard to do this all by myself. I feel so incredibly alone here. I don't want to go but I don't want to stay. What I really want is a travel buddy but I can't seem to find one. No, what I really need is a hug. A big one. With lots of tissue. Or a super big distraction like a 12 page research paper or a newspaper deadline--even a job would do. I really want to be that person who goes off for three or 4 or 5 months to travel by herself but I'm not so sure anymore that I can be that person. I need people.
I'm probably just being irrational and all fo this will go away soon but I'm not exactly having fun in the meantime. I'm not too comfortable with soo much "me" time... Anyone want to come to India?
Above are some cool photos from the Taj Mahal that I took earlier this morning. I wanted to post some others too but it's taking AGES to upload photos to Flickr. Oh, I miss South Korean internet...There are a lot of cool things to see here but I'm seriously considering leaving. I didn't think it would be so hard to do this all by myself. I feel so incredibly alone here. I don't want to go but I don't want to stay. What I really want is a travel buddy but I can't seem to find one. No, what I really need is a hug. A big one. With lots of tissue. Or a super big distraction like a 12 page research paper or a newspaper deadline--even a job would do. I really want to be that person who goes off for three or 4 or 5 months to travel by herself but I'm not so sure anymore that I can be that person. I need people.
I'm probably just being irrational and all fo this will go away soon but I'm not exactly having fun in the meantime. I'm not too comfortable with soo much "me" time... Anyone want to come to India?
Sunday, September 7, 2008
A Teaser...
I didn't realize how fast Korea's internet was until two days ago when I tried to download something here. Ugh. It's going to take me an entire day to download then upload photos. I may just do one photo for each site I visit on the blog and the rest of you can just find them on Flickr...
Anyway, here's a few photos to peak your interest. :)
Btw, today was MUCH better. I made friends with a cool guy from Boston and we hung out pretty much all day. We were both desperate for someone to talk to! lol.
Agra Fort: one of the harem gardens.
The most adorable kids.
The baby Taj Mahal in Agra (said to be the inspiration of the Taj proper).
View from the baby Taj over the river.
Anyway, here's a few photos to peak your interest. :)
Btw, today was MUCH better. I made friends with a cool guy from Boston and we hung out pretty much all day. We were both desperate for someone to talk to! lol.
Agra Fort: one of the harem gardens.
The most adorable kids.
The baby Taj Mahal in Agra (said to be the inspiration of the Taj proper).
View from the baby Taj over the river.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Delhi
Let's recap the last two days...
Day 1
-Visited the Red Fort. It wasn't nearly as crowded as I expected but there was little shade and I was sooo hot. I was shocked to see that a lot of Indians have no respect for historical sites. They'll still pee on the walls. They'll still climb fences. They'll still picnic in closed off areas. It was a little sad. Because people don't respect government boundaries, these places are crumbling.
-Visited the Jain Temple and Bird Hospital (yes, it's a hospital for birds). Jainism is a sect of Hinduism that adheres to strict vegetarian and non-violence laws. For example, nothing made of leather is allowed in the temple and many people in their old age decide to stop eating completely as to keep themselves from killing plants. While there, I fell down some marble stairs that were wet and bruised my arm pretty badly as well as the arch of my left foot and my butt. I have a very dark, very tender line across my back and butt where I fell on the stairs. Ouch. It was difficult sleeping last night.
-Visited the Jama Masid Mosque. Pretty spectacular. The courtyard can hold over 25,000 worshipers and it's the largest in India. I saw lots of people drinking and bathing in a large water tank front and center but the water was so dirty and green from algae and mold. I wouldn't touch it. Upon entering, I had to put on a Muslim dress which was interesting and I also had to take off my shoes--torture! The red sandstone of the courtyard was searingly hot! But it was worth it. :)
Day 2
-Bought tickets to Agra (the Taj Mahal) and to Lucknow (some other cool stuff). I will be leaving really early tomorrow for the Taj. Should be fun.
-Went to lunch were I found myself being followed by two men secretly working together. It was pretty scary. They both followed me for several blocks even after I told them to go away (in both Hindi and English). I eventually ducked into a cafe where one of the men pretended to walk on as if I didn't notice him but then returned to the cafe after I had ordered and proceeded to sit next to me, whispering on his cell phone. I tried not to look at him or let him know I was even aware of his existence. But then he started asking me questions so I silently shook my head as if I didn't understand and shortly after he stood up and left, talking to someone just out of site of the cafe window... But it wasn't over. I stayed there for a while because I felt like I was being watched and yep, I was. Maybe 5 minutes later the other man who followed me and tried talking to me curiously walks in, notes me, looks around the cafe as if I wasn't the agenda and then walks out. I was pretty creeped out at this point so I stayed there and watched the window for a while. I saw the two men walk by (seperately) at least a dozen times each over the next two hours, always looking at my table and abruptly looking away. It was just too coincidental. When I hadn't seen them for a half hour or so, I quickly left and got in a tuk-tuk. Weirdness. Good thing I'm rather observant and discerning when it comes to talking with strange men!
-Visited the National Museum which was huge! I spent at least 4 hours there and still skipped exhibits! The best though was on Indian miniature paintings which were both colorful and exotic in the most wonderful ways.
-After the National Museum, I walked down the mall with a pistacio ice cream cone to India gate (a big gate commemorating those who died during WWI). It was hot but beautiful.
-Walked to the National Gallery of Modern Art but was pointed in the wrong direction by a taxi driver whom I wouldn't take a ride from. I was furious when I discovered it. Good thing I didn't go too far. The museum was pretty interesting and I tried hard to talk to the other foreigners there but was met with awkwardness and a reluctancy to talk. Pretty much sucked.
-Went to the Ba'h'ai Lotus Temple. Ba'h'ai (correct spelling?) is a universal, monotheistic religion that believes all religions have common elements reflective of the one Creator. They welcome people of all faiths to their temples for prayer, worship and meditation. I tried to pray there but found it just wasn't right. So I chalked it up to a tourist site and left (but first visited their information center). From my observation, Ba'h'ai philosophy seems to be a little discorded in that unity was God's "new idea" or "new purpose" around 1800, yet he's the same God of every religion of all time... Hmmm. Wouldn't unity be his idea from the beginning? Ba'h'ai seems to teach truisms based on the teachings and writings of 4 sages, however, I don't see how it constitutes a religion. More of a philosophy of tolerance if you ask me...
What's with the photos?
Well, I'm having difficulty finding the optimum format for photos with my camera and thus far Flickr has determine TIFF images too big and RAW images incompatible. I should be able to post and upload some tomorrow when I revert to JPEGs. Sorry about the wait. Someday I get it all together...
How am I?
I am sad and lonely. I didn't think it would be so hard to meet people. I've only managed to talk to two--TWO!--and neither were interested in talking for more than 5 minutes. Everyone here is in pairs and I feel like the only solo traveler in all of India (though I know it's not true). And I miss Jeremy. I miss him so much. And I'm sad because I miss him so much. It's really tempting right now to just pack up and leave. Go somewhere else. Back to Korea. Straight to Australia. I've even considered home (though I wouldn't do it). I hate being alone. I'm not a solo person. I don't know how I'm going to do this on my own... But I've told myself that I must stick it out for at least 5 weeks. If I'm still miserable after that, I can leave. That's my deal. Let's see how it goes... Pray that I meet someone tomorrow to hangout with for at least a couple hours. I'll be taking the train to Agra and that should be a good place to meet someone. I don't know if I can go through another day alone. I might become a hotel hermit.
So, I continue on! Photos soon, I promise!
Day 1
-Visited the Red Fort. It wasn't nearly as crowded as I expected but there was little shade and I was sooo hot. I was shocked to see that a lot of Indians have no respect for historical sites. They'll still pee on the walls. They'll still climb fences. They'll still picnic in closed off areas. It was a little sad. Because people don't respect government boundaries, these places are crumbling.
-Visited the Jain Temple and Bird Hospital (yes, it's a hospital for birds). Jainism is a sect of Hinduism that adheres to strict vegetarian and non-violence laws. For example, nothing made of leather is allowed in the temple and many people in their old age decide to stop eating completely as to keep themselves from killing plants. While there, I fell down some marble stairs that were wet and bruised my arm pretty badly as well as the arch of my left foot and my butt. I have a very dark, very tender line across my back and butt where I fell on the stairs. Ouch. It was difficult sleeping last night.
-Visited the Jama Masid Mosque. Pretty spectacular. The courtyard can hold over 25,000 worshipers and it's the largest in India. I saw lots of people drinking and bathing in a large water tank front and center but the water was so dirty and green from algae and mold. I wouldn't touch it. Upon entering, I had to put on a Muslim dress which was interesting and I also had to take off my shoes--torture! The red sandstone of the courtyard was searingly hot! But it was worth it. :)
Day 2
-Bought tickets to Agra (the Taj Mahal) and to Lucknow (some other cool stuff). I will be leaving really early tomorrow for the Taj. Should be fun.
-Went to lunch were I found myself being followed by two men secretly working together. It was pretty scary. They both followed me for several blocks even after I told them to go away (in both Hindi and English). I eventually ducked into a cafe where one of the men pretended to walk on as if I didn't notice him but then returned to the cafe after I had ordered and proceeded to sit next to me, whispering on his cell phone. I tried not to look at him or let him know I was even aware of his existence. But then he started asking me questions so I silently shook my head as if I didn't understand and shortly after he stood up and left, talking to someone just out of site of the cafe window... But it wasn't over. I stayed there for a while because I felt like I was being watched and yep, I was. Maybe 5 minutes later the other man who followed me and tried talking to me curiously walks in, notes me, looks around the cafe as if I wasn't the agenda and then walks out. I was pretty creeped out at this point so I stayed there and watched the window for a while. I saw the two men walk by (seperately) at least a dozen times each over the next two hours, always looking at my table and abruptly looking away. It was just too coincidental. When I hadn't seen them for a half hour or so, I quickly left and got in a tuk-tuk. Weirdness. Good thing I'm rather observant and discerning when it comes to talking with strange men!
-Visited the National Museum which was huge! I spent at least 4 hours there and still skipped exhibits! The best though was on Indian miniature paintings which were both colorful and exotic in the most wonderful ways.
-After the National Museum, I walked down the mall with a pistacio ice cream cone to India gate (a big gate commemorating those who died during WWI). It was hot but beautiful.
-Walked to the National Gallery of Modern Art but was pointed in the wrong direction by a taxi driver whom I wouldn't take a ride from. I was furious when I discovered it. Good thing I didn't go too far. The museum was pretty interesting and I tried hard to talk to the other foreigners there but was met with awkwardness and a reluctancy to talk. Pretty much sucked.
-Went to the Ba'h'ai Lotus Temple. Ba'h'ai (correct spelling?) is a universal, monotheistic religion that believes all religions have common elements reflective of the one Creator. They welcome people of all faiths to their temples for prayer, worship and meditation. I tried to pray there but found it just wasn't right. So I chalked it up to a tourist site and left (but first visited their information center). From my observation, Ba'h'ai philosophy seems to be a little discorded in that unity was God's "new idea" or "new purpose" around 1800, yet he's the same God of every religion of all time... Hmmm. Wouldn't unity be his idea from the beginning? Ba'h'ai seems to teach truisms based on the teachings and writings of 4 sages, however, I don't see how it constitutes a religion. More of a philosophy of tolerance if you ask me...
What's with the photos?
Well, I'm having difficulty finding the optimum format for photos with my camera and thus far Flickr has determine TIFF images too big and RAW images incompatible. I should be able to post and upload some tomorrow when I revert to JPEGs. Sorry about the wait. Someday I get it all together...
How am I?
I am sad and lonely. I didn't think it would be so hard to meet people. I've only managed to talk to two--TWO!--and neither were interested in talking for more than 5 minutes. Everyone here is in pairs and I feel like the only solo traveler in all of India (though I know it's not true). And I miss Jeremy. I miss him so much. And I'm sad because I miss him so much. It's really tempting right now to just pack up and leave. Go somewhere else. Back to Korea. Straight to Australia. I've even considered home (though I wouldn't do it). I hate being alone. I'm not a solo person. I don't know how I'm going to do this on my own... But I've told myself that I must stick it out for at least 5 weeks. If I'm still miserable after that, I can leave. That's my deal. Let's see how it goes... Pray that I meet someone tomorrow to hangout with for at least a couple hours. I'll be taking the train to Agra and that should be a good place to meet someone. I don't know if I can go through another day alone. I might become a hotel hermit.
So, I continue on! Photos soon, I promise!
Friday, September 5, 2008
India Day 1
Okay, so first off, my apologies for neglecting this blog for soo long. I've just been too busy to blog much and near the end my priorities shifted from spending time on the internet to spending time with Jeremy and my friends.
These last few weeks have been the best few weeks I've ever had in Korea and I'm really going to miss people. Saying goodbye to Jeremy at the airport was nearly devastating. I don't know what to say. I'm not sure what happens now. I cried for hours on the plane and all night. It's only been one day but after spending two weeks together, one day seems like eternity. And I know it may be 8 or 9 months before we see each other again. What happens then is a mystery. All I can say is that I seriously love this guy. He is the most kind, gentle, tender, understanding, patient, and caring man I've ever known. He's not just my boyfriend. He's my best friend. It's going to be hard for the next few weeks to not spend my time counting down days and rather enjoy my trip...
As for India, my first acquaintance was a stinky one. I'm pretty sure India is the armpit of the world. Yes, that's right. Holy pit stains, it reeks of sweat here! The flight to India from Malaysia was intoxicating. And the man next to me drank a lot of whiskey. But I'm here. I checked into my hotel last night (bare but live able, though the toilet is something else) and I got up this morning and came straight to the internet cafe. I had to get up all those posts before I got too far behind. So, here I am. Not much else to say. It's 9:30 AM and I still need to call my mom. After that, I'm moving to a new hotel room, getting some food and much needed water, and then hopefully starting to see the city. Stay tuned! Photos and stories on the way!
These last few weeks have been the best few weeks I've ever had in Korea and I'm really going to miss people. Saying goodbye to Jeremy at the airport was nearly devastating. I don't know what to say. I'm not sure what happens now. I cried for hours on the plane and all night. It's only been one day but after spending two weeks together, one day seems like eternity. And I know it may be 8 or 9 months before we see each other again. What happens then is a mystery. All I can say is that I seriously love this guy. He is the most kind, gentle, tender, understanding, patient, and caring man I've ever known. He's not just my boyfriend. He's my best friend. It's going to be hard for the next few weeks to not spend my time counting down days and rather enjoy my trip...
As for India, my first acquaintance was a stinky one. I'm pretty sure India is the armpit of the world. Yes, that's right. Holy pit stains, it reeks of sweat here! The flight to India from Malaysia was intoxicating. And the man next to me drank a lot of whiskey. But I'm here. I checked into my hotel last night (bare but live able, though the toilet is something else) and I got up this morning and came straight to the internet cafe. I had to get up all those posts before I got too far behind. So, here I am. Not much else to say. It's 9:30 AM and I still need to call my mom. After that, I'm moving to a new hotel room, getting some food and much needed water, and then hopefully starting to see the city. Stay tuned! Photos and stories on the way!
7 Months and Last night in Korea
Wednesday, September 3rd, was our 7 month anniversary and our last night together in Seoul. To celebrate, we went out to dinner with some more friends at the same restaurant we had our first date in. :)
It wasn't even close to as wild as this photo suggests. lol. But we had a good time.
All of Jeremy's Seoul friends (l-r): Jin (being weird), Tony, (?), Ryan, Jeremy, Me, and Ian.
It wasn't even close to as wild as this photo suggests. lol. But we had a good time.
All of Jeremy's Seoul friends (l-r): Jin (being weird), Tony, (?), Ryan, Jeremy, Me, and Ian.
These guys are all super nice and just like the Incheon crowd, have adopted me into their group. I'm so glad I got to know a few of them. Maybe one day we'll meet again.
Last night in Incheon
Out at Wild Max for one last night of drinks with friends.
Here are (l-r): Megan, Heather, Lindsey, and Simon.
And Sonja looking cute as ever. :)
J and I.
Here are (l-r): Megan, Heather, Lindsey, and Simon.And Sonja looking cute as ever. :)
J and I.It was a really nice night out with friends. I'm sure going to miss these people. I met them all through Jeremy but they've always been so nice to me. I hope we meet again someday.
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
On this last Sunday, we went out with some friends for a little baseball in Seoul. What an experience!
Left to right: Hartman, Tracy (?), Heather, and Jeremy.
Korean baseball is crazy. EVERYONE cheers and bangs thundersticks together so the stadium roars. And there are cheerleaders and MCs!
Some Korean craziness. It was a pretty wild game. We didn't catch any balls but several home runs landed in our section.
Forget the cracker jacks! Koreans eat dried squid as a game time snack. J and I said ewe but our friends liked it.
Left to right: Hartman, Tracy (?), Heather, and Jeremy.
Korean baseball is crazy. EVERYONE cheers and bangs thundersticks together so the stadium roars. And there are cheerleaders and MCs!
Some Korean craziness. It was a pretty wild game. We didn't catch any balls but several home runs landed in our section.
Forget the cracker jacks! Koreans eat dried squid as a game time snack. J and I said ewe but our friends liked it.Climbing Sunrise Peak
On the way back from the lava tubes, we stopped at Sunrise Peak. Sunrise Peak is an extinct volcano that separated from the island to make it's own little island. What is really cool about it is that the top is concave and not convex, meaning it's like a big hole, and full of grass and wildlife.
But before we went up, we needed a picture of one of Jeju's many phallus of malice men. :) These guys are everywhere. And yes, they really are meant to look like penises; it's no accident.
What'd I say? Wildlife... Actually this colt was in a pasture at the base of the mountain along with two other horses for hire. lol. But pretty none the less.
The view on our way up.
From the top... (left)
From the top... (right)
From the top... (us) :)
Back at the bottom. Beautiful pastures and sea views.
"Arr! We are the wolves of the sea!" (An inside joke) That's me, btw.
That beautiful sunset.
Sea cliffs with crashing waves.
My favorite photo. It was pretty romantic. I love this guy.
The next day, before heading back to Seoul, we stopped at this cool waterfall which Koreans purport is the only waterfall in Asia that falls into the sea. I guess the tide was out...?
Back to Seoul!
But before we went up, we needed a picture of one of Jeju's many phallus of malice men. :) These guys are everywhere. And yes, they really are meant to look like penises; it's no accident.
What'd I say? Wildlife... Actually this colt was in a pasture at the base of the mountain along with two other horses for hire. lol. But pretty none the less.
The view on our way up.
From the top... (left)
From the top... (right)From the top... (us) :)
Back at the bottom. Beautiful pastures and sea views.
"Arr! We are the wolves of the sea!" (An inside joke) That's me, btw.
That beautiful sunset.
Sea cliffs with crashing waves.
My favorite photo. It was pretty romantic. I love this guy.The next day, before heading back to Seoul, we stopped at this cool waterfall which Koreans purport is the only waterfall in Asia that falls into the sea. I guess the tide was out...?
Back to Seoul!Volcanic Spelunking
The next day we parked our stuff in Seogwipo and headed out for the Mungjang (?) Lava Tubes--a Natural World Heritage site. Pretty cool stuff. It was a long bus ride and a long walk there but so beautiful and soo worth it!
Let's go in!
Jeremy reading one of the boards inside the cave about how they were formed.
The lava tube floor was really uneven but obviously flattened out a bit for tourists. Comically, a few high-maintenance Korean women went through the cave in stilettos. lol.
Some of the interesting wall formations.
This was big part of the tube at the end where a hole in the ceiling created a lava pillar. These tubes are special because they were formed with two tubes--one on top of the other, a unique formation only found here.
After we emerged from the abyss, we sat at the bus stop for a good half hour or so on a deserted highway.
What to do, what to do...
Let's go in!
Jeremy reading one of the boards inside the cave about how they were formed.
The lava tube floor was really uneven but obviously flattened out a bit for tourists. Comically, a few high-maintenance Korean women went through the cave in stilettos. lol.
Some of the interesting wall formations.
This was big part of the tube at the end where a hole in the ceiling created a lava pillar. These tubes are special because they were formed with two tubes--one on top of the other, a unique formation only found here.
After we emerged from the abyss, we sat at the bus stop for a good half hour or so on a deserted highway.
What to do, what to do...
Beach Bums
Once we reached Jeju, we hopped on a bus to Jungam Beach on the south side of the island where we camped in his one person tent. Woo hoo! It was a little cramped (to say the least) but we had a nice view! In the morning, we hit the beach for a little body surfing and sun bathing.
Ah! It's the Shiny Octopus!
"I will swallow your ship whole!"
It was sorta a Twenty-thousand Leagues Under the Sea kinda moment.
The beautiful beach below the cliffs.
A super cool moth I found that looked like bark on a tree.
And now the Octopus eats octopus... We picked it out from a tank, they cut it in half on a block out front, stuck it in a pot, and voila! No, it didn't taste too good. Jeremy was keen to try it live like Koreans do but the man at the counter didn't understand and so we had it steamed and dead. I can't say live octopus tastes any better....
A beautiful beach. Not too full either. But the sun was HOT and renting an umbrellas was $20 for 2 hours. Eek! So we sat in the sun...
...And got burnt. Poor Jeremy. His head was blistered. Apparently our sunblock was not waterproof. If only that bottle had been in English and not Korean...
A room with a view--were our tent sat.
Ah! It's the Shiny Octopus!
"I will swallow your ship whole!"
It was sorta a Twenty-thousand Leagues Under the Sea kinda moment.
The beautiful beach below the cliffs.
A super cool moth I found that looked like bark on a tree.
And now the Octopus eats octopus... We picked it out from a tank, they cut it in half on a block out front, stuck it in a pot, and voila! No, it didn't taste too good. Jeremy was keen to try it live like Koreans do but the man at the counter didn't understand and so we had it steamed and dead. I can't say live octopus tastes any better....
A beautiful beach. Not too full either. But the sun was HOT and renting an umbrellas was $20 for 2 hours. Eek! So we sat in the sun...
...And got burnt. Poor Jeremy. His head was blistered. Apparently our sunblock was not waterproof. If only that bottle had been in English and not Korean...
A room with a view--were our tent sat.Bountiful Busan
With one and a half weeks left together, Jeremy and I decided to visit Jeju, a sub-tropical island off the southern coast of Korea. But before we hopped on our flight to Jeju, we had to stop in Busan--Korea's budding International city of the south.
We didn't spend much time there but did manage to get down to the beach at night to see the city lights and get a bite to eat.
The whole beach is lined with restaurants and at the end of the beach is a small amusement park which I once heard referred to as Korea's Coney Island.
Jeremy and I on the beach. Cute, huh?
The next morning we got to the airport a little late (15 minutes before boarding). Let's just say it's difficult reaching the Busan airport...
But we made it and were off on an island escape!
This is part of Busan from the plane. Beautiful, huh?
We didn't spend much time there but did manage to get down to the beach at night to see the city lights and get a bite to eat.
The whole beach is lined with restaurants and at the end of the beach is a small amusement park which I once heard referred to as Korea's Coney Island.
Jeremy and I on the beach. Cute, huh?
The next morning we got to the airport a little late (15 minutes before boarding). Let's just say it's difficult reaching the Busan airport...But we made it and were off on an island escape!
This is part of Busan from the plane. Beautiful, huh?Beginning to End
The night before Jeremy's last day at work, we went out for dinner with his co-workers for a farewell party.
Jeremy and his boss Mark enjoying some galbi. Mark is an amazingly helpful man! Not only is he so understanding and good to J, but me too! He helped me close my bank account and cancel my cell phone.
On the way home we passed this gem of a mini-mart. Love the name.
The intersection where Jeremy lives.
Leaving Incheon with the last of J's stuff which needed dropped off at a friends. After that, we both headed to Jeomchon where J got to meet my students!
When we got to Jeomchon it was a mad dash to get a few friends over for a final goodbye and to pass on some of my stuff. By Monday morning, I had only managed to give away a few things and the majority of it had to go in the garbage. Boo!
Then Jeremy came to school with me. Oh-my-God. It was pandemonium. My girls went crazy. First I gave him a tour of the school campus, then we met with the principal and vice-principal and finally we visited classes. Now, you should keep in mind that Korean kids do nothing but work and go to single-sex schools. The majority of them won't have a boyfriend until they go to college. This is a big contributor to the Korean obsession with love stories--they need to live vicariously through someone! Even though they had heard stories about J, I'm not sure anyone believed them until he showed up. And it was hysterical.
When we came in to the classroom, I said, "Well, this is my last day and I have a special surprise for you: this is my boyfriend Jeremy." And everyone jumped out of their chairs, screaming, laughing, clapping, falling to the floor, yelling, hitting each other, slamming their desks! I told Jeremy that he would be a superstar but he didn't really believe me until we got there. What a surprise! He was beaming! I tried to get them to ask him questions but everyone was too scared. I had to prompt them many times. It was usually one smart girl who would come up with a question but was too afraid to ask, so the question would circle the room about three or four times as they tried to find the correct way to ask and who would do it. And then it would come out something like this:
"When... Lub-uh... When?" (that's phonetic for "love").
But there were a lot more questions like, "When did you love Kortney?" "How long you meet?" "When marry?" That last one caught us off guard. Jeremy was a little scared at that point but I just responded with, "Ah, maybe, maybe not. We don't know the future." That seemed satisfactory.
At one point in our little routine, Jeremy hugged me, said he loved me and kissed my head. That got a reaction for sure!! It's pretty much taboo to show any affection in public so doing this was over-the-top! Too much fun!! Between classes, we were followed by a huge crowd of girls wanting to ask questions and shouting, "Handsome!" and "Good job!" (that last one directed at me). When class time was over, Jeremy was walking a little more straight and a little taller. He said, "Wow, I feel pretty good about myself right now!"
For lunch, I took him downtown and we met up with Courtney. I made one last bank transfer and called it finished. We came back to school, cleaned out my desk, booked some tickets for Jeju, said goodbye, and I went home to finish the admin stuff with my apartment.
As we left my place, we through my laptop out the window and stomped on it. But the laptop had it's revenge. Jeremy got cut on something while taking it to the trash. Stupid computer. I can't wait to get a new one when I get to Australia!
Jeremy and his boss Mark enjoying some galbi. Mark is an amazingly helpful man! Not only is he so understanding and good to J, but me too! He helped me close my bank account and cancel my cell phone.
On the way home we passed this gem of a mini-mart. Love the name.
The intersection where Jeremy lives.
Leaving Incheon with the last of J's stuff which needed dropped off at a friends. After that, we both headed to Jeomchon where J got to meet my students!
When we got to Jeomchon it was a mad dash to get a few friends over for a final goodbye and to pass on some of my stuff. By Monday morning, I had only managed to give away a few things and the majority of it had to go in the garbage. Boo!
Then Jeremy came to school with me. Oh-my-God. It was pandemonium. My girls went crazy. First I gave him a tour of the school campus, then we met with the principal and vice-principal and finally we visited classes. Now, you should keep in mind that Korean kids do nothing but work and go to single-sex schools. The majority of them won't have a boyfriend until they go to college. This is a big contributor to the Korean obsession with love stories--they need to live vicariously through someone! Even though they had heard stories about J, I'm not sure anyone believed them until he showed up. And it was hysterical.
When we came in to the classroom, I said, "Well, this is my last day and I have a special surprise for you: this is my boyfriend Jeremy." And everyone jumped out of their chairs, screaming, laughing, clapping, falling to the floor, yelling, hitting each other, slamming their desks! I told Jeremy that he would be a superstar but he didn't really believe me until we got there. What a surprise! He was beaming! I tried to get them to ask him questions but everyone was too scared. I had to prompt them many times. It was usually one smart girl who would come up with a question but was too afraid to ask, so the question would circle the room about three or four times as they tried to find the correct way to ask and who would do it. And then it would come out something like this:
"When... Lub-uh... When?" (that's phonetic for "love").
But there were a lot more questions like, "When did you love Kortney?" "How long you meet?" "When marry?" That last one caught us off guard. Jeremy was a little scared at that point but I just responded with, "Ah, maybe, maybe not. We don't know the future." That seemed satisfactory.
At one point in our little routine, Jeremy hugged me, said he loved me and kissed my head. That got a reaction for sure!! It's pretty much taboo to show any affection in public so doing this was over-the-top! Too much fun!! Between classes, we were followed by a huge crowd of girls wanting to ask questions and shouting, "Handsome!" and "Good job!" (that last one directed at me). When class time was over, Jeremy was walking a little more straight and a little taller. He said, "Wow, I feel pretty good about myself right now!"
For lunch, I took him downtown and we met up with Courtney. I made one last bank transfer and called it finished. We came back to school, cleaned out my desk, booked some tickets for Jeju, said goodbye, and I went home to finish the admin stuff with my apartment.
As we left my place, we through my laptop out the window and stomped on it. But the laptop had it's revenge. Jeremy got cut on something while taking it to the trash. Stupid computer. I can't wait to get a new one when I get to Australia!
And so we say, "Goodbye Jeomchon!"
A Walk in the Park
On Jeremy's last day at work, I came with him. It was super cute to see him teach. He is such a loving man. I love seeing him joke and goof around with his kids. And their English was sooo good! I'm so proud of him. :) As a goodbye present to his kids, he bought pizza for his class and gave them all Snickers bars. They, in turn, wrote him goodbye letters addressed to "Shiny Octopus." Jeremy's nickname is Shiny Octopus because he shaves his head and it's pretty good at catching the light. Apparently, Octopus is also a nickname given to men who have man girlfriends because it is believed they need many arms to take care of them. (One girl believed he was dating every woman in the school--Korean and foreign.) Well... Little did they know, he was only dating one. ;) All year, he refused to tell them if he had a girlfriend and decided to surprise them on the last day with me. It was pretty cute. They were so shocked they didn't know what to say. They just giggled and wiggled and curled up under their desks in silent laughter. Really fun. :)
After work, instead of taking a taxi home as usual, we decided to take a walk through the park.
We found this really beautiful (but fake) waterfall downtown near city hall.
I'm pretty sure this is one of my top 3 favorite photos of us. :)
Some old men playing cards in the park. They didn't want me to take their photo but I did anyway.
Super cute kids playing in the fountain spray.
It was a beautiful day and we had the best time just enjoying the sun and enjoying each other. When we got back to his place, we resumed packing.
After work, instead of taking a taxi home as usual, we decided to take a walk through the park.
We found this really beautiful (but fake) waterfall downtown near city hall.
I'm pretty sure this is one of my top 3 favorite photos of us. :)
Some old men playing cards in the park. They didn't want me to take their photo but I did anyway.
Super cute kids playing in the fountain spray.
It was a beautiful day and we had the best time just enjoying the sun and enjoying each other. When we got back to his place, we resumed packing.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Dinner and a Movie
On one of exciting Friday nights, Kortney made Pad Thai, Jeremy relaxed after a 12 hour day at work, and we both fooled around with his SUPER cool new camera.
Out his apartment window. I love the reflection. :)
"I cook, I clean, I wash the dishes..."
"And now I eat your dinner! Wahahaha!!"
Out his apartment window. I love the reflection. :)
"I cook, I clean, I wash the dishes..."
"And now I eat your dinner! Wahahaha!!"
6 Months
On August 3rd Jeremy and I celebrated our 6 month anniversary by visiting the Korean National Museum. We had a great time exploring all of Korea's history--from the stone age to the present day!
Me trying to look Korean with my peace sign on my face. :)
An interesting exhibit on Buddha statues from around the world.
I think this is National Treasure No. 2 and it's a royal crown from the Joseon Dynasty (Maybe 300 - 500 years old).
After we finished the museum's indoor exhibits (which took about 5 hours) we headed outside to see the gardens. Above is a pagoda with a big bell inside.
Jeremy and I trying to tap in to nirvana.
I think this was called the Dragon Waterfall. I kinda thought it looked a little more like Jurassic Park...
I spotted this wild creature in the photo zone among the grass. I think he was grazing...
They came from the swamp! It truly was a Jurassic Park experience...
He's so cute! :)
Then this sweet man with a camera and a portable printer showed up out of nowhere and offered to take our photo and print it for us for FREE! It was completely unexpected and I'm pretty sure he didn't work for the museum. I think he was just a lay-photographer out making people happy. I love this photo. It was a beautiful day. :)
Me trying to look Korean with my peace sign on my face. :)An interesting exhibit on Buddha statues from around the world.
I think this is National Treasure No. 2 and it's a royal crown from the Joseon Dynasty (Maybe 300 - 500 years old).
After we finished the museum's indoor exhibits (which took about 5 hours) we headed outside to see the gardens. Above is a pagoda with a big bell inside.Jeremy and I trying to tap in to nirvana.
I think this was called the Dragon Waterfall. I kinda thought it looked a little more like Jurassic Park...
I spotted this wild creature in the photo zone among the grass. I think he was grazing...
They came from the swamp! It truly was a Jurassic Park experience...
He's so cute! :)
Then this sweet man with a camera and a portable printer showed up out of nowhere and offered to take our photo and print it for us for FREE! It was completely unexpected and I'm pretty sure he didn't work for the museum. I think he was just a lay-photographer out making people happy. I love this photo. It was a beautiful day. :)
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