First Class Baby!

The flight was delayed about an hour and a half, but they just put me in first class! (I'm sure its only for the short flight to Munich ;))

Flight Delays!

Yay! :(

Interesting Journey to the Airport

I don't know if your remember, but I brought two big suitcases weighing around 80 pounds each, one backpack weighing about 50 pounds, and one laptop. Since I got ripped off by the can on the way here four months ago, I decided that I would make up for it and take the metro... With all my things! I had to switch three times :) But I made it!

Something also happened along the way that kind of made me mad. Obviously most people would be flustered and disoriented carrying all of that stuff on the metro. So someone thought that they could try and pickpocket me!!! I am always very aware of my pockets on subways and noticed a little nudge from the guy standing next to me. I looked down and saw his hand move away from my leg. I looked him in the eye to let him know that I was aware and kept my eyes down, looking at my pocket. I saw and felt his finger slip into my pocket so I moved out of the way looked him in the eyes again and shook my head no. I put my hand in my pocket which made him look sad that I had caught him and then he got off the train... I can't believe people sometimes!

Anyways, I am in line at the airport and I have about two hours until my flight. I am a bit nervous because the lines are huge... I hope I make my flight!

Last Night

I guess it snowed last night in Madrid, but I'm not writing about last night... I am writing about my last night here! Right now I am sitting at Mercado de la Reina - the restaurant that Jefe, Manelay, and I frequented during the first week here. A lot has happened over the past few months. In fact, I even wrote a little document on what I gained, but I don't know if I want to post it ;)

Anyways, I have to wait here for another hour before they start dinner and I'm alone, so I'll be bored!

Can't wait to see you all tomorrow!

The Aiport Hotel

My last few days in Florence were very relaxed. The Boboli Gardens were closed when I went the other day, so I went today. I wandered around for a couple of hours, listening to music and enjoying the scenery. I also met up with the two girls I met on the plane ride to Europe. It was their last day of school so we went to a club to celebrate :)

The clock is ticking down. I am in the Milan Malpensa airport on my way back to Madrid. My flight leaves at 7 am and the airport is a good hour away from any hostel, so I decided to rough it and sleep on a bench tonight inside the airport! I feel like a bum, but there is a first time for everything!

Anyways, once I am in Madrid I only have 4 more nights left... I am both sad and happy :)

Florence

Florence has been pretty amazing so far. I saw the David two days ago and it was breathtaking! It is soooo huuge - something like 13 feet tall. I can't believe that someone could carve such a magnificent work of art out of stone!

Today I am visiting the Boboli Gardens which are supposed to be beautiful :)

Just Arrived in Florence!

And now I am waiting for the bus to take me to my hostel :)

The Final Countdown!

I just realized that I only have ten days left! Time flies when you are having fun!

The last few days in Switzerland were amazing! The snow stayed great and I mastered the 180 and accidentally did a 360 off of a small jump. Last night we went to a club, so I am a bit tired. Right now I am on a bus to Milan where I will catch a bus or train to Florence.

I am excited to see more of Italy and hope to do a bike tour through the Chianti region in the next couple of days. After Florence I head to Venice and then back to Spain for my last five days.

I can't believe this adventure is coming to an end, but I am excited to come home!

Best day of snowboarding in my entire life!!!

Unlimited powder, no lines, fresh snow = Best day ever!!!!

Corviglia Day 2!

This morning we woke up at 6:30 so we could be the first people on the slopes. It snowed about 4 or 5 inches last night, so there was powder everywhere! But, when we got to the top, it was so snowy and windy that you couldn't see two feet in front of you. Luiggi stayed at the lodge while I went down the mountain to check and see if the conditions were ok for his level of expertise. It was, so we snowboarded for a couple of hours and now we are eating.

The sun is now shining and I am ready to hit the powdery slopes again!

A day in the Swiss Alps!

I had so much fun today! Corviglia, the resort we snowboarded at, was fun, huge, amazing, breath-taking, and overall one of the best places I have ever snowboarded at!

Again, I feel so lucky! Tonight we are having lasagna and then we are at it again tomorrow!

Love and miss you all!

Corviglia!

I'm snowboarding the Alps right now at a resort called Corviglia!!! It is incredible :)

Crisis Averted!

So I didn't miss the plane after all! My cab got there about 5 minutes after it was supposed to have departed so I ran immediately to the front of the check-in line and asked if it had left. She said yes and then paused for a second and ran to the gate. She then ran back and told me to go get my ticket stamped and to run to the plane.

After flying through the airport, I ran onto the runway and ran into the plane - only to hear the loudspeaker saying that we would be arriving late "due to late passengers". :) Whoops!

Anyways, I landed safely in Milan to find Luiggi and our yellow Fiat waiting. We drove to St. Moritz, Switzerland (with me getting sick twice along the way). I guess small car and windy mountain roads = car sickness!

Upon arrival we rented our gear and snowboarded the alps! It was incredible! So, for the next 5 days, I will be in the Alps in my friends cabin enjoying life!!!!

Life is good!

Goodbye Airplane I Just Missed!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

In case you were wondering...

It pays to be honest...

Today I was riding the metro with two girl from my tour who decided they didn't want to pay. I decided that I would pay because that is what I do. Anyways, they got caught immediately and had to pay €50

I guess it both pays AND saves to be honest ;)

Paris - Day 1

Paris has been incredible so far! I decided to do another free walking tour and we have seen most of the main sites so far! (The Lourve, the Eiffel Tower, the Latin District, and Notre Dame). We are only half way through so I'll write more about it later :)

Oh yea, and I just found out I get into all of the museums for free because I am under 26 and have a student visa!!!

On the flight to Paris!

Wooohooo!

Last Day in Rome and a Few Hours in Madrid

The last day in Rome was just as incredible as the rest, although I had to deal with the customs office in Spain for most of the morning (on the phone)... Anyways, after that debacle, I went to the Roman Forum and the Hill where the palace used to be.  Walking through these particular ancient grounds was amazing.  I really started to feel like I knew what it was like to live during those times.

My final night consisted of an amazing meal followed by a movie at the hostel... GLADIATOR!  :)  It was perfect!

This morning was kind of crazy, I arrived in Madrid early in the morning and then had to deal with customs at FedEx for a few hours.  Then, I was off moving my suitcases from one end of town to the next.  I am still waiting to get them to their final destination, but everything is packed and ready to go!

Only 20 more days!!! I am excited and sad.  I know that these next 20 days are going to fly by so fast.  This experience has been incredible.  I am going to just keep enjoying every second.  Even little hiccups this like the one this morning don't phase me.  I've learned to just take a deep breath and move along with the flow - enjoy the little things.

I'll keep updating you all via my Blackberry, but unfortunately I won't be able to show anymore photos until I get home.  Then I will spend hours finishing up this blog!

ROME!

I have no idea why I haven't been updating my blog... I have a computer at the hostel and everything!

My first day here was pretty jam packed with site seeing.  I asked the front desk at the hostel where I should go and he drew me a loop with about 10 sites and said I could do them all in one day - which was almost accurate... I couldn't quite do them all :)

The first thing I saw was the Santa Maria Maggiore.  It is a beautiful church that is right down the street from our hostel.  It was pretty impressive during the day, but it is gorgeous at night!  In the evening it has this sort of surreal aura to it.  It's almost eerie... I know, it is weird to describe a church like that, but it is really different :)

Anyways, my next stop was to the Piazza della Repubblica.  The plaza had a very old brick church (if I remember correctly) that was dedicated to the great scientists of our times - namely, Galileo Galilee.  I found it quite interesting to have a church dedicated to science, but then I realized that they were simply trying to say that through science we can discover the beauty that God has created for us.  There was a very neat stain glass dome with pictures of stars.  I will put in a photo later, but I don't know if you will be able to see the details.  One other cool thing that I liked about this particular church was a video that they had playing in a back room.  It was an experiment that a man conducted on the moon that proved Galileo's theory that if you dropped a hammer and a feather at the same time on the moon that they would hit the ground at the same time, as the moon has no atmosphere.  Anyways, watching a hammer and a feather drop and hit at the same time was pretty cool!

My next stop was at the Trinita del Monti, which I didn't know where the Spanish steps until this morning - three days later :)  Anyways, they were pretty cool, but I hear that if you go at night time, they are packed with people.

Later, I went to the Piazza del Popolo, but I don't really remember what was there... I guess when I update the blog with photos later, I will be able to fill you in on it a little more!

Next, I made my way to the Pantheon!  Apparently it was dedicated to all of the gods of Ancient Rome and actually means "all gods" in Greek.  It has the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world - which is pretty impressive considering that it was built over 2,000 years ago!  Another interesting fact is that the famous artist Raphael is buried there because it used to function as a tomb as well.

My next stop was the Fonta di Trevi or Trevi Fountain.  It was the most impressive fountain that I have ever seen.  I believe that it is made almost completely out of marble or some other stone.  The carved figures are all Roman of course and they are huge!  The water falls surround them... truly incredible.  I can't wait to show pictures of this one!  On last fact is that supposedly 3,000 euros are thrown into the fountain DAILY!  The proceeds are used to help the needy.  Also, it is said that if you throw a coin in the fountain, you are sure to return to Rome in the future.  I guess I am going to see Rome again sometime!

My final stop before seeing the Roman Coliseum was the Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II.  An incredibly huge monument that I can only describe with photos.  This too is incredibly beautiful at night.  It seems as if all of Rome is lit up at night.

My final stop was the Roman Coliseum, which I will visit the inside of today.  Let's just say that at night, this site is epic!  I found myself imagining what it would have been like in the past - gladiators, chariots, lions, horses, fighting, and thousands of people.  I am really excited to tour the inside today!

So that was day one, I will have to update you about the Vatican Museum later tonight!  I hope everyone is doing well!  I haven't heard from you all in a few days!!! Must not miss me that much ;) haha

The Vatican Day I

Today I am visiting Vatican City! But I won't be seeing all of it because I found out that, since tomorrow is the last Sunday of the month, I can go for free!

So now I am going to St. Peter's Basilica and then probably to the inside of the Coliseum :)

Rome has been great so far! I am staying at the Chianti Hostel. It has a very friendly staff and the people are all social and fun! I'll update you all later on what I've been up to more detail (I'm about to go through security at the Basilica!!!

Mini Bike Racetrack

The streets of Rome are filled with Vespas and motorcycles today! They are zigzagging all over the place :). I even met some Irish people who wouldn't walk on a particular street because it scared them so much...

More A Coruña

The natural life in A Coruña was beautiful, but there were several man-made phenomena as well ;)

Fat Man Sitting in front of Torre de Herucles

Fat Man Standing in front of Ocean

Silver Surfers

FreeBird!

A Coruña - Beautiful Coastline and Plenty of Walking (Post from September or Early October)

A Coruña was another beautiful coastal city, but it was very big (unlike Finisterre).  I believe that I arrived on a Sunday, so most of the tourist sites were closed.  So, in order to prepare for the next day, I walked to all of the tourist sites and prioritized them.

A Coruña is unique because it has a huge maritime walkway which circles most of the city.  One could rent a bike or simply stroll along the coast for miles - absolutely beautiful.  Anyways, the picture below was taken just outside of my hostel.  It was the first thing I saw when I arrived at the maritime walkway.

My walk continued and I soon saw the many boats of the bay.  I soon realized how much I actually like boats.  They ranged from Coast Guard boats to Sailboats, but they all were unique and interesting to me.

I think that the sailboat above with the sun is enough to convince anyone to want to learn how to sail!

I forgot to mention that the maritime path leads to all of the main tourist sites.  The first site I came upon was the Torre de Herucles (Hercule's Tower).

The above picture is the tower with a statue of Hercules...

Backside of the Tower with the beautiful blue sky that was out that day...

View from the Tower

And... For Mom and Dad, a picture of me near the tower's wall...

There really isn't much to say about the city in general.  For me it was the nature and the ocean that captivated my attention.  I don't think that words can describe what I saw, so instead of trying to talk about the many miles I walked around the coast, I will just show you through photos.  The following (probably several) photos are what I think captures the beauty of A Coruña.

Torre de Herucles...

Part of the City

Kind of looks like Big Sur or Carmel...

 

Even though the wind is blowing up my shirt - making me look fat - I put this one in for the parents :)

One of the last things that I did in A Coruña was go to the aquarium. It was very cool, although not as good as Monterey's. They had a whole exhibit was themed like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea which was pretty fun. Anyways, the only pictures that I have from the aquarium are from my little friend below:

Another Day at Another Park in Barcelona

Today I went to Park Güell, an incredible park that was designed by Gaudi.  Gaudi has many of his architectural works displayed around Barcelona.  I would say that he is the best designer/architect that I have ever seen.  His ability to combine nature both within his stone work and within their surroundings is phenomonal.  I cannot wait to show you guys photos of what I was seeing.

I think that I spent about two hours in the park walking around and observing the scenery.  It was really really neat.  Anyways, I have one more full day left in Barcelona.  I am excited to get back to Madrid to get working on a project (I know, I know... I actually do have school) 

Anyways, the project should take a few days and then I am not sure where I am going next.  I miss everyone!!!

A Relaxing Sunday in Barcelona

Today was very laid back. I slept in until noon and decided to go for a long-needed jog. I ended up in a popular park where I found a zoo. Curiosity got the best of me and I decided to see it. It turned out to be a fantastic zoo with a very wide variety of animals (some of my favorite being - cheetahs, tigers, meerkats, dolphins, and various primates). In fact, it was quite amazing to see how gorillas interact! Their intelligence, like the other primates, was very easy to see. I was fascinated by them and read a great deal about them. There was even an exhibit which showed a painting done by a primate. Let's just say that it was far better than I could ever do.

I spent a few hours there and returned to the hostel to catch up on some reading. That's when I remembered that I don't think I ever mentioned jumping into the Mediterranean! If I did, it's worth mentioning again :). I jumped in the Mediterranean! So now I've been in the Pacific, Atlantic, and the Mediterranean...

Barcelona

Barcelona has been a lot of fun so far.  In fact, I think I might like it better than Madrid.  I haven't done much though because I know that I have time to see the city.  But so far, I've walked Las Ramblas, swam in the Mediterranean, and been to the Picasso Museum.

Today I am going to be more productive.  I am going to see a very famous cathedral and spend a few hours in a park.

Oh yea... and my friend got his pocket cut open at the club and his wallet was stolen!  So crazy!!!  I am going to be extra careful when going out.

Barcelona!

I just arrived in Barcelona... after a rough nights sleep on a train next to a crazy guy :)

Finisterre

Wow! I never was able to write about Finisterre (or A Coruña)... My first trip outside of Madrid.  Ok, so to refresh your memory... I had just finished seeing the dunes and driving through the crazy windy roads before Finisterre.  I arrived at my nice hotel and set my alarm for before sunrise - the main goal being to be at Finisterre (the end of the world as the Roman's called it) for sunrise.

Thank God for my dad because he called me and woke me up before sunrise.  Apparently I slept through my alarm.  I ran to the car and drove to Finisterre, about a 15 minute drive.  It was literally a race against the sun, but I beat it.  The above picture is the first thing I saw... beautiful purple and pink colors over a dark sea.

Because I was in such a rush, I forgot my camera.  So, all of the pictures that you will see during this post were taken from on my Blackberry Tour.

The scenery was beautiful and as the sun rose, things just kept getting more and more brilliant.  I approached the lighthouse and was eager to gaze out into the endless ocean - to experience what the Roman's did so long ago.

However, when I reached the end, I was a bit disappointed.  I didn't get the feeling that it was the end of the world.  I saw land to my left and to my right.  I didn't feel like I was at the furthest tip of the earth.  I was determined to get the full experience, I just didn't know how.  Then, I saw some fishermen.  They were climbing down the rocky face of the cliff and that's when I realized that I had to follow them.  Surely I was going to get the experience I so eagerly desired from wherever they were headed.  I followed them down and snapped some pictures on the way down.  The shoe that you see is made of a hard metal and is placed there as a monument to the hikers of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela.  There were several burned pairs of shoes surrounding the monument - a sort of ritual for those who had hiked so long.

Note the steep area I climbed down...

Anyways, I continued along my journey and was slowly beginning to see why they called it Finisterre.  All of the surrounding earth began to disappear the closer I got to the sea.  I lost the fisherman for a little while, but then saw them off in the distance.

I don't know if you can see them, but the fisherman were waaaay below me when I spotted them again.  I kept on climbing down the mountain, completely forgetting about the fishermen.  My eyes were drawn to the edge of the rocks were the sea met the earth.  I knew it was a bit slippery and maybe a bit dangerous, but I knew if I was careful I'd be alright.  I headed for the edge only to find more fisherman!  Jackpot... they verified that my instincts were dead on.  I was at the best spot in Finisterre.

I decided to sit down and watch them for a while.  I also closed my eyes, took deep breathes, and soaked in all of the beauty.  I didn't want to rush it.  I guess I was probably at the bottom for about 45 minutes when I decided that I should head back to Santiago de Compostela to return my car.  They way up was much trickier than the way down.  In fact, I didn't remember how I got down because I was so struck by the beauty of my surroundings.  I eventually forged a new path and snapped a few more photos before I was on my way.  Truly an amazing experience!

Thanks again dad for waking me up! :)

One Hour and a Half

Ok, so I have an hour and a half to upload photos from all my trips... We'll see how far I get!

Back to Madrid...

With no clue where I'm headed next! Decisions Decisions...

The Celebration

Last night was freezing cold and rainy, but it was a night that I will never forget. I stood outside in terrible weather for about 5 hours before the dominos fell; but during those hours, I was able to see Gorbachev and Hilary Clinton speak, Bon Jovi perform, and a symphony conducted.

The dominos fell in sections. So when I saw the dominos falling in my direction, I got really excited as the whole crowd screamed... But then, they stopped just before getting to us? I thought it was a mistake, but they did it intentionally and had a few more speakers speak. After the speakers were finished, the excitement continued. The dominos finished falling and a huge firework show ensued!

Truly a night to remember! It was easy to see that this was a very emotional night for the people of Berlin and the people of the world.

Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall!

Today is going to be a day to remember! I will celebrating the 20the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall with hundreds of thousands of people in the main square of Berlin! I will hear Bush Sr. Speak and President Gorbachev, a huuuuge figure in history.

There will be gigantic dominos pushed over to symbolize the fall. It should be exciting... I'm going to take tons of pictures :)

Amsterdam

Amsterdam has been a lot of fun. Yesterday I took another free walking tour which told me a lot about the city and today, I went to the Van Gogh museum. I was hoping that I could find my favorite painting 'Starry Night' at this museum, but it isn't on display in Amsterdam. Although that was a bit disappointing, I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of his artwork. A lot of people see him as one of those crazy geniuses, but this museum does a good job at showing that he worked and studied to perfect his artwork - it wasn't just pure luck that he was so good.

My favorite painting there was of a man sowing seeds. It had a bright background with a dark foreground. The contrasting colors were beautiful. Tomorrow in the evening I head to Berlin. I am very excited to see the wall and be there for the celebration. On November 9th, it will be the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall!

Spelling and Pictures

I am unfortunately writing most of this blog from my Blackberry. Sorry about the spelling errors that may occur. Also, sorry for the lack of photos! I'll do my best to upload a bunch of them when I get back to Madrid in a week or so :)

Edinburgh

The day after the cold and rainy walking tour proved to be much nicer. The sun was shining and it was a perfect day to go see the castle. It was the first real castle that I had ever seen and it was in really good shape because it still functions as a military base. It was really easy to imagine what it would have been like to live there and fight there. The Australians and I even talked about what it would be like if cannon balls were flying at the rocky face of the castle. Although this is probably because we saw the one o'clock gun. This is a cannon that they fire every day at one o'clock. Back in the day, they used to fire this gun at 1 to let the sailors know what time it was and when they should set sail. The reason it is at 1 and not at 12 noon is because the Scottish people wanted to save 11 bullets :). If they fired at 12 they'd have to fire 12 shots, not 1.

After the castle we went to the underground city. Apparently Edinburgh is built right on top of the old city. We saw old houses and streets that were buried under ground.

We ended the night by going on a Ghost Tour. Edinburgh is a particularly haunted place because the people were very superstitious during the Black Plague. There are also stories of cannibalism and a long history of suicide... Because of all of these things, the guides are able to put together a very spooky tour. My favorite part of the tour was the grave yard. There was a tombstone with a very scary face pictured. This is particularly weird when one considers that it is the natural coloration of the stone, not man made. We were then brought to the most haunted place in Edinburgh, the corner of the graveyard under the old prison. We snapped some photos and my friend caught some unexplainable glowing lights. I still don't believe in ghosts, but that didn't stop me from going back after the tour with the Australians to spook ourselves out. We went at about 2 in the morning... Very scary haha. One of the guys had a good camera which we used to create our own ghostly figures by leaving the exposure lens open for many seconds and walking in and then out of the frame.

The following day I spent a few hours in St. Andrews, which was unfortunately not enough time, but it was really beautiful along the coast! I visited the Mecca of golf and am pretty happy about that.

Today I am off to The Netherlands and then Berlin a few days later :)

Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh has been absolutely incredible. The hostel I am staying at, St. Christopher's, is a lot of fun. The staff is friendly and there is always something to do, as there is a bar and lounge on the first floor... Yesterday was really wet, cold, and rainy, but I decided to go on the Free Walking Tour anyway - great tour, but I ended up sopping wet and freezing.

After the tour, I grabbed a huge burger with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes which was really good. Later, I decided to go on a Pub Crawl with a couple of Australians that I had partied with on Halloween. What ensued was a brainstorming session about the name and slogan of my future extreme sports company... Can't say it here though ;)

Today I'm touring the castle and going on a ghost tour...

Dublin Day 3

Right now I am at the airport with an hour to spare... Quite different than the norm.

Today was pretty cool, I walked several miles to the Modern Art Museum (which was weird) and an old jail (which was cool).

Unfortunately I didn't meet up with the guy from Google... He got sick. But, he did say he'd be in Madrid soon and wanted to grab a coffee.

I Miss Everyone!!!

Off to Scotland...

Dublin Day 2: Wicklow

Today I went to Wicklow, a small rural region an hour outside of Dublin. I took a tour bus there and was told all about the area. It was really green (as you'd expect Ireland to be) and it was really beautiful. My favorite part of the tour was when we had free time to hike around an old monastery near two gorgeous lakes.

Although it was pouring rain the whole time, me and a few others took the half hour hike to the second lake. I couldn't believe that there were actually a few people living out in this faraway land.

I met these two girls from New Jersey and Florida whom I later went pubbing with.

After I got back to the hospital, me and a bunch of Aussie chicks decided to hit up a pub. We didn't stay for too long, but it was fun. Afterwards, I went to a pub called the Temple Bar Vat House. There was a live Irish band, drunk old people, and lots of folk dancing! Such a great experience :)

And now I'm enjoying a fresh pint of Guinness that I poured straight from the tap!

Guinness Storehouse

Right now I'm touring the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin!

Joder!

I ran through the streets, through the metro, and through the airport. I made the flight, but think I might die of a heart attack! I'm having a big Irish Beer tonight! ;)

Last Day in Istanbul

The last day in Istanbul was pretty crazy. We walked around to see some parts of the city that we hadn't yet seen and bought our train and bus tickets to our next destination - for me, that was Sofia.

Ok, so as I said earlier, I got a Turkish bath! It was soooo weird, but a cultural experience none the less. Basically, you lay on a big hot marble stone in a sauna-like room until you are good and sweaty. Then, a big fat man takes you to a sink and sits you down (you are in a towel). Afterwards, he proceeds to scrub you with a rough cloth to rid your body of dead skin. Finally, they lather you up with soap and throw buckets of water on you until you are clean... NO HOMO! :)

Afterwards, Luiggi left for Greece so I had a few hours alone. I decided to eat a big slow-paced meal and then go to a Berber... A Barber.

At the Barber shop, I got a greatly needed haircut and a professional shave! It was soooo cool! Razor blades, hot shaving cream, and fire! Haha that's right, fire! He lit his scissors on fire and proceeded to quickly and painlessly burn the hair on the edge of my ear! I didn't even know I had any there...

Another great and I guess pampered day!

Turkish Bath

Check it out... I did it ;)

Turkey Day 4 - Ephesus

After a rough night's sleep, we were dropped off in the middle of nowhere with no clue where to go to next (we were still without vouchers or an agenda). But again, after 5 minutes, we were approached by a Turkish who held a sign with my name on it! How do they keep finding us?!

Anyways, the sightseeing was amazing! I truly felt like I was in Rome. We toured Roman and Byzantine ruins and saw the place where the Virgin Mary was believed to live after Jesus' crucifixion. At that particular site, we were confronted by an older man, Barney, who began discussing the meaning of life with us. It was very deep and insightful. I took away two things: 1) Love God above all else and treat your neighbor as you would treat yourself 2) You must be the change that you seek. Two great pieces of advice from the Irish man.

After the church, we were taken to a leather store who gave us our own private fashion show. Halfway through, I was brought backstage and given a wig and a leather jacket. Then, I was instructed to walk a beautiful model down the runway and model with her! Haha it was fun, but embarrassing!

The day ended on another night bus headed to Istanbul... This time, however, we were perfectly on time!

Turkey Day 3 - Cappadocia Day 2

Compared to the trains and buses, my queen sized bed at the cave hotel was paradise! I slept like a baby and woke up ready for a new adventure.

Our tour today was actually better than yesterday's. We started out with a hike in a place called Rose Valley which allowed us to see many cave dwellings along the rosy canyon. Afterwards, we were taken to the underground city of Cappadocia.

It was seriously one of the most impressive things I have ever seen. We were free to explore the underground city where thousands of people lived for hundreds of years. So cool!

The day ended quickly and it wasn't long before we were on another night bus and on our way to Ephesus...

Turkey Day 2 - Cappadocia

Shortly after hopping on the bus, we realized we had nothing; no voucher, no receipt... Nothing haha

We freaked out a bit, but decided it'd work out. So how were we supposed to know where to get off the bus without a ticket? We guessed and ended up in a small town near Cappadocia. The information office couldn't help us because we knew nothing, but he let us charge my phone in hopes that 1) it would work and 2) that the travel agent sent us an email with details. Neither happened... My phone kept crashing, as it had been since I got to Turkey, and we found no email. So, we were stuck. But, after a few more minutes, the phone at the info center rang and said a car would be coming for us. How they new where we were still remains a mystery...

The car took us to our cave hotel (very fitting since Cappadocia is famous for its array of ancient cave dwellings). From there we started our tour. On the tour we were shown various cave dwellings and cave churches from over 4,000 yeas ago! It was incredible. We were shown many breathtaking views and rock formations and taken to various local shops. We saw how ancient pottery was made and how Turkish carpets are made.

This fun and interesting day ended with a bottle of wine, hookah, and relaxation on our upper terrace where one can see a beautiful moonlit valley and hear Islamic prayers echoing throughout the canyons... Great day!

Turkey Day 1 - Istanbul and a Crazy Taxi

Looks like I took a ride on the Orient Express!

The first day in Istanbul was interesting to say the least. Upon arrival, we decided to book a bed at Harmony Hostel which was located 5 minutes from the train station and situated above a small carpet shop. We were greeted by a very friendly staff and given the common Turkish breakfast, boiled eggs, tomato, cucumbers, and cheese (not the most appetizing, but I guess it's healthy).

We spent about an hour socializing with a man from Kansas who one day decided to pack up his things and travel the world. Apparently he has been traveling for about two years now. Anyways, we decided to hit the road to see the sites...

We saw many tourist attractions; the two most amazing being the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque. We even got to watch a prayer in the Blue Mosque. Normally tourists are kicked out, but we acted interested in the religion to enter and watch ;). It was really cool watch.

Me in front of the Hagia Sofia...

Hagia...

Me in front of the Hagia again...

One last view of the Hagia...

The Blue Mosque from afar...

The Blue Mosque again...

Outside of the Blue Mosque - I really like this picture!

Inside the Blue Mosque...

The backside of the Blue Mosque...

When evening came, we headed to the Gran Bazaar, a giant market place. I contemplated buying a Hookah, but didn't because I decided my lungs would thank me later.

After we left the Bazaar, we popped into a travel agency to inquire about the costs of renting a car, as we wanted to go to Cappadocia and Ephesus. He told us it wouldn't be worth it and quickly told us about an all inclusive tour package that would cost 500€. We started laughing and so he got serious and started hammering away at the calculator. He then proceeded to tell us that for 190€ we could do the whole three day and four night trip; but, he told us that the bus would leave in only an hour. After quick calculations in our heads, Luiggi and I figured that it'd be much cheaper than renting a car. So, we booked it and then literally booked it to the hostel to shower and gather our things.

As usual, we were pressed for time, so we had to run back to the travel agency (ten minutes away) to have him hold the bus. We called a cab who was instructed by the agent to hurry up, which he did because he drove like a madman- weaving in and out of cars and almost getting in a million accidents!

Upon arrival, the whole bus company was waving us to run to the bus that was literally backing out of its space. We flagged it down and stopped the bus. Everyone was laughing, but we made it!

We really have to stop being so late (although this time it wasn't our fault)...

Two more random photos from that day...

Underground Watershed...

Medusa holding up a pillar in the underground watershed...

Turkish Border - Giris

Just got my visa and passport stamp at the Turkish border!

My First Sleeper Car Ever!  It was so much more comfortable than a the buses!

Remember the Orient Express?

Sofia, Bulgaria

I could not understand one thing in Bulgaria... The written language was so crazy!

The pictures below are from my trip (sorry they took so long to upload!)

A very old church

Didn't expect these guys in Bulgaria

I really liked this statue - the gold and black contrasts are so incredible

The Wishing Egg!  I made a wish, but I can't tell you what I wished for ;)

I think my future houses will have Lion Statues

A very cool church... Luiggi and I watched a ceremony there.  Hearing the language was so interesting.  It is unlike anything I've ever heard...

An eye-opener as to how the rest of the world views Bush (A Stamp on a Park Bench)

We made it to the train right as the whistle was blowing! It literally started to move as soon as we jumped on. This time it wasn't our fault though, our bus got stuck in traffic, leaving us with 20 mins to run to the train station, buy tickets and food, and run to the train...

Anyways, after a rough nights sleep, we arrived in Sofia at 6am. We've spent a majority of the time wandering around the city asking people if they speak english and if they could help point us in the direction of various tourist locations. We've seen churches as old as the 4th century!

We will be getting on a train to Istanbul around 15:00 tonight... I'm really really excited! Oh and my phone is almost dead (so if you don't here from me mom and dad, I'm safe and don't worry)!